Since there was still time, Kitazawa let Kurenai sleep.
Lowering his head, he brushed his cheek against her neck, inhaled her warmth, and slowly closed his eyes.
Half an hour later, her long eyelashes trembled. Consciousness stirred, and the first thing she noticed was the deep soreness in her body.
When Kurenai opened her eyes, Kitazawa's naked body filled her vision. A flicker of affection softened her gaze as she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against his face.
"You're awake?" Kitazawa murmured, feeling her lips brush his skin.
"Mm." She nodded faintly.
"Want to take a shower?" he asked, stroking her hair.
"I feel sticky all over. I'll go wash up," Kurenai said, sitting up. "But I want to bathe alone this time."
"What's wrong?" Kitazawa teased knowingly. "You don't need to worry—I won't lay a finger on you."
Her crimson eyes narrowed. "I'm not afraid! And you saying that makes it even less believable."
Kitazawa smirked. "Kabuto and I agreed to meet at nine. With time for breakfast and a shower, half an hour is already tight. Where would I find time to 'misbehave'?"
Kurenai shot him a glare, then extended her arms with a sly smile. "Fine. Carry me there, then."
Kitazawa blinked at her, momentarily stunned. The sight of her waiting expectantly was… a lot to take in.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" His mouth twitched. "Kabuto can wait an hour if he has to."
"You promised them!" Kurenai panicked, cheeks flushing. "You can't just go back on your word now!"
"You're hopeless," Kitazawa sighed, shaking his head before scooping her into his arms.
"What do you mean hopeless?" she muttered, face pink, nudging his chest with her leg.
Kitazawa's gaze flicked down involuntarily to her swaying boobs. He quickly looked away before the moment stretched.
After a shower and breakfast, the two made their way to Konoha's main gate.
"Kitazawa-sensei," Kabuto greeted as he approached, briefly glancing at Kurenai before adjusting his glasses.
Torune and Izumi offered respectful greetings as well.
Kitazawa nodded. "This is Kurenai Yuhi a Chunin. She'll be joining us for this mission. Just call her senpai."
"Yuhi-senpai," the three chorused in unison.
Kurenai smiled warmly. "Kitazawa speaks highly of you all—geniuses among geniuses, brimming with potential."
Kabuto's sharp eyes lingered a moment. Their closeness didn't escape him; clearly, Kitazawa and Kurenai's relationship went beyond simple comradeship. Normally, missions outside the village never broke the four-person rule.
"Let's register," Kitazawa said, stepping forward to present the Hokage's order to Kotetsu.
"A-rank?" Kotetsu raised his brows. "That's fast progress."
Torune, Kabuto, and Izumi had only just become Chunin, and already they were trusted with A-rank work. Impressive—if not shocking.
Izumo, beside him, nodded in agreement. "We were examiners during your Chunin Exams. Seeing you now, I can't deny you've advanced at incredible speed."
Kitazawa simply smiled. No need to mention the truth—that this "A-rank" was only a cover. Their actual mission was S-rank, crafted by Hiruzen himself. The false mission was to deliver a letter to a secret Konoha base on the Fire Country border… conveniently along the same route as the capital.
"Kitazawa-senpai, may your mission be smooth," Kotetsu said with a grin.
"Go and return safely," Izumo added.
Kitazawa inclined his head. "Thank you." Turning to his team, he gave the order: "Let's move."
The five disappeared into the forest.
Traveling within the Land of Fire proved uneventful—no reckless bandits, no rogue ninja.
"Finally," Kurenai sighed when the Fire Capital loomed ahead. "I've been running all day on an empty stomach—my body's protesting."
"You should learn from my three students." Kitazawa chuckled. "Not a single complaint from them."
Kurenai jabbed him with her elbow. Kabuto adjusted his glasses again, now certain—their bond was far more than professional. And by extension, Yuhi was not someone to cross lightly.
"Let's find food first," Kitazawa said. "Then we'll get a place to stay. Mission tomorrow."
Inside the bustling capital, he asked casually, "Anyone been here before?"
"I have," Izumi replied. "Back with my old team, we helped the Daimyo's wife rescue her cat."
"My first time," Torune said flatly.
"Twice," Kabuto added. "For Root missions."
Kitazawa stopped before an inn. "This place will do." He booked four rooms, drawing silent conclusions from his team. The arrangement made his relationship with Yuhi more obvious—but neither of them cared.
