Chapter 11: Reserve Hokage's Wife, Stand Tall!
On the road to the Land of Waves.
"I say... this is way too boring! Isn't there some kind of super Ninja who's going to jump out suddenly?"
Naruto had both hands behind his head, a foxtail grass dangling from his mouth as he complained with a long drawl. He walked at the very back of the group, completely lacking the awareness of a Ninja performing a C-rank mission.
In front of him, Tazuna tightly gripped his nearly empty wine bottle and looked back with a face full of disdain. "Are the Konoha Genin nowadays all this arrogant? If a super Ninja really appeared, you'd be so scared you'd wet your pants."
Sasuke walked on the flank. Although he didn't speak, that soft snort from his nose already expressed his contempt for the dead last.
Only Sakura, while constantly stealing glances at Sasuke's handsome profile, couldn't help but peek at Naruto behind her out of the corner of her eye. Ever since experiencing those world-view-shattering mental broadcasts in the classroom and the exercise field, she felt like this Blonde Youthmight cause heaven-defying trouble at any second.
Moreover, she keenly felt that Naruto's gaze was lingering on her back.
At the same time, that familiar lazy voice rang out in her mind without warning.
[Sigh, it's really peaceful. But this peace probably won't last more than a moment.]
[That puddle over there is too fake. It hasn't rained a single drop for days, yet there's such a large puddle on the ground? Those two idiots, the Demon Brothers—is this the level of Hidden MistChunin? It's practically an insult to my intelligence.]
[But it's just as well; this can count as a decent test. That guy Sasuke will definitely be fine, but as for Sakura...]
Hearing this, Sakura's shoulders stiffened abruptly, and her heart instantly leaped into her throat.
A puddle? Enemies?
She subconsciously looked toward the side of the road. Indeed, there was a puddle that looked somewhat out of place lying there quietly. If Narutohadn't mentioned it, she might not have noticed, but now the sense of incongruity was practically overflowing!
But... before she could react, the commentary that made her heart race followed immediately.
[Tsk tsk, look at those trembling calves. Panicking already?]
[Scared by just this level? Sigh, current Sakura is truly useless except for following Sasuke around like a fangirl all day. If things go according to the original script, this would be the peak of her life, wouldn't it?]
[She doesn't even have the most basic Ninjaqualities. In the future, when Orochimaru attacks Konoha, and when Sasuke defects from the village for power... what can she do?]
The amount of information was so massive that Sakura felt like her head was going to explode.
If the previous roasting only made her embarrassed, the information in this sentence was terrifying.
Orochimaru's attack? Sasuke... defecting?!
How is that possible! How could Sasuke-kunpossibly leave?!
She wanted to turn back and argue, to question him loudly, but that inexplicable fear made her whole body stiff. And Naruto's inner voice showed no sign of stopping; it even became more venomous and ruthless.
[Other than crying and begging me to bring Sasuke back, she won't be able to do anything.]
[Even in that future war capable of destroying the world, she can only barely chase after our backs for a single glance. Such a background character... I have to find a way to make her stand tall quickly.]
[After all, she's the reserve Hokage's wife that I, Uzumaki Naruto, have my eye on. If she's too embarrassing to take out, how will I keep my reputation in the Ninja World? Even if she's a supporting character, she needs to have her own edge.]
Shame and anger surged into her heart, mixed with panic about the future. Especially that last nonsensical phrase 'reserve Hokage's wife,' which carried a strong sense of possessiveness, making her mind a complete mess.
Reserve my foot!
Who's your decoration!
Who's only going to cry!
Just as the shame and indignation in Sakura's heart reached its peak, a sudden change occurred.
Splash!
The puddle Naruto had "called out" suddenly exploded, and two figures wearing gas masks with sharp iron chains connected to their arms lunged out.
The hooked chains instantly entangled Kakashi, who was walking at the very front.
"The first one!"
Accompanied by a hoarse roar, the two of them pulled hard.
Crack!
Right before their eyes, the elite Jonin Kakashi was instantly shredded into pieces, turning into bits of flesh flying everywhere.
This visual impact was too shocking for the newly graduated Genin.
"Kakashi-sensei?!"
"Ahhh!"
The breath of death rushed toward them. Those two Hidden Mist Chunin didn't pause for a second; using the momentum of the chains, they instantly bypassed the front row and lunged straight for Tazuna, who was protected in the middle.
And at this moment, the one standing in front of Tazuna was precisely Sakura, whose legs were already shaking.
Run!
Her bodily instinct was screaming frantically. That killing intent made every nerve in her body tremble. People were really going to die!
But...
[See, she's scared witless. I bet the next step is dropping her Kunai and screaming with her head in her hands. Useless, useless—this character build is a total failure.]
That infuriating voice echoed in her mind like a curse.
Only knows how to cry? Useless? Eye candy?
"You've got to be... kidding me!"
Sakura didn't know where she got the strength, but in her emerald green eyes, which had been unfocused from fear, a sudden flash of desperate ruthlessness appeared. She absolutely could not let that guy look down on her.
