What's going on?! Why did Naruto turn around?! Could it be... I've been discovered?! That shouldn't be!
Satsuki saw Naruto's scrutinizing gaze and immediately panicked, her heart pounding like a drum. Although she had already decided to explain everything that happened today to Naruto, she... she hadn't thought of the perfect lines yet! What should she say as an opening? How should she convey her apology?
Under Satsuki's anxious and flustered gaze, Naruto didn't loudly expose her disguise. Instead, he took a few steps and slowly walked over to her—or rather, to this "tree"—and stopped.
What... what does he want to do? Satsuki's heart was practically leaping out of her throat. Maybe... maybe he's just suspicious? If I just keep my Transformation Technique active, he might think he guessed wrong and then leave?
Right! As long as I don't admit it, I'm still a tree!
It seems the more you care about someone, the lower your intelligence becomes. Moreover, Satsuki's actions just now could, to some extent, be considered "eavesdropping"... Satsuki felt she had already lost enough face today, so much that it was almost overflowing, and she really didn't want to add "caught eavesdropping" to the list.
Naruto stood quietly in front of the "tree." He could clearly feel the information fed back by Gold Experience—the mass of Satsuki's life energy inside this "tree" was fluctuating violently due to extreme tension and panic.
He didn't know why, but looking at Satsuki, who thought she was so well hidden, the guilt and heartache he felt because of the previous misunderstanding suddenly mixed with an inexplicable... urge to tease her.
Under Satsuki's hidden, confused, and nervous gaze from behind the tree, Naruto bent down and picked up a slender twig from the ground.
What is Naruto going to do? An alarm bell rang in Satsuki's heart, and a very bad premonition arose.
Wait... he wouldn't be thinking of...?!
Satsuki's worst premonition became reality the next moment.
Naruto held the small twig and, without using any force, just very, very lightly poked the trunk of the tree Satsuki had transformed into with the tip.
"!"
Satsuki sharply drew in a cold breath, nearly breaking her Transformation Technique and crying out due to the sudden touch! She forcefully suppressed the gasp that was almost on the tip of her tongue.
It was strange.
The spot Naruto poked wasn't a sensitive area; it was just a normal tree trunk, and he didn't use any force at all, even being careful.
But... Satsuki felt an indescribable, subtle yet clear itch and tremor, which, like an electric current, instantly spread throughout her body from the point of contact!
This feeling... it was too strange! And too... shameful!
It was as if Naruto wasn't poking rough bark, but her defenseless, most sensitive soft spot. It made her whole "tree" want to tremble slightly.
Like a prank between children, Naruto didn't have many complex thoughts at this moment. He just subconsciously, with a hint of curiosity and testing, wanted to play a tickle-like prank on this person who was "hiding" in the tree, thinking she was perfectly disguised.
Of course, for Naruto, who had deliberately avoided all areas that could cause actual harm or were overly sensitive, if Satsuki truly felt nothing from tickling, his behavior would probably just be classified as a boring, annoying kid's act.
But the current facts proved—
Naruto watched as the "tree" in front of him, with his gentle poke, uncontrollably and ever so slightly trembled, as if its branches and leaves were rustled by a breeze, but there was no wind at all at that moment.
Oh? It seems Satsuki has little resistance to tickling-like contact, huh?
This discovery made Naruto's lips curve into a slight smile. His mischievous impulse grew stronger, and he raised the small twig in his hand again, poking it lightly once more.
"!"
The "tree's" trembling became more obvious, and even its leaves rustled along with it.
"Ugh...!"
Satsuki, hidden within the tree, was on the verge of collapse! She desperately bit down on her teeth, barely managing to suppress the urge to scream and make strange whimpering sounds that were almost bursting from her throat!
All her muscles were taut from extreme restraint, causing the entire tree to begin vibrating slightly at an unnatural frequency, and the leaves' shaking amplitude grew larger and larger.
This feeling was truly too strange for Satsuki!
The light touch itself didn't bring pain, but an irresistible itch and tremor that made her want to curl up.
The feeling of desperately holding back was indeed very uncomfortable; a surge of air was rushing back and forth in her chest, unable to find an exit, making her feel almost oxygen-deprived.
But... but for some reason... beneath this intense, almost uncontrollable shame and discomfort... there was faintly mixed in a strange... pleasure?
Stop, stop it... you idiot! Don't poke anymore... I, I can't hold back much longer...!
This extremely contradictory psychology made Satsuki's brain almost overheat and crash, forcing her to rely on instinct to desperately hold on, maintaining her precarious Transformation Technique.
Finally, with Naruto's small twig playfully poking her one more time, Satsuki's nerves and endurance, stretched to their limit, completely gave way!
With a soft "poof" and a rapidly dispersing white smoke, the "trembling" tree in front of Naruto instantly vanished.
In its place was Uchiha Satsuki herself—she was slightly bent over, her hands weakly resting on her knees, her cheeks as red as ripe tomatoes, breathing rapidly, her chest heaving violently. Her beautiful black eyes were clouded with a physiological mist born from suppressing laughter and shame, and her gaze darted away, completely unwilling to meet Naruto's eyes.
Clearly, that series of "tree-tickling" attacks had caused her tons of "mental damage."
Naruto looked at Satsuki's rare, disheveled yet adorable appearance and couldn't help but laugh. He subconsciously reached out, wanting to pat her shoulder as usual and say, "Gotcha!" or "Are you okay?"
However, as soon as his hand was raised, Satsuki suddenly hopped back a step, dodging his touch.
She puffed out her cheeks, like a hamster with its pouches full of food, and turned her head away, deliberately not looking at Naruto, exuding an air of "I'm sulking" all over her.
Of course, her little tantrum wasn't directed at Naruto. It was more about being angry at herself—angry at how she could have done something so utterly embarrassing as hiding and turning into a tree?
Angry at how she could be so spineless, reacting so strongly to a few pokes? Angry at how she had been performing various social death scenes in front of Naruto all day today!
The immense shame and frustration made her want nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into, or at least... before explaining everything, let her cool down her overheating brain and cheeks.
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