Kurenai felt reassured upon hearing the first part of her mother's response—so long as her mother didn't oppose her relationship, she could continue seeing Ryosuke openly.
But the second half of that response made her frown.
She couldn't help but speak up:
"Mother, what does my relationship with Ryosuke have to do with Asuma Sarutobi?"
"Yes, he likes me, but I don't like him."
In every aspect—appearance, temperament, attitude—Ryosuke far outshone Asuma.
Most importantly, Ryosuke respected her boundaries, whereas Asuma had repeatedly crossed lines and irritated her.
Her mother sighed and said with a note of helplessness:
"You're still young. If Asuma were just an ordinary person, you could ignore it. But he's not."
"He's the son of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"If Asuma becomes upset, that's the same as upsetting the Hokage. Do you understand what that means?"
Kurenai paused, seriously considering her mother's words.
"But Mom," she said slowly, "Isn't the Third Hokage known to be a kind and reasonable person? He has a great reputation. I doubt he'd get angry over something like this."
"Besides, even if he did get mad, he can't force me to be with Asuma, can he?"
Her mother patiently replied:
"Kurenai, the people who become Hokage aren't always what they seem on the surface."
"Sure, he wouldn't force you publicly. The Third values appearances. But what he won't do in the open... he might do in the shadows."
"You've heard of Danzo, haven't you? He's the one who handles all the dark, underhanded things the Hokage doesn't want to be associated with."
"Ninjas have been quietly executed under Danzo's orders."
Kurenai's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That kind of thing… for something this minor? I mean, I haven't betrayed the village."
Her mother continued, calm but firm:
"True, you haven't betrayed the village. But upsetting the wrong people is sometimes the biggest offense you can commit."
"They might not kill you—but they can certainly make your life miserable. And don't forget, the Yuhi clan… we're not a powerful family anymore."
Kurenai silently absorbed her words.
"I understand, Mother. But… I thought the people Danzo dealt with were traitors and spies. Isn't that justifiable?"
Her mother nodded slightly.
But then explained with a sigh:
"That's what most believe. But do you really think every single person he's had executed was guilty?"
"You've never seen Konoha's darker side. I'm not saying every rumor is true—but they exist for a reason."
Kurenai covered her mouth, shocked by the implications. So even the great and noble Hidden Leaf Village had shadows like this?
Her mother's warnings weren't to frighten her—they were meant to prepare her. To teach her how to navigate the political minefield of Konoha.
"The one person you should never offend… is Danzo."
"There are even rumors that he experimented on members of the Senju clan."
"Afterwards, Lady Tsunade supposedly disbanded the Senju family, forcing them to go into hiding. Maybe it was to protect them… from Danzo."
Kurenai was stunned.
The Senju Clan—co-founders of the village alongside the Uchiha—once Konoha's greatest family, even above the Uchiha. If they fell to darkness and decline because of someone like Danzo…
"Was it really Danzo? Could he be that powerful?"
Her mother shrugged slightly but said:
"It's all rumors. But where there's smoke, there's usually fire. These whispers don't come from nowhere."
Kurenai was now deeply wary. She understood.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'll handle things with Asuma carefully."
Even if she had no affection for him, for her own safety—and Ryosuke's—she had to tread carefully. Asuma could be impulsive and temperamental. If spurned too harshly, he might act out.
Seeing her daughter take her words seriously, her mother finally smiled.
"Good. Then get some sleep. I'm going to bed too."
Kurenai nodded and returned to her room.
Thankfully, Asuma was still away, serving as a Guardian Ninja for the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire. That gave her time. She could think through her next steps without pressure.
The next morning, Ryosuke was up early, as usual.
He completed another round of his One Punch Man training regimen, earning him slight improvements in his physical stats. It wasn't a major leap, but progress was progress.
By afternoon, he had a new goal.
It was time to visit Might Guy.
He wasn't sure if Guy had recovered from their previous sparring match. Unlike Ryosuke, who had his body's attributes enhanced by the system, Guy didn't have those kinds of bonuses.
But Ryosuke wasn't just going to challenge him.
Today, he had something else in mind—something far more valuable than a spar.
He found Guy, as expected, training alone in a familiar clearing near the village. The man was constantly running laps or refining his taijutsu in this area.
Strangely, Rock Lee was nowhere in sight today.
Guy was in the middle of executing a powerful taijutsu combo when he paused, sensing Ryosuke's presence.
Turning around, he was surprised to see Ryosuke standing there—his bruises from their last match completely gone. Not even a scratch remained.
Not just healed—rejuvenated.
Unlike himself—though Guy's injuries were mostly healed, traces of bruising remained. He hadn't recovered as fast.
That was thanks to the Uchiha clan's medicine, which Ryosuke had generously sold to him at a low price.
Guy couldn't help but admire him.
If Kakashi was a genius of ninjutsu, then Ryosuke was truly a genius of taijutsu.
Yet even as Guy encountered these two prodigies in one lifetime, he didn't feel discouraged. He'd long since gotten used to being outclassed.
Instead, he felt honored—to call them rivals and even friends.
He looked at Ryosuke and smiled.
"Here to spar with me again today?"
There was a time when Guy constantly sought out Kakashi for matches. Now, it was Ryosuke looking for him.
His own injuries were almost gone. Even if they did a light spar, it wouldn't be a problem.
Besides, he currently didn't have any missions, and honing his strength was the only way he'd qualify for higher-level work.
Kakashi was already taking elite missions for the ANBU. Guy hadn't given up on joining ANBU himself.
If he wasn't strong enough now—he just needed to get stronger. That was his way. His conviction.
After all, he had risen to chunin rank relying solely on taijutsu. And if it came down to pure martial skill, he didn't lose to Kakashi—not anymore.
Especially when using the Eight Gates.
He had found pride in his path as a so-called "failure."
Ryosuke, however, shook his head.
"I'm not here to spar today."
"I came to ask… will you teach me the Eight Gates Technique?"