He walked back into the village, clothes soaked and shoes squishing with every step. Villagers stopped and stared, some in confusion, others with their usual disdain, but Naruto barely noticed. A satisfied grin played on his face. He was in too good of a mood to care about their cold eyes or hushed whispers.
Tucked in his fist were a few fresh green leaves—tools for chakra control training. He'd make use of every second, even in his room. Upon arriving at his apartment, Naruto immediately bathed, steam fogging up the small mirror as he balanced a leaf on his forehead during the process. He managed to keep it there even as he dressed, walking around shirtless while slipping on his pants and boots.
By the time he was fully ready for class, he already had the leaf perfectly balanced without even thinking about it.
'Alright. Let's see... I'll start small with the harem. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. No big moves right now—just planting seeds. But once I get back from training with Jiraiya, it's over. I'm clapping cheeks,' he thought, snickering like a little devil as he made his way to the Academy.
Once in class, he took his seat and immediately resumed circulating chakra through his body. He wasn't just playing around—he was cultivating. Letting it flow freely while directing it with subtle mental cues. It wasn't easy. Most people would've fainted from chakra depletion already. But he wasn't most people. He had near-unlimited reserves thanks to Kurama, and he planned to use that to its fullest.
The door slid open.
Hinata stepped inside, quiet and unassuming as always. But the second her pale lavender eyes found Naruto, her entire body jolted slightly. Her face bloomed with crimson heat.
'There she is,' Naruto thought with a smirk. 'Right on time.'
"Good morning, Hinata," he said casually, flashing her a warm smile.
Hinata blinked. Her heart stuttered. Was she dreaming? Naruto—Naruto—just greeted her? And smiled?
She gave a small, shy nod as she sat down. Her hands trembled slightly on her lap.
Naruto pulled his seat closer and sat beside her, not too close to intimidate—but close enough to make her feel noticed.
"You know," he started, voice easy and light, "I've never really had the chance to talk with you, huh? Funny, considering I've known you the longest."
Hinata's heart thudded painfully in her chest. He remembered. That day from their childhood—when he'd stood up for her. She never forgot it, and now… neither had he.
"Y-Yeah…" she managed, her voice as soft as ever.
But Naruto didn't mind. He understood her shyness. He didn't need her to talk much yet—he just needed her to feel safe, to feel seen. And so, he talked. About the weather, the village, his training. She replied in short phrases, giggled at his jokes, and every time she smiled, it gave him a genuine flutter in his chest.
She really was the cutest in the series.
As more students filtered in, some of them began to notice the oddity of it all. Naruto Uzumaki, usually loud and glued to Sakura, was now sitting with Hinata—talking to her?
"To think, just a few days ago he was worshipping Sakura. Now he's talking with Hinata like it's nothing…" Shikamaru muttered, slouching deeper into his seat.
Chōji, munching through a bag of chips, nodded. "Not saying I blame him. Sakura's pretty, but Hinata's cuter—hands down."
Shikamaru shrugged. "If I ever date, I'd probably want someone like my mom."
Chōji gave him a horrified glance. "Bro, what?!"
Meanwhile, Kiba sat a few desks away, arms crossed, watching the scene with a frown. Akamaru whimpered, sensing his partner's mood.
'Naruto's acting all cool now? Tch. He thinks he's better than me? I'll show him…'
The school day passed without much fuss. Naruto paid attention but didn't overdo it—he knew most of this stuff already. During break, instead of goofing off with the other students or trying to pull pranks like he used to, he slipped out and made his way to the Academy's modest library.
He browsed through rows of old scrolls, most dusty from disuse. His eyes scanned titles until he found a shelf marked "Elemental Chakra: Theory and Application."
'They really did Naruto dirty in canon,' he thought, pulling one scroll off the shelf. 'Besides Shadow Clone and Rasengan, what else did he actually use? I never even counted Rasengan as a proper jutsu—it doesn't even have a nature transformation. Like, come on.'
He flipped the scroll open, glancing through the fundamentals of chakra elements. When he came across the Wind Release section, his interest perked up. Most of it was theoretical—basic chakra shape manipulation, slicing exercises, and tips for creating sharp wind currents.
It was basically what Asuma had taught him in Shippuden—but way earlier in the timeline.
'How the hell did Jiraiya even teach me Rasengan without checking my element first?' he thought with a huff. 'Then again… Minato did create it. I guess it runs in the family. Still, would've been nice if OG Naruto had given a damn about elemental affinity. Could've laid down some good worldbuilding. But nooo, we waited till Shippuden.'
He rolled his eyes.
After thumbing through a few more scrolls, he picked one that included a beginner's Wind Release technique—the classic chakra paper slicing test, and a follow-up training exercise involving leaf cutting.
'Damn, can't learn more than the author intended, huh? Aha, syke—this is a fanfic,' he thought, smirking.
He signed out the scroll, tucked it under his arm, and returned to class just before the test began. It was simple enough—some questions on chakra theory, the history of Konoha, and basic tactics. Naruto breezed through it.
'Yeah, I definitely aced that. Who's dumb now, Iruka-sensei?'
Once the bell rang, Naruto didn't stick around like usual. No attention-seeking, no random flirting. He got up, dusted off his seat, and walked straight out.
Kiba, who'd gathered his little crew and waited to confront him outside, was left stewing as Naruto passed them without even a glance.
At home, Naruto threw his bag on the table, cracked open the scroll, and read it thoroughly. It detailed how Wind Release involved sharpening chakra and directing it with precision, usually through the hands or weaponry. The first step was chakra paper, but he already knew his affinity. The next was slicing leaves.
He picked one up from earlier and tried to push chakra into it, watching as the leaf fluttered, but didn't quite cut.
'Guess I'll need more control. That's fine… this is just the beginning.'
His mind wandered as he worked.
'Why not become a swordsman too? I mean, I don't see why I should limit myself. Explore everything this world has to offer. Well… except ninja tools like Tenten's arsenal. That's cool and all, but I'm good.'
He continued cycling chakra through his body, and after a while, he moved to the next phase of training. Balancing chakra to his feet, he walked up the wall—then to the ceiling.
Now fully upside down on the ceiling of his room, Naruto grinned.
'Man, I feel like Spider-Man.'
He released the chakra flow and landed on his bed in a clean, silent crouch.
'Didn't expect to master that so fast. Then again… I am the main character.'
Satisfied, he planned for tomorrow.
'Physical training next. It's Saturday, so no class. I'll hit the park gym at dawn, maybe do a few laps around the village too.'
Dinner was a simple affair—some rice and leftover grilled fish. Naruto brought his plate to the roof, sitting down to eat under the open sky. The moon hung high, bright and blue, bathing the rooftops in soft light.
He took a bite and leaned back, smiling.
'Infinite Tsukuyomi, huh? Yeah, not happening. I'm taking Obito out the second he shows his masked face. Bro threw away Kushina for a girl who didn't even like him. Man was simping so hard he forgot who really cared about him. And Kushina… damn. She actually loved him. Said she wanted me to grow up like him. That's the real tragedy—Obito became the opposite of what he was supposed to be. Lame as hell.'
He shook his head and took another bite, enjoying the cool breeze.
While chewing, Naruto tried something new—extending his senses outward, attempting to detect chakra that wasn't his own. It was difficult, and all he got was the vague presence of himself.
'Better luck next time.'
With that, he headed back inside, closed the door behind him, and dropped into bed—feeling more accomplished than he ever had in the original timeline.
TO BE CONTINUED