Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage stood behind his desk, watching through his telescope jutsu. A slight smile played on his lips.

Naruto's performance had gone exactly as expected—if not better.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt reassured in his decisions. His plans were unfolding smoothly.

The heirs of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans had already been placed under the guidance of his son, Asuma. Meanwhile, the Aburame, Inuzuka, and the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan were now assigned to Kurenai Yuhi—his potential daughter-in-law.

Everything was aligning perfectly.

He was also quietly working to build a connection between Konohamaru and Naruto Uzumaki. If the two became close, it would bind Naruto to the Hokage lineage emotionally and politically.

Then there was Kakashi, a man who valued his comrades above all else, now teamed with Naruto, who craved companionship, and Sasuke Uchiha, whose own tragic past made him vulnerable and unpredictable.

Sarutobi's thoughts were clear:

"The next generation of Konoha will remain under my complete control. As for who becomes the next Hokage—well, that decision still rests with me."

June. Hot and humming.

The sounds of cicadas buzzed through the air, accompanied by birdsong.

By 8 a.m., Konoha's streets were bustling. The morning markets and food stalls were in full swing, and the aroma of freshly made breakfast wafted through the village. The food here was surprisingly close to what Naruto remembered from his previous life.

In fact, that was one of his favorite things about Konoha.

What he didn't love? All the mind-numbing D-rank missions: cleaning up rivers, picking trash, chasing runaway cats, chatting with old ladies…

After slurping down a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto strolled into town—only to run into the number one annoyance of his mornings.

"Uzumaki Naruto! Prepare to meet your end!"

It was Konohamaru again, armed with a plastic kunai and fire in his tiny eyes.

Naruto let out a long, tired sigh, slapped his forehead, and casually kicked the boy across the path.

"Oof!" Konohamaru rolled a few times, groaning as he held his stomach. "You're strong… Naruto Uzumaki, you're truly my greatest rival!"

Naruto ignored him and kept walking.

Thud thud thud.

The kid caught up again. Another kick sent him flying back.

Naruto turned left at the next junction and entered Konoha Street No. 2, finally free from the little pest.

"A good day always starts with kicking the Hokage's grandson," he muttered with a smirk.

The truth was, Naruto didn't initially dislike Konohamaru. He was just a kid, after all. But after being ambushed every day for nearly two months, Naruto had reached his limit. At this point, kicking him on sight had become routine.

From mid-April to early June, the boy had challenged him nearly sixty times.

The first time Konohamaru had declared:

"Grandpa said you're also aiming to be Hokage. I have to beat you before I can challenge him!"

Since then, he'd been beaten two or three times a day.

It was like trying to get rid of a cockroach—relentless and indestructible.

Five minutes later, Naruto stopped in front of a large, standalone shop.

A massive wooden sign hung above the door.

The top line read: "Ninja Tools" in thick black ink.Below that, outlined in red, was the name: "Mandiantang."

It was the only shop of its kind in Konoha—and one of the most profitable.

Naruto stepped inside, scanning the shelves. He wasn't looking for anything specific—just curious.

After some browsing, he turned to the girl behind the counter.

"Excuse me, are there no explosive tags today?"

The girl, her dark hair tied in two cute buns, looked up from her desk.

"Sorry," she replied sweetly. "They're all gone for now. I took the last ones, hehe."

Her eyes lingered on Naruto's face. She had a clear weakness for pretty boys.

Bathed in backlight, his golden hair and calm expression made him look like a character from a painting. She couldn't look away.

She stood up, brushing her hands on her skirt, and reached into her pocket. With a soft voice, she said, "If you really need them… I could sell you a few from my stash."

Naruto turned to look at her.

She was a little shorter than him, with delicate skin and a slim frame. Dressed in a sleeveless pink cheongsam top and pants, she gave off an elegant yet spunky vibe.

Cute, for sure.

Naruto smiled faintly.

"Eh, I don't really need them. I just have too much money and don't know what to do with it."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, striking an exaggeratedly casual pose.

"...?"

Tenten's crush filter shattered instantly.

She almost wanted to roll out her entire armory and say:

"Bro, don't flex your wallet in a ninja tools shop. You'll only embarrass yourself."

She clenched her jaw. "Then forget it."

[Passive event triggered.]

"The wealthy girl, who burns money like water, feels insulted by your flex and has lost interest. She no longer wants to sell you the explosive tags."

What will you do?

Option 1: Stay polite – Apologize and ask her nicely. Reward: 30,000 ryō

Option 2: Be reckless – Steal the scroll of ninja tools from her. Reward: 100,000 ryō

"Ugh, another lame reward," Naruto thought. "All cash, again. What am I, a walking bank?"

His current savings had already surpassed 2 million ryō—equivalent to 1 million yuan in his past life. That was enough to buy a small apartment in a fourth-tier city.

Suddenly, Naruto turned around with a mischievous grin.

"Wait a sec."

Tenten raised her brow, lips curling smugly.

Thought so. No one walks into a ninja tools store just to window-shop.

And honestly, since he was cute, she could forgive his earlier comment. A few tags wouldn't hurt her stash.

But just then—

"Robbery!" Naruto shouted.

"???"

Before Tenten could react, Naruto lunged forward, snatched the scroll from her hands—and bolted out of the store.

By the time she ran to the doorway, he was already gone.

The scroll? Dropped right at the doorstep.

The sun blazed in the clear blue sky. Tenten squinted into the light, more confused than angry.

What was that boy trying to do…?

Whatever it was… it was oddly fun.

Naruto, of course, had no real intention of stealing. The moment the system confirmed his reward, he tossed the scroll back at the shop entrance and sprinted off.

He had more important things to do.

Today was different.

Kakashi had promised them their first C-rank mission—a real one.

No more catching cats. No more picking trash.

Naruto grinned, running straight toward the Hokage Building.