At Yuyu's house.
"Mmm, I'm a bit thirsty."
Yuyu opened his eyes in a daze, his lips feeling somewhat dry and cracked.
"Yuyu-kun, water."
"Thanks."
Seeing a slender hand holding a glass of water out to him, Yuyu subconsciously took it and drank it all in one go.
"Gulp—gulp—"
The cool water went down his throat, instantly clearing Yuyu's head.
"Kurenai? Rin? Why are you two here?"
Yuyu looked at the two girls in front of him in surprise and subconsciously glanced around.
Yeah, this is definitely my house.
"Well, Yuyu-kun was drunk, so Rin and I brought you back together."
Kurenai's pretty face flushed slightly as she whispered.
"Ah, is that so? Haha, sorry for the trouble."
Yuyu scratched his head and laughed.
"Um, since Yuyu is awake, that's good. I'll head home first."
Rin pointed out the window; it was pitch black outside.
"I'll walk you."
Yuyu looked at the darkness outside and stood up.
"No need, no need, Yuyu-kun just rest well."
Unexpectedly, both Kurenai and Rin hurriedly shook their small heads. They quickly put on their shoes and ran out of Yuyu's house as if fleeing.
"Bang—"
The sound of the door closing echoed. Yuyu blinked, somewhat perplexed.
"Is the wine not tasty? Why waste time trying to figure out a little girl's thoughts?"
After pondering for less than three seconds, Yuyu criticized himself severely in his heart.
"Wait, I feel like I forgot something?"
As Yuyu tried to recall, his gaze swept across the room.
"Hmm? Found it, this is it."
Suddenly, Yuyu's eyes fixed on a Tachi leaning against the wall, a flash of joy appearing in his eyes.
Yuyu walked forward and drew the Tachi from its scabbard in one smooth motion.
"Shing—"
A breathtaking cold light flickered. The blade was black-purple, with a "Midareba" (irregular) temper line resembling "Large Reverse Clove" patterns, and it bore red sawtooth designs.
"It's heavy."
Yuyu tried swinging it a few times, feeling a weight inconsistent with its slender blade.
"Swish—swish—shing—"
With each swing, the black blade emitted a resonant hum in the air.
"Black Blade—Shusui."
Joy filled Yuyu's eyes.
As he swung it, some memories surfaced in Yuyu's mind.
This Black Blade—Shusui was the reward he obtained for terrifying Asuma into a limp mess with just his aura and shocking the entire class.
This sword is one of the 21 Great Grade Swords from the "One Piece" world.
It is known as the only Black Blade among the Great Grade Swords and is revered as the national treasure of Wano Country.
It is incredibly tough; even if a dinosaur stepped on it, Shusui wouldn't bend in the slightest.
Its user, "Ryuma," used Shusui to slay a dragon, gaining worldwide fame.
Later, Ryuma entrusted Shusui to Zoro, and it became the strongest of Zoro's three swords.
The other known Black Blade is one of the Supreme Grade Swords, the Black Blade—Yoru, held by Hawkeye Mihawk.
A so-called Black Blade is a peerless sword forged through countless battles, where the user continuously imbues the blade with Armament Haki.
It is no exaggeration to say that Black Blade—Shusui is absolutely one of the top-tier swords among the 21 Great Grade Swords.
Some even speculate that after becoming a Black Blade, Shusui is not inferior to even the Supreme Grade Swords.
It is a peerless sword dreamed of by countless swordsmen.
Yuyu also greatly appreciated its ornate appearance.
"Truly a fine sword."
The more Yuyu looked at Shusui, the more he liked it. He took out a cloth specifically for cleaning swords and began to wipe it meticulously.
...
Meanwhile, on a street in Konoha.
"Rin, you..."
After leaving Yuyu's house, Kurenai and Rin walked in silence for a long time.
Finally, Kurenai couldn't hold it back anymore. She stopped, looked at Rin with complicated red eyes, and spoke softly.
"That's right, I like Yuyu."
Rin stopped walking, looked into Kurenai's red eyes, and said seriously.
"Can I know why? I recall your interactions with Yuyu-kun aren't that frequent."
Kurenai looked at Rin and asked earnestly.
"Because Yuyu is the most outstanding."
A look of admiration suddenly appeared in Rin's eyes.
Although Yuyu loves to drink, it doesn't mask his handsome appearance.
More importantly, Yuyu is hailed as one of the top geniuses since the founding of the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Hatake Kakashi, the son of the White Fang who enrolled at the same time and attracted just as much attention, was defeated by Yuyu.
Furthermore, at the age of eight, he was able to severely injure a Chunin teacher with a single slash.
Although it's still early for graduation.
He is publicly recognized as the strongest genius in the Ninja Academy.
To Rin, he is the strong one she admires most.
"Is that so?"
Kurenai's gaze was somewhat complicated, but in a blink of an eye, it became firm.
"I won't easily give Yuyu-kun up to you."
Kurenai's gaze was incredibly determined.
"Then why do you like Yuyu?"
Rin looked at Kurenai curiously.
She had been classmates with Kurenai for a while, though they didn't interact much.
But Rin could sense that Kurenai wouldn't favor Yuyu just because of his dazzling strength.
So why would she...?
"Stop asking so many questions. Anyway, from now on, I'm your rival."
Without explaining, Kurenai's pretty face suddenly turned red. With a soft cry, she ran away as if fleeing.
"Well..."
Watching Kurenai's somewhat flustered retreating figure, Rin murmured.
"Hmph, no matter what, I won't let you have Yuyu."
Rin clenched her small fist to encourage herself and walked toward her home.
...
"Huff—huff—"
Kurenai, having run quite a distance, stopped and rested her hands on her knees, panting slightly.
"Yuyu-kun."
Kurenai twitched her pretty nose, as if she could still smell that scent that intoxicated her, her eyes becoming somewhat hazy.
Unlike Rin, the reason Kurenai liked him—no, it would be more appropriate to say "infatuated"—was quite different.
The reason she was infatuated with Yuyu was that Kurenai had a natural passion for alcohol.
However, Kurenai was young, so naturally, she wouldn't drink.
What made Kurenai discover her love for alcohol was Yuyu drinking in class.
Every time she smelled the scent of alcohol, Kurenai liked it very much.
But that wasn't the most important thing.
The important thing was that, for some reason, Yuyu's whole body emanated a special aroma of wine.
This wine aroma was very unique. Unlike the nauseating smell of drunkenness from ordinary people, it had no impurities at all and was extremely mellow and fragrant.
It made Kurenai utterly obsessed.
"Yuyu-kun, I definitely won't lose."
Kurenai clenched her small fist, murmuring with a determined gaze.
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