Narutomaki and Bamboo Shoots

Narutomaki and Bamboo Shoots

Good luck? Naruto didn't see it that way.

That wasn't luck. It was probably one of the many abilities of the Uzumaki constitution. Though the Uzumaki Clan had no obvious Kekkei Genkai, they possessed traits such as immense Chakra reserves and rapid mastery of Sealing Jutsu.

They also had considerable advantages in sensory abilities.

A fully matured Uzumaki ninja could use the secret technique Mind's Eye of the Kagura to lock onto enemies several kilometers away, no less capable than the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.

However, he had not mastered Mind's Eye of the Kagura and could only sense the general direction of ninjas.

What concerned him more was the fact that the Nine-Tails was willing to share information with him at all.

After choosing his words, Naruto asked the Nine-Tails, "Big fox, can you sense their exact locations?"

"Of course I can..."

The Nine-Tails opened its eyes and looked at Naruto curiously. "What, are you planning to make a move on those ninjas watching you? If you're willing to accept my power, none of this will be a problem."

"No, I still want to live..."

Naruto could guess what the Nine-Tails was up to without even thinking.

It wanted him to give up resisting so it could take control of his body and go on a rampage. Then, after he lost control, he would be brutally suppressed by Konoha jonin and become a prisoner for good, just like Gaara next door.

This fox was clearly sealed inside his body, yet it was unexpectedly reckless.

Seeing through its intentions, the Nine-Tails was not angered. It had merely been talking big; it knew Konoha had the means to suppress it.

After sensing for a moment, the Nine-Tails accurately stated the distances to the Anbu members and their exact numbers, displaying the professionalism of a radar.

So it wasn't a standard three-man squad. They had only sent two people to protect him?

Naruto grumbled inwardly. He wanted to ask the Nine-Tails about the Chakra levels of those two, but ultimately gave up on the idea. With his current strength, which had not even reached genin level, the Anbu members' strength was irrelevant.

When he was immersed in training, time always passed quickly.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his body with a towel, drank some salt water to replenish his electrolytes, and left the outdoor training ground.

On his way home, Naruto watched the places around him where people might be hiding while asking the Nine-Tails where the Anbu were, using this to train his sensory abilities.

The Nine-Tails answered patiently at first, but later grew impatient. "Kid, the number of people watching you has gone from two to one. The other one has already left."

The one who left had probably gone to report to that old Third Hokage... Naruto thought.

Naruto knew the Anbu's surveillance was also a form of protection, but it still made him uncomfortable.

Those Anbu only protected his personal safety, yet whenever the villagers glared coldly at him, they disappeared.

But they could not really be blamed. The true reason was that the old Third Hokage had let things continue as they were. He had never intended to change the situation where the villagers discriminated against him; he had chosen to ignore it.

In that case, he needed to think further ahead...

Then Naruto suddenly stopped. Ahead of him, a shop sign bore the words "Ichiraku Ramen."

Feeling the hunger in his stomach, Naruto decided to try something different and sample the local cuisine.

When he lifted the curtain, Naruto's arrival made the surrounding diners frown. Teuchi and Ayame both turned their gazes toward him, seemingly surprised by his visit.

"Uncle Teuchi, one extra-large bowl of ramen!"

With that, Naruto sat down at a table as though he were a regular, waving the menu as he called out to Teuchi.

Uncle Teuchi was clearly stunned for a moment, then said, "Coming right up. One extra-large ramen. Please wait about ten minutes while I prepare it."

The other diners frowned even more deeply, and the atmosphere became subtle.

They did not want to share a room with the Demon Fox and felt it was terribly unlucky, but they could not mention the words "Demon Fox" in front of him. It left them feeling stifled.

Seeing the villagers' discomfort improved Naruto's mood considerably. As he watched Teuchi knead the dough, he spoke with the Nine-Tails.

"Big fox, can those ninjas still see me now?"

"No. From where you are now, they can't see you at all."

"But I keep feeling that someone else is watching me. I've had that feeling ever since I entered the village."

The Nine-Tails fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "You're right. Someone is watching you. It's that old Third Hokage who often comes to your house..."

"Big fox, can you tell me whenever the old Third Hokage is watching me from now on?"

The Nine-Tails said nothing, seemingly hesitating over whether to help Naruto. Naruto taking the initiative to evade the Third Hokage's surveillance was, in its eyes, a good thing.

While the Nine-Tails hesitated, Teuchi had already finished a steaming bowl of ramen and placed it on the table before Naruto.

At the sight of the steaming ramen, Naruto's appetite immediately grew.

After taking a sip of the salty ramen broth, he picked up a slice of narutomaki from atop the noodles with his chopsticks. It was sweet, soft, chewy, and carried a faint seafood flavor. It made for a fine accompaniment and was also the origin of Naruto's name.

Still, eating too much of it eventually became cloying.

At that moment, Naruto picked up the Menma from the complimentary side dish, which was bamboo shoots.

Compared to narutomaki, the bamboo shoots had a far more stimulating flavor. They were sour and spicy with a hint of sweetness, perfect for cutting through the salty richness of ramen, and more suited to his taste.

So, should he choose narutomaki or bamboo shoots?

Naruto felt that he still preferred Menma.

After finishing all the ramen, Naruto was about seventy percent full. Looking around, he saw that the only people left in the shop were himself and a middle-aged ninja with an unremarkable face, who looked depressed and unsuccessful.

After finishing their ramen, the others had apparently had no intention of lingering.

After placing the payment beneath the ramen bowl, Naruto stood and said to the busy Teuchi, "The money's here, Uncle Teuchi. Your ramen tastes great. I'll be coming often."

Uncle Teuchi smiled. "Thanks for liking it. Your name is Naruto, right? Come by more often."

After Naruto left, the middle-aged ninja glanced in the direction he had gone, then smiled and asked, "Owner Teuchi, was that Uzumaki Naruto, the village's Demon Fox?"

Teuchi sighed.

"What Demon Fox? It's all just rumors. He's only a child whose parents died, branded a Demon Fox by the other villagers so they can vent their anger. I wonder who his parents really were."

"Perhaps they were heroes who protected the village. Or perhaps they were irresponsible superiors and parents."

Teuchi seemed to grow interested and looked over. "Do you know about that child's background? Can you tell me? I've always felt that his parents weren't ordinary people."

The middle-aged ninja smiled. "I was just speaking casually. Who knows the truth? But his parents probably don't know what he's going through now. Otherwise, they would surely regret it."