Konoha, the streets, evening.
A blond boy, about six or seven years old, carried two heavy bags of fish. These were his rations for the next week. Due to his "special status," most merchants refused to sell to him, so these fish were caught from a forest stream.
Passersby on the street avoided the blond boy like the plague. Their gazes carried undisguised disgust and resentment. Some children, egged on by their parents, made faces or spat at him from a distance.
The boy took in their reactions without a flicker of emotion, walking silently with deep, mature eyes that didn't suit his age. His small figure, bathed in the sunset's glow, seemed somewhat lonely.
But inwardly, he wasn't as calm as he appeared.
Having transmigrated into the Naruto world as Uzumaki Naruto for six years, he still couldn't fully ignore the villagers' naked hatred and whispered curses. Truly empathizing with the original Naruto, he found it hard to imagine how, in the original story, a child could endure such unfair treatment yet dream of becoming Hokage to protect these hateful, ignorant villagers.
Utterly absurd!
…
Back home, the sun had set, and the sky was completely dark. He turned on the light. His so-called "home" was a simple, single-room apartment, cold and empty. For a Konoha orphan, this was decent housing. But as the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Uzumaki princess, Kushina, being placed in such a place was unjustifiable.
Minato had completed 39 S-rank missions, with countless lower-ranked ones. A single S-rank mission paid at least one million ryō! And Kushina, as the Uzumaki clan princess, owned an entire street of properties in Konoha.
Where had all that wealth gone?
Naruto didn't need to guess—it had been siphoned into the pockets of certain old geezers, used to fund their clans, the Anbu, or the Root.
As the sole heir, he received a pitiful 700 ryō per week for living expenses. In Konoha, a bowl of the cheapest Ichiraku Ramen cost 60 ryō. This amount wasn't enough for two meals a day, no wonder the original Naruto was malnourished.
He opened the fridge and stuffed the fish inside. Instead of cooking right away, he started doing push-ups in the middle of the living room. His small frame performed them with precision, movements flawless and fluid.
100 push-ups, 100 squats, 100 sit-ups…
When finished, Naruto stood up calmly, face unflushed, breathing steady. For someone with Uzumaki blood and the Nine-Tails' power, this was merely a warm-up.
The moment he stood, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind: "Today's self-discipline task completed. 30 consecutive days of check-ins achieved. Reward: [Perfected Uzumaki Sage Body]."
A warm current surged through him, subtly enhancing the Uzumaki power in his blood. As it faded, Naruto slowly opened his eyes. His already blue pupils shone even brighter. Clenching his fist, he felt a significant boost in his physique, healing ability, and overall strength.
"I wonder how much chakra I'd have if I extracted it now," he mused.
The Perfected Uzumaki Sage Body meant he could now train in top-tier Uzumaki techniques like the Adamantine Sealing Chains and the Kagura Mind's Eye. A strong body was the foundation of power, and Naruto was pleased with this reward.
The voice in his mind was from a system he'd awakened a month ago. Its function was simple: complete self-discipline tasks to earn rewards. He hadn't expected such a generous reward for just 30 days of consistent effort.
Standing before a mirror, he saw a youthful face. Touching his blond hair, he was surprised. He'd thought the Perfected Uzumaki bloodline might turn his hair red, like the Uzumaki clan's signature color. But it remained blond—purer, more natural, a shade no dye could replicate.
"Seems Minato Namikaze's bloodline isn't as simple as a commoner's," he thought.
In the mirror, Naruto's hairstyle, skin tone, and demeanor were vastly different from the original. The original Naruto's "rustic" vibe came from malnutrition, his goofy personality, and that unchanging, tacky orange outfit. As the son of Minato and Kushina—both renowned for their looks—his foundation was solid. With balanced nutrition and the newly awakened Perfected Uzumaki Sage Body, paired with a hairstyle like those of popular anime protagonists, his fair skin and bright blue eyes made him striking. In terms of looks alone, he'd outshine Sasuke.
At that moment, the system's voice sounded again: "New self-discipline task: Train with Might Guy's intensity alongside him for 30 days."
Might Guy? Naruto pictured a man with a bowl haircut, thick eyebrows, and a tight green jumpsuit, grinning and giving a thumbs-up.
…
The next day, after breakfast, Naruto set out to find Might Guy. Konoha wasn't too big or small—roughly the size of a small county town in population and area. He decided to head to the training grounds, where Guy, known for his intense daily workouts, was likely to be.
On the way, passing a park, a commotion caught his attention.
"Hey, isn't that the Byakugan freak? Out so early, looking like a ghost! Scared me!" "What, you're not gonna cry after a little teasing, are you?" "If she cries, d'you think her tears will be white? Should we…?"
In the park's center, three boys were bullying a smaller girl. She had a slightly chubby, cute face, with distinctive pure white pupils. Surrounded and mocked, she hung her head, staring at her toes, silently wishing they'd leave.
Seeing this, Naruto frowned. He'd thought his transmigration might have butterflied away this scene of Hinata being bullied. Yet here it was.
[Could it be that Hinata's bullying, and me witnessing it, was deliberately arranged?] The more he thought, the more likely it seemed. How else would three civilian kids dare target the Hyuga clan's princess?