Naruto: Don't Call Me Ms. Hyuga!

[Ding! Distributing Activation Success Reward. Host receives a permanent buff: 50% increase in training efficiency while wearing women's clothing.]

The smile on Hyuga Shion's face froze. "...Huh?"

[Ding! Host receives a permanent buff: Byakugan purity increases to the highest level (Equivalent to the genetic purity of Hanabi Hyuga) while wearing women's clothing.]

[Ding! Host receives a permanent buff: Gender becomes undetectable (Including by high-level Dojutsu or Sensory Ninjutsu) while wearing women's clothing.]

[Ding! Daily quest updated: Wear women's clothing for 4 consecutive hours in a public area. Reward: 10% increase in Chakra reserves!]

Shion: ".....System, I truly hate you.”

Chapter 1: Ch 1: System, I truly hate you

Chapter Text

The dense border forest echoed with the sound of hurried footsteps and rustling leaves. In the midst of the bloody Third Shinobi World War, death could come from behind any tree.

A young Chunin wearing a torn Konoha flak jacket dashed through the underbrush. Cold sweat drenched his face. Veins bulged around his pupil-less white eyes; a sign that his Byakugan was being pushed to its absolute limits.

'Damn it... These Iwa shinobi really are endless!' Shion cursed inwardly, glancing back through his 360-degree vision. Three chakra silhouettes with strong fluctuations were still tracking him from a few hundred meters away.

With the last remnants of chakra flowing through his veins, Shion made a sharp turn, leaped over a small ravine, and spotted a cave opening hidden behind the roots of a giant banyan tree. Without a second thought, he slipped into the darkness of the cave.

After deactivating his Byakugan, the veins around his eyes subsided. The Chunin breathed rapidly, his chest heaving violently as he leaned his exhausted body against the cold, damp cave wall. The sound of water dripping from the ceiling became the only melody accompanying him.

"Hah... hah... I managed to lose them..." he muttered softly, wiping the blood dripping from his temple.

Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice, yet sounding like an angel of salvation echoed in his head.

[Ding! Scanning host... Soul synchronization complete. Congratulations, Host has finally unlocked the System!]

Shion's white eyes widened in the darkness of the cave. His hands, trembling from exhaustion, now clenched tightly.

'Is this real?!' he screamed inwardly. His heart pounded not out of fear, but euphoria. 'Thank goodness... Oh God, thank goodness! At the very least, I now have a lifeline to survive in this hellish world.'

Shion let out a long sigh of relief, letting his body slide down until he was sitting on the cave floor.

Remembering his identity, despair had always haunted him every night. He was a man from the branch family (Bunke) of the Hyuga Clan. In the midst of this brutal war, he was nothing but a frontline soldier: ‘cannon fodder’. He obviously didn't have the luxury of applying for a safer job, like becoming a househuswife or a maid serving quietly behind the high walls of the main family's estate.

His fate as a branch family man was already sealed with the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead and the deadly missions assigned by the village.

But now, with the System, he could definitely change his destiny and survive in this crazy world!

The System chimed again, displaying a transparent blue holographic screen right in front of his face.

[Ding! Distributing Activation Success Reward. Host receives a permanent buff: 50% increase in training efficiency while wearing women's clothing.]

The smile on Shion's face froze. "...Huh?"

[Ding! Host receives a permanent buff: Byakugan purity increases to the highest level (Equivalent to the genetic purity of Hanabi Hyuga) while wearing women's clothing.]

Shion's mouth fell slightly open. Purity equivalent to the genius princess of the main clan?! That was a power that could make him surpass the clan elders! But... what the hell were these activation conditions?!

Before he could finish processing the shock, the barrage of notifications continued mercilessly.

[Ding! Host receives a permanent buff: Gender becomes undetectable (Including by high-level Dojutsu or Sensory Ninjutsu) while wearing women's clothing.]

[Ding! Opening 'Starter Pack'. Host receives the following items:]

Instantly, two orbs of light materialized out of thin air and dropped right into his lap. The light faded, revealing two pieces of clothing that made Shion's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

[White Mini Skirt Sailor Suit]

Grade: D

Function 1: Auto-Clean. (Free from dust, mud, and bloodstains).

Function 2: Infinite Regeneration. (This suit will slowly repair itself no matter how many times it gets torn or damaged).

Function 3: Absolute Territory (Zettai Ryouiki). "Almost there! Almost there! I'm just a little bit away from seeing it!" (With such an incredibly short skirt, enemies or onlookers will feel like they are about to see what's underneath, but the bizarre physics of this skirt will somehow always flutter and cover the most critical areas!)

Function 4: Super Defense. (Defense at vital/critical points is extraordinarily strong! However... defense at non-critical positions is just like ordinary fabric... The effect of torn clothes revealing skin during battle... Ah, that elusive feeling... truly a marvel for those who witness it!)

[Black Stockings]

Grade: D

Function 1: Auto-Clean.

Function 2: Infinite Regeneration. (Tight hosiery wrapping the legs with irregular tears from battle... Hmm... It would be even more perfect and solid if there were some mysterious white liquid on it...)

A cold night wind blew in through the cave opening, rustling the white sailor-style mini skirt and sheer black nylon stockings now sitting prettily on Shion's thighs.

Shion: "..."

Outside the cave, the faint sound of exploding kunai from the Iwa enemies could be heard, signaling that his life was still in danger. Inside the cave, Shion stared at the "life-saving sacred artifacts" bestowed by his System. His face darkened, and his pride as a male ninja was locked in a fierce battle with his survival instincts.

"Do I... really have to wear this?" Shion muttered hoarsely.

His calloused hands, hardened by years of taijutsu training, trembled as they touched the stocking fabric. The texture was incredibly smooth, a stark contrast to his rough, stiff Konoha combat uniform that was now covered in blood and mud.

BOOM!

A massive explosion echoed from less than a kilometer away. The vibrations knocked dust from the cave ceiling. The Iwagakure tracking squad was getting closer. If they found him in this exhausted, chakra-depleted state, death would be the best-case scenario. The worst-case? Being captured alive and tortured for information.

"To hell with pride! Dead men don't need dignity!" Shion cursed, gritting his teeth until they audibly ground together.

With rough, hurried movements, he stripped off his leg guards and outer clothing.

The cold cave air immediately brushed against his skin, giving him goosebumps. Suppressing the shame that burned his face bright red, Shion began sliding his legs into the black stockings.

Something magical happened. The moment the stockings touched his skin, they adjusted their size perfectly, wrapping tightly around his calves and thighs. However, that was nothing compared to the next challenge: the white sailor mini skirt.

Shion took a deep breath, put on the top and skirt, and pulled them up to his waist. He then untied his hair, which had begun to come loose from the fight. His long, straight, dark brown hair cascaded down his back. The hairstyle was exactly the trademark of the Hyuga clan...

Coupled with his facial features, which were already slightly androgynous to begin with, possessing a soft jawline, smooth pale skin, and a slender, high-bridged nose, his appearance had now drastically transformed.

Wearing the sailor suit and black stockings clinging to his body, his appearance was unexpectedly very... beautiful and alluring. His silhouette genuinely resembled that of an elegant young girl.

Suddenly, the night wind blew in through the cave opening. The cold breeze swept across his upper thighs, which were now exposed because the skirt's size was absurdly short!

The sensation of the wind directly touching his Zettai Ryouiki (the absolute territory between the top of the stockings and the hem of the skirt) made Shion flinch in shock. All the hairs on his neck stood up.

'This is insane... It feels like I'm not wearing any pants at all!' Shion wailed internally. He reflexively tugged at the hem of his skirt, trying to cover his thighs, but the skirt possessed its own magical physics and bounced right back up, maintaining its ultra-short position.

However, before his embarrassment could drown him further, a drastic change occurred within his body.

As soon as the clothes were perfectly fitted, Shion felt a surge of incredibly pure chakra explode from his core, rushing towards the optic nerves in his eyes. The pain and exhaustion that had previously tormented his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a soothing sensation he had never felt in his entire life.

Reflexively, Shion formed a hand seal.

"Byakugan!"

Fine veins emerged around his eyes, but instead of looking intimidating, the flow of his chakra now felt incredibly elegant. As his vision pierced through the cave walls, Shion's breath hitched. The world around him exploded in stunning monochromatic detail. His visual range expanded at a terrifying speed.

One kilometer... three kilometers... five kilometers... until it finally stopped at a limit that left him paralyzed.

Eight kilometers.

His line of sight reached a distance of eight kilometers with absolute clarity.

"Eight kilometers..." Shion whispered, his voice trembling. "This... this is ridiculous!"

He remembered the figure of Hinata Hyuga from stories of his past, whose Byakugan could see up to ten kilometers thanks to her pure bloodline. Now, Shion, a low-ranking soldier from the branch family who hadn't even trained his 'new Byakugan' at all, suddenly possessed equivalent ocular purity.

Shion clenched his fists. Anger at the injustice of the ninja world, where talent and genetics determined everything. mixed with a bitter gratitude toward the wretched system he possessed.

With his highest-tier Byakugan, he could now clearly see the enemies' positions.

Several small squads of enemy ninjas, mostly Genin without a captain or Chunin separated from their formations, were scattered within a radius of several kilometers.

"You made me wear this cursed outfit," Shion hissed sharply, his eyes radiating a cold killing intent. "Someone has to pay dearly for my shattered pride tonight."

With one powerful push, Shion's figure shot out of the cave like a white ghost amidst the darkness of the forest.

That night, the border forest became a one-sided hunting ground. Shion moved like the shadow of death. He did not fight with the stiff, elegant style typical of the Hyuga clan.

Instead, his fighting style was brutal, pragmatic, and lethal. As a branch family member, the strongest technique he had mastered was only the Hakke Sanjuuni Sho (Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms). In large-scale combat, relying solely on the Gentle Fist was suicide.

Therefore, Shion skillfully combined his Byakugan with standard weaponry.

On a small hillside, four Iwa Genin died instantly when explosive kunai pierced their blind spots with mathematical accuracy.

While the remaining enemies were in confusion, a white blur darted in. Shion drew a looted ninja sword (tantou). He delivered slash after slash.

The more he fought, the more Shion realized something amazing.

[Ding! Training efficiency +50% active. Kenjutsu (Swordsmanship) mastery increased!]

[Ding! Training efficiency +50% active. Shurikenjutsu mastery increased!]

The System continuously provided silent notifications in the background of his consciousness. This 50% training efficiency buff while wearing women's clothing didn't just apply while meditating; it also worked during life-and-death battles! With every sword swing, every shuriken thrown, and every tactical step taken, his muscles remembered and refined them at an absurd speed. A minor flaw in his stance while slashing was automatically corrected on the very next strike. He was like a sponge, absorbing decades of combat experience in a matter of hours.

As dawn approached, while preparing to head back to the Konoha camp, his Byakugan detected familiar chakra fluctuations. A Konoha team, three Genin and a heavily injured Chunin were cornered against a cliff by a dozen Iwa ninjas.

Dozens of kunai and shuriken rained down on them. The Chunin had already closed his eyes, bracing for death.

However, the rain of weapons never hit them.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

A silver flash dancing in the air with incredible speed saved them.

Shion dashed forward, piercing through the defensive line. Utilizing his System-buffed agility and his pure Byakugan vision that read every projectile's trajectory, Shion swung his tantou like lightning. He deflected dozens of enemy kunai in mid-air with precision, letting the rest miss his body by mere millimeters.

As he landed gracefully in front of the Konoha team, the morning breeze swept away the flying dust, revealing their savior.

The eyes of both the Konoha shinobi and the Iwa ninjas widened simultaneously.

Standing before them was a "girl" with long, dark brown hair fluttering in the wind, framing an incredibly beautiful, cold, androgynous face.

Her outfit was completely out of place: a sailor uniform with a super-short white mini skirt and tight black stockings. Her clothes were immaculately clean, without a single speck of dust.

"Wh-who...?" whispered one of the Konoha Genin. His face flushed red at the sight of their savior's thighs peeking from beneath the fluttering skirt, obscured by the mysterious shadow of the Absolute Territory feature that made anyone looking swallow hard.

An angry Iwa ninja attacked again. "Doton: Doryuudan! (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!)"

Instead of using a grand ninjutsu, the "girl" darted forward like a phantom. Slipping beneath the earth projectile, she breached the enemy formation.

"Hakke Sanjuuni Sho! (Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!)"

Even though it was only 32 palms, the attack was lethal. His slender fingers, cloaked in blue chakra, pierced the Iwa ninjas' defenses, locking their tenketsu and halting their chakra circulation in a matter of seconds. The rest, he slashed with hiz tantou in a spinning motion. His white skirt fluttered with every maneuver she made, creating an incredibly beautiful yet deadly spectacle, a feast for the eyes that simultaneously reaped lives.

It took only three minutes for the dozen Iwa ninjas to be reduced to corpses.

Shion flicked his sword to shake off the remaining blood, then sheathed it. He glanced briefly at the Konoha team. Thanks to the System's gender-concealment buff and his naturally feminine facial features, none of them realized his true identity.

The Konoha Chunin captain propped up his injured body, his face filled with reverence.

"Thank you for your help. Your skills are extraordinary... your hair and eyes, you must be from the Hyuga clan. May we know the name of our Lady savior?"

Hearing the word "Lady", a vein throbbed violently on Shion's forehead. An overwhelming sense of cringe hammered his mental state. If he answered, his pride as a man would be shattered into a million pieces.

Without saying a single word, Shion turned his embarrassment-stricken face away, formed a single hand seal, and using the Shunshin technique, his figure vanished instantly in a gust of wind.

"She... just left," murmured the blushing Genin. "So cold. And... so beautiful."

"An extraordinary girl. She is like a white lotus blooming in the middle of a pool of blood," added the Chunin captain with a poetic tone quite unsuited to the situation. "Did you guys see her white skirt fluttering earlier? I almost… ah, never mind."

From that day on, rumors began spreading like wildfire across the Konoha border camps.

Not about a new genius who killed hundreds of enemies, but rather an urban legend of the battlefield.

The tale of the "White Skirt Fairy".

The legend spoke of a mysterious Kunoichi from the Hyuga clan, dressed in strange white clothing and tight black stockings. She appeared out of nowhere to save cornered Konoha ninjas, then vanished without a trace.

The surviving ninjas didn't talk much about her deadly fighting style; instead, they focused on her figure, which starkly contrasted with the cruel environment of war.

They talked about her clothes that never got dirty, her movements that made her mini skirt dance and invite men's imaginations, and her cold demeanor in refusing to give her name.

Inside the Konoha camp's medical tent, Shion, having already changed back into his male combat uniform (after ensuring no one saw him change) was lying down, pretending to be unconscious from chakra exhaustion.

Beneath his medical blanket, Shion wept internally.

'This damn world,' his mind screamed, lamenting his fate. 'I would've been better off dying when those Iwa ninjas were chasing me!'

[Ding! Daily quest updated: Wear women's clothing for 4 consecutive hours in a public area. Reward: 10% increase in Chakra reserves!]

Shion: ".....System, I truly hate you.”

Chapter 2: Ch 2: I, Hyuga Shion, still a very normal male!

Chapter Text

A few days later, beneath the overcast skies enveloping the Hidden Leaf Village.

The Hokage’s Office.

White smoke puffed slowly from the wooden cigar smoked by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Currently, the "Professor of Shinobi" was still in his mid-fifties. His face had begun to show stern lines from the stress of leading the village during wartime, but his signature hair and beard were still dark brown, not yet turned white as they would in his later years.

Piles of document scrolls towered upon his wooden desk. Most contained grim reports from the front lines of the Third Great Shinobi War against Iwagakure.

However, at this moment, Hiruzen's attention was entirely consumed by a special report scroll that had just arrived from the border camp.

The report was titled: [Battlefield Anomaly Observation Report: The Appearance of the ‘White Skirt Fairy’ of the Hyuga Clan]

Hiruzen read the detailed description in the report with eyes slightly widened. A mysterious Kunoichi... wearing a strange white uniform with a very, very short skirt... and black stockings.

"Cough! Cough!"

Hiruzen suddenly choked on his own cigar smoke. He hurriedly set the cigar down and cleared his throat loudly, neutralizing his expression back to a serious and authoritative one.

‘I am obviously not reading this for any lewd intentions! Not at all!’ Hiruzen asserted in his mind, convincing himself. ‘I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, am the honorable Third Hokage! This is purely a matter of village security and military potential!’

He returned to the report. From a ‘purely strategic’ perspective, the arrival of this mysterious Fairy didn't actually affect the overall war situation much. After all, she fought alone, and the targets she eliminated were 'merely' Chunin-level scouts or groups of unfortunate Genin. She had yet to face an elite Iwa Jonin.

But... there was one extraordinary side effect of her presence. The report mentioned that the morale of the Konoha troops in that sector had skyrocketed. The young male ninjas were suddenly fighting with extreme aggression and refusing to retreat, all of them secretly hoping to be saved—or at least catch a glimpse of that lethal, graceful figure whose skirt always defied gravity.

"This is an interesting phenomenon," Hiruzen murmured, tapping his rough fingers against the desk.

He stopped tapping, and in an instant, an Anbu wearing an eagle mask emerged from the shadows, kneeling on one knee before him.

"Summon Hiashi here. Immediately," Hiruzen commanded in a heavy, absolute tone.

"Understood, Hokage-sama!"

Swoosh!

The Anbu vanished silently using the Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu).

A few moments later, there was a knock on the Hokage's door. Hiashi Hyuga, who had recently inherited the position as the new Head of the Hyuga Clan, stepped inside. His face was stern, rigid, and radiated the aristocratic aura typical of Konoha’s noble clans.

After some brief pleasantries regarding the Hyuga clan's contribution to the war, Hiruzen went straight to the point. He slid the report scroll across the table.

"Take a look at this, Hiashi," Hiruzen said, taking another puff of his cigar.

Hiashi received the scroll with a furrowed brow. His pure white eyes scanned the lines of text. The further he read, the deeper the creases on his forehead became. His usually ice-cold features slowly showed a crack of confusion.

Lethal Taijutsu combined with Kenjutsu... a Byakugan capable of detecting enemies from kilometers away... and a... sailor outfit?

"Hokage-sama..." Hiashi set the scroll down, his voice sounding uncertain. "If there were a Hyuga Kunoichi with talent this genius , I as the Clan Head would certainly know of her. Talent like what is described here is a strategic-level asset for our clan. But... I do not recognize this figure at all. Not a single woman from the Hyuga clan was sent to the borders of that sector."

In his mind, Hiashi’s thoughts were actually racing much more wildly.

‘If I had known earlier that there was a woman with such extraordinary talent, I would have surely kept her within the clan estate! Sending a jewel of the clan to the front lines? That is pure idiocy! From the description, this girl is powerful and exceptionally beautiful. There are still several elite young men in the Main Clan who have no heirs... If we could bring her into the Main Clan...’

Hiashi hurriedly cut off his own daydream, coughing slightly. ‘Ahem, let’s set those thoughts aside for a moment. Focus on her identity.’

"Hokage-sama, with your permission, I would like to summon Hizashi. As the head of the branch family, he knows the details of all Bunke members on the battlefield more accurately," Hiashi requested.

"Of course. Summon him," Hiruzen nodded.

It didn't take long for Hizashi Hyuga to arrive at the office after an Anbu contacted him. His appearance was nearly identical to Hiashi’s—like two peas in a pod—but the aura he radiated was slightly more guarded, and there were bandages wrapped around his forehead, hiding the Caged Bird Seal that bound his fate.

After saluting the Hokage and his twin brother, Hizashi was given the same report.

His eyes swept through the text rapidly. When he reached the part describing the ‘Fairy’s’ appearance, specifically the detail that the girl covered her forehead with long hair and thick bangs, Hizashi’s heart throbbed.

For a Hyuga, covering the forehead was an absolute sign of one thing: The Branch Family (Bunke).

However, confusion flooded Hizashi.

As the head of the branch family, he knew every name, every face, and every power level of those who shared his fate.

"This is strange..." Hizashi muttered softly. "From the description that she covers her forehead, it can be assumed this 'Hyuga girl' comes from the branch family. But, I swear, I have no information whatsoever regarding a young Kunoichi with combat abilities this high on our lists."

Though his face remained calm, a storm was brewing inside Hizashi’s chest.

‘A girl from the branch family possesses Byakugan that rivals the Main Clan? This is a miracle! If her talent is recognized by the Hokage and village elders due to her merits on the battlefield, this could be a turning point. With her presence, the status and voting rights of the branch family within the Hyuga clan would surely increase drastically! We won’t be stepped on forever!’

Of course, Hizashi kept those ambitious thoughts tightly locked away. He would not reveal them in front of Hiashi.

After a moment of silence filled with their respective thoughts, Hizashi finally broke the quiet with a theory.

"Hokage-sama, Brother," Hizashi began in a cautious tone. "Is it possible... that this woman is a descendant of the Hyuga clan born outside of Konoha?"

Hiruzen and Hiashi looked at each other.

"You mean... a descendant of a lost or killed ninja from the past?" Hiruzen asked, his eyebrow raised.

Hizashi nodded. "Correct. There’s no telling how many Konoha ninjas, including members of the Hyuga clan, have 'disappeared' or had their bodies never recovered since the founding of Konoha by the First Hokage until the outbreak of these three world wars. If there were clan members in the past who survived out there and had offspring... the purity of the blood might have coincidentally awakened in this girl."

Hiruzen exhaled smoke slowly, considering the logic. "Though the probability is slim, in the shinobi world, such a thing is very possible. It also explains why she wears strange clothing that isn't standard Konoha gear, yet still has the instinct to help ninjas from her ancestral village."

Hiashi nodded in agreement. The theory was the most rational explanation for now.

"We cannot allow a pure Hyuga bloodline to wander alone in a war zone, especially with Iwa constantly on the hunt," Hiashi said firmly. "I must go to the front lines and bring her home."

"Don’t be reckless, Hiashi," Hizashi cut in quickly. "As the new Clan Head, your position is too vital. It would be too conspicuous and dangerous for you to go to the Iwa front lines while they are heating up. Let me go instead."

Hiashi looked at his brother. He knew Hizashi was right. Losing the Clan Head on the battlefield would be a devastating blow to the clan and village morale.

Hizashi continued his argument, "Besides, from the descriptions, she is likely a descendant who inherited a sense of insecurity, proven by how she covers her forehead like the branch family. It would be easier for her to open up to a fellow branch member like me than to face the authority of the Clan Head directly."

Hiruzen smiled thinly, seeing the dynamic between the two brothers. He tapped his desk to make the final decision.

"It makes sense. Hizashi, I am assigning you a secret S-rank mission," the Hokage stated in an official tone. "Go to the front lines of the Iwa border sector. Find this mysterious 'White Skirt Fairy', establish contact with her, and persuade her to return to Konoha safely. Ensure no other village gets their hands on her."

"As you command, Hokage-sama!" Hizashi bowed respectfully.

In the hearts of these three Konoha leaders, there were high expectations for the beautiful and talented Kunoichi they were about to meet.

Meanwhile, in a medical tent hundreds of kilometers away, Shion, who was chewing on ninja rations, suddenly sneezed very loudly, feeling an unexplained chill run down his spine.

…

An evening breeze blew through the lush trees of the Fire Country Border Forest. Atop the branches of giant trees, a white shadow flickered at a speed that was almost invisible to the naked eye.

Shion was conducting his routine 'patrol'. Of course, the word patrol here was just a euphemism for the System's embarrassing daily mission: wandering around an area where others could see him for four hours while wearing women's clothing.

His white sailor mini skirt fluttered every time he jumped, defying gravity and the laws of physics, while the black stockings wrapping his legs rubbed softly against the air. Shion sighed wearily. Today, he had already saved two groups of Konoha Genin, and the legend of the 'White Skirt Fairy' was bound to grow even wilder at the camp.

