Naruto: I, Naruto, started with the Rinnegan

"Naruto, remember not to be a picky eater, eat well, and grow up strong... Take a hot bath every day, don't get cold... Also, don't stay up late, get plenty of sleep..."

A woman with long red hair and a beautiful face was gently giving instructions, and behind her stood a handsome young man with blond hair.

What happened?

I'm not dead?

When I opened my eyes, this was the scene that appeared before me.

Where is this...?

Isn't it a dream?

He raised his arm and looked at his palm; his small, white, and tender hands were just like those of a newborn baby.

I really time-traveled!

Just as he was rejoicing at his newfound life, a drop of water suddenly fell on his face.

It's raining?

No, it's not rain...

Upon closer inspection, he discovered the source of the "water droplets".

It was a huge, sharp-looking fingernail that pierced through the bodies of the red-haired woman and the blond man.

Blood dripped down his fingernails onto his face.

"Naruto, what Dad wants to say... is the same as what your nagging mom wants to say..."

Naruto?

Is this my current name?

So what about them...?

Looking at the man and woman in front of him, he understood their identities and his current predicament.

The Nine-Tailed Fox's Rebellion begins with the parents being sacrificed to the heavens.

I was an orphan in my previous life, and I'm an orphan again in this life. Am I destined to be a cursed lone star?

He—no, it should be Naruto Uzumaki—felt somewhat upset.

But he was just a baby; he couldn't do anything or change anything.

wrong!

I think I have a cheat code—the Rinnegan!

Naruto died in a car accident in his previous life, but luckily he met a powerful god whose name is unknown after death.

The expert said he found him pleasing to the eye, granted him a new life, and included a chance to win a prize.

He didn't hold back and struck with his bare hands, capturing the Rinnegan.

Speaking of which... can the Rinnegan change the current situation?

Naruto's still-developing brain pondered for a long time before sadly arriving at an answer.

It seems... impossible, unless one is reincarnated and can exchange one life for two.

Putting aside whether he's willing or not...

Okay, actually I'm unwilling.

After all, they had only just met, and their feelings for each other weren't that deep yet.

Even if they develop a deep bond later, he might not be willing... He's just an ordinary person; it's hard for him to be selfless.

But now he doesn't have to suffer the pangs of conscience.

Because the cheat software hasn't arrived yet!

Thus, the world lines converged, and everything returned to its original starting point.

After saying his final goodbyes, Minato Namikaze looked at Naruto with pity, then, without further hesitation, formed hand seals.

—The Eight Trigrams Seal!

"Waaaaaahhhhhh..."

…………

Three years later.

Inside the old house, Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor, earnestly doing eye exercises.

He was pondering a question—would the Rinnegan ever return?

Three years, three years, and another three years... It's been three years already. Has the master forgotten?

Sigh, they didn't even leave any contact information, so there's no way to urge them.

Bang bang bang.

A knock came at the door, and Naruto, while doing eye exercises, said, "Come in."

As expected, the person who came was the Third Hokage.

Seeing Naruto's appearance, the Third Hokage asked curiously, "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"Protect your eyesight from a young age to avoid presbyopia in the future."

Maybe if you do a couple more sets of eye exercises to improve your eyesight, your Rinnegan will awaken.

How can I protect my eyesight to prevent presbyopia?

It must have been a slip of the tongue, the Third Hokage thought, and waited quietly for Naruto to finish his eye exercises before speaking with a kind expression.

"Naruto, you're all grown up now. From today onwards, no one will bring you food anymore. You need to learn to live independently. Grandpa believes you can do it... Here, this is your allowance for this month..."

Have some decency! You're making me fend for myself when I'm only three years old. Where is your conscience?

Naruto Uzumaki stood up, took the living expenses, and counted them.

400 taels... Is that enough?

He wasn't quite sure about the prices in Konoha, but based on Naruto's experience of going hungry in the original story, it was highly likely that there wouldn't be enough.

Naruto looked up at the Third Hokage and said, "Double it, 800 ryo!"

It's impossible that Kushina and Minato couldn't even come up with 800 taels of silver from their inheritance.

The third generation shook his head and said, "No, 800 taels is too much, and you don't need that much money. 400 taels is enough for your living expenses."

Naruto asked doubtfully, "Is that really enough?"

The third generation nodded and said, "It's enough if you use it sparingly."

No matter how brain-dead he was, the Third Hokage would never intentionally starve a Jinchuriki.

Not to mention the influence of the Water Gate.

Although it may not be much, it certainly has some face.

"We can't give you 800 taels because the village's rule is 400 taels. And the village treats everyone equally. There are many children like you, and it would be a huge expense if we added them all together. The village can't afford it, but..."

Pulling a hundred-tael note from his pocket, the Third Hokage smiled and said, "Grandpa can personally sponsor you one hundred taels. Are you happy, little Naruto?"

Happy... my foot! You're using a smug tactic, don't think I don't know you're just manipulating me.

"I'm happy, thank you, grandpa."

I, Naruto Uzumaki, give this acting a perfect score of 100. I'm not afraid to be proud of it.

"By the way, sir, is this one hundred taels given every month?"

"It happens every month."

Very well, you can get lost now.

However, since he was under someone else's roof, he couldn't speak too directly. Naruto waved and said, "Goodbye, grandpa."

"..."

Who taught you to pull up your pants and then ignore everyone else? It seems like no one taught you. Is it some kind of innate talent...?

The third generation left in frustration.

Naruto looked up at the clock on the wall. It was a little past ten o'clock. It was still early before lunch, but considering the time spent buying groceries, it wasn't early at all.

"It's my first time, so I'm going to the farmers' market to get familiar with the environment."

Naruto picked up a bag of pebbles from the corner of the wall and went outside.

…………

Konoha Village is prosperous and beautiful, and the villagers are all smiles of happiness.

However, when a child comes into their view.

His smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, disgusted, and even hateful gaze as he stared at Naruto.

After Naruto walked away, the murmurs gradually rose.

"Damn fox spirit, how is it still alive?"

"Look, that monster is carrying a bag of stones; it looks like it wants to continue attacking us."

"My head injury hasn't healed yet..."

"That reckless bastard, if it weren't for the protection of the secret service, he would have been killed long ago."

"Exactly, I wonder what the Third Hokage was thinking..."

"Shh, stop talking, this is a taboo subject."

……

Hearing the faint whispers behind him, Naruto sneered, "Trash who can only offer incompetent mockery."

This wasn't his first time going out; the previous times he had gone out, he had been met with scornful taunts.

Nowadays... simply talking badly about people behind their backs is already a huge step forward.

Of course, this is definitely not because the villagers' personal qualities have improved.

Those unruly people have absolutely no manners!

The real reason is Naruto's own hard work—he'd smash a rock over the head of anyone who dared to insult him to his face!

He's a time traveler, and his personality is different from the "idiot" in the original timeline.