Chapter 167: Bloodline Limit Store

Sasuke glanced at the silent Naruto, then at the equally silent Nine-Tails beside him.

The story he had to tell was already finished.

What Naruto needed to know, he now knew. What he shouldn’t know, Sasuke wouldn’t tell him.

The dark corridor fell into a prolonged silence.

After a while, Sasuke was the first to speak.

“Naruto, you’ve learned about your parents. For now, don’t mention it to anyone else.”

Sasuke’s voice was soft but firm.

This matter was still a little too much for Naruto to handle right now. If it were carelessly revealed, who knew what kind of impact it might have on future events?

“Naruto, I have a few questions,” Naruto said, his voice heavy with emotion, his usually cheerful demeanor dimmed.

“Go ahead,” Sasuke replied. He didn’t like seeing Naruto this way, but he knew Naruto would eventually return to his positive and sunny self. It was just a matter of time.

“My dad wasn’t just an ordinary person—he was the Fourth Hokage, a hero who saved the village. Why has no one ever told me about this?” Naruto’s voice trembled as he voiced the question weighing heavily on his heart.

For so many years, he had lived as an orphan, sometimes even doubting if he was a reincarnation of the Nine-Tails demon fox.

His life had been filled with cold stares and prejudice, with no justice or fairness.

Especially when he compared himself to…

Konohamaru.

The grandson of the Third Hokage.

His life was completely different.

“That’s…” Sasuke took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Naruto’s question struck a nerve Sasuke didn’t fully understand.

“From what I’ve gathered, the Third Hokage wanted to protect you and keep your identity a secret,” Sasuke finally answered, giving the standard, albeit weak, explanation.

“Oh, I see,” Naruto said with a faint smile.

But his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

He didn’t comment further. Whether he accepted this explanation or not remained unclear.

Sasuke didn’t push the topic, allowing Naruto to process it on his own. This was something Naruto needed to figure out himself, based on his own feelings and experiences.

“Naruto, let me ask you—can I assume that the mysterious figure was the one who killed my parents?” Naruto’s bright blue eyes shimmered with a dangerous light, his pupils tinged with red.

In the dark hallway, a fiery orange chakra began to surge around Naruto, creeping closer to his body.

Seeing this, Sasuke shot a sharp glare at the Nine-Tails.

Instantly, the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan erupted, and the orange chakra that had been surging forward recoiled back toward the doorway.

*+100 (50)*

The system counter in Sasuke’s vision ticked upward again.

Yet another point for showing off in front of the Nine-Tails.

The beast’s chakra dissipated immediately.

Naruto’s eyes cleared, and he remained unaware of the transformation his body had momentarily undergone.

“You can put it that way,” Sasuke nodded.

The main reason for Kushina’s death had been the unsealing of the Nine-Tails.

And the one who broke the seal… was Obito.

Minato had sacrificed himself to reseal the Nine-Tails using the Reaper Death Seal.

But all of it—the unsealing, the deaths—ultimately traced back to Obito.

It was as clear as blaming a drunk driver for causing a fatal accident.

In the case of the Nine-Tails’ rampage, Sasuke felt Obito bore full responsibility—no argument there.

“I’ll uncover the true identity of that mysterious figure myself!” Naruto clenched his fists tightly. At this moment, he was far from the forgiving person he would become during the Shippuden era. His emotions were raw, and his will to love or hate boldly was still unrefined.

“You will,” Sasuke said with a nod. He found Naruto’s current state refreshing.

Compared to the excessive forgiveness and miraculous powers of persuasion that would come later, Sasuke preferred this side of Naruto.

At least now…

Naruto understood that some things—like avenging one’s parents—should not be forgiven.

As he thought about this, Sasuke couldn’t help but think of Itachi, who had killed their entire clan.

When it came to Itachi, Sasuke admitted his hypocrisy.

