Chapter 2

Liuyun snorted and silently put on his shorts before stepping into the bathtub.

I'm telling you, I chose the second option purely to complete the task.

"Mikoto! Mikoto!" Liuyun called.

"What is it? I'm here, Liuyun!"

Through the curtain, Liuyun could clearly make out the slight curves of Uchiha Mikoto's body.

"Um! I accidentally got my shorts wet. Could you bring me another pair? Sorry for the trouble."

"Hee! You're all grown up, Liuyun, and you're still so careless!"

With a clear laugh, Uchiha Mikoto hurried off.

She soon appeared behind the curtain again.

"Here you go!"

A slender, milky-white hand reached through, holding a pair of shorts.

"Mikoto! Come in, would you? I can't reach them from here. Don't worry, I'm dressed!"

Liuyun sat in the bathtub, his voice gentle, though his eyes shone with unmistakable excitement.

"Okay!"

Her voice was soft and shy. Uchiha Mikoto's cheeks flushed as she lifted the curtain, covered her eyes with one hand, and slowly stepped inside.

Watching Uchiha Mikoto shuffle forward like a timid quail, Liuyun nearly laughed.

She's so cute!

At last, Uchiha Mikoto's hand found the rim of the bathtub.

Putting on a calm face, she spoke like an understanding older sister. "Here! Don't be so careless next time!"

"Got it!" Liuyun stood and took the shorts.

Hearing him move right in front of her, Uchiha Mikoto's face turned bright red. She stammered nervously.

"Li... Liuyun! Why... why did you stand up?"

"You were giving them to me! Of course I had to stand up. It's a sign of respect!"

His eyes blazing with lecherous delight, Liuyun lied without so much as a blush.

"Th-then I'll go out first!"

Uchiha Mikoto turned around, her chest rising and falling.

She lowered her hand and hurried away.

But after only a few steps, she slipped on water on the floor, and her slender body began to fall backward.

Oh no!

Uchiha Mikoto's expression changed. A fall like this would leave someone as slight as her aching for at least a day.

And there was a practical exercise at school tomorrow...

As her thoughts raced, a familiar scent reached her nose.

Then a large, lean but strong hand caught her and gently drew her into an embrace.

"Are you all right, Mikoto?" His soft voice held concern he could not hide.

Looking up at Liuyun's familiar, handsome face, Uchiha Mikoto quickly lowered her head. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm fine, Liuyun!"

Her heart pounded as she spoke.

"Good! And you called me careless. You weren't being careful either!"

Liuyun helped Uchiha Mikoto to her feet. Feeling her soft skin, he shook his head and teased her as though nothing had happened.

"Hmph! Hurry up and eat. The food's getting cold!"

Uchiha Mikoto slipped out of Liuyun's arms and hurried away with her head down.

"That girl..." Liuyun shook his head.

He took a deep breath, savoring the faint fragrance she had left behind.

Looking at his palm, he murmured, "Her scent's still on my hand."

"Mikoto, you're destined to be mine. Sasuke the Bragging King and Itachi the Clan Killer can forget about ever being born!"

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You successfully chose the second option and received a super-deluxe gift pack. Open it?"

"No!" Liuyun shook his head. Right now, he wanted to spend time growing closer to his Little Wife.

The gift pack could wait until the dead of night.

"Ding! It has been placed in the System Inventory automatically!"

At the table, Uchiha Mikoto kept her head down and ate. Her flushed cheeks showed she still had not recovered from the intimate moment earlier.

Liuyun narrowed his eyes. That would not do. As her future husband, he had a duty to cheer her up.

Just as he was about to speak, the system's options appeared in his mind again.

As a host born with a lecherous soul, you should learn from Xiao Huo and start winning over your wife while she's young.

1. Tell a few funny jokes to cheer up your future wife. Reward: Chakra increased by 10%.

2. Say a few comforting words and let her embarrassment gradually fade. Reward: physical constitution improved by 10%.

3. Tell a joke with a hidden meaning. Leave your future wife puzzled, distract her, and make her happy. Reward: beginner-level insights into Genjutsu.

When two are short and one is long, pick the longest. When two are long and one is short, pick the shortest. That was the wisdom people from his previous world had arrived at through countless attempts.

Naturally, Liuyun chose the third option.

Besides, it was what he had wanted to do anyway.

