Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Little Sakura, Pay Attention to Your Image
Sasuke observed Naruto with unwavering suspicion, convinced that his teammate must be training in secret to maintain his strength. Yet, time and again, Sasuke was left baffled. That night, he remained perched in a tree outside Naruto's home, silently watching.
Naruto, unfazed by Sasuke's presence, carried on with his evening routine. After cleaning up, he lay down on his bed and pulled out a book with a pink cover. Sasuke's curiosity grew as he squinted to identify the book. To his dismay, it wasn't a training manual but a romance novel authored by Jiraiya. Naruto appeared engrossed, flipping through the pages with visible excitement.
Sasuke's shock deepened. "Could he be this careless about his training because he knows I'm watching?" he muttered to himself. Determined to uncover the truth, Sasuke decided to bluff.
He leapt down from the tree and announced, "Hmph, it seems you really don't train. I'll head home now."
Feigning departure, Sasuke quickly doubled back, hiding in a better spot to continue spying. However, his expectations were crushed as Naruto continued reading until late into the night before finally putting the book away.
"As expected of Jiraiya-sensei's work," Naruto murmured to himself before falling asleep.
Sasuke leaned back against the tree trunk, his arms crossed, frustration etched on his face. "He really doesn't train…" he muttered, trying to process the contradiction of Naruto's extraordinary strength despite his apparent laziness.
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The Next Morning
When Naruto awoke the following morning, a familiar voice resonated in his mind.
[Ding~ New System Task Released: Earn 10 Million Silver Taels. Reward: +1 Simulation Opportunity.]
Naruto froze for a moment, puzzled. "Ten million silver taels? That's quite the ambitious task," he thought. Opening his system panel, he reviewed his stats:
[Host: Uzumaki Naruto
Traits: Uzumaki Bloodline, Senju Bloodline, Asura Reincarnation, Nine-Tails Jinchūriki
Techniques: Seduction Technique, Transformation Technique, Adamantine Sealing Chains-kai, Eight Sign Seal-ji, Myojin Gate
Combat Power: 13,888
Backpack: 1.23 million silver taels, Yin-Yang Nine-Tails-Rage
Simulations Available: 1
Current Task: Earn 10 Million Silver Taels]
Naruto's combat power had slightly increased due to his bloodline, but the massive combat boost provided by the Nine-Tails was gone, making his strength more balanced. More importantly, his finances were running low.
"Ninja work isn't cheap," Naruto realized. "Even though I don't train much, maintaining equipment and basic supplies burns through cash quickly."
He considered using his sole simulation opportunity to generate silver taels but quickly dismissed the idea. "Simulations are rare opportunities to increase my power. Sacrificing one for money is wasteful," he reasoned.
Instead, he decided to take on missions to accumulate wealth gradually. After tidying up, he headed to the usual meeting spot, where he found Haruno Sakura waiting.
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Haruno Sakura's Dilemma
Haruno Sakura greeted Naruto with an unusually solemn expression. Noticing her hesitation, Naruto asked, "Sakura-chan, what's wrong? You don't look like your usual self."
After a brief silence, Haruno Sakura confessed, "Naruto-kun… I might have to quit being a ninja."
Naruto blinked in surprise. "Why would you do that? Is being a ninja not good for you?"
Haruno Sakura sighed and explained, "I showed our team's schedule to my parents… and now they don't support me continuing as a ninja."
Naruto's brow furrowed as he quickly deduced the issue. Haruno Sakura came from a civilian family that struggled to make ends meet in Konoha. Her parents had likely worked hard to send her to the Ninja Academy, hoping she'd have a prosperous future. However, seeing the team's lax schedule and limited income potential, they must have concluded that it wasn't worth the investment.
"Let me guess," Naruto said, "your parents think we're wasting time, right?"
Haruno Sakura nodded, holding back tears. "I don't want to quit, but I don't know how to convince them otherwise."
Naruto thought for a moment before responding, "Okay, maybe our schedule could use some adjustments."
Hearing this, Haruno Sakura's face lit up. She felt touched that Naruto was willing to change for her sake. But her joy was short-lived as Naruto continued, "That said, it's hard to alter things now that they're already set."
Haruno Sakura's hopeful expression crumbled. She turned away, disappointment evident in her voice. "I see… If that's the case, maybe I really should—"
"Wait!" Naruto interrupted.
Haruno Sakura paused, her heart skipping a beat. Could it be that Naruto was reconsidering for her?
Instead, Naruto proposed, "What if we worked together to make money?"
Confused but intrigued, Haruno Sakura asked, "What do you mean? Aside from missions, how else could we earn money?"
Naruto smirked and posed a hypothetical question. "If someone sold photos of Sasuke, how much would you pay for one?"
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A Money-Making Plan
Haruno Sakura's face turned red, caught off guard by the question. "Wh-why would you ask that?" she stammered.
Naruto shrugged. "It's just an idea. But think about it—if you'd pay for Sasuke's photo, how many others would do the same? We could sell photos of him and make a fortune."
Haruno Sakura hesitated, torn between embarrassment and the logic of Naruto's suggestion. "That… might actually work," she admitted. "But how would we get Sasuke to agree to something like that?"
Naruto chuckled. "Who said we need his permission? I'm sure we can capture some great candid shots."
Despite herself, Haruno Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the plan. "Alright, Naruto-kun. Let's give it a try."
---
Sasuke's Struggles Continue
Meanwhile, Sasuke woke up late, groggy from staying up all night spying on Naruto. Dark circles under his eyes, he replayed the events of the past two days in his mind. "How can someone be so strong without training? It doesn't make sense…"
Determined to uncover Naruto's secret, Sasuke vowed to observe him more closely. Yet deep down, a nagging thought lingered: What if Naruto really doesn't need to train?
As Sasuke pondered this unsettling possibility, Naruto and Haruno Sakura were already working on their unconventional plan. Between selling Sasuke's photos and taking on higher-paying missions, Naruto was confident they could turn things around—and maybe even prove Haruno Sakura's parents wrong.
Little did Sasuke know, his teammates were about to drag him into their scheme, whether he liked it or not. For Naruto, it was all just another adventure in the unpredictable world of Team 7.
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