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Naruto still had no idea that the future he knew was undergoing a slow but profound shift.

But even if he had known, it wouldn't have changed a thing about what he did.

That wasn't because his resolve was as unyielding as stone. It was simply that Naruto was far too weak right now. Forget influencing the future—even getting a handle on the present was a struggle.

"Pork's a little expensive. I'd better get most of my protein from chicken. That way, I'll have a bit left over from my daily budget, and in a month I can buy some new clothes and ninja tools..."

In the grocery store, Naruto picked out ingredients according to his budget, planning to go home and make himself a meal for his training.

But without warning, while Naruto was off guard, an immense force suddenly slammed into his back.

"Get out of the way, you little brat!"

Thud!

Naruto tried to keep his balance, but caught completely by surprise, he only managed to turn a face-first fall into a landing on his rear. He looked up in disbelief. The person who had shoved him was the store clerk?

"What are you doing?!"

His mind had matured a great deal, but faced with this sudden, inexplicable hostility, Naruto couldn't hide his emotions. He demanded an answer without thinking.

Instead, the clerk who'd shoved him became even more agitated, acting as if he were the victim. His face twisted with disgust.

"Why do you keep coming to our store, huh? You bring nothing but bad luck!"

"What do you mean, bad—"

Naruto stopped halfway through his words, a sudden chill settling in his chest.

He remembered.

Something similar had happened before. He'd seen a nice mask in a shop and gone in to take a look, only for the shopkeeper to throw him out. Right—there had been plenty of incidents like that. The reason he'd eaten instant noodles most of the time wasn't just that he liked them. Whenever he stepped into a restaurant, all he got were cold stares, cruel words, and an unceremonious shove out the door...

But Naruto had spent far too long at the cinema. He'd actually forgotten his circumstances for a moment and thought he could shop like an ordinary person.

"You came here to buy groceries yesterday, and we let it slide without saying anything. Why are you back today? What, are you planning to come here every day from now on?!"

The clerk's furious rant continued. The other customers gradually gathered around, keeping a cautious distance. Their faces wore the same cold expression as they stared at Naruto, sitting on the floor as if he were something filthy.

Naruto's gaze swept slowly across the crowd. He didn't lower his head in dejection like he used to. Instead, he looked each person straight in the eye, as if trying to see what he looked like reflected in their eyes.

"Don't come back here, you—! If word gets out and gives our store a bad reputation, or drives off our other customers, you'd better watch yourself!"

That reflection must be a pitiful sight. Repulsive, too.

Naruto suddenly laughed without a sound.

Honestly, the moment you try to move forward, your past can't wait to jump out and trip you up in every way it can... But this trick is so old.

"You're laughing?" The clerk felt he was being challenged. "You little brat! Are you looking down on me?!"

Naruto got to his feet, ignored the clerk's barking, and dusted off his clothes. Then he walked straight for the exit, passing the furious clerk with a calm expression.

"Hey! Don't get cocky! You'd better listen when an adult's talking, you little orphan—"

Completely enraged, the clerk spun around and reached for Naruto's shoulder. But in an instant, a sharp pain shot through his lower leg, as if an iron bar had swept it out from under him. The world spun, and his cheek slammed into the ground.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

The clerk cried out in pain, his head ringing. He could only manage to lift his head and look up at the slender figure.

The onlookers erupted in commotion. Some instinctively began to shout accusations, but when Naruto returned their cold stares, they reflexively shut their mouths and lowered their pointing fingers.

The clean, decisive kick that had taken down an adult in an instant finally made them realize a fact they'd long ignored.

No matter how young, a ninja was still a ninja.

No creature wanted to challenge something higher up the food chain without good reason. They might have cursed Naruto countless times before, but now that the young beast had finally stopped silently accepting their abuse and bared its fangs, even those who resented it knew they ought to keep quiet.

"Fair's fair." Naruto glanced around, then looked back at the clerk sprawled on the ground. His voice was perfectly calm. "And if you know someone doesn't have parents, don't bring family into it when you insult them. Otherwise, you're really likely to get punched."

"...!"

The clerk's mouth twitched a few times, but when he saw Naruto's clenched fist and the look that dared him to say another word, he gritted his teeth and kept quiet.

Seeing that, Naruto couldn't be bothered to deal with him any further. He turned and headed for the door.

"I'll report your misdeeds to Lord Hokage, you bastard!" The clerk shouted after him just as he was about to disappear outside. "You'll be punished!"

Naruto thought, I'm the Jinchuriki. What the hell have I got to fear? He couldn't even be bothered to look back. He simply raised his middle finger at the people behind him.

"Same name, same face: I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Go on, report me if you've got the guts."

???

This time, the clerk and the onlookers were the ones left dumbfounded. Who didn't know this guy was called Uzumaki Naruto, the village's most famous bringer of bad luck?

After Naruto's back disappeared down the street, the crowd began muttering among themselves.

"That brat... He was clearly never taught any manners."

"Exactly. Now he's even picking fights."

"He could've just walked away quietly like he used to. The older he gets, the more brazen he becomes."

"I heard Lord Hokage even approved him becoming a ninja. I wonder what he was thinking."

"..."

The crowd chimed in with one another, all their words dripping with malice. But one girl remained silent. She had seen everything that had just happened.

Naruto walked down the street with an expressionless face, passing several Hyuga Clan members who looked stern and hurried along.

Once he turned into a secluded corner, this Naruto turned into a cloud of smoke and vanished.

At the training ground.

Naruto was in the middle of an endurance and aerobic workout when his expression suddenly froze. His breathing faltered for a few moments, but he quickly forced himself back into rhythm. Sweat trickled down his brow as he silently completed each sprint and each turn.

It's fine.

It wasn't as if this had only happened once.

Naruto lightly wet his dry lips. A familiar salty tang touched his tongue—this time, it was sweat.

It's fine.

When a problem came up, he just had to find a way to solve it.

He couldn't keep eating instant noodles. Training took thirty percent exercise and seventy percent nutrition, so he had to cook for himself and make sure he got enough nutrients.

"..."

Oh, right. He could use the Transformation Technique to disguise himself as someone else and go buy groceries.

Yeah, that'd work.

Everything was fine now.

Having figured out a solution, Naruto cast his distractions aside and refocused on his training.

Across the vast training ground, dozens of Narutos were drenched in sweat. The sound of punches and kicks slicing through the air mingled with kunai striking together and the hum of chakra, filling the field with a feverish din. Figures crowded the grounds, the clamor never ceasing.

As if he weren't all alone.