Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

"The enemy is terrifying," Naruto muttered as he pulled away.

"Mm-hmm," Sakura nodded in agreement.

In ambush scenarios like this, long-range genjutsu combined with kunai throwing tactics were more effective. Even though she had mastered the chakra scalpel technique, a medical ninja would never engage in close combat unless absolutely necessary.

Not everyone was Tsunade—a powerhouse princess with nearly immortal healing jutsu could only be described as legendary.

Pakkun stayed silent throughout, maintaining his usual quiet demeanor.

Sasuke's expression didn't change much. During their pursuit, he occasionally asked Pakkun how far Gaara was.

"Hey, Pakkun, who's stronger—the Third Hokage or Orochimaru?" Naruto asked, clearly bored.

Pakkun was at a loss. Although he didn't want to respond to the blond, he was forced to entertain the question since they were working together.

"Orochimaru is the Third's disciple. A student usually can't surpass their master."

"That's not necessarily true," Naruto replied. "People get weaker with age. Orochimaru looks pretty young."

"You brat, are you hoping for something to happen to the Third Hokage?" Pakkun said, eyeing Naruto suspiciously.

"How could I? I'm a law-abiding citizen," Naruto chuckled awkwardly.

After a while, he broke the silence again.

"Pakkun, Orochimaru is still stronger, isn't he?"

---

"We're almost there," Pakkun said sternly.

Hearing this, Sasuke and Sakura both furrowed their brows. Naruto, however, didn't react—he wasn't interested in the mission.

He wasn't keen on chasing after Gaara. What he really wanted was to finish up and attend the Third Hokage's funeral, preferably at the kids' table.

While Naruto was silently complaining, Pakkun suddenly halted.

Naruto looked ahead and saw Temari and Kankuro standing protectively in front of Gaara, glaring at their group.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Gaara, already on edge, locked his crazed gaze on Sasuke.

Ignoring him, Naruto stepped aside lazily with his hands behind his head, clearly uninterested in fighting.

As usual, opponents of equal strength had a tendency to taunt each other before fighting.

Team 7, having just finished a previous battle, didn't mind taking the time to rest a bit more. Sasuke didn't rush into action either. Instead, he stared back at Gaara and pulled out shuriken from his pouch.

"Running away? Let's finish what we started during the tournament."

"Do you think you can win?" Gaara mocked from atop a tree branch, looking down on Sasuke.

"You won't know until we fight," Sasuke smirked.

"What Sasuke means is you're no match for him," Naruto suddenly interjected. "He could beat you with one foot."

Sasuke turned to Naruto, utterly confused.

Naruto gave him a knowing look and whispered, "I think you're being too modest. Let me translate for you."

Gaara, clearly provoked, looked furious, his eyes turning red.

"You're asking for death, Uchiha Sasuke! I'll kill you!"

"I hope you don't lose too badly," Sasuke retorted.

"He said he doesn't want to lose to an ugly freak," Naruto added.

Sasuke: "???"

"Uchiha! Sasuke!!"

---

Temari quickly drew her fan and shouted to Kankuro, "Hurry! Take Gaara away. He can't lose control here!"

Kankuro reluctantly grabbed Gaara's arm. "Stick to the plan. Control yourself."

Hearing the word "plan," Gaara's rage subsided slightly, and he let Kankuro lead him away.

Temari swung her fan, unleashing a fierce windstorm that swept through the forest, scattering leaves and forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

Naruto, eager to avoid chasing Gaara, volunteered, "Sasuke, Sakura, you go ahead. I'll handle this one!"

Naruto's plan was simple: stall Temari in a mock fight, then rejoin the others at the right moment to finish the mission while everyone else was exhausted. A perfect balance of slacking off and fulfilling his duties.

Leaving Sakura to deal with Temari was out of the question. A medical ninja specializing in genjutsu couldn't stand a chance against Temari, who excelled in both ranged and melee combat.

"Be careful," Sasuke said before heading off with Sakura and Pakkun.

"You're not going anywhere!" Temari shouted, swinging her fan again to block their path.

"Hey, you flashy-dressed bad woman, I'm your opponent!" Naruto taunted.

Naruto had no intention of letting Temari interfere with his carefully crafted slacker strategy. Sasuke had to play the hero and defeat Gaara—it was his moment to shine.

Using *Wind Release: Blade of Wind*, Naruto unleashed several sharp gusts to counter Temari's attacks.

As Sasuke glanced back, he noticed Naruto using an unfamiliar wind-style jutsu. The realization stung. After all the effort he had put into mastering Chidori, Naruto had already learned a new jutsu too.

The pressure to grow stronger weighed heavily on Sasuke.

---

"What did you call me?" Temari snapped, furious.

"A flashy bad woman," Naruto repeated.

"You're dead!"

Enraged, Temari unleashed her full power, activating her Three-Star Fan technique to generate even stronger winds.

"Ninja Art: Wind Dust Storm Technique!"

Naruto, having successfully provoked her, quickly retreated and hid behind a large tree.

"Angry women are terrifying," he muttered, shivering.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind as a selection panel appeared:

[Option 1: Make Temari beg for mercy. Reward: Sealing Technique – Diamond Seal.]

[Option 2: Make Gaara beg for mercy. Reward: Full power of Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast.]

Naruto was stunned by the options.

"Beg for mercy? What the heck?"

It might be possible to overpower Temari, but Gaara? With his temperament, he'd rather die.

Although Shukaku was among the top four tailed beasts in terms of power, the risk felt too high.

Choosing the first option would let him seal Shukaku later with the Diamond Seal and enjoy its power alongside Kurama's. A brilliant plan.

If Temari refused to yield, Naruto could simply seal both Shukaku and Gaara together with the Four-Symbols Seal. Surely, Temari wouldn't let her brother suffer forever.

"Temari, you wouldn't want Gaara to die permanently, would you?"

______________________________________________

If you want 20 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon: 

patreon.com/PureParadox