9 Overwhelmed by Her Embrace

The pleasant weekend always passes in a flash, and before you know it, Monday arrives, bringing with it the collective sighs of students everywhere.

Naruto, for one, always felt like sighing for a while after waking up. He didn't want to go to class, he didn't want to listen to Iruka-sensei’s droning, and he didn't want to see the cold faces of his classmates. But then, he looked up, caught sight of that girl’s vibrant, lively red hair, and his spirits lifted. Putting all his troubles behind him, he hurried to catch up.

"Koto—wait for me!"

...

They arrived at the classroom neither too early nor too late; about half the students were already there. Her eyes immediately landed on the cold, handsome boy in blue sitting in the center of the room.

Koto’s voice was clear and bright. "Good morning, Sasuke."

Her tone was so natural and cheerful that it successfully drew curious glances from the surrounding classmates. Sasuke couldn't help but frown. Were they really that close?

Koto continued, lighthearted, "The mushroom soup Itachi-niisan made yesterday was delicious. Did you guys have anything else to eat when you got home?"

Naruto immediately retorted, "Wasn't my mushroom soup the best?"

The students who heard this were astonished. Had Uzumaki Koto and Naruto actually eaten with the haughty Uchiha Sasuke yesterday?

Sasuke had originally intended to ignore her. But then he remembered what his brother had said yesterday: those two idiots had no one to teach them, so they had to taste the mushrooms to see if they were poisonous... Tsk.

With a cold expression, he gave a slight nod, acknowledging her greeting.

"Tch," Naruto pouted in annoyance.

Their seating arrangement was less than ideal—at least from Uzumaki Naruto’s perspective. Koto sat in the leftmost row, across the aisle from Sasuke, while Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura Haruno sat in a row at the center long table. Whenever Naruto wanted to look at Koto, his eyes would inevitably fall on Sasuke’s cold profile first.

That detestable Sasuke! He always sat so straight and stiff—was that smile of hers meant for him?

So, whenever Naruto caught Koto’s gaze before class, he would beam with a brilliant smile. But the moment Sasuke got in the way, his face would darken, and he would attempt to curse Sasuke into oblivion with his resentment.

Sasuke was speechless: ...What a dead-last! How could someone keep staring at that red-haired idiot and never get tired of it?

He glanced at Koto from the corner of his eye. The girl happened to catch his gaze and offered a slight smile. He heard the dead-last beside him giggling foolishly.

"Koto is so cute," Naruto murmured under his breath.

Sasuke immediately looked away, his expression turning icy. That smile was for the dead-last, not for him. Besides, he didn't see what was so cute about her.

As Iruka entered the classroom, the day’s lessons officially began.

"Is everyone ready? It’s time to start class," Iruka-sensei said with a smile. "Imagine if tomorrow were the end of the world—who would you want to be with?"

No sooner had the words left his lips than a familiar voice shouted out.

"That goes without saying, it’s definitely Koto!"

"Naruto!" Iruka-sensei squeezed his eyes shut in patience and roared, "Write the name you’re thinking of on a piece of paper. Don't shout it out!"

Low snickers rippled through the room, accompanied by whispers like, "Even a dead-last wants to get married," or "How shameless." Although the little ones didn't quite understand love, it didn't stop them from teasing their classmate. There was no real malice in the atmosphere, but it was enough to make Naruto blush to his ears.

"I just want to be with Koto, hmph," Naruto grumbled, scribbling both his name and Koto’s on the paper. "I’m done!"

Iruka could take no more; he grabbed Naruto by the collar and hauled him out to be "educated."

*Idiot.* Sasuke mocked Naruto in his heart. As for the girls around him who were stealing shy glances at him with flushed faces, he ignored them all entirely. People you like and such were not important. If it were the end of the world, you’d obviously want to be with your family. Iruka-sensei really loved these childish games.

Thinking this with disdain, Sasuke still wrote down "Father, Mother, Brother" without hesitation. There was still a large blank space on the paper. From the left, he could still hear the scratching of the girl’s pen. Those two didn't have families. He recalled the cruel reality Koto had mentioned so casually during the picnic yesterday. She would probably write Naruto’s name. But he had stopped writing ages ago; hadn't she finished yet?

The distance between their seats made it all too easy to peek, and Sasuke’s peripheral vision drifted over naturally. Sure enough, the four large characters in the middle were "Uzumaki Naruto." Koto hadn't made any attempt to hide it. But without hesitation, she had added "Uchiha Sasuke" right below Naruto’s name.

—!?

What was the meaning of writing his name? If Naruto was there because they were like family, then what did that make him...? The handsome boy’s cheeks slowly flushed red.

But Koto’s pen hadn't stopped. She went on to write other strange names like Saber, Rin Tohsaka, Sakura Matou, Kiritsugu Emiya, and the entire Chaldea staff.

