Chapter 17: The 'Touched' Naruto
"No matter what, I'm never going back to that place to catch fish again.
I just don't know when the Third Hokage will change the food deliveries into money instead. At least then I could come buy ramen sometimes.
The food they send to my house is always expired. If I accidentally drink it, I get a stomachache. I don't know if I've developed any stomach problems after being tortured like this for so many years…"
Naruto was very dissatisfied with his living conditions. In the past, he didn't know how to change it, and no one would listen to him anyway.
But now that he had an audience and a much clearer understanding of his future goals, there was no way he would let himself continue being abused for the next five or six years.
"I'll mention this when I see the Third Hokage next time. But you're still very young. If we switch everything to money, you might eat well for two meals and then have nothing for the rest of the month…"
Iruka felt the weight of his mission growing heavier, but since Naruto had brought it up, he couldn't pretend he hadn't heard.
The important thing was that he could actually go see the Hokage whenever needed.
But switching to money…
A child with money in hand could easily be cheated. Even if no one tricked him, a small child lacked the discipline to manage it properly.
"Then… then Iruka-sensei can manage the money for me! As long as I can eat until I'm full, even if it's just onigiri, that's fine!"
Naruto looked up anxiously, staring at Iruka with wide eyes, as if worried that Iruka wouldn't help him pass the message to the Third Hokage.
In truth, he should have recognized that the old man who stole his fish was the Third Hokage. However, on the first day of school, the Third had sat in the back wearing his Hokage hat, so his face wasn't clearly visible. The later "brainwashing" sessions had taken place while Naruto was in the hospital, so he had missed them.
Therefore, he wasn't supposed to know that the Third Hokage was that old man. As for the Hokage Rock… it was just a symbolic carving, very different from the real person.
"I'll ask, but I'm not sure if it will work…"
Iruka looked at the pile of empty bowls around Naruto. Feeding this boy until he was full seemed like a serious issue.
Still, just making sure Naruto ate properly shouldn't be a problem. The Hokage seemed to care about him quite a lot.
"I knew Iruka-sensei was the best!"
Naruto smiled brightly, his large eyes full of gratitude as he looked at Iruka.
Looking into those eyes that always seemed to reveal his true emotions, Iruka became even more certain — Naruto was definitely not the demon fox.
Perhaps the villagers were all wrong. This boy was simply an orphan who had lost his parents during the Nine-Tails attack, just like Iruka himself. Both had their families killed by the Nine-Tails, yet Naruto was the one being misunderstood and hated…
"Let's go. Sensei's wallet is empty. I'll treat you again next time…"
Iruka, who had suddenly relaxed, no longer wanted to pretend to be rich. He really was out of money.
There was no need to hide it!
"Ah?"
Naruto put on a helpless face, but the smile in his eyes never faded.
After Iruka sent him home, Naruto lay on his bed hugging a pillow and laughed quietly for a long time before falling asleep.
Even in his sleep, his face still showed clear happiness, as if his good mood had followed him into his dreams.
However, the moment his body entered deep sleep, his soul and consciousness had already slipped into the sewer-like space of the seal.
This seal had been created by his parents at the cost of their lives. They had probably believed the village would take care of their son because of their sacrifice.
But in reality… it was all wishful thinking.
They might not have realized until the moment they died that some people simply could not be trusted…
Now that he was here, the Nine-Tails was indeed very strong. So what?
He would cook the frog in warm water — slowly, subtly, and patiently.
It might take a long time, but sooner or later, he would completely devour this tailed beast that was nothing more than a mass of energy.
As for possible side effects…
He had already erased the influence of Asura's chakra. Dealing with one tailed beast shouldn't be a problem.
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