My New Life is Harder Than Expected(Naruto SI-Waifu Catalog) (Patreon)

Chapter 43

(A Year Later)

“And that’s the last one.” I muttered watching impassively as a pale skinned alien was devoured by my skill.

It was done.

After seven years in this world—including the year I spent in isolation within my improved Hyperbolic Chamber—we had finally managed to complete the mission: Eliminate the Otsutsuki.

We had eradicated the entire Otsutsuki Clan, along with a total of 1000 Shinju seeds, earning a reward of 1,800 credits and six IMG Tickets.

“Incredible. You actually did it. Not even our strongest members were any match for you or your companions.”

Turning toward the voice, I saw Kaguya—my traveling companion for the past year ever since I released her from my Imaginary Space. However, this Kaguya no longer had her long, flowing hair. Instead, she now resembled her original appearance upon first arriving on Earth, with the addition of her horns and Rinne Sharingan.

I managed to convince her to follow me after explaining my purpose. Though reluctant at first, Kaguya ultimately agreed, having little choice. However, with each member of her clan that we exterminated, she became more willing to cooperate, eventually sharing the location of their home planet and valuable information about her clan.

There was also the little detail about my plans for Earth, something that had pleasantly surprised her.

“Our original world makes this one look like a joke in the danger rating department.” I said, referring to the Tensura world—the place where my powers, along with those of the Dragon siblings, originated.

“That sure was a nice workout, kuwahahaha.”

“It’ll be nice to finally get a proper bath after all this time.”

“For once, I agree with you, sister.”

Turning to Veldora, Velgrynd and Velzard behind me I was met with smiles all around. Despite a whole year of fighting, none of them looked even the slightest bit dirtied or out of breath.

“Hello, you three. Thanks for the help again.”

Throughout the year, we would meet occasionally—either to exchange information or simply because they wanted someone to talk to and stave off the boredom. Because of that, they had already met Kaguya. Although they were wary of her at first, they eventually came to accept her, realizing she was much weaker than me and posed no real threat.

That that didn’t stop Velgrynd and Velzard from shooting the bunny girl jealous looks for spending time with me alone, though.

“Don’t sweat it, little brother.” Veldora exclaimed with a grin, slapping me on the back in a friendly manner. “Though, if you really want to thank me, you could let me read more of the sacred texts.”

“Take me out on a date later~” Velgrynd chimed in happily, already claiming her reward.

“I’m sure I can think of something that can be considered a proper reward~” Velzard teased, a coy glint in her eyes.

Chuckling at their antics I turned back to Kaguya, who had remained silent throughout my conversation with the siblings.

“Well, are you ready to head back, Kaguya? I want to leave this fucking universe as soon as possible and set out on a new adventure.” I extended my hand towards her, waiting for her to take it.

It only took a moment for the pale-skinned beauty to take my hand before I teleported all of us back to the Earth in this universe.

At last, it was time to rid this world of its ability to harness chakra.

=====

(Back on Earth)

Arriving back on Earth, the first thing I did—of course—was let everyone know I had returned.

“Hey everyone, guess who’s back?” I called out telepathically.

There was a moment of silence—then I was immediately bombarded with voices, all shouting my name in joy.

“Akari! You’re back~!”

“Finally!”

“Sensei~!”

Patiently, I took the time to properly greet everyone before waiting until they settled down. Once they had, I continued with what I had to say.

“Girls, it’s time. I want all of you to make your way to my personal dimension and remain there until I arrive. As soon as I finish here, I will join you—and then we leave this world.” My tone was firm and serious.

“We’ve already moved all of our possessions there, Akari.” Tsunade responded, her voice equally serious. “But… there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

I smiled, already guessing what she—and quite a few others— were thinking.

“I understand. You may bring along anyone you want, on the condition that they follow the rules of my world. This applies to everyone, of course.”

At my words, waves of relief, love and happiness washed over my mind from the grateful girls listening in.

“…Thank you, Akari.”

“My offer also extends to the Uchiha and Hyūga clans,” I added. “So please be sure to inform them as well. I’ll give you a few hours to get everything done.”

“Thanks, Sensei! I love you~!” came Hanabi’s voice—bright, happy and bold as she confessed in front of everyone listening in.

I blinked at her unexpected confession before a chuckle escaped my lips.

“Still the same little spitfire, huh? We’ll have a proper conversation later, Hanabi—face to face. For now, it’s all hands on deck.”

“Hai, Sensei~!”

Having said all I needed to, I ended the connection with the girls and turned to face my companions from the past year.

“Well then, shall we get the stage prepared?”

“At last. The chakra my foolish sons shared with the humans of this world will finally be reclaimed.” Kaguya said first, sounding genuinely pleased with what was about to happen.

