Ryosuke stepped out of the ramen shop and onto the street.
On either side of the road stood gathered villagers, watching the scene unfold.
In the middle of the street stood a man with a cigarette dangling from his lips and stubble across his face. His eyes lingered earnestly on the woman across from him.
"Kurenai, be my girlfriend."
The young woman with long, parted hair looked utterly uncomfortable.
Though she and Sarutobi Asuma had grown up together, she had never particularly liked him.
And the way he looked now only made her dislike stronger—reeking cigarette in his mouth, unkempt beard, and this brazen confession in front of a crowd.
Wasn't this sort of thing supposed to be said somewhere private?
Such a public confession lacked all sincerity.
Worse still, Asuma had a reputation as a delinquent.
He was immature, still acting like a boy.
She found even being around him uncomfortable—let alone imagining herself as his girlfriend.
There was no way she could accept this.
Her face turned cold.
"I refuse."
Sarutobi Asuma froze in disbelief.
"Why, Kurenai? Aren't we childhood sweethearts?"
Kurenai sighed, exasperated.
"We only grew up together. That doesn't mean we're destined to be lovers."
Childhood friends and lovers were not the same thing.
Asuma panicked. Kurenai had actually turned him down.
Soon, he would be leaving for the Land of Fire's capital to serve as one of the Guardian Twelve.
Before then, he had to secure Kurenai. With her beauty and figure, she would be far too sought after.
His eyes narrowed as he declared, almost threateningly,
"Kurenai, if you don't agree today, I'll follow you everywhere until you do."
Kurenai's face twisted in disgust.
"You're so annoying."
Who pursued a woman like this?
Was this really the Sarutobi Asuma she once knew? He was clinging to her like a pest.
Her rejection only frustrated him more. They were childhood friends—why was she so difficult?
He didn't have much time left in Konoha.
He stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and said harshly,
"If you don't agree today, I won't let go."
Kurenai's expression hardened with anger. How could he behave so shamelessly in public?
If she gave in to someone like this, how could she ever expect happiness in the future?
The onlookers watched Asuma's behavior with silent disapproval.
Were he not the Third Hokage's son, they would have stepped in already.
What he was doing wasn't romance—it was harassment.
And then, a firm voice rang out:
"If you dare harass this woman again, I'll arrest you."
It was Uchiha Ryosuke who spoke.
He hadn't expected Asuma to be so reckless, so brazen. As a member of the Police Force, he couldn't just stand by.
The villagers turned toward him. Though the Uchiha didn't have the best reputation, this time they hoped the clan would act properly and stop the outrage.
Asuma released Kurenai's hand and turned toward the voice.
There stood a young man in a high-collared robe, his spiky hair unmistakable.
An Uchiha.
Asuma sneered.
"Uchiha, are you trying to ruin my business here?"
To him, this was personal, between him and Kurenai. Everyone else was just in the way.
As long as he stayed forceful enough, Kurenai would yield. Once she did, she would be his.
The process didn't matter.
And as a man, he couldn't back down in a moment like this.
So he tried to intimidate this Uchiha.
Ryosuke's gaze was serious, unwavering.
"As a member of the Uchiha Police Force, how could I ignore you harassing a woman in the middle of the street?"
Asuma laughed loudly.
"The Uchiha Police Force?"