Chapter 17: Their Respective Paths
On the wooden dock, Satsuki took a deep breath and began forming hand seals. She closed her eyes, following the afternoon's training experience, slowly guiding chakra from her core to her chest, then gradually concentrating it in her throat. Each step was executed with extraordinary care.
As the final Tiger seal completed, Satsuki's eyes snapped open. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"
ROAR—!
A massive fireball dozens of meters in diameter erupted from her mouth, the blazing flames illuminating the entire lake surface and painting the surrounding trees orange-red. Heat waves washed over them as steam rose from the water.
After the jutsu ended, Satsuki stared at the scene before her in stunned silence, her small face gradually displaying incredulous joy. 'I... I can do this level too!'
Her heart raced. This way... this way she might earn Father's recognition!
"Wow, that's incredible," came Naruto's amazed voice from behind her. "Looks like the training method really works."
Satsuki turned around to see Naruto's genuine smile. Beyond her earlier embarrassment, she felt an indescribable gratitude welling up inside her.
Naruto helping her so unreservedly left her both moved and at a loss. How should she repay him...
What she didn't know was that Naruto had already received the reward he wanted most. In his mind, a crisp system notification chimed.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host: Bond with canon character "Uchiha Sasuke" upgraded to Level 2!]
[Points acquired: 500!]
Naruto suppressed the joy threatening to overflow—this gacha moment would be better savored at home.
As expected of the original's male lead... well, female lead now. Just one level increase netted 500 points!
Naruto decided to strike while the iron was hot and farm some more affection points. He pulled out his carefully prepared lunch box, deliberately using a casual tone. "After training all afternoon, you must be exhausted. I made some good food—want to eat together?"
At his words, Satsuki's face immediately flushed several shades redder. Last time was the same—eating his lunch without being able to reciprocate... But seeing that Naruto had already skillfully produced two sets of chopsticks, he'd clearly planned for her to mooch a meal.
"I made lots of delicious tomato dishes this time~" Naruto opened the lunch box while explaining. "Plus three kinds of rice balls. Which would you like? There's nori rice balls, pickled plum rice balls..." He deliberately drew out the sound, "and bonito rice balls."
Satsuki's ears perked up. Tomato dishes?! And bonito rice balls?! In her heart, the only thing that could rival her beloved tomatoes was bonito rice balls. Had Naruto actually made both of her favorite foods at the same time?!
Little Satsuki completely failed to realize this was Naruto deliberately catering to her tastes, instead naively thinking, 'This person's food preferences... are so similar to mine!'
The polite refusal Satsuki had originally planned became a barely audible whisper. "Um... I'll take the bonito rice ball..."
She kept her head down, clearly starving but trying to maintain composure out of shyness—absolutely adorable.
The two sat side by side on the wooden dock as Naruto extracted a plump bonito rice ball from the lunch box and handed it to Satsuki. She accepted it with a red face and carefully took a bite.
The savory bonito aroma instantly spread through her mouth, the rice's sweetness perfectly merging with the bonito flakes' umami saltiness. Satsuki unconsciously squinted with pleasure, the corners of her mouth curving into a blissful expression.
"Food tastes especially good after hard training, right?" Naruto mumbled around his own rice ball. "You really are amazing though. I'm lucky to be able to train with an Uchiha genius."
Satsuki turned at his words, the sunset's dying light illuminating her delicate profile. Joy at being praised briefly surfaced before being replaced by a hint of melancholy.
'At home... there's an even more genius genius...' She remembered the admiring look in Father's eyes when he watched her sister, a bitter feeling rising in her chest.
She'd been calling herself a genius in front of Naruto, but if Naruto ever witnessed Itachi's terrifying talent, would he become disappointed in her like Father?
"Do you..." Satsuki's voice suddenly became very quiet, "really think I'm a genius?"
The question caught Naruto off guard. Didn't this girl constantly call herself a genius? He glanced at Satsuki's lowered lashes, noticing those usually spirited black eyes now seemed downcast.
Naruto set down his rice ball and thought seriously before answering with firm conviction. "Of course. Among kids our age, we're probably the first to seriously work toward becoming excellent ninja."
He pointed toward the lake surface. "That jutsu just now—some genin probably couldn't pull it off."
As the sunset's glow gradually dimmed, Satsuki fell silent for a moment before finally speaking again. Her voice carried obvious frustration mixed with longing.
"...Actually, in the Uchiha clan, there's someone far more capable than me." Her black hair fell to hide half her face.
"When she was my age, she could perfectly execute fire release jutsu on the first try. Now she's only a few years older, but she can already handle many family matters... I want to surpass that person, but... can I really do it?"
'Self-doubt already? Why are ninja world kids' psyches so complex...'
