Reincarnation into the world of Naruto with the system

"Slipping into the Sphere Boundary mode allows me to think more clearly due to the trance-like state, and I can perceive more… and indeed, I feel something off, but very faintly."

"Can I?" – I ask Kurumaru himself.

He nods slightly, though a bit warily. Placing my hand on his muzzle, I start stroking him, trying to fully release my aura of light, manipulating everything I can in my semi-trance. Damn, even my chakra is moving, but the light aura just won't manifest as a cloud. However, Kurumaru is melting under my touch—after all, the aura envelops my entire figure, including my hand. That's why he's enjoying the petting. Even my reputation with him has increased a couple of times.

Damn, what should I do? How can I use light to heal the wound if I can't even manipulate it? And that stench of dark chakra is overwhelming.

No, seriously… I'm an idiot!

New…

Not now! I'll read it later!

I just said that the aura envelops my whole body, which means all I need to do is one simple action—run my hand over the wound, and that should be enough.

"Hm?" – I put on a surprised expression, sniffing the air.

"What's up?" – Kiba asks, looking a bit stunned. Well, yeah, Kurumaru barely let even him touch him before. That's the power of the light aura—at least for intelligent ninken. Regular animals, except for dogs I have a good reputation with, just shy away from me because of the Fox's scent coming off me.

"Is it just me, or does Kurumaru's wound have a strange chakra scent?" – Yes, yes, I decided to reveal one of my aces to the Inuzuka clan. Let's see their reaction. If they betray me, I won't trust them.

"Huh, what?" – Typical Kiba.

"There's something off under that bandage on Kurumaru. I can sense a weird chakra coming from it!" – I sniff the air again, moving closer to the confused ninken's muzzle. Oh, what a horrible stench—it's making me dizzy! Damn, if I can't be a fighter, I'll become a sensor ninja instead. I can sense chakra from miles away!

"You can sense chakra?" – Finally, Kiba gets it.

"Yep, just recently started." – I admit.

"Can I take a look at it?" – It still feels weird asking a giant dog for permission… a strange and unsettling feeling.

Kurumaru rolls his eyes in exasperation but nods. Huh, not a single word from him. He doesn't trust me enough to reveal his speech ability in front of someone outside the clan? That seems likely.

Carefully, I remove the bandage, revealing an ugly wound slashing across part of his face. And an unrecognizable mess where his eye used to be. Ugh, gross! This stuff is preventing proper healing. I don't even want to imagine the pleasant sensations he constantly feels.

"This might hurt a little." – I say gently, placing my hand on the wound.

Do I hear a sizzling sound? And Kurumaru tenses up! But the foul chakra stench is slowly fading, and my hand starts to tingle. Did some of that filth get into my body? Well, I think the Fox's chakra will burn it all away.

Hmm, maybe I should use that as an explanation? I acted without thinking, and now I don't know how to justify it. If I blame it on subtle manipulations of the Fox's chakra, it'll make it seem like I have amazing control. Though we haven't practiced techniques yet, my terrible chakra control is well known. It is improving over time, thanks to meditation and other training. Surprisingly, Li Shuwen's technique is great for that and incredibly versatile, but I'm far from perfecting it.

But I don't have any other options. I'll just attribute it to my chakra manipulation skills.

As I mull over my thoughts, the foul chakra's scent almost completely disappears, and Kurumaru relaxes. After waiting a little longer and checking my status, I sigh in relief and sit right on the floor. Damn, I feel exhausted. What a visit to a friend's house.

"Phew, I think that's it. Now take him to a med-nin, and any of them should be able to clean up the rest and restore his eye." – I say tiredly.

"And just how exactly did you manage that, Naruto Uzumaki?" – A strict yet slightly wild-sounding female voice comes from behind me. Hmm, that voice sounds familiar.

I try to get up to properly greet the head of the Inuzuka clan, but the same voice stops me.

"Stay seated, we're having an informal conversation. I'm not going to make my son's guest bow to me. I don't even like all that formal stuff. A person's actions should speak for them, not flattering words."

This is what I like about the Inuzuka. They're straightforward. Only the Akimichi might be even simpler… but that's not a given.

"I recently noticed that my chakra can burn through things better than some techniques. I even trained with it." – A couple of times… on Itachi… and after that, he fled the village… Yeah, my training has mixed results.

"So when I sensed something strange, I just burned it away." – And I didn't even lie. My chakra did burn off some of the filth that almost got into me.

"I see. Interesting. Then rest up, we'll be back soon." – And with Kurumaru, she heads out.

"Mistress, he wasn't lying…" – I hear a deep, guttural voice just before the door closes. Looks like you slipped up, ninken.

"You're amazing!" – Kiba slaps me on the shoulder, overwhelmed with emotion. Well, unlike his mother, who went to check the results, my friend believed me instantly and completely. That's nice.