Just when he thought the day couldn't get any worse, the mechanical voice he utterly loathed echoed in his skull.

[Ding! Special Mission Triggered!]

[Mission: Beauty on the Battlefield! Wear a full face of makeup provided by the System. Become a true angel of death!]

[Reward: Byakugan visual range increase by +1 Kilometer (Permanent duration as long as the makeup does not fade or get wiped off).]

Shion’s steps halted instantly atop a giant banyan tree branch. His androgynous face tightened.

"..."

Shion stared at the transparent blue screen in front of him with a blank gaze. Facial makeup? Makeup? Does this System really want to destroy my male identity down to the very roots?! his soul screamed in protest.

Just as he opened his mouth to shout 'REJECT' in his heart, a small spatial vortex appeared from the void right in front of his face.

Poof!

An elegant black-and-gold cosmetic bag dropped right into his arms. Right next to it, a small glowing scroll hovered, displaying a three-minute holographic projection of a natural yet lethal make-up tutorial, top-tier Kunoichi style.

Shion fell silent again.

"..."

His eyes darted toward the cosmetic bag, then toward the text [Reward: +1 Kilometer Byakugan]. In a large-scale war, an extra kilometer of vision was the difference between life and death. It was a god-tier tracking ability that couldn't be bought even with the lives of thousands of shinobi.

Shion let out a long sigh, rubbing his face roughly. "To hell with everything. I'm already wearing this damn mini skirt and stockings anyway. Adding a bit of powder and lipstick won't change the fact that beneath this skirt, I am a man! Yes! I, Hyuga Shion, am still a very normal male! This is purely for tactical efficiency!"

With that forced rationalization, Shion began opening the cosmetic bag. The hands he usually used for killing now moved following the tutorial instructions. He applied a thin layer of foundation that blended perfectly with his pale skin, brushed on a bit of blush to give a sense of life to his cold face, tidied his eyebrows, and applied a soft peach-red lip moisturizer. Finally, he framed his eyes with a swipe of thin eyeliner that made his pale white Byakugan eyes no longer look terrifying, but rather radiate a deep, mysterious charm.

Finished with the makeup, Shion lifted the small mirror provided by the System.

His eyes widened. His breath hitched in his throat.

The reflection in the mirror was not a male ninja, but a war goddess radiating an aura of cold and absolute beauty. The thick bangs covering his forehead looked very sweet, framing his perfect facial features. His slightly reddened lips looked very tempting, contrasting with his sharp, untouchable gaze.

"This... this can't be me, right?" Shion muttered, his voice sounding softer without him realizing it. He tilted his head, and the reflection in the mirror tilted its head cutely in return.

Shion’s heart pounded hard seeing his own beauty. A strange feeling began to creep into his chest. Was... was he actually this beautiful?

SLAP! SLAP!

Shion slapped both his cheeks hard until they turned slightly red.

“Wake up, idiot! Wake up! Don't fall in love with your own reflection! Why am I even feeling proud of looking like this?!” he scolded himself inwardly while shaking his head in frustration.

However, in the midst of his existential crisis and debate about his own sexual orientation, his ninja instincts, sharpened by death, suddenly screamed a warning.

CRACKLE!

A very thick killing intent, mixed with a dirty and lustful gaze, pierced his back. Shion immediately activated his Byakugan, which now surged to a distance of 9 kilometers thanks to the instantly active System reward.

"Dammit! I let my guard down because of this wretched System!" Shion cursed.

From all directions within a hundred-meter radius, foreign chakras emerged from earth-camouflage techniques. Five Iwagakure ninjas had surrounded him. Four of them were elite Chunin, but what made Shion’s stomach churn was the large, muscular man in front of them. The man had a horizontal scar across his face and radiated extremely dense chakra.

A Jonin!

"Heh... So the rumors about Konoha’s 'White Skirt Fairy' are true," the Iwa Jonin chuckled with a disgusting, raspy voice. His eyes scanned Shion’s body from top to bottom, pausing for a moment on the Zettai Ryouiki area on his thighs. "And it turns out, you look much more 'delicious' from up close. What a coincidence that we found you alone."

The Chunin behind him joined in with lewd smirks.

"Listen up, boys," the Jonin commanded, licking his dry lips. "Capture her alive. Just break her arms and legs if she resists. We’ll have some fun with her tonight before taking her to the interrogation division to gouge out those Hyuga eyes."

Hearing those foul words, Shion’s face darkened. Killing intent radiated heavily from his body. Beneath his perfect makeup, Byakugan veins emerged, making his beautiful face now look like a demon from hell.

"You guys... truly make me sick," Shion hissed coldly.

"Doton: Iwa Nadare! (Earth Release: Stone Avalanche!)"

Without warning, two Iwa Chunin performed hand seals. The tree branch Shion was standing on instantly crumbled into mud and sharp stones that collapsed downward.

Shion shot into the air with high-level agility. He immediately drew a tantou (short ninja sword) from his back. The System buff from the women's clothing made his reflexes razor-sharp. While he was in mid-air, one of the Chunin tried to ambush him from a blind spot with a poisoned kunai.

"Hakke Kuusho! (Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!)"

Shion’s left hand struck the empty air. An invisible shockwave of chakra slammed into the Chunin’s chest in mid-air, crushing his ribs and sending him flying while spitting blood.

However, before Shion could land, the Iwa Jonin was already beneath him. That Jonin’s speed was on a completely different level.

"Doton: Domu! (Earth Release: Earth Spear!)"

The Jonin’s right arm turned black, hardening like a diamond, and he threw an uppercut toward Shion’s stomach.

Shion crossed his tantou sword to parry.

CLAAAAANG!

A deafening sound of metal clashing echoed. The Jonin's raw strength was incredible. Shion’s sword severely cracked, and his body was sent flying, crashing into a massive tree trunk until the tree toppled over.

"Ugh!" Shion spat a drop of blood from the corner of his lip. His hands were numb. If not for the super protection of his sailor uniform absorbing most of the kinetic impact, his spine would have certainly been shattered to pieces.

"Not bad endurance, Sweetheart," the Jonin smirked, walking casually closer while the three remaining Chunin cornered Shion in a triangular formation. "But Hyuga Taijutsu is useless against my earth armor."

Shion forced himself to stand. He tossed aside his broken sword and took a Juuken (Gentle Fist) stance.

"Die!" Two Chunin lunged forward simultaneously with drawn swords.

Shion did not retreat. With his Byakugan vision, he saw the enemies' chakra flow as clearly as a river. He ducked to avoid the first slash, letting the tip of the blade only cut a few strands of his hair. His hands moved like lightning.

"Hakke Sanjuuni Sho! (Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!)"

Two strikes! Four strikes! Eight strikes! Sixteen! Thirty-two!

His fingers danced over the two Chunins’ tenketsu points. Within seconds, both Chunin collapsed to the ground with totally paralyzed muscles and sealed chakra, froth leaking from their mouths.

However, in the same second he finished his attack, a giant shadow covered the moonlight above him. The Iwa Jonin didn't care about his subordinates. He had used them as bait to find an opening.

The Jonin’s leg, wrapped in stone armor, whipped out to kick Shion’s waist.

THUD!

Shion was sent flying again. His mini skirt fluttered wildly, but strangely, it didn't reveal any of his critical areas at all, momentarily blurring the Jonin’s vision due to the Zettai Ryouiki effect. Although the System negated fatal injuries in the areas covered by the skirt, the blunt force impact still sent Shion’s internal organs into a violent shock.

He slumped onto the muddy ground. Amazingly, his sailor uniform and stockings performed an instant Auto-Clean, and his makeup remained flawless (an irony that made Shion want to weep tears of blood).

Shion’s breath came in gasps. His chakra was running low. The class difference between himself—who was essentially just a high Chunin level—against a veteran Jonin who mastered elemental nature was simply too great. His gentle fist couldn't pierce the enemy’s Domu armor, and he lacked lethal long-range techniques.

The Iwa Jonin walked closer, grinning widely at his exhausted prey. The last Chunin stood guard behind him, preventing Shion from escaping.

"Given up? Good," the Jonin said, squatting down and reaching out his large, rough hand toward Shion’s beautiful face. "Let’s see if this pretty face of yours is still this sweet after we—"

SWOOOOOSH!

A terrifying chakra pressure exploded from within the forest, cutting off the Jonin's words. The wind blew violently, carrying a heavy, aristocratic aura.

Before the Iwa Jonin’s hand could touch Shion, a silhouette darted with lightning speed from the darkness.

"Hakke Kuusho!"

This time, it wasn't Shion’s weak Vacuum Palm. This was a Vacuum Palm fired by a master. The shockwave of air pressure was the size of a giant tree trunk.

The Iwa Jonin’s eyes widened. He immediately crossed both arms coated in Domu to block.

BOOOOOOM!

The Jonin’s earth armor shattered into pieces as if it were made of thin glass. His massive body was sent flying into the air, snapping several trees before finally slamming into a rock cliff and falling unconscious instantly with shattered arms. The last Chunin who tried to flee died instantly, pierced by two kunai thrown at the speed of bullets.

The forest fell silent once more. Only the rustling of leaves and Shion’s heavy breathing could be heard.

Shion stared with wide eyes. In front of him, with his back turned, stood a well-built adult man. The man wore a cream-white traditional Hyuga kimono with a gray cloak. His long brown hair was neatly tied at his back. A Konoha forehead protector was tied firmly on his head.

This man’s aura was incredibly powerful, radiating an authority that made anyone subconsciously want to bow in respect.

Shion let out a long sigh, releasing the tension in his shoulders. His limp body nearly slumped to the ground.

"Saved..." Shion murmured softly. He truly thought he would die or end up with a worse fate tonight.

With his remaining strength, Shion brushed imaginary dirt from his skirt and stood tall. He gazed at the back of his savior. As a Hyuga member, he was taught to always show the highest respect to clan elders and superiors.

"Thank you for your assistance in saving my life, Senior..." Shion said, trying to use a polite voice, but he subconsciously didn't change his original intonation due to extreme fatigue.

Hearing the soft voice behind him, the man turned his body slowly. He had prepared a diplomatic speech and a measured, friendly smile to greet this mysterious and brilliant "White Skirt Fairy," just as the Hokage had instructed.

As the man turned fully, the moonlight illuminated his face. A face that was very stern, authoritative, yet radiated a familiar tranquility.

Shion’s Byakugan eyes recognized the contours of that face within milliseconds. The words of gratitude at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down hard.

His heart, which had just calmed down, was now beating twice as crazily as if it wanted to jump out of his ribs.

The blood throughout Shion’s body felt frozen. He stood rigid like an ice statue. His beautiful eyes widened as he stared at the face of the man in front of him.

Behind his beautiful makeup buffed by the System, Shion’s soul screamed in endless despair.

‘Wah...’ Shion wailed internally, imaginary tears of despair flowing profusely in his heart. ‘It’s over for me... My life is finished! Just kill me right now, Sage of Six Paths!!!’

Chapter 3: Ch 3: Pervert Minato!

Chapter Text

A gripping silence descended between the two of them, filled only by the sound of Shion's heavy panting and the rustle of the night wind blowing through the leaves. Hizashi's sharp and analytical Byakugan eyes pierced through the remaining dust of the battle, staring straight at Shion.

Ice-cold sweat trickled down Shion's back. His brain spun in a panic, trying to find an excuse. Should he feign amnesia? Fake his death right now by biting his tongue?

At this critical moment where his life and (more importantly) his pride hung in the balance, that all-too-familiar and annoying mechanical voice echoed in his head once more.

[Ding! Host is facing a critical identity crisis! Multiple Choice Mission Triggered!]

A blue holographic screen visible only to Shion suddenly appeared right in front of Hizashi's face.

[Choice A: Honesty is the key to inner peace!

Admit your true identity as a man and tell Hizashi that cross-dressing is your most passionate secret hobby.

Reward: Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai (Macabre Bone Pulse/Bone Manipulation)!]

[Choice B: Lie for safety!

Claim to be a descendant of the Hyuga clan born and raised outside Konoha village, exactly as the village elders guessed.

Reward: Three Standard Explosive Tags.]

[Choice C: Rewrite your destiny!

Confess that you are actually a WOMAN from birth! The reason you disguised yourself as a boy all this time is because you refused to be caged within the clan, refused to be used as a political tool, and wanted to serve on the battlefield as an honorable ninja!

Reward: Ability to create 'Black Receivers' (Chakra Transmitters).]

Shion: "..."

A vein throbbed violently on Shion's temple. If he wasn't currently facing the head of the branch clan, he would have screamed hysterically and destroyed the tree next to him.

'Damn System! What kind of choices are these?!' he roared inwardly.

Choice A? Absolutely rejected out of hand!

Even though the reward was incredibly tempting (the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai) the price was too high.

If he admitted to Hizashi, a rigid man who held honor above all else, that he liked wearing white mini skirts and stockings as a 'hobby,' Hizashi would probably kill him on the spot just to cleanse the clan's good name! His pride as a man would be pulverized down to a molecular level. Never!

'Even if you gave me the Rinnegan, I would never stoop my pride that low!'

Then there was Choice B. This was the most logical and safe option. But... the reward?! Three explosive tags?!

'What the hell is up with that beggar's reward?!' Shion cursed. On the battlefield, three explosive tags weren't even enough to start a decent campfire! The System was clearly discriminating against the normal choice.

Shion's gaze shifted to Choice C with mixed feelings. The backstory was incredibly dramatic, heroic, and... tragic. The reward was 'Black Receivers'...

With a bleeding heart, sobbing bitterly over his slowly vanishing manhood, Shion swallowed hard. He had no other choice.

Shion lowered his head, letting his long bangs cover his eyes, creating a dramatic shadow that hid his true expression. He clenched his fists over his mini skirt until his knuckles turned white, pretending to tremble (though he was actually trembling from suppressing extreme embarrassment).

"Hizashi-sama..." Shion's voice came out in a soft whisper, slightly hoarse from holding back the emotional turmoil in his chest (or rather, holding back tears for his pride).

Hizashi fell silent, listening intently. "Who are you really, child? Why are you out here alone dressed like that?"

Shion took a deep breath. Let the show begin.

"I... my name is Shion, Hizashi-sama. I am a member of the branch clan under your leadership." Shion slowly lifted his face, letting his clear, beautiful Byakugan eyes (courtesy of the System's makeup) meet Hizashi's gaze. "And... I... I am actually a woman."

Hizashi's eyes widened slightly. "A woman? But in the clan records, Shion is..."

"It was all fake," Shion cut in quickly, injecting a tone of profound bitterness into his voice. "Since childhood, I have hidden my identity. Disguising myself as a boy... binding my chest, lowering my voice. Why? Because I knew the fate of a woman in the branch family."

Shion took a step forward, his voice trembling with determination (fueled by absolute desperation). "I didn't want to spend the rest of my life locked behind the high walls of the Hyuga estate. I didn't want to just be a servant brewing tea for the main family, or worse, forced into marriage just to strengthen the bloodline and birth children whose foreheads would be sealed!"

The night wind blew once more, fluttering his sailor skirt, adding a dramatic flair to the tragic yet brave figure of the girl standing before Hizashi.

"I wanted to be free, Hizashi-sama! I wanted to prove that the branch family can also fight, can bleed, and can bring honor to the village on the battlefield! That is why... I hid my true gender, so that I would be sent to the front lines to fight for the Clan and the Village!"

Silence.

Hizashi froze. This 'girl's' words... crashed directly into the deepest depths of his heart. The hatred toward fate, the rejection of the Caged Bird Seal, the yearning for true freedom... wasn't that exactly what Hizashi had always felt in silence?

Hizashi's heart was suddenly filled with an overwhelmingly strong sense of emotion and empathy. Beneath this strange and controversial outfit (which Hizashi assumed was the girl's psychological rebellion against the clan's norms) stood a young kunoichi with a will of fire as hard as steel.

However, as a veteran ninja and the head of the branch clan, Hizashi couldn't just swallow an emotional story raw without proof. Reflexively, and most importantly, purely out of professional shinobi instinct, Hizashi focused the flow of chakra into his eyes.

'Forgive me, Shion. But I must verify the truth of this from your biological structure,' Hizashi thought seriously, directing his Byakugan's X-ray vision toward Shion's body for medical confirmation.

As Hizashi's vision pierced through the layers of Shion's clothing... something strange happened.

In the area that should have been irrefutable proof of a person's gender, Hizashi's Byakugan vision suddenly became blurry. It was as if static interference was blocking his sight. The chakra pathways in Shion's body looked normal, yet they mysteriously obscured the crucial anatomical details.

[System Function Active: Gender cannot be detected by Dojutsu.]

Hizashi blinked, startled. He tried to focus his vision again, harder this time, staring intently at Shion's groin and chest. Still blurry. Completely impenetrable.

Suddenly, Hizashi realized what he was doing. He, an honorable clan head, a grown man, was glaring at the sensitive areas of a young girl from his own clan with X-ray vision.

Hizashi's face instantly flushed crimson. Heat spread from his neck all the way to his ears. He immediately canceled the chakra flow to his eyes and coughed loudly while covering his mouth with a fist, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Ahem! Cough, cough!"

'Good heavens... what did I just do?!' Hizashi's mind screamed in panic, cold sweat beginning to form on his forehead. 'Of course I couldn't see it clearly! This must be because my subconscious rejected it! Yes, that's right! I am an honorable man! I respect the resolve and privacy of this brave kunoichi so much that my body automatically averted my gaze to prevent me from acting like a pervert!'

Hizashi successfully deceived himself with that incredibly high moral justification. He stood tall, trying to restore his slightly fractured authority and charisma.

"S-Shion..." Hizashi said, his voice a bit softer but still tinged with awkwardness. He didn't dare look directly below Shion's neck again. "I... I understand your feelings. Your suffering... the injustice you feel. I, as the Head of the Branch Family, truly understand the weight of that burden."

Shion, seeing Hizashi's strange reaction and red face, could only stare blankly. 'Did... did the system's buff work? Thank goodness...'

Hizashi patted Shion's shoulder gently, giving a fatherly, understanding look. "Your sacrifices were not in vain. But, starting today, you no longer need to hide. Hokage-sama and Hiashi-sama have heard of the 'Fairy's' exploits on the front lines. They are very impressed. You have been officially summoned back to the village."

Shion's heart skipped a beat. "R-return to the village?"

"That's right," Hizashi nodded, smiling proudly. "As your true self. As a strong woman of the Hyuga clan. I myself will guarantee your safety from the intervention of the Clan Elders. Return with me, Shion."

On the outside, Shion nodded obediently with teary eyes (which Hizashi took as tears of joy for finally being acknowledged).

But inside his head, a storm of despair was raging.

With this declaration, everything was final. It was over. Finished. His identity as a man had died and been buried deep within this border forest.

If he returned to the village and it was ever discovered that he was actually a full-blooded male, he wouldn't just be seen as a fraud who played the Hokage and the Clan Head for fools, but he would also be branded as a sexually deviant lunatic!

His steps felt as heavy as lead as he followed Hizashi through the night forest toward Konoha.

[Ding! Mission Accomplished! Reward distributed: 'Black Receivers' have been integrated into Host's ability list!]

Shion immediately felt that he could now create 'Black Receivers.' However, that new power could not comfort Shion's shattered heart in the slightest.

Clutching the hem of his white mini skirt in frustration, Shion looked up at the full moon in the sky, screaming the most vile curses from the bottom of his soul.

'Sage of Six Paths... or whatever omnipotent bastard runs this world and created this damn system... I CURSE YOU ALL TO THE DEEPEST PITS OF HELL!!'

The journey back to Konoha village felt like a march to the execution block for Shion. Every step he took behind Hizashi felt as heavy as carrying a mountain.

As soon as they arrived, Shion was taken straight to the Hokage's Office. There, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hiashi Hyuga were already waiting.

When Shion stepped inside, silence blanketed the room. Hiashi's sharp gaze immediately scanned his figure from head to toe. Behind the Clan Head's rigid face, Hiashi's mind was actually calculating rapidly.

'Very beautiful, perfect posture, and her Byakugan possesses extraordinary purity,' Hiashi evaluated internally. 'Considering she is from the branch family, this is a golden opportunity. There are several talented young men in the main clan who will soon come of age. If I marry her to one of them, this pure blood will remain in the main clan and strengthen our bloodline.'

Shion, who could feel Hiashi's matchmaker-esque 'evaluating' gaze, shuddered violently. Cold sweat the size of corn kernels rolled down his back. 'I'm dead... This man is definitely planning something horrifying for me!'

However, before Hiashi had the chance to voice his plans, Hizashi stepped forward and knelt, with Shion hurriedly kneeling beside him in a forced, graceful posture.

With a tone heavy with emotion, Hizashi began recounting the 'truth' he had just heard in the forest. He told the tale of a little girl who rejected her fate as a caged bird.

Of a Kunoichi who cast aside her feminine identity, disguised herself as a rough boy, and swallowed all the suffering and discrimination, just so she could stand on the front lines to protect the village and prove that the branch family—especially a woman—also possessed an unshakable fighting spirit.

The Hokage's office was dead silent. The only sound was the crackle of the wooden cigar clamped between Hiruzen's teeth.

Hiashi's eyes, which had initially been full of political calculations, slowly widened.

His sharp gaze softened, replaced by profound shock and admiration. The political marriage plan he had just formulated in his head shattered into a million pieces. Forcing a Kunoichi with a will of steel like this to become a housewife and a clan reproductive tool would be a massive insult to her ninja spirit.

"Shion..." Hiashi's voice sounded slightly hoarse as he called out. "I... as the Head of the Hyuga Clan, apologize that this clan provided an environment that forced you to take such a bitter path. Your courage in defying fate has truly opened my eyes. I will respect your choices. The Main Clan will not bind you with marriage or domestic duties. Continue to spread your wings on the battlefield."

Shion bowed his head deeply, pretending to be moved.

'Thank goodness! I survived the threat of being married off to a man!' he screamed internally.

Behind his large desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled cigar smoke with an incredibly warm, fatherly smile. His eyes were glassy.

"Incredible..." the Third Hokage murmured. "Silent sacrifice, selfless dedication, and the resolve to protect the village from the shadows... This is the pure essence of the 'Will of Fire'! Konoha is very fortunate to have you, Hyuga Shion."

Shion: "..."

The next day, Shion's life truly transformed into a new kind of hell.

His story was not kept secret. On the contrary, Hiruzen, the master politician who always knew how to ignite his troops' morale during wartime, secretly leaked Shion's 'tragic and heroic' tale to the public as Will of Fire propaganda material.

In less than twenty-four hours, the story of the "beautiful Kunoichi who disguised herself as a man to protect the village" spread like a plague.

When Shion was finally allowed to return home to the Hyuga Clan compound after being at the border for so long, he was greeted with a sight that made his scalp go numb.

Along the way, every clan member, whether from the main or branch family, stopped their activities. They stared at Shion (who was, of course, forced by the System to keep wearing women's clothing) with incredibly intense gazes.

There were no more looks of disdain. There were only teary eyes, full of sympathy, respect, and blind adoration.

"Look... it's Lady Shion," whispered a mother from the branch family, wiping away her tears. "How she must have suffered all this time, hiding her beauty behind a filthy male combat uniform..."

"Such a strong girl. She is our hero," chimed in a main clan man in a reverent tone.

Even the young Hyuga men who used to mock him for being from the branch family now stared at him with flushed faces and worshipping gazes.

Every time Shion returned their looks, they would nod sympathetically as if to say: We understand your pain. You don't have to pretend to be strong anymore.

"ARGHHH!"

