Uchiha Mikoto's calm eyes wavered slightly as she curiously studied the blond boy standing before her.
The boy, likely her classmate, had stepped in to help her. Was it because he couldn't bear to watch?
He must be a kind-hearted person. Beneath that cold exterior lay a warm heart—it was an unexpected discovery.
"Who are you, you bastard? Mind your own business! We're performing an exorcism here!"
A burly boy, seemingly the leader of this group of troublemakers, shouted loudly.
"It's him! My mom said he's possessed by a ghost. We need to stay away, or we'll get possessed too!"
"Oh, I see! If he's possessed by an evil spirit, let's all jump him and tear his clothes apart!"
"Yeah! Let's go!"
The group of boys charged toward them with loud cries, their legs pumping energetically, creating an almost comical sense of urgency.
Naruto shook his head, his gaze indifferent. A bunch of hopeless fools.
His body shifted slightly, naturally adjusting without conscious effort. Fighting had become second nature to him, ingrained in his muscle memory.
"Bang!"
Naruto's hand struck out, landing a clean blow on the leader's head. The boy collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Without sparing a glance at the fallen kid, Naruto twisted his wrist, gripping the hilt of his zanpakutō. There was no need to draw the blade.
He tilted the sheathed weapon upward, pressing it firmly against the leader's jaw.
"Boom!"
With a heavy thud, the leader was sent flying, spinning in mid-air before crashing into a tree.
The impact made the thick tree trunk tremble, sending leaves cascading down, some landing at Naruto's feet.
The remaining kids froze, staring in shock as their leader lay defeated.
Naruto sighed inwardly. Why are they so clueless?
He raised his voice sharply. "Like I said before, I'm protecting this girl. If you don't want to get hurt, leave now."
"The evil spirit is angry! Run!"
Panicked cries erupted as the boys scattered in every direction, abandoning their unconscious leader beneath the tree.
"Idiot! Don't use my head to deal with this kind of garbages," Kurama grumbled lazily.
"Yeah, yeah. Next time I'll use you to chop down Senju Hashirama instead," Naruto replied dryly.
"Hmph."
Brushing off the grumbling Nine-Tails, Naruto turned back toward Uchiha Mikoto.
The girl, dressed in black mourning clothes, had long black hair draped over her shoulders. Her pale skin and delicate features radiated a youthful beauty that hinted at the stunning woman she would one day become.
Not that Naruto had any interest in Mikoto's beauty—after all, he wasn't drawn to lolis.
Strangely, though, there was no notification from the system indicating the task was complete. Where did I mess up?
Mikoto's growing irritation broke through his thoughts as she caught him staring.
"Uzumaki-san, it's very rude to stare at a girl," she said, her voice serious but gentle, lacking the authority to be truly intimidating.
When Naruto looked away, his blue eyes inadvertently swept over her chest.
"Eh?"
Mikoto's development didn't seem to match her young age—how was that even possible?
"Uzumaki-san, that's incredibly inappropriate!" Mikoto's cheeks flushed as she glared at him.
Naruto silently swore he wasn't thinking anything indecent. He was simply curious about how such unexpected development could occur.
---
"Shopkeeper, two bundles of white carnations and two vases, please."
Naruto handed over the money, took the flowers, and turned to leave with Mikoto.
White carnations, flowers of remembrance—symbols of mourning and deep longing.
"Thank you," Mikoto said softly.
"No need to thank me. Think of it as an apology," Naruto replied.
Earlier, the flowers Mikoto had brought were trampled by the kids. Wearing mourning clothes, she didn't carry any money, so she had to rely on Naruto.
The two walked for a while until they came upon a clearing the size of a soccer field.
This was where Konoha's heroes rested—a massive stone monument engraved with countless names.
It was called the Memorial Stone.
"My parents died," Mikoto suddenly said, her voice tinged with sorrow. "They were killed in the Ninja World War."
Naruto tilted his head slightly but remained silent, listening intently.
"The only thing I have to remember them by are the photos they left behind. Not even their bodies could be retrieved."
"I hate war. I hate being a ninja. If there were no ninjas, my parents wouldn't have died."
"When the war ended, my home was gone."
Mikoto's lips tightened, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
In the distance, fireworks burst in the sky, scattering brilliant colors across the night.
Naruto stepped forward and pulled Mikoto into an embrace.
She didn't resist. Instead, she cried loudly in his arms, years of bottled-up emotions finally bursting free.
---
Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the system task: Help Uchiha Mikoto regain her ninja spirit.
Reward: Chakra Metal ×30
Chakra Metal has been sent to the system space.
*(TL/N - Naruto with rizz aura?😏)
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