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You can now get early access up to Chapter 148 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my Patreon.
Up to Chapter 10 of Marvel: Star Wars System is also available on my Patreon. Each chapter averages 5,000 words.
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The first 5 chapters of Marvel: Star Wars System are now available, completely free on my Patreon!
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"Well, guys, I wish you a safe trip home. I still have to go look for Shūen..." said Naruto, turning around as he brushed imaginary dust off his shoulders, clapping his hands in the air, as if the matter was already resolved.
But as he took the first step toward the exit of the temple, he felt a tug on his cape.
Three hands had grabbed him at the same time.
Hinata, Reika, and Shion.
All three were staring at him intently, and they didn't seem to have any intention of letting go soon.
Naruto blinked, barely turning his head.
Hinata and Reika said nothing, but their eyes were fixed on Shion with evident discomfort.
Both frowned, though they were trying to keep their composure. They knew it wasn't the time for an argument.
Shion, on the other hand, kept looking at the ground, her fingers clinging to the fabric of Naruto's cape, as if letting go meant losing something.
Naruto sighed.
He tilted his head with a mocking smile, feeling Shion's fingers still clutching his cape.
"What's wrong, Crybaby Princess?" he said playfully, turning to look at her over his shoulder. "Still want to be carried?"
"I... I..." Shion stammered, still staring at the ground. "E-even though I'm no longer the Priestess of the Land of Demons... I still have a responsibility!"
She clenched her fists tightly, her voice trembling but filled with determination.
"I must preserve my mother's bloodline... in case another threat like Mōryō appears someday!"
She finally looked up, cheeks flushed and a mix of nervousness and resolve shining in her eyes.
"That's why... That's why I ask you to help me... Naruto!"
"Of course not! I won't allow Naruto to have a child with another woman before he has one with me!" Reika suddenly exclaimed, her eyes flashing with fury.
Hinata nodded quickly, as if she had been preparing her whole life for that conversation.
"I even already have names picked out for our kids!" she said excitedly. "Boruto if it's a boy, and Himawari if it's a girl!"
Naruto froze upon hearing the name choices.
"We need to talk about the name choices, Hinata..." he murmured, visibly uncomfortable. "Boruto... seriously...?"
The name Himawari didn't sound bad, in fact, he found it quite pretty. But Boruto...
Hell no!
Although... if he thought about it, he was very different now from the Naruto in the original series.
If he was a present father, maybe Boruto wouldn't end up being an annoying brat...
"...No. Absolutely not. The name Boruto is banned." he finally concluded, crossing his arms firmly.
He simply couldn't accept his son being named Boruto.
Hinata just puffed out her cheeks in protest, crossing her arms like a child who had their favorite toy taken away.
Naruto sighed. He knew her well enough to know this wasn't the end of the topic.
Hinata was going to insist. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow... but she would.
"As for you, Shion..." he said, turning his attention to the priestess with some discomfort. "I don't know what to say."
They had barely interacted enough to develop feelings for each other.
So, how was it possible that Shion had fallen in love with him...? Wait...! Maybe he was just that handsome?
Naruto smiled proudly, feeling his ego swell a bit more.
Shion looked down, still clinging to his clothes.
"Just... think about it, okay?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Reika sighed exaggeratedly.
"Let's go find Shūen once and for all," said Reika, starting to walk toward the temple exit with determined steps and a frown.
She was clearly in a bad mood.
Neji turned to Naruto.
"Sakura, Lee, and I will return to Konoha to report on the mission."
He paused briefly, his gaze shifting to Shion for an instant before settling back on Naruto.
"Please, make sure she doesn't die while we're gone."
Naruto chuckled.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure the 'Crybaby Princess' stays safe," Naruto assured confidently, pointing at Shion with his thumb over his shoulder. "She might be my wife in the future, after all."
Shion froze for a second, then a deep blush spread across her cheeks. She looked down, completely red, murmuring something unintelligible.
Naruto smiled, satisfied. He loved how easily he could make her nervous.
Hinata sighed, and Reika muttered something under her breath that sounded dangerously close to "I hope the temple falls on him."
