The morning in Konoha was somewhat different from the usual days.
The Academy was closed. There were no instructors shouting at students, no children rushing toward training grounds, and for most families in the village, it was simply a day of rest.
The streets of the main market were livelier than usual. Shopkeepers were opening their stores, while the smell of sweets and freshly cooked food drifted through the air. Many parents were taking their children toward the park, while others were heading out for shopping.
Somewhere, a child was pulling his father's hand toward a toy shop.
Somewhere else, a mother was stopping her child from running into the street.
Two little children were arguing over a toy.
From the outside, Konoha looked like an ordinary, peaceful village.
But behind that peaceful appearance existed a system whose complexity was far beyond the understanding of these children.
And today, some of those children were going to meet one another for the first time.
Three children were walking together along one of the roads leading toward the park.
At the front was Ino Yamanaka.
Behind her walked Shikamaru Nara with his hands in his pockets and his usual bored expression.
Alongside them was Choji Akimichi, eating something from a packet as he walked.
Ino looked toward the park.
"Let's go to the park today."
Shikamaru looked up at the sky.
White clouds slowly drifted across the blue.
He released a long sigh.
"Even walking to the park is troublesome."
Ino immediately glared at him.
"Why does everything look like work to you?"
"Because everything involves work."
Choji looked at them while continuing to eat.
"I don't mind going to the park."
Ino nodded.
"Fine. Then it's decided. Park."
Shikamaru didn't even bother protesting.
Choji followed behind them.
It was obvious—
In this group, Ino was the one who made the decisions.
As they approached the park, Ino suddenly stopped.
She heard children's laughter.
But there was something cruel about that laughter. It wasn't the carefree laughter of children playing. They were laughing at someone.
Ino looked ahead.
Four or five children were gathered around a little girl.
The girl's hair was light pink.
She had pulled some of her hair forward with both hands, as though trying to hide her forehead.
One boy laughed.
"Look at her forehead!"
Another child laughed.
"It's so big!"
A third shouted,
"Big forehead!"
The others burst into laughter.
The pink-haired girl lowered her head.
Ino's expression immediately changed.
Without hesitation, she walked straight into the group.
"Stop!"
The children froze and looked at her.
Ino placed both hands on her hips.
"Why are you having so much fun making fun of someone?"
One boy answered weakly,
"We were just joking."
"Does she think it's funny?"
The boy fell silent.
Ino stepped forward.
"If someone is being hurt by it, then it's not a joke."
Silence settled over the group.
Finally, one boy looked at his friends.
"Let's go."
They all left.
Not one of them apologized to the girl.
Ino watched them disappear, her eyebrows still furrowed.
She turned back toward the pink-haired girl.
The girl was still standing silently.
Ino smiled.
"You don't need to be afraid of what they said."
The girl slowly looked at her.
"But... everyone calls me that."
Ino held out her hand.
"Then not everyone will anymore."
The girl stared at her hand in surprise.
Ino smiled.
"First, remember my name. I'm Ino."
After hesitating for a moment, the girl took her hand.
"Sakura."
Ino's eyes brightened.
"Sakura? That's a beautiful name."
A small smile finally appeared on Sakura's face.
Ino pointed toward the two boys standing behind her.
"This is Shikamaru."
Shikamaru simply nodded.
"And this is Choji."
Choji smiled and raised his hand.
"Hi."
Ino took Sakura's hand.
"We're going to the park. Come with us."
Sakura hesitated.
"Really?"
"Of course."
The four children continued toward the park.
At the same time, two Uchiha were approaching the park from another street.
The older brother was Itachi Uchiha.
Beside him walked his younger brother, Sasuke.
Sasuke was carrying a small wooden training kunai.
Itachi looked at him.
"You brought that again?"
Sasuke proudly replied,
"I'm going to train today too."
Itachi smiled.
"Not today."
Sasuke looked at him.
"Why?"
"Today is a holiday."
"So?"
"Today you're going to play with the other children."
Sasuke's expression immediately became serious.
"I don't like playing."
Itachi placed a hand on his head.
"You're always with me or training. It's important to get to know other children too."
Sasuke looked at his older brother.
He wanted to argue, but seeing the affection in Itachi's eyes, he remained silent.
"Okay."
Itachi smiled.
He knew it wasn't easy to give Sasuke an ordinary childhood.
But at least he could try.
From the other side of the village, a small blond-haired boy was slowly walking toward the park.
Naruto Uzumaki.
But he hadn't come here because he wanted to.
