Chapter 110: Level Cap
Satsuki's legs began to weaken slightly, barely able to support her body's weight. Deep within her heart, that ice-cold despair that had been suppressed for too long—that frozen barrier—was finally completely shattered and melted!
The surging torrent of emotions instantly broke through all dams, violently bursting from her chest! It was the scalding warmth of being unconditionally accepted, cherished, and deeply loved...
In Naruto's eyes, however, the scene before him was different.
He watched the girl who could barely stand without gripping his hand for support. Those black eyes that were always filled with pride were now tightly closed, her long eyelashes completely soaked with tears. Her small nose and cheeks were flushed red from crying, and her shoulders trembled constantly from intense sobbing.
He carefully supported her as they sat back down on the still-warm bench.
There were no more verbal thanks. Satsuki simply used all her strength to nod heavily, again and again. In response to Naruto's weighty and sincere promise, all her reactions condensed into the simplest yet most solemn syllable.
"Yes...!"
Finally, the girl who had been suppressing herself and choking back sobs could no longer contain the tumultuous emotions in her heart. She was no longer quietly weeping—she was crying out loud! But her cries were no longer purely sorrowful like before.
Instead, they were mixed with incredulous emotion, relief, release, tears of joy, and then complex tears that surged up again as painful memories returned... a complete emotional catharsis.
Naruto didn't offer any more comforting words. He simply sat quietly beside her, one hand still firmly held by hers while the other gently, rhythmically patted her back, conveying through movement the comfort of "I'm here."
In this atmosphere where crying and tranquility intertwined, that familiar system notification sound once again rang out in Naruto's mind—
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 11! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]
...Oh? Another level up.
Naruto understood inwardly, but he didn't pay much attention to the system. At this moment, his full attention was on the crying girl in his arms, his hand movements remaining gentle.
However—
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 12! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]
Huh? There's more?
The consecutive level-ups surprised Naruto somewhat. Wasn't this rising a bit too fast?
But the next moment, something that truly left him dumbfounded happened—
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 13! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]*
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 14! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]*
What...?! What's going on?!
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 15! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 16! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 17! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 18! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change! Can only be unlocked after reaching adulthood)]
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 19! (Relationship has undergone fundamental change...)]
A continuous stream of system notifications, almost overlapping each other, rang out like bombing in his mind! The level numbers jumped and climbed at an incomprehensible speed, so fast he couldn't even process it.
Naruto was completely stunned, even the hand patting Satsuki's back unconsciously paused for a moment as he froze in place.
---
[Ding! Congratulations Host: Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has reached the system limit! (Beyond system calculable levels!)]
[Reward Points Obtained: 5000 Points!]
Finally, after a series of nearly malfunctioning crazy notifications, the system ultimately settled on this incomprehensible level that exceeded its own design limits.
Naruto: "..."
His mood at this moment was complex. The massive point gain brought not joy, but a nearly panicked sense of weight.
What kind of surging and resolute emotions did Satsuki have behind this skyrocketing level... for a moment, he almost didn't dare think deeply about it.
Forget it... He shook his head, temporarily suppressing these chaotic thoughts. Now wasn't the time to think about this—he should handle what was in front of him first.
He looked down at his arms. The black head had somehow stopped crying. Perhaps due to the enormous fatigue after complete emotional release, or perhaps because she felt unprecedented peace beside him, Satsuki had actually fallen asleep leaning against him, still with faint hiccups but breathing steadily and deeply.
She was asleep.
Tears still hung on her long eyelashes, tearstains crisscrossed her cheeks, but her tightly furrowed brow had relaxed.
To let Satsuki rest properly, Naruto extremely carefully adjusted his position, using the gentlest movements possible to lift her securely in a princess carry.
This girl... was really light... The weight in his arms was even more delicate than he'd imagined, making him unconsciously lighten his strength even more.
Fortunately, the path back to the Uchiha compound remained completely empty, with no passersby witnessing this somewhat "embarrassing" position. Otherwise, even with Naruto's thick skin, he probably would have felt uncomfortable.
The reason this area had no one wandering around was obvious—the recent massacre had made this place a crime scene that everyone avoided, and no one would come here looking for bad luck.
Naruto carried the sleeping Satsuki at a steady, quick pace, silently walking through the quiet streets until they finally returned to the empty Uchiha clan leader's residence.
He carefully prepared to take Satsuki back to her own room to rest. After tentatively pushing open two doors, he finally found the correct room.
How could Naruto be so certain this was Satsuki's room?
Because on the desk by the window, a hand shuriken model that had been wiped clean and placed on a soft cloth mat was positioned prominently in the most visible spot.
That was the model Naruto had spent so much time making for Satsuki's birthday. He hadn't expected it to be preserved so well, even treasured and displayed so carefully.
Naruto quietly carried Satsuki toward the bed, preparing to carefully place her on the soft mattress.
His body suddenly froze in place, his movements instantly stopping.
Because a puzzle that had been bothering him suddenly became clear at this moment.
He finally understood why, when he had casually mentioned finding a blanket in the "largest room" earlier, Satsuki had shown such a nervous, guilty, even somewhat panicked expression.
The reason... was lying quietly on Satsuki's bed.
It was a body pillow that looked frequently used, even slightly deformed from being hugged. The pillowcase was made of soft, clean fabric, clearly lovingly cared for by its owner.
However, what truly struck Naruto like lightning was the pattern printed on this pillow—
It was a chibi, rather cute figure. But no matter how much it was stylized, those characteristic brilliant golden spiky hair, blue eyes, and three whisker-like marks on each cheek...
Were all far... too familiar.
So familiar that he saw them every time he looked in the mirror!
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