Little by little, Naruto grew accustomed to life inside Konoha Hospital.
Although he wasn’t treated well there, he rarely saw anyone responsible for looking after him.
Even from the very beginning, he had been forced to feed himself.
Ironically, he found that arrangement preferable.
No one disturbed him.
That meant he could secretly continue his training.
After only three months, his physical abilities had already far surpassed those of an ordinary eight-year-old.
He even felt confident he could make a ten-year-old cry in a fight.
After all, inside this child’s body was the soul of an adult.
Who was he supposed to be afraid of?
Fortunately, he possessed an adult’s mind.
If he had truly been an ordinary child, left almost entirely to fend for himself like this.
He probably wouldn’t have survived.
That only made the original Naruto seem even more unbelievable.
Not only had he grown up under those circumstances.
He hadn’t even become twisted or consumed by hatred.
It was absurd.
At least, the current Naruto simply couldn’t understand how the original Naruto had turned out the way he did.
He was almost too upright.
So upright that many conspiracy theories even joked that Shisui Uchiha must have secretly brainwashed him with Kotoamatsukami.
Or perhaps.
Was it simply easier for a transmigrated soul to fall into darkness?
Could anyone really blame him?
“Whatever.”
Naruto didn’t dwell on it.
He had his own plans.
His own vision for the future.
He also spent time recalling various future events from the original story that might become useful.
For example.
The Uchiha Clan Massacre.
Perhaps such a massive incident would provide the perfect opportunity to escape Konoha unnoticed.
At the same time, he remembered another important event.
The death of Hyūga Hizashi.
If he remembered correctly.
When Konoha and Kumogakure finally signed the treaty officially ending the Third Great Ninja War.
Kumogakure would attempt to kidnap the Hyūga Clan’s eldest daughter, Hyūga Hinata.
“My future wife.”
Naruto frowned slightly.
If there was one person in Konoha he still cared about it was probably Hinata.
After all, she would become his wife in the future.
The incident ended with the Kumogakure leader being killed.
Yet Kumogakure shamelessly demanded that Konoha hand over the killer.
Otherwise they threatened to restart the war.
Left with little choice, Hizashi volunteered to die in place of his twin brother, Hiashi.
Because Hizashi belonged to the Branch Family.
The Caged Bird Seal on his forehead would automatically destroy his Byakugan after death, preventing anyone else from obtaining the dōjutsu.
At the same time.
It became the one and only occasion on which Hizashi was allowed to choose his own fate.
He willingly sacrificed himself to protect his older brother.
Kumogakure started the trouble.
So beat them into submission.
Could they really afford another war?
Of course.
Remembering this incident wasn’t because Naruto already regarded Hinata as his wife.
He hadn’t even met her yet.
Rather he was preparing himself mentally.
When that day eventually arrived he absolutely intended to stay far away from the chaos.
The reason was simple.
Kumogakure genuinely excelled at kidnapping people.
They had attempted to abduct Hinata.
Before that they had also kidnapped his own mother, Kushina Uzumaki.
In that regard Kumogakure were practically repeat offenders.
Although both attempts ultimately failed.
Naruto had no intention of attracting anyone’s attention before he had grown strong enough.
If Kumogakure discovered he was the Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki there was no way they’d pass up such an opportunity.
Unlike Hinata he had no parents standing beside him.
If someone targeted him there would be no Hiashi to arrive and kill the attackers.
So all he could do was prepare every possible means of protecting himself.
It was rather pitiful when he thought about it.
Thus, while quietly planning for the future.
Naruto continued his daily physical training.
At the same time.
He never stopped trying to communicate with the Nine-Tails sealed inside him.
Unfortunately.
Kurama never responded.
Time passed unnoticed.
Spring gave way to autumn.
Before he realized it.
Three years had gone by.
On the very day Naruto celebrated his third birthday.
He finally walked out of Konoha Hospital.
For three entire years.
He had lived there continuously.
It wasn’t that Naruto hadn’t wanted to leave.
The Third Hokage simply hadn’t allowed it.
His reason was straightforward.
There was no one available to care for the child.
Naruto had no relatives.
Both of his parents, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, had themselves been orphans.
Even when Minato’s friends and former subordinates expressed a willingness to raise him.
The Third refused.
Naruto’s identity remained an absolute secret.
Even the hospital staff had no idea where he came from.
No one knew who his parents were.
That only strengthened their belief.
That he was the reincarnation of the Demon Fox.
For three whole years.
Naruto remained inside the same hospital room he’d first occupied.
Other than someone bringing him food each mealtime. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
He rarely saw another person.
Even those delivering his meals almost never spoke to him.
If not for the Third Hokage occasionally visiting every now and then.
Naruto sometimes wondered whether he’d have forgotten how to speak altogether.
Standing outside the hospital entrance.
Naruto stared blankly ahead.
This was the very first time he had stepped beyond those doors.
Although he’d constantly observed the outside world through his sensory perception.
Actually seeing it with his own eyes was an entirely different experience.
For a moment.
He didn’t know what to do.
The clothes he wore were still nothing more than hospital garments.
No one had ever brought him proper clothing.
Nor did he have any money.
Only that morning had someone informed him.
He was finally allowed to leave.
But no one had bothered telling him where he was supposed to go.
In fact.
The hospital staff had practically chased him out like a plague.
Just then.
A figure dressed entirely in black approached from the distance.
The person’s face was concealed behind an animal mask.
“Uzumaki Naruto.”
“I’ve been sent by the Third Hokage to take you to your new residence.”
“Follow me.”
The masked figure spoke calmly.
Then he produced a small money pouch and handed it over.
“This is your first living allowance.”
“From now on, you’ll need to collect future payments yourself from the relief office.”
The currency in this world was called ryō.
According to official material, its exchange rate was roughly ten ryō to one Japanese yen, though in practice its purchasing power appeared to be quite different.
The masked shinobi said nothing further.
He simply waited until Naruto firmly grasped the money pouch before turning around and leading the way.
Naruto understood that the man belonged to the ANBU.
While carrying out missions, ANBU never revealed their identities.
Naturally, Naruto had no intention of asking annoying questions.
He simply followed quietly behind.
The two of them walked through the streets in complete silence.
Even the ANBU couldn’t help finding it rather surprising.
A three-year-old child.
Shouldn’t he be curious about everything?
Especially one who’d spent his entire life inside a hospital?
Yet Naruto remained unusually quiet.
No matter what he saw around him.
He never asked a single question.
Eventually.
They arrived before an old apartment building.
It already looked somewhat run-down.
For the first time, the ANBU voluntarily offered an explanation.
“This building houses war orphans like you.”
“Your room is upstairs.”