"Wait a moment!"
Just as Makoto was about to leave with the six girls, amidst the envious gazes of his male classmates, a voice suddenly called them to a halt.
Everyone turned to look. Tobe Kakeru, who had been sitting next to Hayama Hayato, had somehow stood up, his face flushed red.
When Makoto's gaze swept over him, he instinctively swallowed.
But as his eyes fell on Ebina Hina in the group, he still gathered his courage to speak:
"Um... why are Miura and the others leaving with him?"
He had had a crush on Hina for a long time.
Seeing his beloved leave with a murderer, the sourness in his chest finally overcame his fear.
But no matter how long he had known her, he had never dared to confess. When he spoke, he still called out 'Miura', afraid of letting his secret feelings show.
"Th-That..."
Miura Yumiko, usually called the [Flame Queen] in class, now had her head down, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, stammering and unable to speak.
She couldn't just say they were going to live at Makoto's house, could she?
What's more, Hayato, the boy she always cared about, was watching right there.
Just as the atmosphere was growing tense, Makoto suddenly spoke:
"What's the hurry? It's not like I'm going to sleep with them."
—As soon as he said this, the whole class was shocked.
'Was this something they were allowed to hear for free?'
Even the natives like Sakura and Hinata were stunned, their cheeks instantly burning red.
Although kids in anime are precocious, the impact of the word 'sleep' was still too much for them.
Makoto finished speaking and walked out of the classroom.
The Aizono sisters followed close behind.
Yui and the others were stunned for a moment, then quickly followed.
Kakeru wanted to say something more, but a hand landed on his shoulder.
Hayato pressed down on him and said quietly, "Don't rush."
Kakeru calmed down a bit.
Indeed, Makoto couldn't do anything to Hina and the others right now.
After all, everyone's bodies were only eight years old.
...
The Uchiha district was still under blockade, with a large number of Sarutobi Clan's Ninjas guarding it.
But when they saw Makoto leading this large family over, the guarding Sarutobi Clan's Ninjas immediately stepped aside to make way… clearly, Hiruzen had given them a heads-up.
The Night of the Massacre had been less than a week ago, and the faint smell of blood still lingered in the air.
The girls, who had grown up pampered by their parents, frowned in unison.
"I heard,"
Hina spoke, her tone much more subdued than usual, "That the Uchiha were the strongest Ninja Clan in Konoha. But just a few days ago, they were all killed by a Ninja from their own clan."
Yui, Yumiko, and the others showed fear on their faces, instinctively pressing their lips together.
This world was far more dangerous than they had imagined.
"Makoto, what about this one?"
Airi soon stopped in front of a mansion… the largest and most conspicuous, clearly the residence of someone of high status.
Makoto looked up.
The Uchiha Clan's head's residence.
Fugaku's home, Sasuke's house.
He thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head: "No, let's pick another one."
Having gouged out the father's eyes, occupying the family's house as well would be a bit too cruel.
Airi always followed Makoto's words completely. Although she didn't understand why, she didn't ask.
In the end, they chose another mansion, no smaller than Sasuke's, which could comfortably fit eight people.
Upon entering the house, the first thing they saw were bloodstains that hadn't been cleaned up yet.
Yui and the other girls were so scared they fell to the ground, and even Kayoko, an adult, turned pale.
Makoto, however, sat down directly on the tatami and looked at Yui and the other three: "Clean it up."
The four were still trembling inside, but they obediently picked up brooms and rags and started busying themselves.
"Makoto, isn't this a bit much?" Kayoko said, a little embarrassed.
As an elder, making young girls clean up made her feel a bit guilty.
"Mom, don't interfere. Are they supposed to live here for free?"
Airi interrupted her without mercy.
When she heard at school today that Makoto was going to let these girls move in, she had already been very unhappy.
It was only after they promised to do all the chores that she reluctantly agreed… she didn't want her mother to work too hard either.
At this moment, Makoto was lying down enjoying Airi's lap pillow, with his legs resting on Marina's lap, letting the two sisters massage his head and legs respectively.
