Feeling the soft, water-like body in his arms, Naruto finally heard the system's notification finish.
Great Evolution Divine Soul Art?
It sounded pretty damn awesome.
But before he could think further, the system's additional explanation appeared immediately after:
[Great Evolution Divine Soul Art Usage Restrictions] [Passive Effect Restriction: The Mental Sea's impregnable defense grants complete immunity only against attacks from opponents whose spiritual power level is equal to or lower than the host's. Against attacks exceeding the host's spiritual power level, such as Mangekyō Sharingan-level genjutsu or Tailed Beast-level spiritual pressure, the effect will be reduced to "greatly weakened." (Host's current spiritual power level: Peak Chunin)] [Active Effect Restrictions: 1. Soul Search and Spirit Seizure: Requires physical contact with the target and continuous chanting for 10 seconds. During this time, the host cannot move or defend. 2. Memory Alteration: Effective only on targets whose spiritual power is far below the host's, such as civilians or Genin. For targets with similar spiritual power, such as Jonin, the target must be completely unable to resist. 3. Mental Brand: Each use exhausts all spiritual power and triggers a 24-hour "mental weakness" period. During this time, all mental abilities, including passive immunity, are temporarily disabled.] [Note: All active effects may only be used once every 24 hours.]
"So there were this many restrictions..." Naruto understood.
That was more like it. It was a powerful trump card, but not so invincible that it destroyed the balance.
Good. Very system-like.
This wasn't the time to study it.
Naruto released his hold and took a step back, putting a safe distance between himself and the girl.
He had no intention of letting this girl actually faint in his arms. Then he would have to take her home, and that would be a hassle.
He lowered his head and glanced at the carefully wrapped bouquet of Blue Enchantress roses in his hands. Nodding in satisfaction, he said, "Not bad. Excellent quality. Worthy of my future principal wife."
With that, without even sparing the blonde girl behind the counter a glance, he carried the flowers and swaggered away.
From beginning to end, he did not waste a single extra word.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
Only after that tall, arrogant figure had completely vanished through the doorway did Choji Akimichi let out a long breath.
He looked at Ino, who was still frozen in the same pose.
Her ears were so red they looked ready to bleed.
"Hey, Ino, are you okay?"
Ino did not answer.
She slowly raised her hand, her fingertips trembling as they touched her burning earlobe.
It seemed to still carry the man's scorching breath and those shameless words that had struck like thunder.
—"Become a woman of the Uzumaki Clan, and I'll make you... smile every day."
Ino stared blankly in the direction Naruto had left, and Sasuke's cold face unconsciously surfaced in her mind.
Before, she had thought that was cool. But now... compared to Naruto's volcanic heat and domineering presence, which seemed ready to swallow and melt her body and soul whole...
"Sasuke... really does seem kind of boring..." Ino covered her burning cheeks and muttered softly, so quietly that only she could hear it.
"Gasp—!"
Beside her, Shikamaru Nara sucked in a sharp breath. For the first time, his perpetually deadpan face showed an expression of pure horror, as if he had seen a ghost.
It was over!
The trouble was huge!
The most famous "Sasuke fangirl leader" in all of Hidden Leaf... had actually gone into heat?!
And the target was Naruto Uzumaki?!
Shikamaru irritably scratched his head and muttered his classic catchphrase, "What a drag..."
"Damn it, Private Gan!"
Elsewhere, in the Hokage's Office.
Late at night, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat alone at his desk. No image appeared in the crystal ball.
His fingers tapped rhythmically against the tabletop. Spread out before him were several recent intelligence reports concerning Naruto Uzumaki.
"Pure Byakugan... That's impossible."
He murmured to himself.
There had never been any trace of Hyuga blood in Minato and Kushina's lineage.
A transplant?
But he knew very well that outside the Hyuga Clan, there had never been a successful case of Byakugan transplantation. The rejection was far more severe than with the Sharingan.
Unless...
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes suddenly sharpened as a name that made even him shudder came to mind.
"Orochimaru..."
Only that disciple of his, who would stop at nothing for forbidden techniques, might attempt such an unnatural Kekkei Genkai fusion experiment.
If Naruto's Byakugan truly had something to do with Orochimaru, then the nature of this matter had completely changed.
"After speaking with Sasuke and Sakura, it seems I must personally meet Naruto."
