Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's order, Danzo slowly suppressed his anger and walked out of the room. But as he left, his mind was filled with dark thoughts.
Kirito, however, had no idea that he had just missed a significant scene. He had already arrived at the small, modest house assigned to him by Konoha Village. It wasn't much—two bedrooms, a living room—but it was fully furnished and far better than the hut that the original protagonist, Naruto, had lived in. Kirito couldn't help but admire his new home as he settled in.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, back at his own home, entered the back hall with a deep sense of unease. His eyes were filled with frustration. As a child prodigy of Konoha, he had never imagined being defeated by someone like Kirito. He had no ninjutsu to speak of, yet he had beaten Kakashi using only physical strength. Even the calm and composed Kakashi found it difficult to accept this reality.
In the back hall, Kakashi reached for his father's short sword, the White Fang. His father, Sakumo Hatake, had been famous throughout the ninja world, known as the "Konoha White Fang." Kakashi closed his eyes, his father's warm face appearing in his mind. It was then that he made up his mind—he couldn't fall here. He would become stronger and defeat Kirito next time.
Kakashi ran through the entire battle in his mind, replaying each movement of Kirito. He thought about his initial hand blade strike, and wondered if replacing it with a broken blade would change anything. But as he considered the possibilities, he realized Kirito's speed would likely allow him to dodge the attack. Kakashi's mind raced as he continued refining his strategy, repeating the movements of the fight over and over.
It was a sleepless night for Kakashi, but little did he know, Kirito was oblivious to the entire event. The following morning, under the warm rays of the sun, Kirito slowly woke up. He glanced at the clock on his bedside—it was only 9 a.m.
"Still early, let's take another nap," he thought, closing his eyes again, ready to return to his peaceful slumber.
But before he could fall back into his dream, the system's voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
**[Host's slacking behavior detected.]**
**[Ding! Reward: 1% increase in Yellow Monkey template role-playing.]**
**[Ding! Yellow Monkey template role-playing degree: 31%.]**
With the system in place, Kirito thought it was great—doing nothing and still getting stronger. He could rest easy knowing that strength came with time and that his efforts would pay off.
As he was about to drift off again, there was a knock on the door.
**Knock, knock, knock!**
Kirito opened his eyes in confusion. Who could it be? He didn't know anyone in Konoha. He got up and put on his clothes before answering the door.
Standing there was Yuhi Kurenai, the woman he had met on the battlefield the day before. Today, her makeup was lighter, with just a touch of powder on her face that gave her a softer, more youthful look.
Before Kirito could speak, she shot out a question with frustration:
"Why didn't you answer the door earlier? I've been knocking for a while. I thought I had the wrong place!"
Kirito frowned, a bit irritated. He had nothing to do with her—why was she bothering him? Yet, he kept his face calm as always.
"What do you want?" he asked coolly.
Yuhi Kurenai, seemingly oblivious to Kirito's indifference, persisted. "I know you're not familiar with Konoha Village yet. Come on, I'll show you around."
She paused, then added with a sly smile, "By the way, I'll take you to the Ninja Academy. Today's the graduation exam, and we'll be observing the students' abilities. You'll get a chance to meet some future ninja. You can even select your own disciples!"
Kirito's eyebrows furrowed at the suggestion. The thought of getting involved in the formation of Konoha's ninja teams did not appeal to him. He had no interest in teaching or taking on disciples—he just wanted to relax and live a peaceful life, away from such responsibilities.
But before he could refuse, Yuhi Kurenai was already pulling him by the arm and walking him out of the house.
"Come on, let's go! We're all Jonin. You'll be leading your own class soon enough, and I thought it would be good to start getting you familiar with things," she said enthusiastically.
Kirito said nothing as she guided him out. They walked through the streets of Konoha, with Yuhi Kurenai clinging to his arm, almost as if she were testing the waters. She was close enough to feel the warmth of his body, but she didn't overstep. She just wanted to bring them closer.
In truth, the visit to the academy was just an excuse for Yuhi Kurenai. What she really wanted was to spend time with Kirito. Despite knowing each other for only a day, Yuhi Kurenai was bold enough to express her feelings. In the brutal world of ninjas, where life was fleeting, she didn't want to miss the opportunity to show her affection.
As they walked, she raised her head slightly, her eyes full of warmth and longing as she gazed at Kirito. The young girl had clearly started to develop feelings for him.