Naruto sighed internally but maintained a gentle expression. He looked seriously at Satsuki's downcast profile.
"Are you afraid you can't catch up to that person? Satsuki, this frustration you're feeling right now proves that you care deeply about her, doesn't it?"
Satsuki started, hesitated a moment, then slowly nodded.
Naruto continued. "You said that person could perfectly execute fire release on the first try? But there's an important misconception here."
"That person is several years older than you, which means you were never on the same starting line. No matter how hard you work, she'll always have those extra years of training—so why are you so certain your talent is inferior to hers?"
Satsuki quickly protested, "Didn't I just say? Sister could perfectly execute fire jutsu when she was my age on her first try!"
In her excitement, Satsuki failed to notice she'd revealed the person's identity.
Naruto shook his head. "If you're going to dismiss yourself based solely on that, it's far too premature."
"Ninja were never beings who fight with just one type of jutsu. The ninja path is broader than you can imagine—ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, sealing techniques, summoning jutsu, puppet arts, even medical ninjutsu—all are stages where geniuses can display their talents."
He paused to let Satsuki absorb this, then gave an example.
"Like the legendary Sannin Tsunade-sama, who became a renowned powerhouse throughout the ninja world using only medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Would you say Tsunade-sama's talent is inferior to others just because she doesn't excel at fire release?"
Satsuki's eyes widened slightly. Seeing her reaction, Naruto pressed deeper.
"Isn't it too narrow-minded to conclude your talent is inferior just because your fire release doesn't match that person's?"
Watching Satsuki fall into contemplation, Naruto posed the most crucial question.
"Satsuki, you need to think clearly—what you truly want to surpass, is it that person's current strength, or your future self?"
The evening breeze stirred their hair as Naruto's voice rang especially clear in the dusk.
"Everyone in this world has their own talents. There's a saying: kings have kingly abilities, chefs have culinary abilities."
"If you made a king compete with a chef in cooking, the king would undoubtedly lose. By the same logic, if you only stare at that person's back, you might miss the path that belongs to you."
"Like a ninja with supreme taijutsu—if they became fixated on certain things and forced themselves to train in genjutsu they're not suited for, that would be the real waste of talent. You're undoubtedly a genius, so why rush to doubt yourself before your talents are fully revealed?"
Naruto looked at Satsuki's profile and suddenly flashed a mischievous smile, deliberately adopting a light tone.
"Satsuki, do you believe there might be ninja in this world who could defeat the Hokage using only taijutsu?"
This half-joking remark successfully broke the serious atmosphere. Satsuki started, then burst into laughter despite herself. "Idiot, how could there be anyone like that..."
Only Naruto knew this wasn't a joke—and that such a ninja was right here in Konoha. Watching Satsuki's renewed smile, Naruto also felt lighter.
"Alright, alright, I understand!" Satsuki stood up, black hair flowing in the evening breeze, her small face once again radiating confident brilliance. "You're right—I'm an Uchiha genius! I'll definitely find the path that belongs to me!"
Naruto looked up at this little girl who'd regained her spirit, his gaze gentle. "Yeah! Let's work hard together. Maybe we're the same type—to surpass those natural prodigies, we need to become hardworking geniuses!"
At his words, Satsuki looked down at Naruto, complex emotions flickering in her eyes. After hesitating a moment, she finally spoke quietly. "I'm... really grateful you told me all this... and helped me train... but..."
Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes. "...How should I thank you?" Seeming to realize how direct that sounded, she immediately turned away. "Just so we're clear! I just don't want to owe you any favors!"
Naruto watched this girl use tsundere behavior to mask her shyness. "You... really are cute."
The words dropped like a stone into still water. Satsuki's face flushed crimson to her ears as she stumbled back half a step. "Wh-what are you suddenly saying?!"
Naruto stood up, his blue eyes meeting Satsuki's gaze directly. "Have you forgotten? We're friends. You know what? You're my very first friend."
"I help you not just because training alone is lonely, but because I genuinely want to see you become stronger."
In the gathering dusk, blue eyes and black eyes quietly regarded each other, reflecting one another's image.
Naruto continued. "Also, when someone focuses passionately on something, it's really admirable." He pointed at Satsuki's eyes. "Just now, when you talked about surpassing that person, your expression was truly radiant."
Ripples spread across the lake surface as moonlight shattered into countless silver points on the water. Satsuki stared at Naruto in a daze, a warmth she'd never felt before surging through her chest. She opened her mouth but couldn't speak, only managing a soft "mm" while her lips unconsciously curved into a genuine smile.
Deep in Naruto's mind, that pleasant sound appeared once more.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host: Bond with canon character "Uchiha Sasuke" upgraded to Level 4!]
[Points acquired: 1000!]
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