By the river in the woods, Uzumaki Naruto lay on his back, head resting on his arms, gazing up at the sky in contentment.
The weather was nice today; the sun wasn't too harsh, and the breeze was just right, perfect for a picnic and camping.
Before transmigrating, he enjoyed solo motorcycle trips and camping, savoring the solitude and freedom away from the city's hustle and bustle.
Perhaps for the original protagonist, loneliness was a torment, but for the current Naruto, he found relief in it.
Dealing with interpersonal relationships was what he disliked most; instead, Naruto preferred brief encounters during travels.
There was no need to consider any ulterior motives, just to raise a toast for the sake of meeting, everyone enjoying a good time and drinking together, then parting ways amicably at dawn.
Carefree, free, and no need to give gifts.
It satisfied emotional needs and eliminated useless socializing.
"They say quickly write a love song that appeals to both refined and popular tastes~" (If you don't like it, then let's change it!)
With a foxtail grass in his mouth, Naruto hummed a tune, his crossed legs swaying contentedly.
From a distance, a burst of laughter drifted over. A few kids were playing Ninja games in the jungle, which was essentially hide-and-seek and tag, but in Konoha, it was called Ninja games.
Whoosh…
The bushes rustled, and a pineapple-headed kid with dead fish eyes emerged. Seeing Naruto, he gave an awkward smile.
"Ah~ I didn't expect anyone to be here. What a coincidence, huh…"
"I think it's quite a coincidence."
Naruto tilted his head slightly, curiously observing the other person.
Noticing the hidden meaning in Naruto's words, the pineapple-headed kid froze, somewhat at a loss, and patted the back of his head, finally sighing helplessly: "You're really sharp… My name is Nara Shikamaru, what's your name?"
"Monkey D. Luffy."
"..."
Noticing the playful smile on Naruto's lips, Shikamaru felt a wave of speechlessness.
This guy completely doesn't play by the rules…
"Just kidding, my name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto smiled and sat up: "Are you looking for me for something?"
Shikamaru chuckled awkwardly: "Well… nothing much, just wanted to ask if you wanted to play together."
"You don't seem like such an enthusiastic person."
Naruto shook his head slightly, lying back down, his tone leisurely: "For those with dirty ambitions, the best way is to keep your distance and be wary, otherwise, when they stupidly die, their blood might splash on you."
Shikamaru's mouth twitched. As expected, he couldn't hide it from this guy…
He was entrusted by his father to approach Naruto, saying that Hokage-sama felt Naruto was too lonely and hoped he could make friends with him, and so on. It could be considered a mission.
If he could, he wouldn't want to take on such a troublesome mission, but he had to give face to the Hokage.
Just making a friend, Shikamaru thought it shouldn't be too difficult, so he came. And once he came, he regretted it.
Talking about loneliness and such, he had been observing for a long time, and this guy was clearly enjoying himself!
And "dirty ambitions"? Was he talking about Hokage-sama? Can I even hear such words?
Inside the Hokage's office, Nara Shikaku's old face also twitched, filled with trepidation.
"Dirty ambitions, huh…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi held his pipe, sighing with a sense of loss: "Indeed, I am old…"
As expected of your child, Minato, as meticulous as you.
Clearly, Naruto had seen through the intentions of the higher-ups and had clearly expressed his rejection. Hiruzen Sarutobi was helpless about this.
In reality, if he were twenty years younger, he wouldn't have allowed the rumors about the Nine-Tailed Fox to spread so widely, but there was no choice. After the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack, Konoha had fallen into a state of internal and external turmoil.
Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze had died, the Konoha Sannin were either traveling or had defected, the Uchiha clan's tendency to split was becoming more severe, the Kumogakure dispute had just ended, and other Ninja Villages were eyeing them greedily.
All that talk about the Fourth Hokage having too many enemies and not being able to reveal the hero's son's identity was nonsense.
Unable to withstand external wars, internal conflicts could not be shifted, and no one among the higher-ups could take responsibility for the Nine-Tailed Fox incident. The outlet for public resentment naturally fell upon Naruto.
