"Ugh… ow ow ow…"
Sunlight streamed through the window, filling the room.
A young boy in pajamas sat up on his bed, rubbing his head, his face twisted in pain.
Naruto instinctively pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling a throbbing ache inside his skull.
'Looks like I really overdid it with the drinking this time.'
"I should learn from my mistakes and drink less next time."
He muttered to himself as he opened his eyes, but the scene before him made him gradually freeze.
A room that was both familiar and foreign.
Even though over twenty years had passed, every detail of this place seemed etched into his memory.
'…I'm back?'
It took a long moment for Naruto, who is standing by the window and gazing at the familiar streets outside, to fully accept the reality of the situation.
He had been wandering on the sea for so many years in search of answers, but he never expected that after waking up from a drunken stupor, he would return to this village.
Not just that, even his body had reverted to that of his twelve-year-old self.
He wanted to reach out and rub his nose, but he heard a loud rip as his long-lost pajamas tore at the seam.
"Huh?"
Naruto turned around and looked at the mirror beside him.
The reflection staring back at him seemed… slightly taller than he remembered.
'So… I really am back, huh?'
He picked up the orange tracksuit lying by the bed and held it up, frowning. The outfit he used to wear was now clearly too small for him.
'It seemed my body had changed in more ways than one.'
With no other choice, Naruto rummaged through his drawers until he found a loose-fitting yukata.
This set of clothes feels similar to the samurai-style robes he'd worn during his time in Wano Country
But even as he changed, Naruto couldn't shake the surrealness of it all.
He stared at the back of his hand for a long while, only to realize… he wasn't as happy as he thought he'd be.
Leaving behind that vast, boundless ocean… only to return to this village, so familiar yet so cold.
For a moment, Naruto wasn't sure what to do next.
Growwwl…
Just then, a loud, unmistakable sound interrupted his thoughts.
Uzumaki Naruto is hungry.
"For now… let's eat."
If there is anything that these decades of drifting at sea have taught Naruto, it is that 'When you have the chance to eat, eat your fill'.
Back when Roger had first rescued him from that deserted island, he was almost starved to death.
While he had learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique before coming to the island, this technique consumed a lot of stamina and Chakra. The small wild animals he hunted were not enough to fill his stomach.
However, facing the large beasts on the island, that were as tall as hills, Naruto, who had only barely mastered the Three Basic Techniques, stood no chance.
'It's not like I could've used the Sexy Technique on wild animals or something.'
'If I had known earlier, I would have 'learned' more Forbidden Techniques from the Scroll of Seals!'
Back then, Naruto couldn't even fathom how a human could take down such monsters without relying on Ninjutsu.
Of course, this perception was completely shattered when he saw Gaban split both beast and mountainside in half with a single swing of his axe.
"If I can become this strong, I will definitely be able to become Hokage and be recognized by everyone!"
Admittedly, Naruto's thinking had been naive at the time.
But his burning desire to grow stronger had still earned Roger and his crew's approval.
But the training that followed was far beyond anything Naruto had ever imagined.
The people of the One Piece World seemed to possess inhuman physical prowess by default, so much so that Naruto nearly died more than once during the initial stages of his training.
It was far more brutal than anything he'd endured at the Ninja Academy.
Fortunately, Naruto's body seemed to harbor some mysterious power that kept him going.
Whenever he dismissed his clones and endured the overwhelming fatigue and pain, that power rapidly repaired his body.
However, neither Roger nor Naruto himself ever noticed this.
They simply assumed Naruto was born with an extraordinary recovery ability.
Roger and others were also very interested in the several 'Magical Ninjutsu' Naruto had mastered.
After all, when they first found Naruto, he had been swimming near the shore, so it clearly wasn't an ability granted by a Devil Fruit.
Afterwards, after Naruto's rather lacking explanation, they also tried the so-called 'Chakra Extraction Technique' with a playful attitude.
However, whether it was Roger or anyone else, none of them could draw out even a trace of Chakra from their bodies.
In the end, the matter was quietly dropped.
…
Walking through the streets of Konoha, Naruto mentally sorted through his memories of what had happened before he 'left', all while searching for a place to eat.
However, the malicious whispers from villagers who recognized him were far too obvious.
They didn't even bother hiding their disdain.
"Look, it's that demon fox."
"Hurry, stay away from him."
"Damn monster… Why does Hokage-sama still let him stay in the village?"
'Ah… what a familiar feeling.'
Compared to the life-or-death bloodlust between pirates, this kind of petty malice was nothing more than a light blow. Yet, it had been an unavoidable part of his childhood.
Nostalgic.
After all, his heart was no longer that of a child.
Not only did Naruto not feel sad, he even amused himself by using Observation Haki to gather more information.
Yes, his Haki was still intact.
However, his Armament Haki, which relied heavily on physical strength, had been severely weakened, likely reduced to less than a tenth of its former power.
'Tsk… I still need to train more.'
Shaking his head, Naruto tucked his hands into his sleeves and continued walking.
'After all… I never realized there were so many ill-intentioned people lurking around me.'
Casually glancing at a certain spot on a rooftop, Naruto smirked lightly before stepping into a restaurant.
Only after his figure disappeared did a person suddenly collapse on the roof of that building, seemingly unconscious.
Apart from him, several others dressed similarly also lay unconscious in different locations.
Naruto hadn't dealt with these guys harshly, and he just used his Conqueror's Haki to 'politely' greet them.
