Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

Konoha training ground, the pure black blood-red eyes of a crow dive from the high sky. The sunlight casts its shadow onto the muddy ground, creating a small black dot speeding past.

Uchiha Sasuke stopped his training, lifted his gaze from the grass, and looked into the distance. Through the wind-blown grass, his eyes fixed on the black dot hovering in the sky, blocking the sun.

Sasuke, with his slender face, sensed something strange and squinted, preparing to activate his Sharingan.

"Sasuke!" Sakura's voice called from afar.

The girl holding a lunch box waved at the edge of the training ground. The wind of the open field blew through her long hair, giving her an almost golden glow under the sunlight.

"Thanks." Sasuke walked over to receive the lunch box and noticed that it had two layers. "Is this for that guy?"

"Yes." Sakura nodded, offering a somewhat embarrassed smile. "After we came back that day, Kakashi-sensei got really angry."

"Naruto has to complete twenty D-rank missions by himself as punishment. Until he finishes, Team 7 can't take on any new missions."

"Kakashi meant well, though. If the village finds out, I'm afraid the punishment waiting for him would be even worse." Sasuke said as he ate his rice ball.

Hearing this, a hint of worry flashed across Sakura's face.

"Kakashi-sensei revised the mission briefing. Instead of us going solo, we'll now act together under the guidance of a Jōnin. Naruto took full responsibility by himself, so we didn't have to take the punishment."

"Though, I'm not sure why, but Kado's shipping company mysteriously went bankrupt. I heard he couldn't pay his debts, and he died in a riot caused by rogue ninjas."

"Hmm."

...

Sakura arrived at the street where Naruto was doing his mission. Looking around, she couldn't find him, but then she happened to spot him lying on a rooftop, sunbathing and sleeping.

"Naruto, it's time for lunch."

Naruto, hearing the voice, suddenly rolled over and jumped off the roof. This was an abandoned house located at the edge of the bamboo forest.

The summer wind blew gently, and the bamboo leaves rustled.

Behind the house was a low slope, covered in short green grass that appeared even more vibrant and lush under the sunlight.

The two of them sat on the slope, eating rice balls. Sakura seemed to have something on her mind and occasionally looked absent-minded while talking to Naruto.

"What are you thinking about?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing… nothing at all." Sakura forced a smile, but her face quickly fell into a wistful and lost expression again.

"Naruto."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you want to become a ninja?" Sakura asked.

"To live, I guess. The pay for ninjas is good, and there are a lot of benefits if you become one." Naruto thought for a moment. "A person like me… if I wasn't a ninja, what else could I do?"

Sakura was stunned for a moment, then quickly apologized.

"It's okay." Naruto waved his hand, taking a bite of the rice ball. "Being a ninja is just a job. I never really thought about staying a ninja forever."

"I… I really envy you, Naruto." Sakura said, a little melancholic.

"Why?"

"Because I feel like I can't be of much help. Every time we're in danger, it's always you and Sasuke who step in." Sakura hugged her knees, curling herself up.

"Sometimes I wonder… maybe I'm just not cut out to be a ninja."

"Of course not." Naruto looked at her and said, "Sakura, I remember you were third in the entire school when you graduated, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that proves you have the talent to be a ninja. You just haven't found the right direction yet."

"Direction?" Sakura looked up.

"Yeah, direction." Naruto said confidently. "Team 7 is probably the most special class in this generation of Genin. So, you don't need to compare yourself to me or Sasuke."

"The Uchiha clan is known for being the best at combat, whether it's taijutsu or shurikenjutsu, it's all passed down through the family."

"And Sasuke's path has been decided from the very beginning. You know about his eyes, right? The secret of the Uchiha clan's Sharingan?"

"Sasuke… what secret?" Sakura asked, a little confused.

She suddenly recalled the eerie red-eyed gaze of Sasuke in the Land of Waves forest, and her nerves tightened.

"The Uchiha clan is a clan full of hatred," Naruto said. "He carries an incredible secret, and the hatred drives him to get stronger."

"That pair of eyes… they're an amazing weapon. Who knows, he might even be able to defeat the Hokage."

"Hatred?" Sakura's face turned pale.

"Yeah, so don't worry too much about it." Naruto finished his rice ball and tidied up the lunch box. "Sakura, you have your own ninja way. You just need to find the right path for your training."

"For example, what about medical ninjutsu?"

"Why medical ninjutsu?" Sakura asked, curious.

"Medical ninjutsu requires precise control of a ninja's chakra," Naruto explained. "Sakura, you have a talent for this, so I think you should give it a try."

"Thank you, Naruto." Sakura said sincerely. "I wouldn't have figured it out without you…"

"Yeah, we're teammates, right?" Naruto stood up, looking down at Sakura, who was touched. "Think it over. I'll go on a mission now."

With that, he vanished from her sight.

Sakura watched where Naruto had disappeared, her expression complex. After a long sigh, she grabbed the lunch box and stood up to leave.

Naruto didn't go on a mission to find lost cats or dogs. Instead, he found another rooftop to lie down and continue soaking up the sun.

A panel appeared, and with a thought, Naruto opened the system storage.

Looking at the dazzling treasures and cash inside, Naruto smiled in satisfaction. With this money, he would never have to work for a living.

After the excitement, Naruto was once again struck by emptiness.

With so much money, should he still work so hard?

What should he do with all this money? Buying real estate in Konoha would definitely be a loss. In a few years, Pain could destroy the entire village with just a sack of rice.

The next step would be to break free from Konoha's control and gain independence. The Nine-Tails inside him belonged to Konoha, but it didn't have to stay with them.

Besides, when his dear father sealed the fox inside him, he didn't ask for his consent. Shouldn't Konoha pay for enslaving him for seventy years?

On the rooftop, Naruto, with his legs crossed, suddenly got a shiver and sat up straight!

Damn it, he couldn't just stay here.

Now that he had enough money, a lifetime's worth, it would be a waste to be used as a weapon and bound to Konoha.

One person couldn't hold everything. To control power in Konoha, he needed a family behind him. He had to grow stronger and expand, using this money to restore the glory of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.

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