A Trio and a Dog

(A little rambling first; if you don't like it, you can skip ahead, qaq.)

To everyone in the village,

I've officially signed a contract now. The process was full of hardships, but I still want to thank you all. (Maybe nobody even reads my work, and you're all just White Zetsu's army or Kun Kun...)

Anyway, first of all, thank you, everyone. Much appreciated~

Little~ Cat

Here, I'd like to talk with you all about why I started writing and share a few stories of my own.

For the record, I'm an adult, I'm straight, and I'm a positive young person from the twenty-first century.

So, why did I decide to write this Naruto fanfic?

First of all, I've read no fewer than five thousand novels on Tomato, if not seven or eight thousand. Naruto was also a masterpiece that kept me company throughout my childhood. Even now, it's hard to find many anime of the same genre that can match it.

I still remember so many of Naruto's iconic scenes. They're part of my youth...

I also love reading Naruto fanfiction on Tomato. There are masterpieces, but there are also some rather bizarre works.

I've mentioned this in earlier chapters, too.

Some stories let you pick an option and immediately hand you Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu or a Sage Body or something. Then, even worse, the protagonist starts a harem, and all the female characters in Naruto seem to collectively lose their minds.

Then there are stories where someone gets a Mangekyo at six, becomes the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki at seven, and reaches the Six Paths at eight. They're completely absurd. The plots are basically all the same: the protagonist doesn't have to work for anything and just becomes a slave to the system.

It leaves readers feeling burned out, to the point where they can't find a single book to read. Why?

Because they all follow the same formula. Nowadays, novels have entered the fast-food era, and I suppose it's only natural for things to turn out this way.

But is this really all there is? Are Naruto fanfics going to keep being fast food from now on?

I'm the first to say no.

So, after a long time spent turning an idea over in my mind, I made it the foundation of this fanfic. I'm going to write a story that follows the Naruto world as it is, with no cheats and no system—a genuine Naruto reincarnation fic!

Maybe it'll have plenty of flaws. Maybe people will criticize it. Maybe nobody will care. But as Kafka says in Honkai: Star Rail, when we make the right choice, we shouldn't let ourselves regret it. Right?

There are also plenty of people who enjoy stories where the protagonist starts with an Eternal Mangekyo or goes straight to the Six Paths. That's perfectly normal—different strokes for different folks.

So if you've come across this story, just pretend I never said any of this. The choice is yours, isn't it?

(Just covering my bases... I don't mind criticism or disagreements in the comments, but please don't be sarcastic or rude. Thank you.)

Back in the world of Naruto, in Konoha.

Sakura watched Naruto wolf down all the rice balls in one go, and fury burned inside her!

"Damn you, Naruto!"

Sakura said fiercely.

At that moment, Naruto protested, "What's wrong? Why'd you hit me out of nowhere?"

He even pointed at himself with a finger, looking aggrieved.

Sakura rolled her eyes and punched Naruto in the head again.

"Idiot! Those were for Sasuke. I only asked Josuke to hold on to them!"

Only then did Naruto understand what Sakura meant. He scratched his head sheepishly, but then he thought of something and asked,

"Huh? You didn't save any for me?"

"For you..."

Sakura wasn't sure how to explain, but just then a man's voice interrupted them.

"Oh? So you're the ones?"

The man's voice was languid, and he looked completely drained, as if he'd just woken up.

Josuke looked toward him. He had silver hair, a black mask, a tight-fitting black combat uniform, and a green flak jacket over it.

Wasn't this his future teacher, the legendary Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi?

Naruto was the first to speak to Kakashi.

Naruto pointed at Kakashi and asked,

"What took you so long?"

Kakashi didn't say much, just smiled faintly.

Then he looked at the three of them and the dog—no, no, the four of them.

"Nice to meet you. Let's start by introducing ourselves. You first."

Kakashi looked toward Naruto.

Naruto thought for a moment, then flashed his classic grin.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto. I like instant noodles, but what I like even more is Ichiraku Ramen, which Iruka-sensei treats me to. I hate the three minutes it takes for instant noodles to be ready.

"My hobby is tasting and comparing all kinds of instant noodles. My dream for the future is to surpass the Hokage. I want everyone in the village to acknowledge that I'm here."

Sakura Haruno slowly stood up, then glanced at Sasuke with a shy expression.

"My name's Sakura Haruno. I like training with everyone. My hobby and dream are to get stronger, and then..."

As she spoke, Sakura Haruno looked at Sasuke again, but she didn't dare say what was on her mind.

"As for what I hate, it's probably that guy, Naruto."

Sakura Haruno cast Naruto a look of disdain, clearly at her wit's end with him.

"My name's Sasuke Uchiha. There are a lot of things I hate, and not much I like. And I have an ambition that's more than just a dream: to revive the Uchiha Clan."

Then Sasuke paused.

"I'm going to kill that man!"

His voice was cold, and Naruto trembled beside him. Could he mean me?

Hatake Kakashi's eyes flickered slightly. He knew some of what had happened back then, but even now, he didn't know why Itachi had massacred the clan...

Then it was the last one, our heavyweight contender, Josuke!

"I'm Uchiha Josuke. I guess what I hate is being too weak. As for what I like... there's a lot. And I hope to use my own strength to protect the people around me."

Kakashi looked at Josuke. He'd said something like that once, too. Without thinking, Kakashi touched his left eye. It took him a moment to come back to himself.

"Mm, I see... Well, I'll introduce myself, too. My name is Hatake Kakashi. What I like and dislike... I don't want to tell you. As for my dreams for the future... I have a variety of hobbies, too."

And with that, Kakashi had gotten to know the four of them a little better.

As he spoke, Kakashi took three bells from his pocket.

"Only three of the four of you can become Genin. To qualify, you have to take these three bells from me."

The three of them looked tense. Only Josuke, who knew what was really going on, remained calm. Whether they got the bells or not didn't really matter; this test was about the four of them working together as a team.

But the other three didn't know the truth. They were probably thinking that if they couldn't get a bell, they'd be eliminated.

Josuke could only say that Kakashi really was a trickster, deceiving such innocent youngsters like this. Truly wicked.