Chapter 86: Spending the Night at Kurenai Yūhi's House
The private room fell silent. Even the seemingly drunk Anko narrowed her eyes slightly.
Kurenai was quiet for a moment before saying, "Are you sure you've explained the mission information clearly? You must understand that if you hide the mission's content, I have the right to terminate it at any time."
Makoto nodded. "That's all I know. But some things are just a feeling. That can't be considered evidence, can it?"
"What kind of feelings can a little brat have? Come, come, tell big sister all about your feelings! Don't worry, just think of it as a heart-to-heart."
"Or would you rather have a drink first?"
Anko picked up a wine cup and moved to pour it into his mouth.
He knew this woman was serious. He pretended he couldn't refuse and let her pour a cup of sake down his throat. His face immediately turned red.
"Wow, what a lightweight! Stop glaring at me, Kurenai. It's just one cup of sake. It won't kill him."
Anko gently patted his back, as if helping him catch his breath. As for the increasingly eager look in her eyes as she stared at him, only she knew what it meant.
"Makoto-kun, can you tell us what's going on now?" Kurenai pressed.
He pretended his gaze was wandering and said slowly, "I've been feeling like someone is following me recently, and I keep having dreams that someone is going to hurt me."
"It's probably because my new book is about to be released and I'm too nervous. That's why I wanted to find a Jōnin to protect me, so I can have some peace of mind."
"Then where did you get so much money? I heard you're an orphan."
He looked at Anko in surprise. Even she knew about his situation?
Anko misunderstood his look and directly wrapped her arms around his waist, her soft embrace pressing against his back. "Don't be sad, little brother. Your big sister Kurenai and I are both orphans. We can hold each other for warmth."
"Anko, that's enough," Kurenai sighed.
Anko reluctantly let him go. She really did think the boy in front of her was handsome.
"I wrote a book, opened a barbecue restaurant, and designed a ninja tool. I've earned several hundred thousand Ryō," he said truthfully.
Both Kurenai and Anko's eyes widened in surprise. They hadn't expected him to earn so much money in such a short time... and he wasn't even a ninja. What a talent!
Anko's face flushed with excitement. She mouthed silently to Kurenai: I want this one. He's mine!
Kurenai rolled her eyes and mouthed back: Then you'll be the laughingstock of all of Konoha tomorrow.
Anko cooled down a little, her face full of resentment. Why did she always miss out on such good men?
"Besides your feeling, is there any other evidence?" As the one accepting the mission, Kurenai naturally needed to gather more intelligence.
He shook his head, then mumbled as if in a daze, "I think I just got that feeling again."
"Oh?" Kurenai's brow furrowed slightly. She had previously thought he was just being overly nervous. But since he was saying it now, she decided to form a hand seal and activate a sensory technique.
Her powerful sensory ability instantly covered the entire izakaya, and even the nearby streets. Within this range, no one could rival her perception. She even detected the sensory ability on Makoto himself. However, he had deliberately weakened his own perception, making it seem faint and intermittent, like an ordinary person who had awakened a little talent but couldn't control it well.
But Yamanaka Fū, hiding in the darkness far from the izakaya, was not so lucky. Not only was he detected by her, but he himself had not even noticed her senses.
Kurenai slowly withdrew her perception and took a deep look at him. She hadn't expected him to have actually sensed the truth. But the other party seemed to be a member of the Yamanaka clan... what was going on? Had the Yamanaka been ordered by the Hokage to monitor him?
She felt this matter was a bit troublesome. But since he had requested her help with an A-rank mission and 300,000 Ryō, she had to at least give it a try.
"Did you sense anything, Kurenai?" Anko had naturally seen her actions.
Kurenai shook her head, choosing to keep it a secret. "Nothing. It must have been his imagination."
"That's what I said! Why would a civilian be monitored? Let's just drink. Or do you want to eat something first... Waiter! Two more plates of dango and three bowls of red bean soup!"
"Anko..."
Before Kurenai could say more, Anko interrupted, "It's fine, it's fine! If he gets drunk, I'll take him home, alright?"
An hour later, Kurenai looked at the soundly sleeping Anko on the sofa and the equally passed-out Makoto leaning on her chest, her face dark. She shouldn't have believed Anko had any self-control... What should she do now?
By the way, where did he live?
She had heard his story, but only just. She wouldn't have cared about a civilian's address, and she certainly didn't know he had moved into the Kazematsuri Bathhouse.
So, she chose the safest option.
She dragged Anko with her left hand, hoisted Makoto over her right shoulder, and with a few leaps, brought them back to her own home. She then threw Anko onto the tatami mat in the guest room, placed Makoto on the sofa, and went to take a bath herself.
It might seem like she was being careless, but in reality, she had seals and barriers set up in her house. From her experience, it would take even a rampaging drunk Anko some time to break through them, so she didn't need to worry about a civilian like Makoto at all.
At this moment, Akiyama Makoto opened his eyes.
His alcohol tolerance was indeed poor right now, but using his Yang Release chakra to dispel the alcohol was not a difficult matter. He knew that once he was "drunk," Kurenai would bring him to her house. This was an experience he had gained from a simulation. Of course, in this life, he was not her student, so she might not have done so.
As it turned out, his gamble had paid off. She would not simply abandon someone Anko had gotten drunk.
The reason he had gone to such lengths to come to her house was, naturally, to deal with Yamanaka Fū. In terms of strength, Fū was no longer his match. But he didn't want to expose his strength by defeating him again, only to have his chakra sealed and be imprisoned by the Hokage. That would waste too much of his precious time.
To this end, spending a little money to get to know Kurenai and ask for her help was an incredibly good deal. As for whether this would cause further changes, he would deal with those if and when they arose. In any case, he had the simulator and could formulate a counter-plan at any time.
The sound of running water gradually subsided. He closed his eyes, planning to start a simulation after she had gone to bed. What he didn't expect was the sound of footsteps approaching. Kurenai had come to him.
The fresh scent of her bath, mixed with warm steam, washed over him, giving him the illusion that she wasn't wearing anything.
The reality was basically as he had expected.
Sensing that he was sleeping soundly, Kurenai had hastily thrown on a bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom, drying her hair. As she passed through the living room, she came over to check on his condition. She leaned over and stared at him, and only after confirming that he wasn't suffering any ill effects from the drinking did she relax and leave, leaving behind the impression of a voluptuous and mature figure.
Under the dim light, Makoto suddenly felt an impulse to eat a peach.
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