The clouds parted and the rain stopped. A sweaty Kurenai Yuhi fastened the waist of her kimono, her face as red as the sunset as she turned her back to Naruto.
At this moment, she didn't even dare to look at him.
Her sense of shame was too overwhelming.
She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of rumors might spread if word got out.
"An old cow eating young grass?"
"An old tree blooming again?"
Those were the nicest phrases Kurenai could think of. She was more than ten years older than Naruto. Even if what happened had begun unintentionally, no one would bless the result.
"Naruto, let's just treat what happened today like a dream, okay?"
Naruto didn't respond. Instead, he pulled his hand from his side and gently held her soft palm.
"When we first held hands, I thought your hands were big, Sensei. But now, they feel just the same."
Kurenai's eyes flickered. She pursed her lips, glanced back at Naruto briefly, and said, "Naruto, don't be like this. I'm really much older than you."
Naruto smiled. He moved closer, his breath brushing against her red lips.
Kurenai's body trembled slightly. She turned her head away.
Naruto whispered, "I'll be much taller than you in the future."
"I said age!"
"I don't care about age!"
"I'll grow old." She frowned, trying to be reasonable. "Just think, when you're thirty, I'll already be an old woman with no beauty left."
Naruto wasn't worried.
Tsunade didn't look old even in her seventies. With the right chakra support, the Hundred Healings Technique would ensure longevity and youth. As long as he gave Kurenai enough chakra, she could achieve the same.
"Then you'll have to tolerate me finding other women in the future," he said casually.
While Kurenai was unaware of this trump card, Naruto saw the opportunity to sow the seeds of his harem ideal.
"Enough!"
Kurenai snapped. "I said I wouldn't be with you, not that I care who else you get involved with."
She was furious. She had just slept with him, and now he was talking about other women.
Even so, Naruto smirked. "You said it, Sensei. No take-backs."
"Get lost!"
Kurenai didn't want to argue anymore.
She shook off Naruto's hand, walked over to the unconscious Hinata Hyuga, and leaned her gently against the wall.
Hinata's face was flushed, her body temperature high. She had clearly been poisoned like Kurenai.
Naruto looked over at Hinata too.
Kurenai glared. "Don't even think about it. Go help Shino and the others. I'll take care of Hinata."
She looked serious, like she truly believed Naruto might do something inappropriate.
What Naruto wanted to say was: her worries were pointless.
If he'd really intended to do something to Hinata, it would have happened already.
But he didn't. He wouldn't.
Letting Asuma hear Kurenai's voice had already been a generous gift. Naruto was selfish; he couldn't bear to let Hinata's voice be heard by others.
There was no rush.
"Fine, fine, I'm going," he said, waving.
He summoned his shadow clones to carry out the unconscious Shino and Kiba.
Then he approached Asuma, who was still stuck in the wall, eyes blindfolded.
"Naruto, Naruto, I'm here! Help me!"
Asuma's temper had cooled over the past months, though he'd been cursing Naruto and Kurenai moments earlier.
Now, he tried to sound calm.
All he wanted was to get out and back to Konoha. He believed that once he was home, he could use the Sarutobi clan's influence to make Naruto suffer.
Naruto crouched down, removed the blindfold from Asuma's eyes, and stood over him.
"Asuma, you want me to save you?"
"Naruto, loosen the railing. I've been stuck here for too long."
Asuma's vision returned—and he froze.
The face before him—that hair, those eyes—it was the same as the fox-masked man who had knocked them all out.
He'd been deceived.
So had Kurenai.
Asuma's rage surged, but he hesitated.
Naruto smiled faintly. "If you want to be rescued, behave. Or else, accidents can happen."
Asuma's face flushed. He wanted to shout. To curse. But he paused.
Then he pretended to be confused. "What nonsense are you talking about? Just help me out. I think my ribs are cracked."
Naruto nodded. "Good. That's how you should act."
He looked down at Asuma with disdain.
"Pretend to be stupid for the rest of your life, and I don't mind letting you live."
