The fear that Kurenai had been trying to avoid turned out to be true. To some extent, it was not only that Ye Zi forgot about the meeting but that he consciously chose to forget it.
Last night, Nanako brought Ye Zi important news about new developments in the research. Consequently, Ye Zi went to the lab to work with Nanako, focusing on consolidating and improving their findings.
After working tirelessly until now, they had reached preliminary conclusions. The major issues regarding Ye Zi's body were expected to be resolved or at least improved significantly in the near future.
Knowing that several people were waiting for him, Ye Zi had pushed them out of his mind. His gaze was fixed intently on Nanako's back.
It was undeniable that this girl had done a lot for him. He remembered the first time he saw her, on the operating table at the brink of death, with a blurred vision and a somewhat anxious face appearing as he became dimly aware of hurried breaths.
That was one of the rare moments when he had truly stared death in the face.
Sometimes, if it weren't for the name "Shimura," he might have trusted Nanako fully. Or perhaps the so-called Root in Konoha was inherently untrustworthy, and even without that surname, there would always be an impenetrable barrier between them.
He continued to watch the graceful figure of the girl, wondering what her true motives were for helping him so extensively and if there were any hidden agendas behind her actions.
Suddenly, a clinking sound from glassware snapped Ye Zi out of his thoughts. Nanako turned around with excitement, holding a transparent container with a white, wriggling tissue inside, which was shrinking slowly but appeared lively and somewhat eerie.
Nanako took a deep breath and leaped towards Ye Zi, who didn't move to avoid her as he usually would. Instead, he allowed her to embrace him.
Noticing that Ye Zi did not resist, Nanako tightened her grip, pressing her ample chest against Ye Zi's muscular torso, feeling his male presence up close. Her excitement was beyond words, not overshadowed by shyness.
"I was wrong, I've been wrong all along."
"Your cell activity isn't any weaker than the First Hokage's. I should have tried different approaches instead of sticking to one path."
"By focusing solely on fusion and compromise, I kept failing."
"If fusion doesn't work and compromises are insufficient, then I should have tried devouring the First Hokage's cells and using them for myself. I should have tried this sooner."
"I'm sorry for wasting so much time."
"I'm sorry, please give me a little more time. I can definitely help you!"
Nanako leaned on Ye Zi's shoulder, her voice trembling with emotion as she spoke words that reached deep into Ye Zi's heart.
What was it that made her so devoted to him?
Danzo Shimura? Conflicting interests? Impure motives? Deep-seated malice hidden in the dark?
All these dark suspicions seemed to vanish in this moment.
Listening to her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, Ye Zi, resisting the coldness of the world, seemed to soften a bit. He smelled the unpleasant odor from her hair, slowly raised his arms, and embraced the girl, burying his face deep in her dry, pungent hair.
"Thank you."
His words were no longer cold and distant but filled with genuine gratitude.
Nanako was taken aback by the soft gratitude and realized Ye Zi had opened his arms to her. Her heartbeat quickened, and her face grew warm.
A single action and a thank you were enough. It was all worth it.
The boy who was cold to everyone had started to accept her.
Nanako pulled away from Ye Zi's embrace, turned around, and looked at the now inert tissue in her hand. "Next, we need to perfect this and then proceed with formal testing. I will minimize the risks before that. You don't need to cooperate anymore, so you can go about your business."
She carefully placed the glass container on the table and began recording all the results.
"Alright."
Ye Zi responded, dressed, and walked to the door. Before leaving, he glanced back at the girl who had resumed her work and said, "Make sure to get some rest."
With the door closing and Ye Zi's footsteps fading away, Nanako smiled as she continued her work.
After leaving Root, Ye Zi decided to return home briefly to freshen up before heading to the agreed meeting point.
When he arrived at the high platform near Hokage Rock, the first thing he was greeted by was a pair of very angry, beautiful eyes.
"Do you know what time it is?"
Kurenai glared at the tardy Ye Zi, her chest heaving with frustration.
Guy, who had continued doing push-ups on an empty stomach, finally stopped when he saw Ye Zi had arrived. He sighed wearily but his reaction was less intense compared to Kurenai's.
As for Kotoe, she merely smiled at Ye Zi and said nothing.
Among the three, only Kurenai reacted strongly. She was truly angry and began questioning Ye Zi's qualifications as a teacher. Such a person, in her view, was unfit to be a teacher.
"It's 2:20 PM," Ye Zi said calmly, walking to his usual spot from yesterday.
Seeing Ye Zi's calm demeanor, Kurenai exploded like a lit fuse. She jumped in front of Ye Zi and shouted angrily, "You are over six hours late! Shouldn't you apologize first and explain why you're late, and then promise not to do it again?"
Ye Zi looked down at the furious Kurenai and said, "Sorry, I accidentally forgot about it. As for whether it will happen again, I can't make any guarantees."
He paused before adding, "If you have an issue with that, you might as well apply to the Third Hokage to be removed from this team."
Kurenai was stunned. All her anger seemed to drain away, leaving her feeling deflated.
"Ahhhhh!"
She screamed repeatedly, then sat down to fume.
If she could leave the team, she would have done so already. With everyone's positions so tightly arranged, she wasn't sure where she would go if removed, and she doubted the Third Hokage would agree to it.
Seeing Kurenai's repeated screams, Kotoe couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh quietly.
Gurgle!
Guy, who had been trying to comfort Kurenai, instinctively clutched his stomach as his hunger protested after hours of exercise and no food.
"Let's go. I'll treat you all to a meal," Ye Zi said, glancing at Guy's stomach.
"Great!" Guy's eyes lit up. "Teacher, can we go to Yakiniku Q for barbecue?"
Ye Zi nodded.
"Teacher, I have a big appetite," Guy said shyly.
"Eat as much as you want."
"Awesome!"
Guy jumped with excitement.
"Hmph." Kurenai looked at Guy with disdain, then at the indifferent Ye Zi, and snorted in dissatisfaction.
"If possible, please also pick up some Three-Colored Dango from the Dango Shop," Kotoe said with a smile.
Kurenai's eyes brightened like rubies at the mention of the dango.
"Okay," Ye Zi agreed.
Kotoe grinned mischievously and said, "I can eat 50 skewers!"
"Whatever you want."
Ye Zi, already knowing Kotoe's appetite, was not surprised and walked down the high platform first.
"Hmph, you'll eat so much this time that you'll bankrupt your wallet!" Kurenai thought of getting revenge and, seeing Ye Zi's departing figure, coldly snorted several times. Feeling like she had forgotten something but not remembering what, she gave up and quickly followed the others.
The four of them set off towards the street.
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