The apartment door creaked open from the outside.The dim hallway light cut into the entryway like a blade, stretching Naruto's shadow long and grotesque across the shoe cabinet.
He bent to change his shoes, then flicked on the light.
Naruto stood on the balcony, feeling the breeze. A bowl of instant noodles steamed on the small table behind him. He'd meant to buy some vegetables, but it was too late and the vendor had chased him off with a disgusted look.
If there'd been more people around, or if he'd come by earlier, maybe the shopkeeper wouldn't have worn that sour expression.
He wasn't even sure whether the ANBU might be watching him now, or whether the words he'd spoken in broad daylight had somehow reached the Third Hokage's ears.
After all, a jinchūriki is the village's greatest weapon. If his attitude toward the village changed, terrible things could follow.
Naruto didn't care. He hadn't been thinking about revenge against the village. There was no dark scheme in his heart—he only wanted to lie flat.
Lying flat is cool, okay? With a system at his side, the reincarnation of Ashura. If the system's power exceeded the Nine-Tails', maybe even surpassed every force in this world, why not take the easy path?
To win everyone's approval—to struggle hard to become Hokage just to earn the respect of those who'd scorned him—was absurd. People live to display their own value, not to harvest worth from others.
Being stared at with contempt while walking down the street, feeling insecure and hollow—that's the life of a people-pleaser, desperate for acceptance.
But Naruto was no longer the same. He knew that endless niceness only led to being looked down upon. There was no need to seek others' approval; he needed to reconcile with himself.
Just be a steady, ordinary shinobi. Live a full life. Get strong.
They were the ones wrong—those who wanted to profit from the Nine-Tails without paying the cost. Protected under the name of "safety," but in truth it was emotional manipulation.
Becoming Hokage wasn't Naruto's dream. It was the Third — Sarutobi Hiruzen's — ideal, the ambition of the village's upper echelons. They expected Naruto to be like the Fourth: to serve the village.
Summer night moonlight softened over Konoha. The night wind lifted Naruto's hair at his brow, and his gaze cleared.
He didn't want to be Hokage, nor did he want others' approval. He just wanted a common, mundane life—and to grow stronger.
The noodles had cooled, but Naruto ate them without changing expression. After washing up, he lay down and slowly closed his eyes.
The next day.
Not long after leaving his building, Naruto ran into a brat wearing a white cap and a blue scarf—none other than Konohamaru, the Third Hokage's grandson.
Konohamaru pretended to be training nearby, flaunting himself by the wall. When he saw Naruto staring, he swaggered over and shouted.
"What are you looking at? Can't you see I'm practicing jutsu? My grandpa is the Hokage—get lost!"
He expected Naruto to be cowed; he thought hearing that he was the Hokage's grandson would make people obey. But Naruto simply smiled and took out several hundred-yen bills from his pocket, offering them to Konohamaru.
Konohamaru's face fell. He waved impatiently. "Get lost, I don't want your money!"
"These are your medical and nutrition fees, kiddo… you're dead meat!" With that, Naruto lunged and gave him a thorough beating, cursing all the while.
"Hah, grandson of the Hokage? Big deal. Who doesn't have a Hokage relative?" he spat as he hit.
At the Academy, Naruto sat pale and yawning in the back row. No one picked on him that day, but disgusted glances still passed over him when he entered the classroom.
Iruka gathered his lesson plans at the front, cleared his throat, and announced, "Tomorrow is the graduation exam. The morning will be the Transformation Technique review—afternoon is the outdoor practical exam."
The announcement set the class buzzing. Boys and girls whispered: some excited, some nervous.
"Transformation technique? I'm good at that. Do you think it'll be picked for the exam?""Not sure. The test will randomly choose one of the three basic techniques—probability's about one in three.""First place is probably Sasuke again—his grades are always top.""The dead-last is obviously that one! Haha!""True. He looks like an idiot—always doing annoying stuff. I heard he's been held back two years; he probably won't graduate this year either.""Even if he did graduate, he wouldn't be a proper shinobi.""Always a loser—what a sad, dark life. If I were him, I'd just die; there's no face for living."
Iruka heard the mutters and didn't look pleased. He could do little but bang the desk to quiet them.
"Everyone outside—line up. One by one."
Waiting in line was dull. Naruto yawned again, noticed by Shikamaru, who gave him a puzzled look.
"Where'd you go last night?" Shikamaru asked."My instant noodles were expired. I got sick," Naruto replied.
"You can't even make simple food for yourself?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "At our age we should be able to cook simple meals."
"Don't take for granted the things you can do with ease, jerk!" Naruto bumped Shikamaru. "At least the noodle shop owner won't give me attitude."
Shikamaru paused, struck by something simple that was far from simple for Naruto—the constant cold stares the boy endured. He felt a flicker of guilt.
"Sorry, Naruto," he said softly.
"You—why are you apologizing?" Naruto shot him an indifferent glance, then looked toward the pink-haired girl taking her turn in the exam.
Sakura Haruno—cuter in real life than in the manga—stood out with very fair skin among the girls.
Crunch—Choji ate chips behind Shikamaru, his small eyes taking in the scene: Shikamaru and Naruto's exchange, Sakura passing by.
Ino, standing a slot in front of Naruto, turned searchingly for Sasuke and happened to catch Naruto's glance toward Sakura. A sly smile curved at her mouth.
"Naruto, what are you looking at?" she teased.
"Sasuke doesn't like girls," Naruto responded.
"What?!" Ino's smile dropped; she stared at Naruto, stunned as if struck.
"Damn it! What did you say?" she fumed."Hey, Ino, calm down!""Let go of me! I'll bite him to death!" Ino screamed, furious at Naruto's flippant mouth. Choji, mid-chip, had to pry her away.
Shikamaru hurried to separate them, and Iruka's angry voice echoed from the classroom:
"Quiet outside!"
"Next! Uchiha Sasuke!"