Uchiha Sasuke... Uchiha Sasuke?
No, no, no... Calm down, how is this possible?
Naruto blinked hard, trying to banish the image of the cold-faced, black-haired youth from his mind. Sasuke was clearly a boy! How could that chuunibyou, who constantly talked about 'revenge' and shocked people with his electricity, turn into this tsundere but incredibly cute little girl?
It must be a coincidence... Yes, it must be a coincidence!
However, as he scrutinized Satsuki's small face, he found that from certain angles, there was indeed a hint of familiarity.
This appearance...
Naruto realized something. Sasuke was already a top-tier beauty in the original work; if he were gender-bent into a girl...
No, no! What am I thinking?!
Sasuke turning into a girl? What kind of bizarre Naruto world-line is this? Or is it a butterfly effect caused by his transmigration?
Countless questions exploded in his mind, but Naruto still maintained basic social etiquette. Of course, he wouldn't foolishly ask, 'Um... you're actually a boy, right?'
Such an extremely rude question would be terrible if he were mistaken for a pervert.
Ultimately, all the chaotic thoughts coalesced into a dry farewell.
"I see... Well, see you another day."
Hearing Naruto's promise to come play with her again, a subtle flutter of joy arose in Satsuki's heart. She tried to keep her little face straight, but her lips still uncontrollably curved into a small smile.
"Hmm, if no one else is there to practice with you..."
She feigned reluctance and turned away, "I'll accompany you then."
After speaking, she walked towards the Uchiha Clan Estate without looking back, casually waving her small hand, feigning an indifferent attitude. However, as soon as she rounded the corner and was certain Naruto couldn't see her, Satsuki covered her mouth, her big eyes curving into crescent moons.
This was the first time... she had made a friend outside of her clan.
She skipped across the sunlit flagstones, her steps lighter than usual.
Meanwhile, Naruto, left behind, was plunged into unprecedented confusion.
He watched Satsuki's receding figure, his brain buzzing as if a thousand Shadow Clones had simultaneously performed the "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu."
No, no, it must be a coincidence!
Despite desperately trying to reassure himself, those damnable 'pieces of evidence' kept flashing in his mind: Sasuke was always jokingly referred to as 'Naruto's true heroine' in the original work.
From their first meeting to their eventual reconciliation, every line of dialogue was unbelievably ambiguous, not to mention that accidental yet fated first kiss...
He was stunned by the Konoha friendship.
Just as Naruto was struggling to clear his thoughts.
Ding!
A crisp system notification suddenly rang in his mind.
"Congratulations, Host: You have established an initial bond with the original character 'Uchiha Sasuke'!"
"Reward: System officially activated, gaining 500 points!"
"Bang!"
Naruto collapsed directly to the ground. It really was him... Sasuke... really became a girl?!
— — — — — —
That's right, Naruto did have a system — there was nothing strange about it; for a transmigrator, this thing was practically standard equipment.
This system had existed in his consciousness since he was a baby, but all this time, the translucent system interface had only displayed a single, cold line of text.
"Waiting for the plot to begin"
No matter how Naruto tried to communicate, probe, or even angrily waved his little fists in protest from his crib, the system remained like a stubborn stone, completely unresponsive. Over time, Naruto could only resign himself to waiting for the so-called 'plot to begin.'
I originally thought I'd have to wait until Mizuki tricked me into stealing the scroll of seals...
Little Naruto muttered to himself. According to the original timeline, that was the true starting point of his 'story.'
However, fate always seems to enjoy playing jokes.
Who would have thought that this system, dormant for many years, would actually be accidentally activated by a gender-bent Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke?!
Naruto's emotions were complex. He mechanically took steps, his gaze fixed on the finally illuminated system interface before him.
"Bond System"
"As long as you establish connections and form different bonds with original characters, you will gain system points!"
"The deeper your influence on the original work, the more points you will receive ~"
"Points can be used for system gacha — Ninjutsu, Senjutsu, Dojutsu, Kekkei Genkai... everything is available!"
"Please strive to forge bonds!"
The streetlights along the road lit up one by one. He stared at the words "Dojutsu" and "Kekkei Genkai," his Adam's apple unconsciously bobbing.
Concise, yet direct.
Three years of curiosity and waiting materialized at this moment. There was no cumbersome system shop, no complex exchange list; the entire interface was almost stark in its simplicity, with the only option being the prominent [Gacha] button, or more accurately...
This was clearly a gacha system, wasn't it?!
"Bond System" — this name practically laid the theme of Naruto bare. According to this logic, even if he followed the original plot step by step, he could easily gain a large number of bond points. Becoming friends with the Konoha 12 Genin, forming a master-disciple relationship with Jiraiya, and even getting entangled with the villains from the original work.
However, the system thoughtfully reminded him — the deeper the influence on the original work, the more points he would get.
This meant he didn't have to waste time flattering those ignorant villagers, nor did he have to force himself to cater to those prejudiced gazes.
"It's still a bundled purchase..."
His finger slid across the gacha interface's description. The entire interface was minimalist — only a softly glowing [Ten-pull] button, costing 1000 points each time.
"500 points... so I already have half for the first ten-pull."
"Establishing an initial bond with a gender-bent Sasuke is worth five hundred points? That's quite a lot."
Once he accepted the premise that 'Uchiha Sasuke is a girl,' Naruto used that teasing nickname without any psychological burden. After all, the current Satsuki wouldn't suddenly jump out and hit him with a Chidori — probably.
Just as he was about to close the interface, a thought suddenly flashed into his mind.
Wait! If the system activating means establishing bonds can earn rewards... then do I have existing rewards to claim right now?!
Naruto's steps abruptly halted.
The next second, he unhesitatingly changed direction, no longer heading towards his desolate small apartment, but instead rushing towards the bustling downtown area of Konoha.