“Actually, Akari, do you mind if I skip this? I feel like taking a nap.” Veldora chimed in next, letting out a small yawn.

“I’m out too,” Velzard added. “There’s no point in sticking around when I already know how this ends.”

“I’ll stay with Akari.” Velgrynd said simply.

“No worries, you two. I’ll see you later.” I gave them a casual wave as they both vanished a moment later.

Without further ado, I stepped forward and called forth the God Tree, watching as it surged upward, growing to an enormous size. At its peaked bloomed a massive, otherworldly flower—its center concealing a closed, crimson Rinne Sharingan.

“Now, we wait.”

A moment later, Velgrynd slipped her arm around mine, a cheerful smile on her face as she made herself comfortable at my side.

Looking at her happy face, I tried to relax—only to blink a moment later as something I’d had forgotten popped into my mind. ‘That’s right. I still have to get in contact with Kabuto so I could revive and sell off all the targets he captured for me.’

One wood clone later, the problem was taken care of. I paused, taking a moment to think if there was anything else I’d missed.

Unbidden, the image of a blonde-haired teen with pigtails appeared in my mind, along with distinctive whisker marks on her cheeks.

“Should I?’ I hesitated. ‘I guess this might be a good time to do something I’ve been putting off for quite a while… out of respect for the girl’s feelings.’

Glancing down at the content Velgrynd wrapped around my arm, I made my decision.

“Hey, Gryn?”

“Hmm, what is it, Akari?” she asked, looking up at me.

“Want to go on a little trip while we wait for the others to finish?” I asked calmly.

She tilted her head, giving me a curious look. “Sure. Where are we going?”

“On a little trip through time and space.” I replied, a slight smirk tugging at my lips.

A gleam of interest lit up in Velgrynd’s eyes, which I took as her silent yes. Then, turning to the quietly observing Kaguya—who had been watching out interaction without a word— I addressed her next.

“Mind holding down the fort for a while, Kaguya?”

She blinked at my request, tilting her head with mild curiosity. “You’re actually trusting me to remain here with the God Tree and not betray you?”

I merely shrugged, wearing a carefree expression. “And where would you even run to? As you’ve already learned firsthand, there’s nowhere you could hide from me.”

“…Good point.” She admitted. “Very well.”

With her agreement, I focused and activated my Trajectory Agreement perk, warping space around us as I shifted our path toward a different timeline—one where the blonde protagonist of this world had been born a girl instead of a boy.

=====

Reality twisted.

Colors bled into one another like paint in water, and for a heartbeat, everything was silent—eerily still, as though the universe itself was holding its breath. Then came the snap of space tearing open, and Velgrynd and I stepped through the rift, emerging high above a familiar yet subtly altered version of Konoha.

The Hidden Leaf lay beneath us, bathed in the golden hues of late afternoon. It looked the same at first glance, but I could feel it—this world pulsed with a slightly different rhythm. A different history. A different future.

“Smells the same,” Velgrynd muttered beside me, glancing down with a mildly amused look, arms crossed. “But definitely not quite the same.”

A sudden gust of wind blew past us, rustling the trees below and carrying with it faint echoes—laughter, chatter, life. My gaze narrowed as I zeroed in on a familiar chakra signature.

But this time, it was… softer. Gentler. Still unmistakably powerful.

“There she is,” I said quietly, my smirk returning as I spotted the blonde figure sprinting across the rooftops with a big scroll hung over her back, energy crackling with suppressed potential. “Naruko Uzumaki.”

Velgrynd raised a brow. “So… what’s the plan?”

“We meet her,” I replied, eyes gleaming. “And then I change her life.”

Trajectory: Agreement had brought us to the exact moment I had envisioned—the night Naruko stole the Scroll of Seals. The moment everything changed. The moment she first learned of the Nine-Tails sealed within her. It was a turning point in her life, the kind of trauma that could either break someone or forge them into something greater.

In the original timeline, it was Iruka who stepped up—who saw her, not the beast inside her, and gave her the validation she had so desperately needed.

Now… that part was mine to play.

=====

Hidden in the treetops, I watched the scene unfold below in silence. Velgrynd stood beside me, arms crossed, her blue hair glowing faintly under the moonlight.

Naruko was panting—mud smeared on her cheek, clutching the massive scroll against her chest like a lifeline. Mizuki stood a few paces away, his voice syrupy with false kindness as he slowly backed her into a corner.

“You really thought they’d let you learn a powerful jutsu just because you asked?” he taunted.

Naruko blinked, confused, exhausted, still believing this was some kind of graduation test.

Mizuki smiled cruelly.

