Chapter 107 - 7

Chapter 7: Who Said Negative Favorability Can't Forge a Bond? Explode for Me, Defeat CG!The extreme humiliation and helplessness almost swallowed Uchiha Shingen whole.But he gritted his teeth, carving Naruto's face, those eyes, and everything inflicted upon him deep into the recesses of his mind!Naruto looked at the favorability rating stalled at [-78] on the panel and frowned slightly.Why did it stop rising?Was the stimulation not enough?He thought for a moment, then suddenly lifted his foot from Uchiha Shingen's face.Uchiha Shingen gasped, watching blankly as Naruto took a half step back.What was he going to do?Let him go?No, that was impossible...Then, he saw Naruto place his hand on his belt, making a gesture as if to undo it.Facing that gaze of wide-eyed terror, confusion, and even deeper shame, Naruto spoke in a tone so flat it was eerie:"I guess you must be thirsty after calling out for so long, right? Don't worry, let me get you something to drink..."He paused, seemingly weighing his words, then added:"It's even still warm...""You... you... Pfft—!!"Uchiha Shingen was stunned at first, then instantly understood the extremely base, vicious, and unimaginably insulting implication behind Naruto's words!Extreme rage, stifling frustration, disgust, and the despair of his inability to resist exploded in his chest like a volcano!He jerked his head up, eyes blood-red, glaring fixedly at Naruto, wanting to utter the most vicious curse, but his throat tasted sweet, and a surge of blood he could no longer suppress erupted from his mouth!"Cough, cough... Ugh—!"He pointed at Naruto, his finger trembling, but he couldn't say a word. Finally, everything went black, his body went limp, and he passed out completely.Fresh blood trickled from the corner of his drooping mouth, seeping into a dark red patch on the dusty ground.[Current Target (Uchiha Shingen) Favorability: -78 → -80 (Threshold Broken)][You have forged a special bond with the target (Uchiha Shingen): "Irreconcilable Hatred"][You have received a stage reward: Black Flashenergy channeling and explosive technique (transferred via memory fragment)]Success.Naruto stopped what he was doing, understanding clear in his mind.It seemed -80 might be a critical negative favorability threshold; once a certain "profound bond" was reached, the reward would trigger.He no longer looked at the three unconscious figures sprawled on the ground, as if they were merely stones by the roadside.He turned, walked to the wall, and bent down to pick up the three food containers.They were still warm to the touch.Thank goodness, the noodles hadn't gone cold.He brushed the dust and stray sparks from his clothes, checked that the food containers hadn't been damaged in the aftermath of the explosion, and strode away without looking back, leaving the chaotic alleyway filled with the stench of burning and blood.The sunset had completely dipped below the horizon, leaving only a smear of dark purple afterglow in the sky.The lights of Konoha flickered on one by one, stretching and then shortening his shadow.Not long after Naruto left, several figures appeared silently at the entrance of the alley like ghosts.They were uniformly dressed in tight black clothing, wearing pure white masks painted with different animal patterns, appearing particularly eerie in the dim light.Leading them was an Anbu member wearing a fox mask. He signaled, and the others immediately dispersed; two stood guard while the other two quickly stepped forward to check the condition of the three Uchiha Genin on the ground."Uchiha Kaoru has facial fractures and a moderate concussion; Uchiha Hiko has a fractured right arm and minor internal organ damage; Uchiha Shingenhas facial injuries, a fractured wrist, and more severe internal trauma, leading to unconsciousness from extreme rage. None are in life-threatening condition."The examining Anbu reported quickly in a low voice, the sound muffled and emotionless through the mask.The fox-masked Anbu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the charred walls in the alley, the scattered Kunai, broken wooden stakes, and traces of burning, finally resting on the brick wall that had cracked slightly where Uchiha Shingen had impacted it.The fox-masked Anbu raised his hand and made a "record" gesture.Another Anbu wearing a cat mask immediately stepped forward, taking out a small scroll and a special ink brush."Combat trace analysis: One side consisted of Uchiha Shingen, Hiko, and Kaoru, using shuriken, Sharingan genjutsu, Body