A boy with yellow hair stood in front of the mirror, looking disheveled.
His deep-set eyes and bloodshot pupils clearly showed that he hadn't slept well.
"Who are you?!"
The yellow-haired boy seemed to give up. He stared at the mirror, gritting his teeth and said, "Don't tell me you're my brother. I'm sure my parents only have one son, there's no one else. Don't try to deceive me with that childish nonsense!"
In the mirror, the only thing reflecting was the face of a haggard boy, his cheeks adorned with three lines of stubble. There seemed to be no one else.
But only the yellow-haired boy knew that, in the reflection, this room wasn't empty.
A boy with a gentle, obedient appearance, wearing a black suit, a plain white bow tie, and golden eyes, sat on the bed across from the mirror. His elegant demeanor radiated a noble aura. With his chin resting on his hand and his head tilted slightly, he smiled and gazed at him.
What was strange, however, was that while the yellow-haired boy could clearly see the boy, neither the mirror nor anyone else could.
This had been driving him crazy!
The boy seemed to be everywhere. No matter where he hid, he could always see him, and it was infuriating!
"Heh, fine. Let me introduce myself."
The boy stood up elegantly from the bed, bowed in a gentlemanly manner, and with a slight smile, said, "My name is Lu Mingze. I'm a devil, here to make a deal with you, Uzumaki Naruto."
"A devil?!"
The yellow-haired boy—no, Uzumaki Naruto—immediately widened his eyes, a look of fear on his face.
It was impossible not to be scared. Anyone who suddenly found themselves followed by a "devil" they couldn't shake off would be lucky if they didn't get scared to death!
Moreover, devils were never seen as positive figures. They were always beings of extreme evil.
"You, you, you, don't come any closer!" Naruto Uzumaki shrank to the side, hugging the fridge, trembling. "I warn you, stay away from me!"
It was so interesting. He was a bit cowardly, even less brave than Lu Mingfei.
Lu Mingze thought to himself, then tried to smile gently, saying, "Don't worry, even though I'm a devil, I still follow the basic laws. I won't harm you."
"Really? Really?" Naruto asked, shrinking his neck.
"Of course," Lu Mingze smiled. "I may be a devil, but I would never lie to you."
"Then can you stay away from me?" Naruto pointed outside and said, "How about you consider finding someone else?"
Lu Mingze tilted his head, looking at him with a faint smile. "No, I only seek the 'right' person."
"Why do you have to cling to me?!" Naruto was on the verge of a breakdown, grabbing his hair and shouting, "There are so many people outside, why did you choose me? What about me fits your requirements?!"
"Because... you are 'lonely'."
Lu Mingze spoke softly, "You try so hard to fit in, but because of being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, everyone keeps their distance from you. You long for the love of your parents, but they disappeared after you were born. You use pranks to hide your sorrow, trying to earn the approval of others, but all you get is hatred."
Each word hit Naruto's heart like a heavy hammer.
"You like Sakura Haruno, but she despises you."
"You envy other kids, who can go home and get praise from their parents, while you always come back to a cold room."
"You want to become Hokage, but your talent is too lacking. Even the simplest of jutsu, like the Transformation Technique, no matter how hard you practice, you can never even reach the minimum passing grade."
"You've tried countless times to close the gap with Sasuke Uchiha, but all you can do is sadly watch as the distance between you grows wider."
"You want to find your missing parents, ask them why they abandoned you, and why they sealed the Nine-Tails inside you."
"You—"
"Enough! Don't say any more!"
Just as Lu Mingze was about to continue, Naruto Uzumaki suddenly exploded.
His eyes turned blood-red, and a violent aura erupted from his body. He gritted his teeth and, in a hoarse voice, shouted, "What exactly do you want to say?!"
But, it only lasted for half a second.
Under Lu Mingze's calm gaze, Naruto's aura suddenly collapsed, as if losing all support, leaving his face full of confusion and loneliness.
He knew clearly that what Lu Mingze said was the truth.
And often, lies are not sharp blades—truth is the sword that wounds!
"Even so, I won't give up!"
Naruto, as always, quickly regained his spirit: "I believe that effort will pay off. I will definitely become Hokage, find my missing parents, and make the villagers recognize me!"
"A good thought, but reality is cruel."
Lu Mingze said faintly: "There are always many people who work hard, but on the steps leading to the highest hall, only a few can fit."
"What do you want to say?"
Naruto felt his heart tremble. He wanted to refute Lu Mingze, but every word from the other person felt like a sharp knife, stabbing his fragile heart.
"Do you know how many Genin graduate every year?" Lu Mingze suddenly asked him a strange question.
"No, I'm not sure…" Naruto felt a bit uneasy.
"About thirty."
Lu Mingze continued: "Let me ask you again, how many people are in the Ninja Academy?"
"About one hundred?" Naruto muttered quietly.
"No, it's about three hundred."
Lu Mingze looked at him seriously and said, "That means the graduation rate for Genin is only 10%."
Naruto slowly opened his mouth in surprise.
"Then, do you know the chance of those thirty people getting promoted to Chunin?" Lu Mingze asked again.
"Don't know."
Naruto Uzumaki lowered his head, feeling a bit uneasy inside.
"It's 3%."
Lu Mingze smiled and said, "For the Chūnin Exams, typically only the most outstanding Genin are chosen to advance to Chūnin."
'Gulp.'
It was the sound of Naruto swallowing, clearly realizing what Lu Mingze truly meant.
"Of course, what I just said is only an estimation."
Lu Mingze shrugged, grinning as he continued, "In reality, the chances might be slightly higher, but... Konoha has over a thousand Chūnin, but there are only about a hundred Jōnin, and even fewer Elite Jōnin, just a handful. The Hokage is the only one. Now, do you still think hard work is enough?"
Naruto fell silent. The weight of those numbers pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.
In Lu Mingze's golden eyes, a blazing fire seemed to flow, like a mirror reflecting fierce flames. "How about a trade?"
"A trade for what?"
Naruto's throat was dry as he stared blankly at the boy.
"Sign a contract. The terms of the trade are as follows."
Lu Mingze said calmly, "I will accept your four summons, but each summon will cost you a quarter of your soul. I will help you fulfill four wishes. Once all the wishes are granted, the contract binding me to you will be dissolved, and your soul will belong to me."
Naruto Uzumaki swallowed hard, staring blankly. "Four wishes?"
"Of course, within the scope of my ability."
Lu Mingze saw through his thoughts with a glance and added, "If it's something I cannot do, I won't take any payment. Are you willing?"
At that moment, many images flashed through Naruto's mind.
Finally, he gritted his teeth. "I agree!"
"Then the contract is established!"
In Lu Mingze's golden eyes, it was as if flames of world-destroying power were ignited.
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