Reincarnation into the world of Naruto with the system

A month had passed since Kiba agreed to teach me Imitation , but I still couldn't get it to work! I just couldn't understand what was required of me. The issue wasn't even chakra control—this technique only required the presence of chakra in the body and its free circulation. The real problem was that I couldn't comprehend how chakra, without even leaving the body, could cause such transformations. And without that understanding, I couldn't initiate the process.

There were also many small details I wanted to know, like the minimum chakra requirements for activation and other specifics. And Kiba answered… well, not exactly. When I asked him, he would hesitate, widen his eyes, and fail to respond. Honestly, I expected that. But after my first round of questions, he came back the next day with answers. That only led to more questions, which, again, he could only answer the following day.

The situation was clear—Kiba was a pure practitioner. Someone in his clan, someone smarter, was feeding him the theory. And since he was bad at hiding things in conversations, that meant this "smart clansman" had received the go-ahead from Tsume. Kiba was being used as a messenger. And the fact that he had permission to teach me in the first place? That was also probably Tsume's doing.

Something about this made me uneasy. Could one good relationship really justify this level of goodwill toward me?

I had no answer, so all I could do was take advantage of the opportunity. Which is exactly what I did—after bombarding Kiba with more questions right after class, I headed for the academy gates, where Hitomi was already waiting for me.

Hmm, she made a strange face. Considering how rarely her expression changed from neutral, I was already curious.

I understood immediately when I followed her gaze. She was watching parents greet their children as they left the academy. And every time she heard a child say "Mom" to their waiting parent, she flinched—barely noticeably, but I knew her well enough to see it.

I see… Well, this kind of issue is probably one of the safest ones to have. I could also tell that my affection level with her would skyrocket if I acted now. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

That word meant a lot to me too. A remnant of my past, but still, the word "Mom" carried a sense of… warmth. As cliché as it sounded.

Given my knowledge of the canon—and most likely my soul's fusion with Naruto—I could probably call Kushina my mother. But Minato? I wasn't sure. Some of his decisions made me want to punch him in the face, and the childhood resentment was still there. But whenever I put myself in his shoes and asked, "What would I have done in his place?", I always came to the same conclusion.

First, he really was my father.

Second, I now wanted to punch two people—including myself.

I should have inherited his genius, not his way of thinking!

And now, I had an incredible opportunity to raise my affection level with Hitomi. Especially now, when she had such a vivid example in front of her. But I just couldn't force myself over the edge.

Come on, you coward! Get a grip and say the word!

"Is something wrong…" I started as I approached the startled Hitomi.

Well, everyone has moments of weakness—even ANBU.

Now, finish the sentence! Say it! Prove you have nerves of steel!

"…Mom."

I finally forced it out. My voice definitely cracked at the end. This kid's body was messing with me… but it would be nice to trust Hitomi.

No, not just that—to return the trust she had shown me that night at the Uchiha compound.

She pulled me into a hug and used Shunshin.

And just like that, we were several buildings away, standing on a rooftop.

Interesting sensation… Good thing I hadn't eaten anything.

At that moment, Hitomi held me tightly, kneeling in front of me, burying her face in my shoulder, and quietly—barely audibly—crying.

+50% relationship with Hitomi/Tsuru.

To hell with everything! I literally swiped the notification away, hugging the kunoichi who had truly grown attached to me.

"Alright, Mom, that's enough," I said, noting that this time, the word came out easier, though still with hesitation. "Shall we go home?"

"Yes, let's go, Naruto," she replied, slowly calming down.

And then, out of nowhere, a strange thought struck me—why had my relationship with Kiba's mom increased by 1% several times already, even though I hadn't seen her since that day? I was straight-up avoiding going into their district, remembering the "Taming…" quest and the already acquired heart.

Yeah… I was afraid of unlocking it prematurely.

---

Around the same time, at the Inuzuka household.

The head of the Inuzuka clan, Tsume, was in a rare state—she was deep in thought. She was also waiting for her son to return home so she could answer his questions again, which he would then pass on to his friend in the morning.

Yes, Naruto had surprised her with his mind. A lot. His questions were unexpected, insightful, and had even forced her to reevaluate many things herself.

What was there to say? The chakra costs for two of the clan's offensive techniques had been reduced by 10-15%, without losing any power, when she decided to test her own answer to one of his questions.

Damn… A fresh perspective on clan techniques from a child who wasn't conditioned to think "Everyone does it this way, so you should too" or "Because that's just how it's done" turned out to be incredibly useful.

But credit was due to Uzumaki himself—if he didn't have such a sharp mind, he wouldn't have been able to come up with those ideas.

Her desire to bring him into the clan only grew stronger.

The Podobia technique's chakra cost had also decreased significantly, without losing any effectiveness and without putting as much strain on the body.

And that pleased her even more—she could already picture the nasty surprise waiting for even the best-prepared enemies who lacked intel on her new capabilities.

Yes… Just for this alone, she could already say "thank you" to her son's friend.

And right at that moment, Naruto gained another +1% relationship with Inuzuka Tsume, leaving him puzzled once again.

…And that was exactly why she was so eagerly waiting for Kiba to return from the academy—perhaps tonight, she'd reevaluate something again?

She just wished she could understand why she felt such an intense urge to bring that boy into her clan.

How could she possibly know the simple yet beyond her understanding answer?

"One filled heart."

Of course, this manifested differently for everyone—some felt a mild fondness, others a strong curiosity, and some an unshakable certainty.

However, given Tsume's personality—her animalistic instincts and the wild nature of the Inuzuka—it was only natural that anything that interested her would be considered hers.

That's why she wanted Naruto in the clan so badly.

And the fact that it was just curiosity, without any hidden motives?

…That was even better. At least her intentions were pure.

---

Much later, in the "orphan's" apartment.

"And I don't even want to know how this happened!" I thought miserably, currently being hugged by Hitomi like some kind of plush toy.

And no—I hadn't sneaked into her room. I was nowhere near the age where I'd give in to dormant hormones.

She was the one who had decided to sleep with the "child."

Well… at least there was no moral pressure. Everything was more than appropriate—her nightgown reached her knees, wasn't see-through, and was made of thick fabric.

That alone let me breathe a sigh of relief and suppress the urge to scream:

"Help! I'm being attacked by a pervert!"

I, too, was wearing pajamas, which I now viewed as an extra layer of defense.

But despite everything, the weird atmosphere made it impossible for me to sleep.

With nothing else to do, I started scanning my surroundings, observing every little detail—until my attention landed on Hitomi.

Nothing seemed different at first… but then I noticed one thing that completely broke me.

Her class had changed.

From "Pseudo-ANBU" to…

"Single Mother."

I didn't even know whether to laugh or cry!