Naruto stumbled home, not even bothering to turn on the lights, and collapsed onto the edge of his bed in the dark.
So... have I really, without realizing it...
He fell back onto the bed, Satsuki's fleeing figure and his own blurted-out words—"a lifetime with you and never get tired of it"—playing on a loop in his mind.
If we set aside the "demon fox" identity...
Naruto buried his burning face in his pillow. Honestly, having a girl like Satsuki as a girlfriend would be an incredible blessing.
Beneath her delicate features was a soft heart. Despite being the esteemed heiress of the Uchiha clan, she was willing to train with him, the "universally hated demon fox." She was a tsundere on the outside, but more emotional than anyone on the inside...
In a light novel, she'd definitely be the female lead.
Something is definitely wrong with me!
Naruto shot up. A terrible thought suddenly occurred to him. He had originally just wanted to farm Satsuki's favorability for system points, but now... it seemed he had been the one to get captured?
System... what are Satsuki's feelings for me right now?
[Ding!]
The moment the question formed in his mind, the system responded.
[Satsuki Bond Level 6: She sees you as someone to spend the rest of her life with. Confession success rate: 100%. A special position that can no longer be replaced by anyone.]
[Current Relationship: Absolute trust + severe emotional dependence, with a side of severe possessiveness.]
"..."
Naruto was stunned for a full ten seconds, then fell back onto the bed. His body trembled slightly, whether from shock or some other emotion, he didn't know.
Well... I can really elope with the Uchiha heiress now?
Naruto rubbed his forehead, deciding to temporarily push those complicated thoughts aside. There were more important things to deal with right now: the system lottery.
Speaking of which... the original Itachi Uchiha was a major brother-con, wasn't he... in this timeline... would he be a major sister-con?
The thought of being targeted by that deranged "filial son" made Naruto shiver. He forced himself to concentrate.
With a thought, the system interface opened before him. On the light screen, the number "2900" glowed enticingly.
Two ten-pulls... just 100 points short of three.
What a shame. But oh well, can't be too greedy.
His finger tapped the "Ten-Pull" button. A familiar light exploded before his eyes, and ten cards fanned out.
"Chakra... explosive tags... a few Flying Thunder God kunai..."
Naruto tallied the rewards. When he saw "500g of chakra-conducting metal," his eyes lit up. His previous disdain for it was completely gone.
I should hold onto this...
However, as he flipped over the cards one by one, his expression gradually fell. Most of them were just common items, until the very last one.
"Basic Taijutsu Enhancement... just one rare reward, huh..."
He scratched his hair. It seemed his luck wasn't very good tonight.
With a blank expression, Naruto tapped the ten-pull button a second time. The card-flipping animation flashed quickly before his eyes. The first few cards were still just common items.
"Sealing Jutsu Talent Enhancement... ten military rations pills... chakra..."
Nothing special.
Just as Naruto was mentally preparing for a full house of "blues and whites," the last card suddenly burst into a dazzling purple light!
"Epic!!"
Naruto shot up from the bed, all sleepiness gone. Great! It seems Lady Luck hasn't completely abandoned me!
He eagerly looked at the enticingly glowing purple card. The words on it gradually became clear.
[Congratulations! You received: Supreme Aura]
[Item Description: When actively released, it can emit an extreme killing intent and mental shock. In a fully unleashed state, it can make the target biologically experience the illusion of "imminent death" on a sensory level. Some sensitive individuals may experience temporary physiological incontinence.]
Naruto stared at the purple card on the system interface, stunned for a moment, then his eyes gradually lit up.
Wait a minute... this skill... At first, Naruto thought he had pulled something flashy but useless, but on second thought...
The reason the "Menma" alter ego had been able to cause such a stir in the ninja world was precisely because of that terrifying aura that could overwhelm even Kage-level powerhouses. However, that power was ultimately granted by a trial card, not his true strength.
He still had a long way to go to truly be able to stand against the entire ninja world on his own...
Although I've mastered the Flying Thunder God...
A terrifying existence who claimed to "become war itself" couldn't rely on space-time ninjutsu to teleport back and forth just to deal with a few grunts, right? What if the five great nations figured out that "Menma" was just a paper tiger?
This aura skill... was a godsend!
He looked at the system interface again, his finger gently stroking the purple card. Although it didn't directly increase his hard power, it was exactly the "intimidation factor" he needed right now.
This seemingly "bluffing" skill might be more valuable than a reward that directly increased his power. Because "looking strong" could really save a lot of trouble.
The next afternoon, Naruto arrived at his and Satsuki's usual spot on time. After last night's unexpected misunderstanding, he found that he had no desire to explain anything. Their relationship seemed to have undergone a subtle change because of it.
After that, the entire afternoon passed quietly in training. Nothing happened!
Naruto could feel that his own mindset had changed, but it was too early to say anything now. And Satsuki, being the esteemed heiress of the Uchiha clan, even if her favorability was almost maxed out, it would still be too embarrassing for her to bring up such a shy topic. So, although the air was filled with an indescribable, subtle atmosphere, everything ultimately went on as usual.
In the days that followed, they both tacitly avoided mentioning the misunderstanding from that night. The slight moodiness Satsuki had felt because Naruto had ignored the incident also gradually dissipated with time.
Because her mother had gently told her that they were both still too young, and some feelings needed time to slowly blossom.
And so, the days passed, one by one, as peacefully and naturally as a flowing stream. The flowers by the training ground bloomed and withered, their ninjutsu skills improved day by day, and that unspoken misunderstanding lay quietly in a corner of their memories.
Occasionally, when their eyes met, Satsuki would immediately turn away to straighten her perfectly neat collar, while Naruto would suddenly develop an unusual interest in the clouds in the sky.
-------
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