That morning, when the village employee who gave him his monthly allowance handed him the money, the man had casually said,
> "Naruto, it's a holiday today. Don't always go to the forest. Sometimes you should spend time with the other children in the village. Play with them and have some fun. You're a child too, after all."
Naruto had simply nodded at the time.
But now, as he walked toward the park, those words were running through his mind.
"Don't always go to the forest..."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So they finally noticed."
For the past several months, his routine had remained almost unchanged.
Wake up at four in the morning.
Cook his own food.
Leave the village and go into the forest.
Spend hours training his body and meditating.
Return home and read books.
Then continue with his evening mental cultivation.
For a four-year-old child, such a routine was unusual.
Very unusual.
Naruto knew he was being watched.
Ever since he had left the orphanage.
And now he understood that the Hokage had begun paying attention to his unusual routine.
"A four-year-old child leaves the village every morning at five. He disappears for hours. Then he comes home and reads books about history and geography..."
"Of course they would become suspicious."
Naruto slowed his steps slightly.
"They haven't directly asked me anything yet."
That meant they were simply observing.
And today's suggestion...
"This isn't merely a suggestion."
Naruto was almost certain that it was, in some way, a reaction from the Hokage.
Perhaps he wanted to know how Naruto behaved around ordinary children.
Perhaps he wanted to see whether there was anything abnormal about Naruto's social or mental state.
Or perhaps he simply wanted to make sure that nothing suspicious was happening in the forest where Naruto disappeared every morning.
Naruto smiled faintly.
"If they want to watch me..."
He looked toward the entrance of the park.
"Then let them watch."
Kurama's voice echoed inside his mind.
> "Hmm... so you're actually following their advice?"
Naruto answered mentally,
> "No. I'm reducing their suspicion."
Kurama chuckled.
> "Are you four years old, or some old politician?"
A faint smile appeared on Naruto's face.
> "I was an adult in my previous life, remember?"
Kurama laughed.
> "Yes, yes. Your strange world..."
Naruto continued walking.
"I'm not going to stop going to the forest."
"But I need to show them that my entire life isn't about disappearing into the forest."
"Sometimes looking normal is useful too."
The park was now directly ahead.
Naruto took a deep breath.
> "Today, we're just going to spend time around children."
Kurama asked,
> "And if someone talks to you?"
Naruto thought for a moment, then smiled faintly.
> "Then perhaps I'll answer."
Kurama laughed.
> "Well, that's quite a major development."
Naruto entered the park.
And at that exact moment—
the atmosphere changed.
Several parents noticed him.
Their expressions changed.
One mother immediately grabbed her child's hand.
"Come here."
Another father pulled his son closer.
"Don't go near that boy."
Another mother whispered into her child's ear,
"Don't talk to him. Whatever you do."
Naruto heard everything.
"That's him..."
"The Nine-Tails boy..."
"Don't go near him."
"Leave him alone."
His pace didn't change.
He had grown accustomed to such looks and whispers years ago.
But today, he was looking at them differently.
This wasn't merely hatred.
It was—
fear.
And that fear was being taught to the next generation as well.
Sasuke noticed it too.
A trace of surprise appeared in his eyes.
He looked at Naruto.
Then at the surrounding parents.
"Why are so many people afraid of him?"
Naruto wasn't crying.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't complaining.
He was simply walking.
Sasuke looked toward Itachi.
He wanted to ask something.
But then he remained silent.
Today, he was with his brother.
He didn't want to ruin the moment.
On the other side, Shikamaru, who was lying in the grass, also noticed Naruto.
He watched him for several moments.
Suddenly, he remembered something his father had told him.
A few days earlier—
Shikaku had said,
> "Shikamaru, if you get the chance, try becoming friends with that blond-haired boy."
At the time, Shikamaru hadn't paid much attention.
But now he remembered.
His father had continued,
> "People have been spreading all sorts of rumors about him. They call him a demon. So he probably doesn't have any friends."
Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly.
"A demon?"
He looked at Naruto again.
He just looked like a quiet child.
Curiosity suddenly appeared inside him.
Shikamaru sat up.
He watched Naruto for a few moments.
Then stood.
"Make friends..."
He sighed.
"What's the big deal?"
And walked toward Naruto.
Naruto heard his footsteps.
He stopped the swing.
Shikamaru came to a stop in front of him.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds.
Then Shikamaru asked,
"What's your name?"
Naruto looked at him.
"He already knows who I am."
Still, he answered.
