Haruto barely slept that night. The translucent blue interface had faded after an hour, but he discovered he could summon it with a simple thought. He'd spent hours experimenting, learning that the system responded to mental commands, though touching the floating options worked too. Now, as dawn crept through his window, exhaustion finally claimed him.
A sharp chime jolted him awake.
[GOOD MORNING, USER HARUTO]
[SYSTEM TUTORIAL AVAILABLE]
[COMPLETE TUTORIAL FOR BONUS REWARDS]
[BEGIN? Y/N]
Rubbing his eyes, Haruto sat up. His alarm clock showed 5:47 AM—earlier than he usually woke, but sleep was impossible now. He mentally selected 'Y'.
The interface expanded, filling his vision with a soft blue glow that didn't hurt his eyes despite its brightness.
[WELCOME TO THE EMBRACE SYSTEM TUTORIAL]
[The Embrace System is designed to convert genuine human connections into tangible power. Through the act of embracing—hugging—you gain Embrace Points (EP) which can be used to enhance your abilities or unlock new skills.]
[TUTORIAL SECTION 1: EMBRACE TYPES]
Text scrolled before him:
COMFORT HUG: Given to those in emotional distress. Base EP: 10-20
GRATITUDE HUG: Expressing or receiving thanks. Base EP: 5-15
CELEBRATION HUG: Shared joy or achievement. Base EP: 8-18
FAREWELL HUG: Parting embraces. Base EP: 6-16
GREETING HUG: Welcoming embraces. Base EP: 3-8
PROTECTIVE HUG: Shielding someone from harm. Base EP: 15-30
HEALING HUG: Given to the injured or ill. Base EP: 12-25
[NOTE: EP gains are modified by: Recipient's emotional state, genuineness of embrace, duration, and mutual connection level]
[TUTORIAL SECTION 2: CURRENT ABILITIES]
Basic Empathy (Tier 1): Passive ability. Slightly sense surface emotions of others within 2 meters. No EP cost.
Warm Touch: Active ability. Your hands emit a gentle warmth that soothes minor aches. Cost: 5 EP per minute.
[LOCKED ABILITIES PREVIEW]:
Emotional Resonance (Tier 2 Empathy) Chakra Embrace Healing Hug Barrier of Bonds Heart-to-Heart Communication
[TUTORIAL SECTION 3: STATS EXPLANATION]
CHAKRA CAPACITY: Your total chakra reserves. Increases through EP investment or special embraces.
PHYSICAL PROWESS: Overall physical capabilities including strength, speed, and endurance.
NINJUTSU AFFINITY: Natural talent for ninjutsu techniques.
GENJUTSU RESISTANCE: Ability to resist illusion techniques.
TAIJUTSU SKILL: Hand-to-hand combat proficiency.
EMPATHY: Unique stat. Affects EP gain rates and unlocks special abilities.
[CURRENT STATS]:
CHAKRA CAPACITY: 105/105 PHYSICAL PROWESS: 5.2 NINJUTSU AFFINITY: D GENJUTSU RESISTANCE: E TAIJUTSU SKILL: C EMPATHY: 2
[TUTORIAL SECTION 4: EP USAGE]
EP can be spent on:
Stat increases (Cost varies by stat and current level) Ability unlocks (Cost displayed per ability) Temporary boosts during combat (Emergency function) Special system functions (Locked until Level 10)
[TUTORIAL SECTION 5: MISSIONS]
The system will provide missions to guide your growth. Missions reward EP, stat boosts, and occasionally new abilities.
[TUTORIAL MISSION 1: MORNING ROUTINE]
Objective: Use Basic Empathy on 3 different people before noon
Reward: 15 EP, +1 Empathy
[TUTORIAL MISSION 2: THE LOUDEST NINJA]
Objective: Successfully embrace Naruto Uzumaki and gain at least 15 EP from the interaction
Reward: 30 EP, Unlock 'Connection Tracker' feature
Time Limit: 48 hours
[TUTORIAL MISSION 3: GENUINE CONNECTIONS]
Objective: Achieve a 'Deep Connection' status with any individual
Reward: 50 EP, Mystery Skill Fragment
Time Limit: 1 week
Haruto read through everything twice, his mind racing. The Naruto mission caught his attention immediately. Everyone knew about the village pariah—the loud, orange-clad troublemaker who most adults whispered about when they thought no one was listening. Haruto had never really interacted with him beyond academy classes.
[TUTORIAL COMPLETE]
[BONUS REWARD: 10 EP]
[CURRENT EP: 29]
[TIP: Remember, forced or insincere embraces may result in EP penalties]
The interface minimized to a small icon in his peripheral vision. Haruto dressed quickly in his standard shinobi gear—dark pants, a simple gray shirt, and his new forehead protector. Today was team assignments, but first, he had missions to complete.