“They’ve never cared about you, Naruko. They never will. Do you want to know why they all glare at you? Why they whisper behind your back? Why they hate you?”

I could see the color draining from her face. Her knuckles turned white on the scroll.

“It’s because you’re the monster.” Mizuki drew the word out like a blade. “You’re not a normal girl. You’re the Nine-Tailed Fox that attacked this village. You’re the demon everyone despises.”

Naruko stumbled back a step. Her eyes were wide, lips parted, trembling as if the words had struck her in the gut.

And that’s when I moved.

I dropped from the trees like a ghost, my coat billowing behind me as I landed between them with a heavy thud. The shockwave kicked up a burst of leaves and dirt, sending Mizuki staggering backward.

“The only monster I see here…” I said, rising to full height, “is the coward who would shatter a girl to feel powerful.”

Mizuki stared at me in horror. “Who the hell are you?!”

I didn’t answer with words.

Instead, I raised a single hand. Chakra pressure rolled out across the clearing like a crashing wave—dense, suffocating, ancient. Mizuki dropped to his knees, face contorted in terror.

“W-Wait—!”

A flick of my finger, and Mizuki was flung across the clearing into a tree with bone-jarring force, pinned by his own shuriken. Alive… but broken.

I turned slowly.

Naruko hadn’t moved. She was still frozen, eyes glassy with tears and disbelief.

Her voice cracked. “…Is it true?”

I nodded.

“But that doesn’t make you a monster,” I said gently. “It just makes you strong. Stronger than anyone ever gave you credit for.”

She shook her head, fists clenched. “Then why does everyone hate me? Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”

“Because people fear what they don’t understand,” I said. “And because the people who should have protected you… didn’t.”

Her breath hitched.

“But you don’t have to be alone anymore, Naruko. You don’t have to carry this pain by yourself.”

I stepped closer, kneeling so I was eye level with her.

“I see you. Not the fox, not the weapon. You. And if you’ll let me… I’ll help you forge a path that’s truly your own.”

Naruko stared at me, tears brimming in her eyes, her whole body trembling.

The world she thought she knew had crumbled in an instant. Her mind raced—fragments of cold stares, whispered slurs, the loneliness… all of it suddenly made sense.

She clenched her fists tighter, her nails digging into her palms. Her lips quivered.

“I’m… the Nine-Tails…” she whispered again, like saying it might make it stop being real. “That’s why no one ever wanted to be near me… why the villagers always looked at me like I didn’t belong…”

The dam broke.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees, sobbing—not from fear of the fox, but from years of pain finally crashing down on her all at once. Years of silence. Rejection. Loneliness. The weight of a truth no child should’ve had to carry alone.

I didn’t say anything. I let her cry.

Velgrynd watched from the shadows, her arms folded, expression unreadable—but I could feel the flicker of compassion coming from her. Even a dragon could respect this kind of resilience.

After a few minutes, Naruko’s sobs quieted, though her breathing remained shaky.

She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket, her face still red and tear-streaked.

“…Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t know me… you could’ve just left…”

I smiled softly.

“I’m not heartless enough to not do anything when I see a girl suffering all alone.”

I extended my hand toward her.

Naruko stared at it.

Her lip trembled, and for a moment I thought she might pull away—too scared, too hurt to believe someone meant it. But then… she moved.

Slowly, shakily, her small hand reached out and clasped mine.

It was tentative at first—like she half-expected it to vanish—but when she felt the warmth of my grip, she clung tighter. Her head dipped, golden pigtails falling over her shoulders as her shoulders began to tremble again—this time not from sorrow, but from fragile, aching relief.

“…Thank you…” she whispered. “Thank you for not looking at me like they do…”

I squeezed her hand gently. “You’re not alone anymore, Naruko.”

Her eyes rose to meet mine, still glistening but filled with something new—something soft and fierce and desperately clinging to hope.

“…So what now?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “What happens next?”

I gave her a small, knowing smile.

“Now…” I said with a light smirk, giving her hand one last squeeze before letting go. “I introduce you to a few friends of mine that I’m sure you’ll get along with swimmingly.”

Naruko blinked, clearly not expecting that response.

“F-Friends?” she asked, a little dazed. “You mean… real friends?”

I nodded, already thinking of the people she’d soon meet—Kushina, Karin, Hinata, Hanabi, Fuu, and Yugito. Each of them strong, stubborn, warm in their own way. They’d be surprised at first, sure—especially Kushina—but I had no doubt they’d take one look at the girl standing before me and instantly embrace her as one of their own.

“They’re a little loud,” I chuckled, “and they’ll probably cry all over you, especially the redheads. But they’re good people, and they’ll see you for who you really are.”