As soon as he reached his modest home, Shion slammed the door, locked it tight, and locked himself in his room. He pulled a thick blanket over his head and screamed at the top of his lungs.

The disgust and shame he felt had surpassed the bounds of normal human sanity. He couldn't stand those sympathetic looks anymore. He felt like a circus animal put on an emotional display for the entire village!

And just like that, Konoha's New Hero locked himself in his house for a full week.

Exactly seven days after his return, Shion finally decided to surrender to his cabin fever. He couldn't keep locking himself away until he grew mold. His muscles were stiff, and his body was itching to train to get used to his new powers.

However, training at the clan dojo was obviously out of the question. He was too embarrassed to be a free spectacle for his sudden worshippers.

Therefore, in the late afternoon, Shion sneaked out and went to Village Training Ground Number 7, which was quite isolated near the edge of the forest.

The atmosphere there was dead quiet. Shion stretched his body. The afternoon breeze blew his long brown hair and made his sailor mini skirt flutter softly. He took a deep breath, preparing to begin his training.

Suddenly, that cursed mechanical voice chimed.

[Ding! Emergency Daily Mission Triggered!]

[Mission: A Tempting 'Accident'!]

[Description: Expose your panties as if by accident to the approaching target: Minato Namikaze!]

[Note: The 'Absolute Territory' feature can be temporarily deactivated by the Host for 3 seconds to complete this mission.]

[Reward: Permanent increase of Chakra reserves to Elite Jonin Level!]

Shion's footsteps halted mid-air. His beautiful, calm face instantly turned deathly pale.

"..."

Shion read the screen over and over again, ensuring he hadn't gone blind.

'First question...' Shion looked around the empty training ground in a panic. 'WHEN DID MINATO NAMIKAZE GET HERE?! And the second question... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS TRASH MISSION?!!!'

Showing his underwear?! To a man?! To the future Fourth Hokage?! Shion felt the thread of his sanity snap.

'NO! I DON'T WANT TO! HOW COULD I DO SOMETHING SO DISGUSTING?!' he roared in his mind.

However... his eyes flicked back to the last line. [Reward: Permanent increase of Chakra reserves to Elite Jonin Level!]

In the shinobi world, having Elite Jonin-level chakra reserves at his young age meant he could cast high-level jutsu without fear of dying from exhaustion, and he could fight for days. It was the absolute key to surviving the rest of this Third World War.

Shion bit his lower lip until it nearly bled. His eyes welled up with tears of humiliation.

'Forgive me, my pride... Forgive me, my manhood... I need that chakra...' he cried out internally in agony.

Meanwhile, behind the trees at the edge of the field.

Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Yellow Flash, had just returned from the front lines. He was utterly exhausted and just wanted to relax for a moment at his favorite, usually deserted training ground before reporting to the Hokage.

However, when he arrived, he saw someone training. Minato hid behind a tree, not wanting to intrude. His clear blue eyes widened slightly as he recognized the figure.

Long hair, a bizarrely pristine sailor uniform, and black stockings. It was the 'White Skirt Fairy' whose rumors were currently shaking the entire village and the battlefield.

'Ah, so she is the Hyuga Shion everyone is talking about,' Minato thought with a friendly smile. 'Her movements are incredibly beautiful and efficient. Like a deadly dance. I think I'll observe her a little longer before stepping out to say hello.'

In the middle of the field, Shion took a deep breath. 'Now or never!'

Through the System interface, Shion pressed the button: [Deactivate Absolute Territory (3 Seconds)].

He leaped into the air, executing a fake spinning kick maneuver for the Hakke Kuusho.

Right at the peak of his jump, Shion pretended to lose focus on his chakra footing.

"Ah!" Shion let out a small yelp (which sounded incredibly cute and fabricated), then let his body slip backward as he landed.

Because the magical physics protection feature of his skirt was off, the normal laws of gravity took over. As Shion fell flat on his back with his legs slightly raised, a strong afternoon gust blew through.

The sailor mini skirt folded and flew upwards perfectly.

From behind the trees, Minato's eyes—which happened to be intently focused on Shion's footwork—widened to their absolute maximum.

A pristine white cotton fabric lined with lace, perfectly wrapping the stocking-clad lower curves, was exposed without any obstruction whatsoever beneath the afternoon sun.

The Yellow Flash's genius brain short-circuited for a full second.

His perpetually calm face was instantly invaded by a ridiculously hot, crimson blush. A visual 'blessing' that he had absolutely never anticipated ruthlessly assaulted his retinas.

'W-what did I just see?!' Minato panicked internally. As a healthy young man (and not yet married to Kushina at this time), his blood rushed wildly.

However, Minato's chivalrous instincts immediately kicked those wild thoughts out of his head. He hurriedly looked away, feeling incredibly guilty for having peeked at a girl who was just training.

Seeing the 'girl' fall, Minato immediately used the Shunshin no Jutsu. In the blink of an eye, a yellow flash appeared beside Shion.

"A-are you okay?" Minato asked quickly, extending a hand to help Shion up. His eyes purposely stared straight up at the sky, desperately avoiding looking down.

Shion sat on the ground, smoothing down his skirt with lightning speed (the Absolute Territory feature had reactivated). His face, beneath his flawless makeup, was completely beet red. Not because he was blushing like a girl who had been caught, but out of shame, anger, and the sheer humiliation of being a man who had just intentionally flashed his underwear at another man for a System mission!

Shion gently slapped Minato's hand away. He glared at the face of the village hero, who was currently acting all awkward.

"You..." Shion's voice trembled violently. "You saw it, didn't you?"

Minato froze in place. His outstretched hand went stiff in the air.

"..."

Cold sweat drenched Minato's forehead. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Seeing Minato's silent reaction, Shion's embarrassment and emotions exploded. He pointed a trembling index finger at the Yellow Flash's face, his eyes welling with tears of pure humiliation.

"You Pervert! Peeping Tom!" Shion screamed, his face as red as a ripe tomato.

Hearing the accusation, the memory of that white laced cotton silhouette flashed through Minato's head again without permission. Minato's face, which had been red, now turned deathly pale, then flushed crimson red again in rapid succession.

"N-no! I-it's not like that!" Minato waved both his hands frantically, his cool posture shattering instantly. "I swear I didn't mean to peek! I just happened to be passing by and intended to say hello, and then the wind... I mean, you slipped, and my eyes accidentally... Ah, no! I didn't see anything! Really!"

Seeing the fastest shinobi in the world stuttering like a teenage boy caught stealing an adult magazine, Shion could only cover his face with both hands, weeping over his pride, which had now been reduced to ashes in the eyes of one of Konoha's legends.

[Ding! Mission Accomplished! Reward: Elite Jonin Chakra Reserves have been integrated!]

Amidst the soul-burning embarrassment, Shion cursed the System for the thousandth time.

Chapter 4: Ch 4: Minato vs Shion

Chapter Text

A few moments later...

The afternoon breeze blew awkwardly across Training Ground Number 7 once more. The chirping of crickets began to sound, filling the gripping silence between the two shinobi.

After spewing a string of curses and screaming until his throat felt dry, Shion's embarrassment and emotions slowly began to subside. He sat on the grass, smoothing out the pleats of his sailor mini skirt with extra protective movements, as if afraid the wind would betray him again. His beautiful face, thanks to the System's magical makeup, still bore a slight blush that ironically made him look even more mesmerizing.

Across from him, Minato Namikaze stood stiff as an ice statue. The Yellow Flash of Konoha, feared by enemies on the battlefield, now hung his head in defeat, his eyes obediently staring at the tips of his own ninja sandals. He didn't dare lift his face at all.

Shion took a deep breath, steadying his heartbeat. He glared fiercely at the spiky blonde-haired man in front of him.

"So, Pervert Senpai..." Shion called out, breaking the silence and forcing his tone to sound ice-cold, "...what exactly are you doing here?"

Hearing that moniker, Minato's shoulders slumped. He pinched the bridge of his nose in resignation.

"I told you, my name is Minato... Minato Namikaze," he corrected in a pitiful voice, lifting his face slightly but keeping his gaze strictly at Shion's shoulder level and above. "And please... please stop calling me 'Pervert Senpai'..."

"Hmph!" Shion turned his face away dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest. "You clearly just peeked at me, staring at something you shouldn't have seen, and you still refuse to admit it?!"

Internally, Shion was weeping tears of blood. 'Oh God, just kill me! Why do I have to act like a virgin maiden whose honor has just been violated?! I am a man! A MAN!' he cursed in invisible despair.

But in Minato's eyes, Shion's pouting face and teary eyes looked exactly like the reaction of a young girl who was genuinely hurt and felt violated. The guilt in Minato's chest swelled even further.

"I-It's not like that..." Minato tried to defend himself, his hands fidgeting nervously. "I really didn't mean to, I swear. The wind blew so fast, and my eyes..." He trailed off, realizing that the more he explained, the more it sounded like the excuse of a professional creep. Minato let out a long sigh and finally gave up arguing. "I'm sorry."

Shion glanced at Minato from the corner of his eye. Chronologically, the man in front of him was only two years older than him. At such a young age, Minato was already recognized as one of Konoha's strongest military assets. The fact that this genius was now completely helpless before him because of an 'underwear incident' made Shion feel the irony of the situation.

"You haven't answered my question," Shion pressed, returning to the initial topic with a demanding tone. "Why are you sneaking around here?"

Minato scratched the back of his head, though it didn't itch. "Ah, well... I just returned from the border frontlines. The report was pretty heavy, so before heading to the Hokage's Office, I stopped by this training ground to clear my head for a bit. This area is usually empty around this time."

Minato paused for a moment, an awkward smile gracing his handsome face. "And then... I saw you training. Your Taijutsu movements are truly extraordinary, so elegant yet lethal. As a fellow shinobi, I was subconsciously mesmerized and decided to observe you for a while from behind the tree. I didn't have any bad intentions, really. I just... got carried away watching your movements, until you slipped."

Hearing that sincere praise, Shion's feigned anger faded slightly. His pragmatic mindset as a pain-enduring ninja slowly took over his emotions.

Shion stared intently at Minato. His mind spun rapidly. 'Wait a minute... This is Minato Namikaze. An elite Jonin, a direct disciple of one of the Legendary Sannin, and the future Fourth Hokage. I don't know if he has perfected the Rasengan in this timeline yet... but regardless, his combat strength and experience are on a terrifying level.'

Shion's Byakugan eyes narrowed slightly. 'Even if he hasn't created his iconic jutsu yet, being trained and receiving direct guidance from Minato is an absolute massive advantage! This is fair compensation for my shattered pride!'

After thinking it over calmly, Shion stood up. He brushed the grass off his skirt, then took a step closer to Minato.

"By the way, Pervert Senpai," Shion called out, his tone now much calmer, no longer screaming hysterically.

Minato flinched slightly. "Yes...?"

"You're a Jonin, right?" Shion looked up, staring straight into Minato's blue eyes with a defiant gaze typical of a ninja. "As punishment for violating me today, you must take responsibility. Please help me train."

Minato blinked several times, processing the incredibly sudden request. He had been preparing to receive a slap or be reported to the village military police, but what he got instead was a request to be a sparring partner.

Seeing the serious face of the brown-haired 'girl' in front of him, Minato exhaled the breath he had been holding in his lungs. An overwhelming sense of relief flooded his chest. If Shion had kept scolding him and crying over the underwear 'incident,' Minato genuinely wouldn't have known how to react to calm her down.

The warm, bright smile that was Minato's trademark finally bloomed on his face once more.

"Of course," Minato answered gently, patting his own chest. "If it can make up for my mistake today, I would be happy to help you train, Shion-san."

…

Seeing the fine veins bulge at Shion's temples, signaling the activation of the Byakugan, Minato's posture instantly changed. His relaxed expression evaporated, replaced by the total vigilance of an elite Jonin who was well-versed in the harsh realities of battle.

Even if the opponent in front of him was 'merely' a young Chunin, Minato knew the biggest taboo in the shinobi world: never risk fighting a Hyuga clan member in close combat. Their Gentle Fist (Jūken) could seal chakra pathways with just a single fatal touch.

Moreover, although his own Taijutsu skills were formidable, Minato was well aware that he wasn't a pure close-quarters combat type ninja. From the very beginning, his advantage had always relied on speed, reflexes, and tactics.

"Here I come!" Shion shouted.

Taking the initiative, Shion focused chakra in the soles of his feet. In a flash, his figure lunged toward Minato like a white blur slicing through the afternoon wind.

Reacting to that incredible speed, Minato immediately leaped backward repeatedly to maintain an ideal distance. Mid-air, his hands moved like lightning, throwing a volley of kunai and shuriken with complex, curving trajectories. His goal wasn't to injure, but to restrict the girl's movements and ensure Shion's deadly fingers couldn't reach him.

Facing the rain of hidden weapons, Shion weaved gracefully. Realizing his attack had been dodged, Minato, still mid-air, formed hand seals at breakneck speed.

"Fūton: Reppūshō!"

Minato clapped his hands together, firing a compressed wave of wind that hurtled fiercely toward Shion. The wind roared sharply, strong enough to send someone flying and shatter bones upon direct impact.

However, to Shion, that deadly attack was not an invisible mystery. With a Byakugan purity rivaling that of the main clan's princess, he could see the structure, pattern, and chakra flow of the wind jutsu as clearly as watching water flow in a river.

Finding the weakest point of the jutsu, Shion's hand reached into the ninja pouch on his thigh. In an instant, he drew out a pair of short black iron batons.

Behind these weapons lay a hidden agenda: he deliberately used these ordinary iron batons as replicas to cover up his true ability to create 'Black Receivers'. Shion knew full well that he couldn't just magically summon objects out of thin air in front of others right now, especially under the watchful eyes of a genius like Minato. That would only invite suspicion and endanger his own life.

Channeling a bit of chakra into his batons, Shion executed an incredibly smooth yet blindingly fast slashing motion toward the wind wave.

SWOOOSH!

An astonishing sight unfolded. Shion's baton strike precisely severed the chakra node sustaining Minato's Fūton. In an instant, the dangerous gale fell apart, dissipating into a normal, gentle breeze that was only strong enough to flutter Shion's sailor skirt and long bangs.

Minato, having just landed on the ground, was stunned. His mouth fell slightly open. 'She... cut the chakra flow of my jutsu with a physical weapon?' he thought in amazement. He just realized that a Hyuga's eyes could be used to dissect jutsu in such a manner.

However, considering the Hyuga clan was highly secretive and guarded their Dojutsu secrets with blood, it was perfectly natural that Minato was unfamiliar with this level of Byakugan application.

Not wasting the moment while Minato was momentarily stunned, Shion once again focused chakra into the soles of his feet. The ground beneath him cracked slightly as he bolted at full speed, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Minato's blue eyes widened. Operating on reflex, he immediately drew a standard kunai and crossed it in front of his chest to parry Shion's rapid flurry of strikes using the two batons.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sparks ignited in the air every time metal clashed. Minato was forced on the defensive against the barrage of Shion's relentless, yet highly precise, 'dancing' attacks.

"Incredible..." Minato praised amidst the exchange of blows, his face radiating genuine admiration. "This is the first time I've seen a Hyuga use batons as combat weapons, Shion-san. You all usually rely heavily on the Jūken."

While continuously pressing Minato's defenses, Shion answered in a casual tone, though he let a trace of deliberate bitterness slip into his voice. "Because I come from the branch family, Minato-senpai. The high-level techniques I am permitted to learn are extremely limited. Therefore, I had to improvise with weapons so I wouldn't run out of tricks to survive on the battlefield."

Hearing that brief explanation, Minato's movements softened slightly. Although he didn't fully understand the political complexities and the cruel system within the Hyuga clan, he could more or less grasp the underlying meaning of Shion's suffering. It made him hold a much deeper respect for the 'girl' in front of him. At an age two years younger than Minato, Shion was fighting incredibly hard to overcome the limitations of her fate.

Minato parried one final strike and leaped far back. He sheathed his standard kunai, then smiled.

"Alright, I understand your struggle. In that case, let's turn up the difficulty, Shion-san," Minato said.

Minato's hand reached into his other weapons pouch. In one lightning-fast motion, he scattered half a dozen kunai in all directions. However, these weapons were different from ordinary kunai; they had a three-pronged blade with a thick handle wrapped in a unique seal formula tag. The strange kunai lodged into tree trunks, embedded themselves in the open field, and a few landed not far from where Shion stood.

Seeing the kunai formation, Shion's Byakugan veins pulsed, and his grip on the iron batons tightened. He became vastly more focused.

It seemed the real game was just about to begin.

"Get ready, Shion-san," Minato said softly, his voice piercing the silence.

ZAP!

There was no sound of an explosive footstep. No flying dust. In a millisecond, Minato's figure vanished from in front of Shion.

Shion's eyes widened. Even with his 360-degree vision, he almost lost track of the man. However, the survival instincts forged in the hellfire of the Third World War screamed loudly in his head. A danger signal flared directly behind his back.

Minato had teleported to one of the kunai embedded in the ground behind Shion. Without wasting a single millisecond, the Yellow Flash swung his standard kunai in a horizontal slash aimed at the nape of Shion's neck.

"Ha!"

Shion twisted his body forcefully. His waist cracked under the torque of the unnatural movement. He swung the iron baton in his right hand to block.

CLANG!

Sparks flew brightly in the air. The vibration from the impact traveled from the iron baton into Shion's palm, nearly numbing his hand.

Minato raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "You could react to this first strike? Impressive. The Byakugan's field of vision truly has no blind spots."

"Don't underestimate the branch family, Senpai!" Shion retorted, gritting his teeth and channeling all his chakra to push back Minato's kunai.

However, Minato had no intention of a test of strength. He released the pressure instantly, causing Shion, who was exerting full force, to nearly lose his balance. At the exact same time, Minato vanished again.

ZAP!

This time he appeared mid-air, right above Shion, holding onto a kunai stuck in a tree branch. An axe kick hurtled fiercely toward Shion's head.

The brown-haired girl rolled to the side with a movement that lacked elegance but was highly effective, letting Minato's kick demolish the ground she had been standing on a fraction of a second prior. Dust and gravel flew everywhere, but the protection system of Shion's sailor outfit automatically cleaned away the dirt before it could even stain the white fabric.

Shion leaped back, creating a safe distance. His breathing grew heavy. His heart pumped blood at maximum speed.

'This is insane,' Shion roared in his mind. 'His speed violates all laws of physics. I can see his chakra flow the moment before he teleports, but my body lacks the speed to respond to it in real-time. If I keep reacting after he appears, I'll only last a few minutes before my stamina burns out!'

Minato gave Shion no time to catch his breath. He launched a relentless barrage of attacks.

ZAP! CLANG! ZAP! SWOOSH! ZAP! CLANG!

Training Ground Number 7 had now turned into a terrifying stage of yellow flashes. Minato teleported from one kunai to another with ever-increasing speed. Kunai slashes, spinning kicks, shuriken throws from blind spots—they all came raining down like an endless storm.

Shion was trapped in the center of that maelstrom. His iron batons danced wildly, parrying, blocking, and parrying again. Every time he successfully deflected an attack, his arms and shoulders felt heavier. The hem of his mini skirt fluttered, defying gravity, radiating a lethal charm that unfortunately went completely ignored by Minato, who was now fully focused on the fight.

'Think... think, Shion!' His brain spun furiously amidst the hail of deadly attacks. 'Don't look at where he appears. Look at where he comes from. No... that's not it. Look at the kunai! Focus on the kunai!'

Shion drastically changed his tactics. He forcefully ignored Minato's physical form. He focused the entirety of his Byakugan's power on the chakra network in the surrounding area. Thirty three-pronged kunai were scattered around him.

Mid-fight, Minato threw three ordinary kunai at Shion's face. Shion deflected them easily, but doing so created an opening on his left flank.

Minato smiled thinly. He targeted a Hiraishin kunai stuck near Shion's left foot.

ZAP!

However, the scene played out differently this time. At the exact moment Minato vanished from his initial position, Shion didn't wait. Instead of preparing to block, Shion swung his iron baton with full force at the empty space beside his left foot, even before Minato's figure materialized there.

THWACK!

The sound of a heavy impact echoed. Minato, who had just materialized at that spot, had absolutely not expected to be greeted by an iron baton swinging fiercely toward his ribs. He was forced to abort his attack and cross his arms to protect his chest.

Even so, the momentum of Shion's strike landed, sending Minato's body skidding back two meters, leaving two small trenches in the dirt from his sandals.

A momentary silence blanketed the field. The wind blew, scattering a few dry leaves.

Minato lowered his slightly bruised arms. His blue eyes widened, staring at the young girl in front of him with undisguisable awe.

"You..." Minato took a breath, his voice heavy with absolute admiration. "You didn't react to my appearance. You predicted where I was going to go and attacked the spot where I would be, before I was actually there."

Shion, standing panting heavily with sweat trickling down his slender neck, only managed a forced, thin smile. "I... told you... I had to improvise to survive, Senpai."

Minato chuckled, a warm laugh that radiated the pride of a teacher discovering an extraordinary student. "Being able to read and adapt to the Hiraishin no Jutsu in your first fight... Shion-san, you possess a genius-level talent for combat analysis. Even many veteran Jonin would instantly surrender against this technique."

Hearing that sincere praise, Shion's face flushed slightly. 'Dammit... why does he have to look so cool and charismatic at a time like this?! Stop praising me, you Pervert! I am a man, I won't fall for your charm!' Shion screamed internally, re-fortifying his masculine pride, which had nearly been shaken by the dazzling handsomeness of the future Fourth Hokage.

"However," Minato's expression hardened again, his aura becoming twice as dense as before. "Predicting is one thing. But execution speed is another. If you can read my movements, then I just need to move faster than your body's reflex speed can respond to that prediction."

Shion's pupils shrank. 'He's still holding back?!'

Minato raised both his hands. This time, he wasn't just relying on the kunai already stuck in the ground. He pulled out a dozen new Hiraishin kunai from his pouch and threw them into the air simultaneously in all directions. The kunai scattered across the sky, blotting out the afternoon sun.

'No footholds? He's going to attack from the air!' Shion immediately dropped into a low stance, looking up to read the chakra spikes among the dozen floating kunai.

ZAP!

A yellow flash appeared at one of the kunai above Shion's head. Shion swung his baton upward.

But before his strike could hit the target—

ZAP!

Minato teleported to another falling kunai on the right.

ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!

Minato bounced from one falling kunai to another mid-air like light trapped in a mirrored room. He didn't attack; he merely shifted with a speed that incinerated common sense. The air around Shion vibrated violently. The sound of tearing wind echoed from all directions.

Shion's Byakugan eyes began to water from being forced to process too much information in a fraction of a second.

Chakra spike signals popped up in Shion's brain like fireworks exploding simultaneously. Right! Left! Up! Behind! Everything lit up.

'Too many... I can't guess which attack is the real one!'

Shion twisted his body, attempting to launch a Hakke Kuusho to blow away all the kunai in the air, but just as his palm moved halfway, a Hiraishin kunai plunged right past his right shoulder.

The densest chakra signal exploded from that kunai.

ZAP!

Minato materialized in a crouching position mid-air, right beside Shion's right side. His left hand caught the hilt of the falling kunai, while his right hand, holding a standard kunai, darted toward Shion's neck.

Shion's body refused to surrender. His combat instincts forced him to lean backward into an impossible position, dodging the sharp slash that passed mere centimeters from his Adam's apple (which was currently hidden by the System's magic). The tip of Minato's kunai only managed to cut a few strands of Shion's long hair fluttering in the air.

Shion had managed to dodge! He shifted his balance, preparing to counter with an iron baton swing aimed at Minato's legs.

However, in the exact second Shion felt safe, Minato's blue eyes, staring straight at him, glinted sharply.