"You owe me food—I'm starving!" – Yeah, and I need to eat away this stress.

"No problem. Uh… can you make it to the kitchen yourself, or do you need help?" – Wow, Kiba is learning to show concern. He's growing up!

But before we even reach the kitchen, my quest gets marked as complete. Oh, what a wonderful—oh? Tsume's heart meter is suddenly full? Hey, that's not fair! It was barely at a third before! Give it back!

Wait… she figured it out quickly. Oh, right, Kiba's sister is studying to be a vet. She could easily diagnose him!

Before I can finish my thought, I get a notification about increased relationship points with Hana. I wasn't wrong. And then, I sense Tsume's scent appearing. Yeah, back there, with Kurumaru, I was too focused and missed it, but now I can smell her arriving at the house. But it's so sudden—Shunshin? Seems like it.

A few seconds later, I'm pulled into a tight hug, only to be released a moment after. But I got the screenshot, and this moment will forever be saved in my bookmarks. That's the official completion of my first heart… Damn!

"Personally, not as the head of the clan, but as a shinobi, I owe you, Naruto-kun."

Oh, I can feel the change. I went from Uzumaki Naruto to Naruto-kun. That's progress.

"No need, Tsume-san. I just did what I could and wanted to do. I didn't even restore his eye, just cleaned the wound a little."

Oh? Another percentage increase? Someone liked my response.

"Alright, if you say so. But either way, you're now a welcome guest in our district." – Tsume gives me a soft smile. Well, she

tries—it comes off more as a slightly less aggressive snarl.

"Got it."

What a day.

As I left the Inuzuka district, I immediately checked that message. It had popped up at such an odd moment, and I still hadn't forgotten the "Oak" system. And, surprisingly, I was right.

New Status Acquired!

"I'm a Ram."

Your forehead has become tougher, your head heavier, but granting you bone growths or horns would be too much. However, a ram's stubbornness suits you perfectly. You've become harder to argue with, and bargaining has become significantly more challenging for others. You can stand your ground (not always), and your sheer determination allows you to push through where others would give up.

5% chance to achieve your goal purely through stubbornness. But is it really worth spending years on something pointless?

+10% chance of winning an argument.

Maximum bargaining discount increased by 2%.

25% chance to awaken the Kaguya Clan's bloodline, granting the statuses "Strong Bones" and "My Body, My Weapon" (if I don't get horns, I might as well grow bones).

What the hell, system? But fine, I won't complain. The Kaguya bloodline is intriguing. I could be like Kimimaro—heh.

The first status is straightforward. Time to eat more calcium and find Tsunade. As for the second one… I have a feeling I'll have to train under Konoha's Green Beast. Or fully master Li Shuwen's style. Then again, one doesn't exclude the other.

That's for later. For now—home.

Meanwhile

"So, you're saying he smelled chakra?" Tsume smirked oddly, glancing at a pale Kiba.

Kiba hadn't wanted to sell out his friend, but being an honest and straightforward guy, he now realized—judging by his mother's terrifying grin—that he had said too much. And now he awaited the consequences.

"Naruto-kun seemed interested in our techniques, right? Teach him the Imitation, and a couple of offensive moves if you want, but the main thing is the Imitation. And let me know the moment he learns it." Tsume's grin turned downright predatory.

"You're dismissed," she waved her son off.

"Why do you want this, Mistress?" Kurama rumbled, enjoying the scratching behind his ear.

"Teaching the Fox's jinchūriki the Imitation… heh. Whether those old farts like it or not, they'll have to give him to our clan. Only we'll be able to tell the difference—when he's in Imitation mode and when he's… not himself. And we'll have to 'take responsibility for what's been done.' They'll grumble, sure, but they'll have to accept it. And the boy will be better off with us. And just imagine the offspring! Heh-heh. Not just scent-tracking but chakra-sensing too. Plus, Hana doesn't find him repulsive, which is a very good thing. It'll be easier for them to accept… each other. Let them get used to it first—no need to rush, but we shouldn't delay either." The Inuzuka Clan Head spoke contentedly.

"What about the Uchiha?" Kurama asked again.

"Oh, they could also sense if something was wrong, maybe even suppress the Fox. But there's no way they'll get their hands on him. Their position isn't strong enough to demand anything—they're struggling just to hold on to what they have. As for the Hyūga… they're withdrawing from politics, and they're already the strongest clan. Giving Naruto to them? Not a chance. The old farts would be terrified—imagine strengthening an already powerful clan even further? But us? They wouldn't even consider us a threat, even with a jinchūriki in our ranks. And we aren't looking for conflict. But this way, the kid will get proper care, support, and education. And we'll get a new, strong generation with an interesting ability… maybe even more than one. Everybody wins." Tsume smirked.