[Holy crap, now that you mention it, Sparkle and Hinata really do seem to have some issues.]
[I feel like Naruko and Sasuke would make a better match.]
[Get out of here, CP shippers. This is obviously just daily-life buzz and comedy. Who told you to pair them up?]
The netizens started arguing again.
And Sparkle's popularity kept climbing.
Though the Danmaku had turned into a complete mess, Sparkle had also confirmed something.
Compared to a normal hot-blooded boy, the netizens truly found the current "Miss Naruko" much more entertaining.
So Sparkle decided to probe a little further.
"Miss, the annex is ready." At that moment, the maid Natsu Hyuga walked over.
"Mm, good. Then let's go have dinner first," Sparkle said.
"Yay! Food!" Naruto instantly came back to life.
"Huh? That guy still has energy?"
Sasuke struggled to climb to his feet.
Naruto actually still had energy.
After all, it was not as simple as merely transforming. Naruto and Sasuke were also wearing Weighted Training Gear!
"Everyone has things they are good at and things they are not. Actually, Teacher Kakashi would be more helpful to you than I would."
Sasuke's greatest "cheat" was the Sharingan.
But the Uchiha Clan had already been wiped out, and the only one who could teach Sasuke was Kakashi.
"That lazy Jonin..." Sasuke frowned.
"It's not like I can find you an Uchiha clansman to help you... Hmm, maybe that isn't impossible?"
Sparkle tilted her head.
"What did you say? I still have clansmen alive?!"
Sasuke immediately became agitated and tried to rise from the ground, only to lose strength and collapse again.
"Don't get too excited. I merely heard a rumor, so don't get your hopes up too high. Besides, even if there are Uchiha bloodlines living elsewhere, those people probably do not even know what 'Uchiha' means, much less anything about the Sharingan."
"...I see." Sasuke visibly wilted.
Indeed, there might truly be Uchiha bloodlines scattered outside the clan, but how many of them would awaken the Sharingan in their lifetimes? And after awakening it, how many could figure things out on their own and become capable fighters?
But Sasuke did not know that Sparkle had not meant that.
Because Sparkle really did know of an Uchiha.
Since Warring States Sealing History existed, there was a high chance that the girl called Uchiha Hikari was in it as well.
Should she call Uchiha Hikari out and say, "Let's burn the ninja world to ashes together"?
That actually sounded pretty interesting.
Author's Note:
The cover actually passed review, lol.
Public information: As for why the first volume was Naruto and Sparkle, the creative process actually went like this.
Sparkle suited Red Rope well → Red Rope bondage sounded pretty nice → Kimono was cute too → Kimono seemed suitable for bondage as well.
Jingliu's eyepatch was great → Right, the Hyuga Clan could see clearly even while wearing eyepatches → Wearing eyepatches daily was no problem too.
Eyepatches, white stockings, Red Rope, and kimono—an absolutely perfect combination!
Then the Hyuga Clan also had a Sparkle... She happened to be a supporting character too, which fit the story's tone perfectly.
Mm, let's combine the two...
Disappointing the Vast Audience
The Hyuga Clan's annex had been left unused for a long time. It had a Japanese-style garden and even hot springs, but because it had not been used in so long, the springs were temporarily unavailable. Only the showers could be used.
"Why do I have to wear women's clothes?! I'm not some pervert!"
After showering, Naruto came out wrapped in a bath towel and immediately protested.
"..."
Natsu Hyuga looked at Naruto with utter disgust.
Intentionally or not, she stood in front of Sparkle. Though she knew Sparkle "couldn't see," she still felt that Naruto would contaminate Lady Sparkle.
[Could that be Sparkle's original-scent kimono?]
[What a genius.]
[Don't give it to me, I'll wear it!]
[Something is wrong with you!]
This group of viewers was as bizarre as ever.
"My, my," Sparkle spoke up. "I specially picked these clothes for you."
"Huh? Specially?" Naruto was stunned.
"Yes, to stop you from slacking off. If you are wearing women's clothes, you can only maintain your transformation, right? Naruto, you do not want people to see you wearing women's clothes while you are in your male form, do you?"
[This Japanese netizen needs to tone it down.]
[Ninja Path is a Japanese-style story. Damn, there really isn't anything wrong with that argument.]
[The person saying it is the problem.]
[Sparkle: I think there's no problem.]
[Even though my wife gave a reason, why do I still feel like she just wants to watch the chaos?]
[Wait, actually, if Naruto grew her hair out and had slightly fairer skin, I feel like even her original boy form would work.]
