My Name Is Namikaze Naruto - Chapter 4

“Just now, I used a bit too much chakra. Now, I need to reduce it slightly and pay special attention to balance…”

With his eyes closed, Naruto recalled the feeling of taking his first step up the tree.

Then, he slowly opened his eyes.

“Hmm, this time should be better, right?”

Adjusting the chakra output based on the previous attempt.

Naruto took his first step up the large tree in front of him again.

This time, he firmly planted his foot on the tree trunk, and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.

But in the next moment.

“Crack.”

As he took the second step, the tree trunk cracked again.

Naruto’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly pushed off, landing back on the ground with ease.

“Was it too much force again? I need to maintain a balanced output at all times. Phew… It seems finishing this training quickly is going to be tough.”

Naruto took a deep breath, shook his head with a bitter smile, and said softly.

Even if the chakra output for the first step was correct and he could stand firmly, if the subsequent output was not stable—too much or too little—he would either crack the tree trunk or fall off.

“I just need constant training to gain experience.”

After a moment of thought, Naruto shook his arms and once again gathered chakra at his feet and stepped towards the tree in front of him.

Training is tedious and boring.

But it is something every ninja must go through.

As the pervy sage from the original story would say:

“Only those who can endure can be called ninjas.”

This endurance is not just about withstanding the environment but also about controlling one’s emotions.

Especially for Naruto.

The next six to seven years would be the most crucial.

Whether he could survive in this harsh world and achieve his goals depended on his progress over the next six to seven years.

Immersed in his training, Naruto didn’t notice the passage of time. In his previous life, he was already fascinated by the powers that existed in different dimensions. Now, with real-life factors pushing him, he had no choice but to train and become stronger.

This was almost his only option.

Though he had the Nine-Tails as a cheat, at this stage, he couldn’t communicate with it. He had tried every possible method, but still, he had to rely on himself. Besides, with his goal being the peak of the ninja world, the Nine-Tails would only be an auxiliary; his true strength had to come from within.

After all, the big shots in the original series treated the Nine-Tails like a pet.

Naruto was very clear about this.

Tree climbing and water walking were ninjas’ most basic yet effective chakra control training.

Getting started was the hardest part.

Especially for Naruto, with the Nine-Tails’ chakra influencing him, he couldn’t control it freely. His first day’s training mostly ended in failure—either using too much or too little chakra.

Despite his precautions, he still had several hard falls from the tree.

In his previous life, a few falls would have sent him to the hospital, especially the last fall from that height would have been fatal.

“Phew… That’s enough for today.”

As the sky gradually darkened and the accumulated fatigue set in, Naruto decided to stop his training.

He shook his head, his golden hair shimmering in the twilight, then picked up his basket filled with wild vegetables and fruits he had gathered during breaks.

“Hmm, we can have a feast today.”

With a faint smile, he turned and walked away, his shadow stretching long in the sunset as he slowly moved down the mountain.

The quiet forest was left with only the marked tree trunk.

The wheels of the boy’s fate started turning at that moment.

Tree climbing, water walking, and some additional physical training.

Naruto was so absorbed in this training that he didn’t find it boring.

Time flew by quickly.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Naruto’s sixth birthday was approaching.

Of course, no one in this world remembered his birthday, not even the seemingly kind Third Hokage. Or perhaps, even if he knew, it was something that needed to be erased.

Naruto’s birthday marked the day of the Nine-Tails’ rampage.

It marked the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

It was also the day many Konoha ninjas and villagers died.

No one wanted to remember that day.

Including the Third Hokage!

The Third Hokage never appeared on Naruto’s birthday.

After the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze sacrificed himself during the Nine-Tails’ attack six years ago, Konoha village fell into decline once more. The Third Hokage, who took up the mantle again, was busier than ever, dealing with both external and internal issues.

In the past six years, it was already rare for the Third Hokage to visit Naruto (or rather, to monitor and assess him).

Of course, this “rare visit” was something Naruto dreaded the most over these six years because meeting the Third Hokage always tested his acting skills. There were times when Naruto felt he was almost seen through. Fortunately, certain factors served as his best cover, and although the Third Hokage observed him, his main concern was whether Naruto harbored any resentment towards Konoha. Other aspects didn’t receive as much attention, allowing Naruto to avoid exposing himself.

This was also thanks to the positive image Naruto had carefully crafted.

Aspiring to become Hokage, wants everyone to acknowledge him.

Naruto used every noble and idealistic phrase he could find, imitating his original self from the series.

This imitation came easily to him.

However, despite the ease, every encounter with the Third Hokage left Naruto anxious, fearing he’d be seen through.

These encounters were the ultimate test of his acting skills.

Fortunately, Naruto had managed to pass every time over the past six years.

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