Gathering together is the nourishment of life, loneliness is the background of life.
This is exactly the case for seven-year-old Naruto Uzumaki.
In fact, this sentence came to his mind only a long time later, but that feeling has been with him since a long time ago.
Arrive early, previous life.
Gathering together is like a few drops of sweet rain that occasionally fall on the dry land, which is just enough to moisten the surface. Once the brief noise and temperature pass, the wider cracks of loneliness underneath are shockingly revealed.
That was the real background that enveloped his entire world.
But Naruto has an almost instinctive tenacity. No matter in his previous life or in this life, he just wants to live well.
When the shadow of the future surges up from the bottom of his heart like a cold tide, trying to swallow him up, Naruto will always crawl out of it.
The shadow of loneliness accompanies him, so he uses busyness to forget loneliness.
Every day, he follows a self-set rhythm that is almost ascetic.
It was just dawn, and the only sound in the empty apartment was his own breathing.
He got up and started cooking in the kitchen.
Because ANBU was monitoring him, Naruto couldn't cook very well at first, and it was only later that he gradually revealed his true cooking skills.
Then, he rushed into the streets that were not yet fully awake and began to imitate the madness of the green figure in his memory.
Running around the village, punching wooden posts, and doing physical training that seemed exaggerated and exhausting in the deserted Training Ground.
While sweating, loneliness was temporarily forced back, and the soreness in every muscle in the body became another more real "sense of existence".
Simply taking a shower, or jumping directly into the Naka River, going home, changing clothes, and running to school with that simple lunch box is an unbeatable morning activity for Naruto.
No matter spring, summer, autumn or winter, he is not afraid of the cold water in the river.
Because he has a strong body, he has never been sick since he was a child.
After arriving at school, I opened the classroom door, and the sounds, colors, and smells of my classmates rushed to my face.
There, he was Naruto Uzumaki, chatting with Shino, Ya, Shikamaru, and Choji.
There is concern hidden in Iruka-sensei's occasional scolding, Shikamaru's lazy complaints, Choji's shared snacks, Shino's quiet companionship, and even Ya Na's provocation of always having too much energy...
All these fragments are pieced together into a short but real warmth.
Before he became Genin, his school days were indeed the most vivid and closest to the definition of "joy" in his gray-and-white life.
However, the school bell always rings on time, like a ruthless reminder. When the last few classmates say goodbye to each other and walk to their respective homes with warm lights and waiting, that familiar sense of emptiness will quietly surround them again, clearer and heavier than in the morning.
The noise receded like a tide, leaving him alone facing the lonely swing under the big tree in front of the school.
The afternoon sun made his shadow very short.
Naruto will continue his cultivation alone.
The sound of Shuriken breaking through the air, the brief noise and immediate dissipation during Shadow Clone practice, my own heavy breathing while hanging on the horizontal bar and gritting my teeth...
These sounds echoed in the open space, but only highlighted the silence around them, and the loneliness that followed them like a shadow, filling every gap between breaths.
Loneliness never really leaves, it just hides temporarily in the bustle of school.
Now, it's back again, covering him more densely. The only things that accompany him are the sound of wind in the woods, the gradually setting sun, and the unquenchable Flames in his heart, which is the desire for powerful power.
It is his longing for a better life in the future, and it is the only life-saving straw he can hold on to in this deep sea called "loneliness".
Shikamaru Nara was walking on the edge of the crowd and reached out to pull Choji Akimichi.
"Huh?"
Choji was holding a bag of freshly opened potato chips, his cheeks were bulging and he turned his head with doubtful eyes, "What's wrong, Shikamaru?"
"Nothing."
Shikamaru's voice had the usual laziness, but his eyes seemed clearer than usual, "There are some things I want to tell you."
He didn't explain much, just motioned for Choji to follow, and then waved his hand towards Ino Yamanaka who was talking to Sakura Haruno not far away.
"Ino, Choji and I are leaving first."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
Before Ino finished speaking, Shikamaru had already pulled Choji into another road.
The two of them didn't talk much until they came to a relatively secluded Little Park.
The place is lined with green trees, quiet benches, and isolated from the bustle of the main road.
On the bench, two figures were already sitting.
Shino Aburame still sat upright, his sunglasses reflecting the broken light leaking from the treetops.
Kiba Inuzuka seemed a little impatient and was squatting on the ground drawing circles, looking up at the intersection from time to time.
"You are here."
Seeing Shikamaru and Choji approaching, Shino nodded slightly, adjusted his sunglasses, and said hello in a smooth voice.
Ya stood up immediately. "It's too slow, Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru and Choji sat next to the flower bed opposite the bench where they sat.
Shikamaru Gate of Opening got straight to the point and saved all unnecessary pleasantries. "Naruto's situation in the village is more troublesome than we imagined."
He paused and glanced at the other three people, "According to the information I got, it's even difficult for him to even buy things. He needs to sneak in at night, leave money, and then take away the things."
Shikamaru only found out about this when he passed by his property.
Although his father ordered Nara Clan's business to be in Naruto's business, Naruto didn't seem to know it and still sneaked in at night, leaving money and leaving with his things.
"But direct help may make him uncomfortable."
"So I thought of a way!"
Ya took over the conversation.
"I forgot to bring a lunch box before, and that guy Naruto... Tsk, even though he looks clumsy, I don't know if he can learn Shadow Clone by winning from me, but the rice ball he made himself that he gave me tasted surprisingly good!"
Ya scratched his head and admitted a little awkwardly.
"It tastes much better than I thought. I mean, we have to eat at lunch anyway, so it's quite troublesome to bring it at home or buy it in the store."
Shino pushed up his sunglasses, took over Ya's somewhat jumpy narration, and transformed it into a clearer plan. "What Ya means is that maybe we can provide Naruto with ingredients and a little compensation on a regular basis in the form of 'entrustment', and ask him to be responsible for preparing part of our lunch."
This not only solves his problem of getting food, but also makes helping appear more natural."
Shikamaru listened and did not speak immediately. He half-closed his eyes, tapping his fingers on his knees unconsciously, and his brain weighed quickly.
Directly giving alms to someone with Naruto's character will most likely be rejected, and may even hurt his self-esteem.
And packaging help into equal exchanges in the name of "exchange" or "entrustment" is undoubtedly the least troublesome and most likely to be accepted.
This seemingly crude idea hits the key point.
"It's really rare."
Shikamaru finally spoke, with a very faint and clear arc at the corner of his mouth, and looked at Ya.
"It's because the other party is Naruto that you, Ya, are so interested in it."
Ya Ya felt a little uncomfortable when he saw him, so she turned away and muttered, "Hey, Luo Luo! I just think his bento is pretty good!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the other three laughed.
Shikamaru did not tease him anymore, but nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over Choji who was listening quietly and Shino who was waiting for his conclusion.
"This plan is indeed feasible, that's it.
Naruto helped me and Choji before, but now he has difficulty speaking. As a friend, of course he has to help."