The period Naruto could spend in the hunting dimension had come to an end. He woke up, his eyes sparkling vividly.
As he got up, he noticed sweat running down his body. Though he hadn't faced death, he had exerted himself greatly, perhaps enough to cause this reaction.
However, none of that could wipe the smile off his face. Naruto had obtained thousands of orbs in the first map.
After a refreshing hot shower, even though he didn't feel hungry since he fed on the energy of the orbs, he still preferred to have a traditional meal. So, from his mental dimension, Naruto took out a scroll that materialized in his hands.
Breaking the seal, a large and plump gray rabbit appeared, and with a simple hand movement, Naruto slit its throat, making the wind envelop the ground to prevent the blood from staining the floor. Then, he began using the wind to infiltrate the rabbit's body and extract all the blood, forming a large blood ball floating in the air.
Naruto sealed the blood in the same scroll from which he had retrieved the rabbit.
On one hand, he wanted to avoid staining the house with blood; on the other hand, he wasn't sure if this blood could be useful in the future.
"I'm no chef, so... I'll just fry it normally with oil," Naruto murmured.
Although he didn't plan for an elaborate preparation, he could tell by the aroma while burning it in the hunting dimension that the rabbit would undoubtedly turn out delicious.
The reason he wasn't surprised by the success of the experiment was simple: the moment he managed to seal the rabbit and put it in the mental dimension, he already felt that success was almost guaranteed.
Using the wind, Naruto dismantled the rabbit. Though it wasn't a professional cut, the slices were clean and precise. He also stored the rabbit's furry skin in a scroll. By touch, it seemed to be a valuable material for making clothes, although he believed working with such material could be challenging...
Upon reaching the kitchen, he noticed that the oil available was from 16 years ago. Naruto didn't want to take any chances and decided to discard everything in the kitchen, following the advice of his mother, who spoke to him directly in his mind.
As he was about to leave, Kushina's voice resounded in his mind again: [Naruto, buy some items that I will list. I'll prepare your meal!]
Suddenly, Naruto's eyes lit up. "Mom, are you thinking of taking over my body and cooking for me?"
[Yes, exactly that.] Although Naruto couldn't see her now, she was smiling affectionately. It would be the first meal she prepared for her son.
Seeing the rabbit and the fragrant, fat-free meat, something in his mind sparked with this idea.
Meanwhile, Minato lamented not having a physical body to experience his wife's cooking again...
With a smile on his face, Naruto set off toward a 24-hour convenience store.
It was late at night, most people were sleeping, and the sky was dark, illuminated only by a few lights in the village. Naruto walked amidst the quietness of the night.
Naruto extended his hand and conjured dancing flames that transformed into figures of lively birds and animals. At times, he allowed them to fly around, illuminating the path like living torches. It was an intriguing spectacle.
"Naruto?" Suddenly, a familiar voice called his name.
Without turning around, Naruto recognized the voice. Coming from the street to his left, Kiba and Akamaru approached. Immediately, Naruto dissipated the flames.
Both of them looked exhausted, covered in a layer of dust.
"Kiba, Akamaru, good evening," Naruto greeted, returning the smile.
"Good evening," Kiba replied, with Akamaru barking in agreement.
Kiba cast a few intrigued glances in Naruto's direction, specifically at his hair, which was now almost completely red.
"Training late?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow, his hands in his pockets.
Kiba put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and nodded, confirming, "Yeah! You're getting stronger and stronger, I can't fall behind!"
A burning flame of passion and determination shone in Kiba's eyes, reminiscent of the unwavering gaze of Rock Lee.
However, Naruto understood this feeling. He had felt something similar toward Sasuke before. But honestly, those feelings had faded away. He didn't even think about competing against Sasuke anymore. Maybe it was because they had walked very different paths, or perhaps for some other reason.
"That's good," Naruto said with a smile. "I wish you good luck."
Initially, Kiba was about to get irritated, thinking that Naruto was underestimating him or something. However, upon seeing the sincerity in Naruto's eyes, he gave up. With a somewhat embarrassed smile, he changed the subject, "By the way, where are you going at this late hour, Naruto?"
Naruto replied, "Oh, I need to get groceries. I'm going to a convenience store to buy something for my dinner."
Kiba understood. He knew that Naruto lived alone. Although he had recently discovered Naruto's true parents and that he had started living in their house, Kiba understood that it couldn't be easy to live alone.
However, as it was a delicate matter, Kiba wasn't sure how to approach it.
Suddenly, Naruto laughed. It seemed like he had read in Kiba's eyes what he was thinking, and he said, "Kiba, I found out who my parents are." Naruto displayed his classic closed-eyed smile. He seemed genuinely happy.
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