"Sasuke, let's all go home together after school!" Sakura said, fidgeting as her girlfriends pushed her forward. Sasuke glanced disdainfully at the classmates around him and replied in his usual icy tone, "Shut up."
Even so, he was rewarded with shrieks and cheers from the girls. Naruto watched from afar, cursing "Smug Sasuke" under his breath while envying him to the depths of his soul. When would Sakura ever look his way?
Shut up!
I think this Silly System of yours is sexually frustrated too!
Naruto cursed the system inwardly. It really was like a brat who'd been left unspanked for two days and was now trying to climb onto the roof. It had actually egged on a successor of socialism like him to make a move on a six-year-old minor!
That wasn't just an ordinary crime.
That was a firing-squad offense!
After grumbling a few more curses, Naruto once again ignored the unofficial history compiled by the system.
As it happened, there was quite a coincidence.
The abstract setup of entering the Ninja Academy at six and graduating at twelve fit perfectly with the world of Douluo Continent. In other worlds, a twelve-year-old protagonist would still be waiting for his Hogwarts acceptance letter. In these two worlds, they'd already started slaughtering their way across the land.
As Naruto mused over this, Bibi Dong's voice sounded in his mind.
"Hmph! That father and son of the Tang Clan— the father fell in love with a blade of grass, and the son with a rabbit. What a ridiculous joke."
Naruto sent his consciousness inward.
The Sealing Space, which had been reduced to ruins, had quietly returned to its original state as Bibi Dong's spirit stabilized. At that moment, she was sitting with her legs crossed, lazily leaning against the sofa as usual.
When Bibi Dong saw Naruto appear before her, she first glared at him fiercely, then turned her head and looked away.
Naruto didn't mind at all. He nodded in hearty agreement.
"True. There's definitely something going on with their family."
At that, Bibi Dong, who hadn't planned on engaging with Naruto, became intrigued. She turned back, but when she spoke, her words came out as a mocking sneer. "Oh? Does the gentleman speak ill of others behind their backs too?"
"No, no!" Naruto clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head calmly, putting on an air of mystery. "What I'm saying is the truth. Tang San's family really has a thing for beast-human romance."
"What do you mean?"
"The story begins with Tang San's four generations of ancestors and descendants."
"..."
The two of them began discussing beast-human romance.
The aftereffects of the breakdown and self-destruction from a few days ago were still lingering. For instance, this was the first time Bibi Dong had spoken in days.
Naruto naturally tried to keep the conversation going. He'd given up on fixing Bibi Dong's psychological problems in the short term. He could only leave it to time to slowly wear them down; there was no other way.
At least for now, when it came to badmouthing Tang San behind his back, Bibi Dong was still quite talkative.
"So..." Bibi Dong knitted her brows, her expression complicated and strange as she shaped her hands into an egg in front of her. "Tang San's grandson hatched from an egg? Is he even human? Are you really not trying to fool me?"
"Honest as the day is long."
Naruto lifted his chin smugly.
"I'll take your word for it, then."
Bibi Dong said so, but the sneer at the corner of her lips made it clear she didn't believe him.
Every generation of Tang San's descendants found a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and counting Tang Hao, four generations in a row had married a Soul Beast. The story was so absurd it sounded like an unofficial history deliberately made up to disgust Tang San.
"When have I ever lied?"
Naruto protested indignantly.
That little brat never said more than a few truthful words. After being put through the wringer by "truths" like the Uzumaki Clan and Jinchuriki, Bibi Dong took it all as bullshit.
After trading a few more barbs, Naruto composed himself and asked, "Let's leave that aside. There's something I've always wondered about."
Bibi Dong lifted her chin, signaling for him to continue.
"Tang San's Martial Soul was a Trash Martial Soul, so I can understand why the Spirit Hall didn't notice him. But Xiao Wu had Innate Full Soul Power, and her Martial Soul wasn't trash. How come the Spirit Hall didn't react at all?"