Now that he belonged to the Red Eye Disease Clan, why did he have to choose Fire Release? If Itachi the Clan Killer could use Genjutsu, why couldn't he?

In a fight, the moment an enemy started making Hand Seals, he could activate his eyes, fix them with a stare, toss a Kunai or Shuriken, and be done with it.

Clean, quick, and easy. What could be better?

Liuyun pushed those thoughts aside. First, he needed to cheer up the little girl in front of him.

He thought back to the classic jokes from his previous world. Then his eyes lit up with an idea.

He took some White Rabbit Candy from his Space Backpack and offered a piece to Uchiha Mikoto.

"Mikoto! I bought this specially from a traveling merchant. It's White Rabbit Candy. I tried one, and it was delicious. Have some!"

"Huh? You bought this for me, Liuyun?"

Uchiha Mikoto looked at the wrapper, delight shining in her beautiful eyes.

"Yeah! I know you like sweets. This is really sweet, so I thought you'd like it!"

Liuyun nodded firmly and gave her a sunny smile.

"Mm!" Uchiha Mikoto took it and unwrapped it.

She took a small bite. Rich milky sweetness burst across her tongue.

Her eyes curved into crescents, and a happy smile spread across her face.

"So sweet! It's delicious! Thank you, Liuyun!"

"Here! You have some too!"

Uchiha Mikoto held out the candy she had bitten.

Surprise flashed through Liuyun's eyes. When did she get so bold?

"I don't like sweet things. I prefer savory things. Especially when you cook for me."

"But I'll make an exception this time, because this candy is filled with all of Mikoto's love!"

With that, Liuyun popped the candy into his mouth.

It still tasted just as he remembered. Maybe because it came from her, it tasted even better than it had in his previous world.

"Ah!"

Uchiha Mikoto realized what she had done and covered her mouth with a startled cry.

I... I actually...

Her fair face turned as red as an apple, and she fled shyly into the next room.

She did not forget to take Liuyun's bag of candy with her.

Sure enough, whether in my old world or the Naruto World, girls love sweet things.

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You completed the third option. Claim your reward: beginner-level Genjutsu insights?"

"No! Same as before. Put it in the inventory!"

"Ding! Placed in the inventory!"

Liuyun finished his meal without much thought, cleared away the dishes, and headed to the other side of the main room.

The home Liuyun and Uchiha Mikoto shared had two rooms. The main room was spacious, while Uchiha Mikoto lived in the side room. Together, they had divided the main room into three areas.

The bathing area was on the left, the dining area in the middle, and the kitchen beyond it. Liuyun slept on the far right.

His sleeping area was right next to Mikoto's room. As she put it, if Liuyun was ever in danger, she could protect him.

Liuyun pulled aside the curtain and lay down on his Tatami.

Closing his eyes, he focused entirely on the System Inventory that had just appeared.

His gaze lingered on a deluxe cover before settling on the third slot.

"Please, Airi, Marina, my beloved Asuna, and my wife Rem, bless me with something good!"

"I'm not greedy. A Divine Light Stick, a wise old mentor, a Supreme Bone, or an invincible body would do."

"Or let the three beauties of Spirit Hall, Yun Zhi, or someone like them become my Guardian Spirit! Please!" After praying earnestly, Liuyun shouted in his mind.

"System, open the beginner gift pack!"

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have received Elite Genin-level Chakra!"

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have received one random draw for a Logia Devil Fruit!"

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have received a chance to awaken the One-Tomoe Sharingan. Success rate: 100%!"

"Holy shit!" Liuyun exclaimed inwardly, reaching for a choice bit of language from his previous world.

He could no longer stay calm. This was as exciting as the day he had obtained Secret Room Douluo Deluxe Edition.

A super-deluxe gift pack truly lived up to its name as a top-tier beginner gift.

Once he absorbed everything he had gained today, wouldn't his strength soar?

"System! Fuse everything except the random Devil Fruit reward and Secret Room Douluo Deluxe Edition!"

"Ding! Fusion in progress. Fusion successful!"

As soon as the system finished speaking, Liuyun felt warmth spread through his Dantian.

The warmth quickly merged with the Chakra in his Dantian.

The Chakra there grew fuller.

Heat seemed to wrap around his eyes. It brought a slight pain, but his mind grew much clearer.

Before long, the warmth faded. Liuyun opened his eyes and found that he could see his surroundings more clearly and across a wider field.