Naruto stirred from his slumber as the sun's bright rays filtered into his room, causing the light to dance across his closed eyelids. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the grogginess of sleep as he adjusted to the light.

Puck stares at Naruto, opening his eyes, "Finally, you're awake."

Naruto moved his head back and forth, taking in his surroundings. He saw that Emilia was already awake, sitting up in her bed with a look of curiosity on her face. As Naruto's gaze shifted, he noticed Puck floating before him.

Wait, did I sleep in?

Naruto yawns, "Uh, good morning."

Naruto's stomach growls.

Puck asks, "Are you hungry?"

Naruto nods, "Yeah, do you, by chance, have ramen here?"

Puck sighed, "I don't know what ramen is. But we do have berries and fruits."

What? How does he not know?

Naruto got up from the floor and turned his head to Emilia with concern, "Emilia, do you know what ramen is?"

Emilia thought of the word momentarily, "What is ramen?"

They don't know… no, this is bad.

What world exists without ramen?

Naruto frowned, "One day, when I become Hokage here, I will reinvent ramen. As a true shinobi would."

Puck grabbed a bowl of assorted berries and fruits and handed it to Naruto. Naruto gazed at the fruits and berries that he's never eaten or even seen before. He picks up a small noodle-shaped fruit with a turquoise color.

Alright, here it goes.

Naruto hesitantly approached the fruit, feeling skeptical about its appearance and smell. He had never seen anything like it before and wasn't sure if it was safe to eat. However, he also knew he needed to keep his strength up, especially in this unfamiliar place.

With a deep breath, he reached out to grab the fruit, bringing it up to his nose to take a sniff. The scent was unfamiliar, but it didn't smell unpleasant. He cautiously took a small bite, his taste buds immediately being met with a burst of flavor.

To Naruto's surprise, the fruit tasted remarkably similar to that of ramen, his favorite dish. He was taken aback by the unexpected taste, and his eyes widened in delight. He took another bite, savoring the flavor as it spread across his tongue.

The texture was slightly different, but the taste was spot on. Naruto couldn't help but smile as he ate, grateful for the unexpected treat. He would never have guessed that this strange fruit would taste like a ramen noodle.

If I knew how to cook, I could use these fruits to create a new ramen form. Why did I always get instant noodles… I should've learned how to make my most treasured meal.

Naruto was satisfied, "Thank you, Puck. Where do you get these?"

Emilia grabbed fruit from the bowl, "Puck goes to villages outside of the forest to get food."

Let's go on an adventure!

Naruto smiled in excitement, "Let's go to these villages. I wonder if any of them have ramen. Wait, you said villages is one called the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Puck looked at Naruto, "Naruto, I think you need to understand something. You are not from this world."

What does he mean?

Naruto looked at Puck with confusion, "What do you mean?"

Puck reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment. It was a map of the world that Naruto was currently in, and Puck carefully spread it out on the ground in front of him. Naruto leaned in, eager to get a better look.

However, as he gazed at the map, Naruto quickly realized that he could not understand any of the words written on it. The letters and symbols were foreign to him, and he couldn't make sense of them. He frowned, feeling frustrated and lost.

Puck noticed Naruto's confusion and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Naruto. It takes time to understand a new language. I can help you learn," Puck offered kindly.
Naruto declared, "A shinobi does not need to read or write to be strong."

Right makes sense. Justify everything you do because you're a shinobi, Naruto. Don't know how to read? You're a shinobi, so who cares. Don't know where you are? Who cares, you a shinobi? How is this the reincarnation of the father's son? To be fair, I can only compare Puck's intelligence to Hashirama's… this world must have some sort of deficiency of intelligence.

Emilia laughed, "You never told me what a shinobi is. What is a shinobi, and what's a Hokage?"

Naruto thought momentarily before responding, "A shinobi protects the village, and the Hokage is the strongest and most powerful person in the world. A Hokage is respected by all and protects the village from any danger. Believe it!"

Puck was momentarily stunned, unable to respond. He wasn't sure if Naruto fully understood the gravity of the situation. Naruto was still just a child, and Puck wasn't sure if he could grasp the concept of being in a new world.

Puck weighed his options, considering how to proceed. On the one hand, he wanted to be honest with Naruto and help him understand the reality of their situation. On the other hand, he didn't want to overwhelm Naruto or cause him undue stress.

Ultimately, Puck decided to let Naruto think whatever he wanted for now. He would keep a close eye on him and step in if he needed any help or clarification. Puck also knew that Naruto was a resilient and determined young boy, and he had faith that he could adapt to this new world in time.

"Just let him think what he wants for now," Puck thought. "He'll figure it out eventually."

Naruto then continued what he would say previously, "Emilia, let's go to the villages. Maybe they'll have ramen."

