"It's rare to see you training."
The soft, slightly teasing voice pulled Takeshi from his focus. He froze, his blade still in hand, breath short. His chakra was still flowing—unstable, but promising.
He turned slowly, sweat dripping down his temples.
Two female figures were approaching him, though he hadn't even sensed their presence—a clear reminder of the former owner of this body's lack of skills.
He still had a long way to go.
"Did your clan leader scold you or something?"
The same playful voice danced in the morning air.
Takeshi raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with the girl who had just spoken.
Mei Haruno, if he remembered correctly. A distant cousin of Sakura—just as lively, but with an aura far more... sharp.
Her pale pink hair framed her delicate face perfectly, and her eyes—a mesmerizing mix of turquoise and green—held a teasing glint.
Her kunoichi uniform hugged her figure just right—elegant yet provocative.
"Stunned by my beauty, are you?" she teased, arms crossed and a satisfied smirk tugging at her lips when she noticed Takeshi wasn't looking away.
To her surprise, he responded with a smirk of his own—half arrogant, half amused.
"Hmm... It's mostly the precision of your curves that threw me off. Looks like a sculptor spent hours on them. Or maybe… it's just a really good henge you forgot to turn off."
Silence.
Then a vivid blush spread across Mei's cheeks. She opened her mouth, then shut it, clearly caught off guard by the comeback.
"Y-You're such an idiot!" she snapped, turning away, far more embarrassed than she would've liked.
Beside her, the other girl—who had remained silent until now—raised an unimpressed eyebrow, a flicker of disdain in her gaze.
Aiko Nara.
Slender and poised, she wore her clan's signature nonchalance like a second skin. It seemed the entire Nara clan was cursed with that… aloof air. And if his memories were right, she didn't like him very much.
A little challenge, he thought vaguely.
Her long black hair was tied in a loose ponytail, revealing fine, almost aristocratic features. Her deep violet eyes observed him with the same distant curiosity a cat might have for a mouse that wasn't interesting yet.
"Getting social now, Takeshi? What happened? Heatstroke?"
He shrugged, calmly sheathing his katana.
"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just going through a divine transformation phase."
Mei, having regained her composure, squinted at him, arms crossed.
"Oh, here we go. Now he thinks he's a god."
"Not a god…" he replied, his smile widening slightly, "just a man with great taste. And apparently, a high-quality distraction today."
Aiko let out a quiet sigh. Barely audible.
"You really haven't changed. Still the same idiot."
Takeshi didn't respond. He stretched slightly, his shoulders cracking, eyes turning back toward the clearing.
With those two as part of his squad—Team Five—it looked like he'd have to pause his training for now.
Mei stepped forward, her teasing tone gone this time. Her gaze met Takeshi's, a spark of something different flickering there.
"Actually… I came to invite you out with us."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow.
"Mei, the sharp tongue of Konoha, just invited me out nicely?" he teased, making her blush again. He then looked toward the other girl.
Aiko simply shrugged as if to say, Don't look at me, it was her idea.
"Out? Like… a real outing? Or are you dragging me into some secret training just to humiliate me?" he continued.
"You think we need an excuse to beat you?" Mei smirked, then added more seriously, "No. Just a walk, some food, nothing crazy. A break."
Takeshi stayed silent for a moment.
[SYSTEM] — Quest updated
→ Win Mei Haruno's interest and dominate her
Reward: 50 merit points
The soft ding of the system echoed in his mind.
A slight grin tugged at his lips—though he did notice the reward was much lower than the last jonin.
After all, every conquest had its own value.
"Alright, I'll grant you my precious time," he said mockingly.
"Tsk. I'm the one making an effort here, Mister Full-of-Himself."
They left the clearing, heading up the paths of the Sarutobi clan grounds, quickly arriving at Konoha's lively central streets.
The alleys glowed in the golden morning light. Merchants opened their shops, the scent of warm bread and dango filled the air, shinobi passed by in groups—some on missions, others simply patrolling.
Takeshi slowed down instinctively.
He knew these streets. By heart.
Not because he'd grown up here… but because he'd seen them, again and again, through a screen.
Through the pages of a manga.
"You're making that face like you've never seen Konoha in daylight," Mei said, glancing sideways at him.
"Not really," he replied softly. "Let's just say… I'm seeing things from a new perspective."
Aiko, for her part, simply observed him in silence.
They passed a shop selling ANBU masks, then Ichiraku Ramen's stand.
It brought back a lot of memories. In fact, it was Naruto's love for these noodles that had made Takeshi want to try them. Honestly, he hadn't been disappointed.
"Wanna eat here?" Mei offered.
"If you're paying, I'm not saying no."
She shot him a sideways look, but she was the first to speak after a short pause:
"For the proud descendant of the Third Hokage, aren't you a bit cheap?" Mei grimaced.
"It's called financial strategy. You're the one who suggested the outing, right?"
Mei rolled her eyes, mock exasperation on her face.
"You know what? I'll buy you a bowl, but only if you don't say anything too stupid while we eat."
"Deal, Princess Haruno."
They sat under the ramen stand's awning. The atmosphere was relaxed, the conversation light. Takeshi couldn't help but notice the little glances Mei occasionally threw his way. It wasn't obvious, but… there was something.
[SYSTEM — Update]:
Mei Haruno's affection: 36% → 42%
Status: Latent attraction detected.
Damn system—it could even measure that kind of thing. Looked like tonight, he'd be earning points.
"You always make that face when you're in a good mood?" Mei asked while sipping her iced tea.
"And you've got quite the eye for detail… maybe. Or maybe I just enjoy the company."
She glanced briefly down at her bowl, and though she quickly replied, her voice carried a hint of embarrassment:
"Stop saying stuff like that like it's normal. You sound like a dumb novel character…"
Takeshi just shrugged, wearing an innocent look—after all, he was in a novel, in a way.
Aiko watched the scene in silence, her gaze tinged with mild irritation.
"Are you two done dancing around, or should I say something awkward?"
"Aiko, not now," Mei sighed, blushing more than usual.
Takeshi looked away, ignoring Aiko's comment.
She really deserved a proper lesson for always acting so high and mighty…
But not today.