Naruto : Gamer System-Chapter 48 : Coincidence

Haruto suddenly felt power surge through his body, and a violent emotion erupted from within.

"Hahahahaha..." Haruto laughed darkly.

"I want to have fun with you guys."

In the next instant, he vanished—and reappeared behind the enemy group before they could even react.

Moments later, bloodstains appeared on their faces.

"This is just the beginning."

As Haruto moved at high speed, fresh wounds opened on the bodies of the Oto-nin. The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood.

He circled them like a predator toying with prey. Anyone who tried to escape was ruthlessly kicked back by Haruto.

"Hahahaha, this is really fun," Haruto said as he inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of blood.

Under the pressure of his brutal assault and chilling killing intent, the Oto-nin quickly broke down. Some screamed uncontrollably; one even wet himself in terror.

"Please, don't kill me!" cried the woman who had bullied Sakura earlier, her voice trembling.

Seeing that their resistance was crumbling, Haruto's mouth curled into a cruel grin.

"Boring... Let's play something more interesting."

He slowly approached the trembling group.

"Stop it, Haruto!" Sakura threw her arms around him from behind. "Please, stop!"

She pressed her face against his back, her tears soaking through his clothes.

"...Sakura?" Haruto froze.

"The Haruto I know isn't like this," Sakura cried. "He's kind... gentle... always bright like the sun. He'd never do anything this cruel. Please, come back..."

Gradually, the dark markings on Haruto's body began to fade.

What... was that? Haruto's thoughts churned. So this is the power of the Cursed Seal... I didn't expect it to affect me this strongly. Maybe it's because this was my first time using it... but even so, my will wasn't firm enough. I've had things too easy. I rely too much on copying others... and not enough on training myself. Compared to Sasuke, my mental strength is still far too weak. I can't ignore this.

Snapping out of it, Haruto turned around and gently stroked Sakura's hair with a warm smile.

"I'm fine now. My body just... acted up a bit. It won't happen again. Thanks, Sakura."

Sakura, seeing the familiar Haruto again, threw herself into his arms.

"Haruto—!"

Haruto held her gently and spoke softly.

"Sakura... I've never hated you. I've always seen you like a little sister. Just like Ino. I know this might hurt, but I think... it's better to be honest now."

Even if it was painful, Haruto knew dragging things on would only make it worse for Sakura in the long run.

In his arms, Sakura stiffened slightly and went silent.

Just a sister... she thought.

After a moment, she raised her head.

"I've always known that the only one Haruto truly likes is Hinata. If you don't hate me... then I'll be happy just being your little sister."

If I'm his sister... I can stay by his side forever, Sakura thought, forcing a smile despite the pain.

"Haruto... I wish you and Hinata happiness. I've decided to stop competing."

Haruto could see the pain in her eyes and fell silent, guilt weighing heavily on him.

Then, suddenly, Sakura hugged his head and kissed him on the lips. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Haruto's eyes widened. He instinctively tried to pull away, but stopped when he saw her tear-filled eyes.

After a while, Sakura pulled back and wiped her mouth casually.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time... Too bad it wasn't your first kiss."

Then she smiled brightly.

"Let's put the past behind us. From now on, I'll really just be your little sister."

Haruto looked at her, uncertain whether her smile was genuine or not. He could only nod silently.

Meanwhile, not far away in the forest, Team 8 was rushing toward Haruto's location.

"I smell Haruto!" Kiba barked. "They're close! And there's a strong smell of blood... they might be in danger!"

Hinata's face turned anxious. "Byakugan—activate!"

She suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Kiba and Shino halted, confused. "Hinata? What is it?"

Hinata lowered her gaze and paused before replying softly.

"No... It's okay. Haruto and the others aren't in danger. We should... wait before going."

Though puzzled, Kiba and Shino agreed to wait with her.

"Also... Kiba, Shino. Please don't tell Haruto about this."

"Haruto, what's going on? Your Team is incredibly strong. How could this happen? It's just the Chunin Exam—you shouldn't have encountered such a powerful enemy." Yaman looked at the wounded Haruto and the others lying on the ground.

"And what about these guys?" The Otonin were clearly badly beaten. It couldn't have been Haruto who did it.

Haruto didn't know how to answer and could only say: "I met a very troublesome enemy, but we've already driven him away. My injuries only look serious—it's nothing major."

Hearing that, everyone looked relieved. Hinata, in particular, let out a soft breath—but after a moment, she lowered her head silently.

Seeing this, Haruto thought Hinata was still upset about his injury. He hurried over and hugged her. As soon as he embraced her, Hinata froze for a second... then gently rested her head against Haruto's chest.

"What's wrong? I told you I'm fine. Don't look so down. Smile for me."

