Kurenai Yuhi's room was not large, yet it exuded a warm and cozy atmosphere everywhere.
By the window stood a large bed covered with pink satin sheets, and at the head of the bed lay a small teddy bear hugging a pillow.
A faint floral fragrance drifted in the air, mingling with her own subtle scent, making one's heart race with every breath.
"How do you like my room?"
Kurenai gently hooked her arm through Shinji's and asked with a smile.
Shinji couldn't help but glance at the teddy bear on the bed and chuckled, "Huh, it's much cuter than I imagined. I didn't expect this side of you, Kurenai."
Kurenai reached out and lightly pinched the soft flesh at his waist, chiding, "This is the first time I've ever brought a boy into my room, you know."
She pulled Shinji to sit down, naturally resting her head on his shoulder, and asked softly:
"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about, Shinji?"
With the person she liked right beside her, she radiated contentment.
Shinji played with her fingers and whispered, "I might have to leave the village for a while."
"But I'll leave a shadow clone behind. If anything comes up, you can find him."
"Huh?" Kurenai suddenly looked up, gazing at him in confusion. "Why are you leaving the village?"
She had imagined countless possibilities for why Shinji might seek her out—a date, training, a mission—but she never expected him to come and tell her he was leaving the village.
Shinji rubbed his nose, feeling inexplicably guilty.
He couldn'tt just say outright that he was going to save another girl.
Both Rin and Kurenai were wonderful girls, and the thought made his heart ache slightly. He felt like he was being a bit of a "scoundrel," yet deep down, he couldn't let go of his concern for Rin.
"There are some matters I need to take care of, and I'll be secluding myself to train for a few days," Shinji said vaguely.
Kurenai didn't doubt him.
Shinji had always been dedicated to his training, which was how he had achieved his current strength. And she herself had been tirelessly studying Genjutsu and honing her Ninjutsu day and night, all for the sake of standing by Shinji's side.
In the world of shinobi, strength was the most important thing.
She merely pouted, her heart filled with reluctance.
Seeing this, Shinji reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "It won't be long. I'll be back soon."
"I just wanted to let you know in case you needed me for anything."
Kurenai wrinkled her nose and tightly wrapped her arm around his:
"Then spend a little more time with me now."
Having just confirmed their feelings, she only wanted to linger by his side a little longer.
Shinji grinned and wrapped his arms around Kurenai's slender waist, lifting her effortlessly and placing her gently on his lap.
"Ah—"
Kurenai was instantly flustered, her cheeks flushing red as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
Such an intimate gesture was a first for her, and her heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of her chest.
She bit her lower lip lightly and chided, "Y-you... are you doing this on purpose?"
Shinji tightened his arms slightly, feigning innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Kurenai blushed and let out a soft, playful scoff.
Seeing her so enchanting, Shinji felt a surge of warmth in his heart and leaned in to whisper her name:
"Kurenai!"
As if sensing something, Kurenai shot him a reproachful glance before slowly closing her eyes.
Their lips met softly.
The room fell silent in an instant, leaving only the clear and rapid sound of each other's heartbeats gently echoing in the air.
...
Shinji left Kurenai Yuhi's house with a satisfied expression and turned back toward the Uchiha Clan Territory.
Pushing open his own front door, he gathered the ninja tools and medicine he had prepared in advance, securing them on his person, then slung the short sword steadily across his back.
With everything ready, he was about to set off for the eastern border of the Land of Fire.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof—
A puff of blue smoke exploded, and a shadow clone stood steadily beside him.
Without reporting to the village, ninjas were not allowed to leave the village at will; leaving without permission would be considered desertion.
Leaving behind a shadow clone was to create the illusion that he was still in Konohagakure.
As long as the village remained peaceful and no battles erupted, the shadow clone would not easily dissipate, allowing him to venture out with peace of mind.
As for the issue of his chakra being halved...
Shinji had already planned for that. In a critical moment, he could release the clone at any time, instantly restoring his full combat strength.
Even if his whereabouts were exposed by then, there would be no time to worry about it.
Survival always came before everything else.
His gaze swept over the wooden box on the low table, and Shinji suddenly slapped his forehead.
He turned to the shadow clone, his tone as natural as could be: "You'll have to work hard these next few days. Remember, memorize every single medical book in this box."
The shadow clone's face instantly darkened, letting out an annoyed click of the tongue.
Shinji chuckled awkwardly: "I believe in myself, and I believe in you!"
He waved his hand, bidding a straightforward farewell: "If there's an emergency, just release the clone, and the information will come back to me."
The shadow clone waved impatiently, not wanting to look at the original for another second.
Shinji smiled inwardly, focused his mind, and swiftly formed hand seals.
Transparent Escape activated.
His figure vanished silently from the room.
The entrance door opened a crack on its own, then slowly closed again, as if no one had ever left.
Shadow Clone Shinji reached out, opened the wooden box, pulled out a medical book, and leaned back on the sofa to flip through it.
A moment later, another resentful click of the tongue echoed from inside the house.
"Tch."
...
Two days later.
Shinji left Konohagakure and raced all the way toward the eastern border of the Land of Fire, venturing deep into the heart of the Land of Iron, carefully searching for any trace of Minato Team.
But he found nothing.
"Where on earth did they go?"
Shinji rubbed the space between his brows, gazing at the endless plain before him, a hint of confusion rising in his heart.
The major ninja villages were constantly at odds at the negotiation table, the air already thick with the smell of gunpowder, and skirmishes were frequent along the border lines.
Minato Team's mission this time was precisely to prevent ninjas from other countries from infiltrating the Land of Fire to cause trouble.
But the border line was far too long; trying to find a single squad in the vast wilderness was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Movement."
Shinji's ears twitched slightly; from the ten o'clock direction came the sound of grass and trees being swiftly brushed aside by a moving ninja.
Suppressing the fluctuations in his heart, he activated Transparent Escape once more, completely concealing his form.
Not long after, seven figures swiftly passed by and stopped near him.
They wore light blue attire and white porcelain masks, each engraved with the clear symbol of Kirigakure.
"Anbu from Kirigakure!" Shinji, still hidden, narrowed his eyes. "So I've run into them."
Among this group of Anbu, the leader stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Those bastards actually took the important Three-Tails with them."
"Gengetsu has ordered that the Three-Tails must be brought back to the village."
"Yes!"
The others responded in unison.
Three-Tails! Gengetsu!
The Three-Tails was Kirigakure's Tailed Beast, and Gengetsu was the highest-ranking elder in Kirigakure, his status almost on par with the Mizukage.
From the Anbu's words, it seemed someone within the Hidden Mist had secretly brought out the Tailed Beast, keeping it hidden from the higher-ups.
A sharp glint flashed in Shinji's eyes.
Madara Uchiha's scheme was already beginning to brew.
There wasn't much time left.
Shinji moved in an instant, bursting from his concealment and lunging toward the several Mist Anbu.
The moment his figure appeared, he grasped the hilt of the sword on his back with a reverse grip, and the long blade was unsheathed in an instant.
"Who goes there!"
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