2: Chapter 2 Little Sun and Heart's EyeThe atmosphere in the Hokage's office was so oppressive it was suffocating.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had his ever-present pipe dangling from his lips, but he hadn't lit it.A video recorded by his Sharingan was playing repeatedly in the crystal sphere floating before him.
In the scene, several stones flew towards Naruto at tricky angles, and then suddenly froze less than a finger's width away from his body.
There was no warning.
There was no chakra fluctuation.
They hovered in the air, defying all the principles of the world, and then fell helplessly.
I watched Hiruzen Sarutobi ten times.
With each reading, his wrinkled face beneath his graying beard grew even more somber.
As the pinnacle of ninjas, hailed as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," he exhausted all his knowledge but could not find any reasonable explanation for the bizarre scene before him.
It's neither a space-time ninjutsu nor a bloodline limit.
It was a more primitive, more tyrannical, and completely incomprehensible force.
"You've all seen Kakashi's report," he finally spoke, addressing the two ANBU members standing in the shadows.
"yes."
"Raise the surveillance level on Naruto Uzumaki to the highest level.I need to know his every move, every word, every person he has contacted, and every sentence he has uttered."
"But, Third Hokage…" one of the ANBU hesitated, "Could this be…"
"Just observe." Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him."No one is allowed to have contact with him or engage in any hostile behavior without my orders.This matter is classified as S-class secret and must not be leaked."
"yes!"
The two members of the secret service vanished in an instant.
Silence returned to the office, broken only by the old man's heavy breathing.He picked up his pipe from the table, took a deep drag, and exhaled a bitter-smelling smoke.
Nine-Tails.Did you really do this?
Or perhaps something more terrifying than the Nine-Tails is awakening within that child's body.
Naruto Uzumaki returned to his small, dilapidated apartment and casually closed the door.
He took off his orange jacket and threw it disdainfully in the corner.The exaggerated color and style were his carefully chosen work outfit for perfectly portraying the character "Naruto Uzumaki".
The purpose is to make others feel disgusted, so as to make it easier to harvest negative emotions.
Very effective.
He brought up the system panel, which only he could see.
Shadow Points: 3810
Today was a good day.
However, he paused when his gaze moved to another data point.
Glory Points: 1000
Shadow points originate from negative emotions such as fear, hatred, disgust, and confusion.
Glory Points, on the other hand, come from positive emotions such as admiration, gratitude, worship, and recognition.
This is the initial start-up capital given by the system.
Naruto Uzumaki fell into thought.
By consistently pursuing a dark path, accumulating Shadow Points is indeed a simple and efficient method.If he wanted, he could turn the entire Hidden Leaf Village into his emotional ATM.
But that's too basic.
A pure monster will only be viewed with suspicion and rejected by everyone, and will ultimately be united in its extermination.This is not in his long-term interest.
To live better in this world and seize more benefits, simply being strong is useless.
You need identity, you need status, you need people's hearts.
A perfectly crafted "sunny little sun" persona, a beloved hero, is undoubtedly the best disguise.It can bring trust, resources, and everything that the shadow path cannot provide.
Only when everyone sees you as light can you walk freely in the deepest darkness.
"Developing along two fronts, combining overt and covert approaches, is the key to success."
He muttered to himself and made a decision.
To play a role, you must first have the corresponding acting skills.
[Consume 1000 Glory Points to redeem [Master of Acting LV1].]
[Redeem successful!]
[Acting Master LV1: You can perfectly control over 99% of your micro-expressions and emotional fluctuations, making your performance seamless and virtually undetectable.]
An invisible warm current flowed through my body.
Naruto walked up to the dusty mirror and looked at his youthful yet indifferent face reflected in it.
He tried to move the muscles in his face.
A warm, pure smile, carrying the unique innocence of youth, slowly bloomed on his face.
There wasn't a trace of gloom in that smile; it was so radiant it could dispel all darkness.
Even he himself felt a little disgusted looking at it.
But the results were surprisingly good.
"Great, I can change my work outfit now."
He changed into a clean black short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and his whole demeanor changed from gloomy and aloof to refreshing and neat.
The new performance is about to begin.
The third training ground in Konoha Village.
Naruto Uzumaki didn't just happen to pass by here; he found his way here precisely based on the memories in his mind.
In a secluded corner of the training ground, a girl with purple hair and blue eyes was cultivating alone.
Hinata Hyuga.
She wasn't being bullied by anyone; she was simply practicing the basic movements of the Soft Fist alone.Sweat soaked her bangs, which clung tightly to her fair skin, and her face had a healthy blush from continuous exercise.