Minato released his grip on the falling kunai, and mid-air, he threw the standard kunai in his right hand at the ground right behind Shion's heel.

ZAP!

Shion's eyes widened to their absolute limit. He had just finished a backward evasive maneuver. His posture was compromised, his balance resting entirely on his heels, and his weapon was mid-swing in the air. He had absolutely no momentum left to dodge again.

Minato appeared behind him, catching the kunai he had just thrown right before it touched the ground. With a movement that was incredibly smooth and flawless, the Yellow Flash stepped forward, closing the distance between them to zero.

The cold, sharp metal blade pressed lightly against Shion's neck, resting right above his carotid artery. Minato's left hand gently but firmly gripped Shion's right wrist—the one holding the iron baton—completely locking down his movement.

The world seemed to stop spinning. The dust slowly settled to the ground. The afternoon breeze greeted the grass once more.

The fight was over.

Shion's breathing was ragged, his chest heaving violently against his exhaustion. His heart beat wildly until it hurt. Sweat drenched his face. His Byakugan veins slowly subsided and vanished, leaving a pair of pale white eyes staring blankly ahead.

"Checkmate," Minato whispered softly from over his shoulder, pulling his kunai away from Shion's neck. The blonde man stepped back, releasing his hold and allowing Shion to regain his personal space.

Shion dropped his iron batons to the ground with a loud clatter. His legs lost their strength, causing him to fall to his knees, clutching the grass with trembling hands.

He had lost. A complete defeat.

Even though from the start, Shion wasn't arrogant enough to think that he—a Chunin from the branch family who had only acquired a System 'cheat' a few weeks ago—could defeat a living legend like Minato Namikaze, the loss still tasted bitter.

Minato, realizing how hard the girl had pushed herself, slowly crouched in front of her. He reached into his pocket and offered a clean handkerchief.

"Good job, Shion-san. You were truly incredible," Minato praised sincerely, a warm smile adorning his face. "I had to use consecutive Hiraishin just to break through your defenses. It's very rare for a shinobi your age to push me this far in a sparring match. Konoha village is very lucky to have you."

Shion accepted the handkerchief with trembling hands, wiping the sweat from his face. He stared at the ground with a dim gaze. Behind his exhausted and resigned face, a storm of thoughts and regrets raged violently within his mind.

'Yes, I lost. The gap in power between us is like heaven and earth,' Shion pondered bitterly.

The Byakugan purity he possessed helped him read movements, but without techniques to complement those eyes, it was merely a navigation tool lacking adequate combat weaponry. The iron batons were nothing but a desperate makeshift solution.

'If only... if only my fate were different,' Shion bit his lower lip tightly, hatred toward the Hyuga clan system reigniting in the depths of his heart. 'If I weren't from the Bunke... if I weren't restricted by archaic rules forbidding the branch family from learning secret techniques...'

The image of one of the strongest absolute defense jutsu in the shinobi world flashed through his mind. Hakkeshō Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven). A secret technique passed down only from the main clan to its heirs.

In the combat scenario just now, when Minato used the multi-kunai maneuver from the air and teleported from all sides, visual prediction alone was insufficient. His bodily reflexes couldn't keep up. However, if Shion could master Kaiten, everything would be different.

By emitting chakra from all the tenketsu in his body and spinning rapidly, Kaiten would create a dome of absolute defensive chakra that had no blind spots. No matter what direction Minato appeared from—whether above, below, behind, or beside—the Hiraishin teleportation would immediately crash into that chakra dome and repel the Yellow Flash.

Kaiten was the natural enemy of high speed and surprise attacks, because the technique protected the entire space absolutely, regardless of who was faster to react.

'Even though I still wouldn't win against a talented monster like Minato, at least... at least with Kaiten and the main clan's Sixty-Four Palms technique, I wouldn't lose in such a pathetic way. I could put up a real fight,' Shion closed his eyes, feeling a sting in his heart that didn't come from physical wounds, but from deep-rooted injustice.

He was trapped in the body of an outcast soldier, his fate sealed by the invisible Caged Bird Seal, only able to look at the sky from the bottom of a well.

Minato, seeing the profound sadness in the 'girl's' eyes, felt guilty. He assumed Shion was too devastated by this defeat. The blond man patted Shion's shoulder gently, an encouraging gesture from a senior to a junior.

"Don't be discouraged, Shion-san. You are still very young, your potential is limitless," Minato consoled, unaware of the actual identity struggle raging within the soul of the person before him.

Shion opened his eyes, looking at Minato's sympathetic face. He took a deep breath, deeply suppressing his anger and frustration, and forced a smile.

"Thank you for your guidance, Minato-senpai," Shion answered softly.

Inside his heart, a new resolve began to form. This bizarre and humiliating System might have stripped away his pride as a man, forcing him to wear mini skirts and stockings every day. But in order to survive, and to prove that he could not be trampled upon, Shion swore he would squeeze every single drop of advantage out of this crazy System.

Chapter 5: Ch 5: Dinner with Minato (^^)

Chapter Text

As if it could hear Shion’s thoughts vowing to squeeze every single drop of advantage out of the System, the transparent blue interface suddenly blinked brightly in front of his face.

The mechanical voice that never failed to make Shion’s blood pressure spike echoed in his skull once again. It seemed the System was handing out a punishment... er, meant an opportunity.

[Ding! A Date Invitation from a Sweet Girl!]

[Description: Because the Host possesses a burning passion and requested a mission, this kind, loving, and understanding System will provide a special mission! Ask Minato Namikaze out for a dinner for two tonight!]

[Reward: Pocket Dimension.]

[Function: Can store any object with infinite capacity. Time inside this dimension is frozen, so food will not spoil and weapons will not rust. (Note: Only applies to inanimate objects).]

A smile almost bloomed on Shion’s lips. His previously dim eyes now sparkled slightly. 'A Pocket Dimension! This is absolutely fantastic! I won't have to bother carrying heavy storage scrolls or tying a kunai pouch to my thigh anymore. This is an ability on par with Obito's Kamui! With this, I can monopolize battlefield logistics!'

But... right before he could truly rejoice and jump for joy, his eyes drifted down to read the final line of the reward's description. His smile froze instantly, and his eyes immediately turned into those of a dead fish that had lost all the light of life.

[Item Name / Dimension Access: "The Skirt That Holds Everything!"]

[Usage Description: Simply lift your mini skirt slightly, reach your hand into the Absolute Territory (Zettai Ryouiki) area, and pull out or store any weapon you need just like a magic pocket! Practical, elegant, and guaranteed to leave your enemies stunned in awe before they die! Isn't this wonderful?]

Shion: "..."

The point was: now the bottom of his super-short sailor skirt functioned exactly like Doraemon’s magic pouch.

Imagining himself in the future... in the middle of an epic, bloody, and lethal battlefield... the enemy attacks with a giant elemental ninjutsu that could destroy mountains... and Shion, a brave Konoha Shinobi (Kunoichi, forcefully corrected by the System flashing red in his mind), would have to strike a cute pose like a magical girl anime character, lift the hem of his own skirt, reach into his crotch, and pull out a giant sword or dozens of shuriken from his underwear...

'Damn it... This world is truly sick,' Shion cursed in his mind with a barely audible voice. 'I'd rather die stabbed by a kunai on the front lines than have to do that in front of the Iwagakure army.'

He raised his arms, trembling from holding back his overflowing emotions. He covered his eyes, which were now brimming with tears of despair, with the back of his hands.

His body shook violently. This wasn't the trembling of sorrow from a crushing defeat by Minato, but rather the trembling of a man whose pride had just been shredded, burned, and scattered into the sea by a cursed System.

Seeing Shion suddenly bow his head, his shoulders shaking, sobbing while covering his tear-stained face, Minato instantly felt worried. The Yellow Flash, who never flinched when facing dozens of enemies at once, was now panicking in the face of a single crying 'girl'.

"S-Shion-san? Did I fight too hard? Are you badly hurt? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" Minato reached out his hand, hesitating to touch Shion's shoulder, feeling incredibly guilty for thinking he had pushed the tough girl too far.

However, before Minato could finish his comforting sentence, Shion suddenly lowered his hands. His red, teary eyes glared sharply at Minato. The frustration, the anger at the system, and the panic over the mission deadline caused Shion's rational brain to temporarily short-circuit.

Unfiltered by common sense, the words tumbled out of his mouth in a high, fast, and snappy tone.

"As a thank you for being willing to waste your time training me today, I'm going to treat you to dinner! But listen closely, don't get the wrong idea and don't think of this as a date or anything! This is purely just a token of gratitude from a junior to a senior! Don't let it get to your head!" Shion yelled, his face flushed completely red, partly from the remnants of his tears, and mostly because he couldn't bear his own embarrassment.

Minato: "..."

Shion: "..."

A silence far more awkward than before blanketed Training Ground Number 7 once again. The evening breeze blew a single dry leaf that drifted slowly between them, as if mocking the situation.

Minato stood frozen. The transition was too extreme. From a fragile girl sobbing over her defeat, she had suddenly turned into a fierce tigress shooting off a dinner invitation in a demanding tone. Minato's blue eyes blinked a few times, processing this barrage of absurd events.

Meanwhile, inside Shion's head, danger alarms were blaring deafeningly. 'Wait... what did I just say?! My tone of voice... my words just now...'

Shion's eyes slowly widened in horror. He just realized that his words, combined with his still-blushing face, the tears in the corners of his eyes, and his slightly pouting lips, sounded and looked exactly one hundred percent like a low-tier Tsundere stereotype from a cheap romance novel!

'NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! I just wanted to quickly finish this damn mission so I could claim the reward! Why did I sound like a girl too proud to admit her feelings to the man of her dreams?! ARGHHH!' Shion screamed hysterically in his mind, clawing at the walls of his own sanity.

However, the damage was done and irreparable. Minato, initially shocked, slowly softened his expression. The genius man, who was sometimes incredibly naive in matters of the heart, began forming his own conclusions in his head.

'Ah... I understand now,' Minato thought, smiling with understanding and sympathy. 'She must feel very embarrassed for crying in front of me. She is a tough kunoichi who holds her pride high, so showing her weak side must make her feel awkward. And this dinner invitation... she's just trying to find an excuse to break the ice and make up without looking like she's begging. What a clumsy yet sweet girl.'

Minato's smile bloomed perfectly, radiating the aura of a golden-hearted hero that would blind anyone with its handsomeness.

"I understand, Shion-san," Minato answered in an incredibly gentle voice, as if speaking to a frightened kitten. "Thank you very much for the offer. I gladly accept your token of gratitude. As a matter of fact, I haven't put anything in my stomach since returning from the border."

Hearing Minato's overly understanding and gentle response, Shion's face burned even hotter. Minato's reaction absolutely confirmed that the man had completely misunderstood his intentions!

"G-good that you understand! Don't you dare tell anyone about this, or I'll seal all your chakra points!" Shion threatened defensively, turning his head sharply to the side while crossing his arms. His mini skirt fluttered slightly in rhythm with his movement. He marched off with stiff, robotic steps like a wooden puppet. "Hurry up! I'm already hungry!"

'Please, just take my life right now,' Shion cried internally, while his physical body continued walking with a humiliatingly haughty stride.

The walk to the center of Konoha village felt like a torture march to the execution block for Shion. The sky began turning a reddish-orange as the sun set. Streetlights flickered on, illuminating the village streets that were getting busy with civilians and shinobi seeking dinner.

Minato walked right beside Shion. The Yellow Flash looked very relaxed, his hands tucked into his pants pockets, his face radiating a comfortable calm. Meanwhile, beside him, Shion walked with posture as stiff as a rock. Every time the wind blew a bit too hard, Shion's hands reflexively pressed the hem of his sailor mini skirt down, an act of self-preservation (to avoid exposing himself again) that, in Minato's eyes, actually looked very feminine and shy.

"So, Shion-san, where would you like to eat?" Minato asked, breaking the silence, trying to build a casual conversation like friends. "Since you're treating, I'll follow your choice. Do you like sweets? I heard the Dango and Parfait shop at the end of that street is very popular among young Kunoichi like you."

A vein throbbed violently on Shion's forehead. Sweets? A Dango shop where girls gathered to gossip? What kind of insult was this to the masculine soul of a frontline warrior?!

"I'm not a little kid or a spoiled girl who likes sweets!" Shion snapped sharply, turning to glare at Minato. "We're going to Yakiniku Q! I need meat! Thick, bloody meat! Got it?!"

Minato was slightly startled, but then he chuckled. His laugh was crisp, deep, and somehow sounded incredibly pleasant. "Hahaha, alright, alright. Yakiniku Q is an excellent choice. You're right, after an intense spar like that, the protein from grilled beef is the best choice to recover muscles and stamina."

Hearing Minato's forgiving laugh, Shion bit his lower lip hard. 'Why is he laughing?! He should be offended that I snapped at him! Snap back at me, please, so I can punch you and we can fight like two real men!'

But that fantasy was just a dream. They arrived at Yakiniku Q. As soon as they pushed aside the entrance curtains, the aroma of grilled meat and sweet-savory garlic sauce immediately greeted them, making their mouths water.

The atmosphere inside was quite lively with groups of shinobi celebrating missions or just unwinding. A few of them immediately turned respectfully upon seeing Minato's figure enter. However, their gazes quickly shifted and locked onto the beautiful, long-brown-haired 'girl' in a pristine white sailor uniform and black stockings trailing right beside him.

Hushed whispers began to sound like the buzzing of bees in Shion's ears.

"Hey, isn't that Minato-san? Who is that incredibly beautiful girl next to him?"

"Good heavens, that's the 'White Skirt Fairy' of the Hyuga clan everyone's been talking about! I heard she's a heroic demon on the border!"

"The two of them... here alone? Are they on a date? They look so perfect together, one is handsome and the other is like a goddess..."

Shion's ears, which were far sharper than a normal human's, caught every single thread of those whispers. If he had the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai, he swore he would blow this entire restaurant to the ground right now. His face, flushed red with anger, was noticed by Minato standing nearby.

"Pay them no mind, Shion-san," Minato whispered gently, guiding Shion to an empty booth in the corner of the restaurant that was more enclosed and private. "People always like to exaggerate what they see. Take the inside seat."

Shion scoffed loudly, dropping his body onto the seating cushion (zabuton) roughly. "I couldn't care less about what those idiots think! You think I care they're gossiping about us?! I'm just annoyed because the waiter is taking forever!" he argued quickly, his voice rising half an octave, turning his face to stare at the blank wooden wall beside him.

Minato, who had just sat across from him, simply rested his chin on one hand, smiling softly at Shion's pouting side profile. 'Truly not honest with her own feelings. She's clearly bothered by the gossip and feels embarrassed, but blames it on something else. How cute.'

If Shion had the ability to read Minato's thoughts right now, he would have instantly gouged out his own Byakugan eyes with the meat fork in front of him.

A waiter soon hurried over carrying a tray loaded with dozens of portions of premium beef and fresh vegetables. Minato, with his protective and gentlemanly instincts deeply rooted in his core, immediately picked up the meat tongs and prepared to start grilling.

"Let me grill it for us. You must be tired after depleting your chakra fighting me earlier," Minato offered, picking up a few slices of meat and placing them neatly on the steel grill.

Shion, whose patriarchal pride was stung again like he'd been poked by a giant bee, immediately snatched the other idle pair of tongs on the table. "No need to bother! I have two hands and I can grill my own meat! You think I'm some spoiled princess whose hands can't get near the smoke?! I am a shinobi, and shinobi grill their own meat!"

With movements far from elegant, Shion tossed several slices of meat onto the grill, creating sparks and a fairly thick cloud of smoke. He glared at the meat as if it were his mortal enemy from Iwagakure, flipping it roughly as if torturing a prisoner.

Minato chuckled softly seeing the aggressive behavior, letting Shion vent his frustrations on the innocent cuts of beef.

However, bad luck apparently wasn't done playing with the remnants of Shion's sanity today. One of the pieces of beef, containing thick fat, popped loudly on the overly hot steel grill, splattering a drop of boiling oil that flew straight toward Shion's hand.

"Kyaah!" Shion yelped in surprise with a high-pitched tone that unfortunately sounded cute, dropping his tongs with a loud clatter.

The sudden stinging pain made him reflexively pull his hand to his chest.

Seeing this, Minato's blue eyes widened. His legendary speed reacted instantly without him even realizing it. In less than a fraction of a second, Minato had leaned half his body across the grill table, grabbing Shion's wrist that had been hit by the oil splatter.

"Let me see," Minato said with a tone of deep, ingrained worry. He stared at the small red spot beginning to swell on the back of Shion's smooth, pale-skinned hand. Without thinking like a rational man, Minato lifted Shion's hand near his face, pursed his lips, and blew softly on the red spot.

Minato's cool breath swept across Shion's skin.

Time seemed to stop for Shion. The air around him was sucked out completely. His body froze stiff like an ice statue in winter. His eyes bulged as wide as dinner plates, staring at the legendary handsome blond man who was now holding his hand and blowing on it affectionately, exactly like a climactic main scene in a romantic shoujo manga often read by academy girls.

Shion's heart, which had been beating at a normal rhythm, now pumped blood at a crazy speed, nearly tearing through his ribs. Not because he was falling in love, but because shock, horror, panic, and embarrassment mixed into one lethal poison that stung his nerves. Shion's face, buffed by the System's magical makeup, now turned as red as freshly spilled blood. Imaginary smoke practically billowed from the top of his head.

"L-let me go!" Shion screamed in panic, his voice cracking at the end of the sentence. He yanked his hand back so roughly and forcefully that he pushed himself backward, his back slamming hard against the wooden booth wall. He hugged his own hand to his chest like someone defending against a monster attack. His chest heaved rapidly.

"W-what are you doing, you perverted idiot?! I-it's just a tiny oil splatter! I'm not a toddler who's going to cry hysterically over something so trivial! D-don't you dare touch my hand carelessly without permission!"

Shion intended to sound like a manly man who was furious about being violated, but his uncontrollably trembling voice, his face as red as a ripe cherry tomato, and his eyes wildly dodging Minato's gaze to look everywhere but at the man's face, sent an entirely different signal to Minato's brain.

Minato flinched slightly, realizing his actions might have been too impulsive and crossed the girl's boundaries of privacy. He took a deep breath and smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck feeling guilty.

"Ah... forgive my forwardness, Shion-san. It was purely reflex. On the front lines of the battlefield, I am used to immediately checking even the smallest wound on my teammates as quickly as possible before it gets infected. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or disrespected," Minato apologized in an incredibly sincere tone, his eyes radiating a gentle and transparent guilt.

Hearing Minato's logical, tactical, and highly reasonable excuse, Shion was left speechless. He bit his lower lip so hard it nearly bled.

'Damn... Damn you, universe! Why is he acting so logical, mature, and so nice?! Why am I the one reacting like an overly hysterical person?! Why does this wretched body have to blush without my control at all?! If I didn't have this system, if I looked like a normal man, I would have punched him in the face while laughing out loud! ARGH!'

"Hmph!" Shion finally just turned his face away dramatically, scoffing loudly as if highly offended to hide his overflowing panic. "Don't ever repeat that disgusting action again. Hurry up and eat your meat before it burns and becomes inedible!"

"Alright, understood, Madam Commander," Minato joked in a playful tone, returning his focus to the meat grill, though from the corner of his eye he constantly observed the side profile of the 'girl' in front of him who was still blushing beet red.

The rest of the dinner went like a mental torture specifically designed by demons for Shion. Every time he tried to act rough, tough, or masculine, somehow the universe, the laws of physics, and the System always conspired to twist his actions into something cute, clumsy, and reflecting the pure essence of a Tsundere.

When he ate barbarically and ravenously like a starving monster that hadn't eaten in a week, the System automatically ensured not a single drop of sauce or fat stained the corners of his lips or his clothes. The effect? He looked like a gluttonous girl eating enthusiastically yet somehow still exuding a strange elegance. When he sharply criticized Minato for flipping the meat too slowly, his tone of voice actually sounded like a spoiled whine begging for attention.

For Minato, tonight was one of the most memorable, entertaining, and enlightening dinners he had ever experienced in his life. He, who was usually surrounded by political tension, blood, and the ceaseless horrors of war, had now found an oasis of peace.

The mysterious 'girl' from the Hyuga clan in front of him was an incredibly enchanting walking paradox. On the training ground or battlefield, she was an elegant, cold-blooded killing machine with lethal Byakugan eyes. But at this dinner table, behind the shadows of war, she was just a very awkward young girl, dishonest with her own feelings, overly proud, and easily flustered. Minato felt a strange yet warm urge in his heart to protect this fragile side that Shion was desperately hiding from the cruelties of the shinobi world.

In the midst of Shion's awkward chewing silence, a mechanical voice rang in his head like an executioner's verdict.

[Ding! Mission 'A Date Invitation from a Sweet Girl' Completed Perfectly!]

[Reward: Pocket Dimension has been successfully integrated into the Host's body. Host can now access this boundless spatial dimension at any time through the Absolute Territory (Zettai Ryouiki) area underneath your mini skirt! Enjoy this unparalleled magical convenience!]

Hearing that enthusiastically cursed notification right while he was chewing a piece of premium beef, Shion's appetite vanished instantly into thin air. The expensive food in his mouth suddenly felt as rough as swallowing gravel mixed with sand. The reward that was supposed to be the strategic key to his greatest strength was now legally and officially the most humiliating permanent disgrace he would have to carry for the rest of his life.

Dinner was finally finished. The night sky had completely blanketed Konoha village with a tapestry of countless stars. True to his word (pledged out of forced circumstances), Shion marched to the cashier and paid the entire bill for that insane amount of food using his meager mission savings (this made him want to tear something apart or cry in a corner even more).

As a true gentleman who held manners in high regard, Minato insisted on walking Shion back to his clan compound. Even though Shion blatantly refused with logical reasons, Minato persisted in accompanying him with a friendly smile that was absolutely impenetrable by any argument.

They walked side-by-side down the village streets that were growing quiet and deserted toward the luxurious Hyuga Clan compound. The autumn night wind blew quite hard and cold, making Shion subconsciously rub his palms against his exposed arms, which were only covered by the short sleeves of his sailor uniform.

Seeing this, without saying a single word, Minato stopped walking. He unzipped his thick green Jonin vest. With a very natural and unexpected movement, the man stepped from behind and draped the warm vest over Shion's narrow shoulders.

Shion's footsteps halted instantly as if struck by a paralysis kunai. The heavy and warm material weight of the Jonin vest pressed on his shoulders, and Minato's highly distinctive masculine scent invaded his sense of smell without permission.

Shion turned his head slowly with rigid movements like a broken machine, staring at Minato's face over his shoulder with eyes wide full of psychological horror.

'Don't do this... I'm begging you, stop it, you perverted hero spreading cheap charm... I am a straight man... Please don't treat me like a helpless, weak female main character in a romance manga...'

Once again, betraying all his willpower, Shion's body reacted without its commander's permission. A deep blush spread rapidly like a blazing fire from his neck all the way to burn the tips of his ears. He immediately grabbed the edges of the green vest fabric roughly, intending to rip it off and throw it back in Minato's handsome face.

"I-I'm not cold at all! Take back this ugly, smelly vest of yours! You think I'm so weak that I need another man's jacket?!" Shion scolded in a high pitch that trembled from suppressing embarrassment.

Minato wasn't offended by the insult at all. He just smiled warmly, casually stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. He stared intently at Shion under the dim glow of the streetlight.

"Just wear it, Shion-san. Tonight's wind is quite sharp and could give you a fever. I'm very used to cold weather far more extreme than this. Besides, I would feel terribly guilty and useless if my excellent sparring partner falls sick tomorrow just because I let her freeze after she treated me to a delicious dinner."

