Chapter 100: I Have a Date with the Future
Kurenai Yūhi was left speechless. She truly couldn't say she liked Akiyama Makoto. She admired his talent, sympathized with his plight, and offered him comfort and protection out of her own gentle nature. That was the extent of it. As for anything more... she wasn't Anko Mitarashi.
Makoto naturally understood this. Many things couldn't be changed with just a word or two. But he could use this opportunity while he was by her side to plant a seed in her heart.
"Makoto-kun..."
Kurenai wanted to say something to soothe him, but he interrupted her.
"Big Sister Kurenai, don't worry. I haven't given up on myself, nor have I gone down a dead end."
"I'm just grateful for everything you've done for me, and I want to earn your approval."
The gloomy expression on his face slowly vanished. He seemed to have mustered all his spirit, revealing a sunny smile. He pulled her to sit on the sofa. "How about this, Big Sister Kurenai? Can you first tell me what kind of person you like?"
"And by 'like,' I mean in a romantic sense."
Her heart skipped a beat, and her expression became unnatural. She wanted to change the subject, but he didn't give her the chance. "Is it not okay to just chat?" he urged.
"Alright..."
Kurenai pondered for a moment. She realized he had developed romantic feelings for her. Considering his circumstances, it was understandable that he saw her as a safe harbor for his heart, but it was something she absolutely could not accept. It would be better to set an extremely high standard now to make him back down, without crushing the positive attitude he had worked so hard to build.
"Do you know of Namikaze Minato?" Kurenai tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, composed herself, and revealed a gentle smile.
Makoto nodded. He wasn't Naruto; of course he knew the story of Minato.
"During the Nine-Tails' attack, I personally witnessed how he sacrificed himself to protect the entire village. Like my father, he is one of the people I admire most."
"So, my future beloved will definitely be a great hero who protects the village. Sunny and cheerful, powerful, gentle and thoughtful, mature and steady—"
She nearly rattled off a whole menu of adjectives, and by the end, she was blushing with a bit of embarrassment.
"In short, Makoto-kun, if you become that kind of person in the future, maybe I will be moved by you."
He could naturally tell that these were just perfunctory words meant to brush him off, but it had already given him the opportunity to plant that seed in her heart.
"I understand. Then let's make a promise, Big Sister Kurenai."
Seeing that he wasn't angry or humiliated, Kurenai sighed in relief. "What kind of promise?" she asked in a light tone.
"It's simple. In the future, if I become that kind of person, please say to me in private: 'You're very handsome, and I'm moved by you.'"
"This condition won't be too difficult for you, will it, Big Sister Kurenai?"
She had originally wanted to refuse, but then she saw the expectant look in his eyes. She thought about it carefully. If he really did become a hero of Konoha one day, it wouldn't hurt to say such a complimentary phrase. Besides, by then, he wouldn't need her comfort anymore.
"Alright."
Kurenai held out her hand and shook his. "Then I'll wait for you to grow up and move my heart... my little brother."
As if infused with vitality, Makoto jumped up and pumped his fist in the air with a cheer. Seeing him so happy, Kurenai didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but she also felt a sweet sensation in her heart. She couldn't accept his feelings, but that didn't mean she was unhappy about being liked. What's more, the one confessing to her was such an outstanding and handsome young boy. Didn't that just further prove her own charm?
"Big Sister Kurenai, can you teach me ninjutsu?" he asked, having thought of something else.
He had previously planned to attribute the source of his ninjutsu to the Uchiha clan's collection, but now he had a better option. Although he was no longer afraid of conflict with Konoha, being able to develop stably for a few more months was always better than leaving the village and wandering now. With Kurenai's influence, it was more than enough to support him until the Chūnin Exams.
"You want to learn ninjutsu? Alright, let me see your level."
Half an hour later, looking at the boy who was proficient in everything from water walking to tree climbing, and even knew a little Water and Earth Style, Kurenai couldn't help but be amazed. A student who hadn't even entered the Academy had grown to this extent just through his relationships with a few other students. Such a talent was indeed worth cultivating. Perhaps in the future, he really could— Kurenai felt her face heat up and quickly pushed the unrealistic thought from her mind.
"I'm not skilled in elemental jutsu. For the next few days, I'll practice taijutsu with you and teach you one genjutsu."
"I believe that will be enough for you to learn for a while."
Makoto accepted her teachings without refusal. For him, physical training was the greatest means of improvement. Having a Jōnin as a sparring partner, what more could he ask for?
The two of them trained until ten at night before Kurenai finally sent him to take a bath.
When he came out, she led him to the guest room and pointed at the characters on the window and door. "I've set up a sealing jutsu. Let alone Anko, even I can't get in. You can rest assured."
"Okay. Thank you, Big Sister Kurenai."
They said goodnight to each other. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
Then, he couldn't help but laugh. He could sense Anko's presence. She was poking her head around, wanting to come in, but looking as if she didn't dare to provoke Kurenai. Anyone who saw it would find it amusing.
At this point, he wasn't that angry at her anymore. She was his first woman, after all, and had given him his first Kage-level heir. Oh, well. During the Chūnin Exams, I'll just save her from Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. In any case, he had to go to the forest to bring Karin home; helping Anko would just be a matter of convenience. As for whether doing so would expose his strength—the current him felt that by the time of the Chūnin Exams, it would be time for him to make some people in Konoha give him an explanation.
Afterward, he gradually fell asleep.
He had no intention of simulating again today. In fact, he didn't want to simulate again for a short while. The only ninjutsu systems he was interested in now were Sage Mode and Wood Style. Both undoubtedly required a large amount of chakra as a foundation. The highest-level usage of Wood Style even had to be paired with Sage Mode; the two were complementary. The problem he faced now was that he already had sufficient talent, but his physical fitness couldn't keep up. After all, his training time had been too short.
So, from now on, training would be the main theme of his life.
Of course, just in case, he would still use simulations to gather intelligence when he felt something was wrong. With the simulation attempts given to him by Ino and the others, he wasn't short on opportunities for a while. Even launching a Bronze Simulation was no pressure at all. He'd never fought a war with so many resources!
For the next few days, he stayed at Kurenai's house, barely leaving, and trained with her every day. She also gradually discovered that his talent seemed to be truly astonishing. In the future, he might really become a hero-level figure. Whenever she saw him covered in sweat, but with eyes that seemed to burn with fire, she would feel a trace of guilt, worrying that he would actually succeed one day.
Luckily, she was only responsible for protecting him for a week. After a week, she would send him home, using the excuse of taking a normal mission to get away. As for the future, if he succeeded, she could just shamelessly say she liked him. It could just be a youthful encounter!
These past few days, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata also came to visit every day, training with him and even Kurenai. They didn't show their chakra thread ability in front of her. Although he hadn't told them to keep it a secret, the three girls had a tacit understanding to keep it as a trump card not to be easily shown.
In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. The end of the year was approaching, and the book signing he was looking forward to was about to begin.
This day was a weekend. The three girls came to Kurenai's house early in the morning. They had bought many sets of clothes and wanted him to try them on for them. He didn't refuse. With every change of clothes, the girls' eyes would light up.
The three of them, of course, were also dressed to the nines, all wearing kimonos that they would only wear for the New Year, ready to appear as his entourage. Even Kurenai was the same. After all, his original request had been for her to add prestige to his event.
But as they walked out of her house and headed towards the venue for the book signing, they realized that they seemed to have underestimated his influence.
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