Buzz!
Kushina Uzumaki felt the warmth around her suddenly vanish, leaving an emptiness in her heart.
Naruto's figure blurred through space and time, reappearing instantly in front of Tetsu's older brother.
With a clear target, the kunai in his hand sliced through the air, aiming straight at him.
The chilling aura bore down on Tetsu's brother, his pupils dilating and cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He couldn't even comprehend what had happened.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto had appeared right in front of him. Could this be the same teleportation technique as their teacher's?
And then—sharp pain exploded in his throat, the sensation of a blade piercing flesh.
Every breath burned like fire scorching his lungs.
"If this happens again, it won't just be a shallow cut next time. Got it, Genin?"
Naruto's gaze was cold. With a swift motion, he withdrew his arm, the kunai carrying a thin crimson line of blood.
"Now take your brother and get lost."
At his words, Tetsu's brother dared not utter a single protest. He obediently helped his younger brother off the ground and prepared to leave.
But as he moved, the action of being supported roused Tetsu. His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Naruto's indifferent expression, and panic flared in his eyes as he shouted,
"Brother! It's him! He's the one who broke my wrist! Teach him a lesson!"
Tetsu's brother glanced back at Naruto, who was smirking coldly at them from a short distance.
A chill ran down his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Panicking, he clamped a hand over Tetsu's mouth.
"My brother's... not fully recovered. He's just rambling nonsense. Please, take it as a joke."
"Brother! You're a Genin! Why are you afraid of him?!"
Genin, my ass! He thought bitterly. If you keep mouthing off, your big brother's life will be forfeit!
"We're leaving now. Goodbye!"
Tetsu's brother hoisted him onto his back and bolted, disappearing from Naruto's sight as quickly as possible.
---
Naruto turned around, his expression frustrated. "Why are you always getting bullied?"
At his remark, Kushina Uzumaki puffed up her cheeks indignantly.
"Like that's my fault!" she huffed angrily. "It's that jerk's fault for picking fights all the time! How could I fight back when I was outnumbered?"
"And besides, why have you been avoiding me all week, Naruto?"
---
Ding!
Congratulations, Host! You have unlocked the passive skill: Insight, Level 1.
What's this?
Naruto didn't pay attention to Kushina's words. The system's sudden notification startled him.
Is this some kind of new feature?
---
"Why are you ignoring me? Say something!"
Kushina, noticing Naruto's dazed state, grew increasingly annoyed. Without thinking, she leaned forward and bit down hard on his hand.
"Argh!"
Naruto sucked in a sharp breath. The familiar pain jolted him back to reality.
"Kushina! What are you, a dog? Why do you always bite people?"
"Who told you to ignore me?" she retorted, her voice muffled as her teeth stayed clamped on his hand.
"Can you let go first? Then we'll talk."
Naruto sighed, flicking her forehead lightly with his free hand.
"Ouch!"
Kushina released him, rubbing her forehead as tears welled up in her eyes. She pouted.
"Stop overreacting. I didn't even hit you that hard."
"Hmph! Idiot! Don't you know this is how girls show they need attention?"
---
Naruto took a step closer, suddenly pulling Kushina into an embrace, his arms wrapping around her waist.
"What are you... doing?" Kushina's face flushed, her voice flustered.
"You said you needed attention, didn't you?"
Naruto's eyes turned a deep crimson as he gazed into hers.
Kushina froze under his intense stare, her breathing quickening as his face drew nearer.
Is he going to…
Before she could finish the thought, Naruto's lips pressed against hers. It didn't hurt—instead, a strange sensation coursed through her, sending shivers down her spine.
She stood rooted in place, her mind going blank.
Moments later, their lips parted.
"You're not some fragile girl," Naruto said softly. "You're strong at heart. Become even stronger. I won't always be there to save you."
With those words, he pushed off the ground, leaping onto a nearby tree branch before vanishing into the forest.
---
Kushina stood there, her mind swirling with emotions.
"That jerk, Naruto… He just wanted to take advantage of me! Next time, don't run if you dare!"
---
Hidden behind a tree, Minato Namikaze had quietly observed the entire scene, a faint smile playing on his lips. Those two really are a good match.
As for Naruto's sudden disappearance technique, Minato couldn't quite place it. But it definitely wasn't the Body Flicker Technique.
---
Back at home, Naruto opened his system interface, searching for the source of the earlier notification.
There it is!
At the bottom of the character panel, three new tabs had appeared: Passives, Traits, and Enchantments.
Only the Passives tab was active, while the others remained grayed out.
Clicking on "Insight," he found a detailed description:
---
Insight Level 1: Enhances understanding of all ninjutsu. When observing a technique, there is a 10% chance of immediately comprehending it.
Note: Maximum level is 10. Current progression: Level 1 → Level 2 (20/100 EXP).
---
"What a terrifying ability…" Naruto murmured. "If this levels up to 10, I'll have a 100% success rate in copying techniques. It's practically the Sharingan!"
But then his thoughts darkened. Where do I even get EXP for this?
Once again, the system proved as frustrating as ever!
===================
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