Hearing that barrage of words spoken in a tone that was so gentle, logical, and firm all at once, Shion's hands froze paralyzed in the air.

He stared at Minato's unwavering handsome face. Then, Shion slowly looked down at the tips of his sandals, feeling utterly defeated down to his roots in every existing aspect of life, be it physical combat or mental defense.

With movements that looked reluctant, rough, and full of defeat, Shion actually pulled the collar of the oversized green vest tighter to cover his shoulders and neck. He buried half his face into the warm collar of Minato's vest to hide his face, which was now hopelessly flushed red.

"S-so annoying! If you're going to force me to the point of begging like that, what can I do! I'll be nice and wear it just for tonight, but tomorrow I'll wash it clean and throw it hard right at your face! D-don't expect me to thank you for something so small and trivial!" Shion grumbled with his voice muffled by the jacket fabric, trying to maintain the last tiny shred of his remaining pride.

Without waiting for Minato's reply, Shion immediately turned his face and quickened his pace, half-running away toward the giant wooden gates of the Hyuga compound like a thief who had been caught.

Minato, left behind alone, could only stand transfixed for a moment. He watched the back of the petite 'girl' clad in a sailor uniform, swallowed up in his oversized green vest, running away and disappearing into the shadows under the light of the full moon.

The widest and most genuine smile he had shown all day bloomed, adorning the face of the genius Jonin.

"Truly... a very strong, yet very sweet girl," Minato murmured to himself, his voice blending with the rustle of the night wind. He chuckled softly before finally turning around, walking back to his operational base with a heart that somehow felt lighter than usual.

One hour later, inside his pitch-black and stuffy room in the corner of the Hyuga branch family compound.

Shion lay stiffly on his back upon his futon. Minato Namikaze's thick green Jonin vest lay on the wooden floor, having been kicked far away from his bed as if the item was radioactive waste.

Shion stared at the wooden ceiling of his room with blank, unblinking eyes, devoid of any expression whatsoever, like a broken doll or a walking corpse whose soul had long since flown away leaving its body to seek eternal peace.

The memories of every second of today's humiliating events looped torturously like a non-stop tragedy documentary playing on the movie screen of his mind.

His scream bringing up his own underwear. His crushing defeat in battle. His tears breaking like a crybaby girl in front of Minato. The aggressive dinner invitation that 100% mimicked a Tsundere girl's style. The cheap romantic moment caused by hot oil splatter. And ending with the cliché jacket-borrowing scene under the streetlight like a drama episode closer.

Every memory from those events gnawed, chewed, and swallowed entirely the remaining dust of masculinity he had desperately tried to maintain. He could feel and knew for an absolute fact that Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash village hero, had now permanently branded and categorized him under the label: 'A Strong Girl with a Soft Heart Who is Shy and Must Be Protected'.

On top of that... the most horrifying fact awaited in the future. If tomorrow he wanted to draw his trusty weapon suddenly in the middle of a brutal battlefield, he would have to strike a pose and reach into his own mini skirt in front of hundreds of pairs of enemy ninja eyes.

A tear of pure suffering rolled slowly down from the corner of his pale white eyes, falling to wet his pillow in the silence of the night.

'Oh God... Sage of Six Paths... Shinigami... or whatever omnipotent holy being is listening to my suffering up there,' Shion prayed inwardly with the purest, final remnants of his despair.

'Please... I'm begging you, please drop a giant meteor onto the roof of my room right now. Destroy me. I want to reincarnate again immediately, just as a lump of rock or a tree trunk. I truly cannot bear to live this kind of hellish life anymore.'

Chapter 6: Ch 6: Orochimaru's first impression

Chapter Text

The cold autumn wind began to sweep across the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, shaking loose dry leaves that never had the chance to touch the ground before being crushed under blood-stained ninja sandals. The seasons had changed, the sky slowly lost its warmth, but the Third Great Shinobi War was still trapped in a sickening swamp of stagnation.

On the front lines of this conflict, no village could truly claim a decisive victory. The contested land borders only shifted a few kilometers forward one week, only to be pushed back the next.

A deadly territorial tug-of-war, paid in full with a very expensive currency: human lives.

Every day, the sight of horse-drawn carriages carrying piles of body bags was a routine that dulled all empathy.

There was always a long list containing the names of young shinobi sent back to their beloved village only in the form of ash urns, or worse, merely blood-caked forehead protectors because their actual bodies were no longer recognizable or recoverable from the front lines.

Seeing all these horrors with his own eyes, Shion finally realized something dark. In his past life, he had heard a statement from an anime show stating that the Third Great Shinobi War was the bloodiest and most resource-draining war in the history of the ninja world.

Now, standing atop puddles of blood and mud, Shion knew that statement was absolutely no dramatic exaggeration. This place was a literal meat grinder from hell.

And unfortunately for Shion, his brief 'vacation' in the village—which he mostly spent locked in his room mourning the remnants of his male pride—had officially ended.

As one of Konoha's valuable military assets, he had to plunge back into that hellish cauldron.

Konoha-Iwa Border Command Headquarters.

The atmosphere in the main base was tense, colored by the back-and-forth rushing of combat ninjas and medical-nin moving quickly like worker bees. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Shion strode toward the central command tent to report.

His appearance, as usual, was an anomaly that drew side-glances. Beneath the standard green combat vest that signified his status as a Chunin, the collar of a pristine white sailor uniform and a softly fluttering pleated mini skirt peeked out. Below that, a pair of black stockings wrapped his smooth, slender legs.

Shion let out a long sigh internally. 'Good thing this damn System has a little leeway to let me wear the Chunin vest over these cursed clothes,' he thought, slightly grateful that the signature Konoha vest at least covered part of his body's silhouette and gave him a thin layer of "honor" as a ninja (even though his mini skirt still continued to claim the gazes of the young shinobi he passed by).

As soon as he pulled back the heavy curtain of the command tent, the thick scent of map ink, parchment, and a faint metallic smell of wet earth assaulted his nose. At the far end of the large map table sat a figure with long, straight black hair and skin as pale as a corpse. His elongated, reptilian golden eyes stared at a pile of reports with a sharp, intimidating gaze.

Orochimaru.

Seeing the Legendary Sannin sitting in the commander's chair, Shion wasn't surprised in the slightest. Even though Minato Namikaze's name was rising like a new star in the village, even the most amateur spies knew that on a border as harsh and brutal as this, the only person in Konoha with the capacity, experience, and strategic ruthlessness fit to be the supreme commander was Orochimaru.

'In this timeline, he is still recognized as one of the loyal protecting heroes of the village,' Shion thought calmly while taking an at-ease stance. 'Although I don't know exactly what year Orochimaru starts his secret genetic experiments on his fellow Konoha citizens, looking at his position at central command right now, his crazy project shouldn't have started on a mass scale yet.'

Shion, along with two other squad commanders who had just returned from a perimeter patrol mission, gave their brief reports in turn. Orochimaru listened intently, occasionally issuing counter-instructions with his low, raspy, hissing voice that carried undeniable authority.

"Report concluded, Commander," Shion finished in a flat tone, bowing his head slightly as a standard sign of respect, preparing to turn around and immediately exit the suffocating tent.

However, just as Shion pivoted on his heel and the other ninjas began stepping toward the exit, that long, cold hissing sound halted his steps.

"I have received your reports. The rest of you may return to your respective posts," Orochimaru said, his golden eyes slowly shifting from the map, piercing through the dim light of the tent and locking straight onto Shion. "But you... stay here. Until everyone else has left this tent."

Shion's footsteps froze in mid-air. The Byakugan veins around his temples even twitched without him realizing it.

The other ninjas glanced at each other, but no one dared question the Sannin's orders. In a matter of seconds, the large tent was empty, leaving only Shion standing rigidly in the middle of the room and Orochimaru staring at him with a gaze full of indecipherable interest.

An oppressive silence fell over the tent.

Cold sweat the size of corn kernels began to slowly seep down the back of Shion's neck. His brain started sounding maximum-level danger alarms. He knew full well that nothing good would come from a mad scientist like Orochimaru asking for alone time inside a closed tent.

'Oh man...' Shion wailed bitterly internally, holding himself back from trembling under the commander's serpentine gaze. 'I beg any god who's listening... please don't let this be something troublesome. And please, don't let this damn System chime in and give me a crazy mission!'

...

Outside the command post tent, the cold border wind swept across Shion's arms, which were now no longer protected by the thick layer of his vest. He stood frozen on the half-muddy ground like an ice statue. His facial expression was blank. His pair of Byakugan eyes, usually sharp, had now lost all the light of life, looking exactly like the dead eyes of a fish displayed at a flea market.

'What in the world just happened...' Shion wailed in torturous silence.

His brain spun hard, comparing this bitter reality with memories from his past life.

'Isn't it true that in every ninja novel or fanfic I've ever read, if the main character is specially called to stay alone in a tent by Orochimaru, it means the Sannin is interested in his talent? Shouldn't he praise me, try to use me, or at least plan to make me a secret experimental subject to dissect my eyes?! Why... why is reality like this?!'

A few moments ago, inside the command tent…

A suffocating silence blanketed the tent as soon as the other squad commanders left. At the end of the map table, Orochimaru stared intently at the figure before him.

Thanks to the absolute buff from the System that negated any gender detection abilities from Dojutsu or Sensory Ninjutsu no matter how high the level, to Orochimaru's eyes and chakra sensors, Shion was a one hundred percent genuine young girl. There was absolutely no doubt about it, biologically or magically.

It was an open secret in the village that among the three Legendary Sannin, not a single one of them had a 'normal' personality.

Orochimaru himself never denied it, and even tended to not care when his peers or the village elders called him weird, eccentric, or obsessed with bizarre things.

However, right now, seeing a young Kunoichi standing tall before him wearing a sailor uniform top, an incredibly short white pleated mini skirt, black nylon stockings, and then having it haphazardly layered with the thick green Konoha Chunin vest…

Orochimaru suddenly felt a strange headache. The Sannin massaged his pale nasal bridge. His brain automatically conjured up the only female face in his circle that he remembered best... or rather, the only one he cared to remember: Tsunade.

His former teammate was a woman with monstrous strength that could split the earth, a heavy-hitting gambler who always lost until she was chased by loan sharks, and a heavy drinker who chugged sake like water.

And now, in front of him, stood a genius Kunoichi from the noble Hyuga clan who apparently had an insane obsession with wearing super skimpy, impractical, and eye-gouging clothes in the middle of a hellish war.

'Could it be...' Orochimaru sighed deeply and wearily internally. 'Why is it that among all the women around me, not a single one of them is sane and normal?'

The fashion combination of the Kunoichi before him was truly a visual anomaly. Chaotic, illogical, and literally hurting the eyes of anyone with any aesthetic sense in clothing.

"Shion..." Orochimaru's hissing voice broke the silence.

"Y-yes, Commander?!" Shion answered promptly, his body tensing up, ready to receive an offer of dark power or a threat of physical torture.

"Choose only one outfit that you want to wear on the battlefield," Orochimaru said with an evaluating gaze filled with aesthetic discomfort. "Combining your... 'unique' clothes with our village's official Chunin vest truly ruins my sight."

Hearing that completely unexpected instruction, Shion's brain experienced a lag for a fraction of a second. Instead of feeling relieved that his eyes weren't being gouged out, the instincts of discipline and panic typical of a subordinate ninja took over before his rationality could kick in.

"But, Commander..." Shion answered innocently, blinking his eyes. "Isn't it against village regulations to not wear the official vest while on duty at the front lines?"

Orochimaru: "..."

Shion: "..."

A silence far deadlier than any lethal elemental jutsu suddenly swallowed the entire contents of the tent. Time seemed to stop ticking.

It took three full seconds for Shion's brain to re-process the sentence structure that had just flowed freely from his own mouth. When the true meaning of that sentence hit his logic, his eyes instantly widened in horror. His blood felt frozen.

'WAIT A MINUTE!' Shion screamed hysterically internally until it felt like his own eardrums burst. 'If I question permission to NOT wear the Chunin vest... that means I'm indirectly implying that I PREFER to take off the vest and keep wearing this sailor outfit and mini skirt?! But Orochimaru never told me to take the vest off! He only told me to pick one!'

To Orochimaru's ears, Shion's spontaneous response just now sounded exactly one hundred percent like the protest of an eccentric teenage girl fighting tooth and nail for her right to wear cosplay on the battlefield instead of official armor!

"W-wait, Commander! That's not what I meant! I-I absolutely didn't mean that, I can explain!" Shion stammered incredibly. He stepped forward in a panic, waving his hands wildly. His face flushed beet red, as if ready to explode from holding back unparalleled embarrassment.

However, Orochimaru seemed to have completely lost interest... or rather, refused to understand the contents of this weird young woman's head any further.

The genius scientist sighed wearily again, then waved his hand with a very firm, dismissive gesture.

"I don't need your explanation. Fetishes are a personal matter," Orochimaru cut in coldly. "Just consider this my written permission and a special exception for you to not wear the vest. Now... get out of my tent before my eyes hurt even more."

Back to the present…

Kicked out. Deemed a crazy girl obsessed with short skirts by one of the most terrifying and brilliant ninjas on the entire continent.

The border wind blew hard again, fluttering the hem of his white sailor skirt, which now danced freely without the green vest obstructing it, revealing a hint of his Zettai Ryouiki feature that immediately drew an awkward throat-clearing from the two tent guards nearby.

Shion slowly bowed his head. He let his long brown hair fall to cover his face, which was engulfed by a cloud of absolute despair. His shoulders slumped downwards.

'Dammit...' Shion wailed bitterly internally, his soul having truly given up on the world.

'Orochimaru-sama... I beg of you, just kidnap me. Please make me your experimental subject... Take my eyes, turn me into a snake monster, do anything as long as I don't have to live with this humiliating misunderstanding...'

...

The border forest was wet with the remnants of last night's rain. The scent of damp earth, rotting pine, and the faint metallic smell of blood mixed together in the cold air. Three shadowy figures darted through the branches of giant trees at high speed.

At the very front, Shion led the patrol formation. Without the green Chunin vest that covered his upper body, the autumn wind directly hit his sailor uniform. The white fabric fluttered with a constant rhythm, while his mini skirt danced, defying the laws of gravity. Miraculously, even though they had passed through thickets and mud, the clothes remained as white as snow and his black stockings remained spotless—a magical miracle from the System that Shion could only be grateful for amidst his despair.

"Halt," Shion hissed suddenly, raising his right fist.

His two teammates, two veteran Chunin whose faces were covered in scars, immediately braked and landed silently on the same tree branch.

Fine veins began to emerge around Shion's temples. "Byakugan!"

The world around him instantly turned monochromatic. Shion's X-ray vision pierced through leaves, tree trunks, and rocks within a radius of several kilometers.

Shion's heart instantly dropped. About two hundred meters from their position, hidden behind perfect earth-element camouflage, four extremely dense clumps of chakra were waiting.

Three of those chakra clumps were equivalent to elite Chunin, but one of them emitted chakra fluctuations that were far larger, heavier, and highly concentrated.

'A Jonin...' Shion thought, cold sweat beginning to seep down his neck. 'One Jonin and three Chunin from Iwagakure. They've already noticed our presence and intentionally set up an ambush formation.'

Before Shion could even give the order to retreat, the ground beneath the tree they were standing on suddenly shook violently.

"Doton: Iwa Nadare! (Earth Release: Stone Avalanche!)"

The giant banyan tree trunk they were standing on shattered into pieces. The ground below exploded, spewing out pillars of sharp rocks that shot into the air like giant spears.

"Scatter!" Shion yelled.

The three of them leaped in different directions. However, the enemy had already calculated their evasion trajectories. While Shion's two teammates were still mid-air, three Iwa Chunin darted out of the mud like ghosts. A barrage of shuriken and explosive kunai filled the air.

BOOM! BOOM!

Chain explosions rocked the forest. One of Shion's teammates took a direct hit from the rock shrapnel of the explosion and was thrown against a cliff with the horrifying sound of breaking bones. His second teammate tried to counter with a fire-element jutsu, but was pierced by two swords from his blind spot by the other Iwa Chunin. In less than thirty seconds, both of Shion's teammates were lying in pools of blood on the muddy ground, completely unconscious.

Now, only Shion was left.

Shion landed gracefully atop a large, flat rock. His breathing became heavy. This wasn't his first time on a battlefield, but this was his first time having to face an enemy Jonin directly in a life-or-death battle without any senior or village legend to protect him. When he faced Minato, it was just sparring. When he was saved by Hiashi, he didn't even get to physically clash with the Jonin fully.

But this time, there was no Hizashi. There was no Minato Namikaze.

There was only him, his Byakugan, and a System that often tortured him more than it helped.

From behind the cloud of dust, a large, muscular man stepped forward. He wore the Iwagakure uniform with a scratched forehead protector. Burn scars covered half of his face, giving off a terrifyingly brutal impression.

Behind him, his three Chunin subordinates spread out, blocking all of Shion's escape routes.

"Heh... Look what we caught today," the Iwa Jonin's voice sounded raspy and heavy, like rocks grinding against each other. His cruel eyes stared at Shion from head to toe. "I heard rumors about Konoha's popular 'White Skirt Fairy'. I thought it was just the bullshit of frightened Genin, but it turns out you're actually real. And you... wear an incredibly seductive outfit for a soldier."

The three Chunin behind him smirked lewdly.

Hearing the verbal harassment, Shion's jaw hardened. Hatred and disgust peaked in his chest. 'Damn perverts. I'll make sure you regret being born with eyes!'

"Finish her off slowly. Don't ruin her pretty face," the Iwa Jonin ordered casually, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling that victory was absolute.

The three Chunin darted forward simultaneously.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers from the battlefield…

Inside the stuffy command post tent, Orochimaru massaged his still-throbbing temples. His head felt dizzy, his eyes still felt 'sore' after being treated to the sight of a weird Kunoichi combining a mini skirt sailor outfit with a Chunin vest. The Sannin felt he needed some fresh air. Fresh air that smelled of enemy blood.

Orochimaru formed a quick hand seal, creating a Shadow Clone (Kage Bunshin) to sit in his place on the commander's chair. Meanwhile, his real body walked casually out of the base, heading toward the front lines.

Orochimaru hopped from branch to branch like a snake slithering through the trees. He hadn't gone far when his sharp sensory instincts caught intense chakra fluctuations from the east.

Driven by curiosity (and the desire to stretch his stiff joints), Orochimaru darted toward the source of the fight. When he arrived and stood hidden atop the branches of a lush banyan tree, his golden eyes narrowed.

Down below, in an open area already destroyed by jutsu, the 'weird' Kunoichi he had just kicked out of his tent was fighting desperately alone against an Iwa Jonin. The corpses of three Iwa Chunin and two unconscious Konoha ninjas lay scattered around her.

Orochimaru watched closely. The girl's clothes were extremely annoying, yes. However, her movements... were incredibly sharp. Efficient. Lethal. The girl used pitch-black batons to parry the enemy's brutal barrage of attacks, while searching for an opening with the patience of a cold-blooded killer.

'Interesting,' Orochimaru smirked, his tongue licking his lips. 'Her talent far exceeds her eye-gouging appearance. I think I'll "help" her a little. It's been a while since my Kusanagi tasted the blood of an Iwa Jonin.'

Orochimaru dropped down from the tree silently, landing on the ground somewhat far behind Shion's position. The Sannin tilted his head back.

His mouth opened wide, unnaturally wide. A white snake slithered out of his throat, and from the snake's mouth, the hilt of the legendary Kusanagi sword was slowly being pulled out.

However, before Orochimaru could fully draw the sword, the climax of the battle in front of him occurred.

In the midst of the fight, the Iwa Jonin made a fatal mistake due to overconfidence in his stone armor. He swung a massive, wide punch.

Shion ducked low, letting the stone fist miss over his head. Shion's mini skirt fluttered, and the magical charm of the Zettai Ryouiki feature once again toyed with the opponent's focus. The Jonin's eyes were subconsciously distracted toward Shion's thighs for an eleventh of a second.

That pause was enough.

Shion spun his black baton, focusing all of his remaining chakra into the tip of the weapon, and thrust it with full force into the only blind spot of the enemy's earth armor: the armpit, which connected directly to the heart.

STAB!

The black baton pierced flesh and crushed the Iwa Jonin's heart. The muscular man's eyes widened in horror, before blood finally spurted from his mouth. His massive body collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. Dead instantly.

Silence.

The forest wind blew, scattering the dust of battle.

Shion stood, his body trembling violently. His breathing was ragged. Sweat flooded his face and neck. He had pushed past his physical limits. His muscles screamed, and his chakra reserves had truly hit rock bottom. The veins around his eyes slowly vanished as the Byakugan automatically deactivated.

'It's over... I managed to survive...' Shion moaned internally, feeling as if half his soul had floated away.

He held the long black baton, covered in the enemy's blood, in his hand.

Because he wasn't carrying any storage scrolls, Shion's exhausted brain, half-insane from adrenaline, subconsciously remembered the System's bastard reward feature: [The Skirt That Holds Everything!]

'To hell with pride. No one's watching me here anyway,' Shion thought resignedly. He was too tired to care. His teammates were unconscious, and the enemies were dead.

With a movement that looked incredibly natural yet visually utterly absurd, Shion used his left hand to lift the front hem of his sailor mini skirt slightly upward. Then, with his right hand holding the meter-long, pitch-black iron baton, he shoved (inserted) the long, hard object directly into his crotch area... or rather, into the invisible Pocket Dimension portal hidden beneath the skirt.

The long black baton was swallowed slowly as if entering a bottomless magic pouch, disappearing completely behind invisible laced panties.

After the baton vanished, Shion released the hem of his skirt, letting it fall back to cover his thighs neatly as if nothing had happened. He sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

However, amidst that relief, his shinobi instincts suddenly caught another presence. The hairs on Shion's neck stood up. He whipped his body around quickly.

There, standing about fifteen meters away among the corpses of the enemy ninjas and his unconscious Konoha teammates... stood Orochimaru.

The Legendary Sannin stood frozen like a wax statue. His head was still slightly tilted upwards. His mouth was open incredibly wide. A white snake protruded from his throat, and the hilt of the Kusanagi sword was only pulled halfway out of the snake's mouth.

Orochimaru's posture was completely halted. His reptilian golden eyes, usually full of calculation, coldness, and cunning, were now wide open, staring straight at Shion with a blank gaze filled with a confusion that couldn't be explained by any science.

As a genius scientist who had performed thousands of crazy body modifications, Orochimaru felt he had seen everything in this world. Storing a sword in the stomach of a snake inside his throat was 'normal' for him.

But, seeing a beautiful 'girl' lift her mini skirt and shove a long, hard, blood-stained black iron pole straight through her crotch until it vanished without a trace... that was a biological terror that successfully caused the Sannin's brain to experience a fatal error.

The cold border wind blew again, carrying remnants of dry leaves that drifted between the two of them.

Shion, his face now paler than the corpse next to him, stared at the sword protruding from Orochimaru's mouth.

Orochimaru, with the Kusanagi sword still stuck in his throat, stared at Shion's mini skirt.

Shion: "..."

Orochimaru: "..."

Chapter 7: Ch 7: Orochimaru's disciple! (and author's notes)

Notes:

Before we start the continuation of the story, I, as the Author, beg the readers to leave comments and reviews... honestly, only interacting with you guys, as fellow fanfiction fans, keeps me motivated to continue my story...

If you look at my profile, I've created several stories and they've run quite long... but, due to the lack of interaction, I'm losing my spirit to write...

As someone who has to work as an employee every day, only writing fanfic stories from my favorite anime can relieve my stress from the day's heavy workload...

