Inside his dilapidated apartment, Naruto sat cross-legged on his bed with his eyes closed.
His consciousness appeared before the system’s training display case.
[Taijutsu Mode—Taijutsu Training]
[Taijutsu Training: Grants the host one month’s worth of taijutsu training memories and strengthens the host’s physical constitution.]
[Sale Price: 1,000 ryō]
[Ninjutsu Mode—Clone Technique]
[Clone Technique: Grants the host one month’s worth of ninjutsu training memories and improves the host’s proficiency with the Clone Technique.]
[Sale Price: 1,000 ryō]
[Weapon Mode—Kunai Training]
[Kunai Training: Grants the host one month’s worth of kunai training memories, improves the host’s ability to throw and wield kunai, and strengthens the host’s physical constitution.]
[Sale Price: 5,000 ryō]
“One million ryō!”
“I’ll start by purchasing two rounds of Taijutsu Training!”
With the bookstore proprietor’s one-million-ryō advance in his possession, Naruto didn’t hesitate to strengthen his body.
The words “Taijutsu Training” gradually turned gray.
Two months’ worth of memories surged into Naruto’s mind.
Within those memories, Naruto practically transformed into Rock Lee as he endured a brutal and merciless regimen of hellish taijutsu training.
Once the memory transfer ended, Naruto could clearly feel that his physical capabilities had improved dramatically.
His formerly small and skinny body gradually became stronger.
He reached toward another corner of the wooden table.
With only a slight exertion of strength, Naruto lifted the entire table with one hand.
Crack!
The rotten table broke apart, and two of its legs snapped when it crashed onto the floor.
“Hey, Kurama.
What do you think of my physical condition now?”
Naruto directed the question toward the Nine-Tails inside him.
Kurama lazily opened its eyes and snorted disdainfully.
“Weak!”
“You’re still as weak as an insect.
If I escaped, a single sneeze from me could send you flying several hundred meters.”
After mocking him, Kurama still provided an objective assessment.
“Your physical capabilities are approximately equal to those of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old human brat.
Pathetically weak, but fairly impressive considering your age.”
Naruto wasn’t discouraged.
Years of malnutrition had severely damaged his body.
He was already satisfied that he had reached the physical level of an adult.
Naruto turned his attention toward the display case again.
This time, he intended to purchase Kunai Training.
Kunai might have appeared almost useless in the anime, but that was merely how they had been portrayed on-screen.
In reality, kunai were unquestionably lethal weapons.
They could be wielded as blades in close combat or thrown as concealed weapons, making them remarkably versatile.
“Purchase Kunai Training three times!”
Within those memories, Naruto stood on a training field and repeatedly threw kunai.
He also practiced using them as blades in close-quarters combat.
Once the memory transfer ended, Naruto flicked his wrist, causing a black kunai to appear in his hand.
The weapon spun smoothly between his fingers like a nimble black fish.
Naruto casually swung his arm.
The black kunai transformed into a streak of darkness.
Clang!
It embedded itself directly into a tiny black spot at the center of the doorframe.
Naruto smiled, walked over, and pulled out the kunai.
He had a feeling that this was nowhere near his current limit.
Eight!
He could simultaneously throw eight kunai while ensuring that neither their accuracy nor their power decreased in the slightest.
“I’ll need to buy several kunai later…”
“Mmm… Maybe I should purchase one more round of Weapon Mode training…”
The following morning, Naruto awakened early.
After washing and eating breakfast at Ichiraku Ramen, he visited Konoha’s bustling marketplace.
“Sir, I’ll take this light-orange short-sleeved shirt.”
“Please wrap up this light-red cloak for me.”
“I’d like to try on these pants.”
“Please trim my hair and make it look as soft as possible.”
“…”
Money in his pocket gave Naruto confidence.
After the previous day’s purchases, only forty-nine thousand nine hundred ryō remained from his one-million-ryō advance.
Adding the money he already possessed brought his available funds to approximately eighty thousand ryō.
That was equivalent to eight months of his former living expenses—more than enough for Naruto to improve his appearance.
Naruto discarded his unfashionable mustard-yellow outfit and changed into his newly purchased clothes.
He also applied red eye shadow around the corners of his eyes.
A gentle smile appeared on his face as he examined the boy reflected in the mirror.
Clothes truly made the man.
He should look harmless enough now, right?
“Oh, right—the kunai.
I still need to buy some.”
Naruto tapped his forehead, having nearly forgotten the most important task.
“Sir, give me ten kunai.”
Naruto called out to the man behind the counter.
The weapons-shop owner raised his head.
The moment he saw Naruto, his expression darkened.
“Ten thousand ryō each.
If you can afford them, hand over the money.
If you can’t, get out.”
Naruto chuckled softly. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Ten thousand?”
“Doesn’t an ordinary kunai cost between five hundred and one thousand ryō?”
The owner took a drag from his cigarette and sneered.
“That’s the price for everyone else.
Your price is ten times higher.”
Naruto tilted his head and looked at the owner’s fur coat.
A tiny spark appeared on the tip of his right index finger.
He flicked it forward, sending the spark drifting gently onto the man’s clothing.
The weapons-shop owner failed to notice it.
“Didn’t you hear me tell you to get out?” he cursed impatiently.
Naruto’s expression remained unchanged.
“Burn.”
FWOOM!
The spark on the man’s clothing abruptly exploded into a raging blaze.
The flames spread so rapidly that they engulfed him in less than two seconds.
“Aaargh!”
The weapons-shop owner screamed and rolled across the floor in agony, desperately attempting to extinguish the flames.
However, his efforts produced the opposite result.
Not only did the flames continue burning, but his frantic rolling also ignited the surrounding shelves.
While the owner screamed in agony, Naruto entered the store and collected several kunai from the display.
Naruto had obtained his kunai without spending a single ryō.
He still had approximately forty thousand ryō remaining.
Thinking about the bashful Hinata, Naruto’s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
He headed directly toward a flower shop.
“Excuse me!
I’d like a bouquet of lilies!”
A busy young girl could be seen inside the store.
She hurriedly responded without looking up.
“Of course!
Please wait a moment.
I just need to finish arranging these pale chrysanthemums… Huh?”
The beautiful blonde girl froze with the chrysanthemums still in her hands.
Her eyes widened as she stared blankly at Naruto outside the store.
Surprise appeared in Naruto’s eyes as well.
“Ino… Yamanaka?”
Ino instinctively released the flowers and covered her mouth.
She stared at Naruto in disbelief.
“Y-You…”
“Could you possibly be… Naruto Uzumaki?”