These were the solutions Naruto had spent the entire night coming up with.
Since he couldn't change Lock, he decided to start by changing himself.
"I'm not smart enough to stop you from killing people," Naruto said seriously in his mind, "but I can try my best to avoid letting you out to fight."
"So don't be angry anymore. I'm not mad about what happened yesterday afternoon either. Let's just say our mistakes cancel each other out!"
After saying all that, Naruto perked up his ears, waiting nervously.
Time passed.
No response came.
The disappointment and grievance in Naruto's chest swelled, threatening to spill over—
Then, finally, Lock let out a quiet sound.
"…Mm."
"You're the main personality," Lock said calmly. "You have the final say."
Naruto's face lit up instantly.
He jumped up from the stool, pumping his fist in the air.
"That's great! I knew you weren't that petty, Lock!"
[Main Personality Trust / Dependency: 30%]
Within Naruto's consciousness, Lock's senses reconnected. The world's sounds and images flowed back in.
With the conflict resolved and his heart finally at ease, Naruto's stomach suddenly let out a loud growl.
He froze.
Then collapsed weakly onto the bed.
"I'm so hungry… I really want ramen~~~"
Outside the window, the sky was pitch-black. Most of the surrounding buildings were dark and silent.
Naruto abandoned the idea of going out and instead poured himself a glass of water, using it to barely suppress the hunger.
At Lock's insistence earlier, all the expired milk and instant noodles had already been thrown out. And with how busy the last two days had been, Naruto hadn't gone shopping at all.
"Aren't there still dried noodles in the fridge?" Lock asked.
Seeing Naruto prepare to sleep on nothing but water, Lock frowned.
This body was going to be his long-term residence. He wasn't about to let Naruto abuse it.
Besides, any hunger Naruto felt would eventually be reflected onto him. He had no intention of sharing that misery.
"Dried noodles?" Naruto muttered blankly.
Those noodles had been bought ages ago. They tasted terrible the one time he tried cooking them, and had been forgotten ever since.
"…Forget it," Lock said. "Let me out. I'll make something."
The kitchen seasonings were still usable. Back when Naruto's allowance wasn't enough, he'd relied on them while cooking fish and wild vegetables.
"Make something to eat?"
Naruto's eyes sparkled.
"Yay!"
He immediately handed over control.
From the back of his mind, Naruto watched Lock move efficiently through the kitchen, cooking noodles while Naruto excitedly talked about Kakashi from yesterday and the wilderness survival exercise scheduled for today.
Early the Next Morning
Naruto woke to the sound of his alarm clock, yawning as he got dressed and headed out.
Through Naruto's vision, Lock immediately noticed something different.
There were more Anbu.
Far more than usual.
After yesterday's incident, Hiruzen Sarutobi had clearly increased Naruto's protection.
At the same time, it also meant something else.
Danzo hadn't been dealt with yet.
Which meant Danzo hadn't given up—not on Naruto, but on Lock.
Losing Aburame Torune would only make him more aggressive, not less.
"Don't forget to eat breakfast," Lock reminded him.
Knowing the original course of events, Lock had zero intention of letting Naruto skip a meal just because Kakashi said so.
If Naruto starved all morning, Lock would feel it too.
"I won't forget. I'm buying something now."
Naruto obediently stopped by a shop and bought three yakisoba breads and three cartons of milk.
This particular store didn't dare give him expired food—or lecture him.
After all, Naruto had a reputation.
Training Ground.
Sasuke and Sakura were already there.
Both of them stared with visible disbelief as Naruto ran toward them, chewing yakisoba bread and gulping down milk.
Still, since it was Naruto, they accepted it almost instinctively.
More importantly, Naruto didn't look nearly as withdrawn as yesterday.
That eased their lingering worries.
"Morning, Sakura, Sasuke," Naruto greeted, mouth full.
Sakura scowled. "Naruto! Didn't Kakashi-sensei say we shouldn't eat breakfast so we wouldn't throw up?!"
"He said it's best not to eat," Naruto replied casually, taking another sip of milk. "Not that we can't. We'll worry about throwing up later."
He then held out the extra portions.
"I bought some for you,u too."
"I'm definitely not eating!" Sakura snapped, swallowing hard before turning away. "If Kakashi-sensei fails you because of this, don't cry to me!"
Naruto shrugged and turned to Sasuke. "What about you?"
Sasuke scanned the surroundings thoughtfully before shaking his head.
"Let's wait and see."
He didn't refuse outright.
An hour passed.
Kakashi still hadn't shown up.
Just as Sasuke expected.
With a calm expression, he took a yakisoba bread and milk from Naruto.
"…Thanks."
He began eating without hesitation.
"Sasuke—! Even you?!" Sakura stared at him, stunned.
"If you're hungry, eat. If you're scared of vomiting, don't," Sasuke said flatly. "It's that simple."
Naruto grinned and shoved the remaining food into Sakura's hands.
"Sakura, don't listen to him. Just eat. It'll be fine."
"But—"
"It's fine," Naruto said confidently, puffing out his chest. "I already figured out Kakashi-sensei's goal."
He tilted his chin up proudly.
"Kakashi-sensei could drive off those Root ninjas alone yesterday. Do you think he actually wants to fail us?"
Without waiting for an answer, Naruto waved his hand.
"Of course not. He wants to test whether we can cooperate."
"And telling us not to eat breakfast? That's just a way to make us hungry and mess with our judgment."
"There'll probably be traps too—things meant to disrupt teamwork."
These were Lock's exact words from the night before.
Naruto repeated them word for word.
Sakura froze.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly, shock flashing across his face.
Neither of them had expected that level of insight—
—from Naruto.
---
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San