After all, as a reincarnated soul, Sasuke had never met Fugaku or Mikoto Uchiha. Knowing the full truth of what had happened, he had placed all the blame squarely on Danzo.

Sasuke and Naruto were both orphans.

But to Sasuke, Itachi and Obito represented two entirely different concepts.

“Last question,” Naruto said hesitantly, summoning the courage to ask.

“Why did my father seal the Nine-Tails inside me?”

Naruto’s tone carried genuine confusion.

The creature hadn’t brought him any benefits over the years—only endless burdens.

He had already lost his parents, yet he was still forced to bear this responsibility alone.

It had been an incredibly tough road.

“That’s something your parents will tell you themselves one day. But believe this—they loved you very much!” Sasuke replied firmly.

He vividly remembered the times Naruto’s seal had nearly broken, and both Minato and Kushina had appeared.

Some things were best left for them to say.

“I understand,” Naruto said, his expression lightening.

Knowing his parents loved him—that was enough.

The reasons behind everything would reveal themselves in time.

As for the mysterious figure, he would uncover the truth.

These were the bonds Naruto now carried.

He was a…

Avenger.

This thought flashed briefly in Naruto’s mind before he suppressed it, though a faint trace lingered.

“Any more questions?” Sasuke asked, observing how straightforward Naruto’s thought process seemed.

Maybe that was the secret to Naruto’s happiness.

“No, I’m good,” Naruto said, shaking his head. A genuine smile returned to his face.

“Sasuke,” Naruto said, “thank you.”

“Learning about the past… it’s made me feel a lot better.”

“If you hadn’t told me, I don’t know when I’d have found out.”

Naruto’s face once again radiated his signature cheerfulness.

“Tomorrow, our missions start for real,” he continued, grinning. “I’m really glad I got assigned to the same team as you!”

Naruto’s optimism was infectious.

“Then we should head back,” Sasuke said, his tone calm. He had shared all he could.

There was no point in lingering here. Sakura was still waiting outside, and controlling the Nine-Tails for so long was draining his chakra and Mangekyō powers.

*Whoosh!*

In an instant, Sasuke’s Mangekyō Sharingan flashed, warping the space around them.

Moments later, both Sasuke and Naruto were back at the wooden training post, where a stunned Sakura stood.

In the real world, only a fraction of a second had passed. The time flow in the consciousness space was vastly different.

From Sakura’s perspective, Sasuke and Naruto had simply exchanged a glance.

Then Sasuke’s Sharingan had shifted, and Naruto had emitted some orange chakra before both returned to normal.

Sasuke deactivated his Mangekyō, his black eyes regaining their natural clarity.

“What just happened…?” Sakura asked, looking between the two of them in confusion.

“Sakura,” Sasuke said softly, closing his eyes. “Remember my words: Don’t ask. Don’t speak. This is not something you need to know right now.”

*+20 (10)*

The system counter ticked upward again, though Sasuke no longer cared about it.

His eyes burned.

Badly.

It felt like he hadn’t slept for days, his vision on the verge of collapse.

This…

This must be the backlash of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The pain radiated through his eyes and into his head, as if his skull was about to split.

*Current System Points: 18,516.*

“Time to add points,” Sasuke thought.

He opened his attribute panel and added a point to his *Spirit* stat.

*Whoosh!*

A cool sensation washed over him, clearing his mind and replenishing his chakra.

But…

The pain in his eyes remained.

“No, that’s not enough!” Sasuke gritted his teeth, rubbing his temple.

“Add another point to *Body*!”

*Whoosh!*

A wave of heat coursed through his body, easing his physical fatigue and concentrating on his eyes.

*Whoosh!*

The searing pain in his eyes turned into a pleasant itch, and then it was gone entirely.

He was healed.

Relieved, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes.

Everything seemed clearer, sharper—as if he had just applied eye drops.

“System… I take it back. You’re amazing!” Sasuke thought, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

*So Cool!*

*This is the real deal—live Hashirama cells!*

*Even stronger than Hashirama cells!*

Sasuke felt like he hit the jackpot!