"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."
Shikamaru nodded.
"I'm Shikamaru Nara."
Naruto looked at him with mild surprise.
Then Shikamaru asked,
"Why are you sitting here alone?"
"Because I came alone."
Shikamaru thought about that.
"You don't have any friends?"
Naruto looked directly into his eyes.
"No."
Shikamaru tilted his head.
Then suddenly asked,
"Then will you be my friend?"
Naruto remained silent for a moment.
The question was so simple that it took him a second to answer.
"Why are you talking to me?"
Shikamaru answered without thinking,
> "Because being friends with a demon would be fun—"
He suddenly stopped.
His eyes widened.
He immediately covered his mouth with both hands.
For several seconds, he stood completely still.
Naruto simply stared at him.
There was a little panic in Shikamaru's eyes.
He slowly lowered his hands.
"I... I mean..."
Naruto wasn't angry.
But his mind was already working.
"So that's the reason..."
"His father told him to become friends with me."
"And this child didn't come here because he understood politics. He came because he was curious."
Naruto looked at Shikamaru.
Only moments ago, he had been a child lying in the grass and watching clouds.
Now he was standing before Naruto—
without fear,
without hatred,
simply because of childish curiosity.
Shikamaru asked hesitantly,
"Are you angry?"
Naruto shook his head.
"No."
"Really?"
"Really."
Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, like an ordinary child, he asked,
"So... friends?"
Naruto looked at him for a few moments.
Then stepped down from the swing.
"Okay."
Shikamaru smiled.
"Good."
For a few moments, they stood silently.
Shikamaru looked toward the sky.
"Let's watch the clouds."
Naruto looked at him.
"You like watching clouds?"
"Yeah. It doesn't require any effort."
Naruto smiled genuinely for the first time.
Then a voice came from behind them.
"Shikamaru!"
They both looked back.
Choji was approaching them.
He had a large packet of food in his hands.
He stopped beside them.
For a few moments, he looked at Naruto.
Then, without asking anything, he held out the packet.
"Want some?"
Naruto looked at it.
"What is it?"
"Potato chips."
Choji said it with complete seriousness.
"They're really good."
Naruto looked at him for a moment.
Then took a chip from the packet.
"Thank you."
Choji smiled.
"Do you like it?"
Naruto ate it.
"Yeah."
Choji immediately looked pleased.
"Then you're good too."
Shikamaru looked at him.
"Is food your way of making friends?"
Choji answered without hesitation,
"It works."
Shikamaru thought about that.
"Fair enough."
Naruto watched them.
It was so simple.
No questions about him being a jinchuriki.
No fear.
No political motive.
Just one child offering his food to another.
A memory from his previous life suddenly flashed through his mind.
He had seen these two on a mobile screen before.
Back then, Choji had simply been a character.
Today, he was a real child standing in front of Naruto.
Naruto looked at him.
"Your name is Choji, right?"
Choji nodded.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Naruto smiled faintly.
"Then you're my friend too."
Choji's face lit up.
"Really?"
Shikamaru looked toward the sky.
"Now there are three of us."
Naruto asked,
"Does that bother you?"
"No."
Shikamaru yawned.
"With three people, there's less work involved in keeping a conversation going."
Choji offered his packet again.
"And we can share the food among more people."
The three sat together.
A short distance away, Ino and Sakura had joined a group of other girls.
The atmosphere there was completely different.
Several girls were excitedly talking about the same subject.
The Uchiha brothers.
One girl said excitedly,
"Did you see Itachi today?"
Another immediately replied,
"Yes! He's so cool!"
A third girl said,
"I like Sasuke more!"
"But Itachi is so handsome!"
"No, Sasuke!"
The girls began laughing.
Sakura quietly listened.
Ino looked at her.
Then smiled slightly herself.
"These girls only see the Uchiha brothers."
Sakura quietly asked,
"Are the Uchiha really that special?"
Ino shrugged.
"I don't know."
Then her eyes moved toward Itachi.
He really was standing with his younger brother.
Several girls were whispering while looking at him.
Sasuke looked slightly uncomfortable.
Ino laughed.
"Maybe they are special to them."
Sakura smiled faintly too.
Ino stood there for a few moments.
Then her eyes naturally moved toward the other side of the park.
Naruto was there.
And with him—
Shikamaru and Choji.
Ino's eyes widened slightly.
"Shikamaru is talking to him?"
She watched for a moment.
Then saw Choji giving Naruto some of his snacks.