Walking through Konoha's awakening streets, Haruto activated Basic Empathy. Immediately, faint colored auras appeared around the few early risers. A baker kneading dough radiated contentment in soft yellow. A shinobi returning from night patrol emanated exhaustion in deep purple. A mother walking with her child glowed with gentle pink affection.
The sensory information was subtle but clear. He approached the tired shinobi first.
"Rough night?" Haruto asked sympathetically.
The chunin—he recognized her as Izumi from the gate patrol—gave him a weary smile. "Three false alarms and one actual bandit attempt. I'm ready to sleep for a week."
"You guys don't get enough credit for keeping us safe," Haruto said genuinely. On impulse, he opened his arms slightly. "My mom used to say a hug was worth an hour of sleep."
Izumi laughed softly. "Your mom sounds wise." To his surprise, she accepted the brief, supportive embrace.
[EMBRACE POINT GAIN: +11 EP (Gratitude Hug - Exhausted Shinobi)]
[EMPATHY CHECK PASSED: Bonus +3 EP]
[CURRENT EP: 43]
[Basic Empathy Experience: 1/3]
One down. The morning progressed smoothly—he helped an elderly man find his dropped groceries (earning a grandfather hug worth 9 EP and another empathy check), and comforted a young academy student nervous about an upcoming test (16 EP for the genuine encouragement).
[TUTORIAL MISSION 1 COMPLETE]
[REWARD: 15 EP, +1 Empathy]
[EMPATHY: 2 -> 3]
[Basic Empathy has strengthened! Range increased to 3 meters]
[CURRENT EP: 83]
The boost felt tangible. Colors seemed slightly more vivid, emotions more distinct. He could now sense deeper layers—the elderly man's loneliness beneath his cheerful facade, the student's desperate desire to make her parents proud.
But now came the real challenge: finding Naruto.
The academy building loomed ahead, students gathering for team assignments. Haruto spotted familiar faces—Sakura chatting animatedly with Ino, Shikamaru looking half-asleep against a tree, Kiba arguing with his dog. And there, sitting alone on a swing outside the building, was Naruto Uzumaki.
The orange jumpsuit was impossible to miss, but what struck Haruto was the emotional aura surrounding the boy. Where others had single colors, Naruto was a swirling maelstrom—bright yellow determination, deep blue loneliness, red anger, and underneath it all, a core of desperate purple longing that made Haruto's chest ache.
Basic Empathy wasn't supposed to be this intense. Either Naruto's emotions were extraordinarily powerful, or there was something special about him that amplified the ability.
Haruto approached carefully. Up close, he could see Naruto's forced grin, the way his eyes kept darting to the groups of chatting students before looking away.
"Hey, Naruto," Haruto called out.
The blonde's head snapped up, suspicious. "Oh, it's... uh..." He squinted. "Sorry, I don't remember your name."
"Haruto. We were in the same class."
"Right, right!" Naruto's grin became slightly more genuine. "You're the quiet guy who sits in the middle row. What do you want?"
The emotional hurricane around Naruto intensified—a spike of defensive orange, expecting mockery or dismissal. Haruto sat down on the ground near the swing, deliberately putting himself lower than Naruto.
"Honestly? I'm nervous about team assignments," Haruto admitted. "I barely passed, and I keep thinking I'll drag down whoever gets stuck with me."
Naruto's aura shifted, the defensiveness fading into surprised recognition. "You... you're worried about that too?"
"Aren't most of us?" Haruto looked up at the academy building. "Everyone acts confident, but I bet half of them are terrified. The other half are probably too talented to worry."
"Like Sasuke," Naruto muttered, a complex mix of admiration and rivalry coloring his emotions.
"Exactly. Must be nice, being so skilled you don't have to wonder if you're good enough."
They sat in companionable silence for a moment. Naruto's emotional storm had calmed significantly, though the loneliness remained a constant undertone.
"You know what's weird?" Naruto said suddenly. "You're the first person to just... talk to me normally today. Usually, people only come over to tell me to shut up or move."
Haruto felt the opening. "That's because most people are idiots who can't see past the surface. They miss out on knowing someone who never gives up, even when the whole world seems against them."
Naruto's aura exploded in shocked pink and warm gold. His eyes widened, actually misting slightly. "You... you really think that?"
"I know it. Takes real strength to keep smiling when you're hurting." Haruto stood, offering his hand to help Naruto off the swing. "Come on, we should head inside. And... I know this might sound weird, but my grandmother always said hugs were good luck before big events."
