NARUTO: GOD LEVEL FORGING SYSTEM

"You mean me?"

Seeing Naruto Uzumaki react like this, Kazuki couldn't help but sigh internally.

The son of the legendary Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki—treated as an outcast by the very village his father died protecting. Konoha's hypocrisy truly knew no bounds.

"Yes, you."

"Didn't you lose your money? I'm in a good mood today, so I'll treat you to some Ichiraku ramen. Anyway, I've got plenty."

Kazuki casually lifted the bulging pouch of ryo in his hand.

"!!"

Naruto's eyes widened, his breath hitching as he stared at Kazuki with unguarded emotion.

In all his years of living in Konoha, not once had anyone freely offered him kindness—let alone treated him to ramen.

He had been prepared to go hungry tonight, having lost his meager allowance. But now… warmth spread through his chest, and for the first time in a long while, he felt his throat tighten—not from sadness, but from gratitude.

"What are you waiting for? Let's eat." Kazuki urged.

"Alright, let's go!"

Naruto's face broke into a wide, genuine grin as he slid onto the stool beside Kazuki. With the carefree enthusiasm he was known for, he grinned at him.

"Hey, then I won't hold back!"

Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, quickly placed two steaming bowls in front of them.

Kazuki and Naruto clasped their chopsticks in sync and spoke in unison:

"Itadakimasu!"

Slurp~~

They both dug in, the sound of noodles being devoured echoing in the small ramen shop.

Kazuki, still recovering from an intense sparring session with Might Guy, could feel the drain on his chakra. His body was running on fumes, making the hot, savory broth all the more satisfying.

Naruto, on the other hand, was downright starving. He matched Kazuki's eating speed bite for bite, his hunger evident.

Kazuki had noticed his own appetite had grown tremendously ever since he started rigorous physical training. Though only seven years old, he could easily eat more than a fully grown shinobi.

After finishing his first bowl, Kazuki barely felt three-tenths full. Naruto, meanwhile, was staring longingly at other customers' bowls, clearly unsatisfied with just one serving.

Kazuki sighed. He remembered from the manga that Naruto had a huge appetite, and seeing him look so pitiful only reinforced it.

"Oi, Teuchi-jiji! Two more bowls!"

Kazuki barely finished his first bowl before turning to see Naruto had already scraped his clean. He called out loudly to Teuchi.

Two fresh bowls arrived in record time.

"Eat up." Kazuki pushed one toward Naruto.

Naruto froze, chopsticks hovering over the bowl.

"This… this is for me?"

Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "Of course. I said I'd treat you, didn't I? What's the point if you're still hungry? Eat before the noodles get soggy."

Naruto's grip on his chopsticks tightened as his cheeks reddened slightly.

"T-Thanks…"

A wave of happiness swelled inside him. Today was turning out to be his luckiest day yet.

For once, someone didn't look at him with fear, hatred, or disgust.

For once, someone treated him like a normal kid.

For once, someone cared enough to make sure he ate.

Woohoo~~! What a great guy!

"Oi, Teuchi-jiji! Two more bowls!"

Ten minutes later, Kazuki called out again.

By the end of their meal, Kazuki had polished off five bowls, while Naruto had managed three.

Both sat back, fully satisfied.

Ichiraku Ramen truly lived up to its reputation.

Kazuki could feel his energy replenishing, the fatigue from his earlier training session melting away. The power of good food was no joke.

Naruto, meanwhile, stared at Kazuki with newfound admiration.

"Whoa! You ate five bowls?! That's awesome!"

Kazuki smirked. "You're not so bad yourself. Three bowls is impressive."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.

"Hehe, well… my allowance is kinda tight, so I usually only get to eat once a day. Today was a lifesaver. Thanks, man! Seriously!"

His honesty was laced with innocence, but Kazuki felt a pang in his chest.

Once a day?

He knew Naruto had a rough upbringing, but hearing it firsthand made it all the more real.

What the hell had Hiruzen Sarutobi been doing all these years?

Kazuki secretly sighed at Naruto's misfortune, recalling how the villagers shunned him as though he carried an incurable plague.

