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Naruto stood up, determination etched on his face. He wove the hand signs again, blue chakra swirling around his body.
"Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke erupted.
And there it was. Another limp, pathetic clone sprawled at his feet.
The Clone Jutsu was just a basic E-rank technique. It required precise chakra control—something Naruto, with the Nine-Tails sealed inside him messing up his flow, was terrible at.
Seeing the look of utter defeat on Naruto's face, Harper stepped out from the trees.
He knew he had to survive in this world, and building a relationship with the future savior of the ninja world was a no-brainer.
As for Sasuke?
Yeah... best to avoid that guy for now. Too much angst.
"Who's there?!"
Naruto jumped up, startled, and stared at Harper with suspicion.
"I didn't expect to see anyone out here," Harper said honestly. "You might be the hardest working guy in the whole village."
He wasn't lying. If you watched the show, you knew Naruto's success wasn't just plot armor—it was grit. Pure, stubborn grit.
"Fat lot of good hard work does," Naruto muttered, kicking the dirt. "I still can't do a simple Clone Jutsu."
He flopped back onto the grass, staring up at the stars, looking totally defeated.
Harper walked over and sat down next to him.
"That's normal," Harper chuckled. "If hard work was everything, who would need talent?"
"See?" Naruto scoffed, turning his head away. "You think I'm a loser too."
Ding!
[System]: Naruto's Affinity decreased by 3.
What the hell? Harper froze. I just got here and I'm already losing points?
"You're just like everyone else in the village," Naruto spat. "You think I'm a dead-last. You came here to laugh at me, didn't you?"
Ding!
[System]: Naruto's Affinity decreased by 5.
Harper's face turned green. He saw Naruto opening his mouth to say something else and panicked. He had to stop the bleeding before he became Public Enemy Number One.
"Wait! That's not what I meant!" Harper interrupted quickly. "Talent is rare. Not everyone has it. But hard work? That's the only way to close the gap."
Naruto blinked. The insult he was about to throw died in his throat.
Harper seized the moment.
"You have a dream, right?"
"Of course I do!" Naruto shot up like a spring, his eyes burning with fire. "I'm going to be Hokage! I'm going to make everyone in this village acknowledge me!"
But just as quickly, the fire died down. He slumped his shoulders and let out a self-deprecating laugh. "But I bet you think that's stupid, right?"
"No," Harper said, looking him dead in the eye. "I believe you."
"What?"
Naruto looked at him, stunned.
"I believe you will become an amazing Hokage. And the Hidden Leaf will be stronger because of you."
"Really?"
Naruto's eyes started to well up with tears. He looked at Harper like he was seeing a ghost.
Ding!
[System]: Naruto's Affinity increased by 10.
Harper mentally pumped his fist. Yes! Back in the green! He looked at the teary-eyed kid and decided to double down.
"See the Hokage Rock?"
Harper pointed at the mountain looming over the village, lit by the moonlight. "Sooner or later, your face is going to be up there."
Ding!
[System]: Naruto's Affinity increased by 10.
Just as Harper was about to launch into another inspirational speech to farm more points, Naruto sniffed the air.
"Hey... is something burning?"
"Crap! My pig leg!"
Harper scrambled over to the fire. He was broke; if this meat burned, he was literally going to starve.
Luckily, only one side was charred. He used a kunai to slice off the burnt bits, revealing the juicy, tender meat underneath. The smell of roasted pork wafted through the clearing.
Naruto gulped, staring at the meat. His stomach let out a massive growl.
GRRROOOOWL.
Harper looked up. Naruto scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly.
Harper sliced off a huge chunk and held it out.
"For me?" Naruto asked, surprised.
"Can't work hard on an empty stomach," Harper smiled.
"Awesome! Thanks!" Naruto grabbed the meat. "Itadakimasu!"
The two of them sat by the fire, tearing into the roasted boar like wolves. Within minutes, the entire leg was gone.
Naruto patted his stomach, looking satisfied for the first time all night.
"I should introduce myself properly. I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto had grown up with nothing but cold shoulders and ridicule. Harper's kindness—and the food—had made a huge impact on him.
"I'm Harper the Great. Just call me Harper."
Ding!
[System]: Hidden Attribute Triggered: [Bond with Naruto].
[Bond with Naruto (Rank 1)]
Effect: When near Naruto Uzumaki, all stats increased by 20%. Health Regeneration increased by 20%.
Harper froze, reading the notification.
Holy crap.
He just wanted to build some affinity to unlock hidden quests later. He never expected to unlock a straight-up stat buff. And a 20% buff at Rank 1? That was insane.
If he leveled this up, the bonus could double. Imagine walking into a boss fight with Naruto and getting a massive stat boost just for standing next to him.
More importantly, the skill was called "Bond."
In the anime, Naruto's bond with Sasuke was practically unbreakable. Anyone who touched Sasuke had to deal with an enraged Naruto.
Now, Harper had that same protection.
Before he could celebrate, he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.
A figure with white hair and a massive shuriken strapped to his back flashed through the trees.
Mizuki?