Okay, maybe I've ranted too long and it's a bit annoying, so... let's continue to the story (^^)

Chapter Text

"Orochimaru-sama! Please, listen to my explanation first!"

The sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the alley between the base tents. Shion jogged, reaching out his hand with a pleading face.

In front of him, Orochimaru, the Legendary Sannin feared by thousands of enemy ninjas, walked at an incredibly fast pace, almost as if he were in a speed-walking race.

Orochimaru: "..."

The commander did not look back at all. His reptilian golden eyes stared straight ahead with a rigid expression that was hard to decipher. The moment he spotted a gap between two logistics tents, his hands quickly formed a single seal. Shunshin no Jutsu! In a flash, the pale snake-like figure vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"W-wait! Don't go! It's not what you think!" Shion shouted into the empty air, clutching the hem of his mini skirt with mounting frustration.

This was not the first occurrence. Several days had passed since the "Black Baton and Snake Throat Incident" in the middle of the forest. Since then, the Konoha ninjas at the border camp had been treated to a daily spectacle that was highly unique and beyond reason.

At every opportunity, whether during guard shifts, in front of the meeting room, or near the supply area, Shion always tried to intercept and approach Orochimaru.

Shion's intentions were actually very simple and pure: he wanted to clear his good name and his remaining pride! He wanted to explain that his skirt had a hidden spatial dimension seal, and he was NOT some shapeshifting girl who could absorb iron poles through his crotch!

Unfortunately, Orochimaru always ignored him. The Sannin consistently and blatantly avoided Shion's figure like avoiding a contagious plague. For Orochimaru, the traumatic sight that day had scratched the absolute limit of his tolerance for human weirdness.

Naturally, the cat-and-mouse dynamic between the Supreme Commander and this beautiful 'White Skirt Fairy' did not escape the eyes of the hundreds of soldiers in the camp. Since no one knew the true events in the forest, wild speculations and gossip began to sprout like mushrooms in the rainy season.

From mundane speculations:

"I think Lady Shion is asking for a special mission from the Commander, but keeps getting rejected."

To outrageous romantic speculations:

"Hey, did you see how Lady Shion keeps chasing after Orochimaru-sama? Could it be... that the genius Kunoichi is trying hard to confess her true love to our cold Commander?"

The worst rumors actually thrived in the medical tent. The nurse Kunoichi, lacking entertainment in the middle of a hellish war, made the interactions between the two their favorite daily gossip material.

"You guys are wrong! Yesterday I saw them giving each other the silent treatment. It's clearly a lovers' quarrel! Orochimaru-sama must be sulking because Lady Shion is too busy on the front lines!"

Every time those rumors reached Shion's ears, Shion felt like digging a hole, crawling into it, and burying himself alive. His pride as a man was not only murdered, but mutilated by cheap gossip!

Until one day, the limit of Shion's mental patience finally exploded.

That afternoon, the central area of the camp was very busy.

Dozens of medical ninjas passed by carrying stretchers, the logistics team was moving dozens of crates of explosive kunai, and the Chunin were lining up to get rations. Amidst the crowd, Shion saw Orochimaru's back as he just exited the meeting tent, preparing to walk away and avoid him again upon seeing Shion's shadow.

The thread of Shion's sanity snapped with an invisible 'snap' sound. His brain, already exhausted from bearing the shame, lost its ability to filter words.

Unconsciously, Shion took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs in the middle of the crowd.

"Orochimaru-sama! Don't keep ignoring me!!"

The high-pitched scream echoed, cutting through the hustle and bustle of the camp. Hundreds of pairs of eyes reflexively turned toward the source of the sound. However, the real disaster slipped from Shion's lips in the very next second.

With a frustrated face and tear-filled eyes holding back emotions, Shion pointed straight at Orochimaru and threw out his desperate defense.

"This isn't entirely my fault either! You also made the situation more awkward that time!!"

Inside Shion's head, that sentence was perfectly logical. What he meant was: 'It's not just me who's weird for shoving a bloody baton into my skirt! You also made it awkward by suddenly standing frozen while puking a long sword out of a snake's mouth from your throat!'

However, to the ears of the hundreds of people in the camp who had absolutely no context... that sentence sounded like the nuclear bomb of a heavy-weight romance scandal.

Instantly, time in the border camp seemed to stop ticking.

Orochimaru: "..." (His footsteps froze in place, his back stiffening rigidly).

Shion: "..." (Still in his pointing posture, panting heavily).

The medical ninja bandaging a patient's wound: "..." (The bandage slipped and fell to the ground).

The logistics team carrying crates: "..." (The wooden crates slipped from their shoulders with a soft thud).

The patient groaning in pain: "..."

Silence. Dead quiet. The only sound was the Konoha flag fluttering in the afternoon breeze.

The other ninjas around the area suddenly pretended to refocus on wiping their weapons or sorting documents, but their eyes were wide open and their ears were strained in an S-rank combat alert state to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Three seconds passed in that deadly silence.

Finally, realization hit Shion like a giant sledgehammer.

His brain slowly replayed every syllable he had just yelled in front of hundreds of people. 'Don't ignore me... Not entirely my fault... You made the situation awkward...'

To a layman's ears, that sentence sounded 100% like the scream of a girl who had just been dumped after an "unforgettable night," or worse, a demand for responsibility over something very... intimate.

Shion's face, from the base of his neck to the roots of his hair, instantly exploded into a beet-red blush. His eyes widened in horror seeing the shocked and amazed stares of the ninjas around him.

'N-NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!!' Shion screamed internally, thrashing inside a cage of despair. 'You all misunderstood! This is purely an issue about a sword and a skirt's crotch! Ah, wait, that sounds even more wrong!!'

Shion's vision began to blur, and he felt that perhaps fainting right now was the best possible escape from the social death he had just brought upon himself.

....

"Orochimaru-sama! Please accept me as your disciple!"

The loud exclamation echoed in the quiet alley between the base tents. Shion bowed perfectly at ninety degrees, both hands clenched tightly beside his thighs, displaying a highly formal and resolute posture of supplication.

Orochimaru: "..."

In front of him, Orochimaru, who had just formed half a hand seal to use the Shunshin no Jutsu, purely intending to 'escape' from this problematic Kunoichi, froze in place.

The Sannin stared at the brown-haired girl bowing before him with an undecipherable gaze. There was surprise, confusion, and a hint of incredibly profound exhaustion in his golden eyes.

How did the story get this far? Let's turn back the clock a bit...

A few days ago…

After the incredibly sensational and humiliating incident in the middle of the crowded camp, where Shion accidentally yelled an ambiguous sentence that sparked a heavy-weight romance scandal rumor, Shion collapsed immediately.

He applied for sick leave. And unfortunately, it wasn't just an excuse; he actually fell ill. Extreme psychological pressure triggered a headache, severe dizziness, and a mild fever.

However, instead of finding peace, Shion was moved to a new kind of 'hell': The Border Medical Tent.

During his treatment, the tent was filled with nurse Kunoichi whose primary hobby was gossiping. Every time they changed bandages or administered medicine, Shion could hear their whispers and giggles discussing the "domestic dispute" between him and the Supreme Commander.

But that cheap gossip wasn't the main reason why Shion called that place hell. The biggest reason was: Underwear.

As a patient forced to lie on a medical bed, he obviously couldn't keep wearing his magical sailor outfit. He had to wear a standard patient gown. This meant that, for the first time since he got the System, his underwear layer was in danger of being exposed during medical examinations.

In order to keep his true male gender from being discovered by the sharp-eyed medical ninjas, Shion was forced to swallow the remaining dust of his pulverized pride. He had to wear women's underwear!

Every time a nurse came to examine him, Shion's heart beat like crazy, scared half to death. 'If a lie this massive is exposed...' Shion thought, his body shivering in horror imagining the consequences.

Lying to the Third Hokage, deceiving the Head of the Hyuga Clan, and fooling the entire border camp. If he was found out as a full-blooded male, he wouldn't just be executed on charges of espionage or harassment, but he would also die socially forever!

Just imagining it made his headache flare up again.

After several days of enduring mental torture in the medical tent, Shion was finally declared cured. He immediately returned to duty. After finishing his first routine patrol that day, Shion sat leaning against a tree, intending to rest his legs.

However, just as he could start breathing a sigh of relief, the horrific mechanical voice that he hadn't heard for days echoed in his skull again.

[Ding!]

The hairs on Shion's neck stood up all at once. Cold sweat immediately drenched his back. A very thick premonition of dread filled his head. The transparent blue holographic screen appeared mercilessly in front of his face.

[The System detects the Host has recovered! Time to evolve! Emergency Multiple Choice Mission Triggered!]

Shion gulped, his eyes reading the lines of text that appeared as his hands trembled.

[Choice A: Dangerous Love!]

[Description: Ask Orochimaru out on a date and make him blush!]

[Reward: Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai (Macabre Bone Pulse/Bone Manipulation)!]**

[Choice B: The Truth is Everything!]

[Description: Stand in the middle of the camp, confess to everyone that you are a genuine MALE. Proudly announce that wearing women's clothing and acting cute is your deepest hobby! (And also, publicly admit that your preference in a partner is a handsome older man!).]

[Reward: One Rinnegan Eye!]**

[Choice C: The Path of a Disciple!]

[Description: Ask Orochimaru to take you as his disciple! Fight for it and don't give up until you are officially accepted!]

[Reward: Legendary Clothing Item 'Seductive Miko Outfit'.]**

[Reward Stats: This outfit possesses A-rank physical and magical protection! (For example: When wearing this outfit, even if the Host takes a Rasengan or Chidori-level attack directly, the Host will not die and will only feel damage equivalent to a full-force punch from a standard Chunin!)]**

Shion: "..."

INSANE! Shion's mind screamed hysterically. This System was truly trying to kill him!

What the hell were these mission choices?!

Choice A? Asking that eccentric pale snake on a date? Shion would rather be swallowed alive by Manda than have to do something that disgusting!

Choice B? Even if the reward was the legendary god eye Rinnegan, Shion would never do it! Even if the reward was Goddess Kaguya Otsutsuki's entire arsenal of jutsu, he'd rather be a trash ninja for life than commit that kind of social suicide!

Therefore, the most 'normal' choice that could still be tolerated by common sense and his remaining pride obviously fell on Choice C.

But... wait a minute. What the hell was that reward?!

Shion pressed the (Preview) icon on the holographic screen to see the appearance of the 'Seductive Miko Outfit'. As the 3D image of the clothes rotated slowly in front of his face, Shion's Byakugan eyes widened.

"..."

This outfit... this can't be, right?! Shion roared in his heart. The design was very familiar! A sleeveless top exposing the shoulders, loose detached sleeves, super short pants that exposed the thighs to the extreme, and a large ribbon accessory on the back.

It was a 100% replica of the outfit worn by Yae Miko, a character from the game Genshin Impact in his past life!

Granted, technically, the protection reward was insane. Reducing a Rasengan's destructive power to the limit of an ordinary Chunin's punch was an absolute defensive cheat (although a full-power Chunin punch could still crush ribs, at least it wouldn't blast a hole through his chest or obliterate him).

But once again... that outfit?! The chest area had a very specific cut-out design, not to mention exposing the back and thighs in a way that was completely unsafe for a battlefield!

Just when Shion was about to curse the heavens, the System chimed again.

[Ding! The Host does not need to worry! The System detects a 'flaw' in the Host's current physical anatomy.]

'A flaw?!'

[If the Host completes the Third Mission, the System will provide a Paired Bonus: A Pair of 'Magical Chest Pads'! These pads will adjust the proportions of the Host's upper body to look perfect and proportional when wearing the Miko Outfit!]

'NO! I WASN'T HESITATING BECAUSE OF SOMETHING RIDICULOUS LIKE THAT, YOU DAMN SYSTEM!!!' Shion screamed in his mind, nearly vomiting blood from frustration.

However, the System ignored his rage and calmly continued its explanation.

[Attention: These Chest Pads are not mere aesthetic accessories! They function as high-level Reserve Chakra Storage. The pads will automatically absorb and store a portion of the Host's chakra while sleeping, which can then be channeled back into the body when the Host runs out of chakra on the battlefield! Just consider this a more practical alternative version of Lady Tsunade's Yin Seal (Byakugou)!]

[Important Note: In accordance with the magical physics of space, the larger the amount of stored chakra, the chest pads will expand and inflate proportionally in size! And when the Host siphons that chakra for use in battle, the size will deflate back down! Highly interactive, isn't it?!]

Shion: "..."

The world felt like it was spinning. His vision darkened. An alternative to Tsunade's Yin Seal? The concept was brilliantly genius and overpowered. But why did its application have to be in the form of chest pads that inflate and deflate like a hot air balloon?!

Imagine if he was in a fierce battle, unleashing a massive jutsu, and then suddenly his chest deflated mid-fight! What would the enemy think?!

Shion slumped weakly under the tree, wiping his face with both hands. He could only sigh in resignation with indescribable bitterness.

Because of this damn System, he was already considered a weird girl by Orochimaru.

Imagine, out of all the billions of humans living in this world, of all people, 'Orochimaru' thought he was weird!

But, what could he do. Shion absolutely had no other choice. Rather than refusing and having this System somehow punish him and force him to do another Option, Shion had no choice but to steel his resolve, grit his teeth, and pick Option C.

Back to the present…

And here he was now. Intercepting Orochimaru in a quiet alley, bowing 90 degrees like a loyal subordinate, begging to be taken as a disciple.

"Please take me as your disciple, Orochimaru-sama!" Shion repeated, his voice trembling slightly to hold back the turmoil of emotions in his chest.

'Please... I've already dropped my pride into the Mariana Trench. Please don't make this hard for me, you pale snake,' he prayed in his heart.

In front of him, Orochimaru was still frozen. The wind blew, scattering a few leaves between them. The Sannin stared at the girl bowing before him, remembering the Kusanagi sword, the iron baton, and the shouted romantic quarrel from the other day. Orochimaru's genius brain spun, searching for the most rational excuse to get out of this absurd situation.

Chapter 8: Ch 8: Me, Becoming a Mother?

Chapter Text

The Roran Kingdom.

An expanse of golden sand stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see, hiding an architectural marvel that seemed to defy the laws of nature in the heart of the arid desert.

Unlike the silent and dead ancient ruins of the future, in this Third Shinobi World War timeline, Roran stood with a majesty that thrilled the soul of anyone who laid eyes upon it.

Giant cylindrical towers made of solid steel and brick soared arrogantly, piercing the scorching sky.

Overpasses circled the buildings like giant iron belts, connecting one tower to another in a complex web of infrastructure.

White smoke from steam engines billowed into the air, blending with the bluish-purple glow of chakra flowing rapidly through transparent pipes in every corner of the city.

The clanking of metal, the roar of gears, and the beating of engines became the heartbeat of this city, proving absolutely that Roran was still a highly active, prosperous, and triumphant kingdom.

In a secluded corner of the city, perfectly hidden in the shadows of a giant tower's balcony to avoid the patrols of one-eyed puppet guards, Shion stood frozen.

The dry, hot desert wind blew fiercely, whipping his long brown hair around wildly to sweep across his face.

The fine veins around his temples tensed. His pale Byakugan eyes were now widened to their absolute limits, radiating an absolute horror that couldn't be hidden at all.

Before him, just a few steps away on the steel-plated balcony floor, stood a very, very familiar teenage boy dressed in an orange and black tracksuit. His spiky blond hair defied gravity, and his pair of blue eyes, as bright as the midday sky, stared at Shion with overflowing shock.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" asked the blond teenager, his voice cutting through the roaring wind, filled with both shock and innocent curiosity. "I just said goodbye and left home a few days ago, why are you here following me?"

Hearing that one-word address, Shion's heart felt like it was violently ripped from his chest cavity and stopped beating instantly. His blood, which had been boiling earlier due to Roran's weather, now felt frozen solid. He reflexively took a step back, his back nearly slamming into the concrete pillar wall.

Shion stared intently at the teenager's face with bated breath. His facial features, his spiky blond hair, his sapphire blue eyes... this teenager was truly a living, breathing replica of Minato Namikaze! Except, that genetic blueprint was augmented with three distinct fox whisker marks on each of his cheeks!

"W-who is your Mother?!" Shion stammered, his voice cracking at the highest octave due to panic and a massive identity crisis.

The blond teenager furrowed his brow in confusion, completely ignoring, or oblivious to, the extreme panic washing over Shion. Instead, he took a step closer with a look of bewilderment.

"It's me, Naruto! I just left the village with Captain Yamato a few days ago to chase that damn Mukade... wait..."

Naruto's footsteps suddenly halted. His head tilted slightly to the side. His blue eyes narrowed sharply, scrutinizing Shion's beautiful face, his slimmer posture, and the strange clothes he was wearing. The survival instincts forged from various deadly battles began to ignite.

"Wait a minute... Why do you look younger?" Naruto muttered, his vigilance as a shinobi suddenly spiking drastically. He lowered his center of gravity, taking a combat stance, and pointed straight at Shion's nose with his index finger. "You... are you an enemy ninja using the Henge no Jutsu to copy my mother to trick me?!"

Shion nearly had a double heart attack on the spot. His body froze stiff like an ice statue in the middle of the desert.

In front of him right now was Uzumaki Naruto. The main character of this world! A teenage jinchuriki from the future who, according to the laws of physics, spatial logic, and time, absolutely shouldn't even be born yet and shouldn't be in this timeline! And for whatever reason... whether due to the side effects of time travel, dimensional distortion, or simply his legendary cross-generational stupidity, the teenager suddenly called him 'Mother'...

How did the situation end up this complicated and insane?

Let's turn back the clock a bit.

A few days ago, at the Konoha-Iwa Border Command Headquarters.

Exactly one year had passed since the historic day when Shion officially threw the remnants of his masculine pride into the deepest trenches of the Mariana, prostrating himself and begging with crocodile tears, and miraculously being accepted as the direct disciple of the genius scientist and Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.

Honestly, in Orochimaru's analytical eyes, if it weren't for the 'weirdness' of the young Kunoichi's fashion sense and awkward behavior that often caused his brain to experience system errors, the Sannin would very openly admit that he was extremely proud. Having a disciple as genius, as strong, and as tough as this girl from the Hyuga clan was an incredible military asset.

Currently, inside the central command tent where the air always felt stuffy and filled with piles of dusty parchment scrolls, Shion was busy sorting logistics reports, counting military pill supplies, and marking enemy troop movement maps.

His appearance? He was wearing the 'Seductive Miko Outfit', a god-tier absurd design masterpiece bestowed by the System as a mission reward a year ago.

The outfit consisted of a red and white silk sleeveless top that completely exposed his pale shoulders, a pair of detached fabric sleeves dangling loosely like butterfly wings, a giant ribbon on his lower back, and black shorts cut so very, very short that they brushed the alarming boundaries of common decency. Coupled with the charm of the Zettai Ryouiki that had become his permanent curse.

Orochimaru, who was sitting with his pale chin propped on one hand behind the main desk, stared at his disciple in silence.

The Sannin had long since given up and couldn't even be bothered to question Shion's sanity anymore. From which crazy tailor did his disciple get that bizarre cosplay outfit in the middle of a hellish border battlefield? How could clothes that exposed so much bare skin magically never get dirty with dust, never be stained by enemy blood, or tear even the slightest bit despite Shion wearing them non-stop every single day for a full year?

To Orochimaru, that was one of the mysteries of the scientific world better left unsolved to preserve his own remaining sanity.

Orochimaru's reptilian golden eyes narrowed slowly, continuing to stare at the back of his disciple who was looking down, brushing an ink pen to write a report. The scientist's focus was no longer on the clothes, but shifted to a space-time modification phenomenon that still bothered and tickled his rational logic: the dimensional pocket artifact.

"Shion, try lifting—"

Hearing his master's raspy and cold voice suddenly break the silence of the tent, Shion immediately stopped the stroke of his ink brush. He turned around with a flowing, graceful movement, looking at Orochimaru with an obedient smile like a model subordinate.

"Yes, Shishou? Do you need something?"

Orochimaru opened his mouth to issue a follow-up command, but his brain immediately reprocessed the sentence structure a fraction of a second before the vowels were actually spoken.

'Try lifting your skirt, I want to see your crotch.'

Orochimaru's mouth clamped shut instantly with a soft clack of teeth.

His body froze.

That sentence sounded very, very, very wrong. Even by the moral standards of an Orochimaru who didn't hesitate to dissect enemy soldiers alive and experiment with lethal neurotoxins, telling his teenage female disciple to lift her lower garments alone inside a closed tent was a high-level social crime! It was a fatal S-class harassment that couldn't be justified by any logical scientific curiosity!

If Tsunade or Jiraiya heard about this, his reputation would be pulverized not as a rogue ninja, but as a perverted middle-aged man!

The pale Sannin let out a very long sigh, massaging his temples that suddenly throbbed with pain from overthinking.

"...No. Forget it."

Shion tilted his head slightly, strands of brown hair falling to frame his beautiful face. He looked at his master with a confused and overly innocent gaze. "Eh? Are you sure, Shishou? I don't mind if you need help moving things."

"Continue your work," Orochimaru cut in quickly and firmly, turning his face back toward the map scroll, refusing to make any further eye contact.

Truthfully, it wasn't that Orochimaru had even the slightest perverted intention in his ice-cold heart! He purely just felt an intense intellectual itch. He was curious about what Shion called a 'secret family heirloom artifact'. A boundless pocket dimension space that, strangely, could only be accessed from under his disciple's skirt or shorts.

Orochimaru's logic as a master of thousands of jutsu continued to rebel. Even if a magical object of the caliber of a pocket space-time storage actually existed, how could a young girl who merely hailed from the branch family of the Hyuga clan possess it?

But, regardless of all the absurd and dizzying things surrounding the girl, Orochimaru had to admit one absolute fact: Shion's talent, survival instincts, and combat power were developing at an incredibly rapid and terrifying pace.

Of course, Orochimaru had absolutely no idea about the pathetic truth behind the scenes—that the 'extraordinary combat talent' Shion possessed was actually just a passive buff from the bastard System.

And because this border was a real battlefield reeking of blood, mud, and death, coupled with the fact that Shion's status was no longer a fresh Genin who needed to be thrown to the front lines just to gain combat experience, Orochimaru didn't feel the need to train her in combat every day. He already considered Shion mature enough.

Instead, Shion's main job over the past year was much more akin to Shizune's work routine when serving Tsunade in the future. He managed his master's packed patrol schedule, sorted the piling intelligence reports from spies, prepared tea, and organized the logistics of medical supply distribution to the nursing tents.

Even though Shion's heart incessantly cursed the System's injustice and complained about the cold every time the border night wind managed to pierce his highly revealing Miko outfit, deep down inside, he was so grateful he felt like crying tears of joy.

Being a personal assistant inside Orochimaru's warm tent meant he no longer had to risk his life, bathe in blood, and fight desperately every day on the filthy front lines against the brutal sea of Iwagakure ninjas.

However, that peace was not without a soul-torturing price. There was one small note (which was highly depressing and Shion wanted to erase from his memory) regarding the physical development of his body over the past year.

The System, it turned out, truly wasn't joking about its promise regarding the 'Chest Pad Bonus'. The pair of magical pads that acted as reserve chakra storage pouches beneath the Miko top actually worked on a cellular principle very similar to the Byakugou Seal on Tsunade's forehead.

The pads slowly, constantly, and invisibly siphoned Shion's unused residual chakra while he was sound asleep at night. However, because this high-level absorption took a very long time and progressed gradually in harmony with his body's circulation flow, the development of the 'pads' size occurred slowly like biological growth.

After a full year had passed, that high-level chakra accumulation had only managed to increase his chest size by one cup.

A physical change subtle and completely logical enough to be deemed as the 'natural growth period of a teenage girl's puberty' by the medical nurses and ninjas around him.

