Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

"What is that thing?"

"It's the god worshipped by the Church in the Land of Hot Water. It tempts unsuspecting mortals into conducting rituals in pursuit of immortality," Tayuya explained briefly.

"If you say so," Naruto got up. "I don't mind."

"However, I'm not interested in anyone else's soul. You're the first debtor, and you'll be the only one."

"You..."

"Who said I want to form any debt relationship with you?!" Tayuya turned her head away.

Naruto remained patient, his hand still extended in midair.

She gritted her teeth, glanced at Naruto, and reconsidered his words. Finally, she held back her anger.

She thought to herself that as long as she kept her borrowing within certain limits, she could take the money and disappear. Excessive demands could simply be refused. Just grab the last amount and run.

She would infuriate him—and in such a big world, there was no way he could find her.

Naruto was confident Tayuya wouldn't refuse his proposal. It was the best solution from both their perspectives.

Orochimaru no longer needed her, nor would he remember her.

Sasuke had successfully defected, and Orochimaru didn't care whether the Sound Four were dead, injured, or simply gone.

Even if Tayuya didn't return, Orochimaru wouldn't bother looking for her. Sasuke was his true focus.

Buying her soul and faith for 100,000 ryō was pocket change to Naruto. Money had lost its meaning for him.

If necessary, he could raise the price, but it seemed that Tayuya didn't have much concept of money.

"Let's start over." Naruto extended his hand expressionlessly. "I'm the owner of your soul, your only creditor—Naruto Uzumaki."

A delicate hand tentatively placed itself into Naruto's palm, only to be gripped tightly.

Naruto, unsurprised, calmly pulled Tayuya up.

"Found it yet?"

"You're the one who threw it around so messily, idiot!"

"Show some respect. I'm your creditor now." Naruto straightened up from the pile of dry leaves, ceasing his money-picking.

The more dashing his previous act of scattering the cash, the more painful it was now to bend over and pick it up.

"I refuse! I already sold my soul to you, so I don't owe you anything now," Tayuya declared self-righteously.

"The money in your hands far exceeds 100,000 ryō," Naruto glanced at her.

The low sun filtered through the sparse dry leaves of the forest, refracting shapes of light in the drifting dust.

Scattered cash lay atop the thick layer of dry leaves, forcing the two of them to painstakingly retrieve it.

"Anything beyond the amount is a loan!" Tayuya puffed out her modest chest, declaring boldly, "I've signed that debt agreement, so I'll take what I'm entitled to!"

"With a debt comes an obligation to treat your creditor with respect." Naruto stopped picking up money and slowly moved closer to Tayuya through the leaf pile.

"What... are you trying to do?"

"Are you scared?" Naruto asked instead of answering.

"Who's scared, you idiot!" Tayuya clenched her fists, forcing herself to appear strong. "What could you possibly do? You're just a brat younger than me!"

"Your legs are shaking."

"Shut up, you trash-filled idiot!" Tayuya retorted.

"Oh?" Naruto closed the gap, their noses almost touching through the thick pile of dry leaves.

"You..." Tayuya turned her head, her face full of disdain.

When Naruto handed her the nearly 100,000 ryō he had picked up, her cheeks flushed red.

"Seriously, how much do you love money?" Naruto teased.

"None of your business!" Tayuya snatched the cash and stuffed it into her chest. "I have nowhere else to go, so of course I love money!"

"If I don't have money to buy food, I'd have to resort to stealing, which could attract unnecessary trouble from the ninja villages."

"You're surprisingly clever," Naruto complimented without hesitation.

"That's just common sense! How low is your opinion of me?" Though she pretended to dislike the praise, Tayuya still felt pleased. "...Well, I am pretty smart."

"With debt comes responsibility," Naruto said, locking eyes with her. "Are you scared? What is it you fear?"

"You have no experience with this, do you? Are you afraid I might suddenly kiss you?"

"What are you talking about?" Tayuya snapped, still trying to appear tough. "I've been fighting since I was six, killed more people than you've eaten bowls of ramen—I wouldn't care about something like that..."

"Terrifying," Naruto said dryly, before changing the subject. "Your debt is now 200,000."

Looking at Naruto, who was just inches away, Tayuya panicked and shut her eyes.

"I refuse!"

"That's reasonable," Naruto suddenly said, stepping back.

"Huh?"

Naruto moved away, picking up more cash as he spoke without turning back.

"Your value far exceeds 200,000. You have the right to refuse."

Hearing this, Tayuya froze, her thoughts tangled like threads, her mind unable to stop considering one question.

How much was her life worth to that guy?

The Day After the Mission

Naruto woke up in an empty room.

The mission had failed—Sasuke had still escaped.

Everyone was injured except Naruto.

Due to her sensitive status, Tayuya hadn't returned to the village with Naruto. Instead, she went to Tanzaku Street as they had agreed.

Tanzaku Street wasn't a single street but a bustling town in the Land of Fire, a bit far from Konoha. It had everything, from lodging to food and scenic views, rivaling Konoha's main street.

Their relationship resembled owning a cat but wasn't quite the same.

This arrangement was Naruto's decision. After Sasuke's defection, there wouldn't be much happening for three years.

Naruto needed time to grow, and so did Tayuya.

Even before the mission began, Naruto had refused Jiraiya's training request. He just wanted to take it easy. He wouldn't believe anything that old toad said unless the sun rose from the west.

Besides, training with Jiraiya was too troublesome, and the results wouldn't be significant.

Instead, Naruto planned to rely on the system for training, returning to a normal life. First, he would finish the Nine-Tails progress bar that had been dragging on, aiming to unlock more options within three years.

When the time was right, he'd solve the Nine-Tails problem inside him.

The sealing formula had already been prepared.

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