"987, 988, 989…"
His home, normally so close, now felt as far away as the ends of the earth. Naruto's muscles ached unbearably, and his spirit was on the verge of collapse.
"I can't do it anymore… I need to rest for a bit…"
> Warning: Lightning Release baptism countdown, 5… 4… 3…
"…990, 991, 992…"
Bang— Bang bang!
On the street, pedestrians couldn't help but glance at Naruto, who was doing weighted frog jumps.
"Hmm? Isn't that the demon—"
"Shh! Be careful what you say!"
"Why isn't that brat pulling pranks? Why is he suddenly working so hard?"
"Hmph, I bet it's another trick. Probably part of some prank."
"True, that kid has no manners. All he does is cause trouble. He's really unlikeable!"
"Let's go, stay away from him!"
Naruto wasn't deaf to these whispers, but today he didn't even have the energy to sigh.
Even the loneliness of seeing other children happily picked up by their parents while he walked home alone—he couldn't dwell on it now.
Only one thought filled his mind: frog-jump home as quickly as possible!
Then—make a big bowl of instant ramen, grab two cartons of milk, and eat and drink to his heart's content!
Just imagining it made him drool. A burst of motivation flared up inside him. With a shout, he continued hopping forward.
"1109, 1110, 1111…"
"1112!"
"I'm here!"
Naruto looked at his home with an unprecedented sense of warmth. The house, which never seemed cozy before, now looked like paradise itself. He quickly stood, massaged his numb thighs, then rushed up the stairs and into his room.
"Huh?"
"Why… does this pain also feel kind of good?"
"Am I a masochist?"
Naruto sensed changes in his body. He had reached his limit, yet the fatigue and pain weren't as overwhelming. Instead, his stamina seemed to be recovering rapidly.
> Host has successfully completed the weighted frog-jump home plan. Stamina +3. Current Stamina: 76 points!
Naruto's eyes lit up, his heart swelling with joy.
"My physics and chemistry might suck, but my stamina is amazing!"
"Ahahaha…"
This wasn't the system's doing—it was the Uzumaki bloodline within him.
His vast chakra, formidable vitality, and unique Nine-Tails constitution made his stamina and recovery speed nothing short of monstrous.
"Ahh, finally I can eat!"
Naruto immediately went to boil water for instant ramen.
But then—
> Detection: Host preparing to eat. A healthy diet is an indispensable part of building a strong body, and a necessary condition for becoming Hokage!
Please prepare a nutritious, balanced dinner including fresh meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and fruits!
Naruto: "…Huh?!"
"Is instant ramen okay?"
> No.
"…Why not?! I love instant ramen the most! No—Ichiraku's ramen is the best!"
> Ramen is acceptable. Instant ramen is not.
Naruto: "…"
"But where am I supposed to get meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and fruits?!"
Grumbling, he shuffled to the fridge and opened it. Inside—only milk.
"Forget it, at least there's milk…"
Exhausted, Naruto grabbed a carton to drink.
But—
> Detection: Milk in Host's hand has expired. Expired milk is harmful to a growing body. Please replace it with fresh milk immediately!
Naruto: "…What?!"
Annoyed, he checked the production and expiration dates. After some fumbling with the numbers, he confirmed… it had indeed expired.
In fact, it had expired a long time ago.
"I've been drinking expired milk all this time?"
"No wonder I always get diarrhea…"
He scratched his head and reached for another carton.
But—
> Detection: Milk in Host's hand has expired. Please replace it immediately!
"This one too?!"
"Right… they were all bought together…"
"What about the ones on the top shelf?!"
Naruto searched every layer of the fridge and discovered that almost all the milk had expired.
Only two or three cartons were still barely within their shelf life.
He carefully picked one up. No prompt sounded this time, so he quickly opened it and chugged.
"Ahhh—"
One carton down, his stomach felt better.
Then another—gone in an instant.
When he reached for the last one—
> Warning: Excessive milk consumption is harmful.
Host must now prepare a balanced dinner.
Also: Please dispose of expired milk immediately!
Naruto: "…But I don't know how to cook!"
> Warning…
"Ah! Fine, fine! You win! I'll go buy groceries right now! And… I'll throw out all the expired milk…"
He sighed, staring at the fridge full of soon-to-be-discarded milk. Reluctant though he was, he still shoved all the expired cartons into a trash bag. Then, grabbing his frog wallet, he shut the door and stepped outside.
"Goodbye… milk."
He dumped the bag into the trash and headed toward the store.
Naruto's monthly allowance wasn't too much or too little—just enough for his daily needs.
But Naruto had never planned his meals.
Aside from his beloved Ichiraku Ramen, he survived on instant noodles and milk. Fast food and expired dairy weren't exactly ideal for someone still growing.
Now, with the system forcing him to throw out expired milk, abandon instant noodles, and eat balanced meals, one had to wonder—how strong would Naruto become as he grew up?
He bought piles of fresh meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and milk, stuffing them into two large bags. Finally dragging everything home, he stocked the fridge until it looked like a normal family's for the first time.
Then came the hardest part: making dinner himself.
Night fell. Windows across the village glowed warmly with laughter and chatter.
But Naruto's home remained quiet.
Yet with the system's strict prompts in his mind—though it kept him nervous and fearful—it also made him feel a little less lonely.
As if, in place of the father he never knew, someone was watching over him.
Naruto, emotionally slow as he was, didn't realize it.
But for the first time in a long while, he forgot his loneliness.