Lee, meanwhile, was already saying goodbye with tears in his eyes.
"Naruto! I wish you the best of luck on your romantic journey with multiple potential wives! Youth is on your side!!"
"Thanks, Lee... I guess."
"Actually... I'm staying too," said Sakura suddenly, stepping forward. "It's been a long time since Reika, Naruto, and I spent time together. After all... we're still a team, right?"
Naruto nodded with a slight sigh.
"Alright... I guess."
"What do you mean you guess?! You don't want me to stay?!" Sakura exclaimed, visibly offended.
"It's not that... Well, yeah, it is..." Naruto replied, shrugging with a mischievous smile.
He also enjoyed teasing Sakura, even if he knew he was risking getting punched in the back.
"If you hit me, I'll throw you into the lava," Naruto warned, without even turning around.
Behind him, Sakura had already raised her fist, ready to strike... but she froze upon hearing his words.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance and lowered her arm.
...
< In the Capital of the Land of Swamps, not far from the Sealing Temple. >
"Excuse me, have you seen this man...?" asked Naruto, showing a woman a drawing he held in his hands.
The doodle showed what, in his head, was supposed to resemble Shūen, an older man, with a body made of five simple lines—one for the torso and one for each limb—and a red blotch on top, where the hair should go.
Drawing had never been his thing...
"Is that blood...?" asked the woman, frowning as she pointed at the red hair in the drawing.
Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and walked off quickly.
"Hey! Have you seen him or not?!" Naruto exclaimed, puzzled.
He didn't understand why everyone reacted the same. He hadn't gotten any paints, so... what else was he supposed to use for Shūen's red hair if not a bit of blood...?
"That's creepy," muttered Shion beside him, taking a bite from her meat skewer.
"Even I have to agree with that," added Reika with a sigh.
Hinata, between the two of them, nodded firmly.
"I never imagined you were such a bad artist, Naruto..." said Sakura with an awkward smile as she looked at the drawing.
"It's like a dog crapped it out and then a cat threw it up," Reika concluded with complete seriousness.
Shion brought a hand to her face, covering her mouth as she laughed elegantly.
"You're handsome and strong, yes... but also a complete idiot, Naruto."
Naruto stepped closer to her, shortening the distance between their faces until only a few centimeters separated them.
"What did you call me, Crybaby Priestess?"
He appreciated the compliment, but Naruto wasn't going to let Shion call him an idiot.
Shion, blushing, didn't back down a step. She closed her eyes tightly and, despite the redness in her cheeks, shouted:
"Idiot! I said idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot!" Her voice trembled from nerves and frustration. "Besides, I'm not a Priestess anymore... idiot!"
Naruto smiled, amused by her reaction.
"Well, that may be... but you're still a crybaby."
Shion's eyes flew open, still blushing, her brow furrowed.
"I'm not a crybaby!" she exclaimed, clenching her fists tightly. "I'm just... emotionally expressive!"
Naruto tilted his head mockingly, crossing his arms, staying silent.
Shion gave him a push that didn't move him an inch. "You're so unbearable!"
"Yeah, but apparently you still like me." Naruto muttered, raising an eyebrow, enjoying the chaos he was creating.
Shion snorted loudly, turning her head in a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
Behind them, Hinata and Reika watched the scene with expressions ranging from silent judgment to the urge to intervene violently.
"Reika..." Hinata murmured, narrowing her eyes.
"I know," said Reika, gritting her teeth. "If I throw a rock at the back of his head, is that bad?"
"I volunteer to dig the hole," Hinata finished, arms crossed.
But just as Hinata and Reika were about to step in, wanting to pull Naruto away from Shion, a raspy voice interrupted them.
"Ah, these youngsters… Do they flirt by yelling at each other now?"
They all turned at the same time, surprised.
A short old man—he didn't even reach Naruto's chest—was slowly approaching them, hunched over, with his back so arched he looked like he might fall forward. He leaned on a twisted cane that creaked with every step. Not a single hair on his head, though his white beard reached his navel.
