Alright, what if I tried combining things?
I slipped into the Sphere Boundary state, allowing the semi-trance to clear my thoughts and heighten my perception.
And yes, I could definitely sense something wrong, though it was still incredibly vague.
“May I?” I asked Kuromaru directly.
The massive dog gave a slightly wary nod.
I placed my hand on his snout and began stroking him, focusing entirely on projecting my Paladin aura of light and manipulating everything I could while in my semi-trance.
Damn it, even my chakra was responding, but the little cloud of “light” refused to budge.
Kuromaru, however, was melting.
The aura was enveloping my entire body, including my hand, and he was clearly loving the sensation.
I even got a couple of reputation bumps with him just from petting him.
But what the hell was I supposed to do?
How was I supposed to affect the wound with “light” if I couldn’t even consciously manipulate it?
Plus, the stench of that dark chakra was practically drilling into my nose.
Seriously…
I am such an idiot!
[New Trait Acq—] Not now!
I’ll read it later!
The System itself had said the aura enveloped my entire body.
Meaning all I really needed to do was put on a little show, run my hand over the wound, and the passive effect would do the work.
“Hmm?” I made a surprised face, sniffing the air dramatically.
“What is it?” a slightly stunned Kiba asked.
Kuromaru usually didn’t let even Kiba touch him this much; that was the power of the Paladin aura at work.
At least with intelligent ninken.
Normal animals—aside from the dogs I had positive reputation with—usually bolted from the scent of the Fox clinging to me.
“Is it just me, or is there a really strange chakra scent coming from Kuromaru?” Yes, I had decided to reveal one of my trump cards to the Inuzuka Clan.
Let’s see how they reacted.
If they ratted me out, they would lose my trust permanently.
“Uh, what?” Yep, that was Kiba for you.
“Whatever is under Kuromaru’s bandage, it’s emitting a really weird chakra!” Feigning a deeper sniff, I brought my face closer to the bewildered ninken’s snout.
Ugh, that smell is lethal; I’m already feeling sick!
I’m never becoming a combat-nin; I’m going straight to the Sensory Division—I can smell chakra from a mile away!
“You can smell chakra?” it finally dawned on my friend.
“Yeah, started recently,” I admitted.
“Can I take a look at what you’ve got there?” Honestly, it felt incredibly weird asking a giant dog for permission to do something…
weird and slightly unnerving.
Kuromaru cast a long-suffering glance at the ceiling, but nodded.
Sigh.
Still hasn’t said a single word in front of me.
Did he not trust me?
Did he prefer to hide his ability to speak from non-clan members?
Seemed like it.
I carefully peeled back the bandage, revealing an ugly, jagged gash carving across a section of his snout, terminating in an unrecognizable mess where his eye used to be.
Ugh, gross!
Because of that dark chakra garbage, the medical-nin hadn’t even been able to heal the surrounding tissue properly.
I didn’t even want to think about the kind of “pleasant” sensations he was experiencing on a daily basis.
“This might sting a little,” I said, gently placing my hand directly over the wound.
Was I imagining it, or did I hear a sizzling sound?
Kuromaru tensed up completely!
But the stench of the dark chakra slowly began to dissipate, and my hand started to tingle.
Did some of that filth seep into my system?
Well, I assumed the Kyuubi’s chakra would just burn it out anyway.
Hmm, maybe I could use the Fox’s chakra as an excuse for what I was doing?
I had acted without thinking, and now I didn’t know how to explain the sudden healing.
If I blamed it on fine manipulation of the Kyuubi’s chakra, people would assume I had excellent control.
We hadn’t actually practiced any jutsu at the Academy yet, but with my massively negative control stat, it would eventually be obvious that I was lying.
Though, my control was slowly growing through meditation and training.
The Li Shuwen style was surprisingly versatile in that regard, even if I was a long way from perfect.
But I didn’t really have any other options.
I would just blame it on my own chakra manipulation.
While I was lost in thought, the foul scent almost entirely vanished, and the ninken visibly relaxed.
Waiting a few more seconds and checking the wound’s Status, I finally let out a breath and collapsed onto the floor.
Damn, I was exhausted.
So much for a relaxing day off at my friend’s house.
“Phew, I think that’s it.
Take him to a medical-nin now; they should be able to easily clear out the rest and regenerate the eye,” I said tiredly.
“And how exactly did you accomplish that, Naruto Uzumaki?” a strict, slightly feral female voice spoke from right behind me.
I recognized that voice.
I tried to stand up to properly greet the head of the Inuzuka Clan, but the voice stopped me.
“Stay seated.
This is an informal visit; I’m not going to make my son’s guests bow and scrape.
I don’t like all that official nonsense anyway.
Actions speak louder than praises.” That approach was exactly why I liked the Inuzuka.
The only clan simpler in that regard were the Akimichi…
and even that was debatable.
“I noticed a while ago that my chakra can burn things away better than even some jutsu.
I’ve even practiced with it.” A couple of times…
on Itachi…
and then he defected from the village…
Yeah, my training methods had some mixed results.
“So, when I sensed something strange, I just burned it out.” And technically, I wasn’t lying.
My chakra had burned out the small portion of that dark garbage that tried to jump to me.
“Is that so?
Fascinating.
Rest up then; we’ll be right back.” And with that, she and Kuromaru headed for the exit.
“Mistress, he wasn’t lying…” my sharp ears picked up a guttural male voice muttering down the hall.
Busted, ninken.
“Man, you are something else!” Kiba smacked me on the shoulder, overflowing with emotion.
Obviously, unlike his mother who had gone to verify the results, my friend believed me instantly and unconditionally.
It was actually really nice.
“You’re paying for snacks.
I am starving!” Yeah, and I needed to eat away the stress.
“Not a problem!
