Chapter 407: Singularity
Victim...
Satsuki wasn't lying—she'd indeed found a new person to hate, someone who must be killed, someone who shared the same blood as her clan.
The culprit who controlled the Nine-Tails and destroyed Naruto's entire childhood.
She knew this hatred might be obsessive, even somewhat twisted. But she equally understood—if Naruto wanted to kill her one day, she probably wouldn't even have the thought to resist.
Her feelings had never been normal. Extreme, intense, like a poisoned blade—one edge cutting herself, the other pointing at everyone who hurt him.
She was indeed a bit angry at Naruto, but the source of that annoyance always revolved around only one thing—how he'd willingly let Itachi stab him for the sake of the Sharingan.
Every time she recalled the image of that blade sinking into his body, Satsuki's heart ached so much she could barely breathe. She'd rather that blade had pierced her instead.
Naruto looked at Satsuki's eyes brimming with tears. Water light rippled there, yet the love surging in the depths was so scorching it would burn him.
She was still loving him. Same as before.
This realization made Naruto breathe a sigh of relief while also bringing a wave of shame. "Satsuki... I..." Naruto's voice was dry, carrying cautious pleading. "Any compensation... as long as you can..."
"I want you."
Naruto's ears warmed. "...I already am."
"Not enough." She stepped forward, almost pressing into his embrace, looking up at him. Her black eyes churned with obsessive possessiveness. "Besides you... I don't want anything else."
Her love clung almost pathologically—wanting to merge into his bones and blood, wanting to become the breath in each of his inhalations, wanting his eyes to reflect only her shadow, wanting all the sources of his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness tied to her.
She'd even fantasized about using an irreversible contract to bind him forever to her side, even if it would burn them both.
Satsuki opened her arms to him—a posture without any reservation. Naruto knew that if he retreated now—he should immediately find a wall and bash his head against it.
He reached out, pulling her tightly into his embrace.
At first it was just meant to be a hug. Wanting to use body warmth to dispel the moisture in her eyes, wanting to lightly kiss her forehead or cheek, wanting to feel the soft curve of her ear. But when her breath completely enveloped him, fingers unconsciously clutching tightly at the fabric on each other's backs, breathing became rapid and scorching.
Reason was like fragile thin ice, melting inch by inch under burning desire.
Kisses changed from comfort to demand, embraces changed from dependence to entanglement. By the time they came to their senses, both their breathing was completely disheveled, the air permeated with a suffocating sweet yet dangerous atmosphere of lust.
"Wait... let's go to the room..."
Naruto barely recovered a thread of reason, panting in a low voice as he pressed down on Satsuki's hand that had already explored into his shirt hem.
"Mm... hurry..."
Satsuki's response carried an unbearable nasal tone. She was practically hanging on him, fingertips tightly gripping his arm. Naruto half-supported, half-carried her steadily, moving step by step toward the bedroom.
He and Satsuki had already become husband and wife in reality.
This realization suddenly crashed clearly into his mind. Emerging along with it were memories of that birthday night's swaying candlelight, her trembling as she offered her kiss, and the inexperienced yet fervent intimacy afterward.
They were already adults.
This thought suddenly opened some dusty door.
That system... that one number that couldn't be displayed... now, he should be able to see it, right?
He recalled many years ago, when Satsuki's bond level soared to over thirty, the system's notification sound had suddenly stopped abruptly, followed by a cold mechanical voice.
[Bond level with original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has risen to system upper limit! (Exceeds system calculable level!) (Relationship has undergone fundamental qualitative change! Can only be unlocked for viewing after coming of age)]
The system's notifications were never reported level by level. It would only give the final result directly when conditions were met—just like with Gaara back then.
So... how exactly did Satsuki view him?
Just as Satsuki impatiently pulled him into the room, the moment the door closed behind them, Naruto's mind stirred slightly, quietly summoning that line of data that had never truly displayed.
At the edge of his vision, a light blue screen silently unfolded.
