Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too tsundere

"Tap, tap, tap."

With a series of light footsteps, Zuo Yue steadily ran up the vertical tree trunk. This time, her chakra control was smoother than ever before, each step perfectly adhering to the bark without any waste.

As she gracefully leaped onto the highest branch, the setting sun's rays bathed her small face. Satsuki looked down excitedly—she had succeeded!

Just then, a rustling sound came from another tree. Zuo Yue turned her head and saw Naruto, just as cleanly and efficiently, finish the run, landing gracefully on an adjacent branch. His golden hair shimmered in the setting sun, and his blue eyes were filled with laughter.

Naruto succeeded, but Satsuki thought to herself that she had reached the top of the tree before him, and that this competition was her victory!

"Hey! Naruto!" She turned around, a dazzling smile blooming on her face. "I won this match! How about that? You've seen how powerful the Uchiha are, haven't you?"

Naruto stood on a nearby branch, watching Satsuki's smug expression. Like a proud kitten, Satsuki's bright black eyes and undisguised joy revealed a childlike innocence and happiness.

This kind of smile... is rarely seen on Sasuke's face in the original work... it's a smile that blooms purely from happiness.

Naruto, who had deliberately let the game slide, feigned frustration, saying, "As expected of the Uchiha genius, I lost this match."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Yue's lips curved upwards even further.

"However," Naruto changed the subject, "don't get too cocky, you're only a tiny bit short." He held up his thumb and forefinger to indicate a very small distance, "just keep working at this pace, and be careful not to let me surpass you."

"Of course! I will keep working hard! I want to surpass my sister and become a ninja that my clan can be proud of!"

Hearing Satsuki's adorable voice, Naruto noticed a detail in her words... "Sister."

What's going on... Has Itachi also been gender-swapped? Naruto remembered that when he first met Sasuke, she did mention that this was her sister's training ground.

Hopefully, there won't be any gender-swapped Kakashi or gender-swapped Konoha 12 characters later on. But if Kakashi were gender-swapped, would he still have those kinds of feelings for Obito? Naruto doesn't really want to see that scene.

Just then, Zuo Yue stood up unsteadily. Her face was pale with exhaustion, and her fingers gripped the tree trunk tightly. She clearly wanted to get down and return to the ground, but after an afternoon of intense training, her legs were already a little weak.

"what!"

A scream suddenly shattered the silence. Satsuki slipped, falling forward. Instinctively, she tried to gather chakra to absorb the tree trunk, but in her panic, she couldn't control it precisely. Satsuki felt the world spin—she was falling!

not good!

Naruto's body moved faster than his mind. He leaped into the air, precisely calculating the angle and speed as he fell, his arms outstretched to catch the falling figure.

Satsuki kept her eyes tightly shut, anticipating the pain that was about to come. But unexpectedly, she felt herself fall into a safe embrace. Opening her eyes, she saw Naruto's deep blue eyes close to hers, filled with worry.

Naruto deftly stepped back and forth on the tree trunk, each contact precisely dissipating the impact of the fall.

"call--"

With a final, light bounce, Naruto landed steadily on the ground, the fallen leaves beneath his feet swirling in the air before gently drifting back down. He looked down at Sasuke in his arms and asked with concern, "That was close! Are you alright? Not hurt?"

Satsuki's face was almost buried in Naruto's collar, her voice barely a whisper. "Mmm...mmm..."

Only then did she realize how embarrassing this position was—she curled up in his arms like a frightened kitten.

Satsuki didn't know that this method of saving people didn't have a special name in the ninja world, but in another world, it had a special name—the princess carry.

Naruto was so worried that he didn't realize he had inadvertently replicated his father's classic rescue pose.

Hearing that Zuoyue was not injured, he breathed a sigh of relief and carefully bent down to gently place the girl with red ears on the ground.

"Be careful next time," Naruto patted Satsuki on the shoulder. "If you really get hurt, your family will definitely forbid you from coming to the training ground again."

Zuoyue stumbled slightly as soon as her feet touched the ground, and quickly grabbed the rough tree trunk beside her with her small hands.

She lowered her head, her long, dark hair falling down to cover her flushed cheeks and ears. "Um... thank you..."

Naruto then noticed that something was wrong with Sasuke. Was the child... shy? Thinking back, the rescue action just now was indeed a bit too intimate.

However, in his eyes, Zuo Yue was just a little girl who needed to be taken care of, and he had no other thoughts about her. On the contrary, he sometimes found it quite difficult to get used to his own childlike body.

"...Um! Let's go to the river!" Zuo Yue suddenly exclaimed, as if trying to break the awkward atmosphere. "Now that we've finished our training, it's time to test our results!"

She turned and ran hurriedly towards the river, her long black hair fluttering behind her, her steps still a little unsteady.

Naruto followed with a smile, looking at the small figure ahead.

Chapter 17 Each on Their Own Path

At the wooden dock, Zuo Yue took a deep breath and began forming hand seals. She closed her eyes and, following her afternoon training experience, slowly guided her chakra from her dantian to her chest, then gently gathered it in her throat. She performed each step with utmost care.

