章節 339: Chapter 339 Akamaru is Injured
The next day.
Early in the morning, Naruto was getting ready to go out and buy groceries, bending down in the entrance as he changed his shoes. When he looked up, he saw Kurama poking his head out from behind the sofa, then quickly retreating.
Naruto couldn't help but smirk, thinking to himself, 'The bait is set. You might resist the first day, maybe even the second, but eventually, you'll take the bait. Sooner or later, you'll be hooked.'
"Do you need something?" Naruto, who had put on his shoes, stood at the entrance and deliberately asked Kurama, who was lurking in the living room.
"Oh, nothing. Where are you going?" Kurama's head popped up again from behind the sofa, answering with a somewhat awkward tone.
Normally, he didn't care where Naruto went, but today it was acting like he had ulterior motives. His attempt to act casual almost made Naruto burst out laughing.
"I'm going to buy some supplies for the ritual. The ritual starts in a few days," Naruto replied seriously.
He knew Kurama was aware he was setting a trap, but he didn't mind letting him know. This was a naked conspiracy. And with his long experience, Naruto knew Kurama wasn't easy to fool.
"Ritual? How does it work?" Kurama stood on the sofa with a conflicted expression.
"You pour it on the ground, soaking the soil with the sake."
"Wha... what??? Pour it on the ground?!" Kurama stood directly on the sofa, looking utterly shocked and heartbroken, "Isn't that a waste?!!!"
Seeing the distressed expression on Kurama's face, Naruto suspected that, on the day of the 'ritual', he might lie on the ground with his mouth wide open, ready to catch the sake he poured.
In truth, there was no ritual at all, and it was just an excuse to bait Kurama.
"You silly dog, since when giving offering on a ritual considered wasteful?" Naruto glanced at him coldly, then grabbed the door handle and said, "I've got things to do, so I'll leave first."
With a bang, the door closed.
Naruto wandered around town for a while, grabbing the groceries he needed. Seeing it was still early, Naruto also picked up some drinks and a batch of fine sake.
Using inferior sake as good ones to lure Kurama only a temporary plan. After all, he couldn't be so shameless as to ask Hinata to get ten bottles of Hyuga Clan's sake. But a single bottle clearly wouldn't be enough, so he had to resort to this trick.
However, he'd still need to compensate Kurama afterwards. His goal was to get Kurama on board for a showdown with the Akatsuki. After all, with him being stuffed on Jashin's Dog, even if Kurama were defeated, he'd at most get a good beating.
As he thought about it, Naruto couldn't help but sigh, 'There were only a few gods in the Shinobi World. Even the so-called God of Shinobi was merely an offshoot of the Otsutsuki.'
'At the end of the Otsutsuki path, there were gods as well. But in the end, they were just part of another civilization.'
'And as a stranger from another world, I wield both the powers of Jashin and Shinigami, and also Ninjutsu. Does this count as NTR-ing the gods?'
But after calming down and thinking it through, Naruto realized he had only borrowed a fraction of their power. Since he couldn't absorb Natural Energy, he hadn't mastered Sage Mode.
To put it bluntly, Jashin's Dog and Kurosuki Raiga's funeral were essentially tools modified by the system, and the sacrifice-free version of the Impure World Reincarnation was basically a cracked version of the Shinigami's technique, courtesy of the system.
But Naruto didn't care much. After all, he had no aspirations to become a god.
'What kind of god is it if the system can crack it?'
'Ptui, pathetic.'
After spitting on the ground, Naruto left with a look of disdain on his face.
"Naruto!"
Just as he walked a few steps, someone called out to him. He turned around and saw that it was Kiba, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, running up to him while out of breath.
Naruto and Kiba had always been on good terms, though they loved to bicker whenever they met. As they grew older, though, their encounters had become less frequent.
Even when they did meet, their exchanges were more playful jabs, unlike the old days when they'd spend the whole day trying to one-up each other. After all, those carefree, easygoing days are long gone and will never come back.
"What's with your outfit?" Naruto asked, slightly taken aback.
From a distance, Naruto hadn't noticed anything, but upon closer inspection, he realized Kiba was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. His face was bruised and swollen, which looked a bit scary, but fortunately, his face was not disfigured.
"Did you get caught peeping at the bathhouse?"
"Get lost! I'd never do something like that!" Kiba had initially been happy to see Naruto, but as expected, Naruto's words were sharp as ever, killing his mood instantly. He felt like turning around and leaving right away.
