Three days passed.
Three days of intensive training under Kakashi's newly dedicated instruction. Three days of shadow clone multiplication accelerating Naruto's growth. Three days of the four girls hovering at the edges of his existence, their devotion unwavering, their figures seemingly growing more exaggerated with each passing morning.
And three days of careful, methodical observation.
Naruto had approached the mystery of the girls' transformations with the same analytical detachment he applied to everything else. He catalogued variables, noted patterns, tested hypotheses where possible. His shadow clones assisted in the data collection, different copies observing different subjects and reporting their findings when dispelled.
The results were comprehensive.
Subject: Haruno Sakura
Physical changes: Chest circumference increased by approximately 15% since initial observation. Hip-to-waist ratio now exceeds documented human norms by a factor of 1.7. No apparent physical discomfort or mobility impairment despite dramatic proportions.
Behavioral changes: Devotion to subject (self) has intensified. Competitive behavior with other affected females has increased proportionally. Academic focus remains intact but is now primarily directed toward skills that might benefit subject (self). Sleep patterns disrupted—subject frequently found watching subject's (self) apartment from nearby rooftop during nighttime hours.
Threat assessment: Low. Subject demonstrates protective rather than harmful intentions. Physical capabilities have increased alongside physical changes, but all capability increases appear oriented toward defending subject (self) rather than harming.
Subject: Uchiha Satsuki (formerly Sasuke)
Physical changes: Most dramatic transformation of all subjects. Complete gender reassignment from male to female. Proportions now rival or exceed other subjects despite starting from masculine baseline. Sharingan activation remains functional; bloodline appears unaffected by physical changes.
Behavioral changes: Complete personality inversion. Previous characteristics (brooding, vengeful, emotionally distant) replaced with opposite traits (cheerful, devoted, emotionally expressive). Previous life goal (revenge against Itachi Uchiha) abandoned in favor of new focus (proximity to and protection of subject [self]). No apparent memory of previous male identity or personality.
Threat assessment: Low. Subject's combat capabilities remain formidable and have potentially increased. All capability directed toward subject's (self) benefit. Previous revenge motivation—which could have created conflict—has been eliminated.
Subject: Yamanaka Ino
Physical changes: Proportions have increased to match Haruno Sakura despite different initial baseline. Rate of change appears synchronized with other subjects, suggesting connected phenomenon. Clan-specific abilities (mind-body techniques) remain functional.
Behavioral changes: Previous rivalry with Haruno Sakura reduced but not eliminated; competition now centers on subject (self) rather than Uchiha attention. Social priorities completely reorganized around subject's (self) schedule and activities. Has used family flower shop resources to maintain observation of subject (self) through deliveries to neighboring businesses.
Threat assessment: Low. Mind-body techniques could theoretically pose threat, but subject shows no inclination toward hostile use. All observed behavior patterns indicate protective motivation.
Subject: Hyuuga Hinata
Physical changes: Most extreme proportions of all subjects, possibly due to Hyuuga clan genetics or chakra network characteristics. Byakugan activation causes visible strain on modified anatomy but remains fully functional.
Behavioral changes: Previous excessive shyness significantly reduced. Now capable of direct communication with subject (self) without fainting or excessive stammering. Confidence levels markedly increased. Uses Byakugan regularly to monitor subject's (self) location and activities from Hyuuga compound—range apparently sufficient to observe from across village.
Threat assessment: Low. Byakugan surveillance is technically intrusive but poses no physical danger. Subject's protective instincts are pronounced; has been observed intercepting villagers who approach subject (self) with hostile intent before they reach engagement distance.
Naruto reviewed his compiled data as he sat in his apartment, four girls arranged around him in what had become their customary positions. Sakura to his right, currently reading a medical text while pressing her shoulder against his. Satsuki to his left, her head resting on his shoulder while she hummed softly. Ino in front of him, painting her nails but glancing up at him every few seconds. Hinata behind him, her Byakugan subtly active as she watched for any external threats.
They had integrated themselves into his routine completely.
He had allowed it because preventing it would require effort he didn't care to expend.
His analysis complete, Naruto arrived at his conclusion.
Whatever was affecting these girls—whatever strange phenomenon had transformed their bodies and minds, whatever force had redirected their entire existences toward devotion to him—it didn't matter.
Not in any way that was relevant to his survival.
