"That was incredible, Ran!" Aoba pushed up his glasses and gave his conclusion. "Combining genjutsu with swordsmanship—if someone runs into you one-on-one without knowing your move, even a chūnin would suffer a huge loss the first time."
"Obito," Kurenai asked curiously, "what did it feel like after being caught in the genjutsu?"
"Ah… well…" Obito scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "It felt like something really wonderful was happening."
Kurenai thought to herself:
Is it an altered version of the Hell Viewing Technique?
The Hell Viewing Technique was known for forcing the target to witness the scenes they feared or refused to face deep in their heart. It assaulted the opponent psychologically, shaking their spirit by showing terrifying or unsettling visions. As a mental warfare technique, it was effective—but usually only against inexperienced ninja. Against veterans, its impact was limited.
But Ran's version is different, everyone present realized.
He lets the target see their most beautiful desires instead, disrupting them in an instant. Combined with swordsmanship, it's silent and lethal—by the time the opponent realizes what's happening, they'd already be dead.
As the group was still digesting that thought, Ran suddenly asked Kakashi,
"By the way, is Guy out on a mission? I wanted to invite him to the barbecue party, but no one was home when I went to his place."
All eyes turned to Kakashi at once, waiting for his answer.
Feeling the collective stare, Kakashi grew visibly annoyed. He frowned and muttered,
"Why are you all looking at me? Why would I know where Guy is?"
He sounded irritated. At some point, everyone had started assuming that he and Guy were inseparable friends.
And honestly, it wasn't hard to see why.
Guy showed up every morning to drag Kakashi out for training.
They ate lunch together at noon.
And sometimes, when people went out at night, they could still see Guy chasing Kakashi through the streets.
Damn it.
Every time Kakashi thought about it, he felt the looks his friends gave him growing… strange.
Still, everyone kept staring expectantly.
After a brief silence, Kakashi finally sighed.
"Tch… fine. I do know. He went off to special training with Uncle Dai. Those two hot-blooded idiots are probably training somewhere until they collapse from exhaustion."
Hearing that, a sense of admiration rose in everyone's hearts. They imagined Guy and Dai training under extreme conditions—weighted exercises, sweat pouring down like rain.
A moment later, everyone shuddered at the same time.
Even Ran's mind conjured an overly vivid image.
A remote mountain forest.
Sunlight filtering through leaves, casting mottled shadows.
The air filled with the scent of grass, a gentle breeze blowing—
—and suddenly, two men in green jumpsuits appeared.
After finishing training, they embraced each other and burst into tears.
Too terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
Everyone shook their heads violently, as if trying to erase the image.
"No problem," Ran said quickly. "I'll invite Guy next time to see my move. I heard he's been preparing a new technique just to beat Kakashi. I'm really curious—what kind of secret taijutsu does a pure taijutsu ninja even have?"
"I heard it's called the Eight Gates," Asuma said, casually edging closer to Kurenai as he spoke. "The Third Hokage mentioned that Uncle Dai could use it. He probably passed it on to Guy."
So Guy really does see Kakashi as his lifelong rival…
Eight Gates, opening the Gate of Death—one punch per Hokage…
Kakashi, having a friend like that really is something else.
Ran felt an overwhelming urge to complain internally.
Noticing Asuma once again inching closer, Kurenai quietly took a step back. She leaned toward Ran and whispered,
"Looks like I should start developing my own ultimate technique too. Guy has the Eight Gates, Kakashi's researching Earth and Lightning Release, and you've got genjutsu and swordsmanship. I need a powerful genjutsu of my own."
Miss, Ran thought, watching her retreat that single step, are you serious about that movement? That step alone might have just shattered the heart of a devoted simp.
He glanced at Asuma.
Asuma's expression looked exactly like that of a dog whose beloved bone had just been stolen—standing there, tail wagging weakly, utterly helpless.
"Everyone," Ran said aloud, smiling, "today was a great gathering. Thank you all for coming to celebrate my graduation."
"We're happy too," Rin replied with a warm smile. "It's been a long time since we all got together. Thanks for inviting us."
"Yeah," Kurenai added cheerfully. "Let's do this again sometime. It's really nice having so many friends together."
Watching the three girls gathered around Ran—and Asuma and Obito standing off at a distance—the scene felt strangely harmonious.
Night fell.
Warm lights illuminated Konoha's streets, like a brilliant ribbon winding through every corner of the village. Laughter drifted through the air as people walked by, the quiet of the night gently broken.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Ran and Kurenai headed off together toward her home—to visit her father.
Yes, their destination was Kurenai's house, where her father lived: Yuhi Shinku, Ran's future jōnin instructor, a man of considerable reputation in Konoha.
Their figures overlapped in the night, and there was a faint trace of joy in Kurenai's eyes.
From behind, Asuma watched them walk away.
In that moment, he felt like a helpless dog, staring at their retreating backs as an indescribable loneliness welled up inside him.
He knew that the laughter and warmth belonged to them—
and all he could do was stay behind, letting out lonely woofs in silence.
Asuma sighed inwardly. After bidding everyone farewell, he continued down the street alone.
The night breeze brushed against his face, carrying a hint of chill, as if gently comforting his solitude. He gazed up at the sky, his thoughts drifting.
Then a terrifying idea surfaced in his mind:
What if one day… Kurenai suddenly says to me—
"Asuma… Ran is tired."
Fear surged violently in Sarutobi Asuma's heart.
He didn't want to remain a bystander.
He wanted to be the protagonist.
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