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Naruto and Sakura standing in front of him.

Both of them stared at him with eyes full of curiosity.

“Let’s call it a day,” Sasuke said flatly. He had plenty of things to study and no desire to stick around just to show off. Staying here wouldn’t earn him any more points.

“We still need to gather tomorrow morning for a mission!”

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and Sakura but didn’t seem to be asking for their opinion.

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

Naruto and Sakura nodded simultaneously, both agreeing it was time to stop.

Without further words, the three of them left the forest and headed home in separate directions.

Sasuke wanted to research his newly acquired Mangekyo Sharingan. He hadn’t tested its capabilities yet.

Naruto needed time to organize his thoughts and process everything that had happened.

Sakura was eager to tell her parents about passing the assessment.

Each had their own concerns as they set out on their paths home.

---

*Half an hour later.*

Sasuke arrived at the Uchiha compound. He hadn’t used the Flying Thunder God technique to return. He simply wanted to walk this path again.

No one was tailing him.

Kabuto had finally learned his lesson!

Actually…

Sasuke didn’t realize that Kabuto wasn’t being cautious but rather scared. That punch had nearly cost Kabuto his life, and it had taken immense effort to recover.

When Sasuke got home, he went straight to his room and opened the system panel.

*Current system points: 18,514 points.*

“Without even realizing it, I’m close to 20,000 points!” Sasuke marveled.

“This year’s future events have been incredibly rewarding. The next one involves the Land of Waves mission. I wonder if, at this point in time, that mission will still fall into our hands.”

Shaking his head, Sasuke decided not to dwell on it.

The Land of Waves wasn’t particularly crucial. Even if that event slipped past, it wouldn’t matter much.

What truly mattered was the upcoming Chunin Exams! Sasuke had a gut feeling that Konoha Village would face great turmoil during the exams.

“What a shame…”

“Whether it’s the Third Hokage, Danzo, or even Orochimaru…”

“They all underestimated me!”

Sasuke smirked as he opened the system’s attributes panel.

---

*[Attributes]*

- *Spirit Attribute:* Rating S: (4/5000)

- *Body Attribute:* Rating S: (1705/5000)

- *Illusion Attribute:* Rating S: (0/5000)

- *Ninjutsu Attribute:* Rating S: (0/5000)

- *Strength Attribute:* Rating S: (844/5000)

- *Speed Attribute:* Rating S: (843/5000)

- *Chakra Attribute:* Lightning Attribute ×2

---

“Strength and speed attributes can be improved through physical training techniques like Daytime Tiger. Adding points would just waste resources!”

“The illusion and ninjutsu attributes are sufficient for now. Adding points to them would require 5,000 points each, which feels excessive at this stage!”

“Let’s see how things go by the end of the month. If I have enough points, I might consider upgrading the Lightning attribute further.”

After carefully reviewing his attributes, Sasuke closed the system panel.

“Now, it’s time to study the Mangekyo Sharingan!”

With a thought, Sasuke’s black pupils transformed into a six-pointed star—his Mangekyo Sharingan.

He focused all his energy on the mysterious and profound ocular power.

---

*Buzz!*

Sasuke’s pupils contracted sharply, and his body shivered slightly.

*“Ding!”*

*“Congratulations, Host, on acquiring the Kekkei Genkai: Mangekyo Sharingan!”*

*“The [Kekkei Genkai Store] is now activated!”*

*“Ding!”*

With the final notification, the system’s voice vanished.

---

*“This…”*

Sasuke froze for a moment, then his face lit up with excitement.

It had arrived!

The Kekkei Genkai Store!

Now, he could purchase additional Kekkei Genkai abilities!

Without hesitation, Sasuke opened the system panel and saw a new [Kekkei Genkai Store] tab beneath the [Store] menu.

Opening it revealed an interface unlike anything he had seen before.

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