“Ding!
Check-in complete.”
“Check-in Location: Outskirts of Konoha.
Duration: 4 hours.”
“Obtained Basic Skill: Clone Technique Lv.1.
Lazing Points +5.”
“Your Clone Technique has been upgraded to: Lv.2.”
Naruto had originally planned to catch one fish and head home.
There were twenty-four hours in a day, and after midnight, the count would reset.
Theoretically, he could check in six times a day.
But in reality, changing check-in locations meant spending time traveling between them.
So Naruto had set himself a goal:
Secure four, aim for five.
Four check-ins meant he hadn’t lost anything.
Five meant he had made a killing.
Besides, he had plenty of time, and no one was forcing him to do anything.
He had originally planned to save his final check-in of the day for the Sealing Space.
But while roasting his fish, he suddenly felt a gaze.
It was extremely subtle, far more concealed than the ANBU members who had previously monitored him.
Moreover, he had only sensed it for an instant.
After that, unless he deliberately focused on it, he could barely detect it at all.
Naruto guessed that it was probably the Third Hokage.
That old schemer was not only proficient in political manipulation—he was apparently pretty good at peeping on people too.
This made Naruto abandon the idea of going home and immediately falling asleep.
Instead, he deliberately lingered until midnight.
Since you want to watch, then watch to your heart’s content…
There was no way he could avoid it anyway.
Naruto packed up his fishing rod, picked up his bucket, and started walking home.
His mood was average.
Damn Sasuke.
He had apparently exposed Naruto’s strength.
“If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve kicked him a few more times.”
“Damn…”
Naruto cursed his bad luck.
But it wasn’t a big deal.
He had only beaten Sasuke.
That alone didn’t prove anything.
Besides…
As long as he continued slacking, what could the Third Hokage really do to him?
Surely he wouldn’t forcibly send Naruto to Root to be tortured and molded.
Even if he did, it would completely ruin the Third Hokage’s own image.
After all, quite a few people knew the truth about what had happened back then.
So Naruto wasn’t particularly worried.
He just needed to be more careful in the future.
If someone provoked him, he could simply lie down on the ground and endure it.
A little patience and it would pass.
If he could avoid fighting, he absolutely wouldn’t fight.
And even if he couldn’t avoid fighting—
He still absolutely wouldn’t fight!
He was Konoha’s jinchuriki, after all.
As long as he was well-fed and well-treated, that was enough!
Thinking about this, Naruto’s steps became lighter.
“Ding!
Successful act of slacking.”
“Salted-Fish Treasury income: 30 Lazing Points.”
…
The next morning, exactly 8:00 a.m.
Naruto was awakened by the system right on time.
He glanced at the Nine-Tails, who was still sleeping.
He wanted to say hello, but ultimately gave up.
A new day had begun.
Naruto first glanced at the system.
Lazing Points (Salted-Fish Treasury): 337
Salted-Fish Points: 3
The interest had arrived.
Naruto closed his eyes and carefully sensed his surroundings.
After confirming that the Third Hokage wasn’t watching him, he ordered breakfast.
It was a five-point breakfast from the system, complete with excellent color, aroma, and flavor.
Fried dough sticks, pan-fried buns, soybean milk, and spicy pepper soup.
For the first time in a long while, Naruto was finally eating a proper breakfast.
His mood was absolutely wonderful.
He almost didn’t want to go to school anymore…
What happened yesterday afternoon had already been completely forgotten.
When faced with certain unavoidable circumstances, sometimes giving up resistance was itself a way of dealing with them.
Nothing is difficult in this world—as long as you’re willing to give up.
So what if he had beaten Sasuke?
So what if people found out?
What could they do?
It wouldn’t stop him from continuing to be a salted fish.
The reason he had refused to work hard before was because he had already completely given up.
He couldn’t eat enough.
The villagers hated him.
And he was incredibly weak…
What was the point of working hard?
Now, with the system, he had raised his attributes in a very short period of time.
He had beaten Sasuke.
And it seemed to have even attracted the Third Hokage’s attention.
Without a doubt, he had become stronger.
Which meant there was even less reason for him to work hard…
Nobody was going to appreciate him at this point anyway.
Who was he supposed to work hard for?
Oh.
The little Hyuga girl seemed to like that kind of thing.
But…
Forget it.
The girl was indeed cute, kind-hearted, and came from a good family.
Naruto really didn’t understand why the original version of himself had been so blind as to chase after Sakura, that green-tea type.
But he was only six years old…
Naruto was a salted fish, not a beast.
“Ding!
Successful act of slacking.”
“Salted-Fish Treasury income: 30 Lazing Points.”
With a happy mood, Naruto put on his shoes and prepared to leave.
Another new day.
A happy day was still a day.
A day spent worrying was still a day.
A day spent slacking was still a day.
A day spent suffering through hard work was still a day.
Even an idiot knew which one to choose…
…
When he arrived at school, the system notification sounded.
Naruto entered the classroom and took his seat.
The sunlight streaming through the window was bright and beautiful.
It fell upon his body, warm and comfortable.
Naruto lay his head on the desk.
Beneath his listless dead-fish expression was a soul that was relaxed and free.
In the blink of an eye—
The day passed.
Today, his timing was perfect.
School ended at exactly 5:30 p.m., and Naruto had accumulated two Tobirama skill packs.
But this time, Naruto didn’t go fishing.
After coming up with his new idea yesterday, he had decided that the next time he went out for a picnic, he absolutely had to hunt some wild game and try it.
But it was already too late today.
There was no need to rush.
He decided to visit Ichiraku Ramen and reward himself for becoming a Chunin.
Hmm.
If he remembered correctly, the cheapest bowl of Ichiraku Ramen cost 60 ryo.
He currently had a full 1,640 ryo saved up.
Not enough for one bowl every day, perhaps, but certainly enough for one bowl a week.
He could even add some extra chashu.
On the way there…
Naturally, some villagers inevitably cursed at him or deliberately said unpleasant things to provoke him.
Naruto remained expressionless, but he occasionally stopped as he walked.
His attributes had already reached Chunin level.
He could easily beat these villagers back and forth.
But when he thought about the person in the Hokage Tower…
Naruto gave up.
He had indeed advanced to the Chunin Template.
But the situation seemed to have changed very little.
Konoha was a colossal beast.
A monster even more terrifying than the Nine-Tails.
He couldn’t provoke it.
He couldn’t beat it.
And there was nowhere to hide.
So forget it.
Curse him if they wanted…
If they were in the mood, they could even hit him a couple of times and throw a few rotten eggs at him.
I’m a useless loser.
I’m still a monster.
I apologize for being born.
Once I’ve accumulated enough Nine-Tails Chakra Access…
Once I’ve accumulated enough Eight Trigrams Sealing Space Access…
Once I’ve raised the level of the Tailed Beast Bomb…
And once I’ve collected enough of the Second Hokage’s skills…
Then, one day, I’ll definitely let you vent all your anger to your heart’s content…
Oh, right.
Pain would probably wipe you all out the moment he appeared.
What a shame.
Well, no one would be able to resist anyway.
There would be no Child of Prophecy.
No hero of Konoha.
If Konoha was destined to collapse, then let it collapse.
Everyone, when that time comes, take all your resentment toward me with you into the afterlife.
“Ding!
Successful act of slacking.”
“Salted-Fish Treasury income: 30 Lazing Points.”