Cinnabar Seal

"Damn it, this is so frustrating. I really want to get rid of those rats."

Being watched felt awful. It would have been one thing if he didn't know about it, but with Naruto's current strength, he could clearly sense the people watching him.

Living every move under someone else's gaze made him extremely uncomfortable.

But there was nothing he could do. If this were an ordinary world, with Naruto's current ability to protect himself, he would have rebelled long ago. Unfortunately, this world was somewhat special.

In this world, all ninjutsu was trash. What Naruto truly feared was sealing jutsu.

This whole system was completely unreasonable.

At the lower end, it could seal water and fire; at the upper end, it could seal sages.

And Naruto understood his own situation well.

At least in the eyes of those old men in Konoha, Minato's son was definitely less important than the Nine-Tails.

So if they truly fell out, there was a real chance they would extract the Nine-Tails and replace him with another jinchuriki.

That sort of thing had happened in other villages before.

People in the ninja world valued profit more highly.

So before he had absolute strength, it was better to be a good little boy.

He bent down and picked up a stone.

Then he threw it in an instant.

To outsiders, it merely looked like a child picking up a rock and tossing it crookedly.

The stone traced a graceful arc and fell into the water.

It struck a large fish right on target.

In an instant, a fish belly floated to the surface.

"Hm? Such good luck?"

Kakashi found it a little strange, but he did not think much of it.

Naruto's little face lit up, and he hurried over.

He grabbed a club and gave it several more blows before gutting it.

Before long, he had cleaned the large fish thoroughly.

"Finally, I don't have to eat instant noodles anymore."

Naruto himself let out a sigh of relief.

After all, he was not really a child. He did not like instant noodles that much.

Carrying the large fish on his back, Naruto quickly headed home.

There were far fewer people on the streets now, and Naruto hurried back.

With this fish, Naruto would not need to go out again for several days.

And Naruto was only three years old now, an age when he should have been carefree.

Over the following days, Naruto lived a very regular life. Since he kept a low profile and was not as mischievous as he had been in the original story, he gradually faded from people's view.

At the same time, the atmosphere in Konoha grew tense.

The relationship between the Uchiha clan and the Hokage faction became increasingly strained.

After Shisui Uchiha's death, the atmosphere became even more severe.

At the same time, the number of people watching Naruto increased from two to six.

Naruto noticed the change almost immediately.

"What's going on? Have I been exposed?"

Naruto's first thought was that he had been exposed.

But he soon sensed the atmosphere in the village as well.

In particular, every member of the Uchiha clan passing through the streets seemed to carry a heavy, oppressive air.

Naruto immediately realized that the Uchiha clan was about to be exterminated.

"No, in the original story, the Uchiha clan was exterminated three years from now."

He did not know about anything else, but Naruto and Sasuke's class started the Academy at the age of six.

And Sasuke became an orphan at that time as well.

Naruto was only three and a half now.

He had met Hinata when they were three.

So there were still three years left.

But none of that was important.

"What a pity. I hope I can draw Twin Hands before then."

After all, once the Uchiha clan was exterminated, only Sasuke Uchiha would remain.

And Twin Hands could modify both the body and the soul.

What was most important in the ninja world?

Bloodlines.

And the eyes of the Uchiha clan.

Thinking about it, it seemed he still had a chance.

His heart itched with anticipation.

The atmosphere in the village was tense enough that even ordinary people could feel it.

But both sides remained restrained for now. Uchiha Fugaku did not want to launch a rebellion.

For various reasons, he suppressed the voices within the clan calling for revolt.

"Everyone, although Konoha is at its weakest right now, the Hokage faction's strength cannot be underestimated."

"Clan head, now is the best opportunity."

"Yes, the Third Hokage is already old and senile."

"If you become Hokage, Konoha will surely return to its peak."

The Great Elder's faction was made up of radicals. More accurately, those with strength now supported rebellion.

Idiots. If it could succeed, would I disagree?

Uchiha Fugaku cursed inwardly.

If he had overwhelming strength, he wanted to become Hokage too.

But the Uchiha clan truly had no popular support.

The moment they dared stage a coup, all the clans would join forces to destroy the Uchiha clan.

As for Uchiha Fugaku's own Mangekyō Sharingan, he had not dared tell anyone about it. He was afraid that if the clan learned of it, they would grow even more arrogant.

At this time, even within the Uchiha clan, no one knew the difference between the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Over the past thousand years, Madara Uchiha had been the only person to possess the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

After Madara Uchiha defected from Konoha, no one knew how to advance to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

And when it came to the Mangekyō Sharingan, the first person people thought of was the Asura of the ninja world, Madara Uchiha.

