On the wooden dock, Satsuki took a deep breath and began to form hand seals. She closed her eyes, and following the experience from her afternoon training, slowly guided Chakra from her dantian to her chest, then gradually condensed it in her throat. Every step was done with extreme care.
As the last Tiger seal was completed, Satsuki suddenly opened her eyes. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Boom—!"
A massive fireball, dozens of meters in diameter, erupted from her mouth, its scorching flames illuminating the entire lake and painting the surrounding trees a fiery orange. A wave of heat washed over them, and steam rose from the lake.
After the Ninjutsu ended, Satsuki stared blankly at the scene before her, an expression of incredible joy slowly appearing on her small face. I... I can do this too!
Her heart raced. This way... this way she might finally get her father's approval!
"Oh, that's amazing," Naruto's voice of admiration came from behind her. "It seems the training method is really effective."
Satsuki turned around, looking at Naruto's sincere smile. Besides the shyness she felt earlier, an indescribable gratitude filled Satsuki's heart.
Naruto helping her so unreservedly made her feel both touched and at a loss. How should she repay him?
Unbeknownst to her, Naruto had already received the repayment he most desired. In his mind, a clear system notification sounded.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host: You have established a bond (Level 2) with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke"!]
[Points gained: 500 points!]
Naruto suppressed the joy that was almost overflowing. Of course, he would save this gacha moment to enjoy slowly once he got home!
As expected of the original male lead... no, now the female lead. A single level increase gives 500 points!
Naruto decided to strike while the iron was hot and try to gain another wave of favorability. He pulled out a carefully prepared bento box from his backpack and said in a deliberately casual tone, "You must be exhausted after training all afternoon, right? I made some good food, let's eat some together."
Upon hearing this, Satsuki's small face immediately flushed a little more. It was the same last time; she ate his bento but couldn't repay him... But seeing Naruto skillfully pull out two pairs of chopsticks, it was clear he had already prepared for her to freeload.
"This time I made some delicious tomato dishes~" Naruto introduced as he opened the bento box. "And there are three kinds of rice balls, which one do you want? There are seaweed rice balls, pickled plum rice balls..." He deliberately drew out the last part of his sentence, "and bonito flake rice balls."
Satsuki's ears perked up. Tomato dishes?! And bonito flake rice balls?! In her heart, the only thing that could rival her beloved tomatoes was bonito flake rice balls. Naruto had actually made both of these delicacies at the same time?!
Little Satsuki was completely unaware that Naruto had specially prepared these according to her tastes. Instead, she naively thought, 'This person's culinary preferences... are actually so similar to mine!'
Satsuki's words, which she had originally intended to use to decline, eventually became a whisper as soft as a mosquito's hum. "Um... I want the bonito flake rice ball..."
She lowered her head, clearly craving it terribly but pretending to be calm due to shyness, looking incredibly cute.
The two sat side by side on the wooden dock. Naruto took a plump bonito flake rice ball from the bento box and handed it to Satsuki. Satsuki, blushing, took it and carefully took a bite.
The delicious aroma of bonito instantly spread through her mouth, and the sweetness of the rice perfectly blended with the savory taste of the bonito flakes. Satsuki unconsciously narrowed her eyes, her lips curving slightly upwards, revealing a blissful expression.
"Food tastes especially good after hard training, doesn't it?" Naruto said indistinctly, chewing on his own rice ball. "You're really amazing. I'm so lucky to be able to train with a genius of the Uchiha Clan."
Satsuki turned her head at his words, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminating her delicate profile. The joy of being praised had just emerged, but it was quickly replaced by a hint of disappointment.
At home... there was an even greater genius... She recalled her father's admiring gaze towards her older sister, and a pang of bitterness rose in her heart.
She had always called herself a genius in front of Naruto, but if one day Naruto saw Itachi's terrifying talent, would he also be disappointed in her like her father?
"You..." Satsuki's voice suddenly became very soft. "Do you really think I'm a genius?"
This question made Naruto pause. Didn't this guy usually call herself a genius? He glanced at Satsuki's downcast eyelashes and noticed that her usually bright black eyes were somewhat dim at the moment.
Naruto put down his rice ball and thought seriously for a moment. He answered with a firm voice, "Of course. Among our peers, we are probably the first to start working hard to become excellent ninja."
Naruto pointed to the lake. "That Ninjutsu just now, I doubt some Genin could even use it."
The afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded. Satsuki was silent for a moment before finally speaking again. Her voice carried a clear sense of reluctance, yet also a hint of longing.
"...Actually, in the Uchiha, there's someone much more amazing than me." Her long black hair fell, covering half of her cheek.
"When she was my age, she could perfectly perform Fire Release Ninjutsu on her first try. Now, she's only a few years older than me, but she can already help the family with so many things... I want to surpass that person, but... can I really do it?"
