By the end of the day, the knowledge taught by Morino felt dull and uninspiring to Naruto, almost lulling him to sleep.
As students in an era of peace, there was no urgency to push for efficiency, so Morino spent most of his time acting as a history teacher.
He lectured on the grand achievements of past Hokage, the geographical layout of the Five Great Nations, the hierarchy of ninja ranks, standard ninja tools, and how chakra was essentially human cellular energy...
To this, Naruto could only chuckle dryly. After all, he was just a student.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage smoked his pipe while glancing at the documents on his desk, a headache forming.
"Morino, a member of the strict Torture and Interrogation Division, becoming a teacher? Such a stern instructor would surely put immense pressure on the students."
After school, Naruto returned to his apartment and flopped onto his bed, his mind buzzing.
He kept pondering how to maximize his advantages in the ninja academy, but before he could think further, a wave of drowsiness overtook him.
When he awoke, night had fallen. Outside his window, the occasional burst of fireworks lit up the sky.
Grumble...
The pain of hunger drained what little energy he had.
"Man, I'm starving. Guess I'll eat out tonight—there's no food left to cook."
Splashing some cold water on his face, he said with a grin, "Let's go, Kurama. Time to treat you to something delicious."
"Hurry up, brat. I've been waiting forever."
"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that."
To ease the lingering unease from recent wars, Konoha had organized tonight's fireworks festival.
Naruto's bright blue eyes scanned the scene. Residents dressed in traditional yukata filled the streets, their faces brimming with joy. Children played and laughed around their parents, creating a lively and warm atmosphere.
Street vendors lined both sides of the road, the air thick with the enticing aroma of grilled foods, enough to make anyone drool.
"Fresh takoyaki! Come and try some!"
"Grilled squid, fresh and tender!"
Naruto strolled leisurely down the road while Kurama, perched within him, curiously observed the bustling surroundings.
Even though Kurama was a being that had existed since the era of the Sage of Six Paths, this kind of everyday life was entirely foreign to him.
"Hey, Naruto, what's that amazing smell?"
Naruto sniffed the air lightly. "That's takoyaki."
"I want some."
With a small smirk, Naruto teased Kurama by scratching under his chin. "Alright, I was thinking of getting some too."
"Two orders of takoyaki, please."
"Coming right up!"
---
In the midst of Konoha's fireworks festival, a blonde-haired boy eating takoyaki wouldn't normally attract much attention.
What stood out, however, was that he occasionally spoke to his shoulder and, with a serious expression, handed pieces of takoyaki to it.
To the residents, his shoulder appeared completely empty.
This odd behavior made the scene unsettling. Adults quickly shielded their children, wary of any possible influence.
Naruto and Kurama paid no attention to the wary stares and whispers.
Kurama, savoring the takoyaki with bliss, let out an involuntary sigh, "Now this is food fit for someone like me."
"Wait a second, Kurama. Are you even a 'someone'?"
"Shut up, you idiot."
"Oh? Feeling bold now, huh? Maybe you're not interested in the chocolate-dipped banana I planned to get next?"
Kurama grumbled in defeat, "…You cunning Jinchūriki."
---
Thirty minutes later, Naruto frowned as he realized his wallet had quickly run dry. For the foreseeable future, he would need to tighten his belt.
Glancing at Kurama on his metaphorical shoulder, Naruto gave him a hard glare.
Kurama turned away, whistling innocently, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
"Hmm?"
Ahead, a group of children had surrounded a girl. By coincidence, Naruto recognized her—Uchiha Mikoto.
His knowledge of her was limited; she was the mother of Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi.
"This woman is a bad luck! Wearing mourning clothes to a fireworks festival."
"Yeah, she'll bring misfortune to everyone here."
"Why don't we strip her of those clothes? That'll get rid of the bad luck!"
"Good idea! Let's do it!"
Mikoto's eyes remained calm and indifferent, as if the rowdy children didn't even exist.
Naruto shook his head, initially deciding to stay out of it and walk away.
His connection with Mikoto was fleeting at best—a single encounter.
Besides, most members of the Uchiha clan carried an air of pride, barely deigning to look at ordinary people.
Based on his understanding of the Uchiha, stepping in to help would likely earn him an "unnecessary meddling" remark with an 80% chance.
Just then, a voice echoed in Naruto's mind:
[Ding! Character quest triggered.]
[Quest: Help Uchiha Mikoto, who has lost her ninja spirit.]
[Reward: Chakra Metal x30.]
Naruto's half-lifted foot slowly returned to the ground.
The system's announcement was clear: the reward of Chakra Metal was worth it.
Chakra Metal was a crucial material for crafting tools like the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
Weapons made from Chakra Metal had excellent conductivity, and more importantly, could reflect the unique chakra nature of their owner.
However, the primary sources of Chakra Metal were the Land of Artisans(Takumi Village) and the Land of Lightning(Kumagakure), making it rare and outrageously expensive—almost priceless.
Even in the original timeline, elite jōnin like Asuma only possessed two pieces.
Naruto decisively pushed through the crowd, stopping in front of Mikoto. Protecting her with one arm, he spoke in a domineering tone:
"This woman is under my protection. Anyone who doesn't want to get hurt, leave now."
==================
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