As the final Tiger Seal was completed, Zuo Yue suddenly opened her eyes. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"boom--!"

A massive fireball, ten meters in diameter, erupted from her mouth, its intense flames illuminating the entire lake and turning the surrounding trees a vibrant orange-red. A wave of heat washed over them, and plumes of steam rose from the lake's surface.

After the ninjutsu ended, Satsuki stared blankly at the scene before her, a look of unbelievable joy gradually spreading across her small face. I... can do this too!

Her heart raced. This way...this way she would have a chance to gain her father's approval!

"Wow, that's amazing," came Naruto's admiring voice from behind. "It seems the training method is really effective."

Satsuki turned around and looked at Naruto's sincere smile. In addition to the shyness she had felt earlier, Satsuki felt an indescribable gratitude.

Naruto's selfless help touched her deeply, yet she felt overwhelmed. How could she possibly repay him...?

Unbeknownst to her, Naruto had already received the reward he most desired. A crisp system notification sounded in his mind.

【Ding! 】

[Congratulations, host! You have established a bond with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" (Level 2)!]

Points earned: 500!

Naruto suppressed his almost overflowing joy; he knew he should enjoy this gacha moment at home!

As expected of the original male lead... no, now she's the female lead, gaining 500 points for each level up!

Naruto decided to strike while the iron was hot and try to win her over again. He pulled a carefully prepared bento box from his backpack and said in a deliberately relaxed tone, "You must be exhausted after training all afternoon, right? I made something delicious, let's eat some together."

Upon hearing this, Satsuki's face flushed even more. It was the same last time; she had eaten someone else's bento but hadn't been able to repay them... But seeing that Naruto had already skillfully pulled out two pairs of chopsticks, it was clear that he had been prepared for her to freeload.

"I made some really delicious tomato dishes this time~" Naruto said, opening the bento box. "There are also three kinds of rice balls. Which one do you want? There are seaweed rice balls, plum rice balls..." He deliberately drew out the words, "and bonito rice balls."

Satsuki's ears perked up. Tomato dishes?! And bonito flakes?! In her heart, the only thing that could rival her beloved tomatoes was bonito flakes. Naruto actually made both of these dishes?!

Little Satsuki had no idea that Naruto had specially prepared this dish according to her tastes. Instead, she naively thought that this person's cooking preferences... were so similar to hers!

Satsuki's initial attempt to decline dwindled to a barely audible whisper: "Um... I'd like a bonito rice ball..."

She kept her head down, looking incredibly cute as she tried to appear calm despite her obvious craving.

The two sat side by side on the wooden dock. Naruto took a round bonito rice ball from his lunchbox and handed it to Satsuki. Satsuki blushed as she took it and carefully took a bite.

The delicious aroma of bonito instantly filled her mouth, the sweetness of the rice blending perfectly with the savory flavor of the bonito flakes. Satsuki unconsciously narrowed her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, revealing a blissful expression.

"The food tastes especially good after all that hard training, doesn't it?" Naruto mumbled, biting into his rice ball. "You're really something else. I'm so lucky to be able to train with a genius from the Uchiha clan."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Yue turned her head, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminating her delicate profile. The joy of being praised had just surfaced, but it was quickly replaced by a trace of disappointment.

At home... there's an even more brilliant genius... She recalled the admiring look in her father's eyes when he looked at her sister, and a pang of bitterness rose in her heart.

I've always called myself a genius in front of Naruto, but if Naruto ever sees Itachi's terrifying talent, will he be as disappointed in me as my father was?

"You..." Satsuki's voice suddenly became very soft, "Do you really think I'm a genius?"

This question startled Naruto. Didn't this guy always call himself a genius? He glanced at Satsuki's lowered eyelashes and noticed that his once bright black eyes were now somewhat downcast.

Naruto put down his rice ball and thought for a moment. His voice was firm as he replied, "Of course. Among our peers, we're probably the first to start striving to become excellent ninjas."

Naruto pointed to the lake. "That ninjutsu just now, I'm afraid even some genin couldn't use it."

As the last rays of the setting sun faded, Zuo Yue remained silent for a moment before finally speaking again. Her voice carried a clear sense of resentment, yet it was also tinged with longing.

"...Actually, there is someone in the Uchiha clan who is far more powerful than me." Her long black hair fell down, covering half of her face.

"When she was my age, she executed a Fire Release ninjutsu perfectly on her first try. Now, she's only a few years older than me, and she already helps with so many things at home... I want to surpass her, but... can I really do it?"

Do they doubt themselves? Why are the children in the ninja world so psychologically complex...?

Naruto sighed inwardly, but maintained a gentle expression. He looked intently at Satsuki's lowered profile.

"Are you afraid of not being able to catch up with that person? Satsuki, your current feeling of resentment precisely shows how much you care about that person, doesn't it?"

Zuo Yue paused for a moment, hesitated, and finally nodded slowly.

Naruto continued, "You said that person could perfectly execute a Fire Release ninjutsu on their first try? But there's a very important misconception here."