A small smile appeared on her face.
She didn't know what they were talking about.
But at least—
Naruto wasn't alone anymore.
Sakura asked,
"What happened?"
Ino shook her head.
"Nothing."
Then she took Sakura's hand.
"Come on. We'll sit with them too."
Ino walked toward the group with Sakura.
Choji noticed them first.
"Ino!"
Ino waved.
Shikamaru looked up.
"You too?"
"Why? Is this park yours?"
Shikamaru shrugged.
"No."
When Sakura approached Naruto, she hesitated slightly.
She looked at him, then lowered her eyes.
Naruto recognized her.
The same girl those children had been teasing earlier.
He casually said,
"You're Sakura."
Sakura looked at him in surprise.
"You remembered my name?"
"Yes."
A small smile appeared on Sakura's face.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Ino smiled when she saw the exchange.
Shikamaru quietly said,
"Now there are four."
Choji looked at his packet.
"I think we're going to run out of food."
Ino laughed and lightly tapped his head.
"You always have food."
Choji replied seriously,
"But the number of friends is increasing."
Everyone laughed.
It was only a small laugh.
But Naruto listened to it for several moments.
He had heard these voices in his previous life.
He had watched these characters laugh.
But back then, he had been on the other side of the screen.
Today—
he was sitting among them.
Naruto looked at the children.
Shikamaru—
who was still just an ordinary, lazy child.
Choji—
who cared mostly about food and friends.
Ino—
who stood up for others without hesitation.
Sakura—
who had just found her first friendship.
And a little farther away—
Sasuke.
With Itachi.
A strange warmth filled Naruto's heart.
"I saw all of you before."
"But back then, you were characters to me."
"Today, you're real."
His eyes returned to Shikamaru.
He knew the future.
He knew this child would not remain merely the lazy boy who watched clouds.
One day, war would change him.
One day, death would steal part of his childhood.
One day, he would make his beloved teacher's final wish the purpose of his life.
But today—
he was simply Shikamaru.
A child.
And Naruto thought silently,
"I wish you could always remain like this."
He said nothing.
He hadn't come here to announce that he would change the future.
Not yet.
The afternoon slowly passed.
The children played.
Choji continued sharing his snacks, although every few minutes he worried about how much food he had left.
Shikamaru sometimes sat with the others and sometimes lay in the grass watching the clouds.
Ino continued telling Sakura little things about the village.
Sakura gradually began opening up.
Sasuke remained near Itachi.
Occasionally, his eyes wandered toward the group.
He saw that Naruto was no longer sitting alone.
But he didn't approach them yet.
Itachi also looked toward the group once.
His eyes rested on Naruto for a few moments.
Then he looked at his younger brother.
For today, that was enough.
As the sun slowly moved toward the western horizon, Naruto returned to the old swing.
This time, he wasn't alone.
Shikamaru sat nearby in the grass.
Choji was counting his remaining snacks.
Ino and Sakura were with the other girls a short distance away.
Naruto looked at the scene in front of him.
One thought came to his mind.
Today, he didn't need to accomplish anything.
No training.
No display of power.
No new technique.
No grand plan.
Just an ordinary day.
A day that might never have seemed important in the story of his previous life.
But now...
it was real.
Kurama's voice echoed inside him.
> "Be at peace today."
Naruto smiled faintly.
> "Yeah."
Kurama remained silent for a moment.
Then asked,
> "Are you happy?"
Naruto looked toward the children.
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he quietly said,
> "Maybe."
The swing slowly moved forward.
Evening arrived.
One by one, parents began taking their children home.
The children's laughter gradually faded.
The park slowly emptied.
Ino told Sakura that they would meet again on the next holiday.
Choji gave Naruto the last remaining portion of his snacks.
"This is for you."
Naruto accepted it.
"Thank you."
Shikamaru yawned.
"See you tomorrow."
Naruto looked at him.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
Shikamaru shrugged.
"You're my friend now."
And he walked home.
Naruto watched him leave.
Only a few hours earlier, he had come to the park because he suspected that his unusual routine had attracted the village's attention.
He had thought the day would merely be a social test.
But he had gained something else.
Three friends.
And perhaps—
the beginning of something he had never planned.
Naruto looked at the park one last time.
The children's games had ended.
But this small image of their childhood had been permanently etched into his mind.
He slowly closed his eyes.
He knew the future.
He knew what this world would demand from these children.
War.
Loss.
Sacrifice.
Duty.
And lies.
But today...
today they were simply children.