Chapter 17: Chapter 17: That Girl Is Too Close
At the same time, in the woods of the ninja school's playground…
Naruto stood facing Sasuke, his mind clear. After revealing layers of information to Sasuke, the latter was obviously shocked, and some trust was gained as a result.
However, Sasuke was no fragile vase; she was a real genius of the younger generation from the Uchiha clan.
Naruto's few words weren't enough to prove everything he said.
"You said that the one who plundered the Uchiha family's wealth last night was from Konoha's Root." Sasuke asked, trying to suppress her anger, "What kind of organization is Root?"
Naruto crossed his arms, leaning against a large tree. He gazed up at the clear blue sky and said casually, "Does the Anbu know about this?"
"Anbu… That's the direct guard of the Hokage. I've heard that woman speak of it before."
Naruto nodded after hearing Sasuke's explanation. "If Anbu is the light of Konoha, representing the Hokage's direct guard, then Root is the dark, dirty side of Konoha… Do you understand now, Sasuke?"
The term Root was something Sasuke had never heard before, and her understanding of Anbu was only through her older brother, Uchiha Itachi.
"Konoha's… dark and dirty side?"
Although Sasuke couldn't fully grasp what this dark side meant, she could roughly guess its outline.
"Exactly, the dark side."
Naruto flashed a smile as he looked at Sasuke. "You saw the dark side of the village last night. So today, you'll get to see what's called the light side of the village."
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, eager for an answer.
"Well… I can't say much about it, but you'll definitely see it today."
Sasuke, who wasn't someone to pry into things unless it involved her sister, Itachi, didn't press the issue. After observing Naruto, she felt that this matter wasn't just groundless, and Naruto had no reason to deceive her.
"By the way… you said you could help me get stronger… Is that true?"
At the most crucial moment, Sasuke looked down, clearly a bit nervous.
"Do you still have that blue card from yesterday?"
But then Naruto's next move not only made Sasuke's mind go blank, but it also caught the attention of several pairs of eyes from a distance, practically shooting daggers at him.
"What… what are you doing? You're too close…"
"What are you doing?"
Sasuke had been leaning against the wall, completely not expecting Naruto to suddenly approach her at this moment. She didn't know how to respond, as Naruto's sunlit, confident smile seemed to enlarge in her pupils.
Her fair and delicate cheeks flushed red as she quickly turned her head away, avoiding eye contact. "What do you want?"
Naruto, with a smirk, placed one hand on the wall, cornering her, as Sasuke turned her head away, her cheeks still flushed. He leaned in closer and whispered, "Have you thought about the cost of getting stronger? There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."
In that instant, the system's notification in Naruto's mind kept ringing.
[Ding ding ding, received 2000 Negative Emotion Points from classmates!!!]
[Ding ding ding, received 2000 Shock Points from classmates!!!]
The pleasant chime echoed, and Naruto flashed a radiant smile.
But at this moment, Sasuke, after hearing Naruto's words, began to contemplate deeply before she turned her head firmly to meet his gaze.
She was willing to sacrifice everything to take revenge and kill that woman, even if… it meant her own life.
At this moment, their faces were nearly touching, and they could even feel each other's breath.
This made Naruto blush, and he instinctively stepped back.
"What do you want in exchange? As long as I can afford it, take it."
Sasuke's earlier blush disappeared completely, replaced by a gaze full of hatred as she spoke with determination.
"It's simple. Be my fake girlfriend for three months, work for me outside of school for three months… And when we return to the class later, you'll say and do things like this… Got it?"
Naruto found it necessary to trick not only Sasuke but also his classmates.
"Three months as a fake girlfriend? Work for three months, and also…?"
Sasuke was bewildered by these strange demands. Shouldn't he be forcing her to be his girlfriend?
A school… fake girlfriend? What was that?
"What? Don't agree?" Naruto raised an eyebrow with a nonchalant expression. "Well, if that's the case, then forget I said anything."
With that, Naruto took a step back, preparing to leave.
"I… agree to your terms."
Thinking of her revenge, Sasuke couldn't stop the scenes from flashing in her mind—the Uchiha clan's massacre last night, her parents' tragic deaths in a pool of blood…
She hated her sister. She hated that heartless woman who robbed her of sleep.
"But… you need to show me enough strength to prove you're qualified to improve mine."
Sasuke stared at Naruto and continued, "I was careless yesterday and lost to you. Today, I will use all my strength to defeat you!"
Upon hearing Sasuke's words, Naruto turned around with an expression of realization.
"I thought it was strange how you were so calm yesterday. So you're not convinced about your loss yesterday, huh?"
Sasuke's frustration was obvious, and she pouted as her twin ponytails swayed in anger. She turned away and snorted.
Seeing this, Naruto couldn't help but laugh.
Yesterday afternoon, he had narrowly defeated Sasuke, and indeed, he had used some tricks and gambled a bit. But today, facing this proud girl, he felt certain of victory.
He had exchanged for the "Basic Lower Ninja Taijutsu Insights" and "Intermediate Throwing Skills" in the system. Neither of these could a seven-year-old Sasuke hope to rival.
"Alright, you decide the time. Either now or after school works for me." Naruto shrugged, unconcerned.
"Hmph, after school by the river at the usual spot. I'll be fully prepared to meet you and defeat you," Sasuke said, not daring to look at Naruto anymore. She turned and strode toward the classroom.
Watching Sasuke walk away proudly, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head, feeling both amused and exasperated.
What was this about testing whether he was qualified to help her improve her strength?
Hadn't Sasuke, who used a Chakra expansion card, already felt the increase in her Chakra?
So her so-called "test" was just an excuse. Sasuke simply couldn't accept losing to him, the guy at the bottom of the class.
Of course, Naruto himself knew that the battle yesterday had been rushed, and Sasuke had not truly displayed her full strength.
At her age, Sasuke had already mastered Fire Style jutsu, and with her regular training from Itachi, her skills in using hidden weapons far surpassed her peers. Add to that the support of her Sharingan, and no wonder she couldn't accept losing like that.
With a smile, Naruto turned and headed toward the classroom.
"If you had fought with all your strength yesterday, maybe I'd have had a harder time beating you, but today… Hmph."
He walked, deep in thought. "System panel."
[Golden Shovel System Panel]
Host: Uzumaki Naruto
Negative Emotion Points: 6449
Shock Points: 8540
Silver Coins: 3910
Talent: Perception Insight LV1
Basic Lower Ninja Taijutsu
Intermediate Throwing Skills
[Money as You Wish Search Function]
System Space (0/100 slots)
---
Looking at the system panel, Naruto's heart was filled with joy at the 6449 Negative Emotion Points and 8540 Shock Points accumulated in just one morning.
"Sasuke… you're basically my fortune generator," he thought with a smile.