Chapter 21 [Bonus!]

His lips moved, and although he had no intention of sharing it with Sakura, he said coldly, "Naruto is stronger than you think."

"Instead of worrying about this, you should worry about yourself," he added.

"With the ninja level you have shown so far, it's best to think about how not to be eliminated."

Having finished speaking, he ignored Sakura, put his hands in his pockets, jumped directly to the top of the opposite building, and walked away.

Sakura remained silent, her thoughts in turmoil. She walked home, distressed and withdrawing her concern.

...

Upon returning home, Naruto lay on his bed in a daze. Feeling the emptiness of his home and the quietness of his mind, he got up and opened the window, feeling bored.

The night light streamed in through the window, casting its glow upon the half-written manuscript on the table. Recalling the fragments of the day, Naruto felt a tinge of remorse in his heart.

Ever since Kaze had appeared, he had been extremely kind to him. Kaze engaged in conversation, guided him to make money, protected him when in danger, and even helped him pursue Sakura.

But today, due to an enemy, Naruto had shouted at Kaze and even expressed hatred towards him.

Reflecting upon it now, Naruto felt a sense of confusion. Yet, as he pondered further, he couldn't ignore Kaze's determination to kill Torune and retrieve his roots, despite Naruto's repeated objections.

A mixture of anger and unease welled up within Naruto.

In essence, he was troubled by Kaze's failure to adhere to his words, and this made him feel uncomfortable.

"Should I apologize to Kaze?" Naruto questioned himself, gazing out of the window into the night.

"After all, Kaze has been so good to me, like an older brother protecting his younger sibling..."

Naruto's face displayed a conflicted expression as he contemplated his decision.

"But he continues to kill, even after I've forbidden him, and his methods are exceedingly brutal..."

"If this continues, will he harm my friends and Sakura in the future?"

"It's him who should be apologizing!"

"It has been so long, and he hasn't explained himself or spoken to me. What does that mean...?"

With a troubled mind, Naruto sat at the table, his head in his hands.

[Major personality trust dependency value: 20%]

Within his consciousness, Naruto saw Kaze prompted by the system, and a smile emerged from the corner of his mouth.

Soon after, Kaze vanished without uttering a word or offering an explanation.

His purpose was to make Naruto, who had grown accustomed to his presence, experience discomfort upon his absence.

Clearly, Kaze had succeeded, as Naruto's heart felt a void.

Although it had previously decreased by 30%, only 10% remained, leaving Kaze devoid of the outside world's vision and voice.

However, Naruto keenly perceived the complex and ever-changing emotions within himself, and Kaze was acutely aware of them as well.

In truth, Naruto's strong reaction to Kaze's killing of Torune stemmed not only from the act of killing itself but also from the feeling of losing control that Kaze's absence evoked within him. It made him feel uneasy and panicked.

Perhaps Naruto himself wasn't fully aware, but deep within his subconscious, he desired control and vigilance over Kaze.

This natural inclination of the primary personality towards the sub-personality could be considered innate, even if Naruto himself didn't comprehend it.

Time passed, its duration unknown.

When the dim light outside the window made it difficult to distinguish objects, Naruto finally made up his mind.

With a sincere tone, he spoke solemnly, "Kaze, I'm sorry. I was wrong this afternoon. I shouldn't have yelled at you and scolded you."

Before Kaze in his consciousness could respond, Naruto continued, "To prevent you from being so vicious and terrifying, I will work hard to learn ninjutsu to protect myself and try to avoid involving you in battles."

"But in my daily life, I will find ways to make it up to you and give you more opportunities to emerge!"

This was the resolution Naruto had reached after a night of contemplation. Since he couldn't change Kaze, he decided to start with himself.

"I may not know how to stop you from killing, but I can try my best to prevent you from participating in fights," Naruto declared. "So please, don't be angry anymore, and I promise not to get angry with you again too. Let's consider our mistakes canceled out."

After this long conversation, Naruto eagerly awaited Kaze's response, his ears perked up. However, Kaze remained silent for a considerable time.

Just as Naruto's feelings of loss and grievances were about to overwhelm him, he finally heard a faint humming sound from Kaze.

"Hmm."

"You're the master personality, and your decision holds the final say."

Upon receiving Kaze's answer, Naruto's face broke into a wide smile. He stood up from the stool, dancing with excitement.

