Chapter 262: Age Seven
Gathering is the nourishment of life, while loneliness is the background color of life.
For seven-year-old Uzumaki Naruto, this was exactly the case.
Actually, this sentence was something he only thought of much later, but that feeling had followed him like a shadow since a long time ago.
As far back as his previous life.
Gathering is like a few drops of sweet rain occasionally falling on parched land, only enough to moisten the surface; once the brief clamor and warmth pass, the vast cracks of loneliness underneath are shockingly revealed.
That was the true background color that enveloped his entire world.
But Naruto possessed an almost instinctive resilience; whether in his previous life or this one, he only wanted to live well.
When the shadows of the future rose from his heart like a cold tide, trying to swallow him, Naruto would always crawl out of them.
Since the shadow of loneliness accompanied him, he used busyness to forget it.
Every day, he followed an almost ascetic-like rhythm he had set for himself.
At the crack of dawn, the empty apartment held only the sound of his own breathing.
He would get up and cook in the kitchen.
Because the Anbu were monitoring him, Naruto couldn't cook very well at first, and only gradually revealed his true culinary skills later on.
Then, he would rush into the streets that hadn't fully awakened yet, starting to mimic the madness of that Green Figure in his memories.
Running around the Village, punching wooden posts, and performing those physical training exercises in deserted training grounds that looked exaggerated and exhausting.
When sweat poured, loneliness was temporarily pushed back; the soreness in every inch of his muscles became another, more tangible'sense of existence.'
Taking a simple shower, or jumping directly into the Naka River to head home and change, then running to school with a simple Bento, was Naruto's unwavering morning routine.
Regardless of the season, he wasn't afraid of the cold water in the river.
Because his physique was very strong, he rarely got sick growing up.
Upon reaching school, pushing open the classroom door, sounds, colors, and the presence of companions would wash over him.
There, he was Uzumaki Naruto, chatting with Shino, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji.
Teacher Iruka's occasional scolding hid his concern; Shikamaru's lazy complaints, Choji's shared snacks, Shino's quiet company, even Kiba's perpetually over-energetic provocations... all these fragments pieced together a brief but real warmth.
Before becoming a Genin, school time was indeed the brightest fragment in his grayscale life, the closest thing to the definition of 'joy.'
However, the school bell always rang on time, like a heartless reminder. When the last few classmates said goodbye to each other and headed to their respective homes with warm lights and waiting families, that familiar sense of emptiness would silently surround him again, clearer and heavier than in the morning.
The clamor receded like a tide, leaving him alone to face the solitary Swing under the big tree at the school gate.
The afternoon sun cast his shadow very short.
Naruto would continue his solitary cultivation.
The sound of Shuriken cutting through the air, the brief noise and immediate dissipation during Shadow Clone practice, his own heavy breathing while gritting his teeth and hanging on the Horizontal Bar... these sounds echoed in the empty space, instead highlighting the surrounding silence and the shadow-like loneliness that filled every breath.
Loneliness never truly left; it just hid temporarily in the bustle of school.
Now, it was back, enveloping him more densely. Accompanying him was only the sound of wind through the trees, the gradually setting sun, and the unquenchable flame in his heart—the desire for great power.
It was a yearning for a better life in the future, the only life-saving straw he could grasp in this deep sea called 'loneliness.'
Nara Shikamaru walked on the edge of the crowd and reached out to pull Akimichi Choji.
"Hmm?"
Choji held a bag of freshly opened Potato Chips, his cheeks bulging as he turned his head with a confused look, "What is it, Shikamaru?"
"Nothing."
Shikamaru's voice carried its usual laziness, but his eyes seemed a bit clearer than usual, "There's something I want to talk to you about."
He didn't explain much, just gestured for Choji to follow, and then waved at Ino Yamanaka, who was talking to Sakura Haruno nearby.
"Ino, Choji and I are leaving first."
"Eh? Where are you guys going?"
Before Ino could finish, Shikamaru had already pulled Choji around a corner onto another road.
The two didn't talk much along the way until they reached a relatively quiet small park.
It was shaded by green trees, with quiet benches, isolated from the bustle of the main road.
On a bench, two figures were already sitting.
Shino Aburame still sat bolt upright, his sunglasses reflecting the dappled light filtering through the treetops.
Inuzuka Kiba seemed a bit impatient, squatting on the ground drawing circles, occasionally looking up at the intersection.
"You're here."
Seeing Shikamaru and Choji approach, Shino nodded slightly, adjusted his sunglasses, and greeted them in a steady voice.
Kiba immediately stood up: "Too slow, Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru and Choji sat on the edge of the flowerbed opposite the bench where the other two were sitting.
Shikamaru got straight to the point, skipping all unnecessary pleasantries: "Naruto's situation in the Village is more troublesome than we imagined."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the other three, "According to the information I've gathered, even buying daily necessities... is difficult for him. He has to sneak in at night, leave the money, and then take the items away."
Shikamaru only found out about this once while passing by one of his family's businesses.
Although his father had made it mandatory for the Nara Clan's businesses to do business with Naruto, Naruto didn't seem to know and still snuck in at night, left money, and left with the goods.
"But direct help might make him feel uncomfortable."
"So I thought of a way!"
Kiba took over the conversation.
"Once before, I forgot to bring my Bento. That guy Naruto... tsk, even though he looks clumsy, and I don't know if he can even learn the Shadow Clone he won from me, the Rice Ball he shared with me—the one he made himself—tasted surprisingly good!"
Kiba scratched his head, admitting it a bit awkwardly.
"It was much better than I expected. I mean, since we have to eat lunch anyway, and bringing it from home or going to a shop is quite a hassle."
Shino pushed up his sunglasses and took over Kiba's somewhat jumpy narrative, turning it into a clearer plan: "What Kiba means is, perhaps we can, in the form of a 'commission,' regularly provide Naruto with ingredients and a small reward, asking him to be responsible for preparing part of our lunch.
This way, it solves his problem of obtaining food while making the help appear more natural."
Shikamaru listened and didn't speak immediately. He half-closed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knee, his brain quickly weighing the options.
Direct charity would likely be rejected given Naruto's personality, and might even hurt his self-esteem.
But using 'exchange' or 'commission' as a name, packaging help as an equal interaction, was undoubtedly the least troublesome and most likely to be accepted way.
Kiba's seemingly careless idea had hit the mark.
"That's rare."
Shikamaru finally spoke, a very faint, knowing curve appearing at the corner of his mouth as he looked at Kiba.
"It's only because it's Naruto that you'd be so concerned, Kiba."
Kiba felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze and turned away, muttering: "Sh-shut up! I just think his Bento is decent, that's all!"
As he said this, the other three laughed.
Shikamaru didn't tease him further, just nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Choji, who was listening quietly, and Shino, who was waiting for his conclusion.
"This plan is indeed feasible. It's settled then.
Naruto helped Choji and me before; now that he's facing difficulties he can't easily speak of, as friends, we naturally have to help."
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