The Third Hokage took a deep drag from his pipe, his gaze turning grave. "I must probe the true origin of those eyes."
Naruto had no idea that Hidden Leaf's highest authority had already set his sights on him. He knew even less that the Third Hokage had issued an S-Rank Sealing Order regarding his abilities.
Carrying the flowers, he made his way with practiced ease to the Hyuga Clan's estate.
To him, defenses like solid copper walls and iron barriers were no different from a public restroom.
He thought to himself, Hmm, Hiashi isn't at the estate tonight. His chakra is over by the guard station, so he's probably dealing with matters concerning the branch family. The chakra fluctuations of the Pure Byakugan are on an entirely different frequency from ordinary Byakugan, so these guards can't sense them at all. Now's the time.
"Pure Byakugan, activate!"
His three-hundred-sixty-degree vision instantly pierced through everything, and Naruto quickly found that familiar figure beside a pond in the back courtyard.
With a light push from his feet, he silently drifted over the wall like a feather and slipped precisely into the rear courtyard of the Hyuga Estate.
"Were you thinking about me?"
A teasing, magnetic voice suddenly sounded from above her head without warning.
Hinata Hyuga trembled all over and abruptly looked up, only to meet a handsome face with a hint of wickedness.
Under the moonlight, the boy landed steadily before her, holding a massive bouquet of blue roses that seemed to glow in the darkness.
"The prettiest flowers in all of Hidden Leaf, for the gentlest eyes in all of Hidden Leaf. A perfect match."
Before Hinata could react, the huge bouquet was shoved into her arms with rough yet gentle force.
"Na... Naruto!"
Hinata's mind instantly crashed, and her cheeks became hot enough to boil an egg.
"I came to see my future wife and bring her some flowers while I was at it."
Naruto reached out and habitually brushed a finger across her small nose. "Do you like them?"
Future... wife?!
Those four words were like the sweetest honey, instantly making Hinata dizzy beyond recovery!
Tears of emotion welled in her eyes.
She hugged the flowers tightly to her chest, looked at the man who had forcibly pulled her out of darkness, and used all her strength to nod hard.
But this time, she was not merely shy.
She raised her tear-filled yet incomparably determined eyes, gathered her courage, and spoke clearly, one word at a time:
"I-I like them! As long as they're from Naruto... I like them all! I... I'll work hard too, to become a woman worthy of Naruto!"
[Ding! Target detected: Hinata Hyuga. Favorability has undergone drastic fluctuations!] [Current Favorability: 90 (Devoted for Life)!]
Seeing the girl's shy yet determined expression, Naruto smiled in satisfaction.
Yeah, this was the presence his principal wife ought to have.
Just as he was about to say something more, his Byakugan caught several guards' chakra signatures moving rapidly closer.
"Tch, they really don't understand romance."
Naruto curled his lip, bent down beside her ear, and dropped a bombshell. "Wait for me to come back. I'll marry you."
With that, he turned into a shadow and vanished into the night before Hinata's stunned eyes.
Hinata stood there foolishly, clutching the flowers.
As the wind blew past, two trails of happy tears slowly slid down the girl's fair cheeks.
For the first time, a flame called "determination" burned within those always-weak Byakugan eyes!
I'll wait for you, Naruto!
However, Naruto had barely climbed over the wall and taken a few steps when a silver-haired figure appeared ghostlike at his side.
"Yo, coming on a date the moment your mission ended? You've got plenty of energy, Naruto."
Kakashi greeted him lazily with his dead-fish eyes.
"What is it?"
Naruto raised a brow.
"Yeah. The Third Hokage asked me to pass something along to you."
Kakashi's expression grew somewhat serious. "Regarding the abilities you displayed during the exercise, especially those eyes, the Third Hokage has already issued an S-Rank Sealing Order. Until the village higher-ups reach a conclusion, you're forbidden from showing or mentioning them to anyone."
Naruto gave a scornful laugh.
"Tch, the old man wants to seal it? Can he even seal it?"
He curled his lip, then shrugged. "But for now, there's really no need to make enemies everywhere. Lying low for a couple of days is fine."
Seeing Naruto's reaction—disregarding the rules, yet still understanding where the line was—Kakashi helplessly scratched his head.
This brat was becoming harder and harder to manage.
Before you continue