[Uchiha Satsuki Bond Level: 9,223,372,036,854,775,807] 01101110 01101111 01101110 00101101 01101110 01101111 01101110 00101101 01101110 01101111 01101110 00101101 01110011 01110100 01110010 01101001 01101110 01100111 00101101 01110011]
[Current Status: Singularity of Love]
[Status Description: Favorability has broken through the category of 'relationship,' reaching the shore of 'concept.' In her cognitive universe, the definition of the word 'love' has been completely rewritten—its extension and connotation are you alone. History before you is formless chaos, the future beyond you is absolute void. Her memory, personality, and life potential forever face toward you, the sole 'sun,' with the most burning, most unreserved intensity. Any attempt to separate you from her existence is conceptually equivalent to creating a 'vacuum annihilation' containing all dimensions and information within her world's laws—the only outcome being complete self-collapse and existential erasure.]
[System Additional Notice: For the sake of the world including all life's continued existence—Host must treasure yourself and avoid injury.]
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"...Mm."
Clear birdsong outside the window drilled into her ears. Satsuki slowly opened her eyes. Morning light filtered through the curtain gaps. Last night's memories surged back like a tide—those scorching kisses, entangled breathing, and... her own loss of control after taking the lead.
Her cheeks warmed slightly.
"Good morning."
A gentle voice came from above, accompanied by the chest cavity's subtle vibration. Naruto was lying on his side, holding her completely in his embrace, arm loosely circling her waist.
His face wore a light smile—that smile contained not a trace of last night's unease or hesitation, only warmth that seemed ready to overflow.
Naruto he... was in a very good mood?
Satsuki didn't know what had happened, but that joyful atmosphere was so obvious it made her instinctively feel at ease. She nuzzled lightly in his embrace, responding softly. "Mm."
Continuing to feel the warmth of his chest, breathing in nothing but his clean, pleasant scent.
"Breakfast is already made. Let's eat together in a bit."
Naruto's fingers gently passed through her black hair, lightly combing the strands, movements full of attachment. He likewise enjoyed the softness and warmth in his arms.
"Eh? Already made?"
Satsuki raised her face somewhat surprised. But Naruto was clearly still in bed... had he gotten up early to make breakfast, then deliberately come back to accompany her?
This realization stirred a secret satisfaction in her heart—Naruto's infatuation and reluctance to leave her was precisely the response she most craved. Her possessiveness coiled around this tenderness like vines, quietly tightening.
But right now, compared to breakfast—she wanted to first taste another serving of her "favorite dessert."
She looked up, moving closer to him, fingers gently stroking his cheek...
---
"Here, this is a sandwich with lots of tomatoes. And porridge, your favorite flavor too."
"Mm, thank you."
At the dining table, the two who'd finished washing up sat facing each other. Naruto's face carried a trace of barely concealed fatigue, yet he still carefully pushed the specially made tomato sandwich before Satsuki.
Satsuki was refreshed and energized, her eyes brimming with satisfied soft smiles. When receiving the sandwich, her fingertips inadvertently brushed over the back of his hand.
In the end... Naruto still hadn't escaped this morning.
Despite being exhausted until midnight last night, this morning he'd been pulled by Satsuki's half-coquettish, half-playful coaxing into another round of intimacy... Though his body was somewhat tired, his heart inexplicably swelled with warmth.
Could it be... every day would be like this from now on?
When this thought flashed through, Naruto's ears warmed, yet he couldn't help looking forward to it.
Knock knock knock!
The sudden knocking shattered the morning's tranquility. Was it his father-in-law and mother-in-law, or Mom? Naruto rose to open the door, only to see a completely unexpected figure.
"Jiraiya-sensei?"
He said in surprise, quickly stepping aside. "Why did you come? Oh right, have you eaten? Come in and eat with us."
"No, no, no, I don't need to..."
Jiraiya stood at the doorway, his expression extremely strange—showing both awkwardness and anxiety. While waving his hands in refusal, he carefully peeked inside the house, his gaze flickering suspiciously.
"That... Naruto, you and Satsuki... how are things? Kushina told me..."
"You... already know." Naruto scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassed, though his face wore a smile. "The wedding will probably be within two years. You must attend, as my master—"
His words cut off abruptly.
Because he saw Jiraiya's face instantly turn pale, cold sweat even seeping from his forehead. That expression of wanting to speak but stopping, regretting beyond measure, definitely didn't look like being moved because his disciple was getting married.
Something was wrong.
Just then, urgent footsteps came from not far away, accompanied by a furious, all-too-familiar female voice—
"Old geezer!! I'm going to kill you—!!"
Uzumaki Kushina rushed over like a red whirlwind, her red hair floating in the air—this was a symbol of Kushina's fury.
"If the mess you caused when you were young affects Naruto—you're dead!!"
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