'There was no killing intent, not even much malice.'
'They were like emotionless puppets.'
'Who were they? Why did they dare to spy on me openly in a Ninja Base like Konoha Village?'
'And why would they monitor an orphan like me?'
'Is it simply because I am the rumored 'demon fox demon'?'
The presence of these watchers gradually caused some cracks in Naruto's original 'beautiful fantasy' about Konoha Village, 'It seemed there were still secrets about myself that even I wasn't aware of.'
'Not to mention the faint but lingering sense of being watched that still clung to me...'
Naruto's brow furrowed slightly, but he soon relaxed again.
'Well, it doesn't matter. I believe the mastermind behind these people would make a move soon.'
'For now, the priority is to eat.'
When Naruto stepped into the barbecue restaurant, the front desk clerk instinctively greeted him, but upon recognizing him, his expression immediately twisted into disgust.
"Scram, get out of here."
The clerk waved dismissively, impatience dripping from his tone.
"What, you don't want business that comes knocking?"
Naruto wasn't angry. Instead, he grinned and pulled out a bulging frog wallet from his pocket.
The wallet landed on the counter, making a crisp sound of coins colliding.
Even if it was just filled with small change, it was still a considerable sum.
"Of course not! Please, right this way."
At that moment, the owner, who had been watching from a distance, stepped forward with a beaming smile and led Naruto to a seat inside.
It's no wonder [Yakiniku Q] had managed to grow its business so successfully… even remaining prosperous well into Naruto's tenure as Hokage. A principled owner like this was key.
Clearly, the owner's principle was money. A paying customer was a good customer, 'fox demon' or not.
Of course, the malice these two people had towards Naruto was clearly visible to him.
'In fact, the owner's malice might have been even stronger… just far more concealed.'
'But the man didn't let a single hint of it show.'
'So, young man, you've still got a lot to learn.'
Naruto turned back and flashed a grin at the clerk, watching as his face flushed red with anger before leisurely strolling into a private booth.
Just as Naruto was feasting in the restaurant, another dispute erupted in the Hokage's office.
"Huruzen! The Anbu monitoring the Jinchuriki have all been knocked out. Someone from another village must have targeted the Jinchuriki!"
"The theft of the Scroll of Seals just happened, and you still plan to turn a blind eye to this?"
"I have already said that you should just hand Uzumaki Naruto over to my Root for training."
"Let me send my men to retrieve the Jinchuriki immediately and place him under strict surveillance..."
In the Hokage's office, Shimura Danzo, who was clad in traditional robes, was spewing vitriol at the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who silently puffed on his pipe.
"Danzo, the situation isn't as dire as you make it out to be."
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe and interrupted directly.
"Naruto is still in the village."
On the desk beside him sat a large crystal ball, which was displaying a live 'feed' of Naruto eating at the barbecue restaurant.
The moment he received the news that the Anbu had been knocked unconscious, Hiruzen had already used the 'Telescope Technique'.
This technique allowed him to remotely monitor a target based on their unique Chakra Signature. It can be said to be a surveillance Ninjutsu that combined stealth and precision.
"Even so, the fact that Anbu's members were incapacitated without a sound remains undeniable."
Danzo seemed unwilling to let go of this opportunity to interfere with the Jinchuriki. Pretending to concede, he instead pushed his true agenda.
"The Anbu under your command couldn't send a warning before being taken down. I believe the surveillance of the Jinchuriki should be handed over to the people of my Root."
"Enough, Danzo!"
Hiruzen's sharp tone made it clear he saw through Danzo's intentions. He rapped his pipe against the desk, his voice stern.
"I am the Hokage."
Those words instantly stifled the countless arguments Danzo had ready.
Even if Hiruzen was only 'acting Hokage' for now, he was still the Hokage and his word was final.
"Stay out of this matter. I'll arrange for someone else to handle Naruto."
With that, Hiruzen turned away and no longer looked at Danzo.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
After saying this angrily, Danzo walked out with a gloomy face. What schemes he might be brewing in his mind now, no one could say.
"Naruto..."
He reached out and gently covered the crystal ball, and the image of Naruto devouring meat vanished.
After a while, Hiruzen said to the Ninja who had just entered.
"Go summon Naruto. Use… his graduation interview as the pretext."
When Umino Iruka heard these words, he froze for a second before breaking into a smile. Despite still nursing injuries from last night, he eagerly accepted Hiruzen's order.
Meanwhile, Naruto, who was busy stuffing his face with meat, frowned, but his hands did not slow down at all.
'The sensation of being watched had disappeared.'
'So, who will appear next?'
Before he could ponder further, the owner of [Yakiniku Q] stepped into the private booth with a fake smile on his face.
"Excuse me, sir, but would you mind settling the bill first?"
As he spoke, his body blocked most of the doorway, as if to prevent Naruto from skipping out on payment.
He wasn't afraid of Naruto, a mere Academy Student, daring to attack him.
First, the owner had no real grasp of the power gap between an Academy Student and an average adult. In his eyes, a brat like Naruto was hardly some prodigy and thus no threat.
Secondly, he knew that Konoha had relatively strict regulations and rules for Ninjas, one of which was that they could not attack civilians at will.
So even if Naruto tried something, he could just report it directly to the Hokage.
"Oh? I've never heard of a restaurant that demands payment before the customer's even finished eating."
After finishing another plate of grilled meat, Naruto let out a small burp and grinned at the owner.