Hinata said nothing, staying quiet.

Haruto thought she was still blaming herself and didn't press further. He glanced at Sakura, who gave him a forced smile and shook her head—signaling she was alright.

Hinata grew even quieter seeing this. Kiba and Shino exchanged confused looks—they couldn't understand what had gone wrong.

Haruto left Sakura and the others in the care of Hinata's team, leaving a Flying Thunder God coordinate on the spot before teleporting Naruto and Sasuke back to the village.

In Konoha's Hokage Office...

The Third Hokage listened quietly to Haruto's report.

After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I didn't expect Orochimaru to appear. Is his goal Sasuke?"

Haruto nodded. "Yes. His target is Sasuke. But after seeing my ability... he seems interested in me too."

The Third Hokage was momentarily lost in thought, his expression a mix of sorrow and contemplation. "He's gone far down the wrong path..."

His eyes focused again. Seeing the curse mark on Haruto's neck, his expression grew serious.

"Are you sure you don't want this sealed? This isn't just a power boost. There's a dangerous chakra in that mark. It eats away at your body—and your mind. I'm sure you've felt it already."

"I have," Haruto replied. "I remember the rage and loss of control. But that's exactly why I won't seal it. I want to use it to temper my will."

He had always believed his strength and path were solid. But he had clearly discovered a gap in his mental fortitude—and he wanted to fix that.

The Third Hokage looked into Haruto's determined eyes and sighed.

"You know, Haruto... Orochimaru was once my proudest student. In many ways, he's like you—brilliant, gifted, driven. He even loved this village once. He dreamed of being Hokage." A deep mixture of emotions—regret, guilt, sorrow—crossed the Third's face.

"I was the one who failed him. I gave him access to forbidden knowledge, but I didn't guide him properly. I ignored his human experiments until he crossed the line—he harmed his own comrades. That... I could never allow."

The Third went on for over ten minutes, pouring out all his thoughts and memories of Orochimaru.

Then he turned to Haruto and asked, "Do you know why I'm telling you this?"

"To be honest... your ambition terrifies me. You want to change the entire ninja world—to reshape it. And you might have the power, wisdom, and courage to do it. But even so... I worry that you could walk the same path as Orochimaru."

Suddenly, his voice grew sharp, and a powerful aura erupted around him."I'll be watching you, Haruto. And if you ever stray from the right path—I will kill you myself."

Haruto didn't flinch. Instead, he laughed."That day will never come, Third Hokage. And you're wrong about something—I don't want to bring peace alone. I'm going to find companions, people who believe in this same dream. When enough of us unite, even I won't be able to stop the momentum. It won't matter if I'm there or not—it'll be unstoppable."

The Third Hokage sighed."It's not that I don't believe you. It's just—"

"I understand, Lord Third."

Suddenly, Haruto's expression sharpened. "From what you said earlier... did you already know Orochimaru would appear? And the alliance with the Sand?"

The Third Hokage nodded solemnly. "Yes. Among the upper ranks, it was already known that Otonin and Sunagakure had formed a secret alliance to attack us. We were just... too powerless to act."

"But why didn't you stop them?" Haruto pressed.

"Because Konoha can't afford to strike first. If we do, even if it's justified, the other villages will unite against us. They've always feared our strength. And right now, we're not in a position to win a war against multiple enemies."

"Still, couldn't we have issued a warning or done something less drastic? Letting them invade like this is too much..."Haruto's fists clenched as he thought of the civilians who'd die.

The Third Hokage closed his eyes."I know. But... Konoha needs this war. It must be seen as a decisive victory—one that reminds the world we are still strong. It will buy us time. I feel a larger war is on the horizon. This pain will prepare our people."

Haruto remained silent. He remembered the anime in his past life—how Kosuke delivered orders to the Ino–Shika–Cho trio the day before the invasion. Konoha had been prepared all along—yet they still allowed casualties. He even began to suspect Gekko Hayate's death was a calculated move—to create the illusion that Konoha was unaware.

This world was darker than he'd imagined.

The Third Hokage placed a hand on Haruto's shoulder.

"If you want to be Hokage, you must learn to be cold-blooded. You'll have to make choices no one else can bear—choices that might cost you your friends... your family."

As he said this, the Third's eyes clouded over—thinking of his own past.

"This world has never been simple. It's not about being right or wrong—it's about surviving the resistance of the entire world. You must be prepared."

Haruto looked down in silence...Then raised his head, eyes blazing.

"I won't compromise with this world. I refuse to accept that mindset. I'll become strong enough... strong enough to overthrow this world myself."

The Third Hokage was stunned. Then he smiled. "I'll be watching."

In his heart, the Third could not calm down.

"He truly is the Child of Prophecy... that presence... I'm truly looking forward to his future."