[Yeah, yeah, boys who look like girls are even better.]
Sparkle: ???
Was crossdressing culture not popular over there? Was it instead boy-in-girl's-clothes culture?
But without question, her popularity was currently rising rapidly. The audience could be said to be thoroughly enjoying her "joke."
Still, Naruto really did have the potential for it, and she did not reject women's clothing either.
Even the original official work had released a "yuri" book where transformed Naruko went on a date with Hinata. The original work had played with the joke too.
But if it was not gender-swapping, and simply a cute boy wearing women's clothes, that did not seem impossible either.
Should she make Naruto into a boy who looked like a girl and gender-swap Sasuke instead?
"Achoo—"
From afar, Sparkle heard someone sneeze.
"Transform. Phew, this is better."
After transforming, Naruto was visibly more at ease.
"It looks like the vast audience's dreams are about to be shattered."
Seeing Naruto's reaction, Sparkle roughly understood.
Naruto did not reject being a girl, but if it was merely a boy wearing women's clothes, she probably did not like it.
A straight guy's aesthetic? No, a "straight-lineage" aesthetic?
To Naruto, a girl wearing women's clothes and a boy wearing women's clothes were probably two entirely different matters.
If Naruto could only wear women's clothes for the rest of her life and had to choose between being a boy or a girl, then by Naruto's way of thinking, she would probably choose to be a girl—and likely would not feel much psychological burden over it.
"Could I have Sasuke wear women's clothes while Naruto transforms?"
"Achoo—achoo—huh?" Sasuke sneezed several times again from afar, seemingly somewhat confused.
But considering Sasuke was also a decent person, Sparkle decided not to tease them... Ah, him.
Though Sparkle also wanted to give the vast audience some fanservice, since the people involved had no such desire, she would let it go. Naruto and Sasuke were, after all, her friends.
The boy-in-girl's-clothes fanservice was gone!
"But since the Land of Demons truly exists in this world, then does the Land of Demons' Permanent Transformation Jutsu, the Shadow Mirror Body Transformation Jutsu... exist too?"
It was a secret technique, but not a Kekkei Genkai. So Naruto truly could learn it.
"Mm-hmm, perfect." After tidying her twin tails, Naruto put her hands on her hips and nodded, looking like she was thinking, I'm so cute.
Just as Sparkle had analyzed, Naruto did not like being a pervert, but being purely a boy or purely a girl was both fine.
But after being happy for a while, Naruto hesitated. She seemed to want to say something to Sparkle, yet did not dare speak.
"What is it, Naruto?" Sparkle asked.
Natsu Hyuga bowed to Sparkle from over there, then went back to preparing dinner.
"Sparkle, you seem kind of different toward Sasuke, and Sasuke's attitude toward you too... Anyway, it's just, um... Ah, that..."
Naruto did not know how to describe her feelings.
[Here it comes, here it comes. The most classic setup: two boys and one girl, a love triangle.]
[Sasuke: I just like women who are delicate and unpretentious.]
[The one above, you mean Naruko.]
[For the sake of harmony, I suggest everyone transform into girls.]
[Is there some kind of permanent transformation technique? They are all my wives!]
The viewers started making noise again.
"Because you are all my companions," Sparkle said. "Sasuke is different from you, Naruto. He does not have your powerful physique and Chakra, so his training methods cannot be exactly the same."
"Then—Sparkle, do you like Sasuke?" Naruto asked directly.
"That's right, I like Sasuke—and everyone else too. I like Naruto as well." Sparkle looked utterly innocent.
"Ah, I see~"
Naruto seemed relieved.
[Oh no, she got fooled by a player.]
[My wife is such a scheming little tea girl, but I like it.]
[I always feel like Sparkle's true love is her sister?]
[I also think Naruto and Sasuke are true love.]
[I don't believe Sparkle didn't understand what Naruto meant.]
[She did it on purpose. Lady Sparkle is black-hearted through and through, she's just teasing you.]
[What kind of puppy love are twelve-year-olds having? I support Sparkle.]
[Puppy love is not okay, but girls getting close is okay, right?]
[Absolutely.]
Emotional topics were always highly popular.
"What weird things are you talking about?"
Sasuke had finished showering too and walked over. Naruto's voice had been so loud just now that Sasuke had heard it.
Sparkle noticed that Sasuke seemed to glance at Naruto from time to time.
But Sasuke seemed to often look at Naruto that way.
So, what exactly was Sasuke thinking?
Before you continue