Naruto's eyes were full of confusion. He only had six levels of Innate Soul Power—not especially impressive talent—yet the bearded Spirit Master from the Spirit Hall kept showing up whenever he had a spare moment to promote the organization.
So how had the Spirit Hall completely ignored Tang San and Xiao Wu, both of whom had Innate Full Soul Power?
Bibi Dong turned her head, her eyes darting aside.
Seeing Naruto just silently stare at her, refusing to go away, she finally gave up with a helpless sigh. "I found out that Xiao Gang was at Notting Academy at the time. The two of them seemed to be his disciples, so..."
"Right."
She'd barely started, but Naruto could already guess the reason.
On the Continent of Love, most problems could be blamed on romance.
"This Pope was busy with affairs of state every day! How could I waste my time and energy keeping an eye on a few brats?" Seemingly angered by Naruto's "I knew it" attitude, Bibi Dong hurriedly added, "Besides, at the time, I didn't think they could be more talented than me."
"In the end, it still went wrong."
Naruto's voice was quiet and mournful.
Bibi Dong, furious and embarrassed, let out a cold snort.
"That goes for you too. Don't go capsizing, you overconfident little brat."
Naruto only shrugged and smiled, preparing to withdraw his consciousness.
Just before he disappeared, Bibi Dong suddenly added, "Train hard. Don't you dare lose when the time comes."
"Got it."
Back in the real world, Naruto let out a soft breath and glanced around the dining hall.
With Tang San gone, the tense standoff between them had dissipated, and the surrounding teachers had silently looked away.
He put aside the idea of Soul Fighting as well. All Naruto could do now was train.
In the blink of an eye,
more than half a year passed.
Under the night sky, the pale blue vortex of Soul Power swirling around the courtyard quietly dissipated.
Naruto, who had been sitting cross-legged, awoke from his meditation. He opened his eyes, stretched his stiff body, then clenched his fist slightly, feeling the Soul Power inside him had reached its limit. He complained, "I've worked myself to the bone, and I've finally reached level ten Soul Power."
"That's right. You've finally caught up to the starting line of the geniuses." Bibi Dong's soft laugh rang out in his mind at just the right moment. Naruto curled his lip and shot a look at Dong Trumpet, who did nothing but make sarcastic remarks.
Bibi Dong still had a smile at the corners of her lips.
It was mockery, but there was also a hint of something else in it.
If this brat could keep going like this, and maintain a rate of four levels a year during his Spirit Master stage, it would only take three or four years for him to easily surpass Tang San. At that point, she wouldn't be able to fool him so easily anymore.
She had to tease him a little more while he hadn't figured it out yet... No, she meant she had to spur him on a little more!
Having found herself an excuse, Bibi Dong closed her eyes, feeling all the more justified.
Just then, she heard Naruto spring up from the bed and start rummaging around the room. Bibi Dong frowned in confusion. "In such a hurry? Can't even wait until dawn? Are you going Soul Hunting already?"
"No. There's something important I need to do before I go Soul Hunting."
Naruto rummaged through the cabinet.
From a pile of clothes, he pulled out a pitch-black bandit mask.
Seeing Naruto already wearing the grimy black hood, looking as sneaky as could be, Bibi Dong's expression turned even more disgusted. She couldn't help asking, "What... are you planning to do?"
Naruto gave her a meaningful smile.
"Thief!"
"Catch the thief!!"
Late at night, all of Notting Academy erupted into chaos. Countless lights came on, and the furious roars of several teachers sounded as if they were about to lift the roof off.
The students rubbed their eyes and curiously pushed open their dormitory doors. Their pupils shrank at once: a shadow shot down the corridor before them, followed by a chorus of cursing teachers who summoned their Martial Souls and Spirit Rings! They gave chase without letting up!
The two groups quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor, leaving the baffled students staring at one another.
What had happened?
Had the academy been robbed!?
Before you continue