Aoba prepared gifts for both Asuma and Kurenai.
"Kurenai, take a look at this," Aoba said, handing her a box... of cigars.
"These are imported from the Land of Snow, a limited edition made with ice lotus flowers. Not only do they satisfy a craving for smoking, but they also clear the mind and invigorate the spirit. Most importantly, unlike regular tobacco, these cigars don't leave a bad smell. Instead, they leave a refreshing fragrance in your mouth after smoking."
Before Kurenai could react, he quickly turned to Asuma.
"And this is for you. I'm not very skilled in genjutsu, so I've been experimenting with tools to supplement it. These bracelets are my third prototype, and they finally have some effect. By rubbing the two bracelets together and injecting chakra, they release sound waves that can cause dizziness or even nausea. Of course, the wearer is protected by the technique inscribed on the bracelets.
This is my idea for a genjutsu: using sound, which can penetrate anywhere, to launch a genjutsu attack. You might want to consult an expert in genjutsu to see if this concept can be improved."
Although it's still a basic version, this tool already has practical combat uses. Against Chunin or lower-level ninja, it's quite effective. If they're caught off guard, they could get dizzy for a brief moment. Even though the duration is short, for a ninja—essentially assassins—this momentary disorientation could mean life or death.
However, against Jonin or elite Jonin, the tool's effect is less pronounced and only serves as a minor disturbance in battle. Even so, the tool still holds considerable value. Unlike the previous gifts for Kakashi and Guy, the ones for Kurenai and Anko have broader applications.
In fact, he is planning to mass-produce and sell these tools. Yes, he's preparing to go into business to make money. Conducting experiments at home has been extremely costly. In less than half a year, he's already spent all his savings. The gifts he handed out today were partly to ask for their help in promoting these items.
The gift he gave to Kurenai was the deluxe version. For the commercial ones, there was no plan to include the immunity function for the wearer. If people want to avoid being affected by their own tools, they'll have to buy Anko's kind of earpiece.
Of course, that's for later. The official sales launch won't be until after the new year. Tonight, the focus is on enjoying the show.
Aoba's actions were pretty obvious. The cigars were clearly meant for Asuma, but he gave them to Kurenai. The bracelets were meant for Kurenai, but he handed them to Asuma.
Aside from not wanting to give Kurenai's gift to her in front of Asuma, he also intended to tease the couple a bit.
Kakashi, Guy, and Anko quickly understood his move. They all sat back with amused expressions, watching the pair.
Asuma turned to Kurenai, just about to say something, when she immediately swapped the bracelets in his hand for the cigars.
Asuma didn't mind that his gift was different from the others'. Unlike the others, he was the son of the Third Hokage, and even though he often rebelled against his father, he never lacked money or equipment.
For instance, his twin trench knives were made with chakra-infused metal, a top-tier weapon. While not as legendary as the Kusanagi Sword, they weren't far off.
Unfortunately, Asuma never fully mastered their potential.
The gathering, led by Aoba, was lively and fun.
Meanwhile, at the Uchiha clan's mansion, there was another special gathering happening, hosted by none other than... Sasuke.
Sasuke felt like this was the hardest day of his life. Harder than learning the Fireball Jutsu for the first time, harder than mastering the Uchiha Style Shurikenjutsu, and harder than learning to walk on trees or water.
Hosting a party at his house and inviting his classmates to join him felt like the furthest thing from his nature. Normally proud and aloof, he barely spoke to his classmates. Now, suddenly inviting them over for a gathering felt as difficult as being asked to kill Itachi.
But Sasuke was doing it because someone had told him that if he could pull this off and keep doing it, they would teach him a jutsu strong enough to kill Itachi.
Sasuke believed them, so he gritted his teeth and organized this event.
In truth, the most anxious people in Konoha weren't Sasuke or his classmates, but those in the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen, upon learning that Sasuke had invited a group of his classmates over, immediately dispatched the ANBU to monitor the event.
Sasuke was a key figure, not because of himself, but because he was the string tying Konoha to Itachi. If anything were to happen to Sasuke, that would completely ruin the advantage Konoha had with Itachi.
Thus, the attention Konoha paid to Sasuke was extraordinary, closely observing his every move while also restricting his growth in strength.
Yes, Sasuke's power was under strict control by Konoha. The reason for this? Let's just say some people were too paranoid.
But more concerning to Hiruzen than Sasuke's potential growth was the fact that the boy had started building his own social network. To Hiruzen, this was even more alarming than Sasuke suddenly awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan.
So much so that the old man didn't even go home that night, staying glued to his crystal ball, watching the Uchiha mansion intently.
Inside the mansion, all of Konoha's "Rookie 12" were present. Though Sasuke's invitation had surprised them, after asking their parents, every one of them showed up.
Many of the parents, sensing the significance of the event, even sent their children with snacks and treats.
Organizing a party is quite a task, and they knew Sasuke, being just a kid, might not have thought everything through, so they helped him out by preparing things in advance.
As it turned out, they were right. Sasuke wasn't really skilled at hosting.
"Hey, Sasuke, I gotta say, I didn't expect your house to be so big. Isn't it scary living here all alone?" Naruto, as always, spoke without thinking. In this world, his relationship with Sasuke was much better than in the original timeline.
Mainly because he had often watched Aoba's training from the sidelines. Eventually, Aoba allowed him to join the sessions with Naruto. The two boys became familiar with each other and grew close.
Though Sasuke wouldn't admit it verbally, the fact that he often brought two lunch boxes showed how much he valued his friendship with Naruto. But, being a prideful boy, Sasuke would never openly acknowledge this.
"What's there to be scared of? This place is full of restless souls, but they won't hurt me."
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