"Great! I knew you wouldn't be so petty, Kaze!"

[Major personality trust dependency value: 30%]

In Naruto's conscious awareness, Kaze regained his voice and vision of the outside world. The conflict had been resolved, and Naruto's stomach growled loudly as his thoughts became clearer.

Throughout the previous afternoon, he had been so preoccupied that he had forgotten to eat. Now that the matter was settled, his intense hunger overwhelmed him, causing him to slump onto his bed.

"I'm starving. I really want to eat ramen," he mused, glancing at the darkened night sky and the unlit buildings outside.

With no intention of venturing out, Naruto had no choice but to settle for a glass of juice. Due to Kaze's request, all expired milk and instant noodles had been discarded. Moreover, Naruto had been too busy these past few days to visit the supermarket.

"Wait, don't I still have some noodles in the fridge?" Naruto suddenly remembered.

Those dried noodles had been bought a while ago but had been forgotten after just one cooking session.

"Forget it, I'll let Kaze take over and make something to eat," Naruto decided.

The kitchen still held a complete and unexpired stock of seasonings, which Naruto had bought when his finances were tight, using them for fish and wild vegetables he caught himself.

Kaze obliged, taking control of Naruto's body.

While curiously watching Kaze prepare the noodles, Naruto engaged in conversation with him about Kakashi's scolding that afternoon and the upcoming field survival drill the next day.

...

The following morning arrived early. Naruto, awakened by the sound of his alarm clock, yawned and set off for their training session.

With Naruto's vision aiding him, Kaze noticed a significant increase in the shadowy figures surrounding Naruto.

It appeared that Sarutobi Hiruzen had heightened Naruto's protection following yesterday's incident. This suggested that Sarutobi Hiruzen had yet to deal with Danzo.

Danzo hadn't given up on Naruto, or rather, he couldn't afford to give up.

After all, he had lost a valuable asset in the form of Kaze, whose dangerous character Danzo wouldn't easily dismiss. If Danzo were in Sarutobi's position, he wouldn't let go of such a powerful weapon.

"Naruto, don't forget to eat breakfast," Kaze reminded him.

Aware of the ambiguous situation in the original plot, Naruto didn't want to skip breakfast like Kakashi had suggested. He wanted to experience the hunger that Kakashi's words were intended to inflict upon him.

"I haven't forgotten. I'll go buy something now," Naruto replied nonchalantly.

With that, Naruto headed to a nearby store, where he purchased three yakisoba bread and three boxes of milk.

Due to his previous destructive behavior, the store dared not provide Naruto with expired items, nor did they dare scold him.

The store was well aware that Naruto's reputation could greatly impact its business.

Training Ground.

Sasuke and Sakura had already arrived and were waiting.

They watched as Naruto approached, munching on his fried noodles bread and sipping milk. They ran towards him, their faces adorned with exasperated expressions.

But Sasuke and Sakura understood Naruto well enough to know that such actions were expected of him.

Moreover, Naruto's demeanor today wasn't as gloomy as it had been the previous day, alleviating their concerns.

"Good morning, Sakura, Sasuke," Naruto greeted them, his mouth still full of food.

Sakura, her face darkened, reproached him, "Naruto, didn't Kakashi-sensei say it's best not to eat in the morning to avoid vomiting?"

Naruto continued chewing, took a sip of milk, and then offered them the two remaining boxes of milk he had prepared.

"Do you want to eat? I bought these for you too."

"I don't want to eat!" Sakura snapped back, turning her head away. "If Kakashi-sensei deems you unqualified because of this later, don't come crying to us!"

Swallowing her saliva, Sakura's determination to pass the test was already wavering, and she didn't want to disobey Kakashi's instructions.

Sasuke, on the other hand, wore a thoughtful expression. He glanced around, scanning the area, before shaking his head.

"Let's wait a little longer."

Sasuke didn't outright reject Naruto's offer. He had observed some clues that led him to believe Kakashi's warning about not eating breakfast might be part of a scheme to deliberately starve them.

As time passed and Kakashi's absence continued, Naruto's stomach, now filled with food, grumbled loudly.

***

Power Stone Goals-

100- 1 extra chapter [Completed]

300- 2 extra chapters

500- 3 extra chapters

1000- 5 extra chapters

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