What a Bastard

With a creak, the apartment door was opened from outside.

The dim hallway light shot into the entryway like a blade. Naruto's shadow stretched long, cast over the shoe cabinet like a grotesque monster.

He lowered his head, changed his shoes, and turned on the lights.

Naruto stood on the balcony, letting the wind blow over him. A cup of instant noodles steamed on the small table behind him. He had originally wanted to buy some vegetables, but it had gotten too late, and he had been chased out amid looks of disgust.

If there had been more people around, or if Naruto had gone earlier, perhaps the shop owner would not have worn such an unlucky expression.

He was not sure whether ANBU were watching him now, or whether what he had said during the day would reach the Third Hokage's ears.

After all, a Jinchuriki was the village's strongest weapon. Once their attitude toward the village changed, something terrifying could easily happen.

But Naruto did not care. He had no intention of taking revenge on the village. There were not even any dark thoughts in his heart. He simply wanted to lie flat.

Lying flat was cool, okay? With the system by his side and as Asura's reincarnation, if the system's power surpassed the Nine-Tails and perhaps even every force in this world, why not take the easy road?

To gain everyone's acknowledgment, he would desperately want to become Hokage, protecting those who had discriminated against and bullied him, all just to earn their approval.

That was far too ridiculous. People lived to demonstrate their own value, not to gain value from others.

When people looked at him with disgust as he walked down the street, he became insecure and sensitive, feeling guilty and dejected. That was a people-pleasing personality, hoping to be acknowledged and accepted.

The current Naruto was no longer the Naruto of the past. He knew well that blindly being a nice guy would only make people look down on him. There was no need to gain anyone else's approval. He needed to learn to reconcile with himself.

He would steadily become an ordinary ninja and live a fulfilling life.

They were the ones in the wrong—the people who wanted to profit from the Nine-Tails but refused to pay the price.

They called it protection, but it was really emotional manipulation.

Being Hokage was not Naruto's dream. It was Hiruzen Sarutobi's dream, the ambition of the higher-ups. They wanted Naruto to serve the village just like the Fourth Hokage had.

The moonlight of the summer night softly blanketed Konohagakure. The night breeze brushed across the balcony, lifting Naruto's bangs as his gaze gradually cleared.

He did not want to become Hokage, nor did he want anyone's approval. He only wanted to live an ordinary life and grow stronger.

The instant noodles had gone a little cold, but Naruto still finished them without changing expression. After washing up, he lay on the bed and slowly closed his eyes.

The next day.

Not long after Naruto left home, he ran into a brat on the street wearing a large white hat and a blue scarf. It was none other than the Third Hokage's grandson, Konohamaru.

Konohamaru stood beside a wall draped in a camouflage cloth. Seeing Naruto stare at him, he immediately shouted arrogantly.

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

Konohamaru stared at Naruto, who had frozen after being yelled at, feeling somewhat disappointed. This guy was no different from everyone else.

As soon as they heard that he was the Hokage's grandson, they would definitely obey his every word.

However, Naruto smiled, pulled out several one-hundred-ryo bills from his pocket, and handed them to Konohamaru with both hands.

A disappointed expression appeared on Konohamaru's face. He waved impatiently.

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

"This is for your medical bills and nutrition. You're dead, brat!" With that, Naruto grabbed him and gave him a beating.

As he beat him, he cursed nonstop.

"You think being the Hokage's grandson makes you so great? Who doesn't have a Hokage relative?"

At the Ninja Academy, Naruto sat in the back row with a pale face, yawning.

No one came to trouble him today, but when he entered the classroom, disgusted looks still swept over him.

At the podium, Iruka put away his lesson plans, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Tomorrow is the graduation exam. In the morning, there will be a review test on the Transformation Jutsu. In the afternoon, there will be an outdoor class, a review test on practical combat."

As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom immediately became lively. The boys and girls began whispering among themselves. Some were delighted, while others were nervous.

"The Transformation Jutsu? I'm pretty good at that. Do you think tomorrow's graduation exam might pick the Transformation Jutsu?"

"Who knows? The exam randomly selects one of the Three Jutsu. Probability-wise... hehe, it's about one in three."

"First place will definitely be Sasuke again. He gets great grades in every subject."

"The dead last will definitely be that guy! Hahaha!"

"That's true. He looks like he has no brains and always does annoying things! I heard he's already been held back for two years. He probably won't graduate this year either."

"Could someone like that even become a ninja after graduating?"

"He fails wherever he goes. What a miserable, bleak life. If I were him, I'd rather die. He must be too ashamed to keep living in this world."

Iruka at the podium also heard some of the gossip, and his expression turned unpleasant. But there was nothing he could do. He could only knock on the desk and quiet the class.

"Everyone, go outside. Form a line and come one at a time!"

As they waited in the dull line, Naruto yawned again. Shikamaru noticed and asked curiously.

"Where did you go again last night?"

"My instant noodles were expired. They upset my stomach," Naruto said.

"I'm talking about you, idiot. Can't you cook for yourself?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes at him. "At our age, we should be able to make some simple dishes."

"Don't treat things you can do easily as a given, bastard!" Naruto bumped Shikamaru with his shoulder. "At least instant noodle shop owners don't give me dirty looks."

"Buying groceries every day is troublesome when it draws attention, okay?"

Hearing that, Shikamaru froze slightly. He suddenly realized the cold looks Naruto usually endured. Things that seemed simple to him might no longer be so simple for Naruto.

"Sorry, Naruto."

"You idiot... why are you apologizing all of a sudden?" Naruto gave Shikamaru a noncommittal glance, then shifted his gaze to the pink-haired girl taking the test.

Sakura Haruno. She was even cuter in person than in the manga, and her skin stood out as particularly fair among the girls.

The crunching sound of potato chips filled the air. Choji stood behind Shikamaru, his small eyes sweeping over Shikamaru and Naruto as he took in everything that had just happened.

The blond Ino stood one place ahead of Naruto. As she turned around to look for Sasuke, she happened to notice Naruto staring at Sakura Haruno, and the corner of her lips curved up.

"Naruto, what are you looking at?"

At the sound of her voice, Naruto turned and saw the uninhibited, gossiping smile on Ino's face.

"Sasuke doesn't like women."

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

"Damn it! What did you say?"

"Hey! Ino, calm down!"

"Let go, Ino! Naruto's going to die!" Choji did not even have time to eat his chips as he hurried forward to break them up.

"Let me go! I'm going to bite that bastard to death! Damn it!" The furious Ino was held back by Choji as she desperately tried to beat the foul-mouthed Naruto to death.

Seeing this, Shikamaru hurriedly separated them. Just then, Iruka's angry voice came from inside the classroom.

"Those outside, quiet down!"

"Next! Sasuke Uchiha!"