The girls were not hostile. Their presence did not impede his training. Their devotion, while logically inexplicable, was oriented entirely toward his benefit. They protected him, supported him, cared for him in ways that no one had throughout his entire childhood.
If anything, their transformation represented a net positive for his circumstances.
Enemies now had to contend with four additional combatants if they wished to harm him. His daily needs—food, supplies, emotional support that he couldn't actually feel but which seemed to matter to others—were now managed by devoted attendants who asked nothing in return. His training environment had improved, as the girls often sparred with him or assisted with exercises.
From a purely practical standpoint, the mystery of their transformation was irrelevant.
He didn't care why it had happened.
He only cared whether it affected his continued existence.
And it didn't. At least, not negatively.
Naruto filed away his analysis and turned his attention to more immediate concerns.
The next morning found him at Training Ground Three, arriving early as had become his habit. Kakashi was already there—a change that had held consistent since their confrontation about Minato.
The jonin looked up as Naruto approached, his single visible eye carrying a familiar unease.
"The girls?" he asked without preamble.
"They're coming. They wanted to prepare breakfast for me before training."
Kakashi's eye twitched. "All four of them. Making you breakfast. Together."
"Yes. They appear to have developed a cooperative system for managing my daily needs. Schedules, rotations, task assignments. It's quite efficient."
"That's..." Kakashi shook his head. "That's not the word I would use."
"What word would you use?"
"Disturbing. Unnatural. Possibly dangerous." The jonin's voice dropped. "Naruto, have you learned anything more about what's causing this? The changes to their bodies, their personalities, their obsession with you?"
"I have completed my analysis."
"And?"
"I have concluded that I don't care."
Kakashi blinked. "You... don't care?"
"Correct."
The jonin stared at him for a long moment, his expression shifting through several emotions before settling on bewildered frustration.
"Naruto. Four girls have undergone dramatic physical and psychological transformations that violate known laws of biology and psychology. They are exhibiting obsessive behavior patterns centered entirely on you. Their minds have been altered to the point that they don't even recognize the changes. And you don't care?"
"That is an accurate summary, yes."
"How can you not care?!"
"The phenomenon does not negatively impact my survival." Naruto's voice remained flat, analytical. "The girls' presence and devotion represent a net positive for my circumstances. Their combat capabilities provide additional protection. Their attention to my needs reduces cognitive load I would otherwise expend on self-maintenance. Their presence does not impede my training or development."
He paused, considering his next words.
"I have no emotional investment in understanding the cause of their transformation because I have no emotional investment in anything. I am capable of recognizing that the situation is objectively unusual. I am incapable of feeling concern about it."
Kakashi's hand moved to his masked face, pressing against it as if warding off a headache.
"That's not... Naruto, this could be dangerous. Whatever force is responsible for these changes could have ulterior motives. Could be planning something. Could be using these girls as pawns in some larger scheme."
"Possible. But speculative. No evidence currently supports that hypothesis."
"Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence!"
"Agreed. But in the absence of evidence, allocating significant cognitive resources to investigation is inefficient. I have documented my observations and will continue to monitor for changes. If the situation develops in ways that threaten my survival or significantly impede my goals, I will adjust my response accordingly."
Kakashi stared at him, something like despair flickering in his visible eye.
"This is what they did to you," he said quietly. "The village. The isolation. The abuse. They didn't just break you—they removed your ability to care about anything beyond basic survival."
"Your assessment is accurate."
"And you don't even care about that, do you?"
"No."
The jonin was silent for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was heavy.
"Your father would be heartbroken. Seeing what you've become."
Naruto considered this statement. "Perhaps. But my father is dead. His hypothetical emotional state is irrelevant to my current circumstances."
"That's cold."
"I'm not cold. I'm empty. There is a distinction."
"Is there?"
"Yes. Cold implies feeling—specifically, negative feeling that is being suppressed or hidden. I don't suppress or hide anything. I simply don't feel. The capacity has been removed."
Kakashi's shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of Naruto's words apparently affecting him more than any accusation could have.
"I was supposed to protect you," he said quietly. "I was supposed to be there for Minato-sensei's son. Instead, I failed you, and the village broke you, and now you stand here telling me that you don't even care about what's been done to you."
"Your guilt is your own concern. I don't require you to feel responsible for my state."
"But I am responsible. At least partially. If I had been there—if anyone had been there—maybe you wouldn't have become this. Maybe you would still be capable of..."
He trailed off, unable to complete the thought.
