"Wow! What delicious food did you make today? I'm here to eat again, Kurenai!"
Anko Mitarashi's voice came shouting from outside.
She barged in energetically, only to freeze when she saw Kurenai Yuhi and Itsuki sitting together at the dining table.
At that exact moment, Kurenai happened to feed a piece of meat directly into Itsuki's mouth.
"Brother Itsuki? Why are you here?" Anko raised an eyebrow.
Then she quickly remembered something, her eyes darting back and forth between the two with mock hostility.
"Ah, now I get it! I was wondering why you suddenly seemed so interested in Itsuki's business. Turns out you're trying to steal my brother!"
Anko ran forward, grabbed a cushion, stuffed it between them, and wedged herself right in the middle.
"I thought you were my best friend, but you really disappoint me, Kurenai!" she huffed, snatching food from the table and stuffing it into her mouth.
Kurenai shot her a glare, stood up to grab another bowl and chopsticks, and muttered unhappily, "People who know you think you just recognized a brother, but people who don't would think you're searching for a husband. Itsuki is just practicing genjutsu with me!"
Anko grinned.
"Actually, it's not a bad idea to raise Brother Itsuki as a child husband. What do you think, little Itsuki?"
Before he could answer, she hugged him and playfully bit his cheek.
Itsuki pushed her away, his face full of disgust—but his strength was half-hearted at best.
"Compared to Sister Anko, I think Teacher Kurenai is more suitable," he said bluntly.
Anko chuckled. "Hah! In terms of femininity, I'll admit I'm not as good as Kurenai. So how about this—if you can handle it, I'll just drag her along too."
Kurenai blushed faintly and scolded, "Itsuki is still young. Don't talk nonsense. He's my disciple now."
"Still young?" Anko's eyes swept up and down Itsuki, deliberately pausing at one particular spot.
That provocative look almost made Itsuki want to prove right then and there that he was definitely not a child anymore.
If Anko had been alone, he probably wouldn't have restrained himself. But with Kurenai still there, he forced himself to hold back.
Seeing Itsuki's slightly frustrated expression, Anko chuckled again. She pinched his chin and whispered teasingly:
"Seems like you're definitely not a kid anymore. You understand everything you should understand. You don't need to hold back with your sister—you can do whatever you want."
"Anko!!" Kurenai snapped, frowning. "Stop it. He's a good kid, don't twist his head around with your nonsense."
"Okay, okay, it was just a joke. Why are you so serious?" Anko raised her hands in surrender.
But even though she said it lightly, she wasn't the type to take romance too seriously.
If Itsuki actually wanted something with her and she was in the right mood, she wouldn't exactly refuse.
Her tomboyish personality meant few people in the village treated her like a woman anyway, so love had always been a distant thing for her.
"But seriously," Anko suddenly leaned forward, "Brother Itsuki, do you have a girl you like?"
"Yes." Itsuki nodded seriously, making her lean in expectantly.
"Both Sister Anko and Teacher Kurenai."
Kurenai chuckled—she knew this was his way of striking back at Anko's earlier teasing.
Anko, however, shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't I already say? As long as your body can handle it, there's no problem with both of us. When you're ready, just come find me and I'll help convince Kurenai."
She half-joked, half-meant it. What she didn't know was that Itsuki himself filed that comment away for later.
For now, he just looked embarrassed and speechless on the surface.
Anko shot Kurenai a proud look, but Kurenai only shook her head helplessly.
She was long used to Anko's antics and didn't take her words seriously.
The three of them continued eating, laughing and joking until dinner ended in a lively atmosphere.
"Hey, Brother Itsuki!" Anko suddenly remembered something. "Your house has a lot of empty rooms, right? Kurenai and I both live alone—how about we move in to keep you company? I heard Tenzo's already staying there too."
"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Kurenai blinked in surprise.
What the hell was Anko up to?
Besides, wasn't Itsuki just an orphan? How big could his house really be? Surely it was smaller than her own little attic.
"You don't know!" Anko waved her hand dramatically. "The Third Hokage gave Itsuki a huge house. Even if dozens of people lived there, it wouldn't be a problem. I just don't want him to get lonely. Plus, it'll be easier to maintain if we live together. Way more fun too!"
That sounded exactly like Anko—she hated quiet and loved noisy company.
Kurenai was a little surprised by how Itsuki was being treated, but when she remembered his Wood Release, it made sense.
She rolled her eyes. "If you want to move in, that's between you and him. I don't care. But don't drag me into it. I'm his teacher—it would be improper."
Itsuki just shrugged. "My house is under renovation right now. When it's done, if you want to move in, feel free. You can treat it like your own home."
Of course, moving in was easy. Moving out later… not so much.
Before he left, Itsuki confirmed his agreement with Kurenai to accompany her sometime to check on Kurama Yakumo.
Afterward, Kurenai poured Anko a bowl of sweet soup and asked, "I feel like you have a special attachment to Itsuki. Even if he has Wood Release and is worth befriending, you don't usually go this far. Why now?"
She knew Anko well and could see she genuinely wanted to get closer to Itsuki. That was rare.
Anko sipped the sweet soup with satisfaction before replying.
"There are some things I can't explain too clearly. Sure, part of it's practical—but honestly, I like this kid. The more I get to know him, the more lovable he seems."
"That really is rare," Kurenai admitted, surprised. But she didn't press further.
Everyone has their own reasons and codes of conduct.
As long as there was no malice, even close friends didn't need to interfere.
"Actually, you're the same, aren't you?" Anko laughed, hugging Kurenai's waist tightly.
"Itsuki has a special aura that makes people want to get closer. That's why you brought him home and even cooked for him. Not many people in this world get that treatment from you."
Kurenai chuckled softly but didn't reply.
Anko added slyly, "You should treat Brother Itsuki well without holding back. It'll be good for you."
Kurenai stuffed a spoonful of soup into her mouth.
"Just take care of yourself. He's my disciple now, so of course I'll treat him well. And if anyone ever wrongs him—even you—I'll make sure justice is done."
Anko puffed her cheeks. "Unbelievable! Replaced by a little boy already. Fine, I'm going home to cry!"
She downed the rest of her sweet soup in one gulp, declared her exit, and dashed out.
Kurenai shook her head with a wry smile—but inside, she couldn't help wondering:
What exactly did Anko mean by 'utilitarian'…?
...
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