Naruto woke up not because he wanted to—but because his stomach
burned.
It wasn't a dull ache; it was fire. His Uzumaki physique moved on
instinct, yet hunger gnawed relentlessly at him. The moment his feet
touched the cold floor—
[DING]
[Daily Tasks Activated]
Day 1 | Completion Streak: 0
1. Walk 10,000 steps.
2. Observe surroundings passively for at least 1 hour without
arousing ANBU suspicion.
3. Find something to eat.
4. Adapt to your surroundings.
5. Behave like a 3–4 year old child (emotions, actions, reactions).
[Failure Penalty:]
Failing seven times consecutively will lock the System Shop for 90
days. Access can only be restored by completing all daily tasks
consecutively.
Naruto stared at the screen, his mind racing. The tasks were harsh—
but achievable.
Then another panel appeared.
[Monthly Tasks Activated]
1. Establish a steady source of food.
2. Establish a steady source of income.
3. Save Hyūga Hizashi.
[Requirement:] Complete at least one monthly task.
[Failure:] Monthly tasks will be suspended for two years.
Naruto's breath hitched.
Food? Money? At three years old? And the third task—save Hyūga
Hizashi?
Outrageous.
Is this system trying to fail me? he muttered. This is supposed to be
the Free Resource System, not a free labor system.
[DING]
A cold, emotionless message appeared.
[Warning: Host detected cursing the system.]
[Daily Tasks Doubled.]
Naruto froze.
Updated Tasks:
1. Walk 20,000 steps.
2. Observe surroundings passively for 2 hours without arousing
ANBU suspicion.
3. Find food in the morning and at night.
[Further violations will multiply daily tasks by ×4.]
"No forgiveness at all…?" Naruto whispered, panic flaring.
"System, you're amazing. Perfect. Truly wonderful," he said
quickly. "I'm sorry for my rude behavior. I will never badmouth you
again."
Silence followed.
"…Please revert the tasks."
[DING]
Once assigned, tasks cannot be reverted.
Naruto's mouth twitched—but he said nothing more.
Fear was a powerful teacher.
Hunger
The kitchen was empty.
No rice. No bread. Nothing.
Naruto left the apartment. Morning sunlight bathed Konoha as
villagers passed him without much thought. To them, he was just an
orphan—small, blond, and quiet.
Some pitied him.
A piece of bread.
A rice ball.
Naruto ate quickly—but not greedily—and saved some for night.
[DING]
[Task Completed: Find food (Morning & Night)]
By noon, his legs—and his body—gave up.
He wandered into a park and sat on a stool, observing children
playing with their parents. Wind rustled the leaves. Laughter echoed.
To anyone watching, he looked like a tired child resting… or
sleeping.
Inside, he was observing.
Observing everything—listening to the rustle of leaves, smelling the
sharp, clean scent of grass, feeling the airflow through his hair,
tasting the unique flavor of the park's air.
[Daily Task Status:]
• Walking: 9,284 / 20,000 steps
• Observation: 1h 32m / 2h
• Food: Completed
• Adaptation: Completed
• Childlike behavior: In Progress
I still need eleven thousand steps.
Yet his body felt light after barely half an hour of rest. In his last life,
he couldn't recover this fast from exhaustion, he realized grimly.
This body… it's different.
On the way back, whispers followed him.
"That's the Nine-Tails fox."
"He killed my family."
The vendor who had fed him earlier stared in horror.
"No wonder no customers came today…" he muttered. "I fed the
demon."
Kindness vanished. Hatred replaced it.
They were civilians—not shinobi—but their malice burned just as
sharply.
[DING]
[Day 1 – Daily Tasks Completed]
[Completion Streak: 1]
By the time Naruto reached his apartment, a small crowd had
gathered.
ANBU stood between them and him.
"No one touches the boy," one said coldly. "Anyone who does will
be jailed."
No one stopped staring.
No one stopped whispering.
No one hid their hatred.
Naruto ate quietly that night.
Then slept.
One Week Later
The apartment was quiet—too quiet.
Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor, eating slowly. Not because he
was full, but because food was never guaranteed. He memorized
patterns: which shops discarded leftovers, which streets were safest,
which adults looked away.
Outside, footsteps passed.
Paused.
Moved on.
Naruto did not look up.
ANBU.
Messy eating.
Slouched posture.
A deliberate stumble when he stood.
[Behavior Analysis: Acceptable]
The system was watching him too.
At night, wind slipped through cracked windows, carrying the smell
of food he couldn't afford. His stomach twisted—not from hunger,
but from memory.
Survival.
Scarcity.
Fear crept in.
Three years old.
No strength.
No teacher.
One mistake—and it would end.
Flashbacks hit him: the vendor's horrified eyes, village children
stepping away, adults muttering curses under their breath.
In a fight, opponents showed themselves. They could be challenged,
outmaneuvered, defeated.
But whispers?
Sideways glances.
Quiet hatred.
They lingered. Multiplied. Poisoned everything.
Even power wouldn't silence them immediately.
Even strength wouldn't earn trust.
In that moment, Naruto understood a truth harsher than any jutsu:
Survival wasn't just about fighting shinobi.
It was about navigating the battlefield of hearts and minds.
[Risk Exposure: Low]
Naruto exhaled quietly. Good.
As sleep claimed him, he checked once more.
[Day 8 – Tasks Completed]
[Completion Streak: 8]
• Walking: 10,000 / 10,000 steps
• Observation: 1h / 1h
• Food: Completed
Another day survived.
Many more to go.
And as darkness took him, Naruto realized—
Childhood itself was the most dangerous battlefield of all.