But for Shion's full-blooded male soul? The reality that the physical body he inhabited was slowly forming the prominent and permanent curves of a mature woman every time he saved chakra, was enough to make him feel severely depressed, losing his appetite every time he saw his own reflection in the mirror.

Amidst the quiet of the command tent that afternoon, a smooth, slithering hissing sound came from the gap under the tent entrance.

A small white snake slithered in nimbly, tracing the muddy ground, smoothly climbing up one of the wooden table legs, and finally regurgitating a small, tightly sealed parchment scroll right in front of Orochimaru.

Orochimaru picked up the slightly slimy scroll without showing the slightest expression of disgust. He broke the wax seal engraved with the Konoha leaf symbol and read the complex rows of cipher text inside rapidly. His thin eyebrows lifted slightly upwards.

The Sannin placed the scroll down and looked at his disciple with a facial expression that had fully reverted to military commander mode. "Shion, leave your sorting work. It seems you need to immediately start packing your things. The Hokage summons you."

"Hokage-sama?" Shion asked, putting down the scroll in his hand. His tone implied genuine surprise. It was very rare, almost unprecedented, for a combat subordinate stationed in the hellish border front lines to be recalled directly by the village's supreme leader, unless there was something extremely urgent, a sudden invasion, or an S-rank secret mission.

"Yes," Orochimaru answered while rolling the parchment back up and storing it into the inner pocket of his robes.

"Sarutobi-Sensei wrote that he has a special mission designed specifically for you. You will be assigned to travel deep into the Land of Wind territory and investigate the situation in the Roran Kingdom. According to Anbu intelligence reports that just reached the Hokage's desk, that isolated place has over the past six years 'suddenly developed rapidly' in architecture and technology in a way that is highly unnatural, illogical, and suspicious."

Hearing the name 'Roran Kingdom' spoken from his master's mouth, memories from Shion's past life instantly exploded in his mind like a bolt of lightning in broad daylight.

Roran! Memories of the plot of an animated movie where there was a giant Ley Line energy tower named Ryumyaku, time travel caused by a chakra explosion, and Mukade the villain who controlled mechanical servant puppets using chakra threads!

Shion quickly tidied up the last report scroll on his desk, then stepped to the center of the tent and bowed deeply in respect to his master.

After bidding a proper farewell and expressing his profound gratitude for the protection from the harsh front lines and Orochimaru's guidance over the past year in this camp, Shion quickly ran out of the command tent. He had to head back to Konoha as fast as lightning to receive his official briefing directly from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

A few hours later, under a dusk sky as red as blood, in the middle of the dense border forest.

Shion's figure darted, leaping from one giant tree branch to another at high speed like the shadow of a hunting owl. He wore a long, thick gray travel cloak that flapped fiercely. He desperately used the cloak to cover his highly conspicuous Miko outfit, aiming to hide his identity and the silhouette of his bodily curves from the prying eyes of enemy spies who might be hiding behind the foliage.

"The Roran Kingdom, huh..." Shion murmured softly to the howling dusk wind striking his beautiful face. His pale eyes stared sharply, piercing through the darkening horizon in the west. "The plot of The Lost Tower. I'm really curious... just how drastically my existence as an anomaly in this world will trigger the butterfly effect and alter the course of history and the future..."

Present Time…

Shion snapped back to reality from his flashback reverie. His mind returned to the harsh reality on the steel balcony of the Roran Kingdom.

Before him, the teenage Naruto was still staring at him with an accusing and suspicious glare. A standard Konoha kunai was already gripped in his sturdy right hand.

"Hey! Why have you been staying quiet this whole time?!" Naruto shouted impatiently, his blond eyebrows furrowing sharply. "Hurry up and answer my question! Who are you really and why are you using some cheap jutsu to try and copy my mother's face?!"

Shion squeezed his eyes shut tightly, pressing his temples, which were beginning to throb with an excruciating pain with two fingers.

Altering the future? Worrying about the butterfly effect?

Bullshit! It seemed the arrival of this hyperactive orange-clad kid in front of him was already more than enough absolute proof that Shion had successfully screwed up this timeline and shattered it to pieces!

Chapter 9: Ch 9: A Message from Future Shion.

Chapter Text

"Wait a minute!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. He punched his own left palm, as if an imaginary lightbulb had just lit up brightly above his spiky head.

Hearing that exclamation, Shion's heart, which had just started beating normally, instantly stopped again. The veins around his eyes twitched slightly. He swallowed hard, absolutely terrified to hear what other absurd conclusion was about to come out of the mouth of this idiot boy who couldn't read the room.

"I suddenly remembered something!" Naruto's blue eyes sparkled brightly, pointing at Shion enthusiastically. "Mom... I mean, the Mom from my future timeline told me before this mission! She said, because this involves the Ryumyaku chakra, there was a high chance I would be thrown across time into the past!"

Naruto nodded to himself, crossing his arms over his chest with a wide smile, as if greatly admiring his (rarely) strong memory capacity. "So that's how it is! Those weird clothes... You must be my Mom when she was a teenager!"

Shion exhaled a long breath, letting the hot desert air fill his lungs. A slight sense of relief washed over him. 'Thank goodness... at least my future self isn't that stupid and still thought of my present self by giving him an early warning,' Shion thought.

But... wait a minute?!

Shion's mind suddenly spun rapidly. If this kid called him 'Mom' so naturally and affectionately, that meant the future Shion had cared for and raised him!

'Why hasn't my future self defected from Konoha or run to the ends of the earth yet?! And more importantly... why did I just accept being called "Mom" by this "Child of Destiny"?! Is my sanity in the future completely shattered?!' High-level panic once again seized Shion.

There was one fatal question he had to confirm immediately before he truly went insane.

"I-I have an important question!" Shion's voice trembled slightly; he stepped forward and stared intently into the teenager's blue eyes. "Your name is... Naruto, right?"

"Yeah! Of course! You once told me that my Dad gave me this awesome name!" Naruto answered with a wide grin, proudly rubbing his nose.

Shion's face grew even paler. He clutched the sleeve of his Miko outfit with trembling hands. "Then... am I... am I your biological mother?" he asked with intense fear, almost like someone waiting for a death sentence.

'Please say no... For the sake of my sanity as a man, please say no... I beg you! Don't tell me that bastard System in the future actually genetically modified my body to the point where I could give birth! And don't tell me I eventually surrendered to Minato's charm and married him!!' Shion screamed hysterically in his mind, imaginary tears streaming down his soul.

Naruto tilted his head, his wide smile fading slightly, replaced by a softer and somewhat melancholic expression.

"Unfortunately no..." Naruto answered quietly, his voice now sounding much more mature than before. "Mom never told me who my real biological parents were. Your future self only always told me that they were great heroes who died to protect the village..."

Naruto then looked up, gazing at Shion with his pair of clear, sincere blue eyes. His warm smile bloomed once more. "But don't worry! Even so, I never cared about that. To me, you are my real parent! You're the one who raised me, right?"

Hearing that absolute confirmation, Shion's knees nearly gave out. He let out another incredibly long sigh of relief, as if a rocky mountain had just been lifted from his shoulders.

'Thank goodness...' Shion closed his eyes for a moment. 'Thank you Sage of Six Paths, thank you Allah, Jesus, Buddha, Zeus, and all the holy entities from my previous life that I can't name one by one because there are so many...'

At least his biological pride was still safe. At least he didn't actually turn into a genuine woman capable of getting pregnant, and most importantly, he didn't end up marrying Minato Namikaze! He only adopted this child. That was a heroic act that was still acceptable to his masculine logic!

However... as that ridiculous panic subsided, Shion's analytical instincts as a shinobi who knew the flow of history began to take over. His mind caught onto a bizarre piece of information. Very bizarre.

Shion opened his eyes, looking at Naruto with a furrowed brow. "Wait... You said you don't know who your biological parents are?"

"Yeah..." Naruto scratched the back of his head, pouting slightly. "I've asked a lot of times, but Mom would always just pat my head and say it wasn't the right time to tell me the truth."

The desert wind roared past the steel balcony, causing a screeching metallic groan, as if accompanying the horror slowly creeping up into Shion's chest.

Shion pondered that innocent answer deeply. His brain pieced together the puzzle fragments of the timeline.

Naruto was adopted by him. Naruto didn't know who his biological parents were. His biological parents died as heroes to protect Konoha.

From that simple piece of information, a brutally heartbreaking conclusion struck Shion's logic. That meant... his future self still couldn't prevent the tragedy of the Nine-Tails Attack. That meant, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki would still die in the future!

'What is the reason?!' Shion's mind was in turmoil, his eyes beginning to well up with tears without him realizing it.

'I am already here! I know the future! Is it because my abilities aren't strong enough to fight Obito?! Or is it because... if I try to kill Obito early right now, history will correct itself and spawn a new enemy that is far stronger and unpredictable?!'

Shion bit his lower lip hard. The time paradox ensnared his thoughts. If he changed history too drastically, the world might be destroyed. But if he let it be, he would have to watch the people around him die.

'Why?! Where did I go wrong?! Is my existence in this world completely meaningless other than to be a joke for the System?!'

Imagining that one day he would have to stand helplessly, witnessing Minato's tragic death, Shion's chest tightened incredibly. A sharp pain pierced his heart. His beautiful facial expression was now filled with profound grief, a sorrow for a future that hadn't happened yet, but was surely inevitable.

Naruto, who possessed an extraordinary emotional sensitivity in reading the suffering of others, immediately noticed the change in his 'Mother's' facial expression. Seeing the young woman before him suddenly look so shattered and sad, Naruto's instincts moved faster than his thoughts.

The blond teenager stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled Shion's slender body into an embrace.

"W-what are you doing?!" Shion exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening. His body tensed up. He was completely unaccustomed to physical contact this intimate, especially with a teenage boy whose body was even taller than his.

However, Naruto did not let go. The hug felt strong, warm, and highly protective.

"Mom always hugs me when I'm feeling sad or want to cry..." Naruto answered with a gentle, trembling voice near Shion's ear. The teenager smiled, a smile as warm as the morning sun piercing the cold of the night. "...So, if Mom is the one who's sad right now, it should be okay for me to hug Mom, right?"

Hearing words so sincere and pure, Shion's mental defenses crumbled. His identity crisis, his masculine ego, and his fear of the future seemed to evaporate, swept away by the warmth of Naruto's chakra.

Shion fell silent. His panting breath slowly calmed. He stopped struggling, released the tension in his shoulders, and finally let Naruto pull his head to rest comfortably against the blond teenager's chest.

Amidst the noisy roar of the Roran Kingdom's steam engines and the harsh desert wind, Shion closed his eyes, finding a strange sliver of peace in the embrace of the son of the man whose death he could not prevent.

After letting the warmth of that embrace calm the storm of despair in his chest, Shion cleared his throat softly.

Awkwardly, he patted Naruto's back and gently pushed the blond teenager's shoulders to release their hug. His masculine pride still demanded boundaries for physical contact, especially with a teenage boy taller than him.

"Alright, that's enough for the emotional session," Shion said, turning away his face, which was slightly flushed from awkwardness, trying to return to professional Kunoichi mode. He looked at Naruto seriously. "Considering my future self knew you would be thrown into this era, did 'I' leave a message or a clue for me?"

Hearing that question, Naruto's blue eyes immediately widened. He punched his own palm.

"Ah, that's right! I almost forgot!" Naruto exclaimed. His right hand immediately reached into the ninja tool pouch on his left thigh, then pulled out a small parchment scroll tied with a silk ribbon. "Mom gave me this right before I left. She said, if I really did get thrown into the past and met you, I had to give this scroll directly to you."

Shion accepted the small scroll. As he untied the ribbon and unrolled the parchment, his eyebrow twitched seeing the lines of ink inside.

The handwriting was incredibly neat, elegantly flowing, and exceptionally beautiful... too feminine and graceful for handwriting that used to belong to a straight man.

Suppressing the bad feeling creeping back up his neck, Shion read the contents of the letter in his heart.

[To my past self.

If you are reading this letter, you must have already met Naruto.

I know exactly what is churning in your head and what you want to ask. Let me explain.

When I met Naruto during this Roran Mission, the Naruto I met was the Naruto from the original (Canon) timeline. A future where the anomaly known as 'Hyuga Shion' never existed, or at least, in that kid's timeline, 'we' had long since rotted away on the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War.

So, knowing that and driven by the resolve to change a tragic future, I acted as I pleased. I 'changed the future' of this timeline without thinking about the consequences.

By the way, I'm writing this not to forbid you or lecture you. Do whatever you think is the best and right thing to do at the time.

But remember one warning from me: the one you truly need to watch out for isn't the masked Uchiha who is the shadow mastermind, nor is it the wrinkled old man who donated his original eyes to the Uzumaki kid from Amegakure. The true enemy you must be most wary of is the 'filial child', that black slime will be the deadliest thorn.

That is all the important input from the future Shion for the current teenage Shion who is undergoing an identity crisis...

Please take good care of 'our child', okay! (^^)

It's a shame that sweet, noisy kid isn't the biological child born from our love with Minato... hehe.]

Shion stood frozen stiff. His eyes stopped blinking. The strong desert wind blowing on the steel balcony seemed to no longer be felt by his body.

'What do you mean "Hehe?!"' Shion snapped internally with a scream volume that could part the seas, his Byakugan veins nearly popping out from shock. He massaged his forehead which was suddenly throbbing intensely.

'Have I truly lost my mind in the future?! Have I completely surrendered to reality and been brainwashed by this damn System to the point where I'm enjoying the hallucinatory fantasy of being Minato Namikaze's lawful wife?! It's a shame he's not our biological child?! OURS?! Why did you surrender the rest of your manhood so easily, you useless future self of mine!!'

It seemed that being in this crazy world for years had caused his future self to suffer from a permanent mental disorder and identity crisis!

"Mom? What's in the letter? Are there any clues on how to defeat Mukade?" Naruto asked innocently, trying to peek at the scroll in Shion's hand.

"None of your business!" Shion snapped quickly, immediately rolling the parchment back up with a panicked movement. He panted for a moment, neutralizing his emotions. "Now, turn around. Face the wall and close your eyes."

Naruto frowned in bewilderment. "Eh? Why?"

"Just do it! Don't you dare peek or I'll seal your chakra points!" Shion threatened fiercely.

Though confused, Naruto, who was used to obeying his 'Mom', quickly turned around, faced the pillar wall, and closed his eyes tightly with both hands.

Seeing the teenager had turned his back, Shion with a quick, reluctant, and thoroughly embarrassed motion lifted the hem of his Miko outfit's shorts slightly. He reached into his Zettai Ryouiki area and shoved the cursed letter scroll into his 'Pocket Dimension'. The scroll vanished instantly, swallowed by the magical void behind his clothes.

After making sure his clothes were neat again, Shion patted Naruto's shoulder. "Done. You can turn around."

Naruto turned around and blinked at Shion's now empty hands. "Where did the scroll go? Where did you keep it?"

"Don't ask too many questions about a Kunoichi's secret storage space," Shion cut in sharply, his face still radiating a murderous aura to hide his embarrassment. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's get back to the original topic. Your main goal in coming to this era, besides chasing that criminal named Mukade, is to protect Queen Roran, right?"

Naruto nodded firmly, his face turning serious again. "Right! I have to ensure Queen Sara's safety and stop Mukade from trying to absorb the power of the Ryumyaku!"

"Alright, then let's do it together," Shion said, letting out a long sigh. He stared at the giant tower in the middle of the city radiating purple light. "Besides, the mission given to me by the Hokage isn't much different. I was assigned to investigate the anomaly of Roran's development and protect the stability of this region."

Hearing the invitation to cooperate, Naruto's pair of blue eyes immediately sparkled brightly like a puppy that had just been given a large bone. His enthusiasm exploded instantly.

"Yossha!!" Naruto shouted in glee, jumping into the air with his fist punching the sky. "A joint mission between Mother and Son! We're definitely gonna beat that damn Mukade to a pulp, Dattebayo!!"

Naruto's shrill voice echoed very loudly, bouncing off the metal walls of the balcony to create an ear-piercing echo.

Shion winced, narrowing his eyes and massaging his temples with both hands. The barrage of overflowing emotions, the identity crisis, the facts of the future, and now the hyperactive shouting from this 'son' of his truly made his head feel like it was going to split open.

"Please..." Shion growled through gritted teeth, glaring sharply at Naruto who was still grinning widely. "...don't be so loud, my head still hurts a lot…"

Chapter 10: Ch 10: devoted child (?)

Chapter Text

The two of them walked along a suspended bridge made of thick steel, crossing the gaps between the massive towers of the Roran Kingdom. White steam hissed from the pipes around them, masking the sound of their footsteps on the metal. Amidst a journey colored by awkward silence and the rhythmic hum of the city's machinery, Shion’s curiosity began to gnaw at him.

As someone who knew the exact historical trajectory of this world, he desperately wanted to know the extent of the "butterfly effect" he had created in the future.

"By the way, Naruto," Shion called out softly, breaking the silence with a casual tone feigned specifically to hide his interrogation. "I’m curious... Who is the Hokage in your village right now in the future?"

Hearing the question, Naruto, who was walking ahead, immediately looked back with a wide grin. "Oh! The current Hokage is—"

Just as Naruto was about to say the name, his eyes suddenly bugged out as if struck by an electric shock. His hands moved like lightning, clamping his own mouth shut so tightly that his voice was muffled into incoherent mumbles.

Shion furrowed his brow, staring at the blond teenager in confusion. "What is it? Why did you stop talking?"

Naruto slowly removed his hands, looking at Shion with an expression full of regret mixed with vigilance. "That was close! I just remembered, Mom... I mean, the Mom from my timeline gave me very strict orders before this mission. She said if I were thrown into the past and met a teenage version of her, I must not tell any details about the future—especially about who the Hokage is! If I break the rule, Mom said she’d give me a terrifying punishment when I get home!"

Hearing this blind obedience, the vein at Shion’s temple throbbed hard.

"Tch!" Shion clicked his tongue, unable to hide his annoyance.

'Since when did this big-mouthed, hyperactive brat become so perfect at keeping secrets?' Shion’s mind writhed in frustration. 'Why are you so obedient to your Mother?! What kind of loyalty is this?! Are you Black Zetsu dedicating your entire existence to your mom?! Come on, just leak a little bit of info to me!'

However, seeing Naruto’s face so resolute in keeping the secret (out of sheer terror of the future Shion), Shion finally let out a long sigh and gave up. He didn't want to waste time arguing. There was still one great mystery that was far more important to him personally.

"Fine, fine. I won't force you to answer about the Hokage," Shion said, crossing his arms. "But I have one last question, and this is purely about myself. Surely you can answer this."

Naruto tilted his head, slightly wary. "What question?"

Shion raised his right hand and swept aside the long brown bangs that had always covered his forehead. In the middle of his smooth, pale forehead, a dark green curse seal in the shape of a manji was revealed. The Caged Bird Seal: the mark of absolute servitude for the branch family of the Hyuga clan.

"Does your 'Mother' in the future... have this mark on her forehead?" Shion asked, his gaze piercing straight into Naruto’s blue eyes.

Naruto squinted, leaning his face in to see Shion’s forehead more clearly. His blond eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What is that mark? Is it like a small tattoo?" Naruto asked innocently.

Hearing that ignorance, Shion’s heart beat faster. "Do other Hyuga clan members in the future not have marks like this on their foreheads? Your friends from the Hyuga clan, for instance?" Shion pressed.

Naruto looked up, staring at Roran’s steel ceiling while trying to rummage through his memories. He visualized the faces of Hinata, Neji, and other Hyuga members he frequently saw in the village.

"No..." Naruto answered confidently, shaking his head. "I’ve never seen a mark like that on anyone's forehead. My friend Neji's forehead is perfectly smooth. Mom doesn't have any marks there either. Is it some kind of old makeup trend?"

Shion’s breath hitched in his throat. He slowly lowered his hand, letting his bangs once again cover the curse on his forehead. His eyes widened in silence. The desert wind sweeping the balcony no longer felt cold compared to the storm raging inside his head.

'Future Shion... what on earth did you do?!'

Freeing oneself from the "cage" of the curse was something he could imagine if he utilized the System's power one day or made a crazy deal with Orochimaru. But the other Hyuga clan members didn't have it either?! That meant, in the future, the main and branch family systems of the Hyuga clan had been completely destroyed!

Did his future self lead a bloody coup against the clan elders? Did he crush a centuries-old tradition with absolute power?

"Mom? You okay? Why is your face so pale?" Naruto prompted, snapping Shion out of his heavy reverie.

"Forget it. It’s nothing," Shion cut in quickly, shaking his head to dismiss those wild thoughts. His sharp eyes suddenly caught a strange silhouette on the highest tower across from them.

Shion’s focus instantly snapped back to the mission. He pointed straight toward the sky with a slender index finger. "You’d better focus on that. Look, isn't that your mission target? It looks like she’s falling from the top of the tower."

Naruto turned, following the direction of Shion’s finger. In the distance, a girl with long red hair wearing royal robes was in a free fall through the air, plummeting from a lethal balcony height.

"Whoa! Oh no! I almost forgot my mission because I was too busy talking!" Naruto yelled in panic. His hero instincts exploded instantly. He jumped onto the steel balcony railing. "Wait here, Mom! I’ll be right back after I save her!"

WHOOSH!

Without waiting for a reply, Naruto shot off like an orange bullet, leaping from one pipe to another with the agility of a top-tier ninja.

Left alone on the balcony, Shion stood frozen. The vein of his patience twitched once more. His hand clawed at the empty air.

"Please... don't call me 'Mom' that loudly in public, you idiot brat," Shion growled under his breath, covering half his face with his palm to hide his shame.

A few moments later, Shion leaped down to follow Naruto and check on the situation. As he landed silently on a lower platform, he was immediately greeted by a classic scene exactly like the plot in his memory.

At the edge of the platform, Naruto had successfully caught the Queen of Roran. However, instead of a romantic thank you, what followed defied heroic expectations.

SLAP!

The sound of a sharp slap echoed loudly, bouncing off the metal walls around them. Naruto’s head was whipped to the side, a red handprint clearly printed on his cheek.

"You insolent stranger! How dare you touch me so carelessly!" snapped Sara, the red-haired Queen of Roran. Her face was a mix of fear, confusion, and royal arrogance.

"Ow! That hurts! I just saved your life!" Naruto protested, rubbing his poor cheek.

It was then that Sara’s eyes caught the other figure standing not far away. Shion stood with a firm posture, his gray cloak fluttering to reveal a hint of his strange Miko outfit.

"Who is she?!" Sara asked demandingly, pointing straight at Shion with a trembling finger. "Is she an accomplice of yours trying to kidnap me?!"

Seeing the situation starting to spiral out of control, Shion let out a professional sigh. He stepped forward gracefully, intending to clear up the misunderstanding. He prepared his best diplomatic lines as a secret agent.

"Calm yourself, Your Majesty. We are not your enemies. Allow me to introduce myself; I am an official Kunoichi from the Hidden Leaf Village—"

However, before Shion could finish his polite and cool sentence, Naruto quickly stepped forward, puffed out his chest proudly, and interrupted with a voice that drowned out the roar of the city's steam engines.

"Don't be afraid! She's not a kidnapper! She's my Mom!"

A deadly silence instantly descended upon the steel platform. The sounds of the city's machinery seemed to vanish. The blowing desert wind felt frozen in place.

Shion: "..."

Sara: "..."

"M... Mom...?" Sara repeated with a trembling voice, staring at Shion, who clearly looked like a beautiful teenage girl who might even be her peer. The Queen’s brain experienced a total short-circuit.

Just at the moment Shion felt that the ridiculous situation on the steel platform had reached the absolute peak of his suffering and could not possibly get any worse, the universe once again proved him wrong.

