...
Seeing Sasuke hesitate, Naruto grew even more confident in his assumptions.
Naruto reaffirmed his conditions: "I won't repeat myself. If you refuse, then leave now."
Good riddance.
That was Naruto's private thought.
But then—
Sasuke's stiff expression softened slightly. With visible reluctance, he muttered, "I… I accept."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? What did you say?"
Sasuke repeated, jaw clenched. "I said I agree."
This guy's really serious?!
Naruto suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
After all, he didn't actually have any special training methods. He wasn't even sure if the exercises from his past life would work here.
He'd only made the demand to mess with Sasuke.
Then—
Sasuke froze. His eyes locked onto a figure standing at the end of the street.
His expression turned even more rigid.
This was already humiliating enough. But now, Haruno Sakura had witnessed it.
"You—you two?!" Sakura's voice trembled as she approached, her face pale. "N-Naruto… did you just… blackmail Sasuke?!"
Naruto frowned. "What?"
Sasuke stayed silent.
How could he explain?
"Oh, I agreed to cross-dress so Naruto wouldn't stalk me anymore?"
Yeah, no.
Naruto didn't clarify either.
If word got out that he'd forced Sasuke into women's clothing, he'd be labeled a freak.
Sakura took their silence as confirmation. Her lips quivered.
"I—I'll go now. I won't bother you anymore… sniff…"
With that, she turned and fled, as if her entire world had shattered.
Sasuke ignored her. He turned back to Naruto. "Don't forget your promise. Let's go buy the clothes now."
Naruto's eye twitched.
But if Sasuke wasn't backing down, neither would he.
Thirty minutes later…
Naruto and Sasuke returned to Naruto's apartment, a shopping bag in hand.
Inside the bathroom, Sasuke stared at the skimpy pink outfit in his hands.
Am I really sacrificing my dignity for power?
The thought flickered through his mind.
Then he remembered Uchiha Itachi.
Yes. I am.
With a grimace, he shoved down his shame and began changing.
When Sasuke finally left Naruto's apartment, his face was stone-cold.
Naruto, meanwhile, held a stack of freshly developed photos.
This world's weird. They've got TVs and cameras, but no smartphones?
He tossed the incriminating pictures of a flustered, embarrassed Sasuke into a drawer.
Originally, Naruto had only meant to humiliate Sasuke into leaving him alone.
But he hadn't expected the guy to be this desperate for strength.
Willing to sell his pride just for a shot at getting stronger, huh?
After the photos were taken, Naruto handed over the "training regimen" from his past life—basic stuff like squats and push-ups.
Push-ups were common here, but squats? Not so much.
Sasuke had been skeptical but tried them anyway before leaving, drenched in sweat.
Unbeknownst to them, Sakura had followed Sasuke back.
And now, hidden in the bushes, she watched as Sasuke stumbled out of Naruto's place, face flushed, breathing heavily, legs shaky.
Her mind short-circuited.
No way… Did Naruto not just blackmail him but also…
…do things to him?!
Back inside, Naruto didn't care about Sakura's wild imagination.
With Sasuke gone, he prepared for his next simulation—his fifth one.
Five simulations meant five new trait rolls.
He finalized his character setup.
[Surname: Uzumaki]
[Talent: Might Dai]
[Health: Hidan]
[IQ: Nara Shikaku]
[Personality: Nohara Rin]
[Relationships: Uzumaki Naruto (Childhood)]
[Appearance: Might Guy]
[Hobby: Socializing]
[Specialty: Nara Shikamaru's Tactical Mind]
[System Evaluation: A wise Uzumaki with decent talent, near-immortal vitality, genius-level intellect, and a kind heart. Yet, for some reason, everyone hates you. You look youthful, love making friends, and excel at strategy.]
[Timeline: Second Shinobi War]
[Birthplace: Konoha]
[Simulation Start!]
[You're born in Konoha and attend the Academy founded by the Second Hokage.]
[You befriend Jiraiya.]
[Despite your kindness, people inexplicably despise you.]
[You try making friends but fail.]
[You graduate with only Jiraiya as your ally.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi offers to take you as his student—secretly planning to make you the next Jinchūriki.]
[Choice: Accept?]
Naruto grinned.
"Next Jinchūriki? I already have sealing jutsu. Another Nine-Tails wouldn't hurt."
"Hell yeah. Free power-up."
[You become Hiruzen's apprentice.]
[After Mito Uzumaki's death, the Nine-Tails is sealed inside you.]
[The Second Shinobi War erupts. Rain becomes a battleground.]
[You're confined under ANBU guard while Jiraiya fights.]
[The war ends. The Sannin leave the village.]
[Isolated and lonely, you remain obedient, aware of your role as Konoha's weapon.]
[The Third Shinobi War passes. Minato becomes Hokage.]
[A masked man attacks you.]
[With no combat experience, the Nine-Tails is ripped from you—but your immortal body keeps you alive.]
[The masked man unleashes the Nine-Tails. Minato and Kushina die stopping it.]
[The villagers blame you. Yet, kind-hearted, you bear no hatred.]
[Under years of scorn, your spirit breaks.]
[You take your own life.
[Simulation End.]
Naruto exhaled.
"Well… that was depressing."
.....