Ninja Academy Rooftop
Orochimaru leaned casually against the railing, his pale golden pupils scanning the group before him.
The two girls shivered slightly, feeling as if they were being stared down by a venomous snake.
Naruto's gaze met Orochimaru's head-on, his bright blue eyes locking with those serpentine golden pupils.
For a moment, silence blanketed the rooftop.
It was Orochimaru who finally decided to break the tension.
"Introduce yourselves—your name, favorite food, dislikes, and... dreams."
Initially, Orochimaru only cared to learn their names. But an old memory surfaced in his mind—a memory of Sarutobi Hiruzen asking him and his teammates these same questions.
It had seemingly become one of Konoha's traditions.
"My name is Orochimaru. My favorite food is eggs, the person I dislike most is Jiraiya, and as for my dream... it's better if you don't know."
With that, Orochimaru shifted his gaze to Naruto.
He could tell that Naruto was the center of this group, so it was fitting to start with him.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My favorite food is dumplings. I don't really dislike anything in particular. My dream... is to protect those who are important to me."
Hearing this, the two girls' faces turned red.
Idiot! Is this some kind of public love confession? This is... way too much!
At this time, Orochimaru was far from the cold-blooded extremist he would later become.
His heart was still kind, holding onto the Will of Fire, though his pursuit of the world's truths had already begun to lead him astray.
Naruto, meanwhile, wasn't interested in revealing too much truth and then getting into a fight with Orochimaru.
Orochimaru gave a slight nod and turned to Mikoto, signaling that it was her turn.
After a brief moment of thought, she said softly, "My name is Uchiha Mikoto. My favorite food is also dumplings. I dislike dogs and tempura. My dream is... to become Naruto-kun's devoted wife."
The three of them reacted differently to Mikoto's declaration.
Kushina puffed out her cheeks angrily. "Mikoto, you sneaky pickled claw! How shameless!"
"How is it shameless? That really is my dream," Mikoto said earnestly.
Orochimaru muttered inwardly, A lovesick fool? She might as well be Jiraiya's match.
Naruto's mouth twitched slightly. He couldn't shake the feeling that this situation was spiraling out of control.
"Next," Orochimaru said flatly.
Kushina cleared her throat.
"I'm Uzumaki Kushina! My favorite foods are ramen and dumplings. I hate girly men, and my dream is to become the first female Hokage in history, dattebane!"
"Well, now we have a basic understanding of each other," Orochimaru said.
"I have other tasks to attend to, so I won't keep you. Meet at Konoha's Training Ground 53 tomorrow at 8 a.m."
With that, Orochimaru activated the Body Flicker Technique and vanished.
As soon as Orochimaru left, Kushina's eyes gleamed mischievously. She turned to Naruto, pouting.
"Naruto, I'm hungry. I want dumplings."
"Sure, go home and make them yourself," Naruto replied, standing and dusting himself off.
"Nooo, I want dumplings made by your hands!"
"I refuse."
---
That Night
Naruto lay on the couch, his brows furrowed, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Don't play with him. Who knows what he might do."
"Let's move. Living next to that monster—what if we die someday?"
On the street, countless pairs of judgmental eyes bore into the blond-haired boy.
Unfiltered malice...
"Monster. Mom said he's a monster. Stay away from him."
"Run! Everyone, stay away, or the monster will grab you!"
Isolation from the crowd...
"Fox demon, what are you staring at? Take this and scram."
A balding man hurled a fox mask at Naruto's face.
"Get lost, you freak! You're ruining my business!"
Relentless humiliation...
The scene shifted.
Jiraiya: "Naruto, come back. It's not too late to turn things around..."
Naruto clutched his face with one hand, laughing maniacally. "Hahaha, Jiraiya, I didn't know you were such a comedian!"
Pointing a finger at Jiraiya, he screamed hoarsely, "Turn back? Do you have any idea what it's like to face the boundless malice of this world with such a frail body?"
"Do you know what it feels like to endure hunger, eating rice mixed with sand, all while being stared at with those disdainful eyes... and feel nothing but despair?"
"Tell me, Jiraiya. How do I turn back?"
Jiraiya: "I... I don't know..."
His heart heavy, his spirit broken.
The scene shifted again.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball!"
"Eight Gates: Seventh Gate, Shock Gate—Daytime Tiger!"
"Fire Style: Hiding in Ash!"
"Genjutsu: Tree Bind Technique!"
"Mind Body Disturbance Technique!"
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
"Damn it! Bastard!"
Suddenly, a shout echoed through the room.
Naruto bolted upright from the couch, his body drenched in sweat, his muscles taut.
He panted heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"What happened? Naruto, are you okay?"
From the bed, Kushina had been startled awake. She ran to him, barely dressed.
She turned on the light, but the couch was empty. She touched the blanket—still warm. He had just left.
"Where did you go, Naruto?" Kushina whispered, her face full of concern.
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