"Mountain Embrace!"
Naruto's roar echoed through the clearing. His arms knotted instantly, tendons bulging high like the roots of an ancient tree. He lunged forward with the sound of wind rushing past, wrapping his arms around the massive cedar in front of him.
CRACK... TEAR...
The dead bark crumbled first, powder falling in a rain of fragments. Then the trunk fibers compressed under tremendous force, splintering and tearing with sharp snaps.
Naruto growled low in his throat and pushed force from his feet upward. His calves swelled with an audible pop, then his thighs, waist, chest, back, and finally his hands and forearms. Wherever the force traveled, muscles expanded visibly.
He released his grip and jumped back, exhaling a long breath. The cedar groaned once before toppling to the ground with a thunderous crash, leaves scattering across the dirt.
Ten days of practicing Mountain Embrace, and he'd finally broken a full-grown tree in one attempt.
But trees were dead targets. They didn't move. They didn't run.
In the future, he'd face people. People who would dodge. Without quick reflexes and faster movements, Mountain Embrace would be useless in real combat.
The dead target was conquered. Time to practice on something alive.
A goat trotted past Naruto, gave him a haughty look, then hoofed away with its tail flicking.
Perfect. These goats would be his live training targets. They lived in the mountains year-round, leaping across rough rocks and uneven terrain with ease.
GRRRROWL.
Naruto's stomach complained loudly.
He quickly relaxed his body. Maintaining that full-muscle activation consumed too much energy.
Now that he'd reached the fifth position of the Iron Body Technique, his daily consumption was staggering. He needed to eat a third of a cow just to replenish the energy his training burned through.
By the time he reached the entry level of Iron Body mastery, he'd probably be eating entire cows daily.
Speaking of which, the bulls hadn't been very interested in breeding lately. He'd have to try that method he'd read about last night. The herd needed to grow if it was going to keep up with his future needs.
Naruto walked toward the temporary wooden house he'd built on the back mountain. Since he spent most of his time training here, it made sense to have shelter. The Nine-Tails had even set up a proper kitchen, moving all the utensils himself.
When Naruto arrived, the Nine-Tails was stir-frying beef with wild peppers. Because the fox had shrunk to such a small size, he couldn't reach the stove properly and had to stand on a wooden stool, balancing on his toes.
Wearing a full chef's outfit complete with hat and apron, he tilted the pan with his left paw and wielded a spatula with his right. The sight was oddly professional, like something from a high-end restaurant.
Hearing Naruto's footsteps, the Nine-Tails flipped the pan expertly, catching the beef in the spatula before plating it. He turned around. "Oh, it's you. Perfect timing. Food's ready."
"Thanks for your hard work, Nine-Tails," Naruto said sincerely.
He genuinely hadn't expected the Nine-Tails to have such a high learning capacity. In just ten days, the fox had mastered every recipe in Become a Master Chef in 30 Days. Some dishes he'd even improved, making them taste even better.
Naruto approached the table and stopped. The entire surface was covered with dishes.
Stir-fried tripe. Boiled beef. Braised beef. Radish and beef brisket stew. Beef balls. Beef miso soup. Roasted beef leg. Beef in sauce. The portions were massive and varied, packed with enough nutrition to refuel Naruto completely.
The Nine-Tails brought out the last dish, the wild pepper beef, and sat down at the table. He picked up his knife and fork with surprising delicacy. "Let's eat, Naruto."
Naruto grabbed his own utensils and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for the meal, Nine-Tails. I appreciate all your effort."
He reached for a beef ball, but his fork didn't grip it properly. The sphere bounced off the plate with a solid thunk, sailed more than a meter into the air, hit the floor, and kept bouncing.
Having lived alone since infancy, Naruto understood the value of food deeply. Wasting it was shameful. Besides, if you picked something up within three seconds and blew on it, it was still perfectly edible.
He retrieved the beef ball, blew off the surface dirt, and popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened as he chewed. "Wow, it's really springy. The texture is incredible."
After trying several other dishes, Naruto gave the Nine-Tails an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Nine-Tails, I take back everything I said before about you not being able to cook. I'm sorry. Your cooking is actually amazing."
The Nine-Tails turned his head away, his tails twitching. "Hmph. I don't care about your apology..."
So why did saying that make his chest feel warm?
"Well, whether you accept it or not, I still needed to apologize. That's my principle." Naruto's face split into a bright grin. "Apology complete. Now I'm officially eating!"
The food on the table disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye, Naruto inhaling it like a storm. The intense energy demands of his training had transformed his digestive system, allowing him to convert food into usable energy almost instantly.
After the meal, the Nine-Tails went to clean the dishes while Naruto used his rest period to check on the cattle.
The cows were full and content, lying under trees for shade. Some mosquitoes landed on them, and they lazily swatted with their tails.
Naruto headed straight for the bulls. They were resting under a tree, eyes clear and bright, obviously healthy. With bodies that strong, they should be eager to reproduce.
Maybe the problem was that life on the back mountain was too comfortable. No stress, no competition.
Naruto pulled out a book titled Advanced Livestock Breeding Techniques. One of the farming manuals the System had provided included an entire section on encouraging breeding behavior, complete with detailed illustrations.
He opened the book and held it in front of one bull's eyes, showing it page after page of images. Educational diagrams. Anatomical references. Perfectly natural information for encouraging reproductive instincts.
Within moments, the bull's breathing grew heavier. It stood up, snorting, and moved purposefully toward a nearby cow.
Naruto worked through them one by one, methodically.
Satisfied with his results, he left the herd and returned to his training area.
On the way, the System's voice spoke in his mind.
[Naruto, once you've mastered the Iron Body Technique to a sufficient level, you can begin making friends. Perhaps starting with your classmates would be wise. Have you thought about who you'd like to befriend first?]
Naruto had considered this question many times. The moment the System asked, one figure appeared instantly in his mind.
The person with the best grades in class. The coldest temperament. The most popular student.
A small smile crossed Naruto's face as he resumed his training.