Self-doubt? Why are the children of the Ninja World so complex psychologically?
Naruto sighed helplessly in his heart, but maintained a gentle expression on his face. He looked earnestly at Satsuki's downcast profile.
"Are you afraid of not being able to catch up to that person? Satsuki, this feeling of reluctance you have right now precisely shows that you care deeply about that person, doesn't it?"
Satsuki paused, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly nodded.
Naruto continued, "You said that person could perfectly perform Fire Release Ninjutsu on her 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 trained a few years more than you - why do you conclude that your talent is inferior to hers?"
Satsuki quickly said, "Didn't I just say! When my sister was my age, she could perfectly perform Fire Release Ninjutsu on her first try!"
Satsuki didn't notice that in her excitement, she had accidentally revealed the person's identity.
Naruto shook his head. "If you deny yourself just because of that, it's too early."
"Ninja are never beings who fight using only one type of Ninjutsu. The paths of ninja are vast beyond imagination - Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Sealing Jutsu, Summoning Jutsu, Puppet Jutsu, and even Medical Ninjutsu, are all stages for geniuses to show their talent."
He paused for a moment to let Satsuki digest these words, then gave an example.
"Just like Lady Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, who became a renowned powerhouse in the Ninja World relying solely on Medical Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Would you say her talent is inferior to others just because Lady Tsunade isn't good at Fire Release?"
Satsuki's eyes widened slightly. Seeing her reaction, Naruto continued to elaborate.
"Is it too one-sided to conclude that your talent is inferior to hers just because your Fire Release isn't as good as that person's?"
Seeing Satsuki's thoughtful expression, Naruto posed the most crucial question.
"Satsuki, you need to think carefully - what do you truly want to surpass? Is it 'that person's current strength' or 'your future self'?'"
The night wind gently rustled, stirring their hair. Naruto's voice was exceptionally clear in the twilight.
"Everyone in this world has their own talents. There's a saying, 'A king has a king's talent, and a chef has a chef's talent.'"
"If you ask a king and a chef to compete in cooking, the king will undoubtedly lose. By the same logic, if you only stare at that person's back, you might miss your own path."
"Just like a ninja who excels in Taijutsu, if they force themselves to train in Genjutsu, which they're not good at, because they're concerned about certain things, that would be a true waste of talent. You are undoubtedly a genius. Why rush to doubt yourself before your talent has fully manifested?"
Naruto looked at Satsuki's profile, then suddenly showed a mischievous smile and said in a deliberately relaxed tone.
"Satsuki, do you believe it? According to that logic, perhaps in this world, there is a ninja who can defeat a Hokage using only Taijutsu."
This half-joking remark successfully broke the serious atmosphere. Satsuki was first stunned, then couldn't help but laugh aloud, "Idiot, how could such a thing be possible..."
Only Naruto knew that this was no joke - and this example of a ninja was right in Konoha. Seeing Satsuki's smile blossom again, Naruto's heart also lightened a few points.
"Alright, alright, I get it!" Satsuki stood up, her black hair fluttering in the evening breeze, her small face once again radiating confident brilliance. "You're right, I'm a genius of the Uchiha! I'll definitely find my own path!"
Naruto looked up at the little girl who had regained her spirits, his eyes gentle. "Mm! Then let's work hard together. Perhaps we are the same kind of people - to surpass those extraordinary talents, we must become 'geniuses of effort'!"
Upon hearing this, Satsuki looked down at Naruto, her eyes sparkling with complex emotions. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke softly. "I... I'm really grateful to you for telling me these things... and for helping me train... but..."
Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes. "...How should I thank you?" Seemingly realizing her words were too direct, she immediately turned her face away. "Just so you know! I just don't want to owe you a favor!"
Naruto looked at the girl who was hiding her shyness with tsundere behavior. "You... you're really cute."
These words were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake. Satsuki's face instantly flushed to her ears. She stumbled back half a step in a panic. "W-what are you suddenly saying?!"
Naruto stood up, his blue eyes looking directly into Satsuki's. "Have you forgotten? We're friends. Do you know? You're my first friend."
"Besides not wanting to train alone, I helped you because I genuinely want to see you become stronger."
In the twilight, blue eyes and black eyes met quietly, reflecting each other's figures.
Naruto continued, "Also, the passion of a person focused on one thing is truly cool." He pointed to Satsuki's eyes. "Your eyes when you said 'I want to surpass that person' just now were truly dazzling."
Ripples spread across the lake, and moonlight shattered into countless silver specks on the water. Satsuki stared blankly at Naruto, a warmth she had never felt before surging in her chest. She opened her mouth, but said nothing, only giving a soft "Mm," her lips unconsciously curving into a genuine smile.
Just then, in Naruto's mind, the pleasant sound appeared again.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host: You have established a bond (Level 4) with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke"!]
[Points gained: 1000 points!]