Naruto observed his sensei's distress with clinical detachment. The man was clearly suffering—experiencing guilt, regret, and sorrow on Naruto's behalf. It was, objectively speaking, a more intense emotional reaction than Naruto himself could produce about his own condition.
"Kakashi-sensei."
The jonin looked up.
"Your emotional response to my situation is noted. However, it does not change my analysis or conclusions regarding the girls' transformation. I will continue to monitor the phenomenon. If it becomes threatening, I will respond. Until then, I intend to use the advantages it provides."
"Use them?"
"The girls wish to help me. To train with me. To protect me. These are valuable resources. Refusing them because their origin is unusual would be illogical."
"They're people, Naruto. Not resources."
"All people are resources. All relationships are transactional in nature, even those that appear to be based on emotion. The girls provide me with support and protection. In exchange, I provide them with proximity and attention. The exchange benefits both parties."
"That's a profoundly cynical way of viewing human connection."
"It's an accurate way. Cynicism implies negative judgment. I'm not judging—I'm describing."
Kakashi opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by the arrival of the four girls, who burst into the training ground in a wave of exaggerated curves and enthusiastic greetings.
"Naruto-kun!" Satsuki reached him first, immediately pressing herself against his arm. "We brought you breakfast! I made rice balls, and Sakura made soup, and Ino brought fruit, and Hinata made this amazing egg thing—"
"We wanted to make sure you had energy for training," Sakura added, a bento box in her hands. "You always push yourself so hard."
"You need to eat properly," Ino insisted, holding up a basket of carefully arranged produce. "Nutrition is important for growth."
"W-We also brought tea," Hinata said softly, a thermos clutched to her impressive chest. "The kind you like. Unsweetened."
The four girls surrounded Naruto with practiced efficiency, somehow managing to simultaneously offer him food while maintaining physical contact and watching for any external threats. Their coordination was remarkable—a seamless teamwork that had developed without any apparent planning or discussion.
Kakashi watched the display with an expression that mixed resignation with lingering concern.
"You're really okay with this?" he asked Naruto over the girls' heads.
Naruto accepted a rice ball from Satsuki, noting its perfect form and ideal texture without experiencing any appreciation for the effort involved.
"I am neither okay with it nor not okay with it," he replied. "I am simply acknowledging reality as it exists."
"That's not healthy."
"Perhaps not. But it is efficient."
Kakashi had no response to that.
Training proceeded as usual, the girls demonstrating their growing capabilities alongside Naruto. Their physical transformations had apparently enhanced their abilities—faster reflexes, greater strength, improved chakra capacity. Whatever was changing them was not merely cosmetic.
During a break, Naruto found himself cornered by all four girls simultaneously, their combined presence creating a wall of exaggerated femininity that would have overwhelmed any normal person.
He was not a normal person.
"Naruto-kun," Sakura said, her voice carrying unusual seriousness. "We've been talking."
"About what?"
"About us. About you. About..." She glanced at the other three girls, receiving nods of encouragement. "About how we feel."
Naruto observed her with his usual detached attention. "You wish to discuss your emotions."
"Yes." Sakura took a breath. "We all love you. You know that, right?"
"You have expressed as much repeatedly."
"And we know you can't feel anything back. We know you're... empty inside." Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "But we wanted you to know that it doesn't matter to us. We love you anyway. We'll keep loving you whether you feel it or not."
"We'll wait," Satsuki added fiercely. "However long it takes. If there's any chance you could feel again someday, we'll be there when it happens."
"We're not giving up on you," Ino said. "Ever. No matter what."
"Y-You're precious to us," Hinata finished softly. "More precious than anything. We just... we wanted you to know that."
Naruto considered their words. They were expressing devotion, commitment, unconditional acceptance. These were, he understood intellectually, significant emotional offerings.
He felt nothing about them.
"Your dedication is noted," he said. "I acknowledge your feelings without being able to reciprocate them. If this arrangement satisfies you, I see no reason to alter it."
The girls exchanged glances—a moment of shared sorrow that passed between them before being deliberately set aside.
"It satisfies us," Sakura said quietly. "Being near you. Taking care of you. That's enough. For now."
"Then we are in agreement."
The girls nodded, apparently content with this resolution. They returned to their positions around him, their devotion undimmed by his inability to return it.
From across the training ground, Kakashi watched the exchange with troubled eyes.
He had heard the conversation. Had understood both its content and its implications.
Four girls, offering unconditional love to a boy incapable of accepting it.
