Naruto stopped when he saw them. Everyone quieted down a little, but they didn't look away; they only lowered their voices.
His hand clenched inside his sleeve, then finally relaxed. He could sense several Anbu watching him nearby, including members of Root.
"Danzo again?"
There was no need to think about it. Danzo was the only one in Konoha who would do something like this. But even knowing that, there was nothing he could do.
He returned home in silence and started making fish soup for himself.
Eat, sleep, train.
The Third Hokage also learned about Naruto's behavior. He paid little attention to the training; perhaps Naruto knew he was about to graduate and had finally decided to work hard.
"But without good food to replenish his strength, this kind of training will ruin his body sooner or later. Looks like I'll have to send him more money for food."
The Third Hokage was still thinking about how to win Naruto's favor.
Danzo, who was also keeping an eye on Naruto, felt even more disdainful. Why did so few people in the Ninja World train their bodies? It was slow to show results and damaged the body. Besides, ten years of training couldn't compare to learning an S-rank jutsu.
Naruto's strength continued to improve without anyone knowing. Well, there was one person who knew: Hinata, who watched him secretly. Hinata had tried Naruto's training routine, but her body couldn't handle even one set.
With the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Naruto naturally knew Hinata was watching him. Even without that ability, he knew from the original story that Hinata liked to secretly observe him. He didn't approach her for two reasons: the Anbu were watching him, and he needed to focus on his own strength.
Another fulfilling day came to an end, and Naruto strolled home. It was the time of day when the people of Konoha, after a busy day, ate dinner and went for a leisurely walk. He watched the villagers strolling and chatting in the streets with their families.
Naruto couldn't help stopping for a moment.
Phew. What am I thinking? A life like this would be enough.
He turned, used the Body Flicker Technique, and disappeared in an instant. Naruto knew the Three Basic Jutsu. With no other jutsu to practice, he had to work on these. There was no need to explain the Transformation Technique; the Naruto from the original story had plenty of experience with it. The Clone Technique created nothing but a chakra illusion, and he would learn the Shadow Clone Technique later. He stopped practicing it once he was familiar with it. He had practiced the Substitution Technique, too. Honestly, no matter where you were, anything that could be widely taught was bound to be useful.
Don't be fooled by how basic the Three Basic Jutsu seemed; they were no simple matter. The Clone Technique went without saying. It was still useful for those without sensory abilities or a Kekkei Genkai like the Byakugan. The Three Crescent Moon Dance, for example, was an advanced application of the Clone Technique.
The Transformation Technique's usefulness needed no explanation. It could be seen through, but it was still practical for ordinary ninja.
As for the Substitution Technique, it was arguably the only jutsu ordinary ninja could learn that was similar to Space-Time Ninjutsu. It could even be considered a type of Space-Time Ninjutsu: all you had to do was prepare a log in advance, and you could swap places with it.
After a few uses of the Body Flicker Technique, Naruto found himself back home.
Once he'd eaten his fill, his body appeared in the Sealing Space again.
"Hey, fox. I'm here."
Naruto was still a little happy to see the Nine-Tails. Being watched all the time made him feel constrained, so the fox was the only one he could talk to.
Of course, the Nine-Tails had long since given up trying to manipulate Naruto and couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention. That didn't stop Naruto from talking. And don't make me laugh about Naruto trying to talk the Nine-Tails into anything. He was simply bored and wanted someone to listen.
If the Six Thief Immortals could already digest the Nine-Tails, Naruto wouldn't have minded devouring it outright. More importantly, as a fellow immortal, it would be terribly dull if no one remembered him.
"Hmph, brat."
The Nine-Tails naturally didn't give Naruto a warm welcome. As usual, it sent a surge of chakra Naruto's way.
The Nine-Tails knew this wouldn't work on Naruto, of course. But its chakra wasn't just meant for him; as it gave Naruto chakra, it also eroded the seal.
The Nine-Tails knew this, and Naruto knew it from the original story, too. But they both had their own motives and said nothing. As for the Nine-Tails breaking out of the seal, honestly, Naruto wouldn't die. And then he could devour the Nine-Tails.
At least he wouldn't have to feel guilty. After all, people got attached to pets they'd kept for a long time.
Naruto talked, and the Nine-Tails listened. As for what Naruto said, it was naturally all sorts of nonsense—like some novels he'd read in his previous life. Nine-Tails Fox, Ten-Tails Immortal Fox, Eleven-Tails Divine Fox, Twelve-Tails Chaos Fox. He'd read all of those stories in his previous life, but now that he'd been reincarnated, things like that might actually exist. He didn't know how far the Six Thief Immortals could go, but they could grant longevity. He just didn't know how long he could live.
As long as he stayed alive, anything was possible. So when Naruto told those stories, he became animated, convinced he'd get to see such things for himself. Who wouldn't be curious about the myriad worlds? With the prospect of eternal life, he wanted to go see them. If the Nine-Tails wasn't enough, he could devour the Ten-Tails.
"Devour organic matter. And strictly speaking, the Ten-Tails seems to be a tree. If the Ten-Tails isn't enough, I'll devour more Otsutsuki. And if that's still not enough, I'll devour planets. I don't know if I can do it, but getting stronger is what I love most."
After finishing his story, Naruto didn't look at the Nine-Tails. He turned and disappeared.
But the Nine-Tails felt a little uneasy. Hearing Naruto's words, and seeing the look in his eyes as he told his stories, made its heart pound with dread.
The Nine-Tails didn't know what it was worried about, but there was something frightening about Naruto's gaze.
The Nine-Tails was, after all, a Tailed Beast; it didn't understand humans. Naruto had poured his heart out and shared so many of his deepest thoughts with it. The consequences were easy to imagine. Never assume that someone confiding in you is a good thing. Sometimes, if they're telling you their secrets, it means you don't have long to live.
Sleep, go to school, play with friends, then train in secret.
After a few days of this, Naruto got used to it. He didn't have to think about the future or about Danzo and the others.
"Naruto-kun, why do you try so hard, only to pretend you're a dead last?"
Watching Naruto train so hard, Hinata couldn't understand. Just yesterday, during sparring class, Naruto had lost to Sasuke. Seeing Naruto mocked and Sasuke looking so pleased with himself, Hinata felt it was terribly unfair to Naruto.
"Because I train for myself, not to put on a show for other people."
Just then, a warm, sunny voice sounded beside Hinata's ear.
Hinata was startled. She also noticed that Naruto, who had been training in front of her, had disappeared. Guessing what had happened, she turned around. Sure enough, Naruto was right behind her, smiling at her.