"Thank you, Kitazawa," Kurenai Yuhi said, rolling up the scroll. "I'll study it thoroughly when I get back."
"Want a lollipop?" Kitazawa asked, casually opening a snack gift bag.
"Is a lollipop appropriate for someone my age?" Kurenai couldn't help but laugh.
"It might be a bit childish for kids, but it's perfect for adults," Kitazawa replied, peeling open a lollipop and holding it to her lips. "You're still as amusing as ever."
Kurenai parted her soft lips and took the lollipop.
"How does it taste?" Kitazawa asked, pulling out a second lollipop and popping it into his own mouth.
"Very sweet," Kurenai said, her eyes narrowing. "Why do you always carry snacks with you?"
"Rewards for my students," Kitazawa explained casually. "It helps motivate them to study harder."
Kurenai thought of Kurama Yakumo.
But... it wouldn't work on her. As the young mistress of the Kurama Clan, Yakumo lacked neither money nor snacks.
"What do you want for dinner tonight?"
Kurenai Yuhi licked her lollipop with her pink tongue and said, "My treat. Don't hold back."
"Then let's go for barbecue," Kitazawa suggested after a moment's thought.
"Sounds good," Kurenai nodded, her expression turning nostalgic. "The last time we had barbecue was during the Chūnin Exam, with everyone."
By "everyone," she meant Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, and Sarutobi Asuma.
But tragically, only a few of them remained now.
"Why are you suddenly reminiscing about the past?" Kitazawa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Dwelling on the past will only make you feel old."
"Are you an idiot?" Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Getting old is a taboo subject for women—one you shouldn't even mention."
"My apologies," Kitazawa said with a grin.
He knew Kurenai wasn't truly angry; this was just friendly banter.
"Have you seen Kakashi recently? How's he doing?" Kurenai asked as they walked.
"I saw him once last month," Kitazawa replied. "He's still the same as ever—looking as gloomy as ever."
It's no exaggeration to say that his class was a veritable constellation of prodigies.
Hatake Kakashi, a genius who became a Jonin at just twelve years old.
Yet cursed by fate, he lost his father, teammates, and teacher, ultimately withdrawing into himself.
Uchiha Obito, unable to conceal his tears behind his Kamui, turned to darkness for Nohara Rin, seeking to create a world where she could live.
He killed his own teacher, aided Uchiha Itachi in exterminating his clan, and later transformed into Uchiha Madara, aiming to destroy the Ninja World. Beyond them, there was Might Guy, who nearly kicked the story to its conclusion, and Sarutobi Asuma, the Third Hokage's son, among others.
"I wonder when he'll finally emerge from the shadows," Kurenai Yuhi said after a moment of silence.
"What about Asuma?" Kitazawa asked, changing the subject. "Is he still in contact with you?"
"I get a letter from him every few days," Kurenai Yuhi replied, her lips curling into a slight pout.
Kitazawa keenly sensed a hint of impatience in her tone.
In the original storyline, Sarutobi Asuma had been persistently pursuing Kurenai Yuhi, finally winning her heart before the Fourth Shinobi World War.
But with roughly a decade still separating them from that point, they hadn't yet become a couple.
"He's quite persistent," Kitazawa remarked with a smile. "Even in the Land of Fire's capital, he never forgot about you."
Sarutobi Asuma, rebellious by nature, had fled to the Land of Fire to become a Guardian Ninja after the Third Shinobi World War.
Guardian Ninjas were elite guards tasked with protecting the Land of Fire's Daimyo.
Although the original story doesn't specify when he returned to the village, it's likely he came back around the time Uzumaki Naruto and his classmates graduated from the Ninja Academy.
Upon his return, he became the team leader for Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino.
"Enough about him," Kurenai Yuhi said, crossing her arms and stretching out her pale arms.