Chapter 4
Xuanming let out a soft sigh.
These past three years had truly taught him the hardships of raising a child—especially raising a jinchūriki.
Namikaze Minato had made countless enemies before his death. The other four great ninja villages—and numerous smaller ones—still carried the shadow of the Yellow Flash dominating battlefields.
To protect Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's higher-ups had issued strict orders to seal all information regarding the Fourth Hokage's son and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
Yet rumors about the fox demon that had devastated half the village remained the hottest topic among villagers from that era.
No one wanted to relive another Nine-Tails Rampage. On the night it broke free, countless lives were lost in their sleep.
A particularly credible piece of gossip had spread far and wide:
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that destroyed Konoha was sealed into a newborn infant by the Fourth Hokage at the cost of his life—and the proof was the three whisker marks on the baby's face.
Instead of eradicating the demon once and for all, the higher-ups were actually raising it inside the village.
Though it started as rumor, when the reinstated Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, really did bring the "demon fox" out into the open, the tale spread like wildfire. Villagers unanimously accepted it as the "truth."
Xuanming strongly suspected this whole mess had something to do with a certain shadowy, one-eyed bandaged man.
The rumor had grown too widespread. The higher-ups couldn't openly reveal Naruto's true identity now—any denial at this point would only scream "there's no silver in this three-hundred-tael hiding place."
Helpless, they could only go along with the flow: issuing orders forbidding harm to Naruto and increasing Police Force patrols.
As a result, Naruto's daily life in the village was even harder than anyone imagined.
Even buying groceries meant visiting multiple stores, only to be scolded and shooed away by shopkeepers.
Xuanming watched Naruto.
The boy was still too young to cook properly and preferred the convenience of instant ramen.
Normally he'd buy a huge stash of ramen cups and milk, stuff them in the fridge—tasty, easy, but hardly nutritious.
"Ramen, ramen! Hehehe."
Little Naruto hopped up and dashed toward the kitchen cabinet.
Xuanming stared at the small back and suddenly said, "Naruto, today let's cook a real meal."
"Cook?" Naruto tilted his head, confused.
"Yes. Cook."
Xuanming floated after him into the kitchen.
"The utensils are all here. Don't you remember the ingredients you bought two days ago?"
"Huh? No more ramen?" Naruto's little brain had completely forgotten; all he felt was disappointment at missing his instant noodles.
To be fair, most of the Naruto world still felt semi-ancient—close-quarters combat, weapon clashes, long-range ninjutsu, advanced strategy, espionage, and assassination.
Yet Konoha had long since had running water, electricity, and gas. The rival Kumogakure had even pushed further into darker tech, claiming future dominance.
Technology and ninjutsu developed in a bizarre, mystical symbiosis.
Xuanming extended both hands toward the stove. Chakra gathered in his palms, allowing him to gently lift the pot.
This was a skill he had only recently mastered—using chakra as a medium to interact with physical objects.
But each use shortened his manifestation time. Naruto's young body had limits; Xuanming's current projection could only last about two hours a day outside the seal. Pushing further would burden Naruto's physique.
Still, if it meant giving the boy warm, nutritious food instead of endless ramen, the sacrifice was worth it.
"Naruto, help me get the ingredients out."
The gas stove ignited with a soft poof of blue flame. Water went on to boil while they prepped.
Julienne daikon radish, cubed tofu, sliced fish, assorted seasonings…
Naruto squatted beside the stove, eyes reflecting the firelight. "Fox Sage is so cool!"
It was the first time he'd seen Xuanming cook. The usual three-minute ramen wait already felt eternal.
Now, half an hour flew by without boredom or hunger pangs. Naruto even climbed onto a small stool to help, following instructions to start white rice in the electric cooker.
"Child's play," Xuanming said calmly, though inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.
In the original story, constant ramen and milk left Naruto stunted—milk cartons expired unnoticed, and by academy graduation he was noticeably shorter than his peers.
"Fox Sage, this soup smells amazing! Just like Teuchi-ojisan's ramen at Ichiraku!"
Naruto stared at the bubbling white broth, drooling.
