The Hokage's office was silent, the air thick with the scent of old parchment and the Third's cherry-wood pipe. Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Naruto through a haze of smoke. The boy sat in the chair across from him, legs crossed, back straight. He wasn't fidgeting. He wasn't yelling. He was... waiting.
"You've changed, Naruto," the Old Man said softly.
Naruto didn't answer immediately. He let the silence stretch, a power move he'd learned from his previous life.
[Target: Hiruzen Sarutobi]
[Affection: 80/100 (Grandfatherly)]
[Observation: He is sensing the change in your soul. High-level intuition detected.]
"The world looks different when you stop trying to be seen and start seeing, Gramps," Naruto replied. His voice was like velvet over gravel.
Hiruzen's hand paused. "Iruka tells me you've unlocked a... unique ability. No chakra, yet your clones were solid. And Mizuki..." The Old Man looked at the report. "He's in the hospital with a crushed throat and a shattered spirit. What happened out there?"
Naruto stood up, walking toward the window that overlooked the village. "He tried to take what was mine. I simply reminded him that he was beneath me." He turned back, his golden geometric pupils flaring. "Is that a crime, Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen felt a shiver. This wasn't the Nine-Tails. This was something else—something cold and regal. "No. It is the path of a shinobi. You have your protector. Tomorrow, you join the Genin ranks. Go. Rest."
The Academy Courtyard
The next morning, the Academy was buzzing. The graduation was over, and today was the day of team placements. Naruto walked through the gates, dressed in a black high-collared vest and dark pants—no more orange. He looked like a shadow moving through the morning light.
As he entered the classroom, the noise died down. All eyes were on him.
"Naruto?" Shikamaru muttered, blinking sleepily. "Since when did you start looking... cool?"
Naruto ignored him, his eyes locking onto the back row. Sasuke Uchiha was already there, brooding as usual. But as Naruto approached, Sasuke's posture stiffened.
[System Prompt: Daily Mission — 'The Uchiha's Pride'.]
[Objective: Provoke Sasuke Uchiha. Break his composure.]
[Reward: +10 Charm, 500 System Points, Perk: 'Unsettling Presence'.]
Naruto didn't sit in his usual seat. He walked straight to Sasuke's desk. The entire class held its breath. Sakura and Ino were already preparing to scream, but they stopped when Naruto didn't pull a prank. Instead, he leaned over the desk, his face inches from Sasuke's.
"Move over," Naruto whispered.
Sasuke's eyes snapped to his. "Find another seat, loser."
Naruto didn't move. He leaned in even closer, the scent of his skin—sharp and masculine—invading Sasuke's space. Naruto's eyes traced the line of Sasuke's jaw, his gaze lingering on the Uchiha's lips.
"I don't like other seats," Naruto purred. "I like this one. With you."
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. The proximity was suffocating. He could see the intricate gold patterns in Naruto's eyes shifting like a clockwork mechanism. He felt a heat starting in his chest and spreading to his face. "What... what are you doing?"
"Testing your focus," Naruto said. He reached out, his gloved hand catching a stray lock of Sasuke's dark hair and tucking it behind his ear. His fingers grazed Sasuke's skin—a touch so light it was almost a ghost, yet it felt like a brand.
[System: Affection (Sasuke Uchiha) increased to 22/100.]
[Emotion Detected: Heart-rate spike. Pupil dilation. Arousal 15%.]
"You're blushing, Sasuke," Naruto teased, a dark smirk pulling at his lips.
"I'm not!" Sasuke hissed, shoving Naruto's hand away, though he didn't move to get up. His mind was a mess. This was Naruto. The idiot. The loudmouth. So why did his touch feel like electricity? Why did he want Naruto to do it again?
Naruto finally sat down next to him, leaning back with his hands behind his head. He could feel the stares of the entire class. The girls were confused, but the boys... the boys were looking at him with a strange, new intensity.
[Target: Shikamaru Nara]
[Affection: 30/100 (Interest)]
[Target: Kiba Inuzuka]
[Affection: 12/100 (Aggressive Curiosity)]
Team 7: The fate of three
Iruka entered the room, his eyes immediately finding Naruto. He cleared his throat, his face still holding a slight flush from their encounter the night before.
"Team 7," Iruka announced, his voice trembling slightly. "Naruto Uzumaki. Sakura Haruno... and Sasuke Uchiha."
Sakura cheered, but it was half-hearted. Her eyes weren't on Sasuke; they were darting between him and Naruto, sensing the heavy, thick atmosphere between the two. Sasuke didn't make a sound, but his hand gripped his leg under the desk.
"Your sensei will meet you here after lunch," Iruka finished, his gaze lingering on Naruto one last time before he left.
As the room emptied, Naruto stayed seated. Sasuke didn't move either.
"You're different," Sasuke said, his voice low, only meant for Naruto's ears. "The scroll... what did it do to you?"
Naruto turned his head, his golden eyes reflecting the sunlight. "It didn't do anything, Sasuke. It just woke me up. I'm tired of playing the fool. I'm tired of being at the bottom."
He stood up, standing over Sasuke. The power dynamic was clear. Naruto was the one in control.
"We're on a team now," Naruto said. He leaned down, his lips ghosting against Sasuke's ear. "That means you belong to me. Don't let anyone else touch what's mine, Uchiha."
Naruto walked out of the classroom without looking back.
[Mission Accomplished: 'The Uchiha's Pride' Broken.]
[Rewards Issued: +10 Charm, 500 SP.]
[New Perk: 'Unsettling Presence' — Those weaker than you will feel an instinctive urge to submit or flee.]
The Jōnin's Arrival
Naruto sat on the roof of the Academy, the wind ruffling his blonde hair. He was waiting for Kakashi Hatake.
