Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

Hearing Ino smack her lips and softly whisper his name, Naruto's eyelids twitched. He wondered if this little girl was dreaming about biting him.

Looking down, he noticed that the blanket only covered Ino's upper body, while the rest of the long quilt had fallen to the floor.

A pair of slender, long legs stretched out into the air, toes occasionally twitching—small, plump, and kind of cute.

"Girls at this age tend to kick off their blankets while they're growing fast. Such a hassle," he muttered.

With a helpless rub of his temples, Naruto gently pulled the quilt up to cover her again, making sure not to wake her.

It felt like he was already raising a daughter at home.

After quietly leaving the house, Naruto's mind was still on what the system had hinted at yesterday—the selector had revealed that Ino had liked him from the very beginning.

Naruto couldn't quite make sense of it.

To be honest, he knew they hadn't seen each other much over the past few months, and when they did, their encounters were far from friendly—some were downright hostile.

So when Naruto first realized Ino had a crush on him, he thought maybe she was just into good looks and had been charmed by his handsome face.

But that was about it.

He truly couldn't understand why she'd fall for him.

Hinata had liked him since childhood, and Sakura's feelings grew over time. But Ino? She didn't fit into that pattern.

Could she be a masochist who enjoys being treated badly?

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

Maybe I'll ask Shikamaru about Ino's recent changes someday, he thought. They spend enough time together—he should understand her mindset.

Still deep in thought, Naruto made his way toward the Uchiha district, stopping where he and Uchiha Izumi had parted ways the day before.

Perhaps out of confidence—or arrogance—many Uchiha homes had doors that weren't even locked. The same went for Uchiha Izumi's house.

Naruto gently pushed the door, and it opened without resistance. Inside, the house was clean and tidy. Though old and carrying a faint musty smell, not a speck of dust could be seen.

It had clearly been cleaned recently.

The house was small. The entire living room held just a table, a few chairs, and an old TV—he wasn't sure if it even worked.

That was about all that could fit on the narrow first floor.

The wooden stairs creaked as he walked up to the second floor. As soon as he reached the top, he was greeted by the sight of Uchiha Izumi's scarlet Sharingan.

The moment she saw Naruto, her entire body relaxed.

"Naruto-kun? Why are you here? Weren't we supposed to meet after I came to find you?" Her eyes were ringed with dark circles.

Judging by how clean the house was, she probably hadn't slept—or barely had.

Right.

Her memories still lingered on the day she died. In her mind, her mother was still alive.

It would feel like waking from a nap only to discover your mother had died—killed by the boy you liked most.

How could she possibly sleep peacefully?

"I came to check on you after getting some rest. No need to worry about who finds who first. It doesn't matter," Naruto said casually, leaning against the wall on the second floor. His eyes drifted to Izumi's clothes.

The schoolgirl outfit and white stockings she'd worn yesterday were gone.

What a shame.

Izumi smiled gently, tugging at the hem of her shirt shyly. "I thought those clothes were a little too revealing… So I found one of my mom's old outfits in the closet, washed it, and dried it over the fire. It fit pretty well."

"Yeah, dressing conservatively isn't a bad idea," Naruto nodded, silently adding, As long as you wear the revealing stuff when you're alone with me, that works too.

Izumi lifted the right side of her hair, revealing the teardrop-shaped mole near her eye. Her dark circles were more prominent now, giving her the look of a cute little raccoon.

She pointed to a stove in the corner. "Sit by the fire. Without chakra, it gets really cold in winter."

Naruto had nothing else to do, so he joined her by the stove. The blanket draped over it had just been washed and smelled faintly of laundry detergent.

No wonder Izumi had panda eyes.

Once she leaned against the warm stove, she slumped slightly and murmured, "Naruto-kun, want to try resting your face on the stove? It makes you feel sleepy really fast."

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I slept plenty yesterday."

"Okay, then I'll take a little nap."

No sooner had she spoken than Izumi closed her eyes and began to breathe softly. It wasn't clear if she'd already fallen asleep or was just drifting into it.

Naruto looked around out of boredom. On the windowsill behind him, a photo caught his eye. Curious, he walked over for a closer look.

It was a framed picture of a family of three. The photo inside was well-preserved. Though the frame had some water stains, it had clearly been wiped clean.

The little girl in the picture looked adorable, and both parents had pleasant, regular features.

Judging by the hair colors, Izumi likely took her mother's surname. Her father didn't have black hair and didn't look like an Uchiha.

Can Uchiha women even marry outside the clan?

As that question crossed Naruto's mind, Izumi gave him the answer.