Three silhouettes flickered and landed silently around them. Shion reflexively reached for his weapon, but his tension eased when he saw who had arrived. It was the special operations team from Konoha: Minato Namikaze, the large-bodied Choza Akimichi, and the quiet, mysterious Shibi Aburame.

Minato’s presence should have been a great relief for Shion, but considering there was a blond brat from the future constantly calling him "Mom" right next to him, the arrival of the Yellow Flash made Shion’s stomach churn in panic.

A few moments later, after a brief introduction and an incredibly chaotic flash-explanation, they moved to a safer location.

They were in a palace corridor decorated with massive, stunningly beautiful stained-glass windows. The afternoon sunlight pierced through the colored glass, reflecting warm gradients of color across the marble floor.

While Sara, the Queen of Roran sat alone near a window with her knees tucked in, the Konoha shinobi and the "guest" from the future gathered at the far end of the corridor to discuss.

Minato stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on Naruto, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"So... let me get this straight," Minato opened in a calm tone typical of a commander analyzing an absurd situation. His eyes flicked toward Shion, then back to Naruto. "This shinobi from Konoha... truly comes from the future?"

"Well... at least that’s what he says," Shion answered helplessly, letting out a long sigh that made his shoulders slump. His Miko outfit rustled slightly in the silence.

Next to Minato, Choza, who was chewing on a calorie pill, stared at Naruto with wide, amazed eyes. "Truly incredible. I never expected that time travel was actually possible in this world."

"Well, in the end, we live in a ninja world. As long as there is chakra and proper seal manipulation, I suppose nothing is truly impossible," Shion replied pragmatically. He gave a soft shrug. "Even someone as genius as Orochimaru-Shishou is still constantly learning, experimenting, and searching for the absolute truth of ninjutsu every day."

Hearing the legendary Sannin's name, Minato nodded in agreement. "You're right, Shion-san. Space-time jutsu phenomena indeed hold infinite mysteries."

Feeling the atmosphere becoming too tense and the conversation still focused on the concept of the future, Shion decided to change the subject. He didn't want Naruto to leak any more strange things, especially about "who" he was in the future.

"By the way, Minato-senpai," Shion called out, looking at the spiky blond man. "I heard rumors a few months ago that you managed to create a powerful new jutsu?"

At that, Minato’s serious expression instantly melted, replaced by a bright smile and eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Ah, you heard about it?" Minato answered, scratching his cheek awkwardly yet proudly. "Yeah, I actually designed the concept and created it three years ago. But because condensing pure chakra into a perfect rotation is so difficult, I only truly managed to perfect it recently."

Minato raised his right hand, letting a small blue swirl of chakra about the size of a tennis ball form for a moment before fading it away.

"Its name is the 'Rasengan'," Minato continued. However, a second later, the Yellow Flash's handsome face pouted slightly, emitting an aura of childish disappointment. "A shame... Kushina and Jiraiya-sensei forced me to use that short name. Actually, I originally wanted to name it 'Kōrin Reika Hakki Tsumuji Jiraiya Sōshiki no Gan' (Halo Frozen Fragrance Eight Demon Whirlwind Jiraiya Style Sphere)."

Shion: "..."

Choza: "..."

Shibi: "..."

Shion stared at Minato with half-lidded eyes, a perfect deadpan gaze.

However, amidst the awkward silence caused by that horrific jutsu name, Naruto, who had been staring at Minato’s face in silence suddenly bolted upright. His blue eyes widened as if he had just solved the greatest mystery in the universe.

"Ah! I remember now!!" Naruto suddenly shouted, his voice echoing through the stained-glass corridor.

He stood up and pointed right at Minato’s nose. "You! No wonder you felt so familiar! Your face, your hair... your face looks exactly like the face carved on the Fourth Hokage’s Rock Monument in my village!!"

SLAP!

A sharp sound rang out. Shion facepalmed. He dragged his hand down his face in a movement of utter desperation.

'Good God... Why on earth did my future self want to adopt this idiot kid...' Shion groaned internally, feeling as if he had aged a decade.

The startled Choza immediately waved his hands, laughing heartily. "Hahaha, no way, kid. You must have seen wrong. Our village currently only has three Hokage, and Lord Hiruzen is still very healthy."

"But, Choza," Shibi interjected in his usual flat, logical tone, adjusting his sunglasses. "If this boy truly comes from the future as he claims, then deductively, what he said is very likely to happen."

Hearing Shibi’s analysis, the atmosphere in the corridor suddenly became tense again. Choza’s eyes widened slightly, while Minato went silent, processing the information that his future self might actually inherit the title of Kage.

However, as a wise team leader, Minato immediately raised his hand. His expression hardened into a serious one once more.

"Stop discussing the future," Minato ordered in a tone that allowed no argument. His gaze swept over Naruto, Choza, Shibi, and Shion. "If we all know too much about what is to come, our actions in the present will be affected. The future will change, and the consequences could destroy the world this boy comes from."

Hearing the firm tone from the man who was (apparently) the Fourth Hokage, Choza and Shibi immediately nodded in obedience. Shion also let out a sigh of relief.

However, Shion’s relief lasted only for two seconds.

Naruto, having been lectured by Minato, seemed to nod in understanding. Then, the blond teenager tilted his head, staring at Minato with overflowing curiosity, then shifted his gaze to Shion. A question completely unrelated to the future, yet extremely personal, slipped from his mouth without any brakes.

"By the way..." Naruto’s face carried a suspicious innocence, "What exactly is your relationship with my Mom? When I saw you two talking earlier, you seemed really close. Are you... dating?"

CRACK!

An invisible bolt of lightning seemed to strike right in the middle of the corridor. Time stopped. Gravity felt non-existent.

Minato: "...Mom?!"

Choza: "...Mom?!"

Shibi: "...Mom?!"

The three elite Konoha shinobi repeated the word in simultaneous shock. Slowly, very slowly, the heads of Minato, Choza, and Shibi moved to follow Naruto’s pointing finger.

At the end of that finger stood Shion. A beautiful teenage girl wearing an extremely skimpy Miko outfit.

Shion said nothing. He could no longer find the words. He had turned his back to them all, crouching slightly, and covering his entire face, which had now turned as red as a boiled tomato with both palms. Imaginary smoke was almost visible billowing from the top of his head.

’F***k!’

Chapter 11: Ch 11: This can't be me!

Notes:

I didn't expect that there are many who are waiting for the continuation of this story... I'm very grateful (^^)

btw, sorry I haven't updated for a long time because I'm working too much overtime at work…

But! I will try my best to continue consistently! so please don't ever stop giving comments and reviews! (><)

Chapter Text

A few days later, at the Konoha-Iwa border outpost.

The dry wind blew, carrying dust, striking the logistics tent where Shion was spending his afternoon. After the bizarre and confusing mission in Roran, the details of which somehow felt blurry and blank in his head like a scroll with washed-out ink, Shion returned to his routine of checking stacks of weapon supply documents.

The atmosphere inside the tent was quite peaceful, the only sound being the scratching of an ink brush on parchment. However, that peace was shattered to pieces in an instant when a mechanical voice, which hadn't been heard for a few days, suddenly echoed inside his skull.

[Ding!]

Shion's hand, holding the brush, instantly stopped in mid-air. A drop of black ink fell, staining the report paper. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up all at once.

Hearing a notification from this bastard System always brought a sign that his sanity was about to be tested. With an incredibly bad feeling, Shion swallowed hard and slowly opened the transparent screen interface in front of his face to read the title and description of the notification.

The System presented a mission with a title that successfully made Shion's heart beat erratically.

[Emergency Mission: 'A Message from the Future']

[Description: A space-time memory seal has been detected inside the Host's brain! This mission will break the seal and restore all the memories sealed away when the Host was executing the mission in the Roran Kingdom.]

[Reward: A Collection of Personal Items from the Future.]

Gulp!

Shion swallowed with great difficulty. Cold sweat began to seep at his temples. He genuinely didn't remember what happened in the latter half of his mission in Roran.

But somehow, even though his brain didn't remember, his survival instincts were screaming loudly, giving him a very, very bad feeling.

With a hesitant, trembling hand, Shion forced his finger to 'press' the accept button on the holographic screen.

The moment he touched it, an imaginary electric shock zapped his cranial nerves.

"Argh!" Shion clutched his head with both hands. The barrage of memories forcefully sealed by Minato's jutsu now flooded his brain like a burst dam. Memories about a blond boy named Naruto, a dark future secret, a warm hug from 'the son', and... a message scroll from his future self.

While Shion was still wincing, enduring the dizziness from the memory assault, a soft sound was heard on his desk.

Pop!

A small puff of smoke appeared from the void, right above the pile of logistics documents. The smoke faded, leaving behind several 'suspicious' items that materialized as his mission completion reward.

Shion's eyes, still slightly watering from the headache, immediately locked onto the most prominent object: a thick stack of photos tied with a small ribbon.

With bated breath and violently trembling hands, Shion pulled the ribbon and began to look through the photo sheets at the top of the stack.

Upon seeing the first photo, Shion's world seemed to collapse instantly.

In that photo, there was a figure of 'himself' wearing an incredibly beautiful, light-purple traditional silk kimono. The face radiated a very sincere maternal gentleness, smiling sweetly at the camera while affectionately holding a spiky-blond-haired baby (Baby Naruto).

The second, third, and fourth photos displayed a progression of time. The photos documented 'Shion's' moments together with Naruto as he slowly grew up. Starting from a toddler Naruto learning to walk, a little Naruto covered in mud, to a photo of the two of them smiling widely in front of the Ninja Academy when Naruto graduated, complete with a Konoha headband.

'Who is this woman?!' Shion's mind screamed hysterically upon seeing the image of his future self.

The figure in the photo had long brown hair elegantly styled in a bun with a flower hairpin. The curves of the body, wrapped in an obi and an expensive kimono, looked very mature, proportional, and ideal. That future 'Shion's' appearance truly radiated the aura of a typical, enchanting young adult mother... an existence that in his past life he often referred to as a MILF!

'This can't be me... This must be an illusion! Where are the remnants of my masculine pride?! Why am I radiating this thick of a maternal aura?!' Just when Shion felt his soul slowly detaching from his body, the stack of photos ended. Underneath them lay a smooth, leather-bound book that looked frequently opened. A diary with his own handwriting, yet far neater and more feminine.

Shion opened the first page, marked with a red ribbon bookmark.

[Dear Diary…

Today is the day of Minato's inauguration ceremony.

I have to admit, he looked quite handsome and dashing wearing his white Hokage cloak flapping in the wind from the roof of the building.

B-but wait a minute! No, that doesn't mean I like him or anything like that!

I'm just evaluating him objectively as a coworker! The point is, starting now, in my new position, I will try my absolute best to help him change that dark future.]

Shion's eyes widened. 'What kind of denial sentence is that?! A classic Tsundere sentence pattern?! You've really lost your sanity, my future self!!'

With his chest heaving, holding back emotions, Shion turned to the next marked page.

[Dear Diary…

You know, today is a historic day. I officially took office as the Fourth Hokage's Personal Advisor!

Unlike what I imagined before, it turns out the job as an advisor is far more exhausting than fighting on the front lines. There are so many documents I have to handle for Minato.

But, that won't break my spirit at all! Being by his side ensures the future remains safe.

Oh, and you know what? Today I accidentally bumped into Kushina in the office hallway. Somehow, her glare when she saw me coming out of Minato's room looked very sharp and... was she jealous?!

Even though it's impossible for anything to happen between me and Minato, right? Besides, the two of us are purely just working professionally... at least for now… hehe]

Shion's hands holding the diary began to crumple the edges of the paper. Cold sweat the size of corn kernels dripped down his temples. 'At least for now?! What is the meaning of that damn closing sentence?! Don't tell me you're secretly enjoying this deadly love triangle?!'

With deepening despair, Shion turned to the third page. And here, the remnants of his sanity were truly pulverized into dust.

[Dear Diary…

Kyaaa! (/ω＼)

Today really made my heart a mess! When we were working overtime handling documents in the office, Minato seemed so exhausted that he finally fell fast asleep with his head resting on the desk.

His blond hair was messy, and his sleeping face... he looked so peaceful and, oh my gosh, incredibly handsome from that close of a distance.

Earlier... I don't know what demon possessed me... I almost leaned my face in and kissed him! (><)

What a shame… eh, I mean thank goodness! he woke up suddenly just as I made a move!

Luckily, he rubbed his eyes and didn't realize what I was actually about to do to him… oh my gosh, my heart almost dropped and jumped right out of my chest! I have to be able to control myself better tomorrow!]

Shion: "..."

Shion's mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. His gaze was blank, staring at the word 'Kyaaa!' written in cute, looping ink along with the embarrassing emoticon next to it.

The world around him seemed to spin. His true identity as an adult man who was once rough and tough was now being laughed at by fate. Shion, with hands trembling ever more wildly, kept flipping through, reading page after page of the diary.

Entry after entry, confession after confession. He witnessed with his own eyes how his 'future self' slowly but surely fell deeper into the hole of romance, losing his masculine identity more and more, and voluntarily metamorphosing into a girl who was madly in love with her own boss.

When Shion reached a long page near the end, where 'she' detailed very enthusiastically how Minato finally asked her out for a dinner for two that clearly felt like a romantic 'date' after work, Shion's mental defenses finally shattered without a trace.

The fine veins of his Byakugan bulged aggressively, not because he activated his dojutsu, but because of the anger, shame, and despair exploding from his soul.

Shion slammed the logistics desk until it broke into two pieces.

"Daaaaaammit!!!"

That scream of frustration, suffering, and absolute denial echoed incredibly loud, booming through the afternoon air at the border outpost. Crows perched in the trees around the camp flew frantically into the sky, while the patrol ninjas standing guard outside the tent instantly looked at each other with pale faces, wondering what kind of terrifying enemy had just tortured their comrade from the Hyuga clan.

…

A few days later, the border wind blew again with its boring rhythm. Through a high dedication to reality denial, Shion had exerted his entire mental capacity to deeply bury the memories of that horrifying 'future'. He had tightly sealed the leather-bound diary in the darkest corner of his pocket dimension, hoping the cursed object would disappear, swallowed by the void.

On an afternoon during days that had returned to 'normal' as usual, inside the command tent filled with the scent of chemicals and old parchment, Shion stood before his master's desk.

Orochimaru was busy observing a poison specimen in a glass tube when his disciple suddenly broke the silence with quite a surprising request.

"Orochimaru-Shishou," Shion called out in a serious tone, bowing his head slightly. "Please let me sign a contract, teach me the Kuchiyose (Summoning) technique of the Ryuchi Cave!"

"Hmm?"

Orochimaru's hand movement stopped. The pale Sannin slowly shifted his gaze from his glass tube, looking at Shion with his sharp, reptilian golden eyes. It was very rare for a subordinate to directly request a legendary summoning contract like that, especially from a place as dangerous as the Ryuchi Cave.

However, Orochimaru had absolutely no intention of refusing. Having an ambitious disciple was something he liked. It was just that, this was Orochimaru. It wasn't the Sannin's style to agree to something too easily without gaining an advantage.

A thin, cunning, and intimidating smirk formed on his pale face. The small white snake coiled around his neck seemed to hiss along.

"Of course you may, my beloved Shion," Orochimaru hissed softly, his voice seeming to crawl through the air. "But, in this ninja world, nothing is free. Naturally, there is a price you must pay to obtain the power of the White Snake Sage..."

Hearing that threatening tone, Shion didn't flinch. He had expected it. Just as Shion took a deep breath and prepared to offer one of his combat secrets as 'payment'...

The mental death alarm rang again.

[Ding!]

The hairs on Shion's neck stood straight up. The blue holographic screen he hated so much suddenly appeared right in front of his face, blocking his view of Orochimaru's figure.

[Emergency Mission Triggered: The Disciple's Drama!]

[Required Line: "I-I didn't expect you to be that kind of person! But… what can I do…"]

[Completion Reward: Upon forming the contract, the affinity level with the White Snake Sage's Three Servants (Tagorihime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime) will permanently increase by 50%!]

Shion's breath caught in his throat.

'Bastard System!!' Shion screamed in his mind, feeling like he wanted to vomit fresh blood right then and there.

What kind of mission was this?! He had to say an incredibly embarrassing, ambiguous sentence full of fatal misunderstandings to Orochimaru?! However... Shion's eyes subconsciously glanced at the reward line.

A 50% affinity increase with the Three Servants of Ryuchi Cave. To anyone who knew how cruel, cunning, and dangerous the giant snakes inhabiting Ryuchi Cave were who often even ate their own summoners if deemed unworthy, this reward was an absolute shield of safety! This was a negotiation cheat he couldn't possibly refuse if he wanted to survive using snake Kuchiyose!

Meanwhile, from Orochimaru's perspective, the Sannin saw his disciple suddenly freeze. The girl's face tensed up and she remained silent for quite a long time.

Orochimaru let out a short sigh. He thought Shion was feeling hesitant, scared, didn't know what to 'pay' with, or perhaps Shion thought her master was very stingy and cruel.

"Don't be too tense, Shion. I won't ask for your life," Orochimaru said, intending to clarify.

However, just as Orochimaru was about to finish his sentence, a sight that caused his brain to experience a severe short-circuit occurred.

Shion suddenly lowered his face. An incredibly deep, beet-red blush spread from his neck to his ears (a purely physical reaction caused by unbearable embarrassment, which unfortunately looked like the blush of a shy girl).

With trembling movements, Shion hugged his own body, clutched his sleeves defensively, and took two steps back, moving away from Orochimaru's desk.

"I-I didn't expect... that Shishou was that kind of person!" Shion said with a violently trembling voice.

Orochimaru furrowed his brow, not understanding the direction of this conversation. "That kind of... what do you mean—"

Before Orochimaru could digest the situation, Shion turned his face away to the side, his eyes squeezed shut with a highly dramatic expression of resignation. And out slipped the lethal sentence.

"I-I truly didn't know that Shishou actually had a specific preference for teenage girls like me... B-but..." Shion bit his lower lip, holding back tears of despair ready to fall. "...what can I do. If... if that's what Shishou wants as payment, I am willing. But please... I just have one request, please... don't be too rough with me..."

Orochimaru: "..."

The Sannin, whose hands had been bathed in the blood of thousands of enemies, now froze like an ice statue carved from hell. His mouth was slightly open. His golden eyes widened, displaying a mix of absolute shock, psychological horror, and a very pure disgust that touched the depths of his soul.

Throughout his decades of life, being accused of being a mad scientist, cruel, or a monster had become his daily bread. But to be directly accused (and resignedly 'accepted') as a lecherous middle-aged man who wanted his own teenage disciple's body as payment for a jutsu?!

This was the greatest insult to his dedication to pure science!

Shion: "..."

On the other hand, Shion, still maintaining his self-hugging pose, kept his eyes squeezed shut, waiting for a response from his master while praying his life would be taken right then and there by the God of Death. He had sold the remaining dust of his pride for a 50% servant snake affinity.

A few seconds passed like centuries. The air inside the tent suddenly turned incredibly cold and deadly. A very thick, bone-piercing killing intent exploded from Orochimaru's body.

One hour later.

The atmosphere in the border medical tent was suddenly in a panic. The nurse Kunoichi ran around carrying antidotes, bandages, and IV fluids with tense faces.

On one of the medical beds, Shion lay helpless. His entire body was completely paralyzed, stiff from the neck to the tips of his toes. His face was deathly pale, and cold sweat the size of corn kernels flooded his forehead.

The head doctor, who had just finished the initial examination, swallowed hard, staring at Shion's medical chart with trembling hands.
"T-the diagnosis is..." the doctor reported to his assistant in a whisper, "The patient suffered a direct bite from a mutated snake species with a high-level dose of lethal neurotoxin venom. Fortunately, her physical body defense is incredibly illogical, otherwise, she would have died in seconds..."

On his bed, Shion, who could only move his eyeballs, stared blankly at the white tent ceiling. An excruciating pain burned through his bloodstream, the result of an instant 'punishment' delivered by his master, who was extraordinarily furious due to that god-tier misunderstanding.

'Dammit...' Shion wailed bitterly, a tear of regret flowing from the corner of his paralyzed eye. 'Cursed mission. At least... at least I actually got that affinity, right? If not, I am really going to burn this system down...'

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Comments

yustakim345 on Chapter 1 Fri 03 Apr 2026 09:54AM UTC

AWWWWW THIS IS SO CUTTEEEEEE😣🫶🏻

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1. Doelll_i on Chapter 1 Tue 07 Apr 2026 06:38PM UTC
  
  aww... thanks! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)
  
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Emilia (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sat 11 Apr 2026 03:12PM UTC

This story is fun and easy to imagine like an anime.The action is exciting, and the system is funny.Shion is a memorable character.

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cookie4life on Chapter 5 Fri 03 Apr 2026 06:28PM UTC

this is comedy gold haha

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SarahWisteria on Chapter 6 Sun 05 Apr 2026 07:48PM UTC

Pfft hahahaha this misunderstanding is comedy gold hahaha XD

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Eydis124 on Chapter 6 Wed 15 Apr 2026 09:01AM UTC

I'm dying Im dying I'm dying I'm dying 😂🤣😂🤣😂

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St_Ghost on Chapter 8 Sat 11 Apr 2026 12:51AM UTC

Poor shion is being trolled by the system but at the same time can't deny the benefits, it's really funny.

Ah I didn't expect to meet Naruto this soon if at all.this will be interesting haha

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Arisu (Guest) on Chapter 8 Sat 11 Apr 2026 01:11AM UTC

I reqlly like the story, and I hope you'll continue writing!😊😊
I would recommend adding general additional tags like : canon divergent, humor, gamer system or just funny tags that are more descriptive like shion is stronger but at what cost? To give a feeling of what kind of story it is.
Idk if there will be romantic relationships but if you hint at one enough I think there should be a courtious "implied X/Y" at least.
All of the relationship tags are "&" which most times indicates a more platonic relationship so if you plan to romance later you could still use the "/" as not to blindside people.
I dont mind either but some people get mad or just wont read something if it isnt tagged clearly.
I really like the story and think if you added more tags more people would read it! Of course you can just ignore this if you want to, I know it is annoying being told how to label your story, this is really just meant as friendly advice.🥰🥰

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Unknownlion on Chapter 9 Sun 12 Apr 2026 03:43AM UTC

Thanks for the chapter!!! Also, it looks like shino bags the hottie minato in the future😂😂😂😂 Minato is a lucky guy in the future, because he gets a hot femboy with adjustable boobs and other stuff he will get in the future! LMAO 😂😂😂😂

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bonnie (Guest) on Chapter 9 Sun 12 Apr 2026 07:01AM UTC

Sasuke is hard to write but you handled him really well

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1. Doelll_i on Chapter 9 Sun 12 Apr 2026 07:27AM UTC
  
  Sasuke?
  
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Unknownlion on Chapter 10 Sun 12 Apr 2026 06:27PM UTC

Thank for the chapter!!!

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Sid_ewe on Chapter 10 Wed 15 Apr 2026 07:09AM UTC

No me digas que termina aca 🥲

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Eydis124 on Chapter 10 Wed 15 Apr 2026 09:36AM UTC

I genuinely love this story. It is absolutely hilarious! 😂

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SarahWisteria on Chapter 10 Thu 16 Apr 2026 02:44PM UTC

Omg Naruto noooo poor Shion XX

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yoritsune on Chapter 11 Tue 21 Apr 2026 02:54PM UTC

This fic is really amazing and fun to read as this is the first one I read with this kind of trope!

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Unknownlion on Chapter 11 Tue 21 Apr 2026 06:41PM UTC

Thanks for the chapter!!!

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