"That person is a few years older than you, which means you were never on the same starting line. No matter how hard you try, that person has always had a few more years of experience than you—so how can you be so sure that your talent is inferior to hers?"

Zuo Yue hurriedly said, "Didn't I just say! When my sister was my age, she perfectly executed a Fire Release ninjutsu on her first try!"

Satsuki didn't realize that in her excitement she had accidentally revealed the person's identity.

Naruto shook his head. "It's too early to deny yourself just because of this."

"Ninjas have never been limited to fighting with just one type of ninjutsu. Their path is wider than you can imagine—ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, sealing techniques, summoning techniques, puppet techniques, even medical ninjutsu—all are stages for geniuses to showcase their talents."

He paused for a moment to let Zuoyue process his words, and then gave an example.

"Just like the legendary Sannin, Lady Tsunade, who became a renowned powerhouse in the ninja world solely through medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Would you say that Lady Tsunade's talent is inferior to others simply because she isn't skilled in fire-style ninjutsu?"

Satsuki's eyes widened slightly, and Naruto, seeing that she was moved, continued to delve deeper.

"Isn't it too one-sided to conclude that one's talent is inferior to hers simply because one's fire release technique is not as good?"

Seeing Satsuki deep in thought, Naruto posed the most crucial question.

"Zuoyue, you need to think this through—is what you truly want to surpass that person's 'current strength,' or their 'future self'?"

A gentle night breeze stirred, ruffling their hair. Naruto's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the twilight.

"Everyone in this world has their own talents. There's a saying that goes, 'A king has the talent of a king, and a chef has the talent of a chef.'"

"If you were to pit the king against the chef in a culinary contest, the king would undoubtedly lose. Similarly, if you only focus on someone's back, you might miss your own path."

"Like a ninja with exceptional taijutsu skills, if they insist on practicing genjutsu (illusion techniques) because they care about certain things, that's a real waste of their talent. You are undoubtedly a genius, so why rush to doubt yourself before your talent is fully revealed?"

Naruto looked at Satsuki's profile and suddenly revealed a sly smile, deliberately speaking in a relaxed tone.

"Satsuki, do you believe it? According to that logic, there might be a ninja in this world who can defeat the Hokage using only taijutsu."

This half-joking remark successfully broke the serious atmosphere. Satsuki was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Idiot, how could such a thing be..."

Only Naruto knew that this was no joke—and the ninja used as an example was in Konoha. Seeing Sasuke's smile return, Naruto felt a little relieved.

"Alright, alright, I understand!" Zuo Yue stood up, her long black hair fluttering in the evening breeze, her small face regaining its confident glow. "You're right, I'm a genius of the Uchiha clan! I will definitely find my own path!"

Naruto looked up at the little girl who had regained her spirits, his eyes gentle. "Yes! Let's do our best together then. Perhaps we're the same kind of people—to surpass those prodigies, we must become 'geniuses of hard work'!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Yue looked down at Naruto, a complex light flickering in her eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she finally spoke softly, "I...I'm really grateful to you for telling me all this...and for helping me train...but..."

Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes. "...How should I thank you?" Seemingly realizing her question was too direct, she immediately turned her face away. "Let me make this clear! I just don't want to owe you a favor!"

Naruto looked at the little girl who was using tsundere to hide her shyness. "You...you're really cute."

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake. Zuo Yue's face flushed crimson to her ears, and she took a hasty half-step back. "W-what did you just say?!"

Naruto stood up, his blue eyes staring directly into Satsuki's. "Have you forgotten? We're friends. You know that? You were my first friend."

"I'm helping you not only because I don't want you to be lonely cultivating alone, but also because I genuinely want to see you become stronger."

In the twilight, blue eyes and black eyes gazed at each other silently, their reflections mirrored.

Naruto continued, "Also, the passion someone has when they're focused on something is really cool." He pointed to Satsuki's eyes, "The look in your eyes when you said you wanted to surpass that person was truly dazzling."

Ripples spread across the lake, moonlight shattering into countless silver specks on the water. Satsuki stared blankly at Naruto, a warmth she'd never felt before welling up in her chest. She opened her mouth, but said nothing, only letting out a soft "Mmm," a genuine smile unconsciously spreading across her lips.

Right in Naruto's heart, a pleasant voice appeared once again.

【Ding! 】

[Congratulations, host! You have established a bond with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" (Level 4)!]

Points earned: 1000!

Chapter 18 Days with the Fox

That night, after saying goodbye to Satsuki, Naruto returned home and busied himself for a while before sitting on his bed, his consciousness sinking into the sealed space.

In the damp, chilly sealed space, the Nine-Tails' massive body was curled up behind iron bars. Naruto approached with a grin, raising his hand in greeting. "Kurama, I'm here to chat with you again!"

Nine-Tailed Fox merely raised its eyelids slightly before closing its eyes again, not even bothering to flick its tail.

Naruto, completely unfazed by Kurama's coldness, moved even closer. "What's wrong, Kurama? Did something happen? You seem a bit down."

After a moment of silence, Nine-Tails spoke. His deep voice echoed within the sealed space. "...Kid, stay away from that brat who was with you today."