Not a Human Son

The apartment door creaked open from the outside.

Dim hallway light sliced through the entryway like a blade, stretching Naruto's shadow across the shoe rack, twisted and monstrous like a demon.

He lowered his head to swap his shoes, then flicked on the light.

Naruto stood on the balcony, letting the wind hit him, a cup of instant noodles steaming on the small table behind him. He'd originally planned to buy some vegetables, but it was too late—he'd been chased out with disgust.

If there had been more people around, or if Naruto had gone earlier, maybe the shopkeeper wouldn't have worn such a sour expression.

He wasn't sure if any ANBU were watching him right now, or if the words he'd said during the day would reach the Third Hokage's ears.

A Jinchuriki was, after all, the village's strongest weapon. If their attitude toward the village shifted, terrible things could happen.

But Naruto didn't care. He wasn't plotting revenge on the village. There wasn't even any dark thought in his heart. He just wanted to coast.

Coasting was cool, okay? He had a system backing him, and he was Asura's reincarnation. If the system's power surpassed the Nine-Tails, maybe even anything in this world, why not take the easy road?

To earn everyone's recognition—to fight tooth and nail to become Hokage, protecting the very people who looked down on and bullied him, just for their approval?

That was laughable. People lived to prove their own worth, not to derive it from others.

Walking down the street, catching disgusted glances, feeling inferior and sensitive, wallowing in guilt and disappointment—that was a people-pleaser's mindset, desperate for acceptance.

The Naruto of now wasn't the same as before. He knew deep down that being a doormat only earned contempt. There was no need to win others' approval. He had to make peace with himself.

Steady and grounded, he'd live as an ordinary ninja, filling his days with substance.

They were the ones in the wrong—those who wanted the Nine-Tails' power but refused to pay the price.

Calling it protection, but it was just manipulation.

The Hokage wasn't Naruto's dream. It was Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's dream, the ambition of the higher-ups. They wanted Naruto to serve the village like the Fourth Hokage.

The summer moonlight was soft, blanketing Konoha. Night wind brushed across the balcony, lifting the hair from Naruto's forehead. His gaze slowly cleared.

He didn't want to be Hokage. He didn't want to be recognized. He just wanted to live mundanely, and grow stronger.

The instant noodles had gone cold, but Naruto ate them without changing his expression. After washing up, he lay down on his bed and slowly closed his eyes.

The next day.

Not long after leaving home, Naruto ran into a brat on the street wearing a big white hat and a blue scarf—none other than the Third Hokage's grandson, the crown prince himself, Konohamaru.

Konohamaru was standing by a wall, draped in a camouflage cloth. Seeing Naruto staring at him, he immediately shouted arrogantly.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen me practicing my ninjutsu? My grandpa's the Hokage! Get lost!"

Konohamaru watched Naruto freeze at his scolding, a flicker of disappointment in his heart. He thought, This guy's no different from anyone else.

As soon as they heard he was the Hokage's grandson, they'd do whatever he said.

But Naruto broke into a smile, pulled a few hundred-yen bills from his pocket, and held them out with both hands to Konohamaru.

Konohamaru's face fell. He waved his hand impatiently.

"Get lost! I don't want your money!"

"This is for your medical bills and nutrition fees, you little punk. You're dead meat!" With that, Naruto grabbed him and started pounding him.

Between punches, he cursed under his breath.

"So what if you're the Hokage's grandson? Who doesn't have a Hokage relative?"

At the Ninja Academy, Naruto sat pale-faced in the back row, yawning.

No one bothered him today, but when he walked into the classroom, disgusted glances still swept over him.

At the podium, teacher Iruka put away his lesson plan and cleared his throat.

"Tomorrow is the graduation exam. The morning session will be a review test on the Transformation Jutsu, and the afternoon will be an outdoor practical combat review."

As soon as he finished, the classroom buzzed with chatter. Boys and girls whispered to each other, some excited, some nervous.

"Transformation Jutsu, huh? I'm good at that. Think we'll draw it for the exam tomorrow?"

"No idea. The test picks one of the Three Jutsu at random. Odds are... heh, about one in three."

"First place will be Sasuke again. He's great at everything."

"The dead last will be that guy, right? Haha!"

"Yeah, he looks brainless, always doing annoying stuff! I heard he's already been held back two years. He probably won't graduate this year either."

"Someone like that couldn't become a ninja even if he graduated, right?"

"Failure everywhere he goes. What a pathetic, dark life. If I were him, I'd rather die. No way I'd have the face to keep living."

Iruka caught some of the gossip from the podium, his expression souring. But there wasn't much he could do. He just tapped the desk to quiet the class.

"Everyone outside. Line up single file. One at a time!"

Bored with the tedious queue, Naruto yawned again. Shikamaru noticed and asked, puzzled.

"Where were you last night, man?"

"Instant noodles were expired. Got an upset stomach," Naruto said.

"Seriously, can't you just cook for yourself?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "At our age, we should be able to handle simple meals."

"Don't act like the things you do so easily are just a matter of course, you bastard!" Naruto bumped into Shikamaru. "At least the ramen shop owner doesn't give me dirty looks."

"Something as simple as buying groceries—being that noticeable is a real pain, you know?"

Hearing this, Shikamaru paused for a moment, suddenly realizing the cold stares Naruto usually endured. What seemed simple to him might not be so simple for Naruto.

"Sorry, Naruto."

"What's with you? Why apologize out of nowhere?" Naruto shot Shikamaru a noncommittal glance, then shifted his gaze to the pink-haired girl taking the exam.

Sakura Haruno—cuter in real life than in the manga, her skin looking especially pale among the other girls.

The crunch of potato chips sounded as Choji stood behind Shikamaru, his small eyes sweeping over both Shikamaru and Naruto, taking in everything that had just happened.

Blonde-haired Ino, standing one step ahead of Naruto, turned to look for Sasuke and happened to catch Naruto's glance at Sakura. A smirk curled at the corner of her mouth.

"Naruto, what are you looking at?"

Hearing this, Naruto turned and saw Ino's bold, gossipy grin.

"Sasuke doesn't like women."

"What?" Ino's face instantly fell. She stared wide-eyed at Naruto, her heart taking a critical hit!

"Damn it! What did you say?"

"Hey! Ino, calm down!"

"Let go, Ino! You'll kill Naruto!" Choji didn't even have time to eat his chips as he rushed over to break it up.

"Let me go! I'll bite that bastard to death! Damn it!" A furious Ino, held back by Choji, struggled desperately to beat the crap out of the mouthy Naruto.

Seeing this, Shikamaru quickly separated them. Just then, Iruka's angry voice rang out from the classroom.

"Quiet down out there!"

"Next! Sasuke Uchiha!"