Walking along the street, Naruto gazed at the shops and restaurants already open on both sides.
The tantalizing aromas wafting from them made his empty stomach growl even louder.
"No choice, Grandpa Third is a busy man, after all."
"I'll just come back to find him later."
"Let's go fishing and see if I can catch something to eat today."
Naruto forced a small smile, brushing away the earlier disappointment.
He jogged toward a small lake tucked away in a corner of the village.
This was the park lake, home to some small fish.
It was a frequent haunt for Naruto. Soon, the lake came into view.
Naruto darted into the bushes, retrieving a homemade fishing rod he'd stashed there after previous visits.
Digging through the dirt with his hands, he found a few earthworms and placed them on a pile of leaves.
Then, he settled on the wooden bridge by the lake, baited the hook with a worm, and cast it into the water.
Time ticked by slowly. The cool morning air gave way to midday.
The autumn sun wasn't too hot, and Naruto even found it pleasantly refreshing.
But the gnawing hunger in his stomach was far from pleasant.
His stomach grumbled incessantly, as if protesting his situation.
Just then, the fishing rod twitched. Eagerly, Naruto sprang to his feet and yanked it up.
But when the hook broke the water's surface, all he saw was an empty hook.
The excitement and anticipation fizzled out instantly.
He rebaited the hook with another worm and cast it back into the lake.
"Wow, you're so young and you already know how to fish?"
"Are there even fish in this lake?"
As Naruto propped his chin in his hands, fighting off hunger, a sweet, honey-like voice broke his thoughts.
The voice was comforting, accompanied by a sugary scent—the aroma of sticky rice dumplings, a specialty snack in the Hidden Leaf Village.
Though Naruto had never eaten them, he recognized the smell from passing by the stalls.
Turning his head, he saw a girl, about ten years old, holding a paper bag in one hand and a stick of sticky rice dumplings in the other.
The glossy syrup coating the dumplings made Naruto swallow hard.
"Want some?"
The girl noticed Naruto staring at her dumplings and paused for a moment.
She reached into the paper bag, pulled out an untouched stick of dumplings, and offered it to him.
"For me? Really?"
Naruto hesitated, looking at the girl. This was a first for him.
Aside from the Third Hokage, no one had ever given him anything.
Even when they did, it was usually tossed at him roughly.
The girl's gentle voice and the offer of the dumplings touched Naruto deeply in that moment.
[Izumi Uchiha?]
In Naruto's subconscious, Chu Ran, observing the scene, was momentarily taken aback by the girl's appearance.
Many might not know her, as she was a fleeting character in the original story, killed during the Uchiha clan massacre.
But this black-haired, dark-eyed girl sparked an idea in Chu Ran's mind.
Bonds—the most profound element in Naruto.
The young Naruto craved these bonds, whether familial or friendly.
This was an opportunity.
"Of course, take it."
"Judging by your stomach growling, you haven't eaten breakfast, have you?"
Izumi Uchiha smiled, her warmth making Naruto's heart glow.
He reached out with a grin, took the dumplings, and bit into them.
The sweet syrup paired with the chewy texture was divine.
For Naruto, tasting sticky rice dumplings for the first time, his face lit up with joy.
From this day on, ramen wouldn't be his only favorite food.
"Thank you! I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
"The guy who's gonna become Hokage someday!"
Naruto devoured the dumplings in a few quick bites.
Some syrup lingered at the corners of his mouth, unnoticed.
Izumi couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
Naruto, thinking she was laughing at his grand ambition, blushed furiously.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm not laughing at your dream to become Hokage."
"It's just the syrup on your face."
Izumi's face softened with apology. She pulled a handkerchief from her waist pouch.
Gently, she wiped the syrup from Naruto's mouth and sat beside him.
Only then did she take a closer look at the boy.
Golden, tousled hair, bright blue eyes, and those distinctive whisker marks on his face.
A flicker of recognition passed through Izumi's eyes. She knew this was the boy the village adults despised and feared.
Though only a child during the Nine-Tails' rampage five years ago, Izumi, now a ninja, knew a bit about the Jinchuriki.
"I'm Izumi Uchiha."
"No need to be so shy. Wanting to become Hokage is a great thing."
"The Hokage is pretty amazing, you know."
Seeing Naruto's crestfallen expression, Izumi reached out and ruffled his golden hair encouragingly.
Her words reignited a spark in Naruto's eyes.
"Yeah! Are you a ninja, big sis?"
"I'm about to start at the Ninja Academy soon."
Naruto chatted happily with Izumi, his enthusiasm bubbling over.
The two talked like siblings, and Izumi's gentle words strengthened Naruto's resolve to become Hokage.
"Here, Naruto, have these too."
"I've got a mission, and I'll be late if I don't go now."
Noticing the time, Izumi cut Naruto off gently.
She placed the rest of her sticky rice dumplings in his hands.
"Big Sis Izumi, you're leaving already?"
"I was hoping we could eat grilled fish together later."
"I'm really good at grilling fish—even Grandpa Third says it's delicious."
Naruto looked at Izumi as she stood, a trace of disappointment on his face.
It wasn't easy for him to find someone to talk to, someone who warmed his lonely heart.
But the warmth came and went so quickly, leaving Naruto with a pang of loss.
"When I finish my mission, I'll come back, and we'll eat the fish you grill."
"And as a thank-you, I'll buy you more sticky rice dumplings."
Izumi smiled, leaning down to ruffle Naruto's hair again.
With a wave of her hand, she vanished in a flash of a Body Flicker Technique.