That day after moving out of Konoha Hospital, Naruto had spent three straight days holed up inside his new home without stepping outside once.
Although he trained every day, pushing his body to its absolute limit until he collapsed from exhaustion, making every day full and ending each session drenched in sweat.
The greater reason was that he was avoiding the harm that might come from other people.
Kurama silently watched all of this.
During those three days, Naruto had also continued talking to the Nine-Tails.
Unfortunately, ever since their first conversation, Kurama had remained stubbornly silent.
Naruto accused him of pretending to be asleep.
It was rather pitiful, really.
Naruto didn’t have a single person he could talk to.
The only one he could chat with was the Nine-Tails.
Otherwise he honestly worried that one day he’d forget how to speak altogether.
As for why he had finally gone outside today.
It was because he wanted to buy something.
Since this was the world of ninja, naturally there were shops that sold ninja tools.
Naruto had come to one of them.
“Welcome.”
An ordinary elderly shopkeeper greeted him.
Even though Naruto was just a child, the old man didn’t ignore him.
Smiling warmly, he asked,
“What are you looking for?”
“A kunai?”
“But you’re still too young.”
“Maybe you’d be better off with a toy.”
Even in the ninja world, the shopkeeper didn’t dare casually sell real kunai to a small child.
A kunai was a standard ninja weapon.
It could be thrown or used as a dagger.
Along with shuriken, the cross-shaped throwing stars, they were practically essential equipment for every ninja.
Besides those,the shop carried all sorts of tools.
Smoke bombs.
Poison bombs.
Steel wire.
Explosive tags.
And many other items.
For a moment, Naruto found himself dazzled by everything on display.
However he had come here with a specific goal.
So he quickly withdrew his gaze and walked up to the counter.
At only three years old, he wasn’t tall enough to even reach the countertop.
Tilting his head up, he politely asked,
“I’d like to buy some weighted sandbags.”
“Do you have any?”
“The kind you strap to your legs and if possible, some that can be worn around the waist and arms too.”
Because the shopkeeper had treated him kindly.
Naruto responded with equal politeness.
The old man looked surprised.
Weighted sandbags?
Was this child planning to train?
But he was so young wait those whisker marks.
Only then did the shopkeeper seem to notice something.
His expression changed ever so slightly.
Without making it obvious, he pondered for a moment before turning around to search through his inventory.
A short while later.
He returned carrying several items.
Since Naruto was too short to see over the counter, the old man walked around it and placed everything on the floor.
Judging by their size, they were clearly designed for adults.
“Each one weighs ten kilograms, this is the only type I have.”
“I don’t carry body weights.”
The shopkeeper explained.
Naruto nodded quietly.
He picked up one of the weights.
With remarkable ease.
The shopkeeper’s pupils shrank.
That wasn’t strength any ordinary three-year-old should possess.
Could the rumors actually be true?
Was this child with fox-like whisker marks really the reincarnation of the Demon Fox?
Not everyone believed those rumors.
But as Naruto continued displaying abnormal physical ability.
He seemed to be proving them right himself.
Naruto, completely unaware of the shopkeeper’s changing expression, crouched down and began fastening one of the weights around his calf.
Since it had been designed for adults.
He had to wrap it around his tiny leg nearly three full times before it fit securely.
Fortunately.
It was still usable.
After fastening one ten-kilogram weight to each leg.
Naruto experimentally lifted his feet.
They certainly felt heavier.
But nowhere near enough to stop him from moving.
Noticing this, the shopkeeper kindly offered some advice.
“You shouldn’t increase your weight too quickly otherwise you’ll easily injure your muscles.”
“It’s better to take things gradually and once you actually begin training with those.”
“You’ll realize just how difficult it is to adapt.”
“I see.”
Naruto honestly didn’t know much about proper weight training.
In his previous life, he’d just been an ordinary person.
The idea had come mostly from anime he’d watched.
He still remembered Rock Lee.
Wasn’t Lee famous for constantly wearing training weights?
Especially during his battle against Gaara.
That fight had been absolutely unforgettable.
Unfortunately that also seemed to be Lee’s greatest moment.
Back then, Lee had already opened the Fifth Gate.
Yet by the end of the original series.
He had only reached the Sixth Gate?
The Eight Gates technique.
If he ever had the opportunity Naruto certainly wouldn’t mind learning it.
The real question was would he ever get that opportunity?
Thinking about all that.
Naruto selected a total of six weighted sandbags.
Then he asked for the price.
Immediately he grimaced.
He had already spent quite a bit of money buying household necessities two days ago.
The monthly allowance itself wasn’t very generous.
After paying for these six weights.
He was completely broke.
Well he hadn’t even been out of the hospital for a week. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
And he’d already spent the entire month’s allowance.
Still Naruto had no regrets.
These were essential tools for becoming stronger.
As for food, worst case scenario.
He’d simply head into the forest behind the village.
There were wild fruits edible plants.
He could even catch fish in the river.
“I’m not going to starve.”
“I don’t buy snacks.”
“I don’t drink milk.”
“I still have some ingredients at home.”
“I can definitely survive until next month.”
Thinking about that Naruto carried the weighted sandbags he’d specifically come to purchase and headed home.
Not long after he left several other customers entered the shop.
However they weren’t there to buy anything.
Judging by their clothing, they were simply ordinary middle-aged villagers.
Instead of shopping.
They gathered around the shopkeeper with concerned expressions.
“Oh dear are you alright, boss?”
“That kid just now isn’t normal, he’s the Demon Fox reincarnated.”
“You should be careful.”
“What if he eats you?”
“Don’t let him come near your shop again.”
“We’re worried about your safety.”
The shopkeeper silently squeezed the still-warm money in his hand.
Then he looked at the group before him.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Meanwhile Naruto had already returned home.
Instead of immediately heading into the forest behind the village.
He decided to first get used to his new training equipment.
One by one.
He began strapping the weights onto himself.
Naturally, the weights around his legs remained where they were.
After all, he had walked all the way home wearing them.
They hadn’t felt particularly heavy.
Compared to the bags of groceries he’d carried the other day.
These were actually lighter.
Next he fastened one weight around his waist.
Immediately, he realized something amusing.
The sandbag was so large that it covered nearly half his abdomen.
After adding a second one.
His entire stomach disappeared beneath the weights.
He was simply too small.
The sandbags were far too wide.
Still he didn’t care in the slightest.
Appearance wasn’t important.
Then he picked up more weights and wrapped them around his arms.
Because his arms were so thin.
He had to wind each strap around three full times before securing it.
Finally Naruto flexed his arms and legs a few times.
“That’ll do.”