Satsuki's legs began to tremble slightly, almost unable to support her body's weight.
Deep within her, the icy despair that had been suppressed for too long, the frozen representation of hopelessness, was finally shattered and melted!
A surging torrent of emotions instantly broke through all barriers, violently bursting from her chest!
It was a burning warmth, the feeling of being unconditionally accepted, cherished, and deeply loved…
But in Naruto's eyes, it was a different scene entirely.
He watched the girl, who was barely able to stand without gripping his hand, her usually proud black eyes now tightly shut, her long eyelashes thoroughly soaked with tears, her small nose and cheeks red from crying, and her shoulders trembling from her intense sobs.
He carefully supported her and gently sat her back down on the still-warm bench.
There were no more verbal thanks.
Satsuki just nodded her head, heavily and repeatedly, with all her strength.
All her responses to Naruto's solemn and sincere promise just now converged into that simplest yet most profound syllable.
"Mm…!"
Finally, the girl, who had been suppressing her emotions and choking back sobs, could no longer hold back the tumultuous feelings within her.
She stopped whimpering and burst into loud sobs!
Her cries were no longer as sorrowful as they had been at first.
Instead, it was a complete emotional release, a mixture of incredible gratitude, relief, liberation, and tears of joy that, upon recalling the pain, turned into a complex flood once more.
Naruto didn't offer any more comforting words; he just sat quietly beside her, one hand still tightly clasped by her, while the other gently and rhythmically patted her back, conveying the comfort of "I'm here" through his actions.
Amidst this blend of sobs and silence, the familiar system notification sound rang out in Naruto's mind once again—
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 11! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
…Oh? It leveled up again.
Naruto understood in his heart, but he didn't pay too much attention to the system.
His focus was entirely on the crying girl in his arms, his hand movements still gentle.
However—
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 12! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
Eh? Again?
The continuous leveling up surprised Naruto a little.
Was this increase a bit too fast?
But then, the next moment, something truly jaw-dropping happened—
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 13! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 14! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
Wh-…?! What's going on?!
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 15! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 16! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 17! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 18! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change! Unlockable upon reaching adulthood.)"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to Level 19! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental qualitative change…)"
A series of dense system notifications, almost overlapping, blasted in his mind like an explosion!
The level numbers leaped and climbed at an incredible speed, so fast that he couldn't even react!
Naruto was completely bewildered, even his hand patting Satsuki's back instinctively paused, and he froze in place.
— — — — — —
"Ding! Congratulations, Host: Your bond level with the original character "Uchiha Sasuke" has increased to the system's upper limit! (Exceeding calculable levels!)"
"Reward points obtained: 5000 points!"
Finally, after a series of frantic, almost glitch-like notifications, the system ultimately settled on such an incredible level, one that surpassed its own design limit.
Naruto, "…"
His mood was complex at this moment; the huge gain in points brought not joy, but a heavy feeling bordering on trepidation.
What kind of surging and resolute emotions of Satsuki did this skyrocketing level represent… he didn't dare to think too deeply about it for a moment.
Forget it… he shook his head, temporarily suppressing these chaotic thoughts.
Now was not the time to consider this; he needed to deal with the current situation first.
He lowered his head and looked at the black head in his arms.
She had stopped crying at some point, perhaps due to the immense exhaustion after her emotional release, or perhaps because she felt an unprecedented sense of security by his side.
Satsuki was actually leaning against him, still with faint sobs, but also emitting steady and deep breathing sounds.
She had fallen asleep.
Unwiped tears still clung to her long eyelashes, and tear stains crisscrossed her cheeks, but her tightly furrowed brows had relaxed.
To ensure Satsuki could rest well, Naruto very carefully adjusted his posture, and with the gentlest movements possible, he steadily picked her up in a princess carry.
This girl… she's really light… The weight in his arms was even more delicate than he had imagined, causing him to lighten his grip even further.
Fortunately, the path back to the Uchiha Clan Compound was still deserted, with no passersby witnessing this slightly "embarrassing" posture.
Otherwise, with Naruto's thick skin, he might have felt a bit uncomfortable.
The reason why this area was deserted at the moment was self-evident—the recent clan massacre had turned it into a crime scene everyone avoided, and no one would idly come here to invite bad luck.
Naruto, holding the sleeping Satsuki, walked silently through the quiet streets with steady and swift steps, finally returning to the empty Uchiha Clan Leader's residence.
He quietly prepared to take Satsuki back to her own room to rest.
After tentatively pushing open two doors, he finally found the correct room.
Why was Naruto so sure this was Satsuki's room?
Because on the desk by the window, a meticulously cleaned handmade model, placed on a soft cloth, was prominently displayed in the most conspicuous position.
It was the model Naruto had spent a long time making for Satsuki's birthday, and he hadn't expected it to be so well-preserved, even placed with such care and importance.
Naruto gently carried Satsuki towards the bed, just as he was about to carefully lay her down on the soft bedding.
His body suddenly stiffened, his movements instantly frozen.
Because, a perplexing doubt that had troubled him… suddenly became clear at this moment.
He finally understood why Satsuki had shown such a nervous, guilty, and even panicked expression when he had casually mentioned finding a blanket in the "largest room" earlier.
The reason… lay quietly on Satsuki's bed.
It was a life-sized body pillow that looked frequently used, even slightly deformed from being hugged, and the pillowcase fabric was soft and clean, clearly cherished by its owner.
However, what truly struck Naruto like a bolt of lightning was the pattern printed on this body pillow—
It was a Q-version, arguably a bit cute, image.
But no matter how Q-version it was, the iconic bright golden spiky hair, blue eyes, and the three whisker-like marks on each cheek…
Were simply… too familiar.
So familiar that he saw it every day when he looked in the mirror!