[System Shop Opening...]
[Available Items: Physical Strengthening Pill (High), Eye of Providence Upgrade, Seduction Aura (Passive)...]
Buy the Physical Strengthening Pill, Naruto commanded. I need to be able to handle Stage 2 of the Eyes.
[Purchase Confirmed. 500 SP consumed.]
[Warning: Physical reconstruction will be painful. Do you wish to proceed?]
Do it.
A wave of white-hot agony tore through his muscles. Naruto didn't scream. He bit his tongue, his hands clawing at the concrete roof. He felt his bones cracking and resetting, his muscles knitting together tighter, denser.
[Strength: 150 -> 300]
[Agility: 120 -> 280]
[Endurance: 200 -> 450]
When the pain receded, Naruto gasped for air, his body covered in sweat. He felt lighter. More dangerous.
"Well, that was an interesting show."
Naruto didn't flinch. He looked up. Kakashi was leaning against the water tank, his single eye fixed on Naruto. He had seen the whole thing—the boy's body literally vibrating with power.
[Target: Kakashi Hatake]
[Affection: 10/100 (Suspicion/Intrigue)]
[Analysis: He is trying to read your soul. He sees the ghost of Minato Namikaze in you.]
"You're late, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, standing up effortlessly. The sweat made his shirt cling to his newly defined muscles, a detail Kakashi didn't miss.
Kakashi stepped closer, his lazy demeanor hiding a sharp alertness. "I was busy helping an old lady with her groceries. But you... you're quite a mystery, Naruto. No chakra, yet you just underwent a physical evolution that would kill a normal Genin."
Naruto walked toward him, stopping when they were chest-to-chest. Kakashi was a head taller, but Naruto's presence was overwhelming. The 'Unsettling Presence' perk was working. Kakashi felt a primal urge to reach for his kunai—or to pull the boy closer.
"I'm not normal, Sensei," Naruto said, reaching out. He didn't touch Kakashi's face. Instead, he grabbed the edges of Kakashi's vest, pulling him down slightly. "And I don't like being watched from the shadows. If you want to see me, look me in the eye."
Kakashi's breath hitched. For the first time in years, the "Copy Ninja" felt truly off-balance. The boy's eyes were like looking into the sun.
"Meet the others in the classroom," Kakashi said, his voice a bit more strained than usual. "We have a test to discuss."
Naruto let go and smiled—a slow, predatory grin. "I look forward to it, Kakashi."
As Naruto jumped down from the roof, Kakashi stayed behind, his hand over his heart. It was beating too fast. Much too fast for a man of his experience.
"Minato-sensei..." Kakashi whispered to the empty air. "What have you raised?"
The Bell Test: A New Rule
The next day, Training Ground 3 was silent. Sasuke and Sakura were waiting, both of them looking at Naruto. Sasuke was still avoiding eye contact, while Sakura seemed to be struggling with her own feelings.
Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves. "The rules are simple. Take these two bells from me by noon. If you don't, you go back to the Academy."
"Only two bells?" Sakura asked. "But there are three of us."
"Exactly," Kakashi said. "One of you is guaranteed to fail."
Naruto stepped forward. He didn't hide. He didn't pull out a kunai. He simply looked at Kakashi.
[System Quest: 'The Bell Seduction'.]
[Objective: Take both bells alone using the Eye of Providence.]
[Hidden Objective: Force Kakashi to use his Sharingan.]
[Reward: Random S-Rank Skill, +20 Affection with Team 7.]
"Sasuke, Sakura. Stay back," Naruto commanded.
"What? You can't take him alone!" Sakura yelled.
Sasuke didn't argue. He saw the look in Naruto's eyes. "Don't get killed, idiot."
Naruto moved.
He didn't use chakra. He used pure, unadulterated speed. He was a blur of black and gold. Kakashi's eye widened. He's fast!
Kakashi barely dodged a punch that shattered the ground where he had been standing. Naruto didn't stop. He was like a dance of destruction, his movements fluid and perfect.
"Is that all, Sensei?" Naruto laughed, a dark, melodic sound.
Kakashi pulled up his headband, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan. "You asked for it, Naruto."
[System: Hidden Objective Met. Kakashi has activated the Sharingan.]
The air exploded. Naruto's gold eyes met Kakashi's red one. The world slowed down. Kakashi tried to predict Naruto's movements, but the Eye of Providence was superior. It didn't just see movement; it saw intent.
Naruto appeared behind Kakashi, his hand wrapping around the man's waist. He didn't grab the bells. He pulled Kakashi back against him, his other hand sliding up to Kakashi's masked face.
"I've got you," Naruto whispered.
With his other hand, he neatly unclipped both bells from Kakashi's belt.
Kakashi froze. The contact was electric. He could feel Naruto's strength, the heat of his body, and the absolute confidence radiating from him.
Naruto stepped back, jingling the bells. "I win."
[Quest Complete!]
[Reward: S-Rank Skill — 'God's Pressure' Unlocked.]
[Affection: Kakashi (+15), Sasuke (+10), Sakura (+5).]
Sasuke watched from the bushes, his face burning. He wasn't jealous of the win. He was jealous of the way Naruto had held Kakashi. He wanted those hands on him.
Naruto tossed a bell to Sasuke and one to Sakura.
"Wait," Kakashi said, his voice shaky as he lowered his headband. "There were only two bells. You gave them away. That means you fail."
Naruto walked up to Kakashi, his golden eyes shimmering with a dangerous light. He leaned in, his nose brushing against Kakashi's mask.
"Rules are for those who follow them, Kakashi," Naruto said. "I make my own."
He turned to his teammates. "We're Team 7. And we're going to change this world."
[Chapter 2: End.]