Once Naruto's identity as the Fourth Hokage's son was revealed, someone would have to step forward to take responsibility for the Nine-Tailed Fox incident, which would mean publicly admitting the incompetence of the higher-ups, plus the crime of slandering a hero's son.
Of course, if revealing his identity could establish a connection between Naruto and the Village, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't mind bearing that responsibility.
But before that, the two most important matters at hand must be resolved.
First, the Fifth Generation Hokage succession problem, and second, the Uchiha clan's split problem, with the former being especially important!
Otherwise, there was a high possibility of internal unrest and external forces invading.
Regrettably, among Konoha's younger generation, the most outstanding Kakashi had always been listless, and his youngest son, Asuma Sarutobi, whom he had high hopes for, lacked sufficient strength. Most others were also mediocre.
The old ones couldn't step down, and the young ones couldn't step up. The entire Konoha seemed prosperous, but in reality, it had long become a mire, making it difficult for everyone to extricate themselves.
His own position as Hokage had long since devolved into that of a politician full of talk about the bigger picture, caught up in power struggles…
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed again: "Although I don't consider myself someone greedy for power, having been in a high position for so long, it's inevitable that I've become corrupted."
Upon hearing this, Shikaku quickly tried to defend Naruto: "Hokage-sama, Naruto is just a child who doesn't know any better…"
"It's alright, Shikaku."
Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled, taking puff after puff from his pipe, his fingertips lightly tapping the desk, then sighing with a hint of melancholy.
"First… try to build a bond with Naruto."
Just as he was speaking, a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes also entered the crystal ball's view, accompanied by a chubby little boy.
"Shikamaru! You! You said we were going to play Ninja games, but you ran off first, making us look for you for ages!"
The blonde girl angrily waved her small fists. Then her gaze shifted, noticing Naruto lying flat by the river, and she couldn't tear her eyes away.
The little girl tiptoed closer to Naruto, her eyes burning as she stared at his handsome face, her big eyes unblinking. At only three years old, she already showed signs of being infatuated.
"Hello, my name is Ino Yamanaka, what's your name?"
Naruto closed his eyes, saying nothing, pretending to be a master… playing dead… pretending to be asleep.
Seeing Naruto not respond, a small hand pushed his arm.
Naruto: "..."
This little girl, doesn't she know what modesty is?
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Seeing Ino pushing harder and harder, as if she wouldn't stop until she woke him up, Naruto finally opened his eyes.
Ino's small face lit up with joy, and just as she was about to say something, a chubby boy squatted down beside her.
"Hello, my name is Akimichi Choji, Naruto, do you want some potato chips?"
"Thank you."
Reaching into the bag Choji offered, Naruto took a potato chip and smiled kindly.
Akimichi Choji, one of his favorite male supporting characters in the original work.
Simple, kind, and sincere. Being friends with such a person was undoubtedly one of life's greatest blessings.
Choji squinted and smiled: "If you eat my potato chips, then we're friends!"
"Mm, okay."
Naruto smiled gently: "No matter how our positions change, we will always be friends."
Shikamaru, who had just relaxed, felt his heart clench again. Clearly, the emphasis of that sentence was not on the latter half…
"Naruto, how old are you this year?"
"Naruto, do you have any hobbies?"
"Naruto, do you… have a girlfriend you like?"
By the small river, Ino chattered around Naruto as if doing a household survey, covering her face shyly as she asked questions.
Naruto looked at Shikamaru, who turned his head away.
This could be considered… mission accomplished, right?
Anyway, Shikamaru felt that they were getting along quite well, but friends were friends, and positions were another matter entirely. Naruto clearly distinguished between the two.
If he tried to criticize Naruto's stance as a friend, he would only be making a fool of himself.
It wasn't until evening, when the three children's parents came to pick them up, that Naruto's ears finally got some peace.
Adamantine Sealing Chains plunged into the river, bringing up several plump river fish. Then, after scaling, gutting, and removing gills, the aroma of grilled fish soon wafted from the riverside.