The Hyuga clan's annex had sat vacant for years. It was a traditional Japanese-style garden, complete with a hot spring—which, unfortunately, was still out of service after being unused for so long. For now there was only the shower.
"Why am I wearing women's clothes?! I'm not some kind of pervert!"
Naruto stormed out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, in full protest mode.
"..."
Maid Hyuga Natsu regarded Naruto with undisguised disdain.
She had positioned herself—deliberately or not—in front of Hanabi. She knew Hanabi couldn't see, but something about Naruto just felt like it would taint the air around her lady.
[Please tell me that's not Hanabi's unwashed yukata]
[Genius]
[Don't give it to me—I'll wear it!]
[You're not right in the head!!]
The audience was as brilliantly unhinged as ever.
"My," Hanabi spoke up, "those are clothes I picked out especially for you."
"Huh? Especially?" Naruto froze.
"Indeed. A safeguard against slacking off. If you're wearing women's clothing, you have no choice but to stay in your transformed state, do you? Naruto—you wouldn't want someone to see you in your male form dressed like that, would you?"
[This Japanese netizen needs to chill]
[Ninja's Path is set in a Japanese-inspired world, so... honestly that logic holds up perfectly]
[The logic holds. The person delivering it is the problem]
[Hanabi: I see no issue]
[My darling explained her reasoning and everything, but I still have the sneaking feeling she just wanted to watch the chaos]
[Hang on—if Naruto just grew his hair out and got a little paler, wouldn't he kind of work even in his original male form?]
[Right? A femboy version might actually be better]
Hanabi: ???
So it wasn't gender-swap content that dominated over there—it was femboy content?
Either way, her popularity was climbing sharply, and the audience was clearly delighted by her little "joke."
That said, Naruto did genuinely have some potential—and wasn't particularly averse to the outfit, either.
Even the original canon had that official side material with Naruko's transformation going on a date with Hinata in a "yuri" gag. The source material itself played into the joke.
But if it wasn't a gender swap—just a cute boy in a dress—maybe that wasn't out of the question either.
What if... Naruto stays a femboy, and I swap Sasuke's gender instead?
"Achoo—"
Somewhere in the distance, Hanabi heard a sneeze.
"Transformed. Phew—much better." Naruto visibly relaxed after switching back.
"Looks like the masses are about to have their dreams shattered."
Watching Naruto settle into the look, Hanabi had a fairly clear read on the situation now.
Naruto didn't mind being a girl. But a boy in women's clothing? Probably not her cup of tea.
Straight sensibilities—or rather, a "straight-line" aesthetic preference?
Being a girl wearing feminine clothing versus a boy wearing feminine clothing were two entirely different things in Naruto's mind.
If Naruto were forced to spend the rest of her life in women's clothing and had to choose between male or female—by Naruto's own logic, she'd probably just choose to be a girl. And it likely wouldn't weigh on her much at all.
"So what if Sasuke cross-dresses, while Naruto stays transformed?"
"Achoo—achoo—huh?" Sasuke sneezed twice from across the garden, followed by a look of confused disorientation.
Though considering Sasuke was also perfectly normal in that regard, Hanabi decided not to torment either of them...ah, them as guys, that is. Hanabi also wanted to give the audience some fanservice, but if the people involved weren't willing, that was that. Naruto and Sasuke were her comrades, after all.
Femboy content: cancelled.
"But since this world does have the Land of Demons—wouldn't the permanent transformation technique from there, the Shadow-Mirror Body Replacement..." She paused. "...actually exist here?"
It was a secret art, not a kekkei genkai. Which meant Naruto could actually learn it.
"Mm. Perfect." Naruto planted her hands at her waist and gave a satisfied nod—the very picture of self-satisfied cuteness.
Just as Hanabi had analyzed: Naruto didn't want to be a "weirdo," but becoming a genuine boy or a genuine girl? Either was fine.
After a moment of satisfaction, though, Naruto's expression shifted—hesitant, like there was something she wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to start.
"What is it, Naruto?" Hanabi asked.
Hyuga Natsu bowed silently toward Hanabi and slipped away to finish preparing dinner.
"Hanabi—you treat Sasuke kind of... different. And Sasuke's attitude toward you is also—I mean, you know—it's like—ugh, it's—"
Naruto couldn't find the words for whatever she was feeling.
[Here it comes, the classic two-boys-one-girl setup. L·O·V·E T·R·I·A·N·G·L·E]
[Sasuke: I just like a girl who's graceful without trying to be]
[Previous commenter, you realize you're talking about Naruko right]
[In the spirit of harmony, I propose we all transform into girls]
[Isn't there some kind of permanent transformation jutsu? They're all my wives!]
The comment section erupted again.
"Because you're all my comrades," Hanabi said. "Sasuke is different from you, Naruto—he doesn't have your physical stamina or your chakra reserves, so his training has to be tailored differently."
"But—do you like Sasuke?"
Naruto, going for the direct approach.
"Absolutely—I like Sasuke." A beat. "And everyone else. I like you too, Naruto."
Hanabi's expression was pure and guileless.
"Oh. I see, then~"
Naruto seemed to relax.
[Oh no. She got played by a total player and didn't even notice]
[My darling is such a green-tea girl—and I love her for it]
[I feel like Hanabi's real feelings are all for her sister]
[I think Naruto and Sasuke are each other's endgame]
[There is no way Hanabi didn't understand what Naruto was actually asking]
[She absolutely did it on purpose. Lady Hanabi is rotten to the core—she's just messing with you]
[Twelve-year-olds getting crushes, honestly—support Hanabi's life choices]
[Crushes bad, girls holding hands good, right?]
[Obviously]
Relationship drama always pulled the numbers.
"What are you two going on about."
Sasuke had finished his shower and walked over. Naruto's voice had apparently carried.
Hanabi noticed Sasuke glancing toward Naruto every so often.
Though Sasuke had always looked at Naruto like that.
So—what was actually going on in Sasuke's head?
Even dedicated chaos-agent Hanabi was starting to feel like the interpersonal geometry here had gotten genuinely complicated.
"Sasuke!" Naruto stared back at him, eyes wide.
"Naruto..." Sasuke looked at her in return—then, after a beat, eyes drifting across Naruto's current transformed appearance, something shifted in his expression. He turned his head away.
"Hehe~" Naruto puffed up like a very smug little bird.
The topic and Sasuke's reaction seemed to have put Naruto back at ease, because she turned to Hanabi again: "Hey Hanabi, is there really no permanent transformation technique? Maintaining this all the time is tiring."
"Because this is training. Exercise is always uncomfortable," Hanabi said.
Naruto had plenty of stamina left. She was just doing what young people always do—instinctively looking for the easy way out.
Naruto squirmed a little.
"—There might be one, actually." Hanabi added, unprompted.
"Huh, really?!" Naruto's eyes lit up.
"But with that kind of permanent transformation—once you change, you can't change back." Hanabi's smile carried a hint of mischief.
"Then forget it." Naruto deflated.
[Give it to her already!!]
[Coach, I want to learn the permanent transformation jutsu!]
[C'mon, I'll sponsor it personally!]
The audience being the audience. But the "gender-swap slice of life" arc had run its course for now.
This episode was a breather chapter—after the training, the real story would resume. She wasn't going to keep handing the audience fanservice indefinitely.
Besides, keeping "Naruko" front and center for too long would start eating into her own popularity numbers.
A red-hair version of Naruko actually exists
Something like a Tailed Beast Mode Naruko?
Naruko who married Sasuke?!