Chapter 2: A Small Change in Konoha.

"Don't run, you little monster!" On the streets of Konoha, a group of people chased after a young kid, shouting and utilizing the obstacles and the kid's small stature to their advantage, making it impossible to catch the little troublemaker.

"Grab him!" "What did he steal from you?" "He stole my frying pan!" "He took my father's important pen!" "My grandma's foot wraps!" "An adult magazine..." "Ugh!" The chasing crowd kicked away the person who dropped the magazine and continued their pursuit.

"Hehehe, they can't catch me at all." Naruto grinned, hiding behind a garbage bin. The foolish adults didn't even notice when he disappeared while continuing to chase around.

"Let me see how to fix these things." Naruto retreated into his small room, placing all the stolen items on the table and using his young hands to slowly repair them.

In the middle of the night, after everyone on the streets had fallen asleep, a small figure appeared in the grocery street. They held a cloth and cleaned the graffiti on the shops. It was Naruto's handiwork, but he had simply painted during the day and cleaned it himself at night.

"Why do you do these things?" Suddenly, Sarutobi appeared behind Naruto, asking with a heavy tone.

"I painted them, so it's only right that I clean them up too." Naruto didn't turn around, continuing to vigorously wipe the door panels and remove the stains.

"I'm asking why you do these things. Isn't it pointless to seek revenge?" Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe and continued speaking.

"It's because I want everyone to acknowledge me, but I don't know how to do it." Naruto pouted, not having thought of what to do next after attracting attention.

"This might make people dislike you even more." Sarutobi sighed, disposing of the tobacco from his pipe into his pocket without minding the dirt on the ground, then sat down next to Naruto and started tinkering with the items.

"This alarm clock... Can you fix it, Grandpa?" Naruto took out the items he had stolen earlier from his pocket. He had already fixed what he could, and the rest he couldn't repair would have to be returned.

"Huh, of course I can. Don't underestimate the Hokage." Sarutobi took a drag from his pipe and placed the tobacco back inside. He didn't know what to say when he looked at the magazine that stirred up intense emotions in people. For Naruto, these things were still too early.

The next day, as the villagers opened their shops, they exchanged puzzled glances. The items that were lost the day before were neatly packaged and placed at the doorsteps. The places where Naruto had graffiti were clean again.

"My frying pan is as clean as new." "My father's pen is fixed!" "The alarm clock is working again!" "My magazine hasn't returned, though!" "You fools, Naruto Uzumaki is here again. Make sure to protect your important things from being stolen by me!" Just as the villagers wondered why, Naruto popped out and stood on a table, loudly proclaiming his intention to resume his robbery work.

And so, the grocery street repeated the same scenario every day. The villagers' initial names for Naruto such as "monster," "trash," and "disgusting" changed to "stinky little brat."

"Pitter-patter" It rained heavily, but Naruto continued running. The people behind him chased under umbrellas, as if chasing Naruto had become their daily routine, an indispensable part of their lives.

"Ouch!" Suddenly, Naruto slipped and fell to the ground. The daily repetitive work was still too exhausting for his small body. With the nights spent repairing items, he couldn't get a good night's sleep, leaving him without the energy to escape.

"... Have you seen that little brat?" The villagers, led by a tall person, walked up to Naruto. Just when Naruto thought he was about to get beaten, the person asked instead.

"No." With a worried tone.

"No." With a ashamed tone.

"No." Everyone chasing Naruto pretended not to see him lying on the ground.

"Today, that stinky little brat got away again. Let's go back." The person placed an umbrella next to Naruto and silently turned around, walking back.

"Yeah, what bad luck." Following suit, the remaining villagers did the same. Before long, umbrellas filled the area around Naruto, preventing any raindrops from falling on him.

"Hehe, hehehe." Naruto rolled over and looked at the colorful umbrellas above him, feeling a tinge of warmth in his nose. After resting for a while, he picked up all the umbrellas and slowly walked back home.

"So tired." Washing off the mud from his body and cleaning the umbrellas, Naruto placed them neatly on the table and fell into a deep sleep on his bed.

"Huh, where am I...? The Nine-Tails!" Naruto returned to that strange space, and upon seeing the Nine-Tails, he showed a delighted expression and immediately rushed over.

