Banquet Aoba had also prepared gifts for Asuma and Kurenai.
"Kurenai, take a look at this."
Aoba handed over a box of... cigars.
"These are premium limited-edition cigars imported from the Land of Snow, made with snow lotus. Smoking them not only satisfies the craving but also clears the mind and invigorates the spirit. Most importantly, these cigars don't have the usual tobacco stench. Instead, they leave a refreshing fragrance in your mouth."
Before Kurenai could react, Aoba immediately turned to Asuma.
"This is for you. I'm not very skilled in genjutsu, so I've been trying to supplement it with external tools. These bracelets are my third-generation prototypes, and they've achieved some modest effects. By channeling chakra into both bracelets and rubbing them together, they emit a sound wave that can cause dizziness or even nausea. Of course, the user is protected by the seals on the wrist guards."
"This is my concept for a genjutsu—using the pervasive nature of sound to attack. Maybe you could find a genjutsu expert to help me refine the effect."
Though he called it entry-level, the bracelets already had undeniable combat utility. Against genin and chunin, the effect was quite pronounced. A momentary lapse could lead to brief dizziness—short-lived, but for shinobi, who operate like assassins, that split-second could mean life or death.
Against jonin or elite jonin, the effect was weaker. In actual combat, it couldn't decide the outcome but could still serve as a minor distraction. Even so, the bracelets held significant value. Unlike the gifts for Kakashi and Guy, the presents for Kurenai and Anko had broader applications.
These were tools Aoba planned to sell commercially. That's right—he was going into business. His experiments at home were burning through his savings too quickly. In less than half a year, he'd already blown through his savings. Handing out these gifts was also a way to get his friends to help promote them.
The version he gave Kurenai was an integrated model. The ones for public sale wouldn't include the self-exemption feature. If buyers wanted to avoid the effects, they'd have to purchase Anko's earphones separately.
Of course, that was all for later. Official sales wouldn't start until after the new year. Today, the main event was watching the drama unfold.
Aoba's earlier move had been quite deliberate. The cigars were obviously meant for Asuma, but he gave them to Kurenai. The bracelets were for Kurenai, but he gave them to Asuma. Aside from avoiding the awkwardness of giving Kurenai bracelets right in front of Asuma, it was also a playful jab at the couple.
Kakashi, Guy, and Anko all caught on to Aoba's scheme. They watched the pair with amused expressions.
Asuma turned to Kurenai, about to say something, when the bracelets in his hand were swiftly swapped for the cigars.
Asuma didn't mind that his gift was different from the others. Unlike the rest, he was the Third Hokage's son. Even if he butted heads with his father, he never lacked for money or equipment.To begin with, just his weapons—those twin Flying Swallow Blades—were top-tier weapons forged with Chakra metal. Although they couldn't compare to divine weapons like the Kusanagi Sword, the difference wasn't much.
Unfortunately, the guy's skills with them were rather mediocre.
The gathering was lively, thanks to Aoba's efforts.
While Aoba was enjoying the party with his friends, a very different kind of gathering was taking place in the Uchiha clan's grand estate.
The host? Sasuke Uchiha.
For Sasuke, this was the hardest day of his life. Far more difficult than his first time learning the Great Fireball Technique, his first time mastering Uchiha shurikenjutsu, or even his first attempts at tree-walking and water-walking.
Hosting a party at home and inviting his classmates—this act, no matter how you looked at it, had nothing to do with Sasuke Uchiha.
Proud and aloof by nature, he rarely even spoke to his classmates. Suddenly inviting them to his home for a gathering was as difficult as asking Sasuke to kill Itachi Uchiha.
Yet here he was, doing exactly that. Because someone had told him that if he could pull this off—and keep it up—they would teach him a jutsu powerful enough to kill Itachi.
Sasuke believed it. So, gritting his teeth, he went through with this absurd plan.
In truth, the most nervous person in all of Konoha wasn't Sasuke—it was the Hokage's office.
The moment Sarutobi Hiruzen learned that Sasuke had invited a group of classmates over, he immediately dispatched Anbu to monitor the situation.
Sasuke was an extremely important figure—not because of himself, but because he was the tether keeping Itachi Uchiha in check. If something happened to Sasuke, that valuable card—Itachi—would be rendered useless.
Thus, Konoha's surveillance of Sasuke was far more intense than anyone realized. Every move he made was watched, and his growth in strength was deliberately restricted.
Yes, Sasuke's power was under strict control by the village. The reason? Some people were simply too guilty.
But compared to Sasuke growing stronger, his current actions terrified Hiruzen even more.
This child… had already begun learning to build his own network of connections. To Hiruzen, this was more alarming than Sasuke suddenly awakening the Mangekyo.
So much so that the old man didn't even go home that night, instead crouching in front of his crystal ball, staring intently at the Uchiha estate.
Inside the Uchiha mansion, Konoha's twelve young prodigies had all gathered. Though surprised by Sasuke's invitation, after consulting their parents, every single one of them showed up.
And many of their parents had been thoughtful, sending their children with snacks and treats.
Organizing a party was complicated. They figured Sasuke, being just a kid, might not have thought everything through—so they came prepared.
As it turned out, Sasuke really wasn't cut out for this.
"Hey, Sasuke, I never realized your place was this huge. Doesn't it freak you out living here alone?"
Naruto, as usual, was blunt and carefree. In this world, his relationship with Sasuke was far better than in the original timeline.Primarily, Aoba had allowed him to observe during training sessions. Later, Aoba permitted him to train alongside Naruto. The two became acquainted and eventually friends.
Well, though Sasuke would never admit it aloud. The fact that he occasionally brought two lunches spoke volumes. He truly cherished his friendship with Naruto—it was just that the tsundere boy would never concede defeat verbally.
"What's there to be afraid of? Sure, this place is full of vengeful spirits, but they won't harm me."