After resting, Naruto didn't pressure his body further. Instead, he took out the fishing rod he had hidden long ago, ran about a hundred meters upstream, and began fishing.
According to his observations, the fish were most abundant in this section. With his nearly maxed-out fishing skills, Naruto quickly achieved an impressive harvest.
Looking at the fish filling the bucket, Naruto smiled and carried it toward a cliff a few dozen meters away from the river. There, inside the cliff, was a small cave he had dug earlier. It wasn't large, but it was enough to block rain from seeping in during bad weather.
Placing the bucket near the cave wall, Naruto stepped out and ran into the nearby woods with speed well beyond that of a normal person.
This was where he had left a trap yesterday—a simple snare for survival purposes.
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The trap didn't require much technical skill, so even the Third Hokage didn't question it.
When Naruto arrived, a rabbit was already caught in the trap.
Grabbing it by the ears and testing its weight, Naruto grinned. "Not bad luck today!"
Had the trap failed, he would've had to rely on the fish instead. Carrying the rabbit back to the cave entrance, Naruto expertly pulled out a kunai from the ninja tool pouch strapped to his pants.
It was a gift from the Third Hokage, given to him the day before he entered the Ninja Academy.
He deftly descaled the fish and cleaned the rabbit. Thanks to the God's Reward for Hard Work and the cooking skills he'd developed over the years, Naruto performed each step smoothly.
Using the kunai, he cut a few branches and quickly set up to roast the rabbit.
He also prepared the fish in a small pot—the same one he had asked the Third Hokage for previously.
The Third Hokage knew Naruto often trained and cooked for himself here, so he provided an extra set of cookware.
And thanks to Naruto's exceptional cooking, the Third Hokage would sometimes even visit just to have dinner with him.
Of course, the real motive was to deepen Naruto's emotional bond with him—sharing meals was just a cover.
Still, the Third Hokage genuinely enjoyed Naruto's food.
In his mind, Naruto had become emotionally dependent on him. But in truth, Naruto had no attachment at all.
Wasn't it the Third Hokage who made Naruto's early life so difficult? If Naruto hadn't been strong and independent, he'd still be drinking expired milk and eating whatever cheap food he could find.
He should've inherited his parents' house and assets. As the son of the Fourth Hokage, why did he live in a cramped shack? And his parents certainly wouldn't have left him with nothing.
He might've once wanted to be the village's hero—but now, thinking about his mother's temper, she'd probably want to tear Konoha apart if she saw his current life.
The food was finished quickly.
"Mmm! My cooking just keeps getting better!"
Licking his lips, Naruto patted his stomach in satisfaction, then began jogging home. The sun had already set, and the moon was faint in the sky. The streets were nearly empty. Naruto sprinted along, noticing several hateful glances thrown his way.
He didn't pay attention to them. He had long since gotten used to those looks.
Naruto soon returned to his small cabin. Though modest, he kept it very clean—nothing like the mess from the original story.
After returning, he washed off the sweat from his training and quickly fell asleep.
At sunrise…
Naruto straightened his clothes. His wardrobe had many options now—not like in the original timeline, where he had only a few sets. He had asked the Third Hokage to purchase them for him, as most merchants still refused to sell him anything.
Of course, the Third Hokage had to pay from his own pocket. After all, he'd used up Naruto's inheritance and now offered only a minimal allowance.
Naruto looked in the mirror and nodded. He looked good. Thanks to proper nutrition and training, he was strong and mentally alert.
He headed off to the Ninja Academy. On the way, he noticed Hinata had arrived earlier.
"Naruto-kun…"
Hearing her soft greeting, Naruto smiled. "Hello, Hinata!"
Hinata's heart pounded.
Naruto-kun smiled at me… Naruto-kun smiled at me…
Seeing her blush again, Naruto's lips curled slightly in amusement.
Isn't Hinata just adorable? I still don't understand how the original Naruto fell for Sakura…
Soon after, more students arrived. As the bell rang, Iruka entered the classroom right on time.
"Good morning, everyone. Today is our first formal lesson, so let me ask—does anyone know what it takes to become a ninja?"
Iruka glanced at the students as they murmured among themselves.
"Uchiha Sasuke! Let's hear from you!"
Sasuke stood up like a proud peacock, head high, and said, "It's chakra! Chakra is a type of energy formed by mixing the spiritual and physical energy extracted from the body's 130 trillion cells in a specific ratio."
Then he sat down with pride, prompting a wave of admiration from the fangirls.
"Very good! Sasuke is correct. Chakra is the foundation of becoming a shinobi! Now, I will teach you how to refine chakra…"
Iruka's tone was calm and informative. In this world, even physical-type ninjas had chakra. Take Might Guy and Rock Lee for example—they had chakra but lacked the talent to perform ninjutsu.
Everyone listened intently, especially the civilian children. They focused deeply, as this was their key to survival in the shinobi world.
Kids in the Naruto world matured early. Even at this age, they had the mindset of teenagers from Naruto's past life.
Naruto looked around. Shikamaru remained indifferent. Sasuke hadn't started chakra training yet. Meanwhile, the heirs from big clans had clearly already begun refining chakra at home.
They had long since outpaced the civilians.
The morning was spent entirely on chakra refining. After all, chakra was the foundation. In the afternoon, they began theory class.
Naruto opened his textbook and—unsurprisingly—it was all about the Will of Fire.
The first page opened with, Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn… The flames will light the village, and new sprouts will grow!
Then came a retelling of Konoha's history and the First Hokage's achievements. But the versions here were… different from what Naruto knew. The Third Hokage shamelessly painted himself as the strongest Hokage in history.
Some of the text felt eerily like propaganda. With modern knowledge from his past life, Naruto found the material immature and manipulative.
After several days of theoretical learning, Naruto resumed training at his secret base after school.
But today, Iruka made an announcement—there would be a practical lesson!
The class was divided into kunai-throwing and combat practice.
Everyone lit up with excitement. After days of boring theory, it was time for action.
Naruto wasn't concerned. His memory might not be photographic, but it was close. Even he didn't fully understand the limits of his current mental capacity.
End of the Chapter.
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