The next day.
Naruto tossed the old, outdated orange jacket from the original storyline straight into the trash. After changing into a fresh summer outfit and tidying himself up, he instantly felt more energized.
He quickly ate a luxurious limited-edition instant noodle that the original character had cherished, leaving a few shadow clones at home to study the Flying Thunder God Technique. His main body strolled confidently towards the ninja school.
"Hmm? Isn't that Sakura?" On a street not far from the school, Naruto spotted Haruno Sakura, who was also heading to school.
She seemed lost in thought, wearing a lovestruck expression with a faint blush on her cheeks. It was easy to guess that the handsome protagonist she was fantasizing about had nothing to do with Naruto.
Seeing Sakura stirred something in Naruto's heart. It wasn't that he hadn't seen beautiful girls before, but the original character's lingering obsession was influencing him. Of course, for someone determined to be a heartthrob, he couldn't miss out on the first female lead from the original story.
While many might have found her off-putting, it was undeniable that Sakura's later fierce persona had once put the Naruto-Sakura fanbase ahead of the Naruto-Hinata one. The only unfortunate thing was that Sakura had almost mirrored Tsunade's traits but couldn't replicate that fierce spirit.
But it didn't matter; Naruto thought that was something he could nurture from a young age. Her personality could also be shaped early on.
"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" He called out, catching up to her.
Sakura turned to look at him, slightly dazed. "Um… Naruto?"
The lively, sunny Naruto gave off a completely different vibe now. Although he still looked like the same person, he exuded a newfound allure that made him seem dependable.
The boost from his Asura chakra was starting to take effect, though Naruto hadn't yet noticed.
"Hey, Sakura-chan, can you spare me a few minutes? I need to talk to you," Naruto said, flashing a smile.
In the past, Sakura would have punched him hard and refused to come near him. But now, inexplicably, she found herself unable to say no.
They walked to a quieter corner, where Sakura, still skeptical, asked, "Is that really you, Naruto? You look completely different!"
"Is it because I changed my clothes?" Naruto chuckled.
"No!" Sakura shook her head, struggling to articulate her thoughts. "I can't put my finger on it; you just feel different."
"And in the past, you would have shouted at me already. You're surprisingly quiet today. Did something happen?"
"Forget it; it doesn't concern me. Just tell me what you want. If you need to borrow money, don't even bother asking!"
Although Naruto felt different, the old impressions Sakura had of him were hard to shake off. At most, she just found him less annoying than before.
Suddenly, Naruto pressed a hand against the wall, pinning her in place.
"What… what are you doing?" Sakura instinctively panicked.
Before she could react further, Naruto leaned in and planted a deep kiss on her lips, his hand moving to her waist.
At that moment, Sakura's mind went blank. She couldn't believe that the Naruto she had known, who had always been so clueless, was being so bold today.
Moreover, given their age, such encounters were rare, and she hadn't prepared herself for it at all. As soon as she realized she was being kissed, she immediately wanted to resist.
However, with Naruto's current strength, she found herself unable to fight back. It wasn't until she was on the verge of tears that Naruto finally released her.
"You, you, you…" Sakura stammered, her eyes watery and unsure of how to respond.
Despite her usual fiery personality, encountering something like this left her completely flustered.
Naruto chuckled softly, "What I wanted to say is that you're no longer pure, and from now on, you can only be mine. Understand?"
"I hate you!" Sakura shouted, not wanting to accept this situation, and she ran off in tears.
"Ha, there's plenty of time ahead!" Naruto shrugged, not bothering to chase after her. He walked to school, savoring the thrilling moment they had just shared.
As he reached the school gate, a figure suddenly leaped out to block his path.
Naruto was already sensing it; otherwise, his reflexes would have kicked in, and he would have kicked the person away.
Although the person was wearing an Anbu mask, the slender, graceful figure and the long purple hair gave away her identity.
"Ugh!" Naruto smacked his lips. Before she could speak, he chimed in, "Hey there, beautiful! Be my girlfriend!"
Uzuki Yuyin: "…"
She didn't harbor any dislike for the legendary Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but there was no fondness either—just the feeling one would have for a stranger. However, her first impression of him was slightly annoying.
"Pretty, huh? I'm wearing a mask, so make sure you have some basis for your flattery," she thought, perceiving him as someone used to sweet-talking.
Nevertheless, Uzuki Yuyin was professionally trained and didn't express any of her thoughts. She coldly stated, "Uzumaki Naruto, the Hokage wants to see you. Come with me."
"Sure thing, beautiful! No problem!" Naruto responded cheerfully, taking her delicate hand and adding with feigned sincerity, "If it's you, I'd gladly walk with you until the end of time, growing old together and forever united."
Yuyin, caught off guard, was shocked. How could a mere rookie from a ninja school approach her so easily? He held her hand without any resistance!
She hadn't sensed anything beforehand, and it wasn't until he grasped her hand that she realized her subconscious was drawn to him.
Of course, she could still resist, but given that Naruto was just a kid, she hesitated to overreact for fear of injuring him.
In that brief moment, Naruto had interlocked their fingers, and his other hand gently caressed the back of hers.
"So soft and tender! You don't look like someone who's used to wielding a knife; it's no wonder you're my wife. You're well taken care of!" Naruto praised, his eyes sparkling.
Yuyin's expression behind the mask darkened. First, he called her his girlfriend, and now he was elevating her to the status of his wife?
"Uzumaki Naruto, this is your first warning!" she said in a voice devoid of emotion, leaving it unclear if she was angry or pleased.
If he weren't so young, she would have reacted much more harshly.
Though Uzuki Yuyin was dedicated to her duties, she wasn't the type to sacrifice her dignity for a mission.
"Alright!" Naruto relented, feigning regret as he said, "I won't call you my wife—let's save that for after we're married! For now, calling you 'sister' is totally fine, right? Oh, by the way, didn't the Third Hokage want to see me? Let's hurry!"
With that, he grabbed Yuyin's hand and dashed down the street, leaving her in a state of confusion.