Chapter 16: The Invincible Marriage-Pursuing Team
It was already close to night when Naruto and Sasuke left the Ninja Academy. After Naruto had stayed behind to observe Chinatsu and Sasuke's intense training, the sun had completely set, and the village of Konoha was now illuminated by the soft glow of lanterns and the rising moon.
Although Chinatsu wanted to keep Naruto there longer, she knew that doing so would be too deliberate and might attract unnecessary attention—especially with the Third Hokage's crystal ball surveillance still a concern—so she let him leave without trying to stop him.
Sasuke, standing beside her at the entrance of the Uchiha compound, noticed Chinatsu's decision. He frowned slightly, his dark eyes narrowing as he asked, "Sister, shouldn't you have tried to stop him? Is it really fine to let him return just like that?"
"Hmm?"
Chinatsu turned to look at Sasuke with a hint of surprise, instinctively replying, "Am I that obvious?"
"Not obvious. I'm just more perceptive," Sasuke said calmly, crossing his arms. "You specifically arranged for me to attend the Ninja Academy, even though with your training I could improve faster staying at home. That means there's another purpose. You mentioned Naruto before… you want me to get close to him, right? The son of the Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto… the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails."
Before Sasuke could continue exposing everything so bluntly, Chinatsu raised her hand and lightly smacked his head.
Sasuke blinked, momentarily stunned, looking up at her in confusion.
"Wha… what was that for? Did I analyze it wrong?"
"Not completely wrong, but not entirely right either," Chinatsu said with a sigh. "Sending you to the Academy wasn't just about Naruto. And don't approach him with the mindset of 'getting close for a purpose.' Bonds aren't tools, Sasuke. Friendship… matters."
Sasuke fell silent for a moment. His small brows furrowed as he processed her words, clearly only half understanding. Still, he gave a slight nod—though in his heart, strength and revenge still outweighed everything else.
"It's getting late. Let's go eat," Chinatsu said, turning toward the house. "While you were away, I learned a new dish."
Sasuke's eyes lit up slightly. "You learned something new? What is it?"
Chinatsu smiled proudly. "It's called… a hamburger! How about that? Sounds amazing, right?"
"..."
Several invisible black lines seemed to appear across Sasuke's forehead.
It wasn't that hamburgers were bad—but coming from his elegant and capable older sister, who once carried herself like a perfect Uchiha lady even after the massacre, it felt… strange.
Speaking of which, this "hamburger" was a decision Chinatsu made after careful consideration.
She couldn't keep making fried eggs forever. Although the original owner of this body had the skills of a proper Uchiha kunoichi—graceful, composed, and capable of cooking refined meals—Chinatsu herself hadn't fully inherited those abilities.
In fact, making a simple fried egg had already pushed her to the point of activating her Sharingan…
If she tried anything more complicated, she might collapse on the spot.
As for hamburgers, Chinatsu reasoned that even after transmigrating into the Naruto world, she still wanted to eat something familiar from her previous life. As a former "high-level otaku," this was one of her favorite comfort foods.
The preparation was simple enough—but the real problem came when she went out to buy ingredients in Konoha.
"Eh? Isn't this Chinatsu? You've changed your outfit—I almost didn't recognize you!"
Walking along the street, Chinatsu froze slightly.
She didn't care much about strangers whispering behind her back after the Uchiha massacre, but being directly called out was another matter entirely.
She stiffly turned her head and saw an older woman smiling warmly at her. With no way to avoid it, Chinatsu could only respond with her standard polite smile.
"You've really changed your style! But it suits you—you're pretty, so anything looks good on you!"
Before Chinatsu could respond, more middle-aged women quickly gathered around her, as if drawn by the scent of gossip.
"Isn't this Chinatsu? It's been a while!"
"Seeing you like this really puts our hearts at ease… after what happened to the Uchiha clan…"
"You're so strong, child. Recovering so quickly, facing life with such positivity—truly admirable!"
The chatter continued endlessly, filled with emotion but lacking any sense of personal boundaries.
At that moment, Chinatsu felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was as if she had returned to her previous life—surrounded not by villagers of Konoha, but by overly enthusiastic relatives during a holiday gathering.
And as expected, the conversation quickly shifted in a very familiar direction…
"By the way, Chinatsu, do you have a boyfriend now? Do you want us to introduce someone?"
"Yes, yes! Just tell us your preferences—we know many excellent young men!"
"My son is quite outstanding! Not much older than you. Even though he's not a ninja, he runs a successful business!"
"Auntie Wang, that's unfair! My son is a Chūnin, and he might even become a Jōnin in the future!"
"If we're talking like that, then I must speak too!"
Yes… exactly like that.
It was no different from being pressured during New Year gatherings: "Have you found a partner yet?" "What are your future plans?"
If anything, this was even more overwhelming.
Looking at the group of overly enthusiastic women practically forming a "marriage alliance," Chinatsu's professional smile began to twitch uncontrollably.
Boyfriend?
Marriage?
…Absolutely not.
After a great deal of effort, Chinatsu finally managed to "escape" from the crowd. Returning home, she quickly stored the ingredients and rested briefly before heading to the Ninja Academy to pick up Sasuke.
Thanks to chakra refinement and her steadily improving control, Chinatsu found that she only needed two to three hours of sleep each day to remain fully active.
Midnight. One o'clock.
Sasuke was already fast asleep.
Chinatsu lightly slapped her cheeks to stay alert.
She didn't know whether most shinobi in Konoha trained at this hour—but she certainly intended to.
Arriving at an open training ground not far from the Uchiha compound, she carefully gauged the distance to ensure she wouldn't disturb Sasuke.
"Alright… the real training begins."
Chinatsu took a deep breath. Her three-tomoe Sharingan spun slowly, crimson light reflecting in her eyes as chakra gathered in her palm.
The sound of high-frequency lightning filled the air.
"Chidori!"