"Damn sciatica... it's gonna kill me before old age..." he muttered to himself as he walked toward them.
He looked up and examined them with one squinted eye; the other was covered by a leather patch.
Naruto squinted, unsure what to think. "Who is this video game NPC...?" he wondered.
"Excuse me... do you need something?" asked Sakura, still confused by the sudden appearance.
The old man stopped in front of Naruto, looked at him for a few seconds, then turned to the scribbled drawing Naruto still held.
"Did you draw that piece of crap...?" the old man asked dryly.
Naruto blinked. "Excuse me?"
The old man let out an exaggerated sigh and raised his cane, giving Naruto a surprisingly strong tap on the leg.
"I'm Shūen, brat! What part of red hair made you think it meant blood?! Who the hell paints with blood—are you sick or what?!"
Naruto went completely blank, while the others barely held in their laughter.
"Him...? This adorable grandpa is the great Shūen...?" murmured Shion, confused.
She had met Shūen Uzumaki not long ago but... what the hell had happened to him?!
Naruto raised an eyebrow upon hearing Shion refer to the old man as adorable.
"Where do you see adorable?" he asked, totally incredulous, pointing his thumb at the old man, who was at that moment scratching his back with the end of his cane with zero shame.
Shion shrugged, still smiling slightly. "I don't know… he's short, wrinkly, and walks like a tired penguin… he reminds me of a hamster I had as a kid..."
"Tired penguin?! I heard that loud and clear, you brat!" Shūen shouted, turning slowly. "Don't compare me to a pet!"
Reika let out a stifled laugh. "Is this what we came for? To find this grumpy little grandpa?" Her gaze moved to Naruto's drawing and her laughter intensified.
"Ah, wait a second… but if it isn't Priestess Shion…" Shūen's attitude changed immediately. He bowed slightly with respect, dropping the gruff tone. "I deeply thank you… without you, I never would have found the lost members of my clan."
Naruto seriously doubted Shūen had found all the lost Uzumaki clan members. At best, he'd found a handful... and that was saying a lot.
"Really found them? I'm happy for you, Shūen." Shion winked at him, giving a thumbs-up with a smile.
Shūen looked at her in surprise. He didn't remember Shion behaving this way...
Since resigning as Priestess of the Land of Demons just a few days ago, after they defeated Mōryō, Shion had been trying to seem more relaxed.
It was obvious she wasn't very good at it.
She had spent her entire life surrounded by luxury and care, like a princess, so acting differently was a real challenge.
Anyone could tell.
"But... how the hell do you look like a wrinkled old man on the verge of death?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "You're supposed to be around fifty, right?"
At that age, as a ninja, he should still have a strong build. Even Jiraiya, older by far, had never looked so… worn out.
Naruto looked down—literally—to meet Shūen's eyes. The man barely reached his chest, hunched and leaning on a cane, more like a walking raisin than a veteran ninja.
Shūen tapped his cane on the ground, letting out a sigh that seemed to carry years of frustration.
"Naruto… haven't you noticed?" Hinata interjected, looking around with some unease. "I've been thinking it since we got here… Isn't it strange that there are only old people and kids here?"
Naruto scanned the streets around him. Elderly people with shaky steps, children running around… not a single young adult in sight.
"After spending just one day here, my body shrank, my skin wrinkled, and my beautiful hair... vanished." Shūen sighed dramatically, caressing his shiny bald head. "This city is trapped under a powerful sealing technique. It drains the life energy from those who stay inside... I've been investigating it for days, but I still haven't found its source."
Naruto brought a hand to his face, slowly massaging the bridge of his nose. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?" he muttered to himself.
"Tell me about it... now I'm an old man who can barely stand," Shūen replied.
"Do you have any idea where this annoying technique might originate from?" Naruto asked directly.
Shūen, leaning on his cane, raised a trembling arm and pointed toward a palace on the other side of the city.
"Over there... it's the only place I haven't been able to check. I fear I'll die on the way," he said weakly, barely able to walk such a distance. "Besides, they say it was built by Mōryō himself in the past."
Naruto ran a hand over his face, exhausted. "Of course... it had to be him."