Chapter 605: Contrarian Naruto

The moment everyone saw the system begin forcibly guiding Naruto, hope returned.

This was actually a good approach.

Instead of trying to make Naruto understand everything first, they could simply get him to act correctly and let him figure out the reasoning along the way.

This was Kushina’s final safeguard.

Of course, there wasn’t only one mission.

If that were all, the Tailed Beasts would definitely have protested.

Especially now that Naruto’s thinking was already starting to drift in a dangerous direction.

So a second mission appeared on his system interface.

[Secondary Mission: Prevent the birth of a furry-dominated shinobi world. Reduce the shinobi world’s overall favorability toward the Tailed Beasts.]

Unlike the main quest, this secondary mission didn’t give Naruto any specific actions he was required to take.

Its conditions were extremely loose.

Part of that was because Kushina simply hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic when setting it up.

She had only added something for the Tailed Beasts to keep them from complaining.

More importantly, Kushina genuinely had no idea what kind of mission could accomplish that objective.

Was she supposed to order Naruto to gather all the jinchūriki and form a squad that traveled around firing Tailed Beast Bombs at random?

Naruto would never do something like that.

Seeing the two missions, Naruto became confused.

“What’s going on?”

“This doesn’t seem right.”

Why were both missions essentially asking him to do bad things?

The first wanted him to punish ordinary villagers.

The second wanted him to make the entire shinobi world dislike the Tailed Beasts.

Both went completely against his ninja way and everything he currently wanted to accomplish.

Then—

“I get it!”

Naruto suddenly shot up from the toilet.

The moment the viewers saw that familiar look of enlightenment appear on his face, they collectively went numb.

‘Please.’

‘Stop having revelations.’

Every time Naruto reached some grand realization, his thought process veered off in the strangest possible direction and somehow circled back around to justify whatever he had already wanted to believe.

He never actually learned the intended lesson.

And sure enough—

This time was no different.

“Makoto just told me that what matters in life isn’t how long you live, but whether you live without regret!”

Naruto clenched his fist.

“These missions might guide me, and completing them might give me rewards, but I can’t abandon my own judgment just because of that!”

“If I do, I’ll regret it!”

“I have to stick to my ninja way!”

“I say what I mean, and I never go back on my word!”

“That’s my ninja way!”

Naruto’s eyes burned with determination.

“I’m not going to punish everyone!”

“I’m going to care about them even more!”

“I’ll use shadow clones every single day to help people!”

“And I’m definitely not going to make everyone hate the Tailed Beasts!”

“I’ll help people overcome their prejudice and teach them to treat the Tailed Beasts as close companions!”

Naruto looked ready to burst into flames from sheer passion.

Kushina, watching from outside, had gone completely numb.

Fortunately—

She had prepared one more safeguard.

Since forcibly guiding Naruto through system missions was supposed to be her final resort, she had made sure the mechanism was as comprehensive as possible.

Completing missions gave rewards.

But deliberately doing the opposite would also trigger punishments.

[Warning: Acting contrary to mission objectives will progressively invert corresponding rewards into penalties.]

“Hmph.”

Naruto crossed his arms.

“Punishment?”

“You think Uzumaki Naruto is afraid of punishment?”

He looked completely fearless.

Even Kushina, Kakashi, and the others outside didn’t know the exact rewards and penalties.

Those had been generated automatically by the Heaven’s Will operating within Engraved Tsukuyomi.

Having just made what he considered an important life decision, Naruto left the bathroom feeling refreshed.

The first person he looked at was Makoto, the supermarket owner.

A description immediately appeared.

Makoto’s name was only faintly pink, indicating that his Bullying Value was relatively low.

Opening the detailed entry revealed:

[Makoto: Low Bullying Value.]

[Primary bullying offense: As Uzumaki Naruto’s friend, he made a move on his friend’s mother.]

[Recommended punishment: Strike the vulnerable area one hundred times.]

Naruto sneered internally.

‘Stupid system.’

‘You really think I’m going to become your puppet and obey everything you say?’

‘Uzumaki Naruto makes his own decisions!’

“Makoto!”

Naruto reached into his pocket and tossed him a key.

“This is the key to my house.”

“Tonight I’m taking Dad out to watch a movie.”

“I’m leaving Mom to you!”

Naruto grinned proudly.

The system wanted him to punish Makoto?

Then Naruto would do the exact opposite!

“?”

Makoto stared at the key in complete bewilderment.

What was this supposed to mean?

Was this some kind of elaborate trap?

Outside the illusion, Kushina grabbed her head with both hands.

Naruto never stopped finding new ways to surprise her.

How did that boy’s brain even produce sentences like this?

“HAHAHAHA!”

Naruto felt as though the whole world had suddenly opened up before him.

After handing Makoto the key, he threw his head back and laughed as he strode out of the supermarket, preparing to head home.

[Contrary action detected.]

[Penalty applied: -2 cm.]

Naruto’s laughter briefly froze.

Then he shrugged it off.

“Tch. Is that all?”

“Go ahead and take more!”

“At worst, I’ll just stay a girl permanently. Then I’ll be a girl before and after transforming!”

Naruto dismissed the punishment completely.

Still laughing smugly, he continued toward home.

Along the way, he saw one passerby after another with names glowing deep red—some almost purple—with Bullying Values so high they practically screamed danger.

Several villagers began moving toward him.

Naruto calmly reached into the pouch at his waist.

The villagers sneered.

A kunai?

Did he think they were going to stop bullying him just because he could fight back?

If fear of death was enough to stop someone from bullying another person, then what was even the point of living?

However—

What Naruto pulled out wasn’t a kunai.

It was one of the balloons used for Rasengan training.

And it was filled with something special.

Naruto raised it high above his head.

“Rasengan!”

The balloon burst.

Naruto successfully completed the world’s foulest ice-bucket challenge.

The villagers, who had been marching toward him without fear of death, suddenly widened their eyes.

Then they backed away in unison.

“The brilliant Uzumaki Naruto has successfully prevented another bullying incident!”

Reeking but immensely proud of himself, Naruto continued on his way home.

What he didn’t know was that although the villagers had been frightened off by the filth, they still reported his behavior to someone.

Just as Naruto was about to reach his house—

The ground beneath him suddenly split open.

Wooden pillars erupted from the earth and trapped him inside.

“Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison!”

Yamato stepped out of a nearby alley, hands still forming the seal.

“Uzumaki Naruto!”

His voice was righteous and severe.

“Concerned villagers have reported that you, as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, are displaying signs of mental instability and possible loss of control.”

“I have no choice but to restrain you!”

Naruto looked at him.

In Naruto’s vision, Yamato’s name was still glowing red with Bullying Value.

Naruto didn’t even bother arguing anymore.

Instead, he walked right up to the wooden bars and pressed his face against them.

“Then come on, Captain Yamato.”

“Hit me.”

Smack!

Yamato had never encountered a request like that before.

So he slapped Naruto across the face.

‘YES!’

Outside the illusion, Kushina finally felt some of the frustration leave her body.

She desperately hoped that this world’s version of herself would soon give Naruto another beating like the one he’d received when he first entered Engraved Tsukuyomi.

She needed the satisfaction.

“?”

Naruto, meanwhile, stood there stunned.

What happened?

Wasn’t filth supposed to be the natural enemy of the Will of Bullying?

Had everything on him somehow dried up or fallen off while he was walking?

Impossible.

Wait!

Wood Release!

Naruto’s intelligence had now reached a staggering one hundred and fifty.

And suddenly, he understood.

Captain Yamato used Wood Release.

Which meant—

Not only was Yamato not disgusted by fertilizer…

He might actually like it!