The house-like fight ended quickly, and Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji leaned against a big tree to rest.
Their future achievements might surpass most ninjas, but for now, they were just kids—and any real ninja could probably smack them down with one hand tied behind their back.
Choji munched on some snacks and said, "Naruto, you're really strong. You can even keep up with the senior students at the ninja school. Shikamaru and I… we're no match for you."
Shikamaru, sitting next to him, looked at Naruto with a mix of surprise and grudging respect. Their combined efforts had failed miserably.
Naruto just smiled. He knew his own strength. He'd already surpassed most of his peers, but he was far from being able to stand in front of a true ninja.
And that's without even using Nine-Tails' power.
Once I hand over my body to Kyuubi… Jonin wouldn't even stand a chance. I'd need an animation-level powerhouse—or at least a squad of elite Jonin—to put up a fight.
To thank Shikamaru and Choji for sparring with him, Naruto pulled rice balls and fried chicken from his backpack.
The moment Choji saw the fried chicken, his eyes lit up like fireworks. He snatched it, gnawed on it with a satisfying crunch, and let out little "Mmm!" noises.
Shikamaru took a rice ball reluctantly, as if he had lost all worldly desires.
After finishing a chicken leg, Choji grabbed another from Naruto, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "Naruto, this food is amazing! If I could eat this every day, I'd happily spar with you daily!"
Naruto smiled like an indulgent father and left all the remaining fried chicken for Choji.
He sat down with Shikamaru, rice ball in hand, staring at the forest in the distance—small bridges, running streams—lost in thought.
"Another calm day…" Shikamaru sighed.
Naruto chewed on a blade of grass. "Why did you come here? Did Choji eat all your food? He's always had bad habits."
"That's not it," Naruto replied. "I just came to keep you company. After all, you and Choji are the third and fourth friends I've made."
Shikamaru gave a perfunctory smile. "I thought Choji and I would be first and second. But your first friend should be… that little girl from the Hyuga family."
Naruto pretended to gasp. "Shikamaru! How do you know about me and Hinata?!"
Shikamaru lay back on the grass. "Because when Hinata was bullied that day, Choji and I were on the opposite street. Choji wanted to befriend you, but I stopped him."
"Why?"
"Afraid of disturbing your hero moment—saving the beauty."
"In that case, I have to thank you… Thanks for letting me be the hero and save the beauty."
Naruto laid back on the grass beside Shikamaru, looking at the clouds drifting across the sky. He whispered to Kyuubi:
"Big fox, is the Third Hokage watching me?"
"No," Kyuubi replied. "And stop thinking about commanding the old man. He's not your nanny—you handle your own affairs."
Naruto relaxed. "Speaking of which, you and Choji didn't just randomly befriend me, right? It's weird that you appeared out of nowhere."
"It's what my father suggested," Shikamaru said. "Not sure if he got orders from others. Honestly, I hate this kind of tedious work. But after learning about your past, I decided to be a real friend."
Naruto smirked. "Looks like even a demon fox has charm. People still want to be friends with me."
Shikamaru hesitated at Naruto's words, then quickly masked it. "Trust the village. If the elders are involved, they probably had their reasons."
"So, just accept me as a demon fox and I don't care about villagers' bullying?" Naruto's voice was calm but carried weight. To Shikamaru, he seemed more dangerous than before—like a volcano barely holding back.
Naruto relaxed again. "But it doesn't matter. Those villagers don't dare mess with me now. I've got friends like you and Choji. Those unpleasant things will fade away."
"That's the Will of Fire, isn't it?" Shikamaru said, nodding slowly, reevaluating Naruto.
He'd thought Naruto's heart was full of darkness from the villagers' bullying—but now he saw there was also a carefree, dismissive strength beneath it.
Shikamaru watched as Naruto got up. "Where are you going? Aren't you playing with us?"
"Of course I am… fishing," Naruto said without looking back. "I saw a lot of fish in the river. If you want to play with me, I have to show off my skills."
Shikamaru fell silent but followed, with Choji in tow.
A few hours later, they built a small fire by the river. Fish skewered on sticks sizzled in the hot oil. Naruto devoured his fish, smiling genuinely at his friends.
Kyuubi snorted from within, disdainful. "Three generations haven't watched you long, and these two little devils are probably the Third Hokage's eyes. And here you are, smiling like an idiot. Careless much?"
"But this happiness is real," Naruto thought. "I can share my heart with them."
Then he smirked. "Big fox, watching us eat, are you greedy too? Don't worry—I'll bring you something if I can."
Kyuubi rolled his eyes. "This old man doesn't care about food. And seriously, I'm sealed in your body. Why would you give me grilled fish?"
"Exactly…" Naruto shrugged, then paused. Before Kyuubi could feel lonely, Naruto returned holding skewers of grilled fish.
"This is for you," he said. "Since you can influence my emotions with Chakra, I can also record the taste of grilled fish with Chakra and share it with you."
Kyuubi scowled arrogantly but couldn't hide the pride in his single eye.
Naruto put the fish down with a grin and left the sealed space. A crisp voice rang in his ears:
"The Nine-Tails' affection for you has reached recognition, and you have obtained 'Malicious Perception Lv. 1.'"
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