Another Fine Spring

A few minutes later,

The Anbu Ninja walked out of Hiruzen Sarutobi's room with tears of gratitude streaming down his face!

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi

stood before the window, gazing absently at the cherry tree outside.

At that moment, many thoughts came to him.

Minato Namikaze, the Nine-Tails... scene after scene played through his mind like a movie...

Looks like I should meet that little fellow ahead of time!

Originally, Hiruzen Sarutobi had planned to approach Naruto Uzumaki when he entered the ninja academy. But now, with all these strange things happening to Naruto, he had become curious.

The Study of How Environment Shapes Personality. Looking at the book on his desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi had always believed that a person's upbringing could shape their character.

Naruto Uzumaki was an orphan, and because of the Nine-Tails, he had grown up in an environment where everyone rejected him. By all rights, he should have become lonely and inferior, perhaps even developed a rebellious, violent personality.

But now,

what was with this Naruto, so full of fighting spirit and not lonely in the slightest?

"Smack! Smack! Smack!"

Every lash left a shocking red welt on Naruto's body.

It hurt terribly, the pain tugging at Naruto's nerves, but he did not show it on his face. Instead, he looked delighted.

He was not a masochist. Everything was for the sake of friends!

The more suffering he endured now, the more friends he would have in the future. Just like that young man in the projection, whose friends were spread across the Nine Heavens Ten Earths and could circle the globe three times.

In the system's words, the harder one worked, the luckier one became.

"Naruto, pay attention to your technique. Keep it even. Don't keep lashing hard at one spot. Maintain an even amount of force and area. Only then can you stimulate your body's cellular activity more effectively."

The system occasionally offered guidance from the side.

"Mm."

Naruto nodded.

An hour later, he had whipped three Bamboo Whips to pieces, and his body was covered in external injuries.

However, because he had followed the system's method, though the wounds looked horrifying and shocking, they were only surface injuries. In the system's words, Foundation Establishment proceeded from the outside inward, step by step, steadily and patiently. It could not be rushed.

Still, even surface wounds hurt terribly.

Besides, Naruto was only six years old. The fact that he could grit his teeth and persist without shedding a tear was already remarkable.

"Alright, Naruto. Start applying the medicine. Apply it externally and spread it evenly."

"Mm." Naruto stopped whipping himself. Looking at the superficial wounds covering his body, he found that even the slightest movement brought a pulling pain throughout his entire body.

"Hiss..."

Naruto's brow twitched, and he could not help sucking in a breath of cold air.

"Hehe, young Naruto, weren't you stubborn as can be just now? Why are you crying out in pain now that it's over?" the system teased him maliciously.

"System, this really hurts."

Naruto moved with difficulty, opened the bottle, took out the thick Ointment inside, placed it in his palm, and smeared it over his arm. "Hiss~" The moment the Ointment touched his wounds, another wave of pain shot through his nerves.

"Spread it evenly. Keep your force steady."

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."

Naruto rubbed the Ointment forcefully over his body. This Ointment was extremely potent. The instant it met a wound, it produced a strange chemical reaction, making his original pain seem ten times worse and constantly stimulating his nerves.

Seeing Naruto's sweat-covered forehead and the determination still filling his face, the system carefully explained:

"Naruto, this Ointment has tremendous effects. It can rapidly stimulate the activity of your body's cells and accelerate your body's healing. It also has a potent property that magnifies mental pain, strengthening your spirit and willpower."

"Hardening was always a road filled with thorns."

"Naruto, do you... regret it now?"

Did he regret it?

Naruto asked himself that in his heart. Only an instant passed before he answered, "I don't regret it. If I hadn't set foot on this path, perhaps I would still be struggling in the abyss of despair..."

"System, thank you. You brought me hope~"

"No need to thank me," the system chuckled. "Actually, the world is not so bad. It is fair to all living beings. Everyone has hope that may come to them. Some choose to seize that hope, and from then on, their lives become wonderful and fulfilling."

"Others choose to abandon hope and fall into the abyss. From then on, their world becomes dark, and all living beings suffer because of them. But don't worry. People like that will always encounter some warrior who calls himself righteous, wielding a great sword to cut him down."

Naruto pondered the system's words. Now, he seemed to understand a little. In the past, he had thought Konoha was dark and that everyone here hated him.

After hearing the system's words, he instead felt that Konoha was beautiful.

There were ordinary people worrying over the necessities of life;

people who pursued beautiful things, people who worked hard, and people who protected others.

Yes, the world was beautiful.

I should carry hope within me. As long as I carried hope, even if I was in darkness, I could break through it and bring light.

Naruto was filled with motivation at once.

After applying the Ointment, Naruto had practically turned into a little green man. The medicine was taking effect, and his body felt numb and itchy. His wounds were healing.

An hour later, Naruto stood up. He could no longer feel any pain in his body.

He had to marvel at how amazing the system was. Injuries of this severity had healed in less than an hour.

He went to the riverbank and washed off the Ointment. Looking down, he saw that where his body had once been covered in wounds, there were now only faint red marks.

"Time for lunch, Naruto! We'll continue after you eat."

"Mm."

Naruto nodded and went to his hunting trap. Inside lay a snow-white little rabbit, its red eyes full of pitiful despair.

"How pitiful!" Naruto sighed.

The Hunting Skill had also been taught to Naruto by the system. Over the past year, he had relied on this skill for all his meat.

Ten minutes later, the little rabbit was no longer pitiful, because its entire body had become fragrant. Even Naruto, whose will was always so firm, could not help drooling when he saw the rabbit's glowing, roasted body.

After eating his fill, Naruto continued whipping himself.

At night, when he returned home, Naruto would soak in a medicinal bath for another hour to nourish his body.

For many days afterward, Naruto spent his time training by whipping himself, and he found it deeply fulfilling.

In summer, beneath the scorching heat, Naruto whipped himself.

In autumn, amid endless falling leaves, Naruto whipped himself.

In winter, as heavy snow fluttered down, Naruto whipped himself.

In spring, when all things stirred, Naruto whipped himself.

In the blink of an eye, another year had passed.

Naruto was seven years old.

Another fine spring had come, when misty willows filled the imperial capital.

It was also in that year

that Naruto met someone on the Back Mountain.