"I already understand the situation. I apologize for Kiba's recklessness."
When Kurenai learned that it was Kiba who had tried to use an incomplete technique and that Izumi had stopped him in time, she couldn't help feeling a little guilty toward Izumi. Kiba's taijutsu had considerable power; if it had landed at close range, while it wouldn't have caused serious injury, it could still have hurt their camaraderie.
But once Kiba regained consciousness, he looked at Izumi with deep dissatisfaction. He was clearly upset that he had been knocked out in a single strike. Seeing Izumi's relaxed expression only made him more annoyed.
"Surpassing a genius through effort despite dragging behind—now that's exciting. But the one who will surpass him is me."
At that moment, Lee walked up beside Kiba. Seeing him glare at Izumi, Lee couldn't help but speak. Izumi was his target, the one he most wanted to challenge.
"Really? I don't think so. After all, I'm the genius." Kiba glanced at Lee, but found him less unpleasant than he expected. Compared with Izumi, Lee actually looked much easier to accept.
"Hey! Is that guy really strong?" Kiba muttered, still brooding over how easily he'd lost. In truth, he couldn't accept it. He believed it was only because his technique was incomplete; otherwise, Izumi couldn't have stopped him so easily.
Lee gave a thumbs-up, flashed his teeth proudly, and said, "Of course! Izumi is much stronger than me."
"…" Kiba was speechless. If he's stronger than you, what are you so proud about?
But the thought that he couldn't even beat this bowl-cut guy beside him made Kiba even angrier. He kicked at the stones on the ground in frustration.
Not far from them, Shino leaned silently against a wooden stake. He merely glanced at Izumi from the corner of his eye, his thoughts unknown.
"Izumi-nii, everyone! Sorry I'm late."
In truth, there was still time before the mission began; everyone had just arrived early. Still, gentle Hinata apologized.
Now that everyone was present, the mission could begin. Everything was ready, and all they had to do was head to the place where they were to protect an important individual.
For secrecy and safety, only the two captains knew the mission details. The rest of the genin only knew they were to escort a caravan to a neighboring country.
The carriage slowly passed through Konoha's gates. Walking beside it, Izumi looked back at the village fading from view. A wave of emotion stirred in his heart—on his very first day here after crossing worlds, he was already leaving Konoha on a mission.
"What's wrong?" Kurenai noticed the change in his expression and asked curiously.
The team's formation had been arranged in advance: Izumi and Kurenai walked at the front, Shino and Guy guarded the rear, while the others protected the middle of the caravan. The target was hidden inside one of the carriages, though only Kurenai and Guy knew which.
Izumi shook his head. He couldn't exactly say that he hadn't even had a chance to tour Konoha before being sent out. Still, having Kurenai, such a beauty, at his side was a pleasant consolation.
Though faint, Izumi could smell her delicate fragrance. Their distance was close, and his sense of smell was sharp, so even though Kurenai tried to hide it, she couldn't escape his nose.
Noticing that unique scent, Izumi's eyes gleamed slightly. If he wasn't mistaken, Kurenai was still a maiden.
"Kurenai-sensei, do you have a boyfriend?" Just as they left Konoha, while the caravan was still in safe territory, Izumi grew bored and asked as he looked at her beautiful face.
Kurenai faltered slightly, her cheeks flushing. "Why are you asking that?"
"Well, if you don't, you could always consider me." After coming to the Naruto world, Izumi's mindset had shifted. With such a beautiful woman beside him, why not try?
"What are you saying? I'm already old, and besides, we wouldn't suit each other." Kurenai didn't take it seriously, thinking Izumi was only joking.
She was a little surprised, though. From what she knew, Hyuga clan members were proud, especially the branch family, who tended to be silent. She hadn't expected Izumi to be so cheerful.
"So that means you don't? Which means I still have a chance. What kind of man do you like, Kurenai-sensei?" Izumi pressed on. After all, when he watched Naruto in his old world, he'd liked Kurenai quite a bit.
Kurenai gave him a rare sidelong glance. She had thought Izumi was a calm and quiet child, but it seemed he was mischievously trying to court her. Still, seeing him admire the scenery, she figured much of his talk was playful.
So she rolled her eyes slightly and said, "Fine. If you can become Hokage, then I'll consider it."
"Hokage? Of course! I'm the man who will become Hokage!" Izumi raised his hand, shouting the famous line. Whether he truly believed it and whether his wording matched what Kurenai heard was something only he knew.
"Deal then! Once I become Hokage, you'll have to marry me."
"Yes, yes, we'll talk about it when you get there."
Suddenly, Izumi took her soft hand. Despite her years as a kunoichi, her hand was as delicate as a baby's, and he couldn't resist rubbing it a little.
Kurenai didn't get angry. She only saw Izumi as a younger brother, and since she already knew some of his circumstances from Hinata, she let him hold her hand. Izumi, of course, enjoyed it, until they finally left Konoha's safe zone and she gently pulled free.
Neither of them noticed that in one of the carriages, a pair of eyes had been watching. Seeing Kurenai's graceful figure, those eyes narrowed.
The caravan moved slowly. Even after a full day's journey, they had not yet left the Land of Fire. By evening, they stopped in a nameless town.
Because they were on a mission, they split guard shifts after arranging lodgings. Kurenai took Hinata, Tenten, and Shino for the first half of the night, while Guy led the rest in the second half.