Chapter 375: Naruto: The Genjutsu World Feels Amazing
"Hm?"
"This is great, thank you, Sasuke!"
Uzumaki Naruto beamed with joy the moment he saw Uzumaki Kushina in front of him.
Previously, in order to ensure that Naruto's mind was focused solely on him, and to guarantee the purity of the Asura chakra in the cells Naruto produced, Uchiha Sasuke had created a genjutsu world containing only himself, with no one else.
Naruto had nearly broken down at first.
It wasn't just that Sasuke was the only one in the genjutsu world, it was that every single person Naruto encountered there was Sasuke.
It felt as if Sasuke had stolen Naruto's Shadow Clone Technique.
Every day in the genjutsu world, the first thing Naruto did upon waking was try every possible way to plead with Sasuke.
The content of his pleas kept changing.
At the beginning, he begged Sasuke to let him out, promising that anything could be negotiated and that he would agree to anything.
As time went on, his demands gradually lowered.
Eventually, he was just begging Sasuke to at least add some variety to the genjutsu.
Anything but every single person looking like Sasuke.
Now, seeing Kushina and Nohara Rin outside, Naruto assumed Sasuke had finally relented and granted his request.
What? This isn't a genjutsu?
How could that be?
He had clearly been in a small house outside Amegakure when he was placed under genjutsu, so how could he suddenly wake up here?
And the clothes he was wearing were solid proof this was a genjutsu.
Most importantly, Sasuke wasn't around.
If the genjutsu had been dispelled, shouldn't Sasuke, the one who cast it, be nearby?
So obviously, this was still a genjutsu!
Naruto grew excited, rubbing his hands together.
In fact, over the past couple of days, Naruto had already figured out how to entertain himself inside the genjutsu world.
Even though all the people were Sasuke, the objects weren't.
Naruto had indulged in a feast of ramen inside the illusion.
Even though the ramen had also been made by Sasuke.
Originally, Naruto's plan for today was to wake up, grab a bunch of instant noodles from a shop, and enjoy another binge.
But he hadn't expected Sasuke to take a step back today and restore the people in the genjutsu to normal appearances.
Naruto was already thinking about what to do next. As for the "mom" in front of him? Just a construct of the genjutsu, why bother with her?
Meanwhile, Kushina looked extremely worried.
Had that slap just now been too hard? Had she knocked Naruto stupid?
"Naruto, are you okay? You…"
"Shut up, don't interrupt my thinking."
Naruto waved her off impatiently.
Kushina: "..."
Had Naruto entered a rebellious phase?
"Forget it. I'll stick to the original plan, time to binge on instant noodles."
Naruto rubbed his hands together, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Kushina stood there, utterly confused.
Did eating instant noodles really require planning?
While she was distracted, Naruto took a step forward and felt something under his foot. Looking down, he saw it was his own pants.
He nudged them aside with his foot, kicked them away completely, and then jumped out of the display window.
"This outfit actually looks pretty nice."
Naruto thought of his most familiar technique, formed hand seals, and transformed into a blonde girl with twin ponytails.
Of course, he was still wearing the dress from the display window.
"Hehe~ it's so breezy and comfortable. So this is why wearing a skirt feels so good. Being a girl is way better!"
"Come to think of it, why doesn't Sakura-chan ever wear dresses?"
"Wait… actually, I don't think I've ever seen any female ninja wear one…"
Naruto skipped away into the distance, muttering strange thoughts to himself.
Kushina was completely stunned.
Naruto had already been strange enough, what exactly had he gone through over the past few days?
His mental state was starting to feel genuinely alarming.
Kushina even began to suspect that Uzumaki Menma from that alternate "Limited Tsukuyomi" world had somehow crossed into reality.
"Kushina-nee, don't panic. I think I understand what's going on."
Rin quickly stepped forward, helping Kushina out of the shattered display window while comforting her. At the same time, she paid the shop owner for the dress Naruto had taken and compensated for the broken glass.
"After I was revived and finished my health check, I talked with Shiromo and the others. Naruto and Sasuke came up as well."
"They were probably trying to help Sasuke awaken the Rinnegan."
"I got curious and checked the surveillance once. Naruto had been put under genjutsu by Sasuke."
"So his behavior just now is likely because he thinks he's still inside the genjutsu world. That's why he's letting himself go."
Rin patiently explained the situation.
"I see…"
Kushina let out a long sigh of relief.
But soon, her expression stiffened again.
"If he's acting freely because he thinks it's a genjutsu… doesn't that mean these are his true thoughts, completely unfiltered?"
When people are drunk, they might speak nonsense, or truth.
But Naruto believed this was a genjutsu. Wouldn't everything he said be his genuine thoughts?
"Uh… that does seem to be the case."
Rin looked awkward.
After all that comforting, it seemed she had only made things worse.
"Forget it. I need to go stop him before he does anything too outrageous."
Kushina sighed and glanced at Rin.
Kushina felt she was still too soft.
Look at Rin, she had been revived through Impure World Reincarnation and personally witnessed her two grown male teammates tangled together in a hospital room, yet she barely reacted emotionally.
All Rin had shown was respect and support.
Maybe she would even attend Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Obito's wedding as a bridesmaid someday.
And herself?
Just hearing Naruto sincerely say he wanted to be a girl and wear dresses, and she couldn't handle it?
Too weak!
As the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, she needed a heart as firm as stone!
"Hey! You haven't paid yet!"
"Pay? Me, Uzumaki Naruto, never pays for anything~"
Naruto ran out of a shop excitedly, arms full of instant noodles, while a desperate shop owner chased after him.
Kushina sighed helplessly and went with Rin to settle the bill.
After paying and apologizing, they turned back toward Naruto.
At that moment, Naruto had already wandered into his once-favorite specialty shop: [Niuzihou Bottle-kun].
The items inside fascinated him endlessly.
Unfortunately, before this, even if he emptied his frog wallet, he could only afford one set.
He had to rely on Shadow Clones to multiply its usage.
But now things were different.
He was in a genjutsu world.
He could freely experience everything inside!
"Excuse me, what is this?"
Naruto picked up a small green bottle and asked the shop clerk.
"This is medicated oil. It has a stimulating effect, it helps with insect bites and can refresh the mind…"
The clerk was still explaining seriously when Naruto, without any instruction, opened the bottle, poured some into his hand, and applied it directly to a sensitive spot.
"So powerful… what a Wind Release technique!"
Naruto gasped sharply, his eyes lighting up.
(End of this chapter)