Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

"What's wrong with her?"

Naruto's heart raced wildly, forgetting the situation at hand. That expression, those lips—too cute. Damn it, he was really about to lose control.

This woman was way too good at this!

Where did this enchantress come from? Her tactics were so outdated. Who would actually get so shy they'd forget what they were going to say? She had to be lying.

Damn it, he couldn't let her gain the upper hand.

Both of them pretended to stay calm, turning their heads away in unison.

"Ah, I forgot!" Ino suddenly squatted down, clutching her head as she yelled.

"Well… forgetting is normal." Naruto coughed, looking at the frustrated Ino squatting on the ground. Suddenly, he called out, "Ino."

"What?" Ino froze and looked up at him.

"Your panties… I saw them."

"AHHH!!" Ino shot up and punched Naruto in the stomach. "Pervert! Go die!"

Naruto wasn't hurt at all. Taking the punch, he simply stayed seated on the ground, leaning back and squinting at Ino, who was glaring down at him in disdain.

"Get up," she demanded.

"My ribs are completely broken," he replied.

"Don't exaggerate. You're faking, aren't you?" Ino narrowed her eyes and locked gazes with the shameless idiot.

"Not really, but it does hurt a little," Naruto admitted. "Though if you punch me again, I might actually feel better."

Ino: "…"

"Can't you take this seriously?" she complained. "I need to think carefully about what I was going to say. I had it all in mind before I left the house."

"No rush. Take your time," Naruto said, leaning against the wall.

The chilling breeze of the narrow alleyway was relaxing, as if he were at the bottom of a well, avoiding the scorching sunlight outside.

Ino stood by the ivy-covered green wall, wearing a casual white blouse and a deep blue skirt. The dim light in the alley made her legs appear almost glowing white.

Ino turned away from him.

But she could feel his gaze lingering on her back. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and stomped over angrily toward Naruto.

"Hey, wait! Don't hit my face!" Naruto shielded his face, looking alarmed.

Instead of hitting him, Ino bent down and whispered in his ear.

"I remember now. My father said the higher-ups are planning to develop a perfect Jinchūriki, but Lady Tsunade is against it. The advisors are still undecided. It's unclear which side they'll support."

The atmosphere suddenly grew quiet. She noticed that the usually lively boy had gone silent, his messy blond hair casting a shadow over his eyes. His gaze dimmed.

"Naruto… are you okay?" Ino crouched in front of him, her fingers twitching uncertainly, not knowing what to do.

At that moment, she realized how unfair everything seemed. The cheerful, shameless guy in front of her suddenly felt fragile, burdened by something far beyond his years.

She didn't know much about the Jinchūriki situation, only the basics.

Previously, she hadn't thought much about it. But the more she learned, the more she saw the contradictions in Konoha's leadership. They had never treated Jinchūriki as comrades, only as weapons to be cultivated—feared yet needed.

"I'm fine," Naruto sighed and stood up. "Let's go back."

"Don't worry too much. Lady Tsunade is on your side," Ino said, realizing how inadequate her words of comfort were.

They walked back through the streets of Konoha for a long time before Ino recognized the area. Suddenly, she turned her head and saw her family's flower shop ahead.

"You should head back," Naruto said, glancing at her.

"I… it's not like I'm in a hurry," Ino replied, clasping her hands behind her back and blinking nervously.

It was like the unsettling silence after a girlfriend says, "It's fine, go ahead and sleep." It left her feeling uneasy.

"You really should go," Naruto insisted. "I've got something to take care of."

"What is it? Is it urgent?" Ino asked, her panic growing.

On the roadside, Naruto glanced at her and replied, "Not really. Just a personal matter. Thanks for the info. You're home now—go on back. I'll head out first."

He turned to leave.

"Wait! Can't it wait a little longer?" Ino's palms were sweating as she grabbed his wrist.

"What's wrong?" Naruto looked puzzled, his face expressionless.

"I just feel… like you're upset," Ino stammered, her eyes darting away as her cheeks turned crimson.

"I'm not," he replied honestly. He had already guessed Danzo's intentions. What surprised him was the advisors' indecision—they weren't fully siding with Tsunade.

It didn't bother him much, though. With the Seal of Tail Release in his hands, he could counter them at any time.

If the plan to develop a perfect Jinchūriki went through and failed, the responsibility would fall on those who supported it. Some might even lose their positions.

From Naruto's perspective, the situation was manageable either way.

His only concern was that if he unlocked the Nine-Tails Seal now, the progress of harnessing its power—currently at 27%—might halt entirely.

Still, if the advisors sided with Danzo, he'd have no choice but to release the Nine-Tails. The tricky part was deciding what to do with it afterward.

He didn't want to let it loose, only for it to be captured again. After raising it for so long, he'd developed some attachment to it.

Releasing it recklessly didn't seem right.

It wasn't about greed for power. The system's strength far surpassed the Nine-Tails, offering techniques like the Adamantine Sealing Chains and the Four Symbols Seal as fully mastered.

The system saved him the time of training—it was practically spoon-feeding him power. Who cared about Asura and Indra? He wasn't a local, anyway.

Ōtsutsuki's so-called gods?

Trash.

Naruto genuinely had something to do—he wanted to consult Tsunade about the situation.

But Ino thought he was pretending to be strong. Having failed to comfort him earlier, she couldn't bear to watch him walk away again.

In a moment of desperation, she grabbed his wrist.

"Wait!"

"What now?" Naruto was genuinely confused, his mind elsewhere.

"You… didn't you want to see a maid outfit?" she murmured, her face instantly turning bright red.

______________________________________________

If you want 20 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon: 

patreon.com/PureParadox