Chapter 20: Bloodline Awakening! I, the pile driver!
The new bridge shimmered under the morning sun, and almost all the villagers of the Land of Waveshad come out, standing at the foot of the bridge to see off their heroes.
"This bridge will be the great road leading our Land of Waves toward hope."
Tazuna stood at the very front, tears streaming down his face as he stroked the sturdy railing. Then, he turned around and shouted loudly, "To remember the Ninja who brought us this miracle, I have decided to name this bridge..."
"The Great Naruto Bridge!"
Cheers erupted instantly.
Naruto stood in the crowd, hands on his hips, enjoying everyone's gaze with an expression that said it was only natural.
[The Great Naruto Bridge? The name is a bit tacky, but it's barely worthy of this great me.]
[But Old Man, your vision is still too small. One very important meaning of this bridge is that it's the starting point of my future number-one logistics empire in the Ninja World. Once Zabuzaand I monopolize the shipping, what 'road to hope'? This is clearly a cash-shuttling pipe to this great me's vault!]
Naruto calmly glanced at the shadows behind him.
There, one of his Shadow Clones was lurking, carrying a special Chakra mark. Once the main group left, this clone would go meet the recovered Zabuza to begin the grand plan of integrating the underworld and monopolizing trade.
At that moment, Haku walked to Naruto's side and helped him straighten his collar, which had been ruffled by the sea breeze.
"Master... no, Naruto-kun, it's time to set off."
To avoid raising Konoha's suspicion, Haku had changed back into his androgynous outfit, not wearing the maid uniform Naruto had been thinking about. But even so, every one of his movements exuded obedience and tenderness.
Even just simply straightening a collar, the sensation of his fingertips brushing against Naruto's neck, combined with those eyes so gentle they seemed like they could drip water, gave the people nearby goosebumps.
[Sigh, what a pity. It would have been so good if he could wear that black and white lace miniskirt right now.]
[But this sense of contrast—wearing men's clothes while his heart belongs only to me—is actually pretty exciting? Is this the legendary... hidden perks?]
Hearing Naruto's inner thoughts, Haku's fingers stiffened for a moment, and a shade of pink quickly dyed the tips of his ears, but his movements didn't stop. Instead, his gaze became even more tender.
This scene fell into the eyes of the other members of Team 7, and their reactions varied.
Sasuke's mouth twitched as he turned his face away, as if questioning whether something was wrong with the world. Kakashi sighed and tucked his copy of make-out tactics deeper into his vest, his eyes full of helplessness.
Only Sakura had an expression more sour than if she had eaten a lemon.
Since a moment ago, the ninja world sky screen in her mind had been flashing non-stop. Naruto's messy thoughts about "Haku is so useful" and "having someone to warm the bed every day in the future" were constantly scrolling through her head.
But that wasn't even the worst part.
What made her break down was the massive gap whenever Naruto compared her to Haku—
[Tsk tsk, look at Haku. Now that's professional quality! Even though he hasn't officially started yet, look how skilled he is at serving tea, pouring water, and wiping sweat.]
[Then look at Sakura. Forget wiping sweat; if I'm sweating, she'd probably just think I'm gross and then turn around to ask Sasuke if he's tired.]
[Women, even if they're pretty, aren't very interesting if they only know how to lose their tempers and act like eye candy. Compared to that future monstrously strong woman with violent tendencies, the current Haku is simply an angel.]
[Plus, Haku has mastered Ice Release, so he'll be a mobile air conditioner in the summer and a heat pack in the winter. What about Sakura? She only knows how to yell 'Baka Naruto', 'Baka Naruto'... Sigh, the competitive pressure is high.]
*Snap!*
The tree branch in Sakura's hand, originally intended to be used as a walking stick, was actually snapped in two by her sheer grip.
An unprecedented sense of crisis felt as if someone had given her a hard shove from behind.
I lost?
I actually lost to a man?
Haku was so gentle and considerate, always looking out for Naruto's well-being; one simply couldn't find a flaw. Such a person had made Naruto look at her as if she were trash?
What scared her even more was that although these evaluations on the heavenly curtain were harsh, when she thought about it carefully... she couldn't even refute them!
"Damn it..."
Sakura glared intensely at Haku, who was following beside Naruto and occasionally looking back with a gentle smile, her teeth grinding audibly.
This sense of crisis was very real. Originally, she thought that as the only girl in Team 7, she was the natural heroine. But now, this femboy who appeared out of nowhere was stealing her spotlight in every possible way!
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host 'Sakura Haruno' has developed a strong sense of crisis as a loser dogand a jealousy of not wanting to lose to a man.]
[Evaluation: In this era of involution where even men can become top-tier green teas, if you don't even have basic female competitiveness, you aren't far from being eliminated. Be angry; this is exactly the motivation you need to break your illusions and recognize reality.]
[Reward distributed: Mental Resilience greatly increased · Genjutsu Resistance +50%]
A cool sensation rushed into her brain, and Sakura's mind, which had been scorched by jealousy, cooled down quite a bit.