Killing him here would only raise suspicions.
Naruto didn't worry about what Asuma could do. Not anymore.
"I understand," Asuma muttered, bowing his head.
But in his heart, he swore vengeance.
Naruto scoffed.
"Coward."
After rescuing Asuma, Shino, and Kiba, Naruto used a shadow clone to accompany them on the journey back.
His real body remained in the Snow Country, keeping an eye on Konan and assisting Bai and Fuka Koyuki in their military coup.
...
Two days later.
Sunlight streamed through the window.
Knock, knock!
"Come in!"
Bai entered, holding a leash with a pink-haired girl on the other end.
Her eyes dimmed as she looked at Naruto in bed.
"Ever since Fuka Koyuki came around, you've spent all your time with her. It's annoying."
Naruto shot her a cold look. "I can do what I want. If you complain again, I'll tear your tongue out."
His murderous aura filled the room. The other women went silent in fear.
Bai dropped to her knees. "Forgive me, my lord. I deserve to die."
Her body shook with terror—though a slight smile tugged at her lips.
Naruto sighed. He wanted to treat her better, but kindness only made her more miserable.
"Sir, please calm down."
Fuka Koyuki kissed his cheek and hugged him tighter.
She had been nursing Naruto through sleepless nights, holding him, comforting him.
Naruto sat up and beckoned.
"Come here."
Not to Bai. She knelt instinctively.
He called to Tsurugi Fubuki, the pink-haired girl in a Christmas reindeer costume, who crawled beside Bai with a bell on her neck.
"Master, do you need something from your little deer?"
"Just lunch," he said, stroking her pink hair.
Naruto liked this kind of indulgent life.
Bai always found beautiful women for him. He didn't even know Tsurugi's real name. She was pink-haired like Sakura and already trained by Bai.
Compared to her, Konan was becoming more annoying.
As she regained her memory, she'd erected a monument for Yahiko and become obsessed with finding Nagato.
Naruto was waiting for her final decision. If she still had feelings for him, he'd be kind. If not—well, Tsurugi and Samui's fate could be hers too.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Fuka coughed violently, her face contorting.
Naruto ignored her. He walked to Bai.
"Prepare to attack the capital."
Bai stood immediately. "Yes, sir. I'll make preparations."
Naruto nodded, then looked back at Fuka Koyuki.
"You need to learn. Being a daimyo isn't easy."
He added, "But how you rule is your business. As long as you can raise funds for Snow Ninja Village, I don't care if you're a tyrant or a saint."
Naruto never intended to micromanage.
Just like in the Land of Lightning, he let subordinates handle the governance.
He just wanted to enjoy life.
...
Snow Country's royal capital.
"You think Hinata and the others were captured by the Snow Country king?"
Shikamaru was stunned by Sasuke's deduction.
"How did you come to that conclusion? The Snow Country wouldn't dare. Not after what Konoha did to the Hidden Cloud."
Sasuke sighed. He heard it from Naruto.
If Naruto hadn't told him to say this, he wouldn't have. It was too outlandish.
But Naruto was the boss.
"Didn't you notice? Their armor is advanced. It can boost Genin and Chunin to elite levels. Even Konoha doesn't have that."
"How could such a poor country develop this? That's the real question."
Hyuga Neji frowned. Like Shikamaru, he still thought it was a stretch.
It was just chakra armor, not a big deal to real elites.
Sasuke continued, "I thought of someone who could make it—a Konoha rogue ninja."
"One connected to Sarutobi Asuma's disappearance."
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru?"
"Bingo," Sasuke snapped his fingers.
It made sense. Orochimaru could develop such armor.
But the real creator wasn't Orochimaru. It was the current king—Fuka Nuto.
And no one would suspect a king.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru was far away, dissecting Uchiha Itachi's body in a secret place.
Itachi, blind and bound, was trapped in darkness.
Memories of killing his parents haunted him.
"Father, Mother, I'm sorry…"