Over dinner, Kitazawa finally spoke openly. "Do you know the Guardian Twelve?"
"They're the ninja who protect the Daimyo," Kabuto answered immediately.
"Our mission ties directly to them." Kitazawa's voice grew firm.
Izumi froze, stunned. Twelve Special Jonin—and Jonin. For her, a B-rank mission was the most dangerous she'd faced. This was an entirely different world.
Every S-rank carried life and death in its shadow.
Kabuto, however, remained calm. As he'd predicted, this wasn't about fighting the Guardian Twelve head-on. There was room for maneuver.
Torune didn't bother thinking; he simply ate in silence, his hive buzzing faintly.
"Tomorrow, we'll meet with Asuma," Kitazawa continued. "Before that, I'm giving you a task: gather intel on the Guardian Ninja."
"Understood." Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
Izumi hesitated. Chunin gathering intel on Jonin? The odds seemed absurd. Yet… Kabuto had proven himself endlessly resourceful, almost unnervingly so. Sometimes she wondered if he was secretly an old veteran wearing a boy's face.
Yuhi, too, glanced at Kitazawa. She shared Izumi's doubts but kept her silence.
After dinner, the three younger ninja stepped out into the city streets.
"Kabuto," Izumi finally asked, "how are we supposed to gather intel? The Guardian Twelve are way out of our league."
Kabuto's tone was calm, deliberate. "You have the Sharingan. Torune has his insects. Information isn't hard to find if we look in the right places. What matters is identifying key figures."
"Key figures?" Izumi's eyes widened slightly. Then she understood. They weren't going to investigate the Guardian Ninja directly.
"Exactly." Kabuto's glasses caught the lantern light. "An organization that big leaves traces. The Fire Country has officials overseeing them. We'll start there."
Even so, infiltrating the royal palace would not be easy.
Kitazawa and Kurenai arrived at the room the inn had prepared for them.
The place was modest—just a bed, a table, and a pair of chairs.
"You trust your three students that much?" Kurenai asked, stretching before sitting on the edge of the bed. Her fair legs dangled lightly as she swung her feet back and forth.
"I trust Kabuto," Kitazawa replied with a faint smile. "The things he's endured are harsher than anything we've faced."
"Root?" Kurenai's voice grew thoughtful. "I've heard plenty of rumors."
"Rumors don't do it justice," Kitazawa said, lowering himself beside her. "Root is far darker than most imagine."
"I don't understand why Hokage-sama allows such a thing to exist," Kurenai murmured, tilting her head. Her black hair slipped over her shoulder, hanging in the air like silk.
"Who knows?" Kitazawa pinched her cheek gently. "Don't worry. Once Lady Tsunade becomes Hokage, Root won't last."
Kurenai's lips curved. "That's true. With her personality, she'd never tolerate it. She's already spoiled several of their schemes."
Kitazawa stretched. "We've got some time left—what do you want to do?"
"We've got a mission tomorrow," Kurenai shot back quickly. "So you're not allowed to mess around tonight!"
"I never said I would," Kitazawa blinked innocently. "I was going to ask if you wanted to practice sealing techniques. Honestly, you really—"
"Shut up!" Flustered, Kurenai covered his mouth, her cheeks burning red.
She had never thought about such things before. But after spending so much time with Kitazawa, she realized she might be… addicted.
"I'm going to practice!" she huffed, releasing him and moving to the table.
Kitazawa didn't bother with the Finger Carving Seal. Instead, he unrolled the scroll Tsunade had given him. Sealing techniques wouldn't raise his power in the short term—but this jutsu would.
Later that evening, Kabuto, Torune, and Izumi returned safely to the inn.
"Kitazawa-sensei," Kabuto said, producing a scroll. "Here's the intel we gathered."
Kitazawa took it, eyes skimming over the contents. He had to admit, Kabuto's talent was impressive. The report detailed the Guardian Ninja's structure and movements—not as precise as Hiruzen's intel, but for three newly promoted Chunin, it was more than remarkable.
"You did well." Kitazawa passed the scroll to Kurenai.
She read it, her expression tightening with surprise. If it were her, she doubted she could have accomplished as much.
"Thanks to Izumi and Torune," Kabuto said modestly, adjusting his glasses. "Their skills were essential."