Still resting her chin on the stove, she watched Naruto with calm eyes. She couldn't remember the exact memories involving him, but she knew it was Naruto who had saved her, formed a master-servant contract with her, and protected her for a very long time.

His act of saving her was as precious as life itself. In her eyes, it made Naruto no less than a parental figure.

So, she vowed never to betray him—no matter what he wanted to do.

Naturally, she wouldn't keep secrets from him.

Softly, Izumi said, "My father was from the Senju clan. He died during the Nine-Tails' attack on the village. After that, I returned to the Uchiha clan with my mother and took her last name. My full name used to be Senju Izumi."

What?

Senju?

Naruto turned around in shock, staring at her, his mind buzzing.

The only time he'd heard of Uchiha and Senju bloodlines mixing was when Madara implanted Hashirama's cells to awaken the Rinnegan.

He never expected Izumi to be the child of a Senju-Uchiha union. That was insane.

Naruto asked seriously, "Then… do you know how to use Wood Release?"

Izumi shook her head.

Right. Even the Second Hokage couldn't use it. Not everyone could.

Naruto asked again, "Do you have a lot of chakra?"

Izumi looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied blankly, "I guess I have quite a bit? In our class, I ranked second. The top spot went to Uchiha Itachi."

Huh.

A Senju descendant still outclassed by Uchiha Itachi?

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, causing his long, golden hair to sway. When it brushed against Izumi's sleepy eyes, her cheeks turned red.

His hair seemed to carry some kind of electricity. There was something uniquely attractive about him.

Not as a master, not as a savior—but just as a man.

Unable to hold it in, Izumi asked, "Naruto-kun… what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing really. Just daydreaming. Happens a lot," Naruto replied casually.

But in his mind, he'd already figured things out. Maybe Uchiha and Senju intermarriage wasn't that rare. Otherwise, Izumi's family wouldn't be living in such a modest house.

Bloodline abilities depended on talent.

Pureblood Uchiha without talent couldn't awaken the Sharingan. Among the Senju, only the First Hokage had Wood Release.

Madara awakening the Rinnegan with Hashirama's cells probably had more to do with his own immense talent than bloodline purity.

That said, Izumi wasn't lacking talent. Even with diluted Uchiha blood, she had still awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Maybe she even had the potential to awaken the Rinnegan someday.

There was hope.

Naruto's mood lifted. Just imagining an absolutely loyal powerhouse like her by his side made him feel great.

Capturing her soul with the human puppet technique had turned out to be a stroke of luck.

As for awakening the Rinnegan, he'd need to consult with the old legends.

He decided that once he grew strong enough, he'd personally seek out Uchiha Madara for answers.

Now that Dream Maker Kabuto had been killed by Orochimaru, Naruto had no choice but to become the new dream maker himself.

To do that, he needed just one more piece—Orochimaru, reborn through the Impure World Reincarnation.

Maybe it was time to accelerate the war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. He could use that war to trigger a strong selector choice, then head to sea and rescue Orochimaru, who was trapped by Akatsuki.

Damn Akatsuki. You actually forced my dear Orochimaru-san to hide at sea. I won't let you off so easily…

"Hey. Long time no see, Itachi, Kisame."

"Long time no see, Deidara, Sasori."

On the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Taki, the Akatsuki's Art Duo and Shark-Weasel Duo crossed paths.

Deidara and Sasori were headed deeper into the Land of Earth, while Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame seemed to be moving in the opposite direction—toward the Land of Water Trap.

But Deidara and Sasori suspected that Itachi wasn't really going to the Land of Water Trap, but rather the Land of the Moon or the Land of Hot Springs.

Those two small nations, caught between great powers, were likely to become battlegrounds in the upcoming war between Konoha and Kumogakure.

"Itachi, still nostalgic for your old hometown?" Sasori's hoarse voice carried a teasing edge.

Itachi had buried his grief for years, but deep down, he still missed Konoha. It remained more important to him than anything else—but he'd never admit that aloud.

"Maybe a little. But this time I'm headed to the Land of Fields. I found traces of Orochimaru there. I have to check it out."

"Haha, then good luck. Deidara and I are off to find Haku and Zabuza."

Sasori gave a cryptic smile and said no more.

No paid members are joining. If this continues, I'll have no choice but to drop this fanfic.

*********************************************************************************************************Hey everyone! Want to read ahead and unlock up to 100 early-access chapters? 📖Plus, enjoy even more exclusive novels! Join my Patreon now and dive into the adventure!

patreon.com/sabu19