"So, what happened? Did humans stop being enough for your tastes?" Naruto then feigned shock, "Wait, where's Akamaru?"
"You've got a filthy mouth!" Kiba wanted to beat him up, but when he thought that he would most likely lose in his current condition, he gave up.
"Akamaru is more seriously injured than me. My sister said he's still not out of danger." Kiba said with a gloomy look, "Can you ask Tsunade-sama for help?"
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Naruto's teasing expression disappeared, and he asked solemnly, "What happened?"
"It's nothing... not something you should be worried about. Knowing too much isn't good for you." Kiba said hesitantly, avoiding details, "Anyway, can you ask Tsunade-sama for help?"
"I'm really worried about Akamaru now, Naruto. I've never asked you for anything before."
"Cough!" Naruto interrupted him with a cough and subconsciously took a step back, "I can ask Tsunade-sama, but you'll need to tell me what happened first."
Hearing this, Kiba hesitated for a moment. Perhaps weighing Akamaru's life, he then gritted his teeth and spoke, "They were Shinobi from the Root. I had a conflict with them while on a mission. If I wasn't a member of the Inuzuka Clan, I'm afraid I would have already..."
"Got it. A dog's life is important, so I'll help." Naruto said as he stood on the street with groceries in one hand, "But Tsunade-sama may not have the time, so don't get your hopes up."
"Sakura is not busy recently. If Tsunade-sama doesn't have time, I could get Sakura to help."
"I understand. Thank you anyway, Naruto." Kiba said sincerely, "You might be a pain most of the time, but I didn't expect you to be so reliable when it counts."
"…" Naruto's face was full of black lines, "If you don't know how to compliment people, just keep quiet. And from now on, address me as Clan Head."
"Clan Head? What Clan Head?" Kiba was a little surprised.
Naruto patted Kiba heavily on the shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. Carrying groceries while standing in the sunlight, Naruto's figure was bathed in a golden glow as he spoke earnestly.
"Uchi… Cough, I'm the Clan Head of the Konoha branch of the Uzumaki Clan. I'm currently recruiting fresh blood. Interested in joining the glorious Uzumaki Clan?"
"No way! I can't betray my ancestors. Maybe next time." Kiba quickly declined.
Naruto sighed with regret, 'It seemed the glory of the Uzumaki Clan would remain mine alone.' However, as he watched Kiba limping away, Naruto suddenly had an immature but intriguing thought.
'I might not be able to topple Danzo, but at the very least, I could annoy him.'
For now, though, Akamaru's life was in danger, and as Akamaru's godfather, it was his duty to help Kiba. After all, it was just a matter of asking Tsunade for help, nothing too troublesome.
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章節 340: Chapter 340 Free Labor +1
Hokage's Office.
The young secretary, Ino, was diligently organizing the documents, while Tsunade was pretending to work while actually slacking off, occasionally glancing at paperwork and making a few approvals here and there.
Suddenly, the door swung open without warning, and Naruto casually walked in carrying a bag of groceries. No one had ever brought groceries into the Hokage's Office before, so he was the first one to do so.
"Well, well, what a rare guest. Naruto, are you using my office as a kitchen now?" Tsunade sneered as she rested her chin on her hand, speaking coldly to him.
Hearing this, Ino's body flinched, and she carefully controlled her breathing. She only dared to glance at Naruto out of the corner of her eye, fearing that the fight between gods would affect the mortals.
"I don't come here without a reason." Naruto said as he placed the groceries carelessly on the chair. He sat down on the chair lazily, lounging in another as if he owned the place.
"Tsunade-chan…"
"Pfft!!!"
Naruto was immediately punched and sent flying, crashing into the hallway wall along with the chair. Ino stood trembling in the corner, lowering her head and quietly continuing her work.
After a minute, Naruto returned, this time holding half of a broken chair. Clearly, he had learned his lesson and was much more restrained now.
"Tsunade-sama."
"What do you want?" She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"There's something I'd like to ask for your help with. Do you have time?" As Naruto said that, he pulled out the bottle of good wine he had asked from Hinata from the seal space.
The moment he opened the bottle, a rich, fragrant aroma filled the room. Then, Naruto respectfully poured Tsunade a glass.
"I don't have much time, but go ahead and tell me what you need." Tsunade squinted and took a sip of the sake. Her body was relaxed throughout the whole process and she showed no signs of anger.
Naruto knew Tsunade was fond of this approach, so he relayed Kiba's situation in a neutral, straightforward manner.