After Yui and the other three finished cleaning, Makoto gave more orders: Chizuru would go buy groceries and cook, Hina would get a fan to fan him, Yui would bring foot-washing water, and then she and Yumiko would massage one foot each.
He wouldn't be polite.
In his previous life, when reading fanfiction, what he hated most were stories where the protagonist was a pushover.
Since these girls were moving in, they had to work.
…
The next day, at the Ninja Academy.
The last time a student had applied for early graduation was Itachi.
Hearing that another student had applied for early graduation, many students came to school early, and even attracted many parents to come watch… among them were Ran's mother, Kisaki Eri, Eriri's mother, Sawamura Sayuri, and other players' mothers.
They didn't have the qualification to attend the Ninja Academy, and wanted to take this opportunity to witness the 'superpowers' of this world.
The Yukinoshita Family naturally wouldn't miss it either.
Watching Makoto standing in the middle of the playground, becoming the center of attention, Mrs. Yukinoshita said calmly:
"Can he do it?"
Yukino looked down in silence.
She knew her mother was saying this for her to hear.
Just then, a commotion erupted at the scene.
Everyone turned to look… the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had arrived.
"That old man... is the strongest person in this village?" Eri found it hard to believe.
He just looked like a little old man.
Sayuri, the Yukinoshita Family's head, and others exchanged glances, thinking the same thing.
"Grandpa Third Hokage!"
Suddenly, Makoto, who had been quietly standing in the middle of the playground, quickly ran up to Hiruzen, his eyes full of fervor.
Seeing this, Yukino, Utaha, and other players almost choked on their own saliva… they had never seen Makoto make such an... idiotic face.
Even the Aizono Family was stunned.
Hiruzen happily raised his hand and patted Makoto's shoulder: "Makoto, are you satisfied with the new house?"
"Mm, mm!"
Makoto nodded vigorously, as if possessed by a certain high school detective who liked to act young. "I like anything that Grandpa Third Hokage gives me!"
Hiruzen smiled even more happily, his wrinkles bunching together.
'—This kid was really honest.'
"Makoto,"
Hiruzen asked again, "^ou only know the Three Basic Techniques right now. Won't applying for early graduation be a bit too much for you?"
Makoto's face was full of determination: "To better take care of my family, and to serve Grandpa Third Hokage as soon as possible, I'm not afraid of hard work!"
Hiruzen's smile grew even brighter.
He turned his hand and took out a thin piece of paper, handing it to Makoto: "Here, Makoto, try injecting your Chakra into this paper."
Yukino showed a disgusted expression… she could now be sure that Makoto was definitely pretending.
His goal was to squeeze benefits out of Hiruzen.
However, Mrs. Yukinoshita's eyes showed appreciation.
If you want to climb higher in a world of deceit, you need to learn to say the right things to the right people.
With a personality as straightforward as her younger daughter's, she would never do well.
Makoto took the paper and injected Chakra as Hiruzen instructed.
—The paper split into three pieces. The left piece ignited, the middle piece got wet, and the right piece crumbled into fragments.
"Oh? Fire, water, and wind, three natures?" Hiruzen was quite surprised, then felt even more delighted inside.
'Good. Such a loyal child naturally should be as strong as possible.'
"Come, Makoto, let Grandpa teach you a thing or two."
With that, Hiruzen actually began personally instructing Makoto in Ninjutsu.
This scene left everyone speechless.
'—Weren't they supposed to be doing the graduation exam? How did it turn into on-the-spot teaching?'
What they didn't know was that when Hiruzen had read Makoto's essay, he had already decided to pass him.
Such a loyal talent must be vigorously nurtured!
Makoto's face was full of smiles.
'It was worth imitating the smile of an otaku wearing a wedding dress and watching an idol concert in front of the mirror for over two hours yesterday.'
To be honest, Hiruzen had done countless questionable operations in the original work. Most readers didn't have a good impression of him, and even wished they could kill him.
But for Makoto… what did it matter to him that Sarutobi Hiruzen liked to kill his own people?
As long as he could squeeze benefit out of him now, he had to seize the opportunity to squeeze.