That was why Uchiha Fugaku had not told anyone about his Sharingan.

"Enough. Stop talking. This is not the best time yet. I have already arranged for Itachi to join the ANBU."

Uchiha Fugaku frowned as he looked at everyone.

The crowd fell silent.

At the same time, they understood the meaning behind his words.

Though they all wanted to charge in directly, they had some brains after all.

They were all jonin, but with the Sharingan's enhancement, members of the Uchiha clan were much stronger than other jonin.

But the Uchiha clan's most fatal weakness was their numbers. Few Uchiha could awaken their eyes, and even fewer could reach three tomoe.

The other clans had greater numbers, so succeeding in a coup with so few people was practically impossible.

Uchiha Fugaku understood this very clearly.

So unless it came to the final moment, he did not want to stage a coup.

However, no one would have expected that the next head of the Uchiha clan would betray them and side with the Hokage faction.

Influenced by Shisui, along with the Hokage's brainwashing, Itachi Uchiha successfully betrayed them and became a traitor.

He told the Hokage's side what was happening here. When they learned that the Uchiha clan did not intend to launch a coup, the Third Hokage was greatly relieved.

After relaxing, the Third remembered Naruto.

After calculating the time, it was time to deliver Naruto's money again.

Putting on his Hokage hat, the Third slowly made his way toward Naruto's home.

Everyone he met along the way greeted him politely.

"Lord Third."

"Third Hokage."

The Third Hokage responded with a smile and a nod.

To ordinary villagers, the Hokage was much like a village chief. They respected and appreciated him, but they did not fear him.

The Third slowly arrived at Naruto's home.

The moment he drew close, he caught a distinctive fragrance.

Inside Naruto's home, Naruto was grilling food on a stone slab.

Just as he was about to eat, his brow rose.

Damn it, that old man is here again.

Naruto was speechless. To be honest, what he hated most now was this sort of empty show.

He composed his expression and revealed an innocent smile.

Before long, there was a knock at the door.

Naruto immediately went to open it.

"Grandpa Third."

"Mhm, little Naruto, you're eating?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a kindly expression.

"Yes, I just finished making it. Grandpa Third, would you like to eat some too?"

Naruto smiled brightly.

"Mhm, that sounds good."

After thinking for a moment, the Third agreed.

Naruto cursed him for being shameless inwardly.

He could only lead him to the dining table.

The two sat down to eat and chat.

The Third asked a few inconsequential questions and also told Naruto to go out more often.

"..."

Go out and get cursed at? Do I look like a masochist?

Naruto was speechless.

But he nodded and agreed on the surface.

The Third did not think much of it. At least on the surface, he was quite satisfied with Naruto now.

After eating, the Third Hokage left behind this month's living expenses and departed.

Naruto was speechless and could not even be bothered to glance at it.

For Naruto now, money was the most useless thing.

He had already experienced what it felt like to have money but be unable to buy anything.

Half a year passed in a flash.

Naruto was now four years old.

At this moment, Naruto stared excitedly at the number on the panel.

When he saw the number on the panel return to zero, Naruto's eyes immediately lit up.

"System, begin the card draw."

Nine cards instantly appeared in midair.

After thinking for a moment, Naruto directly chose the second card.

The card spun and enlarged.

Skill Card: Fire Escape

Naruto froze after reading it.

For a moment, his mind failed to react.

And because he was in the world of Naruto, he subconsciously assumed it meant breathing fire.

But when the card's information entered his mind, Naruto instantly understood.

The Fire Escape of the Fire Virtue Sect.

It was a type of spatial ability.

It could use flames to perform spatial transfers.

"Damn it, have I used up all my luck?"

Naruto was speechless. Although this ability was powerful, it was not what he had expected.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto.
Bloodline: Uzumaki bloodline.

Cultivation Method: Threefold Reversal

Skill: Fire Release

Draw Chances: 0

He opened the panel, and sure enough, another skill had appeared on it.

Naruto was left speechless.

Still, at least he had gained some ability to protect himself.

He just didn't know whether a barrier could seal him away.

He was a little disappointed. The system might be powerful, but it didn't seem very reliable.

It looked like he still needed to train properly on his own.

But Naruto wasn't in a hurry. In the days that followed, he cultivated the Threefold Reversal and went fishing whenever he was bored.

Other than the Third Hokage, Naruto didn't speak to anyone else in Konoha.