"Ramen is oily and heavy—fast food," Xuanming shook his head, speaking earnestly. "In winter, we nourish with gentle warmth. Daikon clears the qi pathways, fish soup strengthens the body. For cultivators, what we eat isn't just food—it's the essence of heaven and earth."
In truth, Xuanming was thinking: This kid is in his growth spurt. How can he live on ramen and instant noodles forever? Since this poor Daoist has taken responsibility, I'll raise him into a strong, healthy boy.
"Done. Sprinkle the green onions, turn off the heat."
At Xuanming's command, Naruto grinned, grabbed the handful of crookedly chopped green onions he'd proudly volunteered to cut, and tossed them in.
Instantly, a burst of fresh, sweet aroma filled the tiny bachelor apartment.
Naruto couldn't wait any longer. Xuanming motioned for him to sit at the table, then slowly ladled a bowl and placed it in front of him.
Burning his tongue be damned—Naruto slurped a huge mouthful of fish soup.
"Waaah!!"
His blue eyes widened like glowing sapphires. "So good! Better than Ichiraku ramen!"
Seeing Naruto's satisfied smile, Xuanming felt a wave of peace settle over him. The Taiji mark on his brow glowed faintly.
"Don't rush the soup—the rice isn't served yet."
This wasn't just a bowl of fish soup. It was the taste of "home" that Naruto had always envied.
...
"Smells incredible. Can't believe a kid this small is cooking for himself?"
On the apartment rooftop, in a corner shielded from snow by propped-up tools, two figures in black ninja gear observed from afar.
If you didn't look closely, you'd never spot them.
"Another new change in the jinchūriki's behavior—this time he made himself a pot of fish soup. Should we report to Lord Third?"
"Yes. Lord Third's orders: if the jinchūriki appears to be communicating with the Nine-Tails, record and observe every detail without omission."
"We can only sense the kid's chakra—no sign of the Nine-Tails."
"Lord Third himself, the master of ninjutsu, personally examined the jinchūriki's body and found nothing. How could we casually detect anything?"
"True!"
...
Stuffed full of soup and feeling energized, Naruto's cheeks glowed pink.
"Fox Sage, I'm going to build snowmen now!"
"Go ahead," Xuanming nodded indulgently. "Work off some of that food."
After pouring the leftover soup into the electric cooker on warm mode, Xuanming gently fist-bumped Naruto, then returned his projection to the seal space for the time being.
Naruto bundled up in his thick orange coat, slipped on green-and-white goggles, wrapped himself like a little snowball, and pushed open the door.
Snowfall had lightened on Konoha's streets.
Thanks to the Third Hokage's sufficient living stipend, warmth wasn't an issue—but another kind of "chill" was harder to block.
The lively street froze for a few seconds the moment he appeared.
"Tch, that brat… the Fourth Hokage died because of him."
"Stay back—don't catch the demon fox's bad luck."
"Hey, don't play with him."
"What was Lord Third thinking, letting him run around the village like this…"
Shop owners, snow-sweepers, parents with children… whispers buzzed like flies.
No one struck or cursed outright, but the looks—treating him like trash, like a virus—followed him everywhere.
Naruto's steps faltered. Half the warmth from the soup vanished.
Feeling the cold, he instinctively hunched his shoulders.
"Naruto."
Xuanming's voice rang calm and steady in his mind.
"Remember what this poor Daoist told you while stewing the soup?"
"Yeah…" Naruto murmured. "Keep the heat steady… and the heart calm."
"Exactly."
Xuanming regarded the pointing villagers: "Treat them like air."
A contagious chuckle echoed in Naruto's head. "Or like uncut daikon radishes."
"Pfft—"
Naruto couldn't hold back the laugh.
He glanced at a plump, scowling auntie nearby and pictured her as a giant radish wearing clothes.
Suddenly… she didn't seem so scary.
"Hmph! I don't care anyway! I drank Fox Sage's fish soup—now I'm not cold at all!"
Naruto puffed out his small chest and marched through the crowd with big, confident strides, leaving the villagers with a carefree back view.
Seeing him go, many spat on the ground and turned away.
The demon-fox kid acting crazy wasn't exactly new.