A boy who regarded their affection as nothing more than a resource to be utilized.
It should have been sad. It was sad. But the saddest part was that Naruto himself couldn't recognize the tragedy of his own situation.
He had been broken so thoroughly that he couldn't even understand what he had lost.
After training, Kakashi pulled Naruto aside once more. The girls hovered at a distance, clearly reluctant to be separated from their focus but respecting the sensei's implicit request for privacy.
"I've been thinking about what you said earlier," Kakashi began.
"Which part?"
"All of it. Your analysis. Your conclusions. Your... acceptance of the situation."
"And?"
Kakashi was quiet for a moment, choosing his words carefully.
"You're right that I can't force you to care. I can't make you feel concern or curiosity or anything else about the girls' transformation. That's not within my power."
"Agreed."
"But I want you to consider something." The jonin's voice was unusually serious. "You said you don't care because the situation doesn't affect your survival. But survival isn't just about staying alive. It's about living. Having reasons to exist beyond simple continued existence."
"I have no such reasons."
"I know. And that's what I'm asking you to consider." Kakashi met his eyes. "Maybe the girls are part of something dangerous. Maybe their transformation is a plot by some enemy we don't understand. Or maybe it's completely benign—random chance or some natural phenomenon we've never encountered."
"Your point?"
"My point is that regardless of the cause, those girls are offering you something real. Something that most people would give anything to have—unconditional acceptance, devoted support, genuine love."
"I cannot experience love."
"Not now. But you said yourself that your condition was created by the village's abuse. That means it wasn't always like this. Which means there's a possibility—however small—that it could be undone."
Naruto considered this. The logic was sound, even if he couldn't feel any investment in the conclusion.
"You're suggesting that the girls' devotion could help restore my emotional capacity."
"I'm suggesting it's possible. I'm also suggesting that maybe you should care about that possibility, even if you can't feel the caring."
"How does one care about something without feeling?"
"By choosing to act as if you care. By making decisions that prioritize the outcome, even if you're not emotionally invested in it." Kakashi's voice softened. "Your father used to say that feelings follow actions. That if you do the right thing even when you don't feel like it, the feelings eventually catch up."
"That assumes the capacity for feeling exists and is merely dormant. My capacity may be permanently destroyed."
"Maybe. Or maybe not. The point is that you won't know unless you try."
Naruto absorbed this counsel without any particular reaction. The advice was logical, he supposed. Potentially useful, even.
But following it would require effort—deliberate, sustained effort to act against his natural inclinations. And effort required motivation, which required caring, which he was incapable of.
A circular problem with no obvious solution.
"I will consider your words," he said finally. "I cannot promise to implement them."
"That's all I ask."
Kakashi turned to leave, then paused.
"One more thing. You said you don't care about the girls' transformation because it doesn't affect your survival. But have you considered that understanding it might benefit you?"
"In what way?"
"Whatever caused their changes also increased their capabilities. If you could understand the mechanism, you might be able to apply it to yourself. Increase your own abilities further."
Naruto's eyes sharpened slightly—the closest thing to interest he could produce.
"That is a valid consideration."
"I thought you might think so." Kakashi's eye curved in something approaching a genuine smile. "Sometimes the best way to motivate someone is to find the right incentive. For you, apparently, that incentive is power."
"Power is practical. Emotion is not."
"Maybe. Or maybe emotion is a kind of power you haven't learned to use yet."
With that cryptic observation, Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts.
The four girls immediately converged on him, their concern evident in their expressions.
"What did Kakashi-sensei want?" Sakura asked.
"He offered counsel regarding my emotional state and the nature of your transformations."
"Our transformations?" Satsuki tilted her head. "What transformations?"
Naruto observed her genuine confusion—the same blank incomprehension she displayed every time the topic arose.
"Never mind," he said. "It's not relevant."
The girls accepted this dismissal without question, their attention immediately shifting to the next topic—dinner arrangements, sleeping schedules, who would accompany Naruto home.
He allowed their planning to wash over him, participating only when directly addressed.
But some part of his mind—the analytical core that never stopped processing—had seized on Kakashi's final suggestion.
If the transformation could be understood, it could potentially be replicated.
Enhanced capabilities. Increased power. Improved survival odds.
These were practical benefits worth investigating.
Perhaps he would care about the mystery after all.
Not for the girls' sake. Not for his own emotional wellbeing.
But for power.
That was a motivation even emptiness could embrace.