Naruto couldn't guarantee that he could help Yūhi Kurenai secure an authentic 'Mirai'.
But since Yūhi Kurenai had made a request, he naturally couldn't refuse to agree. After all, he was indeed a man.
He never thought that after coming to this time and space, the first woman he'd meet would be Yūhi Kurenai.
Maybe what she said last night really hit her hard, even though she claimed she might not marry and would live alone.
But Naruto could still sense the confusion deep within her.
In such a situation, of course, he had to use his love to help her overcome it.
Not marrying? Living alone?
Now that you've provoked him, don't even think about it.
Naruto proved with his own actions that he was indeed a reliable man.
After a while, Yūhi Kurenai nestled into Naruto's arms with a satisfied expression on her face, her cheeks flushed with mockery and happiness.
This was her first time, and the experience was so good that she couldn't help but think back to it constantly.
Naruto played with the two small pets that Yūhi Kurenai had raised and said with a smile, "I know that Kurenai-sensei is very ladylike, but I didn't expect you to be so...compliant. Whether it's one Mirai, two Mirai(s), or even eight, I'll definitely help you."
"What do you take me for?" Yūhi gave him a stern look.
Despite being a mature woman, she wouldn't act coy just because of his words. After all, she was the one who had made the first move.
The thought of this being Hinata's future husband made her blush a little.
Hearing Naruto's intentions, she wondered if he wanted to maintain a relationship with her.
This...well, Yūhi Kurenai, who had just experienced it for the first time, was indeed a bit reluctant to let go.
But that wasn't her original goal!
"I won't compete with Hinata for a man!" Yūhi Kurenai made a difficult decision, gritting her teeth.
One must have principles as a human being and cannot go back on their word for personal gain.
"Well, I agree with that!" Naruto nodded seriously.
Although this was what Yūhi Kurenai wanted, Naruto's reaction still made her a bit angry.
Are you really going to treat it as nothing once you're done and not acknowledge me after?
Surprisingly, Naruto smiled and said, "You don't have to fight her. As long as I win you back, I won't give up on Hinata."
"As the Hokage, everyone in Konoha is my family, and of course, that includes you. You are all my closest family."
Yūhi Kurenai was stunned for a moment, as if she had just met this version of Naruto.
Is this Seventh Hokage really such a shameless person? Did he do something wrong?
But then she thought, never mind, she enjoyed it anyway.
Asuma?
A lung cancer patient who smoked excessively and also carried a virus? What kind of life could she have with him?
Just thinking about it now made her feel sick, as if she had been tainted by a toad.
Forget it, delete that kind of person directly from your mind and never think about them or their related matters again.
"How do you plan to convince Hinata?" Yūhi Kurenai said with a half-smile. "And you have to return to your own time and space, right? Can you still bring me with you?"
"Or should I wait until you return to your own time and space to find me?"
She recalled Naruto mentioning that in the future, she'd become an aunt due to overworking and was afraid he couldn't bear it.
"Just let me handle this sort of thing." Naruto didn't answer directly. He simply grabbed one of the pet's heads and threatened, "I'm asking you now, are you willing to follow me in the future?"
"I'm not willing to give up on such a delicious woman like you after just one taste. It's better to take her home," he said with a smirk. "I guess you're the same, right?"
Yūhi Kurenai chuckled in response. "You're such a pushover when it comes to women. You've already had your way with me, so why do you still want more? Don't you think that's a bit greedy?"
"What do you mean?" she questioned. "You want us to be a master and apprentice couple, right?"
"I'm always greedy when it comes to beautiful women!" Naruto exclaimed proudly, a smug grin on his face. "And, by the way, I forgot to mention that in my time and place, Hinata is not my only women!"
Yūhi Kurenai was taken aback once again. The man standing before her was in his early thirties, while she herself was already in her late twenties. In the time and space of the Seventh Hokage, she would be over fifty, with a teenage daughter who looked nothing like her current youthful self.
"But it's because your life is so tough," Naruto continued, his smile gentle. "I've been looking out for you openly and secretly for a long time. Everyone knows that."
"You're grateful to me, and because of Little Mirai, we've had more opportunities to be together."
"Our relationship has slowly evolved into something akin to family."
Indeed, Yūhi Kurenai's life was challenging, and she was often lonely. The care and comfort she received from the Seventh Hokage had naturally brought them closer together.
"But even if we were together back then, you were still a bit older, and there was a lot of technology around that was pretty amazing."
Naruto spoke as if recounting a true story, the lie rolling off his tongue with ease. "I had Orochimaru, who was working in secret, give you some hormone nutrient injections with First Hokage cells. That's how you ended up looking so much younger."
This revelation had a profound impact on Yūhi Kurenai. It was certainly more palatable than the story he had told her the previous night. Being an undercover lover wasn't ideal, but it was better than the alternative of being alone and helpless.
"Even so, I don't want to continue down that path," she said softly, shaking her head. "I want a healthy daughter, and I'll keep being a ninja to raise her and support her in the future."
Naruto pulled her into a tight embrace. "I can give you a healthy daughter, but wouldn't it be better for her to have two people to lean on?"
"You're just greedy," she replied, chuckling as she playfully tapped his forehead.
Her response was ambiguous; she didn't fully agree or disagree. It seemed she wanted to maintain her independence as a ninja, but she wasn't ready to cut ties with him completely.
And that was perfectly fine with Naruto. He had never insisted that the woman he married couldn't have her own life. It was an outdated mentality from a bygone era.
In his view, a woman's independence was all the more alluring.
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