Replacement Technique, and C-rank Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. The other side..."The fox-masked Anbu paused, his brows seemingly furrowing beneath the mask. "Taijutsu-based, extremely fast movements, astonishing power. The method of crushing the Great Fireball... unknown, suspected to be some kind of extreme physical destruction technique or an unknown Kekkei Genkai."He fell silent for a few seconds, seemingly weighing his words, before continuing in a flat tone: "Jinchuriki, Naruto, took on three alone and won completely. The battle duration was extremely short, and the process was a crushing victory. The three Uchiha... had almost no effective resistance."The air seemed to grow heavy.The Anbu members exchanged glances; even through their masks, they could sense each other's shock."Clean up the scene and eliminate obvious signs of combat. Transfer the three Uchiha to the nearest Konoha hospital and notify the person in charge of their clan."The fox-masked Anbu continued to issue orders. "Note: Do not cause panic among ordinary villagers. Tonight's incident is classified as C-rank confidentiality.""Yes!" the Anbu members responded in unison.They quickly disposed of the burning debris, used Earth Release Ninjutsu to slightly repair the charred walls, and wiped away the overly obvious bloodstains and footprints.Then, in pairs, they lifted the unconscious Uchihatrio and vanished into the thickening night with a flash.The alley returned to silence, as if the previous conflict had never happened. Only the faint, almost imperceptible smell of burning and a lingering scent of blood in the air, along with the repair marks on the wall that were hard to hide even after treatment, silently told the story of what had just occurred.Naruto was completely unaware of everything that happened in the alley behind him, nor did he have the time to care. He was practically flying, rushing towards home.Hungryyyyyy—!The increasingly rich aroma wafting from the three bowls of ramen and the thunderous roaring in his stomach formed an irresistible dual gravitational pull.His enhanced body was like a high-efficiency furnace, its thirst for energy reaching an unprecedented level.He clearly felt that although he hadn't been hurt in the short but intense battle just now, the physical exertion was far greater than he had imagined: every muscle was signaling a craving for nutrition, and the hollow, contracting feeling in his stomach brought on waves of slight dizziness.Pushing open that familiar, slightly dilapidated door, he placed the three food containers on the small low table.The moment he opened the containers, piping hot steam mixed with the domineering aroma of rich pork bone broth, char siu fat, sesame oil, and scallions exploded in the small room like a bomb!Naruto's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.He was almost clumsy as he broke apart the disposable chopsticks—this ordinary action proved difficult to control with his suddenly increased strength."Snap."The first pair of chopsticks snapped in two easily under his fingertips.He froze for a moment, looked at his fingers, took a deep breath, and tried to recall and control that "ordinary" level of force. Heavenly Restrictiongranted him strength and absolute control over his physical body, but he still needed a little adaptation for this kind of fine, everyday micro-manipulation.The second pair of chopsticks remained intact under his more careful movements, but they felt light as air in his hand, as if they would shatter again with the slightest force.He simply stopped worrying about it, used these "fragile" chopsticks to pick up a mouthful of ramen soaked in rich broth and glistening with an enticing sheen, blew on it, and put it into his mouth."Slurp—"Piping hot! Salty and savory! Rich and mellow! The noodles were chewy and smooth, the broth was thick and delicious, the char siu was perfectly balanced with fat and lean, melting in his mouth, and the runny yolk of the soft-boiled egg burst on his tongue along with the soup... Every flavor was so distinct, impacting his taste buds with such intensity! It was far more delicious than the Ichiraku Ramen in his memory!Not until he had finished the third box of ramen, drinking every drop of the soup, did Naruto finally exhale a satisfied breath of hot, fragrant air.The burning sensation in his stomach was replaced by the fullness of satiety, and the fatigue in his body dissipated for the most part due to his improved physique and the replenishment of food.