Naruko’s breath hitched. She looked like she couldn’t decide whether to cry again or start grinning like an idiot.

“…I’ve never had friends before,” she whispered.

“You’re about to have more than you’ll know what to do with,” I said, standing and offering her a hand up.

She took it, this time without hesitation.

And as I helped her to her feet, I could already feel the shift in the air around us—like the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for Naruko Uzumaki to finally take her first step toward the life she was always meant to have.

“Now that we’re friends,” I said softly, “let me reward you by sharing a bit of my power with you.”

Naruko blinked, her eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. She had already been through so much—so much pain, so much fear—yet there was a flicker of something new in her expression now. Hope, maybe. Or maybe it was just the trust that came with having someone actually see her.

I didn’t wait for her to respond. Still holding her hand, I let my shroud materialize behind me. It was a manifestation of my power—dark and shimmering, but not threatening. It coiled and twisted, a shadowy presence that was both unnerving and beautiful.

Naruko flinched at first, her grip on my hand tightening as the shroud crept closer. I could feel her pulse in my palm, rapid, but not as frantic as it once was. She wasn’t afraid of me anymore. She was… curious.

“I won’t hurt you,” I whispered, my voice low and reassuring. “I just want to help you.”

The shadowy tendrils reached forward, wrapping around her like a protective cocoon. She stiffened, but didn’t pull away, watching the strands of power flow around her like liquid night, weaving a new fate for her.

The moment the shroud fully enveloped her, I felt a subtle shift—her presence merging in our shared network, a ripple of curious glances and gentle ‘pokes’ from the others, intrigued by the newcomer joining us.

I took it a step further, buying the Specific Waifu Perks—Fox of Six Paths and Unnecessary Sacrifice—which instantly boosted her tier from six to eight. Then thanks to the effects of Complementary Colors, her tier surged again to nine.

‘Fitting, I suppose.’

A surge of energy, pure and unfathomable, took root inside her. The warmth of it spread through her like a spark setting a fire ablaze, and I could feel her chakra resonating with mine. Her very essence began to shift, and I could sense the untapped potential inside her stirring awake.

She gasped, feeling the weight of the transformation as the power settled in, but her eyes remained locked on mine, filled with an odd combination of awe and disbelief.

“What…” she breathed, voice trembling. “What did you do to me?”

I smiled softly, my voice calm. “I just gave you a taste of what you can become. You already had the strength inside you, Naruko. I just helped unlock it.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she processed what I’d said. Then, she asked in a quieter voice, “Who… who are you?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. It seemed only right that she would ask now, after everything we’d just shared.

“Ah, sorry about that,” I said, offering a light, reassuring smile. “I guess I should’ve introduced myself earlier. I’m Akari Tempest. Just… someone who’s been watching over you.”

She blinked, still processing the flood of information as she stood there, her breathing a little steadier now. “Akari,” she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. A strange sense of familiarity followed, as if the sound of it were a lifeline in her chaotic world.

I nodded. “Yeah. And I’m here to help you, Naruko. You’re not alone anymore.”

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as the power settled within her, a deep connection forming between us. The transformation wasn’t just physical—it was mental, emotional. She was no longer just a 14-year-old girl who had been carrying a curse. Now, she was a being capable of so much more. She was the one in control.

The shroud receded slowly, leaving Naruko standing there, slightly glowing from within. She was breathing more steadily now, the weight of the world a little lighter on her shoulders. But her eyes were still wide with amazement, like she could hardly believe what was happening.

“I feel… I feel different,” she whispered, as if afraid to truly believe it. “I can feel it inside me.”

I nodded. “You are different. You’ve always been strong. Now, you’re finally starting to realize it.”

Naruko turned her head slightly, looking at her hand as though seeing it for the first time, the new energy swirling inside her, merging with the power that had been locked away for so long. There was something in her expression now—something that hadn’t been there before. Confidence. Hope.

“I can feel it,” she whispered again, her hand balling into a fist. “I can feel everything inside me.”

I smiled softly. “That’s your strength. But remember, power is nothing without control. It’s up to you to decide what you do with it.”

Naruko looked back at me, determination in her eyes. “I’ll use it to protect those who matter to me. I’ll… make sure no one else has to go through what I did.”

I smiled, proud of her.

“You’re not alone in that,” I said softly. “You have people now. And I’m here. Whenever you need me.”

With Naruko now one of us, that only left the second reason for our journey to this timeline.

It wasn’t just about helping her—it was also about capturing and selling every target I hadn’t been able to get before. Some of them were too closely tied to people I knew, while others were from even further back in time. Specifically, I was going to hunt down the remaining targets from Hagoromo’s era, those who had eluded me until now.