Once Naruto had finished speaking, he assumed that Yūhi Kurenai would remain silent for a while.
Surprisingly, she calmed down instead. She glanced at him and said in a faint voice, "Actually, you did that on purpose, right?"
"Huh?" Naruto's heart skipped a beat.
Could she have discovered something? But how was it possible?
He had thought that his words had been perfectly reasonable and without any flaws.
"Actually, you're taking care of our mother and daughter on purpose, aren't you?"
Fortunately, Yūhi Kurenai's subsequent words were not what he had feared.
Yūhi Kurenai spoke with an expression that suggested she had discerned the truth: "You said before that Mirai's talent isn't very good. There are so many ninjas in Konoha; why did you pick her to be the Hokage's guard?"
"And those so-called extra bonuses? I've never heard of such a thing!"
"Why are you doing this? Are you pitying our mother and daughter?"
Yūhi Kurenai stared at him with intense eyes, making him feel uncomfortable all over.
In the end, he could only sneer and reply, "I didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly. Well, I admit it; I am intentionally taking care of you. But it's not out of pity."
Naruto said with a serious expression, "As the Hokage, everyone in Konoha is like my family. If your family is in trouble, it's only natural to help if I can. Is that a problem?"
"Besides, the child in the future is very dear to me. If it weren't for the fact that I didn't want to be accused of favoritism, I would have liked to adopt her as my goddaughter."
Yūhi Kurenai stared at him for a moment before finally chuckling and saying, "Alright, I'll accept your reasoning."
Naruto noticed that the negative emotions that had once filled her face—resentment, regret, and confusion—were nowhere to be seen. In their place was a calm expression with a hint of a smile, which left him utterly bewildered.
What kind of person is Yūhi Kurenai? She seems so different from everyone else; it's really hard to read her.
"Are you surprised that I don't seem sad at all?" Yūhi Kurenai touched upon his thoughts.
Naruto could only nod helplessly. "To be honest, I really can't understand it. If this happened to me, I'd probably be ready to confront Asuma about it right now. But you're so calm. It's truly amazing, Kurenai-sensei."
"Cut the flattery!" Yūhi Kurenai rolled her eyes, took a sip of wine, and then spoke slowly. "Of course, there's sadness and anger. When I think of what happened to my daughter, I don't just want to cut ties with Asuma; I wish I could eliminate his existence entirely!"
"But since everything is because of him, I'll just break it off at the source."
"Although this means my daughter won't be born in the future, it's better than letting her come into this world to suffer."
Naruto looked at her, puzzled. "Your tone doesn't match what you're saying at all!"
Using the calmest tone to speak such harsh words, he truly couldn't comprehend this woman.
Yūhi Kurenai chuckled and said, "Because now, I'm actually happier. Thanks to you, I know what will happen in advance. As long as I stop the loss in time, all the sad and painful events won't occur. So why should I be sad?"
With that, she abruptly approached him and gently kissed his forehead.
"This is your reward for telling me about the future, and also a thank you for looking after our mother and daughter. Don't get the wrong idea!"
While Naruto was still processing the situation, Yūhi Kurenai had already stood up and walked into the house
Have you ever felt taken advantage of?
Revealing the future and taking care of it is not as simple as just kissing the forehead. It requires much more effort and commitment!
Naruto glanced at Yūhi Kurenai's back and noticed she was shaking slightly.
She feels a bit unsteady when she walks too.
Her fists were tightly clenched, as if she was trying to hold back her feelings.
Naruto understood at this moment that she was a strong woman, putting on a brave face despite the pain in her heart, which he could never truly comprehend.
Of course, he was the one who caused all of this, but he wasn't seeking an apology from Yūhi Kurenai.
All he could do was promise to care for her more in the future, fulfill her every need, and assist her in finding a more ideal life path.
"Goodnight, Kurenai-sensei. I'm heading out now!"
Without revealing her inner turmoil, Naruto called out to her and leaped back onto his balcony.
It was late, and time for bed, hoping for a better tomorrow.
Elsewhere, in her room, Yūhi Kurenai was curled up on her bed, trembling continuously. Her tears had soaked the pillow.
"I'm sorry, Mirai, and forgive your mother for ending your life before it began. But I couldn't bear that future, and I don't want you to experience such pain."
"If it's up to you, wait until mother finds someone she can truly trust with her life. Then, you can be reborn. Your first life will still be named Mirai!"
Yūhi Kurenai wasn't sorrowful about her fate; instead, she felt a profound sense of guilt towards her unborn child due to her decision to alter that future.
It was a heavy burden, but she had no alternative.
Meanwhile, in his own room, Naruto had finished his shower and was lying in bed, oblivious to Yūhi Kurenai's emotional state.
He was reflecting on the long day of time travel.
The first day of time travel had been quite an experience.
Of course, the rewards were abundant, with romantic encounters seemingly around every corner and the opportunity to meet beautiful women wherever he went.
He thought to himself, "What a protagonist's treatment!"
The only downside was the lack of someone to warm his bed at night, which was a bit of a shame.
["Ding! Host has influenced the life paths of five individuals today. Based on their current states of mind, the future will be adjusted accordingly. Host has received a B-level comprehensive evaluation and is rewarded with an enhancement in Yin Escape Chakra!"]
"Hmm?"
Naruto was about to fall asleep when he got a system notification and was surprised to find he'd earned a reward.
The Yin Escape Chakra enhancement meant his mental energy had increased exponentially, practically doubling or more.
Under normal circumstances, even he could feel his perception was now on par with that of Sage Mode.
"Wow, what an unexpected bonus. Can I get this every day?"
"No, I guess it's because I've been playing with people's futures today."
"The system said it changed the life trajectories of five people. That doesn't include Sakura and Kakashi."
Third Hokage, Hyūga Neji, Ayame, Yūgao, and Yūhi Kurenai.
Sakura and Kakashi's life paths weren't affected to that degree today.