Chapter 63: Conflict and Consequence
Genjutsu!
Naruto was shocked. He hadn't expected Kurenai to be so incapable of taking a joke. He'd only made that retort because he was annoyed by her meddling, and now she was using genjutsu on him!
At this moment, however, Naruto also grew angry. Since you struck first, if I don't retaliate, I'll seem weak!
However, Kurenai's genjutsu was not so easy to break. While she wasn't going all out, Naruto wasn't particularly skilled in genjutsu. Though he had strong mental power, he usually focused his time on physical training and chakra control, not on studying genjutsu techniques. What he usually concerned himself with was how to break them.
Facing the sea of flames before him and Kurenai's face, whose expression was the complete opposite of the fire's heat, a cold smile appeared at the corner of Naruto's mouth. He slowly closed his eyes, allowing the flames to draw closer and closer, almost setting him ablaze!
Suddenly, the aura around him contracted, then erupted violently. A powerful chakra burst erupted, and in an instant, the surrounding sea of fire vanished. His consciousness returned to the room.
Kurenai sat on the bed, looking at Naruto in surprise. Her hands were still in the seal position, but a slight sweat beaded on her forehead. The genjutsu I cast, and I specialize in it, was forcibly broken by this guy! And the method he used is extremely common—a simple chakra burst! How strong is this guy's chakra? He has to be stronger than me!
This guy's strength, as the recent rumors say, has far surpassed that of a genin. He might even rival an elite jōnin!
The next moment, Kurenai felt a surge of dissatisfaction. How can I accept being bested by a genin?
In that case, I'll use my true skills!
Kurenai's hands moved, about to form another seal, but she suddenly saw a blur before her eyes. Then her body sank—a figure was already pressing down on her!
Who else could it be but Naruto?
Kurenai paled in shock. "What are you doing!?"
At this moment, Naruto's hands firmly gripped Kurenai's wrists, pinning them against the headboard. His own body was directly straddling her chest! This posture threw Kurenai into sudden panic. She felt her hands restrained by a powerful force; even with her jōnin strength, she couldn't break free!
This kid is so strong!
A sliver of fear crept into Kurenai's heart. But immediately, she struggled fiercely again. "Let me go, you brat! Do you know who I am? I'm a jōnin instructor!!"
Naruto didn't care who Kurenai was. Even if you were the Hokage, he'd dare to fight back, let alone a jōnin instructor!
In his mind, there was no concept of status or hierarchy.
"You want to form seals? Cast genjutsu on me?!" Naruto looked closely into Kurenai's charming eyes, a mischievous smile appearing on his face for the first time, making Kurenai's heart skip a beat. "A woman who can't take a joke—do you even have the qualifications to be a jōnin instructor? I don't think you're mature at all!" As he spoke, he glanced dismissively at her ample chest.
To be honest, at this moment Naruto felt a sudden, improper stirring in his heart—a stirring he had already felt last night when he helped the sleeping Kurenai remove her coat. Faced with such a mature, graceful body, his soul—that of a grown man from modern society—inevitably harbored a flicker of desire.
However, that had been just a fleeting thought last night, gone in an instant. Now, controlling Kurenai's body at such close range, smelling her unique scent, Naruto's heart unavoidably stirred again.
A woman's intuition is terrifying. At this moment, the distinctly masculine desire in Naruto's eyes was immediately caught by Kurenai. She was shocked that this kid could be so lecherous, but at the same time, an indescribable feeling arose within her. And similarly, the sensation of being suppressed, overpowered, and conquered by Naruto's youthful body pressing down on her suddenly evoked an inexplicable thrill.
What's wrong with me!?
At this moment, Kurenai was flustered—truly flustered. The more flustered she became, the faster her heart raced, and the faint excitement in her heart grew stronger. Her originally cool face now flushed a deep red, and her breathing quickened.
At this stalemate, Naruto suddenly released her hands, curled his lip, and said indifferently, "How boring! Kurenai-sensei, is that all you've got? Get dressed and leave!" Having said that, he shook his head and left the room.
In truth, Naruto's own emotions had become agitated. Kurenai was indeed a great beauty, and she was the type who seemed cold and unapproachable in the eyes of others. Facing such a mature, sexy Kurenai, a grown man's thoughts were absolutely normal.
To cover up his own thoughts, Naruto immediately left the room, sighing inwardly, Sasuke was right! It seems I really am a pervert!
After Naruto slammed the door shut, Kurenai remained dazed for a long time, feeling a sudden sense of loss. But she soon regained her senses, shook her head, put on her clothes, and left the room. Have I been alone for too long? Do I really need to find a partner?
And what had just happened was destined to be buried in her heart, a secret never to be revealed.
...
Naruto left the room and arrived at the intersection, where he saw Sasuke muttering something under her breath with her head down, occasionally kicking the stones at her feet with force.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out to her.
Seeing Naruto, Sasuke snorted softly and turned her head away, ignoring him.
"Let's go train!" Naruto didn't mind her little tantrum.
"Fine, let's go," Sasuke said sullenly, her mouth pouting, but she didn't dare to turn and meet his eyes. She walked ahead alone.
Naruto smiled and followed.
"My left hand can't use chakra for now, so I can only do simple physical training with my right hand later," Naruto suggested with a smile as they walked. "And we have the Third's funeral to attend this evening, so let's just do a little training and then come back."
"Oh," Sasuke nodded.
...
"Huh? Sasuke, aren't we going to Training Ground 7?" Naruto asked as they passed it.
"I don't feel like training there. Let's try the next one," Sasuke said lightly.
"This place looks good. Let's go here!" Naruto said as they passed Training Ground 14.
"It's not good here. Let's keep going," Sasuke said calmly.
"This is the training ground farthest from Konoha. You don't want to train here, do you?" Naruto, who had been following Sasuke slowly for over an hour, pointed to the field ahead.
"I think the first Training Ground we saw was still the best! Let's go back!" Sasuke shook her head.
"..." Naruto suddenly felt exasperated. "Sasuke, do you even want to train!?"
"Oh, if we're not training, let's go back and eat! I'm hungry!" Seeing Naruto's defeated expression, a flicker of amusement shone in Sasuke's eyes, though her face remained cool and calm.
After eating, the two went to the hospital again. Naruto received some treatment for his hand, and Sasuke, whose internal injuries weren't fully healed, had a medical-nin check her over. Afterward, the two went to visit Rock Lee. By the time they left the hospital, it was already past two in the afternoon.
"In a little while, it'll be the Third's funeral," Sasuke said. "It seems there's no time for training today. Let's just take a walk through the streets."