Suddenly Becoming Hypocritical
Naruto had refused to walk Sasuke all the way home last night, but still ended up dropping him near his street.
That sort of treatment? Reserved for Hinata.
The next morning, Naruto sent a Shadow Clone to pick Sasuke up so they could train together.
First order of business: bring out the bedrolls.
Then came the quilts—soon, there were twenty pairs spread out under a tree.
"Come on, Sasuke, don't go attacking the tree the second you see it. What if it holds a grudge?" Naruto said, stopping Sasuke mid-stride. "Trees work hard too, you know."
"…What's the deal?" the nine-year-old asked with his usual cool tone.
"Change of plans today. We're climbing trees," Naruto replied, spreading ten layers of quilts beneath the trunk. He focused chakra to the soles of his feet, letting it cling to the bark as he slowly walked upward. After four steps, he overdid it, embedding his foot into the trunk before releasing all his chakra.
He promptly dropped back onto the quilts.
"…What's the point of that?" Sasuke asked, already figuring out the method but not the reason.
"It makes your Fireball Technique bigger and wastes less chakra," Naruto answered simply. No long lecture about chakra control—it was the easiest way to get Sasuke's attention.
"Oh." Sasuke grabbed a quilt and moved to another tree.
Naruto wasn't worried about hard ground or cold water—he just didn't want to be sore before class.
Sasuke took three steps, then lost his grip and fell. Again. And again.
Half an hour later, Naruto had already snapped one tree and moved to another. By the time class was over, he'd broken four or five, Sasuke had fallen more times than anyone could count, and neither of them had gone more than ten steps up.
Before the third period, Naruto had a clone escort Sasuke back to class while he ran home.
The barbecue he'd handed out last night wasn't thrown away—it was neatly stored in a barrel. Today, he decided, it was going to Chōji.
Making friends was important. Naruto figured it would be awkward to have no one at his wedding someday.
Carrying the barrel, he walked into the classroom. Chōji was munching potato chips when the smell hit him—his eyes locked onto the wooden barrel instantly.
"Gift for you," Naruto said, opening it to reveal a whole bucket of grilled meat.
"For real?" Chōji asked, astonished. The most mysterious boy in class was giving him a mountain of barbecue?
"Think of it as my kekkei genkai—summoning barbecue," Naruto said casually. To prove it, he materialized a piece of meat and tossed it into the bucket.
"This was just leftover from training last night. I remembered your dream was to eat as much barbecue as you want, so I brought it. Hope you don't mind."
The nearby students gave him strange looks. Even Shikamaru, who was half-asleep moments ago, raised his head. Kekkei genkai… for barbecue? That was a first.
"Mind? Not at all!" Chōji grabbed a piece and bit into it on the spot.
Asuma-sensei often treated Team 10 to barbecue, but even he couldn't match this feast.
"I'm gonna be your friend for life," Chōji declared. This ability was too good to pass up.
"Then let's start fresh. Uzumaki Naruto."
"Akimichi Chōji."
A sharp bark rang out—Akamaru.
"Does he want some too?" Naruto asked, looking toward Kiba.
"You can understand him?" Kiba said, surprised.
"From the look on his face," Naruto shrugged. "I've had a dog before. I know the signs."
"Raw or cooked?"
"If possible, raw," Kiba said slowly, wondering if Naruto could really summon that too.
Naruto materialized two raw chunks—game-like inventory items—each the same size as the grilled meat. Akamaru devoured them happily.
"Inuzuka Kiba. Count me in as a friend," Kiba said with a grin. His easygoing personality clicked instantly with Naruto's.
Just like that, Naruto had two new friends. He knew well from his old life—the power of food and pet diplomacy was unbeatable.
Kiba suggested they have lunch together. Shikamaru, lazy as he was, agreed.
Naruto pulled Hinata along and called Sasuke over.
Chōji called Shikamaru, who brought Ino, who dragged Sakura.
Kiba brought Shino.
Soon, all nine future members of the Konoha Twelve were together.
In a grassy field in Konoha, nine kids bustled about.
They were living proof of what a walking cafeteria looked like.
The girls carved skewers from kunai-shaved branches, while Kiba, Chōji, and Naruto built the cooking pit—bricks, clay, and pots courtesy of Naruto's "mysterious stash."
Sasuke and Shikamaru worked on a sturdy grill frame, using wood, planks, and nails Naruto had provided.
Several blankets were laid out and piled with food: roast meat, fried eggs, fish soup, bread, apple pie, berries, apples. Drinks were tea and water.
But the main course? Meat they grilled themselves. Large chunks were cut small, skewered, and hung over the fire. Fish were set near the flames to cook slowly.
Ino and Sakura hovered around Sasuke, chatting nonstop while he tried not to look too annoyed.
Chōji ate steadily.
Kiba diced raw meat for Akamaru.
Hinata sat quietly beside Naruto, eating without drawing attention.
Shikamaru lounged next to him, having still managed to finish building the grill despite his complaints.
Lying back in the grass, Naruto's mind drifted to his old childhood—running wild with friends, exploring rivers and mountains, fishing, almost getting lost, and being scolded at home… only to do it all again the next day. Visiting houses during New Year's, chasing lucky dumplings.
Humans were social by nature. Hearing the chatter around him, Naruto realized something—he could live alone, but he didn't want to. Even Robinson Crusoe longed to return to people.
For the first time since coming to this world, he wanted to fit in, even if it was just with a bunch of kids under ten.
"Oi, Kiba, pass me that grilled fish!" he called over the noise.
Afternoon classes were forgotten. If two people skipped class, it was truancy—if the whole class skipped, it was a holiday.
Back at the Academy, Iruka was fuming in front of the Third Hokage. But Hiruzen just smiled as he watched Naruto and Kiba playing with Akamaru in his crystal ball.
"Iruka… Naruto's grown up," the old man said warmly. A knot that had sat in his heart for years was finally loosening.
When the gathering ended, Naruto returned to his training. He felt like he'd forgotten something… but couldn't quite remember what.