Instead of retreating, she gritted her teeth and forced her trembling knees to stop. Holding her Kunai in a reverse grip with both hands, she stood firmly in front of the old man who reeked of alcohol.
"Don't even... think about getting past!"
She shouted with a voice that nearly cracked. Though her posture was stiff, she was truly standing before the scythe of the Shinigami.
The two Demon Brothers in mid-air obviously hadn't expected this pink-haired girl to actually dare not to hide.
"That's... Sakura?"
Sasuke, who had already lunged into the air prepared to throw shuriken for support, had a flash of surprise in his eyes.
But in the next second, the situation changed.
"The posture is ugly, but at least she didn't actually wet her pants."
Naruto's lazy voice came from the very back. He didn't seem to make any big movements, just casually hooked a finger.
Whoosh—!
In a moment no one noticed, a black shuriken that had been set up in the bushes beforehand suddenly shot out. Carrying a transparent wire, it wrapped with extreme precision around the ankle of the Demon Brother rushing on the left.
When was this set up?!
That Demon Brother suddenly lost his balance in mid-air. His originally lethal strike slashed wide, and his hideous iron claws nearly even injured his own companion.
Bang!
And in this opening, Sasuke had already arrived. His shuriken precisely pinned the opponent's chain, and he took the opportunity to kick the unbalanced enemy away.
The crisis was averted.
The forest returned to silence, and the "dead" Kakashi turned into several pieces of wood on the ground.
The real Kakashi walked out from behind a tree, squinting his eyes as he surveyed the scene. Finally, his gaze fell with deep meaning on Sakura, who was still gasping for air.
And on that Blonde Youth who looked like he had done nothing, just keeping his hands in his pockets.
[Not bad, she actually didn't run? This girl's gaze just now was quite fierce.]
Naruto's inner voice carried a bit of surprise.
[That move of blocking the old man just now really had a bit of the future New Three Ninjas' aura.]
[Not bad, not bad. After all, she's the mother of my future child... cough, although her personality is a bit lacking, she can still be used with some training.]
Sakura was currently leaning against Tazuna, breathing deeply, her back already soaked with cold sweat.
Hearing Naruto's words, the small sense of achievement and courage she had just gained was instantly replaced by fury at his bastardly talk about "training" and "mother of my child."
Her face turned completely red all at once, partly from anger and partly from embarrassment.
She glared at Naruto fiercely.
Who wants to have your children! Who wants to be trained by you! You shameless pervert!
But for some reason, her heart, which had been pounding with fear just now, strangely settled down. That fear of being abandoned in the future seemed to have dissipated quite a bit with her brave step forward.
[Ding!]
Small golden characters arrived as expected, floating before her eyes to reward her for her excellent performance just now.
[Mental Judgment: Driven by the shame of not wanting to be eye candy and the pride of not wanting to be looked down upon by him, you successfully overcame the fear of death. Your spiritual energy has undergone a qualitative change during the agitation.]
[Detected that the host's desire for control over finger muscles reached a peak during battle.]
[Reward Settlement: Fine Chakra Control · Qi Condensing Finger (Beginner)]
[Description: High-density condensation of Chakra at a single point on the fingertip. Now, even without a weapon, your finger can be as sharp as a scalpel.]
Sakura stared blankly at her right index finger and subconsciously channeled her Chakra.
It didn't have the usual scattered feeling.
A very condensed, pale blue light instantly lit up at her fingertip. She lightly swiped across the tree bark beside her, easily leaving a deep, bottomless scratch.
This... I did this?
She looked up in disbelief, meeting Naruto's blue eyes as he looked over.
Although he had an exaggerated "scared the baby to death" expression on the surface, with the help of the heavenly curtain, Sakura clearly heard him laughing like crazy.
"Hmph!"
Sakura turned her face away, not wanting to deal with this self-important jerk.
But deep in her heart, she didn't even notice that a sliver of emotion called dependence was quietly taking root. Even if he had a poisonous tongue, even if he was a pervert... he really could make her stronger.
[Ding!]
At the same time, Naruto was also checking his own system panel.
[Detected that the target 'Sakura Haruno' has developed a strong sense of competition toward the host, mixed with a subtle sense of identification with her identity.]
[Evaluation: You have successfully planted a thorn in her heart, and also an anchor. She is evolving to live up to your 'expectations.']
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the reward: Water Release · Water Clone Technique(Principle Mastery).]
[Note: Although there isn't that much water for you to use here, in the Land of Waves, this will be your home field.]
Naruto unobtrusively clenched his fist, feeling the new Ninjutsu knowledge in his mind, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.
The Land of Waves...
There's a "true heroine" waiting there who's even more intriguing than Sakura.
"Alright, stop dazing. Since we know someone wants to kill this old man, we'll have to stay on high alert." Kakashi broke the silence, his tone still lazy, but his eyes were a bit more serious. "Let's keep moving."