Uh…
can you make it to the kitchen on your own, or do you need help?” Wow, Kiba was even learning how to show concern.
They grow up so fast!
But before we even reached the kitchen, the System finalized the quest.
Oh, how beauti— Oh?
A fully filled heart from Tsume right off the bat?
Hey, that’s not fair!
It had barely been a third full before!
Put it back!
And how did she get it checked so fa—right, Kiba’s sister was studying to be a veterinarian; she was more than capable of running the diagnostics!
Before I could finish that thought, a notification chimed, announcing an increase in affection with Hana.
I hadn’t been mistaken.
And simultaneously, I picked up Tsume’s scent again.
Back in the room with Kuromaru, I had been too focused on the task to notice her approach, but now I could smell her right outside the house.
How did she get back so fast—Shunshin?
Seemed like it.
A couple of seconds later, I was crushed in a tight embrace, only to be released a moment later.
But a memory CG was captured, forever cementing this event in my gallery.
And there was the official completion of the first heart…
Damn it!
“Speaking personally—not as the Clan Head, but as a shinobi—I am in your debt, Naruto-kun.” Wow, I could feel the shift.
I had instantly gone from “Naruto Uzumaki” to “Naruto-kun.” Progress.
“You don’t need to be, Tsume-san.
I just did what I could and what I wanted to do.
I didn’t even heal the eye; I just cleaned it out a bit,” I deflected…
Eh?
Another percentage point dropped?
Someone really liked that answer.
“Fine, let’s leave it at that.
But regardless, you are always a welcome guest in our compound from now on,” Tsume smiled softly.
Well, she tried to smile softly.
It came out as a slightly less aggressive bearing of fangs than usual.
“Uh-huh.” What a day.
Speaking of which, what was that notification I got while working on Kuromaru?
Well, aside from the Rhetoric skill leveling up afterward.
Actually, no, better not get distracted now.
I’ll review it once I’m out of the compound.
I stayed for a meal with Kiba’s whole family—catching myself feeling a little envious; I really wanted a family of my own.
Thankfully, Hana and Tsume’s ninken joined us a little later.
Kuromaru was practically beaming, happily sporting a newly regenerated eye.
After that, I said my goodbyes and headed home.
The moment I stepped outside the Inuzuka compound, I immediately pulled up that notification.
It had popped up at such an inconvenient time, but I hadn’t forgotten the System calling me an “idiot.” And, surprisingly, I had been right.
[New Trait Acquired!] “I’m a Ram” Your forehead has become harder, your head heavier, but giving you bone spurs and horns would be going a bit too far.
However, ram-like stubbornness suits you perfectly.
You are now much harder to argue with, and bargaining with you is significantly more difficult.
You know how to stand your ground (most of the time), and you can push through on sheer stubbornness where others would surrender.
5% chance to accomplish your goal purely through sheer stubbornness.
But is it worth spending years on something completely incomprehensible?
Chance to win an argument +10%.
Maximum haggling discount increased by +2%.
25% chance to awaken the Kaguya Clan’s Kekkei Genkai, granting the traits “Sturdy Bones” and “My Body is My Weapon” (if they won’t give you horns, you might as well grow bones).
System, what are you even doing?
Whatever, I’ll stay quiet.
I was actually interested in the Kaguya bloodline.
I’d be like Kimimaro, hehe.
Well, the first requirement for those traits was obvious: I needed to eat calcium and find Tsunade.
As for the second…
I had a feeling I’d need to force my way into an apprenticeship with Konoha’s Green Beast.
Or completely master the Li Shuwen style.
Though, one didn’t exclude the other.
But that was for later.
For now—home.
Meanwhile.
“So, you’re saying he could smell chakra,” Tsume smirked strangely, glancing at a pale Kiba.
He hadn’t wanted to sell his friend out, but the sincere, simple boy had blabbed—as he now realized, looking at his mother’s terrifying smile—way too much, and was now bracing for the consequences.
“Naruto-kun was interested in our techniques, wasn’t he?
Teach him the Four Legs Technique.
You can give him a couple of offensive ones too, but the imitation technique is the priority.
And you will tell me the moment he masters it,” Tsume smiled, looking thoroughly predatory.
“You’re dismissed,” she released her son.
“Why are you doing this, Mistress?” Kuromaru spoke up, happily leaning into a scratch behind his ear.
“Teaching the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails our beast-imitation jutsu…
heh.
Whether those old farts like it or not, they’ll have to hand him over to our clan.
After all, we’ll be the only ones able to tell when he’s just using the imitation technique…
and when it’s not actually him anymore.
Plus, someone will have to ‘take responsibility for what happened.’ They’ll grumble, yes, but they’ll swallow it.
And the boy will be better off with us anyway.
And the offspring!
Hehe, being able to smell not just scents, but chakra!
And he doesn’t disgust Hana, which is excellent; it’ll be easier for both of them to accept…
There’s no rush to push them together; let them get used to each other first.
But we shouldn’t drag our feet either,” the Head of the Inuzuka Clan said, looking immensely satisfied.
“But what about the Uchiha?” Kuromaru asked again.
“Oh, they could have noticed something was wrong and maybe even suppressed the Fox, but they are the last people the elders will hand him to.
Besides, they aren’t in any position to make demands right now—they’ll be lucky to hold onto what they have left.
There are the Hyuga, too, but they isolate themselves from politics.
Plus, they are the strongest clan right now; they won’t get Naruto simply because the elders are too terrified of strengthening a clan that already holds that much power.
“But us…
they wouldn’t consider us a threat even with a Jinchuriki in our ranks.
And we have no intention of moving against anyone anyway.
But the child will get proper care, attention, and education, and we will get a strong, new generation with a fascinating trait…
possibly more than one.
Everyone wins,” Inuzuka chuckled.