Emilia's eyes water, "I don't thin-k that would be a good idea, Naruto."

Naruto questioned, "Why not?"

Emilia said, " I would rather stay here in the forest."

Maybe if I say I will go, she'll follow me. A shinobi should be a leader.

Naruto states with confidence, "Well then, I'll go alone. I'll bring you ramen if I find any in the villages. I mean, I think ya know?"

Puck then spoke, "Naruto do you have any idea how far any village is from our location? If you walked on foot, it would take you a month to get there."

Naruto thought about a way to move faster, "The fourth hokage was the fastest shinobi ever to live. I need to train so I can get faster."

Puck was curious about Naruto's idea of training, "What exactly does your training consist of?"

Naruto grinned, "Push-ups and sit-ups… but I don't know how to learn Jutsu. Puck, do you know any Jutsu?"

Puck assumed Jutsu would resemble magic, "Let me check your elemental affinity. Then we can see what magic or Jutsu you can do."

Naruto's eyes gleamed with joy, "Ok, Ok, what do you do to show me what elements I have?"

Emilia asked, "Ok? What's that mean?"

Naruto replied, "Uhhh, It's like a confirmation of someone saying something, ya know?"

Emilia replied, "O-k"

Puck put his finger on Naruto's forehead and was amazed at what he found. Naruto had two magical affinities, that being yang and wind. He also had a massive gate comparable to Emilia's or even larger. Puck deduced that he must've been staying warm in the cold climate of the forest due to his mana reserves.

Puck excitedly told Naruto, "Naruto, you have two elemental affinities for magic. Yang is a rare element and wind. You also possess a gate, and mana reserves equal or-"

Naruto cut Puck off in confusion, "Wait, what? Do you think Jutsu is magic? Also, what are elements or affinities and mana? Puck, you're a confusing sensei."

Why is everybody so slow? Naruto doesn't get it, but why does Puck ramble to an eight-year-old kid about his magical affinities? For once, I agree with Naruto. Puck is not a good sensei. Not to mention there's a seal on Emilia's memories. I don't know why I care, but something feels wrong.

Puck gives up, "Naruto, I can explain it better once you learn how to read."

Why that? Why of all things make me… study. Books? No.

Naruto realizes he's been inside the house for the past hour, "Emilia, let's go walk around. I just realized we've been in here for a while."

Emilia nodded in agreement, and they explored the frozen forest. Naruto was still taking in the strange and unfamiliar surroundings, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as he gazed at the towering trees and sparkling ice.

As they walked, Naruto noticed several frozen statues scattered throughout the forest. They were covered in snow; at first glance, he thought they were just sculptures. However, he was yet to learn that these statues were, in fact, people who had been frozen in time.

Emilia, walking in silence, suddenly stopped in front of one of the statues. She reached down and pulled a piece of cloth from her pocket, carefully wiping away the snow piled on top of it. Naruto watched in surprise as Emilia began to care for the statue, treating it as if it were a living being.

Why is she so weird with these frozen statues?

Naruto asks, "Emilia, why are you cleaning these statues? Are they like a symbol for the forest?"

Emilia turns around to Naruto, "Uh, Naruto, these are people frozen in the forest."

What? Those… statues are people? Frozen? What happened here?

Naruto's face turned pale, "Wha-t happened?"

Emilia's smile faded, "I don't know. I just want to find a way to help them."

Naruto's mind raced as he began to piece together what was happening. He realized that the frozen statues were indeed people, and he felt a pang of guilt for not realizing it sooner. He should have known that something was off about these frozen statues.

As he looked at Emilia, he could see that she needed comfort. Her eyes were filled with sadness, and she seemed to be struggling with the weight of the situation. Naruto felt a sense of responsibility to help her, to ease her pain, and provide her with the comfort she needed.

Naruto put his fist in the air, "Emilia, I promise I'll help you find a way to help the frozen people. I promise."

Emilia looked at Naruto and felt a sense of comfort but also doubted, "Do you mean it?"

Naruto smiled, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I never break a promise."

Unknowingly to Naruto, his words meant far more to Emilia than he thought. Emilia was a spirit user, and a promise was something sacred. Emilia's doubts disappeared as she felt in her heart and soul that Naruto would fulfill his promise. She looked at Naruto and wanted to thank him but didn't know what to say.

The next chapter will be a time skip, and finally, Kurama will appear. Despite this chapter not being long in words, it took a while to write. Writing eight-year-old's thoughts, emotions, and expressions is tough. I did decent enough for it to be believable. I'm also going to change an event in the Re:Zero timeline and delay it by a few years, so if you're mad about that in the future, then fuck you. I'm trying to get some character development before that event.