Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

Inside the cage, the Nine-Tails watched Naruto silently staring off into space. After a long moment with no response, the beast growled in frustration, its rage erupting.

"Aren't you going to explain yourself?"

Its roar shook the massive chamber, and water splashed everywhere, flooding into the shadows beyond the bars.

Tch, Naruto clicked his tongue. Even after being locked up for all these years, he still has no patience at all.

Looking up at the great beast, Naruto frowned, his expression cold but calm."Kurama, you're really being petty. I've barely used a sliver of your chakra, and you're already upset. I'm not strong enough on my own yet—what's wrong with borrowing some power?"

"That's not some power. It's a lot, and you never gave it back."The Nine-Tails bared its fangs, its glowing eyes narrowed in resentment.

It was genuinely anxious. It could feel its power slipping away—bit by bit—and feared Naruto would one day rob it completely of its strength.

Naruto's voice lowered. "Kurama, I'm being polite here out of respect. You might want to check your tone before you forget who's really in control."

His eyes narrowed slightly, a crooked smile forming on his lips."Unless you'd rather stay bound like a chained dog, I suggest you rethink your priorities."

The Nine-Tails' eyes flared red with fury. Naruto's words dripped with arrogance, as if the fox were nothing more than a slave—an expendable tool at his mercy. It enraged the proud beast to no end.

But... Naruto wasn't wrong.

Those cursed chains—the ones binding its body—made the beast feel more powerless than it ever had in its long, violent life.

For the first time in centuries, the great fox truly understood what it meant to feel cold with fear.

"…Sorry," the Nine-Tails muttered. "I acted on impulse."

What the fox didn't know was that Naruto had been bluffing the entire time. If Naruto could actually control those chains, he would've already used them—especially when the Nine-Tails first tried to intimidate him.

He had tried before, during a forced visit to the seal, but the chains never responded. They remained dormant.

He still didn't know what conditions needed to be met to activate them freely.

Naruto, not missing a beat, gave a small nod."You've got a decent attitude now, so I'll let it slide this time."

He added, coolly, "Don't worry, I don't lie unless I have to. I told you I'd give you freedom one day—and I will. Just don't give me a reason to change my mind."

But if the Selector system decides to erase you, well... that's out of my hands.

His voice echoed in the silence like a whisper from the devil. Combined with the looming threat of the chains, his words struck fear deep into the Nine-Tails' heart.

It didn't want to believe him.

But right now—it had no choice but to believe.

Its arrogance crumbled. The beast lowered its head for the first time in its long life."…I was wrong, my lord. I was just… worried."

Naruto beamed. Even this terrifying, ancient creature could be cowed with the right mix of pressure and lies. It seemed his new [Mouth Full of Lies] talent, paired with the chains, made quite the combo.

Man, Naruto thought, if this wasn't a world where power mattered most, I could've made a great scam artist. Cheating rich ladies out of their fortunes… yeah, I'd be good at that.

"Your worries are totally unnecessary," he said aloud, waving dismissively. "And don't bother me for nothing in the future. I value my sleep. If you wake me up again, I won't be so friendly."

With that, Naruto turned and exited the dark, wet chamber.

Once he was gone, the Nine-Tails sat in silence, its massive face shadowed and expression grim.

I actually bowed my head… to a mere human…

Humiliation burned deeper than any chain ever could.

The next morning, the golden sun rose over Konoha. Naruto got up like usual, washed up, and headed downstairs to grab breakfast.

Ever since the reward system started offering money as a selectable option, Naruto had completely given up cooking for himself.

Why waste energy when you can buy convenience?

At this point, few shops still refused to serve him. In fact, most vendors now welcomed him—some even offered him discounts.

Why? Simple: he was handsome.

Konoha's shop owners might be mostly male, but it was the wives and young women behind the counters who ran the show. And they didn't care whether Naruto was a "demon fox" or not.

They just saw a charming, good-looking boy—and many of them were eager to "date" him in their own way.

Especially today.

With his sunshine-yellow hair glowing in the morning light, Naruto had become the center of attention.

