vncnus Chapter 21: The Event Begins
Chapter 21: The Event Begins
Naruto's life gradually settled into a stable rhythm. Every morning, Naruto would appear on the streets of Konoha Village, running and training his taijutsu, with a clear purpose.
"I'm sure I'll meet my youth today...Teacher Kai."
Naruto looked forward to this every day. He imagined the scene where the thick-browed man in the green bodysuit suddenly jumped out from some corner, enthusiastically shouting, "This is youth!"
However, several days passed without him seeing Kai in person or even hearing his signature shout.
It seems they've gone on a mission... Naruto came to this conclusion with a hint of disappointment.
In the afternoon, Naruto would always appear on time at the clearing on the outskirts of Konoha Forest. This place had become his and Sasuke's agreed training ground.
To his surprise, he originally thought that as the eldest daughter of the Uchiha clan, Satsuki would only be able to sneak out two or three times a week at most, but the actual situation was that he could see her here at least five days out of the week.
It seems they've successfully persuaded the three generations of elders.
Satsuki had a similar dilemma. After she and Naruto went home that day, her usually stern father, Fugaku Uchiha, unusually called her to his study.
"Satsuki, you've made a very good friend." Fugaku's voice was much gentler than usual. "You can train with him more often in the future."
Just as Satsuki was overjoyed at her father's approval, Fugaku added a strange condition. "But remember, don't mention this to any other members of the clan," he emphasized, "including your sister Itachi."
Satsuki's little face was full of confusion. She had originally planned to find an opportunity to introduce her older sister to Naruto. But seeing her father's solemn expression, she obediently nodded.
This was the first time her usually stern father had so clearly instructed her on something. Although she didn't understand why, she decided to keep his promise.
But... her older sister is appearing at home less and less. The older sister who used to often accompany her to practice shuriken and occasionally take her out for three-color dumplings, now she can only see her briefly in the early morning.
Sometimes, Satsuki would get up early to make it to the brief time she could have breakfast with her sister. "Is my sister very busy lately?" one morning, Satsuki asked Itachi as he tied his headband.
Itachi turned around, crouched down, and gently poked her younger sister's forehead as usual. "Sorry, Satsuki. I've had a lot of missions lately." Her voice was still gentle, but her eyes held complex emotions that Satsuki couldn't decipher. "After this busy period, I'll practice with you again, okay?"
Satsuki nodded obediently, unaware that her older sister—seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi—had already become a Chunin and begun to take on real ninja missions. Those figures hurrying away from home in the early morning were all heading to the mission assembly point.
Strangely, Satsuki didn't feel disappointed as before. Every afternoon, when she went to the clearing in the forest, she would always see the blond boy. Naruto seemed to be there all the time, either practicing hand seals or researching new ninjutsu techniques.
"Hey, you're here earlier than yesterday!" Naruto always greets people with such energy.
During her time with Naruto, Satsuki found herself experiencing an unprecedented sense of comfort. Within the Uchiha clan, children her age either hadn't even begun formal training, or possessed only mediocre talent.
Those clansmen who had already begun cultivation either arrogantly flaunted their talents or always wore a stern face and pretended to be mature.
Dealing with those people is exhausting...
Satsuki had thought about this more than once. But it was completely different when she was with Naruto—he would listen to her seriously, be genuinely happy for her progress, and, more importantly, never look at her with the kind of "Uchiha should be like this or that" mentality.
If Naruto knew what Sasuke was thinking, he would definitely complain. Putting two tsundere types together isn't a good idea.
It was Naruto's exceptional talent and caring nature that made Satsuki increasingly enjoy the time she spent with him.
Every afternoon after training, they would put away their ninja tools and sit by the lake to share the bento boxes Naruto had prepared. This was Satsuki's favorite time—the fatigue from training would gradually fade, replaced by the satisfaction of delicious food.
"Hey, Satsuki, what's your dream?" Naruto asked casually one day while eating a rice ball.
