Naruto: Becoming a master taijutsu using martial arts.

I left the academy, still feeling the weight of the headband in my hand. I hadn't tied it anywhere on my body yet—I was struggling to decide how I wanted to wear it. I was used to having my goggles on my forehead, and honestly, letting go of them was harder than I expected.

Well, I could think about that later. For now, I just stuffed the headband into my pocket. It took way longer than I had planned, but finally—I was a shinobi of Konoha. The air of the village felt different. Or maybe that was just my imagination.

"Ken-kun!"

I turned to see Jimei running toward me, waving excitedly. He stopped, panting, and after catching his breath, smiling from ear to ear.

"Congrats, man! We did it! We're real ninjas now!" He laughed, slapping my shoulder. "You think we'll be on the same team?"

I paused to think. Back when Konoha's famous Rookie Nine were assigned teams, they balanced the best student with the weakest. But our class was different—we had an early graduation, and from what I saw, only the best actually passed. So it might not work the same way.

"No idea. That depends on the senseis and what they want for the teams." I answered honestly.

"I hope so!" Jimei said, full of enthusiasm.

"Why do you want to be on the same team as me so badly?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I mean, wouldn't it be cool? We already know each other, we know how the other fights… Plus, it'd be way easier than ending up with some idiot like Tokuma." He let out a nervous laugh.

Honestly? Fair point. I'd much rather deal with Jimei than have to manage Tokuma's ego. At least I was used to Jimei's nonsense—I wouldn't have to play mind games to get him to shut up.

"Well, since we're officially ninjas now, we should celebrate." I gave him a small smirk.

Jimei's eyes lit up. Poor, naive soul.

"C-celebrate? Like… a barbecue? Something good, right?"

"Of course it'll be something good." I placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to train."

His smile froze. I could see, in real-time, the exact moment his excitement turned into pure horror. Now that we were genin, we'd start receiving missions from the village. Sure, D-rank missions weren't a big deal, but eventually, we'd get C-rank ones. And in this world? No way I was taking chances.

I absolutely did not want to be one of those unlucky newbies who ran into a rogue ninja on their first mission outside the village. But if that ever happened, I wanted to be prepared—at the very least, prepared enough to run for my life. I had zero intention of dying.

"What? No, wait—training is not a celebration!" He looked utterly betrayed.

I nearly laughed at his expression. He tried to back away, but it was too late. I grabbed his wrist and dragged him toward the training field before he could escape. He protested the entire way, mumbling about how a nice dinner would've been better, but in the end, Jimei was a good friend—he accepted his fate.

"This is insanity, Ken-kun. We should be resting and celebrating!"

"Ninjas don't rest." I crossed my arms. "If we slack off now, we fall behind."

"You have no soul, you know that?"

From the moment we started training, I noticed my taijutsu had improved a lot. Training against an actual opponent was way better than practicing alone.

After a few hours, the sky darkened, and a drop of rain landed on my cheek. Summer rain in Konoha never really bothered me, but apparently, Jimei had different feelings.

"Crap, it's gonna pour. I'm heading home before it gets worse." He glanced at the sky, already planning his escape.

I waved him off and continued my workout, doing push-ups and sit-ups. But after thirty minutes, the rain got heavier, and I decided to call it a day. Not a huge loss—it was already nighttime, and tomorrow, I had to get my shinobi registration photo taken.

I started walking home at a slow pace, already thinking about what I'd make for dinner, when something caught my attention. A few meters ahead stood Ichiraku Ramen. That wasn't surprising—but the small, rain-soaked silhouette in front of it was.

A tiny body was curled up near the entrance, shivering from the cold. His blond hair stuck to his forehead, and even from a distance, I could see the hunger in his blue eyes. My steps slowed until I came to a stop, my mind spinning.

Uzumaki Naruto.

Yes, that Naruto. The protagonist of this entire world, the reincarnation of Asura, the future Hokage—was just a few meters away from me.

Judging by his size, he couldn't be more than three or four years old. I had no idea why he wasn't at the orphanage, but the way he was staring at the ramen shop made it clear—he was starving. And the hesitation in his stance? It seemed like he had never even stepped inside Ichiraku Ramen before.

This was complicated. I knew Naruto had to be under strict surveillance—he was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, after all. Interacting with him would draw attention to me. And that was the last thing I wanted—especially from Danzo.

But… he was just a kid. He was so small. 

I had been a teacher before waking up in this world, and seeing that little boy there, soaked, alone, and hungry—it wasn't something I could just ignore.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Are you hungry?"