"You've all worked hard. Get some rest," Kitazawa told them firmly. "This mission may lead to a major battle. You'll need your strength."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei." The three withdrew to their rooms.
The night passed peacefully.
The next morning, after breakfast, Kitazawa led Kurenai and the others to the palace.
As Konoha shinobi, they passed through the gates without trouble.
"Please wait here. I'll inform Asuma-sama," a guard said before disappearing inside.
Moments later, a bearded man in his twenties stepped out, his Konoha forehead protector catching the light.
Though the same age as Kitazawa, Asuma carried himself with the air of a seasoned veteran. His eyes, however, widened the instant they landed on Kurenai.
"Kurenai? Why are you here?" he blurted, hurrying over, hand half-extended.
"I came with Kitazawa," she answered calmly, taking a small step back.
"Asuma?" Kitazawa greeted politely.
Asuma's gaze flicked toward him, narrowing. It took him a moment, but recognition dawned. "Kitazawa… the Academy teacher?" His tone made the word teacher sound almost mocking.
"Yuhi, are you leading this team?" Asuma asked, glancing at Kabuto, Torune, and Izumi.
"No," Kurenai replied. "They're Kitazawa's students."
Asuma let out a short, dismissive breath. A former Academy instructor playing squad leader? It didn't sit right with him. But he swallowed his doubts.
"Yuhi… you didn't come just to see me, did you?" His voice softened, hopeful.
"No." She shook her head. "We're on a mission, passing through the capital."
"With him?" Asuma's tone sharpened instantly.
"Yes. Hokage-sama assigned us together," Kurenai explained.
That old man…! Asuma's jaw tightened. Knowing full well how he felt about Kurenai, yet still pairing her with Kitazawa? What kind of father does that?
"Since you're here, stay a while," Asuma said after a beat, his mind turning to the tense situation with the Guardian Ninja. "Let's talk inside."
"Of course," Kitazawa replied smoothly.
Inside the palace, five shinobi sat in silence.
"Let me introduce you," Asuma began, gesturing to a monk. "This is Chiriku, head priest of the Fire Temple."
Kitazawa's instincts sharpened. He remembered—Chiriku's bounty in the underground world was thirty million ryō, only slightly less than Asuma's own.
"These four are the Lightning Release Four: Kitako, Nanma, Seito, and Tobu."
After polite greetings, Chiriku and the others excused themselves, faces unusually grim.
"Something's wrong," Kitazawa observed aloud, watching them leave.
"Why do you say that?" Asuma frowned.
"Their expressions," Kitazawa said. "In the capital, there aren't many threats serious enough to unsettle the Guardian Twelve."
Asuma exhaled slowly. "Something has happened, yes. But it's an internal matter. It has nothing to do with you."
He still saw Kitazawa as an ordinary Chunin, and while Kurenai's genjutsu was formidable, at best she was a Special Jonin. Involving them was too risky.
"You're worried we're not strong enough?" Kurenai smiled faintly. "Kitazawa is already at Jonin level."
Asuma's eyes widened. "Jonin? Impossible."
He knew the way of the shinobi world. Talent revealed itself in the Academy or within a few years of graduation at the latest. Kitazawa had been average at best—graduated, struggled as a Genin, drifted as a Chunin, then hid in the Academy as a teacher.
"You may not know, being in the capital," Kurenai continued, "but Kitazawa is a special jonin and is studying under Lady Tsunade now. Many already call him her student."
Asuma froze. He had only been gone from the village for a year. How had things changed so drastically? Last New Year, Kitazawa had been a nobody. Now he was Tsunade's disciple, a Special Jonin?
The contrast was staggering—almost unbelievable.
And why was Kurenai the one saying all this, while Kitazawa stayed quiet?
Suspicion gnawed at him.
"We're comrades, Asuma," Kitazawa finally said, voice calm. "If you're facing trouble, it's only natural we lend a hand."
Asuma hesitated. If Kitazawa truly had Jonin-level strength, and with Kurenai beside him, they could easily tip the scales against Kazuma's faction.
"Words alone won't convince me," Asuma said at last, his eyes flicking between them. "Let's settle this with a spar."
It wasn't just about testing Kitazawa's strength. It was about proving—to Kurenai—that his own power far outstripped this former Academy teacher.
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