Good luck? Naruto didn't think so.
That wasn't luck—it was one of the many perks of being an Uzumaki. Sure, the Uzumaki clan didn't have strict limits on bloodline succession, but they were packed with chakra and had a natural talent for sealing techniques. Perception? Also top-tier.
A fully grown Uzumaki ninja with the Kagura Mind Eye could track enemies kilometers away—not quite as precise as a Hyūga's Byakugan, but pretty damn close. Naruto hadn't unlocked that level yet; for now, he could only sense the general direction of things.
Right now, the important part was that Kyuubi was willing to share info with him.
"Big Fox," Naruto asked, "can you pinpoint their exact location?"
"Sure…" Kyuubi's eyes glowed as he stared at Naruto. "Why? Planning something nasty for the ninjas watching you? If you agree to use my power, they're no problem at all."
"No, I still like living…" Naruto muttered, wiggling his toes as he thought. He had a pretty good guess what the fox wanted—basically, give up all resistance, let Kyuubi manipulate his body to slaughter everything in sight, then run away and get his ass handed to him by Konoha's ninja. Kind of like Gaara next door.
Kyuubi, of course, wasn't offended that Naruto had seen through his little scheme. He just… liked talking. He knew Konoha had the power to suppress him anyway.
After a quick scan, Kyuubi accurately reported the number and distance of the Anbu members, proving he wasn't just some lazy radar fox.
Wait… only two of them? Naruto thought, raising an eyebrow. Not the standard three-person team, just a duo watching him?
He briefly considered asking Kyuubi to gauge their chakra levels—but with his current power, it didn't matter. Anbu strength? Irrelevant.
Time flew while Naruto trained. He wiped sweat from his forehead, sipped some salt water for electrolytes, and headed home. On the way, he scanned for hiding ninjas and practiced his perception skills.
At first, Kyuubi answered patiently. Later, though, the fox sounded impatient:
"Little ghost, your two shadowy watchers have changed—one left. The other's probably reporting to the Third Hokage…"
Figures, Naruto thought. The Anbu weren't spying out of malice—they were protecting him. Still… it was annoying. They only showed up when the villagers were cold or threatening, then vanished when things got boring.
He sighed. Not their fault. It's the Third Hokage letting me deal with village discrimination himself.
Suddenly, Naruto froze. In front of him hung a big sign: Yi Le Ramen.
His stomach growled. Forget ninjas and Anbu—ramen was more important right now.
He pushed open the curtain. The diners inside immediately frowned. Shouda and Calamus—locals known for their strong opinions—stared at Naruto like he'd just swallowed a live snake.
"Uncle! One super-large ramen, please!" Naruto shouted, plopping down at the table like he owned the place.
The hand-slapping uncle blinked in surprise. "Uh… okay. Large ramen. About ten minutes, please."
The villagers around him were uncomfortable, obviously thinking, damn, the demon fox is eating near me… but they couldn't actually say anything.
Naruto, noticing their discomfort, felt a little giddy. He loved it.
As the hand-made noodles arrived, he chatted with Kyuubi:
"Big Fox, can those ninjas still see me?"
"Nope. From here, you're invisible."
"Really? But I always feel like someone's watching me. Ever since I came to the village."
Kyuubi hesitated a moment. "You're… right. Someone is watching. And that someone? The Third Hokage himself, keeping tabs on your house."
"Big Fox… can you warn me when he's observing me next?" Naruto asked.
Kyuubi didn't answer—he seemed torn. Maybe it was good practice for Naruto to evade the Hokage's eyes on his own.
Meanwhile, the steaming ramen was placed before him. Naruto inhaled the scent, and his appetite skyrocketed.
He took a sip of salty broth, grabbed a Naruto roll with chopsticks—it was sweet, soft, glutinous, with a subtle seafood taste—and felt a rush of happiness.
Then he tried the dried bamboo shoots. Compared to the Naruto roll, the bamboo shoots had a more exciting, slightly tangy sweetness, perfect for cutting through the ramen's saltiness.
Which to eat first? Naruto pondered. Ultimately, he went for a balance of both.
By the time he finished, he was completely stuffed. The restaurant was almost empty; only a middle-aged ninja with a passerby face lingered, looking depressed.
After leaving money under the bowl, Naruto got up and called the busy hand-slapping uncle: "The ramen was amazing! I'll come again soon."
"Thank you! Remember, Naruto, come back anytime!"
Outside, the middle-aged ninja watched Naruto leave and muttered, half-smile on his face:
"Is that… Uzumaki Naruto? The demon fox of the village?"
He sighed. "Demon fox? That's just rumors. The kid's parents are dead. People just vent their anger by giving him that nickname. Nobody really knows who he was."
"Maybe he's a hero… or maybe just a reckless brat, like the villagers' memories of his parents."
Shouda perked up. "Do you know his life story? What really happened to him? I always assumed his parents weren't ordinary."
The middle-aged ninja shrugged. "I'm just talking. Nobody really knows. His parents… probably would have regretted it if they saw him now."
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