There was a little more sympathy in his eyes, mirroring the rare kindness Naruto had received only from people like the Third Hokage or Ichiraku Teuchi.

"My name is Kazuki."

"Kazuki, can I… can I be your friend?" Naruto's voice trembled slightly, breaking his usual carefree demeanor. His hands clenched into small fists at his sides as he stared at Kazuki with an almost desperate hope.

Naruto was anxious.

Everyone in the village avoided him like a ghost story come to life.

Now, he had finally met someone willing to talk to him without contempt. But would Kazuki also push him away after hearing the whispers of the "Fox Demon"?

"Of course!" Kazuki smiled at him.

"But… aren't you afraid that I'm the Nine-Tails?" Naruto's voice dropped as he hesitated, his blue eyes filled with uncertainty.

He had seen it happen before. Some people were kind at first—until they heard the rumors.

Kazuki might not know yet.

The entire village whispered behind his back, calling him the demon fox that had attacked Konoha twelve years ago.

And yet, Naruto still chose to ask.

Because, deep down, he already considered Kazuki a friend. He didn't want to hide this from him. But more than that, he feared that if Kazuki ever found out on his own, he would turn away like everyone else.

"Naruto… but aren't you just a kid my age?" Kazuki replied casually, unfazed by the stigma.

He made no mention of the Nine-Tails, no wary glances or forced smiles—just an unshaken, natural response.

Naruto froze, his body stiff as the words registered. His breath hitched, and before he could stop himself, hot tears spilled down his cheeks.

"Hey, hey, why are you crying?" Kazuki panicked slightly.

"S-Sorry, I just… I just got too emotional." Naruto furiously wiped his tears with the back of his hand, hiccupping between sobs.

His voice wavered. "It's just… this is the first time someone's seen me as Naruto and not as the demon fox. The first time someone actually wants to be my friend… Waaaahhh!"

"Okay, okay, don't cry." Kazuki chuckled, patting Naruto's shoulder. "I'll introduce you to my friends later. You won't just have one friend—you'll have a lot!"

"R-Really?!" Naruto's tear-streaked face lit up with excitement.

"Of course." Kazuki grinned.

At that moment, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:

[Ding! Mission Released: Form a friendly bond with Naruto Uzumaki. Reward: Shadow Clone Shuriken Manual.]

[Ding! Mission Complete! Reward Issued.]

[Ding! New Mission: Collect Nine-Tails Chakra (Chakra can be infused into kunai). Reward: Multi-Shadow Clone Shuriken Manual.]

Kazuki blinked.

Nine-Tails Chakra?

What the hell!

How was he supposed to collect something like that?!

As far as he knew, the first time Naruto's chakra erupted uncontrollably was during the Land of Waves mission when he faced Haku—something that wouldn't happen for at least six years!

Did that mean he had to wait six whole years to complete this mission?!

Kazuki rolled his eyes and shelved the thought for now.

Instead, he focused on chatting with Naruto.

After bonding over bowls of Ichiraku ramen, they quickly became more comfortable with each other.

"By the way, Kazuki, are you already a student at the Academy?" Naruto asked, pointing at the ninja pouch strapped to Kazuki's leg.

Kazuki nodded. "Yeah, I'll be starting my second year soon."

"Whoa! That's so cool, Brother Kazuki!" Naruto's eyes sparkled with admiration before his expression turned excited. "I'm starting school soon too! I'm gonna get super strong—just watch!"

Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "Have you extracted chakra yet?"

"Chakra? What's that?" Naruto asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Kazuki nearly facepalmed.

"…You don't even know what chakra is?"

"Wait—there's a test to get into the Academy?!" Naruto yelped, his face pale with shock.

Kazuki felt a migraine coming on.

How did Naruto even pass the entrance exam?!

Then it hit him.

The Third Hokage must have pulled some strings.

Naruto's body housed the Nine-Tails, and its chakra had already fused with his own. That's why he had those distinctive whisker marks on his face.

But because of that, his chakra control was several times harder to refine than a normal person's.

It explained why, even by graduation, Naruto still struggled with basic jutsu like the Clone Technique—why he was considered the "dead last" of his class.

Visit patreon.com/shirokendama for more chapters