Whenever he was bored, he went out to play and fish.

Naruto's fishing gear was simple: a bamboo rod, a line, and a fishhook he had made himself.

The sky was clear and the air was fresh. It was another beautiful day.

Naruto was already four years old. Bored out of his mind, he decided to go fishing again today.

He arrived by the small river, picked up his fishing rod, and headed for his usual spot.

There, he saw a girl sitting there.

Naruto instinctively frowned.

At the same time, the girl noticed him.

"Hello."

Just as Naruto was about to turn around and leave, the girl greeted him first.

Naruto froze.

He looked at her.

"You don't know me?"

Seeing the look in her eyes, Naruto was a little surprised.

In Konoha, almost everyone knew Naruto existed.

The girl was Yakumo Kurama. She looked at Naruto strangely.

In the end, she shook her head.

Ordinary people feared Naruto, but among the clan families, the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki was no secret.

Seeing that she didn't know him and held no hostility toward him, Naruto stopped paying attention to her and went to his usual spot to fish.

It wasn't that he didn't want to change locations. This place was simply more suitable for cultivation.

In the world of Naruto, people pursued destruction. It made them seem powerful, but it also came with many fatal flaws: weak bodies, short lifespans, and no path to immortality.

The cultivation system of the otherworldly people was different. They emphasized cultivating both one's nature and one's life.

Strength alone wasn't enough. One also had to temper one's character, and that was something Naruto had to rely on himself for.

As for fishing, it was merely a way to avoid drawing attention.

Naruto's true goal was to comprehend nature.

Naruto ignored the girl, while the girl kept looking at him curiously.

Naruto sat on the ground with his eyes closed, the fishing rod in his hand utterly still.

Yet everything within a hundred meters was within his senses.

The instant a fish took the bait, Naruto lifted his rod.

A large fish leaped from the water.

"Wow! That's amazing."

Yakumo Kurama's eyes lit up.

Naruto ignored her and continued fishing.

By evening, Naruto had already caught several fish.

He stood up, packed everything away, and prepared to leave.

"What's your name?" Yakumo Kurama finally couldn't help asking.

After spending the afternoon together, she felt that he was like her, carrying a similar kind of aura.

Naruto stopped and frowned at her.

With her glossy black hair and ordinary appearance, and since she wasn't an important character, Naruto didn't recognize her at first.

Besides, Naruto didn't want to be friends with ordinary people. He ignored her and turned to leave.

"Cheapskate."

Seeing his attitude, Yakumo Kurama pouted.

For Naruto, the days that followed passed uneventfully.

As for his abilities, he didn't use them even once.

Another year passed.

His draw chance had been restored.

Naruto's eyes lit up, and he could barely contain his impatience.

Every draw was a turning point in life.

Naruto eagerly began the draw.

The cards spun.

This time, Naruto hesitated.

Staring at the nine cards, he had no idea which one to choose.

"No, maybe I should wash my hands first?"

Feeling uneasy, Naruto immediately turned and rushed into the bathroom. After washing both his hands and face clean, he came back out.

He clasped his hands together and paid his respects to every great deity he could think of.

Nervously, he stretched out his index finger and tapped the card in the middle.

The card enlarged and spun.

Restriction: Cinnabar Seal.

The moment Naruto saw those three words, his vision went dark.

"Fuck, what the hell is this? This is fucking ridiculous."

"What kind of bullshit is this? Why is there even something like this? Damn it, I don't want it."

The moment he saw what was written on it, Naruto could no longer hold back and began cursing loudly.

At the same time, his body instinctively backed away.

But it was useless. Once a card had been chosen, its reward was guaranteed.

The card transformed into a streak of golden light and shot toward Naruto.

"Damn it, get away! Get away! I don't want it!"

Naruto staggered backward in fright.

Having a gun and not using it were two completely different concepts.

Although Naruto himself wasn't particularly lustful, he didn't want to be unable to use his little brother.

Not to mention that his wife in this life had already been decided.

If he really got stuck with this thing, how was he supposed to face it?

Naruto's commotion caught the attention of the ANBU outside.

But they merely sensed the situation and paid it no mind.

Naruto watched in despair as the golden light entered his body.

His face turned ashen.

He pulled down his pants. With a slight movement of the energy within his body, intricate markings appeared on his little birdie.

Cinnabar Seal.

For the first time, Naruto completely broke down.

He lay on the ground, his eyes vacant.

Damn it!!!

For a moment, he even wanted to die.

He even wondered whether he should cut it off and use the Threefold Reversal to create another one.