As he stepped onto the busy breakfast street, multiple shopkeepers called out to him like wives seeking favor from an emperor.

"Naruto-kun! Want some buns? I'll give you two big, hot ones—on the house!"

"Naruto-kun! Come eat at my place. I'll let you try my homemade dishes!"

"Naruto! My fried noodles are the best—want extra chicken powder or MSG?"

Nearby, the husbands of those ladies gave Naruto death glares, their expressions sour and suspicious. One couple even started arguing right there in the street.

But they were worrying over nothing.

Naruto ignored all the fawning.

For one: he wasn't interested in average-looking women.

Two: he had enough money now—he didn't need free food.

And three: in his experience, free stuff always came with strings attached. Naruto wasn't about to risk getting dragged into anything questionable, especially not by the so-called "God of 404."

As Naruto passed by a dumpling shop, a familiar voice called out,"Naruto! You're getting breakfast here too?"

Turning, he spotted Kurenai Yuhi standing near the entrance.

She was wearing a simple but elegant white dress with a black sash tied around her slender waist. Her clear, deep eyes shimmered under her long lashes, and her soft lips glowed a natural rose red.

Her stiletto heels clicked on the pavement as she raised a hand and tucked her hair behind one ear.

That small motion, paired with her gentle smile, completely stunned Naruto.

He felt a little awkward remembering how flustered he'd been in front of her yesterday.

Still, after a brief pause, he smiled back and said shyly,"Good morning, Kurenai-sensei."

"Morning," she greeted warmly. She pulled a skewer of dumplings from her bag and held it out."Here. Have one."

A few minutes later…

Anko Mitarashi—bold as ever in her usual revealing outfit, complete with a mesh top—was circling Naruto like a shark.

The way her chest bounced made Naruto dizzy.

This has to be genjutsu. How can someone have that much up top and not fall over?

Anko glared at Kurenai. "So let me get this straight. You packed those meatballs for me—and gave them all to this brat instead?"

Kurenai chuckled. "He's still growing. Let him eat."

"Oh, and I'm not?"

"I'll treat you to lunch later when we get back from the Sarutobi estate. Stop making a fuss."

Anko stomped. "Ugh! I took a day off just to go with you to the Sarutobi compound, and this is how you repay your best friend?"

"Alright, alright," Kurenai waved it off, smiling. "I was wrong."

Naruto's ears perked up. "Sarutobi estate?" He suddenly remembered something.

Wait… didn't I send that life-sized Uchiha Sasuko doll there last night?

"Why are you going there?" he asked curiously.

"To see Asuma," Kurenai answered honestly. "He needs to apologize."

Then she smiled. "You want to come with us, Naruto? It's a good chance for Asuma-sensei to make things right."

"Sure! I'll go."

If that Sasuko doll landed in Asuma's hands, this is gonna be priceless.

Even if it didn't, Naruto still liked the idea of getting an apology in front of the entire Sarutobi clan.

So the three of them—Naruto, Kurenai, and Anko—headed off together.

On the way, Anko was still fuming about the meatballs. She couldn't stay mad at Kurenai for long, though. They were best friends.

Instead, she transferred all her frustration onto Naruto, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

She was taller than him, so she had to lean slightly to stare him down.

Naruto didn't mind.

From this angle, 36D looks even more impressive. Truly, Mitarashi Anko is the #1 Goddess of Konoha.

Noticing his stare, Anko's face darkened.

"Oi, brat. Watch where you're looking."

Naruto smirked and turned to Kurenai.

"Kurenai-sensei, who's this scary lady? She's not even one-tenth as pretty as you, and she's got such a nasty attitude."

"UGLY GIRL?" Anko twitched violently. Her fists clenched, cracking with restrained fury.

Just as she was about to explode—

Kurenai stepped in."Anko! Why are you picking on a child?"

"Wha—? Sister, this kid looks like he's already graduated!"

Kurenai shook her head calmly. "Still a child."

Normal ninja his age already have kill counts! Anko screamed internally.

But Naruto just grinned.

This morning was off to a very entertaining start.