Naruto uzumaki : The Will To Rise

After returning home, Naruto sat on the sofa, chatting with Kyuubi while waiting for water to boil:

"Big Fox, how was the grilled fish? My cooking skills aren't bad, right? If you liked it, I can share these delicious chakra creations with you every day."

Kyuubi stayed silent, but the earlier system notification had already betrayed his thoughts.

After a long pause, Kyuubi huffed. "It was mediocre. The old man has tasted far better things before. You can't bribe me with such trifles."

Naruto smirked. You've been sealed for decades… where would you even get better food? But he decided not to call Kyuubi out on it. Instead, he turned his thoughts toward his future.

The weakened version of "Malicious Perception" he'd just obtained allowed him to sense the chakra of nearby ninjas. This gave him the first step toward countering the surveillance he knew he was under.

His next goal was to grow strong enough that even the Anbu or the Third Hokage couldn't easily monitor him. To achieve that, he needed more ninjutsu. Unfortunately, all he had right now were the basic techniques—the Substitution Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and the unusable Clone Jutsu.

Without access to other ninjutsu or self-developed techniques, his best hope was to enroll in the Ninja Academy.

As he was pondering, a knock came at the door. Naruto opened it to find the familiar face of the Third Hokage.

"Grandpa Hokage, I've already eaten."

The Third Hokage blinked, taken aback by the greeting. Does Naruto think I only visit for food? he thought, sighing inwardly. "I've eaten too," he replied. "I came today to check on your progress. I want to see how well you're preparing to become a great ninja."

Naruto shrugged. "Grandpa Hokage, I've already learned the Substitution and Transformation techniques, but I can't seem to get the hang of the Clone Jutsu. It feels like something's interfering."

"Interfering?" The Hokage frowned. His first thought was the Nine-Tails seal. However, as he couldn't sense any of the beast's chakra leaking, he concluded it might just be a matter of compatibility or talent.

He smiled gently. "Naruto, you're already showing great promise. You can take your time mastering the Clone Jutsu. There's no rush."

Naruto tilted his head and asked innocently, "Who was stronger, me or you, when you were my age?"

The Hokage chuckled and replied, "I was stronger at your age, but you have the potential to surpass me in the future if you keep working hard."

"I'll do my best to become an excellent ninja," Naruto said seriously.

"That's good, but after becoming an excellent ninja, what's your goal? Do you want to be Hokage and gain everyone's approval?" the Hokage asked expectantly.

Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't have such lofty dreams. I just want to protect the people I care about. I don't need to be Hokage or gain everyone's approval."

The Hokage's smile faltered slightly. He had hoped Naruto would fully embrace the Will of Fire, but he decided to let it slide for now.

"Who do you care about in the village?" the Hokage asked.

Without hesitation, Naruto replied, "Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, and you, Grandpa Hokage. The rest are just cold strangers."

The Hokage sighed. "You've already made three good friends, and I'm sure you'll make more at the Ninja Academy. Once you do, you'll start to see the importance of recognition."

Naruto decided to shift the topic. "Grandpa Hokage, besides the basic jutsu, I want to learn more ninjutsu. Can you teach me something new?"

The Hokage nodded. "Of course, but first, let's test your chakra nature."

He handed Naruto a chakra test paper. When Naruto infused it with his chakra, the paper split down the middle.

"Grandpa Hokage, what does that mean?"

The Hokage stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Your chakra nature is wind. It's a rare and powerful attribute. You're lucky."

"Is wind attribute really strong?" Naruto asked, feigning curiosity.

"It's an excellent attribute, but I don't have many wind techniques suitable for you right now. I'll have to check the archives," the Hokage said, trying to hide his awkwardness.

Rare but inconvenient to teach… the Hokage thought, knowing that most advanced wind techniques were hoarded by Danzo.

"Can I learn ninjutsu of other chakra natures?" Naruto asked.

"You can, but that comes later. For now, you'll focus on your foundation. Once you enter the Ninja Academy, you'll start learning step by step," the Hokage said, pulling out an official-looking document.

"This is your admission notice for the Ninja Academy. School begins in a few months, and I'm sure you'll make great progress there."

After the Hokage left, Naruto stared at the admission notice on the table, along with a scroll containing the advanced Shadow Clone Jutsu.

He picked up the notice and smiled. "Kyuubi, I'm going to school."

Kyuubi grunted dismissively. "Congratulations, you're going to be a primary schooler. How exciting."

Naruto ignored the sarcasm. He examined the start date of the academy and began imagining his future there. Then, his eyes fell on the Shadow Clone Jutsu scroll.

"I'll master this before school starts," he declared, determination burning in his eyes.

With only a few months left until the academy began, Naruto knew it wouldn't be easy. But for someone like him, it would be more than enough time.