Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 206 Aura

"What's wrong, Naruto? You haven't seemed very energetic these past few days. Is it because you're nervous about the Chunin Exams?"

On the bustling streets of Konoha, Satsuki turned his head slightly, his dark eyes filled with undisguised concern, and looked at Naruto, who was somewhat silent beside him.

She was naturally unaware that Naruto was swirling with complex thoughts about Orochimaru and Gaara, and simply assumed that he was feeling pressured by the upcoming important exam.

Hearing this warm inquiry, Naruto snapped out of his reverie, met Sasuke's focused gaze, and unconsciously softened his tone. "Sorry to have worried you. I'm fine, I just have a few more things to think about lately."

"Is that so..."

Satsuki gave a soft reply, not pressing for further details, but the concern in her eyes remained. "Alright. But if you feel unwell at all, or encounter any trouble, be sure to tell me immediately."

Satsuki thought to herself with a strange feeling. Naruto was usually so adept at handling all sorts of situations, whether in battle or social interactions, he always seemed to have it easy. Why, of all times, was he acting like this...?

However, for her, finding out the reason wasn't the primary concern. Putting Naruto's feelings and safety as the highest priority was an instinct ingrained in her very being. Since Naruto seemed to be facing a problem that required thought, she would be his strongest support.

Actually... sometimes, Satsuki secretly hopes that Naruto won't always be so capable and independent.

If he were troubled by more things, if he weren't so strong... wouldn't he rely on himself more, cling to himself more tightly, and be even more... inseparable from himself? In that case, perhaps his gaze, his world, could belong more completely to himself.

At this moment, after briefly responding to Sasuke's concern, Naruto's thoughts once again sank into assessing the situation. He repeatedly deduced and analyzed the comparison of strength between the enemy and himself in his mind, and finally came to a clear conclusion: even without mobilizing the power of the [Jin] organization, his own strength seemed to be enough to suppress the storm that Orochimaru might stir up.

As long as it is ensured that the resurrected First Hokage cannot exert his pre-birth strength, Naruto alone has a good chance of winning against Orochimaru and the power of the Sound Village.

However, this guy has too many ways to survive and has a backup plan for resurrection, making him the king of longevity in the ninja world. If you really want to fight him to the death, you'll probably get into endless trouble.

Moreover, to be fair, deep down Naruto harbored a slight sense of "appreciation" for Orochimaru's amazing scientific research abilities.

If Orochimaru's genius-level scientific mind could be guided onto the right path, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boost to the advancement of knowledge and technology in the entire ninja world. To destroy it like this is simply too much of a waste.

Of course, all of this "persuasion and cooperation" is based on an unshakable bottom line—Orochimaru must not show even the slightest covetousness towards Satsuki or the power of the Uchiha clan.

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance that Orochimaru would dare to target Satsuki... For Satsuki's absolute safety, Naruto must eliminate him completely at all costs.

Hopefully, Orochimaru, who wasn't completely crushed by Itachi Uchiha, and that incredibly intelligent yet fearful guy, will make a wise choice this time...

"Hey! Naruto!"

Just as Naruto was lost in his thoughts, a deep voice resounded from the depths of his heart.

It's a nine-tailed fox.

Naruto was slightly taken aback. It wasn't common for Kurama to take the initiative to talk to him.

"What's wrong, Kurama?"

Naruto immediately responded in his mind, his voice traveling directly to the massive figure behind the sealing gate. This conversation existed only between the two of them, the human and the fox, and remained unnoticed by those outside.

The enormous nine-tailed fox lay lazily on the surface of the sealed water, its vertical pupils slightly narrowed, and a disdainful smile spreading across its lips.

His tone sounded somewhat troublesome, yet it couldn't hide his innate arrogance and disdain for a particular person.

"A familiar, annoying guy has sneaked into Konoha."

Kurama's voice was filled with undisguised disdain, "It's that idiot Shukaku! Its aura is nearby. It's its jinchūriki."

"Go, Naruto! Go and confront it! Don't let it think it can act arrogantly just because it's on someone else's turf!"

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(The author has finally gotten off the plane and will resume normal updates tomorrow!)