Naruto, dizzy, pushed open his door, forgetting to even turn on the lights, and stumbled in the dark to sit on the edge of his bed.
So... did I really, unknowingly...
He fell backward onto the bed, his mind replaying Satsuki's retreating figure when she ran away, and that phrase that slipped out: "never get tired of her for a lifetime."
If he disregarded his identity as the "demon fox"...
Naruto buried his burning face in the pillow; in all fairness, having a girl like Satsuki as a girlfriend would be an immense blessing.
Beneath her delicate features hid a gentle disposition; despite being a young lady of the Uchiha clan, she was willing to train with him, the "demon fox everyone hated"; outwardly tsundere, but in reality, she valued relationships more than anyone...
This kind of setup would definitely be the female lead in a light novel.
I am definitely not okay!
Naruto suddenly sat up, a terrifying thought emerging: he had originally only wanted to raise Satsuki's favorability to earn system points, but now... it seemed he had been captured by that girl instead?
System... what are Satsuki's true feelings for me now?
Ding!
The question was asked in his mind, and the system immediately responded.
Satsuki Bond Level 6: The other party views you as someone to accompany her for a lifetime. Confession success rate 100%. You hold a special position that cannot be replaced by anyone.
Current Relationship: Absolute trust + severe emotional dependence, with 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.
Well... I can really elope with the Uchiha clan's young lady?
Naruto rubbed his forehead, deciding to temporarily push those complex thoughts to the back of his mind. There was a more important matter to handle: the system lottery.
Speaking of which... Uchiha Itachi in the original work seemed to be a severe brother complex... In this world-line... would he become a severe sister complex?
The thought of potentially being targeted by that filial son with a bizarre thought process made Naruto shiver. He forced himself to concentrate.
With a thought, the system interface unfolded before his eyes. On the light screen, the number "2900" glowed invitingly.
He could do two ten-pulls... just 100 points short of three.
What a pity, but never mind, one shouldn't be too greedy.
His finger tapped the "Ten-Pull" button. Familiar light exploded before his eyes, and ten cards fanned out in sequence.
Chakra... Explosive Tags... a few Flying Thunder God Kunai...
Naruto tallied the rewards; when he saw "500 grams of Chakra Metal," his eyes lit up. His previous disdain completely vanished.
This must be kept safe...
However, as the cards were flipped one by one, Naruto's expression gradually fell. Most were ordinary items, until the last card.
"Basic Taijutsu Enhancement... only one rare reward..."
He scratched his hair. It seemed his luck wasn't very good tonight.
Naruto expressionlessly clicked the button for the second ten-pull, and the card-flipping animation quickly flashed before his eyes. The first few cards were still ordinary items.
"Sealing Jutsu Talent Enhancement... Ten Military Rations Pills... Chakra..."
Nothing special.
Just as Naruto had mentally prepared himself for all "blue skies and white clouds," the last card suddenly burst forth with dazzling purple light!
Epic!!
Naruto sprang up from the bed, his sleepiness completely gone. Excellent! It seems Lady Luck hasn't completely abandoned me!
He eagerly looked at the card emitting the alluring purple light; the text on the card gradually became clear.
Congratulations on obtaining: Top-tier Aura
Item Description: When actively released, it can emit extreme killing intent and mental deterrence. In full burst state, it can make the target organism directly experience the illusion of "impending death" at the five-sense level. Some sensitive individuals may experience temporary physiological incontinence.
Naruto stared at the purple card on the system interface, first stunned, then his eyes gradually lit up.
Wait... this skill... Naruto initially thought he had drawn something flashy but impractical, but after thinking it over carefully...
The reason why the alias "Menma" could cause such a stir in the Ninja World wasn't precisely due to that terrifying deterrent power that crushed even "Kage" level strong individuals? However, this power was ultimately granted by an experience card, not his true strength.
To grow to the point where he could truly contend with the entire Ninja World alone, there was still a long way to go...
Although he had mastered the Flying Thunder God...
But a terrifying existence that claimed to "become war itself" couldn't possibly rely on spatial Ninjutsu to shuttle back and forth just to deal with a small soldier, could he? What if the people of the Five Great Nations saw that "Menma" was just a paper tiger bluffing...
This Aura skill... was simply a godsend!
He looked at the system interface again, his finger gently tracing the purple card. Although it couldn't directly boost his hard power, it was precisely the "aura packaging" he needed most right now.
This seemingly "bluffing" skill might be more valuable than rewards that directly increase strength. Because, "looking strong" can truly save a lot of trouble.
--------
The next afternoon, Naruto arrived on time at the place he had agreed upon with Satsuki. After the unexpected misunderstanding last night, he found that he had no desire to explain at all, and their relationship seemed to have undergone a subtle change because of it.
Afterward, the entire afternoon quietly passed in training, and nothing happened!
Naruto could feel that his mindset was different from before, but it was too early to say anything now. Moreover, Satsuki was, after all, a young lady of the Uchiha clan; even if her favorability was already close to max, it would still be too embarrassing for her to bring up such a shy matter. Thus, although an indescribable subtle atmosphere permeated the air, everything ultimately remained as usual.
In the following days, both of them tacitly avoided mentioning the misunderstanding from that night again. Satsuki's minor displeasure, initially caused by Naruto ignoring the matter, also gradually dissipated with time.
Because her mother gently told her that they were both still too young, and some feelings needed time to slowly brew.
And so, days passed. As calm and natural as a flowing stream. The flowers by the training ground bloomed and withered, their Ninjutsu improved daily, and that unspoken misunderstanding quietly lay in a corner of their memories.
Occasionally, when their gazes met, Satsuki would immediately turn her face away to adjust her perfectly fine collar, while Naruto would suddenly develop an unusual interest in the clouds in the sky.