One Year

"People at birth are naturally good. Their natures are similar, but their habits lead them far apart..."

Naruto recited softly. Though he did not fully understand its meaning, he found the words pleasant and catchy. Before he knew it, he had finished reciting the whole passage.

After the main text came the detailed annotations for the Three Character Classic.

Children his age were at the height of their curiosity.

The simple, easy-to-understand lessons about life and the story of Mencius's Mother moving three times were tales from another world, yet Naruto found them immensely fascinating. He quickly became absorbed in the book.

Before he knew it, Naruto had turned to the final page.

Then a gentle voice sounded beside his ear.

"Class is over. The quiz will now begin. There are twenty questions in total, worth five points each. Please listen carefully."

"Question one: Briefly recount the story of Mencius's Mother moving three times."

Hearing that, Naruto smiled confidently. "That's so easy. I just finished reading it. It says that during the Warring States period, Mencius's Mother moved house three times so Mencius could have a good learning environment. Once, Mencius skipped school, so Mencius's Mother broke the shuttle from her loom to teach him a lesson..."

"Question two: Explain the meaning of 'If a child does not study, it is improper. If one does not study when young, what can one accomplish when old?'"

"A child who refuses to study properly is doing something very wrong. If someone does not study properly when they are young, then when they grow old, they will neither understand the principles of life nor possess any knowledge. It will be difficult for them to accomplish anything in old age."

The quiz ended quickly, and Naruto answered every question correctly.

"Congratulations on scoring one hundred points, Naruto Uzumaki. You are such a clever child. As a special reward, you will receive two hours of entertainment time. Balance work and rest, and please keep up the good work."

As soon as the voice finished speaking, Naruto discovered that the blank space before him had changed. A television had appeared.

"Hahaha, I, Naruto Uzumaki, really am smart." Naruto could not help growing smug after receiving praise.

Then, while Naruto was still feeling pleased with himself, the television turned on and began playing the cartoon Black Cat Detective.

Naruto hurriedly turned his attention to it.

Though it was his first time watching television, Naruto was quickly drawn in. He watched with great interest, and by the end, he was even singing along with the melody from the television. "Ah, ah, Black Cat Detective..."

The next day, early in the morning.

Naruto groggily opened his eyes and found that there were no interesting books in his room, nor was there a television.

"So it was a dream." Naruto murmured disappointedly.

Then he recalled what Third Hokage had told him yesterday: he could now go outside normally.

Since they've explained everything, maybe I'll be able to find friends starting today. Naruto thought excitedly. He hurried into the bathroom to wash up, got dressed, and ran out of his room.

But reality poured a bucket of cold water over Naruto's head.

The adults truly no longer attacked Naruto, nor did they call him a Demon Fox to his face. Instead, they chose a method that chilled Naruto even more.

They simply ignored his existence.

No matter what he said, no one responded. They merely looked at him with cold eyes, sometimes treating him as if he were air.

If Naruto tried to do anything, their indifference went a step further and became wariness.

After receiving Third Hokage's warning, they indeed no longer dared to yell about beating or killing Naruto. But if it was merely an ordinary shove, no one could stop them.

Faced with such a suffocating atmosphere, young and innocent Naruto felt a chill rise from the depths of his heart.

After that day, Naruto rarely went outside again.

He discovered that even when he was not asleep, he could enter that magical place as long as he relaxed his mind.

No one there looked at him coldly. He could learn interesting knowledge from books, receive praise after answering quiz questions correctly, and watch cartoons even more interesting than books.

If that was the case, why go outside only to invite others' dislike?

Making Naruto unhappy made everyone unhappy too. It was better to stay home.

Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.

Over that year, Naruto's life changed considerably.

He no longer stayed home all day. Though he still did not go out during the daytime, he would take walks after dark when there were fewer people around. While completing the physical education classes scheduled for him, he also exercised his body.

Naruto knew that, while he was still young, he had to stay active if he wanted to grow taller.

By the time he finished physical education class, it was usually already late at night.

At that time, Naruto would head to the Shopping Street and sneak into shops that had already closed, taking the necessities, ingredients, clothes, and daily supplies he needed.

For Naruto, who had been born with excellent physical abilities, this was not difficult.

Of course, he paid for them.

Though no one knew he was the one taking them, a person had to learn self-respect and self-love.

It was not that he lacked the money to buy those things. It was simply that no one would sell them to him, so he had no choice but to do it this way.

Then Naruto, having forcibly bought the things he needed, would return home and cook for himself.

After learning from Dietary Balance and Nutrition, Naruto understood that eating instant noodles all day and drinking milk of unknown expiration dates was unhealthy.

Nutritional imbalance could slow physical development. Like a lack of exercise, it could become a factor that kept someone from growing taller.

Using the cooking methods he learned from Complete Chinese Cookbook, Naruto turned the ingredients he had bought into dishes that were easy to make, nutritionally balanced, and delicious.

At first, Naruto often ruined his food due to his lack of experience. But after practicing for some time, that no longer happened.

After eating, Naruto would crawl into bed and sleep.

At that time, he would enter that magical space.

His body slept and recovered its energy, but his mind remained free to move about.

There, he could continue studying or entertain himself by watching television, reading novels he had received as rewards for completing his lessons, or playing for a while on a game console loaded with all kinds of games.

Even after a year, Naruto still had no friends, but he did not feel lonely.

Every day of his life was fulfilling.

To Naruto, every day was full of the unknown, every day brand-new.

But while Naruto felt that way, someone else did not.

It was once again the monthly time to deliver his living expenses. Third Hokage set down the envelope containing Naruto's money, then looked at Naruto, who sat quietly in the distance facing the window and staring blankly outside, so unaware that he had not even noticed Third Hokage enter. Third Hokage wanted to speak, but stopped himself.