Satsuki was a bit slow to react.
Why... was there a dog in Naruto's house?
Was it a newly bought pet? The thought had barely surfaced before she dismissed it herself. Impossible; he was just on the battlefield, how could he have time to buy a pet? Moreover, she had never seen such a small creature with blue fur and a unique temperament in Konoha.
Just as Satsuki was wondering, the little Zacian on the floor also looked up, its clear eyes appraising the black-haired girl who had suddenly entered.
This aura... it's so familiar.
When her consciousness was still hazy in the eggshell, and her perception of the outside world was a blur, besides Naruto's warm, reassuring, sun-like aura, there was indeed another loving aura that often appeared. It was this person right in front of her.
Little Zacian tilted its fluffy head, a faint, soft whimper escaping its throat, and the tip of its tail wagged slightly, expressing a natural sense of closeness.
"Satsuki! I'm fine, the war is over. How about you? Are you uninjured?"
Naruto's concerned voice pulled her back from her brief thoughts. He took a few steps forward, his hands naturally resting on her shoulders, his eyes carefully scanning her up and down to confirm she was unharmed.
"Eh! Uh, I'm fine," Satsuki's cheeks flushed slightly from his sudden close concern, and her voice unconsciously softened a few degrees. "Because your Shadow Clone was always there protecting me, Naruto..."
Actually, when Satsuki saw Naruto, who had been fighting beside her, disappear in a puff of white smoke, she did feel a little empty, and even a bit inexplicably angry... But at this moment, feeling the warmth and strength on her shoulders, and seeing the undisguised worry in his eyes, that tiny bit of subtle resentment caused by the Shadow Clone's dissipation instantly vanished without a trace.
"Is that so? That's good," hearing her confirm it herself, Naruto seemed to truly relax, his tense shoulders easing. "So, how are the others?" Although memories from his Shadow Clones were constantly flowing into his mind, he still wanted to hear direct confirmation from Satsuki.
"Because Kakashi and Might Guy were there, almost no one was injured," Satsuki replied. "And the war hadn't yet reached the Uchiha Clan Compound, so Dad and Mom are also safe and sound."
Although the center of the Village was somewhat damaged by Shukaku, thankfully... her gaze uncontrollably drifted once more to the cute yet exceptionally steady little blue dog sitting quietly in place.
"But, Naruto, what exactly is this?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately remembered another, more important matter—the majestic yet warm golden giant fox that had enveloped the entire Village. That must have been Naruto, right?
She had a major question in her heart that she wanted answered, but for now, the source of the living little creature right in front of her was asked first.
"...This, ah," Naruto followed her gaze, a look of relief and a touch of incredulity on his face. "It's nothing, just that the egg we've been taking care of hatched, just now."
"...Eh?!"
— — — — — —
That's not right... This is... a dog?
Satsuki sat in a chair in the living room, her gaze following the small blue figure on the floor. Just now, Naruto had meticulously mashed some fresh fruit into a puree, carefully mixed it with warm milk, and then presented the small bowl to the creature called "Zacian."
An egg... theoretically, it's impossible for a canid to hatch from an egg, right?
Although Satsuki's theoretical knowledge wasn't top-tier compared to Naruto and Sakura, it was definitely among the best in her year. At this moment, her common sense was experiencing a small shock.
Little Zacian seemed very interested in the food in front of it. It first extended its small tongue, tentatively licking the milky paste in the bowl. The next moment, its eyes visibly brightened; clearly, Naruto's culinary skills seemed to possess a charm that could cross species boundaries.
However, the little fellow then seemed to suddenly realize something, quickly reining in the momentary, childlike exuberance it had shown, and reverted to its innate, steady demeanor.
It then began to drink unhurriedly, in small sips—although the rate at which the milk in the bowl decreased was slightly inconsistent with the elegant posture it deliberately maintained.
Is this really how a newborn puppy should behave?
Satsuki's memory was pulled back to her Ninja Academy days. She remembered when Kiba brought Akamaru, who was only a few months old, to class; the little dog was clearly shy and uneasy when faced with many unfamiliar gazes, needing to hide in Kiba's arms for protection.
But the little Zacian in front of her was completely different. Its every movement exuded an open and honest composure, and even its steps carried a natural rhythm. An indescribable aura of nobility and pride, vastly different from its small size, subtly enveloped it.
What exactly is it...?
Satsuki didn't know that, despite being a newborn, as a legendary creature bestowed with the title "King of Swords," this tranquility and majesty were merely fundamental aspects deeply rooted in its soul's origin.
However, despite finding it incredibly unbelievable, Satsuki never once thought that Naruto would deceive her about this... Hmm, the filter of being in love is sometimes just that unreasonable.
Naruto also poured a cup of warm milk for Satsuki and himself; humans could drink it too. More importantly, he did have some things he needed to explain to Satsuki, regarding his power.
"Um... Naruto," Satsuki said softly, holding the warm cup.
"Mm," Naruto responded, waiting for her next words.
"What's your current strength level, roughly?"
"This, huh..." Naruto thought carefully. Previously, he had hidden his strength from Satsuki because he didn't want to overly crush her confidence, and he was even more afraid that she might go to extremes and be swayed or kidnapped by Orochimaru.
And now, Orochimaru had actually turned his attention to himself... but that guy was now completely sealed, a turtle in a jar. Once he found the right opportunity, he would secretly transfer this troublesome person to the [Ember] Organization and pin the blame on 'Menma.'
He couldn't hide his strength from Satsuki forever... Anyway, the Flying Thunder God Technique Formula had already been imprinted, so Satsuki would never be out of Naruto's sight.
If... if Satsuki really dared to have thoughts of leaving... Naruto was also mentally prepared to use some rather extreme methods... He carefully chose his words, finally giving a clear answer. "Roughly... hmm, it's equivalent to... just like what you saw in the Village today."
"That fox?" Satsuki immediately thought of the majestic, infinitely powerful Nine-Tailed Fox, glowing with brilliant golden light, like a guardian deity.
"Mm," Naruto nodded, confirming her guess.
A brief silence spread between them, and the atmosphere made Naruto feel a surge of tension. He was somewhat afraid of hearing Satsuki's accusations next, questioning why he had hidden and deceived her before. Just as he was organizing his thoughts, wanting to explain something, Satsuki finally spoke again.
"Then, Naruto, I'll just ask one question." Satsuki raised her eyes, her deep black pupils looking directly into Naruto's azure ones. "I only need the answer to this one question."
She took a small breath, then asked, word for word. "That kind of power, to your body... it won't take you away, will it?"
A deep, almost obsessive emotion churned in her black eyes, the light within them so profound it was unsettling.
"You won't lie to me, will you? If one day, this power tries to take you away from me..." Her voice was unusually firm. "Please promise me, before that, use it to take my life first."
She gazed at him, her eyes filled with undisguised, desperate dependence. "I cannot bear... to live alone in a purgatory filled with your memories."
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