Tsunade didn't respond immediately, and Ino, while glancing from the corner of her eye, pursed her lips and worked silently. The office was engulfed in a brief silence, broken only by the soft rustle of pages turning.
"Let Sakura handle it. I don't have time." Tsunade finally said.
"Okay." Naruto nodded, then picked up the groceries and left.
He understood that Tsunade had her own concerns and couldn't personally involve herself in every issue. Since the Inuzuka Clan's Clan Head hadn't come to her directly, she had no obligation to step in.
There were many underlying complexities in the situation, things that couldn't be easily expressed with words.
Konoha's Street, No. 404.
Naruto placed the groceries in the kitchen and slumped down on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling to rest. Kurama sidled up to him and asked about the details of the upcoming ritual.
Naruto half-heartedly responded, then suddenly remembered the only bottle of genuine liquor he had was now with Tsunade, and he felt a little guilty.
"Alright, let's talk about it later. The ritual is something I can't avoid." Naruto stood up, fanned himself and said, "I've ran into a problem I can't solve."
"What problem?" Kurama knew it was a trap, but he still couldn't resist taking the bait.
Just as Naruto was about to answer, the doorbell rang.
Open the door.
He opened the door to find Sakura standing outside the corridor with a smile on her face. It was summer, and she was dressed lightly. Her top was a form-fitting pink sleeveless shirt, and she wore denim shorts paired with black stockings.
"Here for the free meal!"
The Clan Head of the Uzumaki Clan thought to himself, 'You came at the right time, free labor +1, and you even came to me willingly.'
"Come in first." He said as he stepped aside.
"Sorry for the intrusion." Sakura stepped lightly into the entrance, bending down to change her shoes, but instead of bending her knees, she simply arched her overly flexible back, lowering herself gracefully.
The way her black stockings shimmered drew attention, making it hard to look away.
"Cough, that's a bit much. Watch it next time." Naruto coughed, walked towards the couch unfazed, lay down on the couch skillfully, and said with his head turned away, "The kitchen is over there. I've bought the ingredients. Go and cook them yourself."
"My cooking skills are average." Sakura pulled off her hair tie, bit it in her mouth, reached out to tie up all the short hair behind her head, and quickly tied it up again with one hand.
"It's okay, just cook whatever you like, I'm not picky." Naruto said without worry.
"I mean, don't you want to try something else? I'm pretty good at other things." Sakura added with a mischievous grin on her face.
"No need, just cook." Naruto smirked.
He was a master fisherman in more ways than one. He'd been trying to reel in Kurama just minutes ago, and now she thought she could hook him? How ridiculous. Falling for it would mean losing the game.
"Oh, okay." Sakura said, heading to the kitchen as Naruto turned his gaze back to Kurama.
Because of Sakura's presence, their fishing conversation had to be postponed. Kurama and Naruto exchanged silent looks, with Kurama mouthing the word 'sake'.
Seeing this, Naruto chuckled to himself, 'Well, it's time to show my cards.'
Naruto shook his head again. Even Zhuge Liang had to visit Meng Huo seven times before Meng Huo was hooked. History has proven that patience was the key in fishing.
Only by being reluctant yet willing, and pulling madly, can one maximize the value of the cards in their hand.
From the kitchen came the rhythmic sound of chopping and the splash of water. Through the half-open glass door, Naruto could see a glimpse of Sakura's black stockings as she worked.
In the kitchen, Sakura chopped vegetables, pondering whether she should just switch into an apron. But she dismissed the idea, worrying it might backfire. Shaking off the thought, she continued cooking.
However, the more indifferent Naruto acted toward her, the more determined she felt to make him show some kind of interest. Simply being in the same room was far from enough to satisfy her, and there had to be something more exciting to stir things up.
In between cooking, she lowered her head, opened her clothes and took a look inside, thinking, 'is normal size, right? The books say that when kissing, there's an instinct to…'
Anyway, the book said that if a couple's fingertips could pull fine threads, then even if things got weird, it wouldn't be her fault.
'It's definitely Naruto-kun's fault things have turned out like this.' Sakura mused, 'Well… a little chaos wouldn't hurt. My life's already chaotic enough. So... Why not mix things up even more?'
With that thought in mind, Sakura's mood brightened again, and she hummed cheerfully as she finished cooking.
"Dinner's ready!" She called out, opening the kitchen door.
At this moment, Naruto was communicating with Kurama using sign language. When he heard this, he turned back and was stunned for a moment.
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