Naruto spun around abruptly, his eyes fixed on the egg, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
He even rubbed his eyes hard and pinched his cheek; the clear pain told him this wasn't a dream!
The egg that had been with him for countless days and nights, almost a part of his life, was now emitting a soft, steady milky-white glow!
On the surface of the eggshell, a clear crack was gradually spreading... glowing... was glowing normal?
How many years had it been?
Naruto thought vaguely.
From getting this egg at the Ninja Academy until now... the story of the first part of Naruto was almost coming to an end!
Which great deity was it?
Although Naruto was very envious of Eevee and Pikachu, the system had clearly stated back then that this was the only golden legendary reward, so it must be a legendary-level Pokémon.
However... Naruto's hazy memory seemed to recall that most legendary Pokémon weren't hatched from eggs, were they?
A hint of doubt flashed through his mind.
Was this egg a magical product?
If it really was a legendary Pokémon... who would it be?
His thoughts raced.
No matter who it was, even if Groudon hatched, Naruto would be overjoyed.
His gaze was fixed on the eggshell.
More and more cracks appeared, spreading like a spiderweb.
Finally, a small piece of eggshell was pushed open from the inside, revealing an opening.
Through the opening, he could vaguely see some small life gently wriggling inside.
Naruto felt his breath almost stop.
All these years of anticipation, companionship, and careful guardianship, was the answer finally going to be revealed at this moment?!
"Woof..."
A tender, milky, yet somewhat clear cry came from inside the eggshell.
Immediately after, a small, furry blue head cautiously peeked out from the broken opening.
It was a creature that looked like a puppy, with fluffy fur as blue as a clear sky.
It opened its yellow eyes, filled with a newborn's curiosity about the world and a subtle hint of bewilderment, looking at the figure before it that felt incredibly familiar.
"This... this is..."
Because of its small size and different form from an adult, Naruto couldn't immediately identify this blue puppy, only feeling it was incredibly familiar.
Just then, the cold system prompt sounded in his mind again.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations to the host for successfully hatching a Legendary Pokémon!"
"Pokémon Info: Name: Zacian (♦)"
"Description: A Legendary Pokémon known as the'Sword King,' possessing immense power capable of defeating and sealing great calamities.
It wields, or its power manifests as, the'Shining Sword,' which has the power to cut through all things in the world.
Its battle style is elegant and magnificent, capable of performing special moves that even opponents will be captivated by."
"2000 System Points have been automatically consumed to exchange for a companion exclusive item!"
"Congratulations on obtaining: Rusted Sword"
"Description: In legends from long ago, heroes wielded this very sword to dispel calamity.
Now, this legendary sword has become rusted and tarnished by the passage of time."
"Current Affection Level with Host: Bond Level 4 (Dependence and Familiarity)"
"Relationship Description: Through over a thousand days and nights of careful companionship and warm protection, your scent has been deeply imprinted in its senses, making it feel incredibly safe and familiar.
Even a legendary king, in its nascent pup stage, will instinctively develop a strong sense of dependence on the first being it sees after hatching, especially one with a familiar scent."
"Note: As this creature is not an original character from Naruto, System Points cannot be gained by increasing its bond."
Although the Third Hokage and Jiraiya were still waiting for him at the Hokage Building, the birth of this little guy was a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Naruto unhesitatingly decided—to ditch them for a bit longer!
The little Zacian before him was not as majestic and massive as he remembered from the game Pokedex; it was more like a precisely scaled-down figurine, roughly the size of a small Golden Retriever puppy.
It had already fully crawled out of the broken eggshell, shook off non-existent dust from its body, and then, with still unsteady steps, curiously surveyed the unfamiliar room.
Finally, it walked up to Naruto, tilted its furry blue head slightly, and with its yellow eyes, intently examined Naruto's face.
Too cute!
Naruto couldn't resist; he carefully reached out and gently stroked the little one's head.
A soft, fluffy sensation came from his fingertips; little Zacian seemed to enjoy the intimacy, obediently closing its eyes and even letting out a faint, contented purr from its throat.
Wait... was Zacian's setting a dog or a wolf?
Naruto's thoughts wandered a bit.
Although it was very small now, in the game, it was taller than an adult... but, liking to have its head stroked, that's probably a common trait for all canids, right?
His gaze was drawn again to the two long, ribbon-like "braids" hanging below the little one's upright ears.
Were these natural?
What a peculiar physiological structure...
Meanwhile, in Naruto's sealing space, the Nine-Tailed was anxiously observing the outside world through Naruto's vision.
It knew about this egg, which seemed to have suddenly appeared by Naruto's side a few years ago.
At the time, Naruto said he found it in the back mountains, and the Nine-Tailed didn't pay much attention; after all, there were many strange things in the Ninja World, and a large egg wasn't rare.
But... could a dog hatch from an egg?!
The Nine-Tailed, having lived for over a thousand years, felt its common sense challenged.
However, more than the hatching method of this egg, what concerned and unnerved the Nine-Tailed more was that other question—Orochimaru's scoundrelly "last words"!
Naruto... did he believe it?
The Nine-Tailed's heart was filled with anxiety and fear.
Although the Masked Man was the real culprit, Naruto's father... indeed died because he sealed it...
It was afraid Naruto would ask the question it didn't know how to answer, afraid that the hard-won trust would crack because of it.
"Good, good, good boy, good boy ~"
Outside, Naruto had happily picked up little Zacian, held it in front of him, and affectionately rubbed his cheek against its soft fur, "Welcome to my life, little Zacian."
Little Zacian, being held up high, seemed to retain a bit of its "Sword King" idol image, not showing too much excitement, only gently nuzzling Naruto's cheek with its wet, cool little nose.
The furry touch and warm body temperature melted Naruto's heart, making him feel tingly and numb, as if all his previous fatigue and tension were healed at that moment.
"Oh, right, are you hungry?" Naruto suddenly thought of a practical problem, "A creature from another world... what should it eat?
I'll make you something to eat first."
He gently placed little Zacian back on the ground, preparing to open the refrigerator to see if there was any milk to heat or some easily digestible food.
"Bang!!"
Just then, a loud bang suddenly came from behind him!
The apartment door was violently pushed open!
"Naruto! Are you okay?!"
An incredibly familiar female voice, filled with urgency and worry, followed immediately.
Uchiha Satsuki, having received the news as soon as the war ended, rushed over at top speed.
She burst into the room, her gaze quickly locking onto Naruto.
Then, her eyes dropped, meeting the curious upward gaze of the blue puppy on the floor, and they stared at each other.
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