Naruto stared at the offered hand, then at Haruto's face, clearly searching for any sign of mockery. Finding none, he took the hand, hopping off the swing.
"Your grandmother sounds weird," Naruto said, but he was genuinely smiling now. "But... I guess I could use some luck."
The embrace was brief but sincere. Haruto felt the moment of connection—Naruto's desperate need for acknowledgment, his fierce determination to prove himself, the years of accumulated pain from rejection. It was overwhelming and humbling.
[EMBRACE POINT GAIN: +28 EP (Comfort/Friendship Hug - Naruto Uzumaki)]
[SPECIAL RESONANCE DETECTED]
[BONUS: +15 EP for First Jinchuuriki Embrace]
[WARNING: Unusual chakra signature logged]
[TUTORIAL MISSION 2 COMPLETE]
[REWARD: 30 EP, Connection Tracker Unlocked]
[CURRENT EP: 156]
[CONNECTION TRACKER]
[Naruto Uzumaki: Level 1 - Acquaintance]
[Progress to Level 2: 15%]
[Emotional Bond: Fragile Trust]
As they separated, Naruto's entire demeanor had changed. He stood straighter, his smile genuine rather than forced. "Thanks, Haruto. That was... nice. Weird, but nice."
"Anytime," Haruto meant it. "Maybe after team assignments, we can grab ramen? My treat."
"Really?!" Naruto's aura went supernova with joy. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious. Win or lose, we're official genin now. That's worth celebrating."
As they walked into the academy together, Haruto noticed something his Basic Empathy hadn't shown before—the subtle way other students reacted to Naruto. Fear, disgust, cold dismissal. He'd been so focused on Naruto's emotions he'd missed the hostile environment surrounding him.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Hidden Mission Unlocked]
[THE SPURNED HERO]
[Objective: Discover why Naruto Uzumaki is ostracized]
[Reward: Variable based on actions taken]
Inside the classroom, Iruka-sensei was already at the podium. Haruto took his usual seat while Naruto bounded to his spot near Sasuke and Sakura. The blonde kept glancing back at Haruto with genuine warmth, as if amazed to have made a friend.
"Alright, settle down," Iruka called out. "I'll now announce the team assignments..."
As names were called, Haruto found his mind wandering to the system notification. Jinchuuriki—he'd heard that term before, whispered by drunk shinobi when they thought no civilians were listening. Something about human sacrifices and demon containers. Could Naruto be...?
"Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha."
The classroom erupted. Sakura's dismay at being separated from Sasuke but paired with Naruto. Naruto's joy at being with Sakura but frustration about Sasuke. It was chaos.
"Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame."
More reactions, more emotions. Haruto's enhanced empathy was starting to give him a headache from all the overlapping feelings.
"Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi."
The traditional Ino-Shika-Cho formation. That made sense.
"And finally, Team 11: Haruto, Kaede Shimura, Shin Matsuda."
Haruto blinked. He vaguely recognized his teammates—Kaede was a quiet girl who specialized in medical ninjutsu basics, while Shin was a weapons enthusiast. Both solidly average, like himself. It could have been worse.
"Your jonin instructors will arrive after lunch to collect you. Until then, get to know your teammates. Dismissed!"
As students began mingling, Naruto bounced over to Haruto's desk. "Hey, that ramen offer still good? We could make it a team thing!"
Before Haruto could answer, Sakura's voice cut through. "Naruto! Stop bothering people and come back here. We need to discuss team strategies."
The blonde's aura dimmed slightly, but Haruto caught his arm. "Rain check on the ramen, but the offer stands. Any time you need someone to talk to, or just want to hang out, find me."
"You mean it?" At Haruto's nod, Naruto grinned. "You're alright, Haruto. Maybe being a genin won't suck after all!"
As Naruto bounded back to his team, Haruto noticed a new notification:
[Connection Tracker Update]
[Naruto Uzumaki: Level 1 - Acquaintance]
[Progress to Level 2: 35%]
[Emotional Bond: Growing Friendship]
[Note: Subject shows unusual receptiveness to genuine kindness]
Haruto made his way to where his own teammates waited. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he now had a unique power and a growing understanding of how to use it. The Embrace System had already shown him hidden depths in others—what else would it reveal?
As his grandmother used to say, "The warmth we share comes back threefold." Haruto was beginning to understand exactly what she meant.
[CHAPTER 2 COMPLETE]
[EP GAINED THIS CHAPTER: 127]
[TOTAL EP: 156]
[MISSIONS ACTIVE: 2]
[CONNECTIONS ESTABLISHED: 1]