"Hiccup~~"
After devouring ten bowls of ramen, Naruto let out a satisfied burp. He patted his stomach, finally reaching his limit, and bid farewell to the ramen father and daughter.
It was noon now, the sun shining at its peak. But thanks to Konoha's ever-pleasant climate, the warmth felt more soothing than scorching.
With nothing better to do, Naruto strolled leisurely down the street, hands behind his head.
After picking up a few daily necessities, he still wasn't in a rush to go home. Honestly, what was there to do at home? Being a ninja mostly consisted of missions and training, and between those two, training made up about 90% of the job.
Naruto's ninjutsu had already reached Jonin level—at least, in his opinion. But when it came to taijutsu, he was still at the level of an enthusiastic punching bag.
So, as usual, he found himself back at his training spot in the forest.
BAM! BAM!
The sound of fists hitting tree trunks echoed through the woods. Naruto, in his signature orange outfit, was busy unleashing his full power on the helpless trees. Each punch left shallow dents and stripped bark from their surfaces.
Time passed quickly, and soon, the sun dipped below the mountains.
That's when Naruto suddenly sensed something—a gaze watching him from a distance.
He turned sharply toward the source and caught a glimpse of a petite figure quickly ducking behind a tree.
'Huh? A spy? Sakura? No way, she's not the type to secretly admire my training... is she?'
"Hey! I see you!" Naruto called out, squinting at the tree. "Come out already!"
A small head hesitantly peeked out. It was a girl with short hair and big, pupil-less eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, and she avoided Naruto's gaze like she was caught doing something embarrassing.
"That... Naruto-kun..."
"Hinata?" Naruto blinked in surprise.
For a moment, he was taken aback, but then a grin spread across his face. Hinata was one of the few people in Konoha who was actually nice to him. He had always thought she was adorable, but her shyness made it hard to tell what she was thinking.
"Uh... I actually came here to thank you."
Hinata fidgeted, her head lowered, fingers poking together. She looked like she wanted to disappear on the spot.
After returning home, she had learned from her father that Ryuki—the guy who had kidnapped her—was actually a Jonin. That meant Naruto had taken on a Jonin alone just to save her.
That realization had left her both grateful and amazed.
"You're welcome," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. "We're all comrades, so of course I had to save you."
Hinata's blush deepened. "Um... my father said that if you ever have time, you're welcome to visit our house..."
Her voice trailed off, her fingers twirling faster.
'Wait, is this an invitation?!'
Naruto's brain nearly short-circuited.
"Really?!" he exclaimed. "Then I'll definitely come!"
Not only was Hinata a sweet girl, but her family was one of the strongest in Konoha. Having a good relationship with the Hyuga Clan? That was definitely a win.
"Th-Then..." Hinata hesitated before gathering the courage to ask, "Can I... maybe come here to train with you sometime?"
Naruto blinked. Then his face lit up.
"Of course! Come find me anytime!"
'Hold up. Does this mean… little Hinata wants to get closer to me?'
Naruto remained calm on the outside, but inside, he was celebrating. His life had taken a complete turn for the better. He had a cheat-like system, growing power, and now a cute girl wanting to spend time with him? What next, free ramen for life?
"I will!" Hinata nodded quickly before abruptly turning around and running off, too shy to stay a second longer.
Watching her retreating figure, Naruto smiled to himself.
After grabbing his shopping bags, he made his way home.
Danzo's Invitation
As soon as he stepped inside his house, the old wooden door creaking behind him, two figures suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Uzumaki Naruto," one of them spoke in a deep, emotionless voice. "Our lord wishes to see you. Come with us."
The two men were dressed in silver vests with masks covering their faces, ninjato strapped to their backs.
'Root Anbu?!' Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who's your 'lord'?" he asked, playing dumb.
The shorter of the two masked men replied, "Shimura Danzo-sama, a Konoha Elder."
Naruto's body stiffened for a fraction of a second. Danzo?!
That wrinkled old war hawk wanted to see him? This couldn't be good. Had he attracted too much attention with his recent strength?
"Give me a second, I need to use the bathroom first," Naruto said casually.
The two masked men exchanged glances but didn't object.
Naruto walked into the bathroom and quietly locked the door behind him.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, an identical Naruto appeared beside him. The real Naruto grinned and patted his clone on the shoulder.
"Alright, you go with them. I'll chill here and see what Danzo's up to from a safe distance."
The clone gave him a thumbs-up and confidently strode out of the bathroom.
"Okay, let's go," the clone said as if nothing had happened.
The two Root members briefly glanced toward the bathroom, but upon seeing nothing suspicious, they turned and led the clone away.
The real Naruto waited for a moment before sneaking out and climbing onto the roof. From his hidden spot, he smirked.
'Let's see what you're up to, old man Danzo.'
Meanwhile, at the Root Base
Deep underground, in a dimly lit room, Shimura Danzo sat on a throne-like chair, his cane resting beside him. A medical ninja was by his side, injecting something into his arm.
If anyone looked closely, they'd notice something odd—Danzo's upper body was… strange.
The skin on his left side was slightly tanned, while the skin on his right was pale, unnaturally so.
What exactly was this old war hawk up to?
(End of the Chapter)