"Neko-san?"
This was Suzuki's first time seeing the Cat Anbu without her mask. She had secretly watched over him for a while, and seeing the striking, mature beauty hidden beneath the porcelain feline visage caught him off guard. Her form-fitting Anbu uniform clung tightly to her figure, leaving little of her dangerous curves to the imagination.
"Don't call me Neko-san right now," she said, her voice carrying a soft, alluring undertone. "My real name is Uzuki Yugao. Just call me Yugao."
"Okay, Yugao-san."
Suzuki nodded, trying his best to keep his eyes level and not let his gaze wander downward. He didn't bother asking why she had been assigned as his companion; frankly, it was good for him since he already knew her.
As for any ulterior motives?
Absolutely none.
Unlike the alternate Suzukis from Arifureta and Tensura—who practically swam in harems—the Suzuki of the Naruto world kept his desires firmly grounded.
First of all, he reasoned with himself, Yugao has a boyfriend. They loved each other deeply, and Suzuki wasn't the type of protagonist to go around stealing other people's women.
(Somewhere in the distance, Hinata and Ino might disagree, but that was a different matter entirely.)
Anyway, the second reason was his age. He was still a kid! Sure, his physique was surprisingly well-developed for his age, and if he ever got around to analyzing the Akamichi clan's partial expansion jutsu, well... he could easily enhance certain proportions of his anatomy to truly monstrous sizes. But there was no need to show off just yet. A true beast never flaunts its size until it's time to pounce.
Shaking off those wildly inappropriate thoughts, he looked at Yugao. "Are you ready, Yugao-san?"
"I am ready at any moment."
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
"...Is that a necessary question?" she asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.
"Of course it is. You can't fight on an empty stomach."
The Naruto world, while it might seem peaceful on the surface, was a dangerous place. Konoha was relatively safe, but out here? Suzuki wouldn't be surprised if they ran into a group of bandits whose eyes would inevitably be drawn to a gorgeous, busty kunoichi like Yugao.
I kind of hope she puts her mask back on...
Then again, considering her elite Anbu status, if anyone tried to look at her the wrong way, she would slice them to ribbons before they even realized they were bleeding. The only real threats out here were the Akatsuki, but given the current timeline, it was highly unlikely they would cross paths with them. Probably.
"Hmm..." Yugao fell silent, pressing a slender finger to her plush lips as she wondered if she should eat something.
"If you aren't hungry now, we can hit the next town and taste the local food. I hear there's a famous restaurant there."
"Okay, let's do that," Yugao agreed smoothly. She was already realizing this trip was going to be much more interesting than a standard mission. Plus, the thought of meeting Tsunade—the legendary, full-figured kunoichi worshipped by women across the elemental nations—made her genuinely excited.
"Should we get moving, then?"
"Yes."
Neither wasted time. Their primary goal was to meet Tsunade, but there was no harm in enjoying the scenic route through the Land of Fire's various towns and cities.
Konoha was small. No matter how grand the village seemed, it was ultimately just an isolated military city-state nestled within the sprawling Land of Fire—functioning much like the Vatican did in Rome. Konoha relied heavily on the Land of Fire for funding, which was ironically why the country was kept riddled with bandits and criminals. If the roads were safe, who would hire the ninja?
Suzuki sighed inwardly, watching the sway of Yugao's hips as she walked ahead of him. Did the ninja economy always have to be this brutal? Fighting and bleeding for scraps of cash, with no pension or safety net for those who grew too old or injured to take missions?
Suzuki wasn't worried about his own future. He had already established several cash cow businesses—focusing on property development, material construction, and merchant logistics—ensuring a highly diversified, high-yield income. He was also expanding into the medical field for an extra edge. But to change the whole system? That would mean going against the very elites who viewed ninja as disposable, wageless weapons.
"Ah, Suzuki-kun, Yugao-san?"
"Heading out on a mission?"
As they reached the village gates, they were greeted by Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki. Their guard duties might be boring, but Suzuki knew plenty of shinobi would kill for those positions. After all, Kotetsu and Izumo had the one thing most ninja lacked: a stable, monthly salary.
"Yes, we're heading out," Suzuki replied politely. "Thank you for your hard work, Hagane-san, Kamizuki-san."
"You two be careful out there."
Neither guard pried into the details of the mission, but as Suzuki and Yugao disappeared into the forest, they shared a look.
"An Anbu and the Hokage's disciple traveling together? Must be top secret."
"Shhh! Keep your voice down!"
In Konoha, it was always better to keep your mouth shut. The village's darkness was always listening.
A few miles into the forest, the journey settled into a steady rhythm.
"Should we stop at that next city?" Yugao asked, a slight bead of sweat trickling down her neck, drawing Suzuki's attention to her exposed collarbone. "It's famous for its sweet liquor and its natural hot springs."
"We should absolutely go there," Suzuki agreed without a second of hesitation.
Their conversation was light, but the physical travel was starting to annoy him. Leaping through the trees was iconic, sure, but it made him sweat. Why did this world have radios and earpieces, yet everyone still traveled on foot?
"What's wrong?" Yugao asked, noticing his distraction as she fluidly vaulted over a massive branch, her form entirely mesmerizing.
"Nothing. I just wonder if there's an easier way to travel," Suzuki admitted, gliding smoothly behind her. "Walking is a hassle, and I don't really like sweating."
Yugao was speechless for a moment, though she couldn't deny the appeal of an easier ride. "Me too. Should we buy a horse?"
"It's a bit late for that, and horses aren't cheap."
Suzuki began daydreaming about summoning jutsu. Sarutobi had his monkey, Naruto eventually got a toad... if Suzuki could just tame a massive flying summon, he could save himself the legwork. Maybe something big enough that I could just lay back and have Yugao sit next to me...
Just as the appealing thought crossed his mind, Yugao suddenly stopped. Her alluring, relaxed demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by the cold, lethal intent of an assassin. Her hand dropped to the hilt of her katana.
"Enemies."
"Where?" Suzuki asked, his own senses flaring.
As expected, one could never underestimate a woman who wore the Anbu mask.