She took a deep breath, looking at Naruto's back, her gaze slowly becoming determined.
Just you wait.
Who says I only know how to lose my temper? Isn't it just being gentle and considerate? Isn't it just... that kind of thing?
As long as I can become stronger, as long as I won't be left behind... I can act too!
...
The return journey was much lighter than the trip there.
Without the pressure of the mission, and with the key to Gato's secret vault in his pocket along with some cash provided in advance by the system, Naruto walked with a spring in his step, wishing he could fly back to Konoha to live it up.
Two days later, the familiar gates of Konoha finally appeared before them.
"I'm finally... back."
Naruto stood at the top of the slope, looking down at the still-bustling Village. Although he had a goofy grin on his face, his blue eyes shone with a light that only he understood.
His hands were in his pockets, his fingertips lightly brushing against that thick stack of bills.
[The Chunin Exams are coming...]
[That's going to be a big show. Orochimaru, that slippery snake, is going to cause trouble, the Old Man Third is going to bite the dust, and then there's that group of monster candidates from various Villages...]
[But none of that is the point!]
[The point is, I have money! With money comes resources, and with resources, I can max out favorability!]
Naruto's gaze seemed to have X-ray vision as it swept through every corner of Konoha Village.
[Wife Hinata must have missed me lately. The hairpin I gave her last time was too cheap; this time I'll go straight to custom-ordering a pure gold one... no, a high-grade one with Chakra amplification! Then I'll take her to eat through the high-end cuisine of the entire street!]
[And Teacher Kurenai. What does a mature older sister type like her like most? Red wine? Flowers? Or even more exciting Genjutsu scrolls? Anyway, as long as it can be solved with money, I'll buy it all!]
[Oh right, and that violent woman Anko Mitarashi. Since she's about to be a proctor for the Chunin Exams, how can I not go bribe her in advance? That most expensive dango shop—I'm going to buy out the whole shop and give it to her. Let's see if she still has the nerve not to let her favorability explode?]
Naruto's head was filled with these messy spendthrift plans, completely lacking the tension of an impending great war.
But he didn't notice that the moment his foot stepped into the Konoha gates, the system, which had been quiet, suddenly popped up a gold-red notification that could make his heart stop.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the long-term dungeon mission: [Land of Waves Counterattack and Conquest].]
[Evaluation: You have not only completed the mission well but also, by virtue of your personal shameless charm and strong-arm tactics, established your own overseas base without relying on the Konoha higher-ups, and successfully recruited Haku and Zabuza, who possess S-class potential. Your behavior has deviated significantly from the trajectory of a dead last and is charging straight toward becoming a powerhouse of the Ninja World.]
[Rewards are being calculated...]
[Points obtained: 5000 points!]
[Given that the host used excessive amounts of Chakra multiple times during the mission and showed a desire for vitality and physical fitness (to better conquer women), the system has decided to issue the bloodline awakening reward in advance.]
[Injecting energy...]
[Congratulations to the host: [Uzumaki ClanPure Bloodline] awakening progress increased to 10%!]
*Thump!*
Naruto's heart contracted sharply, and immediately after, a surge of heat erupted from his heart, instantly flowing through his entire body.
It was an indescribable feeling of refreshment.
His already massive Chakra volume actually doubled again under the impact of this power! That life force from the Uzumaki Clan frantically filled every cell of his body.
Fatigue? Soreness? Non-existent.
Naruto felt like he was now a machine with inexhaustible energy. Forget running; even if he were asked to run a hundred laps around Konoha Village on his hands right now, he wouldn't even be out of breath.
[Holy crap... is this the Uzumaki Clan cheat?]
[This is way too fierce! I feel like I don't even need to weave signs now; I could blast people to death just by spraying Chakra!]
[And...]
Naruto subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling the seemingly endless energy within him, a wicked smile appearing on his face.
[With this infinite stamina and recovery power... my future married life, hehehe... won't I be invincible?]
[Big sisters, little wives... even if you all come at once, this great me can fight to the end! I'm throwing away my humanity! I want to be a pile driver!]
Haku, who was standing behind him and alertly observing the surroundings, suddenly felt a burst of invisible but terrifying aura erupt from Naruto, and then "heard" these frightening words.
Haku's foot slipped, and he almost tripped on flat ground.
He glanced at the back of the boy in front of him whose spirits were far too high; for some reason, as a future maid, he actually felt a faint ache in his waist.
And at this moment in Konoha, although it looked very peaceful,
The Sky Screen Holders distributed throughout the Village sensed that familiar, but stronger and more aggressively lewd fluctuation at the same time.
Anko dropped the dango in her hand, Hinatastopped her Gentle Fist practice, Ino put down her comb, and Kurenai looked up from her scrolls...
Everyone looked toward the direction of the gates.
That guy, the source of miracles and embarrassment... is back.