The smoke was vast, and the water was rugged.
A figure appeared on the calm lake. It looked like a child, only about one meter tall. He had six whisker marks on his face, and though his thin face showed indifference, his eyes were extremely bright—his sky-blue pupils held a deep and profound light.
His yellow hair reflected on the water until a small fish suddenly broke the surface, shattering the stillness.
Splash!
Suddenly, a wooden stick stabbed toward the water. It had been sharpened to a very fine point.
Soon, the surface of the lake was tinged with red.
The fish that had just leapt was now pierced by the sharp stick. It struggled for a couple of seconds before its breath faded and its life ended.
"It's a decent size. Looks like I can have another good meal."
It was the boy by the water just now. His name was Uzumaki Naruto, and the place he was in was Konohagakure.
Suddenly, a voice rang in his mind: "Fishing proficiency +10!"
Naruto was no longer surprised by this voice. Ever since he came to this world, it seemed he had gained an ability—one where hard work was rewarded by heaven. As long as he put in effort, he could gain proficiency or attributes in anything.
Take fishing, for example. There was even a small bonus to strength and agility, though the voice didn't always explicitly state it.
In truth, he wasn't the original Uzumaki Naruto of this world. He didn't know whether this was his second life or if he had possessed someone else's body. All he knew was that when he regained consciousness, the thunderous sounds of the Nine-Tails' rampage were echoing in his mind.
He still vividly remembered a red-haired woman whispering into his ear, telling him to follow the three taboos of a shinobi. He knew who she was—Uzumaki Kushina, the princess of Uzushiogakure, his mother in this life, wife of the Fourth Hokage, and former Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
He was certain that he had arrived in this world due to his powerful soul. No ordinary child could possess such immense soul power. Perhaps the souls of both had merged. This gave him an innate sense of belonging to this world.
When he first heard that woman's voice, he cried uncontrollably. As an orphan in his past life, he had barely known what family affection felt like. Yet now, it was all so warm—and so fleeting.
But at that time, he was just a baby, and soon after, he drifted to sleep. When he awoke again, the Nine-Tails attack had already ended.
His old name no longer had meaning. He was now Uzumaki Naruto.
What followed was a life even more bitter than he'd imagined. He thought the original manga had already portrayed his life horribly, but reality was even crueler.
He didn't receive any treatment befitting the son of a hero. Even the fact that he was the Fourth Hokage's son was completely hidden.
As a child, he was raised by a nanny. At some point, rumors of the Nine-Tails began to spread. What was terrifying was how his identity quickly became known, and soon he became the object of hatred, branded as the demon fox that the villagers wished dead.
The nanny abused him constantly. The Anbu, who were supposed to be secretly protecting him, turned a blind eye—and sometimes even showed hints of hatred and murderous intent, though quickly restraining themselves.
The reason Naruto knew all this was due to his extraordinary mental power. Having lived two lives, his mind was far stronger than it had been in the original. This allowed him to awaken a rare talent in the Uzumaki clan—the Kagura Mind's Eye.
It was the Uzumaki clan's most powerful perception ability. With it, Naruto could easily sense surveillance and the Anbu hidden around him.
At age three, Naruto applied to live on his own using his "hard work pays off" ability.
In his previous life, this might have been unthinkable. But in a world where even six-year-olds went to war, nothing was impossible. After a long emotional plea, the Third Hokage granted his request.
People in this world had stronger physiques than in his past life. Their body cells were several times more potent.
At age three, the Third Hokage sent instructors to teach Naruto literacy and basic knowledge. Naruto subtly asked to learn chakra control, understanding that strength was the only path to survival.
But the Third Hokage refused, saying that refining chakra too early would harm his body's potential.
Naruto accepted this. He didn't want to cripple himself early on.
Though life in Konoha was filled with hatred toward him, the danger wasn't too high—at least not yet.
And the Third Hokage wasn't lying about chakra development.
Thanks to the "God rewards hard work" ability, Naruto grew stronger than most children his age and was never bullied like in the original story.
Whenever Naruto did something, a voice echoed in his mind. He'd long grown used to it.
When Naruto ran, the voice would chime: "Stamina +2, Strength +1, Physical Fitness +1."
This motivated him to run even more. But due to the villagers' hostility, he avoided the village center and trained in the forest behind the mountain.
To the Anbu, he seemed like a lively and energetic boy with a lot of potential.
Naruto felt joy while running. The ever-growing strength in his body gave him a sense of security. This, he believed, was his cheat—though not as exaggerated as those who could defeat anyone in seconds.
But Naruto was content. Completing occasional tasks, earning rewards, and gradually climbing to his peak suited him just fine.
After all, with an Uzumaki physique, a massive reserve of chakra, and his "effort equals reward" ability, as long as he didn't self-destruct, success was only a matter of time.
However, Naruto soon realized that his ability wasn't limitless. He still had to work for it—the bonuses just came faster than for others. One of his training sessions could be equal to ten or even dozens for an ordinary person.
He tried calling for a system interface or screen, but nothing appeared—only that mysterious voice in his head.
Still, this had allowed Naruto to develop a body far superior to others his age. He tried many things to gain more bonuses, and to outsiders, he simply appeared unusually proactive.
The Anbu reported his behavior to the Third Hokage, who didn't suspect anything but merely sighed—believing Naruto inherited his mother Kushina's energy and vitality.
The Third Hokage frequently visited Naruto to check on him. Naruto always acted happy—partially truth, partially performance. During those visits, Naruto would also ask for his living expenses.
He only received 1,500 ryo per month. What could that cover? One bowl of Ichiraku ramen cost sixty ryo—but it was worth it.
Ichiraku Ramen's owner and his daughter Ayame were among the few people who treated Naruto kindly.
But Naruto was no longer the clueless child from before.
He knew how much wealth the Fourth Hokage had while alive. While he didn't know the exact amount, it had to be considerable.
Yet now, it was all taken—either by Konoha or the Third Hokage. It wasn't even enough to support Naruto's basic needs.
The Third Hokage only appeared occasionally to give him warmth and preach the Will of Fire. But Naruto understood the truth: the Third was using emotional manipulation to control the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
End of the Chapter.
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