—The paper was almost full, for goodness' sake!

The flush on Sasuke’s face vanished instantly, and he curled his lip. That red-haired idiot—it seemed she wanted to stuff the whole world into her pocket to survive the end of the world together.

"Sasuke, what are you peeking at?" The girl’s voice suddenly sounded beside him. Sasuke ignored her. "Who did you write, Sasuke?" Koto didn't act like an outsider at all, leaning over to look.

Sasuke guardedly shielded his paper.

"Koto! You are not allowed to peek at other people's answers!" Iruka-sensei, having finished disciplining Naruto, turned back only to find another overly familiar student to lecture.

"Darn it, I really wanted to see what Sasuke-kun wrote," Ino grumbled, clenching her fists. Her sentiment echoed that of many girls in the class. By the time the afternoon taijutsu drills arrived, this dissatisfaction reached its peak.

Koto had actually taken the initiative to challenge Sasuke-kun! She had barely interacted with him before last Friday, appearing very sensible—what was going on this week? Sasuke-kun was the shared spiritual wealth of the class; was Uzumaki Koto trying to turn public property into private? It was simply unforgivable!

Shikamaru didn't understand the excitement of the fan club and said lazily, "Sasuke never goes easy on girls, either."

Choji, chewing on potato chips, watched from the sidelines. "Exactly. Koto is just asking for trouble."

"But Koto is so cute, can an Uchiha really bring himself to hit her?" some boys asked, feeling a pang of sympathy. In the past, other girls had tried to approach Sasuke this way, only to be knocked down in two moves or even reduced to tears by his Uchiha shoulder throw.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly. "I won't hold back."

*Oh, oh, the classic tsundere opening,* they thought, *reminding her to retreat so she doesn't get hurt.*

Koto was in a great mood and smiled. "That's fine, bring it on."

*Does she have a hidden trick up her sleeve?* Sasuke wondered suspiciously. Compared to his other peers, Koto did possess a confidence and maturity far beyond her years. Her words and actions were always special, always... cool. Sasuke was reluctant to admit it, but there were moments when he truly felt that Koto’s eyes could, as she claimed, perceive the cycle of fate.

The black-haired boy did not underestimate his opponent. Following his family training, he circled her slowly, cautiously assessing her state. *Is that an opening? Or a trap?*

His dark eyes dimmed. He stepped forward, a punch aimed straight at Koto’s face!

[Innate Talent: Uzumaki Constitution triggered.]

After activating her Kagura Shingan, Koto’s perception of his movements was incredibly sharp, and she dodged with ease. Sasuke analyzed the move based on the sparring routines he’d practiced with his brother; she should be counter-attacking now, so he should block like this—?

Sasuke failed to block Koto’s follow-up strikes because the girl hadn't followed any routine at all. She hit him with a "Uzumaki Pounce."

Sasuke felt the world spin, then a heavy weight pinned him down, a pressure on his chest, his throat and limbs completely immobilized.

A sea of vibrant red. Uzumaki Koto’s long red hair fell with the movement, blocking his perception of the light. One of the girl’s arms pressed against his neck, while her other hand pinched his waist; she even leaned her full body weight onto him to maximize the restraint. Her taijutsu style was raw, like that of a wild beast—unorthodox, but remarkably effective.

Iruka-sensei’s eyes lit up; he hadn't realized Koto had such taijutsu talent. She had instinctively learned to use her entire body as a weapon. Compared to her, Sasuke’s attacks looked a bit too formal and regimented. But they were only six-year-old children who had just started school!

No one heard the notification sounds ringing in Koto’s ears.

[Defeated a Person of Fate. Chakra limit +300.]
[Chakra limit +2]
[Chakra limit +2]
[Skill Held: Uzumaki-Style Taijutsu level increased (D+)]
...

*Only by tangling up every limb to maximize contact can I grind out the daily 'cuddle' limit within the time limit of a practice match,* she thought.

"Let go of Sasuke-kun!" the fan club roared in anger, wishing they could take her place. It was hard to tell if they wanted to replace Koto or Sasuke.

Sasuke, pinned beneath her, was overcome with a mix of shame and rage. If his father and brother found out he had been defeated by a classmate, they would surely be deeply disappointed in him.

Koto released his neck, but before pulling away, she leaned close to the boy’s ear and whispered, "Not bad. Let’s do it again tomorrow."

The red on the young master’s cheeks climbed all the way to his ears. She was still unsatisfied?

"Fine," he said, adjusting his breathing, coldly accepting the challenge.

He shifted his gaze away from her beautiful red hair and cute face, his attitude becoming serious. The girl in front of him wasn't just a silly, foolish idiot—she was a powerful opponent he had to face. Whether to defend the honor of the Uchiha, the strongest clan, or to become a son his father could be proud of—tomorrow, he would absolutely not lose!