["What's wrong?"]
["Did I say something wrong?"]
[Seeing Naruto sit down without saying a word.]
[Kurenai Yuhi's fair face flushed red, and she couldn't help but reach out to ruffle Naruto's hair.]
["My position is very important, isn't it?"]
["Team Eight: Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame."]
["I really went all out today, directly falling out with Asuma."]
["I might even be 'exiled' later on."]
Naruto chuckled softly, "Teacher Kurenai, you probably just couldn't help but speak your mind, right?"
[Kurenai Yuhi was taken aback, but she wasn't annoyed.]
[She just felt like this kid seemed to understand everything, possessing a sense of maturity beyond his years.]
["Actually, joining you guys isn't out of the question. After all, I'm already in a 'broken pot' situation anyway."]
["Otherwise, could I really just wait around to die?"]
["I noticed it back when Gekkō Hayate was sent out on that kind of mission."]
["I just didn't want to believe it deep down."]
["As for Konoha... we all have feelings for it."]
[As she spoke, Kurenai Yuhi looked at Yūgao Uzuki.]
[Yūgao Uzuki's lips curled up slightly.]
[Without a word, she pulled Naruto into a hug.]
["This child won't suddenly destroy the whole of Konoha."]
["Mmm... forget it, guessing is boring. Naruto, do whatever you want to do."]
["Anyway, your master's strength is only so-so. If there's anything I can help with, just say the word."]
[The drunk Yūgao Uzuki seemed like a different person, losing her usual composure.]
["Pfft~"]
[Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but laugh out loud.]
["Speaking of which, the reason I could agree so quickly and notice these things was mainly because of Yūgao."]
["Best friends for life~!"]
[Saying that, Kurenai Yuhi raised her wine glass.]
[Yūgao was also affected by Kurenai Yuhi's words.]
[Deep feelings, one gulp.]
[And then she just collapsed.]
["A bit regretful, yet a bit excited... Naruto, you wouldn't be thinking of killing your teacher to silence her, would you?"]
[Seeing Yūgao collapse, Kurenai Yuhi leaned close to Naruto's ear, her breath like orchids.]
[Naruto felt a surge of heat throughout his body.]
[This feeling had been occurring more frequently lately.]
[Naruto chuckled inwardly.]
[Sure enough, is this a sign that his body is starting to develop rapidly?]
["Of course."]
[Naruto said solemnly.]
[In fact, at the very beginning, he really did have such thoughts.]
[After all, Yūgao Uzuki was right under his nose.]
[But then again.]
[To be honest, Naruto looked down a bit on their strength; even the rookie 9 he trained wouldn't be much weaker than them.]
[Of course, excluding the cancer... the lone Sasuke.]
[Strength, well, isn't everything.]
[Identity.]
[Kurenai Yuhi's identity, besides being the Jōnin Instructor of Team Eight.]
[There was another identity: her father, Kurenai Yuhi, who died protecting Konoha and the younger generation.]
[Yūgao goes without saying, an Anbu Ninja who had her ninja status restored.]
[Anko... well, Red Soybean, Orochimaru's disciple, and one of those marginalized by Konoha.]
[These identities could be used to say a lot of things in the future.]
[The night was long.]
[In the end, Kurenai Yuhi also collapsed.]
[Naruto was responsible for cleaning up the mess.]
[He had been forced to drink a lot by the tipsy Kurenai Yuhi.]
[Drinking this stuff for the first time, Naruto clearly didn't know his limit yet.]
[He opened the window to get some air, but as soon as the breeze blew, Naruto felt his head spinning.]
[The Great Fox's eyes lit up inside the Sealing Space.]
[Good stuff!]
[...]
[The next morning.]
[Naruto didn't even know how he got through last night.]
[He remembered that after finishing the cleaning, he thought about carrying the three women downstairs, but ended up putting them all on his own bed.]
[Then, he was pulled over by Anko, who had a messy sleeping posture, heard the commotion, opened her eyes, and was a bit dazed.]
[Looking at the layout that had returned to normal.]
[Naruto rubbed the tip of his nose; there was a sweet, lingering scent.]
[And it wasn't just one kind.]
[Sitting on the bed for a short while.]
[He touched the corner of his mouth, finding a few curly...]
[His eyelids twitched, and he immediately ran to wash up.]
[...]
No one knew what happened.
In the blink of an eye, a night had passed.
However, this didn't stop some from breaking down, while others were envious and jealous.
Of course, there were plenty of happy people too.
Kushina almost doubled over laughing.
Impressive!
As expected of her child.
Taking them all down in one go.
Why else would they flee in such a panic?
Now they really were "best friends for a lifetime—and under one blanket."
Of course, everyone also knew that it probably hadn't gone to that final step.
But.
Looking at the current situation, was it far off?
The black-framed large screen continued the scene:
[Standing in front of the mirror, Naruto looked at himself for a long time.]
[The Great Fox in the Sealing Space was very quiet.]
[Naruto didn't ask what happened last night; he only knew that he seemed to have blocked the Great Fox's perception.]
[Now, the Great Fox probably wouldn't want to talk to him for a few days.]
[But Naruto didn't care.]
['Kakashi should be able to help me handle the matter of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.']
['I'll wait and see for a while. Sasuke has been away from everyone for too long; I'll give him some time.']
['Also... actually, some things... can start being attempted.']
['But for now, I can't go too far.']
[After washing up, Naruto gradually became clear-headed.]
[He remembered many things.]
[He shook his head and smiled.]
[Since things had come to this, and it didn't differ much from his inner thoughts—it was just a lot earlier than planned.]
[Then there was no harm in letting things continue to develop.]
[Winning people's hearts wasn't as simple as imagined; one still had to put in the effort.]
[Since he was up, he'd start preparing breakfast.]
[There were still many ingredients left over from last night.]
[Naruto picked a few, then created Shadow Clones to cook several pots of porridge at the same time.]
[Meanwhile.]
[Downstairs, Yūgao Uzuki hid under the covers. Hearing the movement upstairs, she didn't dare make a sound.]
[She felt a bit like a guilty thief.]
[Thinking of something, her lips curled up slightly.]
[However, her expression quickly slumped again.]
[Dammit!]
[Those two were definitely up to no good!]
[One after another, the rookie 9 left their homes.]
[Heading straight for Naruto's house.]
[Sasuke had gotten up early to train, though he spent most of his time in meditation.]
[This was the task Naruto had given him.]
[Although he really disliked this kind of training, Sasuke still did it obediently.]
[Checking the time, Sasuke rubbed his stomach.]
["I seem to have left something at Naruto's yesterday."]
["Besides... since I'm asking Naruto for help, I have to give something in return. I have plenty of money and Ninjutsu scrolls."]
["Everything is for the sake of power."]
[Sasuke convinced himself, then rushed toward Naruto's place without stopping.]
[At that moment, Naruto came downstairs.]
[Yūgao Uzuki felt a bit like a guilty thief; Naruto didn't know if Anko and Kurenai Yuhi felt the same.]
[However... Naruto also felt that way right now.]
[He crept downstairs.]
[For some reason, his heart was racing.]
[Pushing the door open, the first thing he noticed was the downward-curving corners of Uchiha Izumi's mouth.]