Bored Naruto
"Hinata has approved your favorability, and you have received a pair of 'winter gloves' to keep out the cold. The girl you helped hopes that her friend's hands will no longer be cold."
After hearing this voice, Naruto was slightly stunned.
He reached into his pocket and found a pair of gloves inside. They were made of thick wool, and as soon as he put them on, Naruto immediately felt his hands warm up.
Is this my golden finger?
Picking up the fish basket from the ground, Naruto puzzled over the new "golden finger" that had just appeared.
His golden finger was the Recognition System. As long as someone's favorability toward him reached a certain level, he could randomly gain an ability from that person. The higher their favorability, the better the ability he would get.
And this was just the initial recognition level of favorability. There were higher levels, such as trust and loyalty, which could go all the way to the level of "till death."
If he reached a high enough level of favorability, he could even obtain the opponent's battle memories, ninjutsu, or even bloodline limits.
His recent act of helping Hinata had undoubtedly gained her favor, so he got the "winter gloves to keep out the cold."
"Asura's chakra plus the Nine-Tails plug-in aren't enough. Did you send me a new golden finger?"
When the golden finger activated, Naruto's expression remained neutral, though he found it a bit funny.
The method for activating the golden finger was simple: you just needed someone to approve of you. But until he met Hinata, no one had truly recognized him. Not his parents' former subordinates, nor the Third Hokage, who only visited every so often. They had never acknowledged his existence.
This is really a bad joke.
---
The snow continued to fall.
After returning home, Naruto closed the door to block out the wind and snow. He sat down on the sofa, thinking back on the events of the day.
He'd successfully bought food, caught a big fish from the river, and while helping Hinata, he'd activated his new, very useful golden finger.
Now, he only needed to follow the path of the "prophecy child" and he could easily grow stronger and become the Seventh Hokage of the village.
Thinking about it that way, everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.
But why should he wear a hypocritical mask? Why become the child of prophecy, saving the world and pleasing those who have maligned him, just to gain their approval?
Even without the golden finger, what he had now was enough.
The Nine-Tails, the Uzumaki clan's heritage, and a body that could become superhuman with proper training—he'd already be at least a high-level shinobi by the time of Shippuden.
Naruto touched his growling stomach, got up, and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Tonight's main dish was naturally the big fish he'd just caught. Since the villagers were unwilling to sell him anything good, it was his best source of protein.
He placed the fish in the pot, letting it cook until both sides were golden brown. Then, he poured in boiling water and added some mushrooms and vegetables.
For the staple food, he chose rice—it was simple and convenient.
Naruto wasn't an original inhabitant of this world. As a time traveler, he couldn't live on instant ramen every day; that would lead to malnutrition.
Even though the twelve-year-old Naruto from the original series carried the blood of the Uzumaki clan, he had always been shorter than his peers.
Half an hour later, Naruto got off the bench, carefully bringing the cooked fish soup to the table. He clasped his hands together and prepared to enjoy his meal.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Naruto frowned, stood up slowly, and walked to open it.
The person outside was none other than the Third Hokage, who was wearing a robe and, as Naruto's de facto guardian in the village, was a familiar, yet rare, visitor.
The Third Hokage had no airs about him. He was as kind and approachable as any old man, though his position as the Hokage carried significant weight.
Unlike other villagers, the Third Hokage still treated Naruto with a certain respect and recognition. However, given his political position, Naruto rarely showed the warmth of a child to him.
"Grandpa Third Hokage, you finally have time to come and see me," Naruto greeted cheerfully.
"I haven't seen you in a while, so I thought I should stop by," the Third Hokage said with a smile, stepping inside.
He was here not just to bring Naruto his living allowance but also to observe the boy's mental state. After all, Naruto was not only the posthumous son of Minato and Kushina but also the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki—an important combat asset for the future.
"Smells good," the Third Hokage commented, noticing the fish soup. "Is Naruto making fish soup? When did you learn to cook like this?"
"I picked it up while I was bored," Naruto replied casually. "Grandpa Third Hokage, would you like to stay for dinner?"
The Third Hokage couldn't resist. "It would be rude not to accept."
He sat down at the table and glanced around at Naruto's humble living space. It was clean and organized—impressive for an orphan with no one to discipline him. The bedding was fresh, and the kitchenware was neatly arranged.
The Third Hokage mentally acknowledged the boy's efforts and cleanliness, though the complaints from villagers regarding Naruto's pranks troubled him.
Soon, they were both eating. The Third Hokage took a bite of the fish and commented, "This is delicious. Your cooking skills are as good as a chef's."
Naruto smiled. "Really? If you like it, you can eat more! No one else is coming."
The Third Hokage almost choked on his soup. Naruto was being blunt, but there was some truth in his words.
After a few more minutes, the Third Hokage set down his spoon and said, "Naruto, the villagers have been complaining about you. They say your pranks are making life difficult for them. That's not good."
Naruto only shrugged, his tone indifferent. "Grandpa Hokage, I'm just a kid without parents. I'll treat them how they treat me. They're not you."
The Third Hokage fell silent. He had no good answer for that.
Naruto noticed the expression and added, "They even call me the 'demon fox' behind my back. I don't have any friends. What else should I do?"
A dangerous light flickered in the Third Hokage's eyes. The "demon fox" was a forbidden topic in the village. How could this rumor have spread? What if Naruto went berserk again?
Suppressing his concern, the Third Hokage calmly asked, "Who's been calling you the demon fox?"
Naruto hesitated, then sighed. "Everyone says it. I'm used to it. Maybe I really am the demon fox. After all, why else would I be alone, with no parents, getting picked on?"
The Third Hokage frowned, then assured, "Don't worry, Naruto. No one will call you that again."
"Thank you, Grandpa Third Hokage," Naruto said, his tone flat but grateful.
"Stay inside for now," the Third Hokage said. "I'll send someone with food and some books. You don't need to leave."
After eating and chatting for a while, the Third Hokage got up and left. As the village leader, he had many duties to attend to. If Naruto hadn't been a Jinchuriki, he might not have taken time out of his busy schedule to visit.
Naruto watched him leave, then scoffed internally.
I know the original story. The Third Hokage can monitor me anytime using his telescope technique. He might be nice to me, but he's still the Hokage. And I'm just a tool for the village's needs.
Naruto could trust Hiruzen Sarutobi as his father's master, but not as the Hokage. If you want to become a skilled politician, you first have to lose yourself. And that's the path Naruto would walk too.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters