At that moment—
When Naruto used the Perfect Chakra Refining Technique for the first time—
When he began refining chakra—
Even he didn't expect the outcome.
With the Uzumaki clan's naturally resilient body, the immense chakra reserves of a Jinchūriki,
and his own exceptional comprehension ability,
Naruto managed to grasp the essence of the Perfect Chakra Refining Technique.
The combination of these three factors produced a shocking result during his first attempt at chakra refinement.
Boom!
An immense surge of chakra burst out from Naruto's body, so overwhelming that it overflowed from within and spilled into the air around him, like a roaring gale.
Even the nearby flames were instantly extinguished by the force of the surging chakra.
At that very moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, watched in stunned silence as Naruto refined chakra for the first time.
He never could have imagined—
Not only did Naruto succeed on his first try, but the amount of chakra he produced was nothing short of incredible!
Hiruzen was visibly shocked.
He hadn't expected this at all.
"Naruto, you…" The Third Hokage was briefly speechless.
After all, for an ordinary child, it usually takes one or two weeks just to sense and refine chakra for the first time.
Even children from shinobi families typically take three to four days.
The truly gifted might manage it in a day or two.
But to succeed on the very first try?
In all his years, Hiruzen had never seen anything like it.
Naruto's talent—When it came to chakra refinement—might even surpass his father, Namikaze Minato.
This alone spoke volumes.
From the very beginning, Naruto possessed an extraordinary sensitivity to chakra and innate talent for chakra control—far beyond any of his peers.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen felt deeply satisfied.
With this level of talent, combined with the power of the Nine-Tails sealed within him,
Naruto's future… was limitless.
Of course, all of this was only acceptable so long as Naruto remained under Hiruzen's emotional guidance and control.
There was no way the Third Hokage would allow a Jinchūriki with unstable emotions to grow unchecked.
A Jinchūriki with that much talent—if not properly guided—could become a danger not just to the village, but to the entire shinobi world.
Meanwhile, deep within Naruto's mind, inside the seal—the Kyūbi no Yōko (Nine-Tailed Fox), who had been resting, suddenly stirred.
Even the Kyūbi hadn't expected this.
The brat who served as his prison—
during his first chakra refinement—
had drawn out such a ridiculous amount of chakra.
Worse still, in that same instant, Naruto's refined chakra had sealed up the breach the Kyūbi had been trying to exploit for days.
Sensing that his chakra leak had been blocked, the Kyūbi snapped awake and let out a deep, irritated growl.
But in the end, the fox didn't take it too seriously.
He had all the time in the world.
He could wait.
Back outside, Naruto himself hadn't expected such astonishing results from using the Perfect Chakra Refining Technique.
The moment his chakra surged forth,
he felt his entire body fill with power.
Despite his small frame, every movement now felt like it held explosive strength.
It was as if he could punch through solid rock with ease.
If he had already learned Tsunade's monstrous strength technique, then with his current chakra control, he really could knock out a bull with a single punch.
Naturally, Naruto—ever the performer—didn't miss the chance to impress the Third Hokage.
After refining his chakra, he immediately beamed with joy and excitement, putting on a heartfelt display.
The Third Hokage smiled kindly and praised him, and Naruto graciously accepted the compliment.
"Very good, Naruto," Hiruzen said warmly.
"Keep working hard. Grandpa believes in you. One day, you'll earn everyone's recognition—
and become Hokage."
Naruto nodded seriously.
He had already made up his mind.
He would become Hokage!
Afterward, Hiruzen informed him that he had already registered Naruto to enter the Ninja Academy as a new student this year.
When the school year began, the Third Hokage said he would personally escort Naruto to the Ninja Academy for registration.
Upon hearing this, Naruto put on another cheerful performance, his face lighting up in mock joy.
Ninja Academy—Here comes the future God of the Ninja World!
To Naruto, attending the Academy wasn't just a formality—it was a critical step on his path to gaining the strength of a true shinobi.
He was eager to start, to learn, to grow stronger.
He imagined himself there—like the "cockroaches" from the original manga.
A misused metaphor, but to him, it meant stubborn survivors, determined and unyielding.
What would it be like?
Finally, the Third Hokage handed Naruto his monthly living allowance.
1,000 ryō.
Neatly sealed inside a thin envelope.
Naruto took it with a wide smile, waving goodbye to Hiruzen with innocent enthusiasm.
But inside—
that small flicker of hope he'd briefly felt was extinguished once again.
That old bastard, Naruto thought.
Always pretending, always smiling,
but never letting him forget: This is all just a façade.
Naruto held the meager 1,000 ryō in his hand.
It was almost insulting.
If he hadn't already learned the truth—
that his parents, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina,
had completed countless high-ranking missions before their deaths, amassing a substantial fortune—
he might have believed this pittance was all he deserved.
But the truth was uglier.
After their sacrifice, their legacy—their wealth—had been seized by Konoha's higher-ups, led by none other than the Third Hokage himself.
And now, they had the gall to pretend they were "taking care" of him.
Sure, some might argue Minato and Kushina hadn't left behind much.
But come on—he was the Fourth Hokage.
Are they seriously saying a Hokage died broke?
Even if he wasn't wealthy, would he only leave behind 1,000 ryō a month for his son?
To put that in perspective:
In Konoha, even the lowest-ranking D-rank mission could pay anywhere between 500 to 10,000 ryō.
Yet Naruto—Minato's son—was expected to survive a whole month on just 1,000 ryō?
It was a joke.
No—an insult.
Naruto clenched the envelope tighter.
He would never forgive Konoha's leadership for this betrayal.
But now wasn't the time for revenge.
Now was the time to grow—quietly, patiently.
He had to bide his time.
He needed to get stronger.
And not just physically.
Naruto wasn't content with just personal power.
He was already thinking ahead—
He wanted to form an organization.
A group that belonged to him alone.
That, too, would be part of his future reckoning with Konoha's elites.
Or at least, the beginning of it.
But that was still a long way off.
Right now, Naruto had more immediate concerns.
Today had already been productive—he'd hunted enough to fill his belly, learned to set animal traps, catch fish, and cook over a wild fire.
And then—almost by accident—he had mastered the Perfect Chakra Refining Technique.
It wasn't even dark yet, but Naruto decided it was time to head back.
He carefully skewered the day's catch—a few fish and a rabbit—on a stick and slung it over his shoulder.
With chakra now coursing steadily through his small frame, even a child like him could carry a heavy load with ease.
Naruto hummed a quiet tune.
His steps were light, and his heart—despite everything—felt a little lighter.
For now.
However— just as Naruto was about to reach the village gates, he noticed something up ahead.
Three boys were ganging up on a little girl.
As a modern-minded youth with morals—could Naruto just stand by and watch?
No way.
When he saw injustice, he couldn't help but act.
"Hey!"
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Naruto's voice rang out like a crack of thunder.
The three boys froze in place, startled.
They turned around, scanning for the source.
They saw a kid about their age marching toward them, eyes sharp.
The oldest among the three was about to shout back at Naruto to mind his own business—
until he got a better look.
As Naruto walked closer…
That face—
that hair—
those eyes—
Wait a minute…
That was him.
"The demon fox! It's the demon fox!!"
The leader of the trio shrieked in terror.
His two sidekicks were stunned—then panic set in.
...
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