Early morning, before dawn had even begun to paint the eastern sky.
Kurama opened his eyes and rose from his small bed. First, he stood before the full-length mirror and carefully combed his fur until it gleamed. Then came the important decision: which outfit to wear today.
He selected a light blue dress that Hinata had delivered yesterday. It had originally belonged to a large stuffed toy, but fit his miniaturized form perfectly. Hinata had noticed that Kurama's clothes were getting old despite being changed daily, so she'd thoughtfully sent over several new options.
After getting dressed, Kurama examined himself in the mirror with critical eyes. "Another beautiful day," he said to his reflection with satisfaction, then left the room.
After washing up in the bathroom, Kurama hopped onto the toilet. A few moments later, his business concluded, he reached for the flush handle. His paw paused mid-motion as he glanced down at the toilet bowl. The contents looked oddly... unchanged from their original form. Still recognizable. Still fresh.
I could just scoop this out and cook it for Naruto and Sasuke, a bizarre thought whispered through Kurama's mind. Why waste perfectly good...
He violently shook his head, dismissing the idea immediately. "It's one thing to feed it to Uchiha boy, but if I tried that with Naruto, he'd pulverize me. My life is important."
After flushing the toilet and washing his paws thoroughly, Kurama headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. His movements were practiced and efficient, showing just how accustomed he'd become to this domestic routine.
Naruto and Sasuke hadn't woken yet. They'd both trained very late the previous night. Sasuke in particular had pushed himself until the early morning hours.
Kurama worked in the kitchen with methodical calm. Usually by the time he finished preparing breakfast, the two boys would be stirring.
Sure enough, just as he was plating the final dish, both bedroom doors opened simultaneously.
"Morning, Naruto. Morning, Uchiha boy." Kurama stood in the kitchen doorway wearing his apron, a bowl of steaming porridge in his small paws. "Hurry up and wash. Breakfast is ready."
"Thanks for your hard work, Kurama," Naruto replied.
"Thanks for your hard work, Nine-Tails," Sasuke said too.
After washing up, they sat down to eat.
Once breakfast was finished, Naruto wiped his mouth and said, "Sasuke, we're not going to the back mountain today. I promised Hinata and Hanabi I'd go shopping with them. Come with us."
Sasuke shook his head without hesitation. "No, you go ahead. I'm going to train."
A sense of urgency had been building in Sasuke's chest for days now. He couldn't explain it, but something in his gut told him he needed to accelerate his training, to push harder toward achieving Sage Mode.
"Proper relaxation is the best practice, Sasuke. Are you really not coming?" Naruto asked again. If Sasuke didn't come, Naruto would be stuck carrying all the shopping bags himself.
"I'm not going." Sasuke's tone was final.
"Fine, then I'll bring Kurama with me." Seeing that Sasuke genuinely didn't want to go, Naruto stopped pushing. After all, he never forced his friends to do things. That wasn't his style.
Kurama finished washing the dishes while Naruto prepared for the shopping trip. He didn't need much preparation, really. Just money.
Fortunately, Naruto was no longer the penniless orphan scraping by on expired milk. He could pull out shopping money without difficulty.
"Let's go, Kurama." Naruto scooped up the fox and tucked him into his arms, stroking his soft fur. "Sasuke, train hard, but don't push yourself too hard."
"I know. Have fun." Sasuke waved and headed toward the farm.
Watching Sasuke's retreating back, Naruto said nothing more. He simply hugged Kurama close and headed toward the Hyūga compound.
When Naruto arrived at the gates of the Hyūga estate, one of the family guards immediately went inside to report his presence. They knew without being told that Naruto had come to see the eldest and second young ladies.
As for the third young lady, baby Hiyori, she was too young for outings. Naruto wouldn't come looking for her. If he ever did, Hiashi would probably lose his mind entirely.
Naruto waited patiently outside.
After a few minutes, two beautiful figures emerged from the compound, walking hand in hand.
"Naruto-kun, good morning!" Hinata's cheeks flushed pink as she greeted him. She'd woken early to prepare, carefully selecting a kimono decorated with delicate cherry blossom patterns. Light makeup enhanced her already lovely features, making her look refined and elegant.
"Naruto-niisan!" The more energetic Hanabi rushed forward and threw herself at him. Naruto caught her easily, lifting her into the air. As he did, his hand accidentally brushed her armpit area. She squealed and squirmed, her twin ponytails whipping around to smack him in the face.
"Hanabi, let's go! Your brother will take you shopping. You can buy whatever you want." Naruto grinned.
Hanabi's face lit up like the sun at the promise of unlimited purchases.
"Let's go." Naruto smiled at the quiet Hinata, set Hanabi down, and took her small hand in his. Hanabi immediately grasped her sister's hand with her other one.
The three figures walked slowly down the street, with Hanabi in the middle, holding both her beloved brother and sister's hands.
As soon as they reached the main shopping district, Hanabi transformed into an unstoppable force of enthusiasm. Like a horse freed from its stable, she darted from stall to stall, her curiosity insatiable. Whenever Naruto noticed something catch her eye, he bought it immediately.
Even Hinata, normally so quiet and reserved, allowed herself to relax and enjoy the shopping experience.
Both sisters wore happy smiles that made Naruto's chest feel warm.
No wonder the System told me that making women happy has seventy methods, Naruto thought, watching them browse through fabric samples. One of them is shopping, and the other sixty-nine are... well, the System was less clear about those.
Seeing the sisters happily picking out items, Naruto finally understood what the System had meant. At the same time, he gained even more respect for the System's knowledge.
This is definitely not just a pure taijutsu training system, he realized. First there had been books on breeding techniques and farm management. Now there were these philosophical insights about human nature. The System was far more complex than he'd initially believed.
Kurama had been perched on Naruto's shoulder, watching Hinata and Hanabi shop with growing interest. Finally, unable to resist any longer, he leaned close to Naruto's ear and whispered, "Naruto, I want to buy things too."
And so Kurama joined the shopping spree. He simply pointed from his perch on Naruto's shoulder at whatever caught his fancy, and Naruto would pay for it without question.
Seeing Kurama's obvious delight, Naruto glanced at the fox with sudden suspicion. Is Kurama actually female? Otherwise, why would he enjoy shopping as much as Hinata and Hanabi?
He made a mental note to check when he got the chance.
By lunchtime, Naruto's arms were laden with bags and packages. The weight meant nothing to him; it felt light as feathers. But Hinata and Hanabi were visibly exhausted, their earlier energy depleted.
"Come on, let's get some food." Naruto led them toward Ichiraku Ramen.
"Ah, Naruto! Welcome!" Teuchi spotted his best customer immediately and greeted him with genuine warmth. His eyes briefly flickered to Kurama perched on Naruto's shoulder, but his smile never wavered.
"Uncle Teuchi, we'll have ramen. The usual for me, please." Naruto set down all the shopping bags on the counter, then pulled out stools for Hinata and Hanabi, making sure they were comfortable before sitting down himself.