"Goodbye, Kurenai-sensei."
"Goodbye."
Kiba, Shino, and Hinata all waved goodbye to Kurenai.
With that, Team 8's mission for the day came to an end.
Guiding new genin wasn't particularly difficult. Among her students, Kiba had a brash, attention-seeking personality; Hinata was overly shy and reserved; and Shino, compared to the other two, seemed the most balanced and normal.
Initially, Kurenai's main concern had been Hinata, fearing she might exhibit a "princess" attitude typical of her clan, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.
The team's overall dynamic was decent, and Kiba treated his teammates well.
Kurenai glanced at the sky, noting that it was around four or five in the afternoon.
What should I make for dinner tonight...?
With that thought, she headed towards the market to buy some meat and vegetables for dinner.
There wasn't much food in Ren's fridge—mostly simple, ready-to-eat items. The meal she made last night had come from ingredients she purchased at the market.
Maybe I'll get some fish...
Kurenai walked briskly into the market area and started browsing through various stalls.
"Kurenai?" A familiar voice called out from a distance.
She looked over and saw two familiar faces.
"Yugao, Hayate."
Yugao was carrying a bag of vegetables, walking alongside Hayate as they approached.
"What a coincidence," Yugao said with a smile.
"Yeah, are you shopping too?" Kurenai returned the smile.
"Hayate wanted eel rice, so I came to get the ingredients," Yugao said with a sigh.
Eel rice, huh... I could make that too...
The thought crossed Kurenai's mind.
"Because I really wanted it," Hayate said, coughing lightly, looking somewhat frail.
"Alright, alright, I didn't say I wouldn't make it," Yugao replied.
"You two seem to be getting along well," Kurenai said, smiling.
Yugao shrugged. "I kind of miss being single sometimes. Now I have to take care of him all the time..."
She said it as though she were complaining, but Kurenai could tell there was no real annoyance behind her words.
"You two have always been like this. Childhood sweethearts—so many people are envious," Kurenai commented.
"Don't you have a childhood sweetheart too?" Yugao teased.
Kurenai's smile froze for a moment.
"Besides, you know how he feels about you," Yugao continued, "If you're envious, you could give it a try yourself."
"..."
"But let me give you a piece of advice: men before and after getting into a relationship are completely different," Yugao said seriously.
Hayate sighed, "Yugao..."
It wasn't that he was offended by her complaints—he was just worried Kurenai might actually take her words as a reason to reject Asuma.
"Yugao..." Kurenai paused before speaking again. "It's not possible between me and Asuma."
Yugao and Hayate both froze, surprised by her words. Yugao panicked slightly. "No, I was just joking. Hayate has actually been great since we got together. He's really caring..."
Kurenai shook her head. "It's not because of that."
"Kurenai..." Yugao looked at her, stunned.
"I know what Asuma means, and I'm aware everyone has been trying to match us up. I'll find the right time to talk to him about it," Kurenai said slowly.
"I... already have someone I like. Anyway, I should go. Bye."
The two stood in place, dazed, until Kurenai's figure disappeared into the crowd.
"No way..." Yugao muttered.
"Poor Asuma," Hayate sighed and coughed. "Except for his smoking habit, he's got a lot going for him—lineage, strength, personality. He's even the deputy captain of the Konoha Police Force now."
"Of course Kurenai knows that... but if she doesn't feel that way, then she just doesn't," Hayate said between coughs.
"Who could Kurenai possibly be interested in?"
Kurenai returned home with her groceries, but her conversation with Yugao and Hayate left her mind churning.
They were all part of the same social circle, so if things fell apart with Asuma, how would she interact with everyone else?
Kurenai had never formally rejected Asuma. At first, she genuinely had some affection for him, but it was the kind of affection built from growing up together—not romantic.
If Asuma hadn't left to join the Twelve Guardian Ninja, their relationship might have developed over that year, and they could have ended up together.
But once Ren came into her life, she started distancing herself from Asuma.
However, she feared that rejecting Asuma outright would lead to a fallout, ending their friendship for good.
She was truly scared.
A confession only takes one sentence. Why was it so difficult to say?
If she really wanted to, she could've told Asuma by now as a friend: I'm in a relationship.
But she kept delaying, finding various excuses. Deep down, she knew it was because she was too afraid to face the situation.
After accepting so many of Asuma's kind gestures over the years, now being with Ren made her feel guilty, as if she had betrayed him.
But things had already reached this point. How much longer could she put this off?
…
Konoha Gates.
Ren stood with Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino, processing their return paperwork.
All three of them looked utterly exhausted.
"In the end, Ino, you were the most useless," Shikamaru muttered lazily.
"Shut up!" Ino retorted, slightly embarrassed.
"I just... wasn't great at dealing with that kind of animal," she defended.
During the boar capture mission, Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu had failed to fully control the wild beast, nearly causing Choji to get hurt. The unsuccessful technique left her watching helplessly as Shikamaru and Choji struggled to subdue the boar.