Naruto turned quickly, his blue eyes full of suspicion. His whole posture screamed defensiveness, like he was used to people treating him with hostility. That was just… sad. My stomach twisted. No kid should have eyes like that.

He didn't answer right away, seeming to analyze my words. I noticed him glance around, searching for an escape route. The rain was getting worse, and he was still standing there, trembling. I sighed and gestured toward Ichiraku.

"Come on, eat with me."

Naruto frowned, hesitating. I didn't want to pressure him, but I also couldn't leave him there. Not because he was Uzumaki Naruto—but because he was a cold, hungry kid standing in the rain.

"No tricks. Just ramen."

He was still wary. Maybe he was used to cruel pranks, or maybe he just didn't trust anyone. So, trying to reassure him, I pulled my headband from my pocket and showed it to him.

"I'm a ninja. Just graduated today, actually. I was gonna celebrate by eating some ramen." I spoke slowly. "But celebrating alone is kinda sad, so I figured I'd invite you."

His blue eyes widened slightly. He looked me up and down, still hesitant, but after a moment, he gave a small nod.

A smile tugged at my lips as I walked to the entrance, motioning for him to follow. He hesitated for just a second longer before stepping inside, his eyes fixed on the counter.

"Two miso ramen, please." I placed the order with the owner.

Naruto glanced warily at Teuchi, as if expecting to be kicked out. But when nothing happened, he slowly took a seat beside me.

While we waited for our food, I glanced at the small, scrawny boy sitting next to me.

Before waking up in this world, Naruto had been one of my favorite characters. I knew his story, his pain, his loneliness. But now, he wasn't just a character. He was real. And reality hit much harder than I ever expected.

I had always admired his determination—his stubborn nature and his promise to never give up. But seeing him now, so small and so alone, I realized just how cruel this reality was.

The Naruto I knew was loud, bursting with energy, hiding his pain behind an obnoxious grin. But this Naruto—the one sitting in front of me—was just a lonely child. An orphan, like me… but even more alone.

My thoughts were interrupted when Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, appeared with a warm smile, holding two steaming towels.

"Here, you're both soaked." she said, handing one to me and the other to Naruto.

I accepted mine with a small nod and began drying my face. Naruto hesitated before taking his, but the moment he felt its warmth, he clutched it close. A small smile crept onto his face, and something tightened in my chest.

"Thanks, Nee-chan!" Naruto beamed, pressing the towel against his face as if it were a precious treasure.

"You're welcome! Come by anytime you need, okay?" Ayame replied kindly.

Naruto blinked, surprised, before giving a small nod.

Teuchi placed two bowls of ramen in front of us, and for a moment, Naruto just stared, his wide eyes shining with pure admiration. Then, without hesitation, he dove in, eating like it was the greatest thing he'd ever tasted.

Honestly, I understood. The ramen was incredible. Expensive, like everything in this village, but today, I wasn't worried about my savings. This was a celebration, after all. And judging by the way Naruto devoured his food, he really needed it.

For a while, we ate in comfortable silence, just enjoying the meal. Then, Naruto suddenly spoke.

"Are you really a ninja?"

I picked up my forehead protector from the counter and held it up with a grin, happy that he was finally talking to me.

"Yep. I graduated today."

His eyes sparkled as he stared at the headband, completely focused. Honestly, it was kind of cute—those big blue eyes were ridiculously expressive.

"Do you think… I can be a ninja too?" His voice was so hesitant that it caught me off guard.

"Of course you can." I said, my tone full of certainty.

His expression shifted instantly. "Then I'm gonna be the best ninja ever!" He puffed out his chest, full of confidence, and I had to fight the urge to ruffle his hair.

"Oh yeah? Then you're gonna have to train really hard."

He nodded firmly, then glanced at my headband again.

"Hey, can I have your headband?"

I raised an eyebrow. Looks like he was getting comfortable around me after sharing a meal together. I shook my head, but an idea popped into my mind.

"No. But…" I took off my goggles and held them out to him. "You can have these. Until you become a real ninja."

Naruto stared at the goggles, wide-eyed. Then, slowly, he took them with both hands and placed them on his forehead. His lips curled into the biggest grin I'd ever seen.

It was funny how things turned out—those goggles had always been part of Naruto's look in the anime, but this time, I was the one who gave them to him.

"I'll become a ninja and return these to you!" he declared.

"I'll be waiting." I said, looking at his determined blue eyes.

Then, suddenly, his stomach growled loudly, breaking the moment. His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, while I chuckled.

"Teuchi-san, another miso ramen, please!"