After eating and drinking his fill.
Naruto suddenly remembered Konohamaru, who'd been beaten until his face was swollen and bruised.
Konohamaru had been pretty loyal.
He'd sworn he wouldn't sell Naruto out.
So this had worked out fine.
But after these friends went home happily clutching their "guidebooks"—
if they were unlucky enough to get caught by their parents—
he could already guess what would happen to them tomorrow.
The only question was whether they'd sell him out along the way.
Hard to say.
To be safe, Naruto felt he had to give them a warning first.
"Ahem..."
Naruto cleared his throat softly twice.
His expression suddenly turned serious.
Everyone lifted their eyes from the books in their hands.
All their gazes fell on Naruto.
"These cultivation books were very hard for me to get."
"Take a look at the table of contents and introduction. They're the firsthand memoirs of Jiraiya, one of the Konoha Sannin."
"They record his insights into ninjutsu and how he mastered it."
"When you get home, if your parents find them, I hope you won't tell them I gave them to you."
Everyone was baffled.
Why would he say that?
What was going on?
Wasn't this just a simple instructional book?
Choji Akimichi raised his chubby little hand and asked curiously, "Naruto, can't we read this book with our parents there?"
"I was thinking that if I came across anything I didn't understand, I could ask them."
Well, well...
I like kids who ask questions.
Kids who like asking questions usually have pretty good luck.
Choji's question.
It was the same thing the other kids were wondering.
Naruto couldn't help admiring their insight.
In theory, this kind of book really should be read with a parent present.
He immediately answered bluntly, "That's right. You should read this book with a parent there. It'll double the results of your training."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
Then Naruto changed the subject. "But... if you do that, you'll probably get a beating."
"Although this book contains excellent training methods for the general public, you're still young and might not be able to handle it."
"After all, there's a lot of water in this book. Much of it is made up, and some of the wording is misleading. I'm worried you won't be able to handle it yet!"
Still young???
Not able to handle it???
They looked at one another.
Then they looked at Naruto.
Bro, we're the same age, you know?
Why could he handle it perfectly, but they couldn't??
Did they look like idiots?
Was their comprehension worse than his?
They refused to accept it!
Kiba Inuzuka asked stubbornly, "What if our parents see it by accident?"
"Or what if we read the book with our parents there? What would happen?"
Naruto shrugged. "I already told you. You'd just get a bit of a beating."
"Believe it or not, I've got things to do, so I'm leaving."
......
After Naruto left.
Choji Akimichi rubbed his round belly.
"Was Naruto telling the truth?"
Kiba Inuzuka flipped through the book in his hands and casually replied, "Why not go home and try it?"
Rock Lee read the book intently, his thick eyebrows furrowing slightly in amazement.
"So this is another way to train a ninja's mind?"
Shikamaru glanced at the book.
Even though he knew there might be something fishy about it.
He still couldn't help opening it to take a look.
"Don't worry about all that. We just have to listen to Naruto."
"But if our parents find out, should we rat Naruto out?"
Kiba's question drew a wave of scorn from the others.
"I never thought you were the type to betray a friend!"
"I was wrong about you."
"I'm not! I didn't! Just listen to me!"
"Don't panic. Even if they find out, we'll just take the blame ourselves."
"I don't know if I can take it. My dad hits really hard. He's gone through several ninja belts just beating me."
"...You're seriously hardcore. My mom's feather duster is nearly worn out too. Last time she went shopping, she bought more than ten."
"...Why'd she buy so many?"
"To beat me, of course. She was afraid she'd regret not having enough when she needed them..."
......
Everyone shuddered.
Just imagining the horrible scene of being beaten by their parents without being able to fight back.
It was a story of blood and tears.
"Hey... is my wife done with class too?"
"Looks like it's time to head out."
The remaining memoirs.
Naruto had his Puppet Shadow Clone hand them out at random to some classmates with forgettable faces.
As long as he completed the task, that was all that mattered.
He still had something important to take care of.
One of his Shadow Clones had just spotted Little Hinata out on the street.
She wasn't accompanied by any guards.
The timing was perfect!
The Nine-Tails, now turned into a doll, raised its eyelids and looked a little surprised.
"Huh... Master, are you going out?"
"Yeah. Stay here and watch the house."
Naruto smiled.
Why bring a third wheel along on a date?
The Nine-Tails looked helpless and complained inwardly.
Aren't you worried I'll run away?
You're the first Jinchūriki in history to make a Tailed Beast guard the house.
Guarding somewhere important would be one thing.
But this place was so remote that even the birds wouldn't shit here.
It wasn't as though any elite ninja would come by.
There was nothing here worth making a big fuss over.
Nothing anyone would want to search for.
Aside from the stuff people needed to live, there was nothing of value.
Even a thief would probably be moved to tears.
Then turn around and give the place a wide berth, avoiding it whenever possible!
In short.
I, Kurama, couldn't care less about guarding this place.
There's nothing important here that needs protecting.
Right?
You're leaving a powerful Tailed Beast at home to sit around and collect dust?!
I'm the Nine-Tails, one of the mightiest Tailed Beasts!
I absolutely refuse to guard the house!
This is just too much!
Sure, I keep calling you Master.
But did you really have to treat me like a watchdog?
This is going way too far!
You want me to guard the house? Keep dreaming.
Even if I jumped down from here and died, I still wouldn't guard your house!
You can forget about it!
The Nine-Tails fumed inwardly.
If word of this got out someday.
Would it still have any face left?
Especially if the other Tailed Beasts heard about it.
The legendary Nine-Tails Demon Fox, a being whose strength was almost at the pinnacle of all Tailed Beasts.
And it was guarding the house for a Genin in Konoha.
How humiliating!!!
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