"Place the mission documents on the table," Tenten instructed, and Hinata complied, sitting down to watch Tenten work her magic with the tools.
"What do you like about Naruto?" Tenten suddenly threw the question into the air, as casually as one might comment on the weather.
The question caught Hinata off-guard, sending her into a flurry of nervous flailing, desperately wishing for the power of invisibility.
Her face turned the shade of a ripe tomato.
"Oh, must be love," Tenten teased, a giggle escaping her as she yanked the old door out with a final tug and set it aside.
Hinata was beyond red at this point.
"Come on, no need to hide it from me. What do you like about Naruto?" Tenten prodded, not really expecting a serious answer-just aiming to tease Hinata, maybe make her feel more at ease.
But then, Hinata began to answer, with a voice so steady and sure it seemed out of character for her, as if her love for Naruto was the only thing she was confident in.
"First, it's definitely his kindness," she stated, her confidence surprising.
"Or how considerate he is..." Hinata continued, painting a picture of Naruto that seemed to confuse Tenten.
"Huh?" Tenten blinked, not following.
"Or his subtle humor..." Hinata added, her description veering into uncharted territories for Tenten.
"Wait right there, Hinata. Sorry, there must be some misunderstanding," Tenten interrupted, her hands pausing in their work.
"Yeah? What?" Hinata looked puzzled.
"Are we talking about the same Naruto? Like, the one whose apartment we're in?" Tenten questioned, her tone filled with incredulity.
"Of course, there's no one with the same name, since it's so unique. And there's no one aside from Naruto who has such amazing fashion taste. It's not just his fashion and handsomeness but even if he had none, I just fall for his bravery!" Hinata explained with a smile, her adoration for Naruto shining through.
Tenten stared at her with a deadpan expression.
"Being in love is scary," she thought to herself, "Naruto and fashion?"
The concept seemed so alien, so wildly implausible, it could only be explained by the irrational, unfathomable nature of love.
Tenten, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, leaned towards Hinata.
"Hey, how about I help with your love life?" she offered, a grin spreading across her face.
"Really?" Hinata asked, her voice a mix of hope and surprise. Then, with a hesitant voice, she added, "But don't you like Naruto-kun?"
Tenten's expression froze for a moment before she burst into laughter.
"Hahah, that's a good one, but no, I don't like Naruto. He isn't cute enough, unlike Neji," she managed to say between giggles. Hinata's relief was palpable; she had gained an ally rather than a rival.
"How are we going to do this?" Hinata quickly asked, eager to hear the plan.
Tenten, now focusing on the task of screwing the new door's hinges, mused, "A relationship is like a three-legged race; both of you have to put in the work." Hinata looked on, puzzled by the analogy but attentive.
"Okay, try to do something that Naruto will notice," Tenten suggested after a moment.
"Cooking?" Hinata ventured, hopeful.
"Probably not. That Ayame girl from Ichiraku Ramen cooks for Naruto, yet he doesn't seem to see her as much more than the food," Tenten pointed out, her pragmatism slicing through Hinata's idea.
"What do I do then?" Hinata's voice was tinged with desperation.
"What's something you can help Naruto with that he would probably never forget?" Tenten prodded, screwing the last hinge in place.
Hinata thought for a moment before her face lit up.
"I can help him with the clone jutsu."
"He can't do the clone jutsu?!" Tenten looked at Hinata in disbelief, pausing her work.
"He has too much chakra and too little control," Hinata explained, her voice firm.
"Okay, so you're going to help him with chakra control exercises," Tenten concluded, giving the new door a final, approving nod.
"Yeah." Hinata nodded, the plan taking shape in her mind. After all, the Hyuga were known for their impeccable chakra control. Helping Naruto could be the perfect way to grow closer.
Just then, Naruto burst into the room, slamming the mission documents on the table.
"Finally done!" he announced, flopping down in exhaustion.
"I am never doing these missions when I'm Genin," he huffed, his resolve firm.
"Everyone thinks like that. Now, get up and take that old door out. I'm tired," Tenten commanded, rolling her eyes at Naruto's dramatics.
Naruto, with the old door in his grasp, started to wobble forward, the weight seemingly too much for him.
Setting the door aside, Naruto captured Tenten and Hinata's attention with his next move.
He started rolling up his shirt, revealing his midriff, much to Hinata's shock-and apparent delight, judging by her immediate nosebleed.
"What are you doing?!" Tenten exclaimed, her voice a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Hacks," Naruto declared triumphantly, tying the jacket sleeves around his waist like a makeshift belt, his mind clearly ticking with mischief.
"Give me your katana," Naruto then demanded, turning to Tenten with an expectant look.
"No," Tenten flatly refused.
"Yes."
"No."
"No," Naruto suddenly reversed tactics.
"Yes."
"Shit, you tricked me," she grumbled, handing over the katana with a reluctant frown.
Naruto, with a victorious smirk, bit into the hilt of the katana, earning a look of horror from Tenten.
He wasn't really going to-?
But before she could finish the thought, Naruto was already checking his system window, marveling at his "enhanced" stats.
[ Stats: ]
- [ STR: 20 ] ( Base 12 + 8 )
- [ DEX: 17 ] ( Base 14 + 3 )
- [ CON: 10 ]
- [ INT: 13 ]
- [ WIS: 12 ]
- [ CHA: 9 ]
- [ VIT: 26 ] ( Base 11 + 15 )
- [ LUK: ? ]
With the boosts in stats, Naruto picked up the door as if it were made of paper, shouting "Hacks!" in victory.
However, his triumph was short-lived. In his excitement, he forgot a fundamental truth: one cannot effectively speak with a katana in one's mouth.
The katana slipped from his grasp, leading to a swift [Item Katana has been unequipped] notification.
In the blink of an eye, Naruto found himself on the floor, the door crashing down on top of him.
"Idiot," Tenten thought, shaking her head at the spectacle.
YOU ARE READING
Naruto : The System Files
ActionNaruto has always had video games to fall back on growing up while the rest of the village pretty much treated him like garbage. What happens when Naruto wakes up to find his life has become one of the video games he loves so much.
Chapter no.34 Hacks
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