"What would you do if the enemy had a troublesome summon beast?" Ren asked calmly from the side.
"…I get it. I'll train harder when we get back," Ino admitted with a pout, no longer attempting to justify herself.
Indeed, today's failure was primarily hers.
With the paperwork completed, the group started walking back into the village.
"I really want to eat barbecue!" Choji shouted excitedly.
"At this hour? Won't you skip dinner?" Shikamaru sighed.
"Why would it conflict?" Choji argued back.
"Let's go," Ren suddenly said.
"To get barbecue."
"Really?" Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise.
Ino's previously weary face lit up.
"Yes!" Choji cheered, instantly forgetting his exhaustion.
"Ren-sensei, you're the best!"
Ren's eyes shifted slightly, and he simply replied, "After today's fight, you're probably all tired. Eating some meat will be good."
"Hehe, Ren-sensei is right!" Choji nodded vigorously. "I feel like I've lost weight."
"You must be dreaming," Ino teased from the side.
Shikamaru watched Choji with slight exasperation, thinking that their sensei was perhaps too indulgent with him. He also remembered that Ren wasn't particularly fond of barbecue.
They headed to the barbecue restaurant, Choji leading the way, nearly skipping as he chanted, "Barbecue! Barbecue!"
Ino walked beside Ren, occasionally scolding Choji to behave.
Shikamaru followed on Ren's other side, a faint smile playing on his lips as he watched Choji's antics.
The setting sun cast long shadows behind them, sketching out their individual outlines on the ground.
In the barbecue restaurant.
The group sat at a table by the window.
The sizzling of meat on the grill sent up a fragrant steam, and Choji's eyes were locked onto the cooking meat with an intensity greater than when facing the boar earlier.
"No one's going to steal it," Ino said from the side.
"Perfectly controlling the cooking time is crucial for the best taste," Choji said seriously.
"You're hopeless," Shikamaru sighed.
The restaurant was moderately busy, filled with the hum of conversation and the clinking of dishes.
The three genin chatted idly while eating from the grill.
Ren spoke little, only responding briefly when Ino addressed him.
The stack of empty plates grew steadily, and while Ino and Shikamaru's pace slowed, Choji continued devouring the meat as if he were just getting started.
"Boss, ten more servings of meat!" Choji called out, no longer bothering to check with Ren.
If this continues, Ren-sensei is going to go broke...
Shikamaru thought, glancing at the mountain of plates on their table.
Dumb Choji doesn't understand that eating this much every time will make it hard to get another treat from Ren-sensei in the future.
Ren, however, didn't mind. His past years of high-mission performance had left him with substantial savings.
The owner brought over ten more servings, grinning at Choji's excitement and the growing stack of plates.
As the sky outside darkened, Ren's eyes caught sight of a familiar figure passing by on the street.
He paused, considering for a moment before taking out his wallet and handing it to Shikamaru.
"I have something to do. Don't wait for me. Just pay when you're done."
With that, he left, ignoring the puzzled looks from Shikamaru and Ino.
Shikamaru squeezed the wallet, feeling its weight. Hmm... really full!
Asuma, just off work from the Konoha Police Force, was on his way home when he spotted a familiar face approaching.
"Ren?" Asuma said, surprised.
"What a coincidence," he chuckled.
"Yeah."
"Heading home?" Asuma asked with a smile.
Ren shook his head, fixing his gaze on Asuma.
The stare made Asuma feel slightly uncomfortable.
"Is there something on my face?" Asuma asked, touching his cheek.
Ren's eyes lowered slightly.
"Want to have dinner with me?"
"Huh?" Asuma was stunned, looking at Ren in surprise.
They hadn't interacted much in recent years. If not for the time Ren had saved his life, Asuma might have nearly forgotten him.
And now, Ren was suddenly inviting him to dinner.
There must be a reason...
Asuma, now deputy captain of the Konoha Police Force, was no stranger to social engagements. Plenty of people invited him out regularly.
"Sure," Asuma nodded.
They went to a restaurant and sat down. Asuma casually ordered a few dishes.
"Want to drink?" Asuma asked.
"You can if you want," Ren replied.
"Then never mind," Asuma shrugged.
The food arrived shortly after.
Night had fallen outside, and the street was aglow with lights.
"I heard you're now a jonin-sensei," Asuma said with a smile.
"Guiding the same graduating class as Kakashi and Kurenai."
"Yeah, I've got the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka kids," Ren confirmed.
Asuma knew that. He'd even asked his father why those three genin had been placed under Ren's guidance.
But his father hadn't provided much explanation.
"So you must see Kakashi and Kurenai often," Asuma remarked while taking a bite of food.
"I don't see Kakashi much," Ren replied calmly. "But I see Kurenai often."
"Really?" Asuma blinked, sensing something strange in Ren's words.
But he brushed it off.
"Because you're all guiding genin and taking on missions, right?" Asuma reasoned, thinking that must be it.
Ren's response, however, was steady and direct. "No."
"It's because Kurenai and I are lovers."
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