Without hesitation, Zuo Yue replied, "Of course, I want to surpass my sister and become a ninja that the Uchiha clan can be proud of!" This was a belief she had been instilled with since childhood, and it was also the motivation for her to train hard every day.
Naruto nodded thoughtfully and continued, "And then? What will you do after surpassing your sister?"
Zuo Yue was stunned. She had never thought about this question before. In her simple worldview, becoming stronger was the goal, everything.
"Your turn." She changed the subject somewhat flusteredly, "What's your dream?"
Naruto gazed at the shimmering lake surface. "Me... I guess I hope that in times of danger in the future, I can protect what I want to protect."
This answer confused Satsuki. In her view, dreams should be specific and clear, like "becoming Hokage".
But when she turned to look at Naruto, she found that his profile looked particularly serious in the sunset, and his blue eyes reflected her own image.
For some reason, Satsuki felt her cheeks suddenly burning. She didn't understand where this strange feeling came from, only that her heart would beat faster involuntarily whenever she was alone with Naruto.
Naruto was completely unaware that he had unintentionally touched the little girl's heartstrings. For him, spending time with Sasuke was initially just to earn system points. But gradually, this proud and aloof Uchiha girl became innocent and adorable, and the time he spent with her became enjoyable.
One evening, as they parted, that familiar system notification suddenly rang in Naruto's mind.
[Congratulations, host! You have established a bond with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" (Level 5)!]
Points earned: 500!
Naruto was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Sasuke could be won over gradually through their interactions. According to the original story, he and Sasuke were supposed to build such a bond after graduating from the Ninja Academy. But now, they had already formed a close relationship, like childhood friends.
As for the other one, every night, Naruto would sit on his bed, close his eyes, and let his consciousness sink into the sealed space. A damp and cold atmosphere would hit him, but Naruto was already used to it.
"Kurama, I'm here!" Naruto walked toward the huge iron fence with a grin.
Kurama lazily raised its eyelids, its nine tails swaying casually: "What boring story did you bring today?" Despite its indifferent tone, its beastly eyes involuntarily glanced at the paper in Naruto's hand.
"Today's the exciting part!" Naruto proudly held up the latest handwritten chapter, "Xiao Huohuo is finally going to attack the Yunlan Sect!"
And so, every night, Naruto would come to chat with Kurama on time. Sometimes they would talk about the interesting things that happened during the day, and sometimes they would continue writing the handwritten "Battle of the Heavens".
That very night, Naruto, exhausted from researching his newly acquired Water Release ninjutsu, forgot to go to the sealed space. The next evening, when he appeared as usual, he was greeted by the cold, aloof back of Kurama.
"Kurama?" Naruto called out tentatively.
The big fox didn't move an inch, only flicking the tip of its tail impatiently.
"That ninjutsu yesterday was too complicated, I practiced until very late..." Naruto explained, scratching his head.
"Hmph, I don't care whether you come or not," Nine-Tails finally spoke, his voice clearly tinged with sullenness. "I just want some peace and quiet."
Just as Naruto was about to continue coaxing the proud tailed beast, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.
[Congratulations, host: You have established a bond with the original character "Nurama" (Level 3)]
[Reward: 400 points!]
Naruto almost burst out laughing. It turned out the big fox wasn't really angry, just being stubborn. He wisely refrained from exposing him and, as usual, sat down to begin a new chapter of the story.
In this way, Naruto's points increased by another 1600. He couldn't wait to do a round of ten-pull draws. Although he didn't get the purple or gold reward he dreamed of, he still gained a lot.
Earth Release Chakra Adaptation and Mastery of Nature Transformation—this increased his chakra nature to four.
Equivalent to half of Kakashi's chakra amount—he obtained an astonishing "half-Kakashi" chakra amount.
There's also a 20% boost to sealing techniques talent, and a whole bunch of universal currency from the Naruto world.