"Kid, who allowed you to come over here?" The Nine-Tails extended its claws, pinning Naruto to the ground, and roared.

"Because I've always wanted to see you again. But I can't enter this place, and you're the only one who's willing to talk to me."

"Even if you don't hate me, I still hate you very much. Don't come near me!" "Why? Have I done something to make you unhappy?" "Because you're a human, and humans are the thing I hate the most. They're the most disgusting creatures in the world!" "That's not fair. There's no reason for you to hate me. It's not like I wanted to be a human. If I could, I would rather be a fish or a bird. I'm sure I would be happier than I am now. Let's be reasonable." "Hmph." The Nine-Tails slowly moved its claws away, and Minato quickly picked up Naruto, holding him closely and gazing at him. After three seconds, he burst into tears.

"Waaah, Naruto, Naruto! You've worked so hard. I'm useless as a father. I can't protect you!" "Uh, don't cry. I'm fine." Naruto didn't know what to say. It was a bit tough, but he comforted Minato by patting his head. "Tsk..." The corner of the Nine-Tails' mouth split open, realizing that Naruto was looking at it. It quickly suppressed its smile.

"You brat, don't you ever get tired of living." Refusing Naruto's request to climb onto its head, the Nine-Tails exchanged it for a tail to use as a toy. It felt like the Nine-Tails itself was living a tiring life. When did the mighty Nine-Tails become a nanny?

"I'm exhausted. I have to run so much every day." Naruto leaned against the soft and fluffy tail of the Nine-Tails, closed his eyes, and weakly uttered. Seeing this, Minato started crying again.

"Tsk." The answer was off-topic. The Nine-Tails knew that this brat would never understand the deeper meaning behind its words. The Nine-Tails had witnessed everything Naruto had done inside itself, and as an ancient being, it swore that it had never seen a human so naive.

The ninja world was filled with hatred and resentment. No one repaid kindness with gratitude. If you stab me today, I will definitely strike you down tomorrow. Naruto, like a lotus flower that emerged unstained from the mud, was pure... pure?

"Hehehe, brat, I suddenly came up with a great idea." Since he was pure, why not taint him? The Nine-Tails imagined Naruto's clueless expression. It thought it could be the first Tailed Beast to mold a Jinchuriki into its own tool. However, Naruto had already fallen asleep.

"I won't let you harm Naruto!" Minato, lost in thought, quickly stood in front of Naruto, shielding him. The Nine-Tails' smile became terrifying.

"He is an important tool to me. How could I harm him? Hahaha!"

...

"I will work hard today to make everyone notice me!" "Hold on, kid. Before that, I have to settle the score with you." A certain burly man lifted Naruto off the table. Even if Naruto stood on the table, he would still have to look up at the towering height of the muscular man. His body, bursting with muscles, exuded a sense of heat.

"Settle the score?" "That's right. Do you remember that a month ago, you smashed my merchandise?" "Yeah, there was that incident." "Good. Here's the bill. You have to compensate me." The burly man took out a piece of paper. Although Naruto couldn't read, he could understand numbers, and there were several zeros behind them, making it difficult for him to keep his eyes open.

"Are you kidding, mister? So much?" Naruto was a poor child. The pocket money given to him by the Third Hokage was only enough to buy a few skewers of dango. It couldn't be helped. Naruto was young, had a special status, and the Third Hokage didn't want Naruto to attract attention because of money.

"Nonsense. Watermelon is a luxury enjoyed by nobles. You brat can never afford it in your whole life. It was originally meant to be delivered to the Uchiha clan, but now, thanks to you, I have a reputation for being unreliable."

"You're not going to sell me to the Land of Wind, are you?" Naruto swallowed nervously. He had heard countless times from adults about the situation in the Land of Wind—endless yellow sand and scarce water sources. It was the best scare tactic for children.

"How could I do such a thing? But you have to compensate for the merchandise. Until you've paid it off, you have to work hard for me." "Work? I don't mind." Naruto nodded. He had broken the other person's important merchandise, so it was only fair to compensate for it.

"Very well. From today onwards, I'll be your store manager. My name is Tsukikanami. I won't let you off until I've squeezed out all your worth."