Her movements were meticulous; although they appeared somewhat soft, each strike carried an indomitable tenacity.
Good, she's not the kind of weak princess who needs to be rescued.
Naruto Uzumaki admires people who work hard like this.
Just then, several boys dressed in Hyuga clan attire passed by.Their clothes did not have the main family's insignia, so they were obviously from the branch family.
"Hey, isn't this Hinata?Still practicing this kind of weak and feeble fist technique?" The leading boy said in a mocking tone.
"Completely lacking in power, it's a disgrace to the Hyuga clan."
"Is this all the eldest daughter of the main family is capable of?No wonder everyone in the clan says you're so lacking."It's trash.
One sarcastic remark followed another.
Hinata's body froze, her previously fluid movements instantly distorted, her face flushed red, her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, and she lowered her head, remaining silent.
It's time.
Naruto Uzumaki emerged from behind the tree.
He didn't look at the other children from the branch family, but walked straight to Hinata and bent down to pick up a leaf that had just fallen.
"Hey, you guys."
He finally spoke, drawing everyone's attention.
The group of teenagers who had separated from the family looked over disdainfully and realized it was the village's infamous "fox spirit boy".
"What are you looking at, monster?"
Naruto Uzumaki ignored their provocations.He simply looked at them calmly and then gently placed the leaf on his forehead.
He closed his eyes and activated the chakra control he had just acquired.
[Consume 500 Shadow Points to exchange for [Chakra Precision Manipulation LV1].]
A stream of pure chakra surged from his dantian, as thin as a spider's thread, precisely covering the thin leaf.
The leaf stuck firmly to his forehead, without moving an inch.
He opened his eyes and calmly asked the stunned teenagers.
"Can you do it?"
The boys who had split up were stunned.
This is one of the most basic exercises at the Ninja Academy, but the more basic it is, the more it tests one's talent and control.They had certainly practiced it, but no one could do it so effortlessly.
"If you can't do it, then shut your mouths." Naruto Uzumaki said clearly, word by word, "Those who laugh at those who try are the real weaklings."
These words were not only spoken to them, but also to Hinata.
"You.you monster!What do you know!"
Enraged, the leader of the boys also picked up a leaf and stuck it on his forehead.
The leaf swayed and fell down.
He tried again.
It still fell down.
Several other people tried as well, and without exception, they all failed.Their faces turned a deep purplish-red, and under the subtle gazes of those around them, they felt like complete clowns.
"Let's go!"
The boys couldn't stand it any longer, so they threw down a harsh remark and slunk away.
The world is peaceful now.
Naruto walked up to Hinata, took a neatly folded, clean handkerchief from his pocket, and handed it to her.
Hinata stared blankly at him, then at the handkerchief, at a loss for what to do.
"Ignore them." He spoke in a sincere and gentle tone, thanks to the "Master of Acting."
"Your eyes are special, as beautiful as the moon."
[bite!]
[Received 500 "Affection" from Hinata Hyuga!]
[Received 300 "Gratitude" from Hinata Hyuga!]
[Received 200 units of "shyness" from Hinata Hyuga!]
[Glory Points +1000!]
Naruto Uzumaki remained completely unfazed, even calculating the return on investment.
Five hundred Shadow Points for a thousand Glory Points – a huge profit!
Hinata's mind went blank.She instinctively took the handkerchief, and when her fingertips touched his hand, she felt as if she were being electrocuted.
pretty...
He said my eyes are beautiful.
No one had ever said that to her before.
Because of those white eyes, she had heard nothing but comments like "a disgrace to the main family" and "an omen of misfortune" since she was a child.
The immense emotional turmoil quietly awakened something dormant deep within her blood.
Her eyes rolled back uncontrollably in that instant.
However, the world in sight is completely different from what I've seen before.
In her perception, Naruto Uzumaki before her was surrounded by a warm, bright orange aura.The light was incredibly gentle and welcoming, making her want to get closer.
But beneath that warm orange halo, in the very core, she saw another layer of light.
It was a very faint, yet chillingly cold, blue halo.
It was slowly rotating, radiating an absolute zero that could freeze the soul.
Warmth and coldness.
Light and darkness.
Two completely opposite "colors" coexist contradictorily in the same person.
Hinata was completely stunned.
She watched Naruto smile gently at her, then turn and leave.That warm orange silhouette, however, was always surrounded by an undeniable, icy blue outline in her newly formed "heart eyes."
Why...
She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, the warmth of his fingertips still lingering on it.
Why would such a warm person have such a cold "color"?
Prev Next