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"Um, Kurenai..."
Off to the side, Asuma hadn't expected that the girl from their class would actually have a crush on a boy from Kurenai's team.
Talk about awkward timing.
"Want to grab dinner tonight?"
"No time. We've taken a mission outside the village. It'll be a while before we return."
Kurenai was still trying to decode the "complicated" emotional relationships between her students and had absolutely no time for a childhood friend who vanished for over a decade before randomly coming back.
"A mission outside the village?"
Asuma looked surprised.
"It's been over a month already. Your team should be ready for higher-level missions, right?"
This wasn't wartime. The only way young ninja could experience the cruelty of the shinobi world was by leaving the village.
Kurenai didn't think Asuma was ignorant of that.
"I-I was planning to let them take a boar subjugation mission in a neighboring village. It counts as training too."
Asuma scratched his head. Truthfully, he found it hard to be strict with his students.
"You can't protect your students too much. That won't do."
"Kurenai-sensei's right! We really should be taking missions outside the village!"
Ino reluctantly let go of Uchiha Ying's arm, only to immediately latch herself onto Kurenai's sleeve like an excited fangirl.
"Sensei, you're so beautiful! Great figure, amazing skin—what's your secret?"
"I..."
Kurenai was completely caught off guard. Her usual mission buddies only ever talked about boring jutsu and intel. No one had ever brought up beauty routines.
But she knew this blonde girl was only buttering her up—trying to get close to her to get closer to Uchiha Ying.
Hmph, too bad. She was Hinata's teacher. Naturally, she was on Hinata's side and would never—
Ahhh, she smiled at me again... What a passionate, friendly girl...
Kurenai realized she couldn't quite push away the yellow-haired girl's enthusiastic energy.
So, she sent a subtle "SOS" glance toward her student.
Hinata, Hinata, say something... Save your teacher from this relentless girl!
Unfortunately, Hinata didn't say a word. She just lowered her head politely and even greeted Ino, as if surrendering before the fight even began.
"Trying to flatter the teacher won't help. Even if we get an outside-the-village mission, it won't be with them."
Thankfully, Shikamaru dropped a single sentence that made Ino stop smiling.
"Tch."
Ino clicked her tongue in frustration.
Why were all the guys in Team 10 so boring and dense? So dull.
"Bye-bye, Sensei. Next time you visit the flower shop, I'll have Mom give you a discount!"
Still, her sour expression vanished in a flash as she smiled sweetly at the female teacher again.
"Thank you... You're such a sweet talker. But I'm really busy right now—gotta go!"
Kurenai finally found her chance to escape the blonde's clingy grip.
"Wait, Kurenai—"
Asuma tried to ask her out again, but before he could finish, Kurenai's group had already walked off.
All he could do was sigh at the empty air.
"Useless teacher. Can't even score with a female colleague."
Ino couldn't help but mock him from the side.
"Don't talk trash about your teacher. And Kurenai and I aren't what you think."
Getting called out by a student made Asuma feel extremely awkward.
"So you don't like Kurenai-sensei?"
"I... I mean, it's not like I don't..."
His ego got in the way. Asuma didn't want to admit personal stuff in front of his students.
"Sigh... Asuma-sensei's definitely gonna be whipped by his wife in the future."
Weak and cowardly about love. He's nowhere near as bold as Ying.
But seriously... why am I even comparing the two?
Ino shook her head. She decided to ask Uchiha Ying out again once the mission ended.
"You're no better than Asuma-sensei."
Chōji suddenly chimed in with a mouthful of chips.
"What did you say, you big—"
"Alright, let's go accept the mission. Otherwise, we'll waste the whole day arguing."
Shikamaru cut her off just in time, stopping her from saying something mean to Chōji.
"Asuma-sensei, am I really that useless?"
Asuma, still brooding from Ino's words, asked with a sigh.
"No, you're super useful, Sensei. Like, you made it to jōnin level—that's really impressive."
"R-Really?"
Asuma wasn't sure if Shikamaru was praising him or mocking him.
After thinking about it for a while, he just gave up trying to figure it out.
---
Outside the Village Gates – Konohagakure
"Wasn't the Land of Whirlpools destroyed ages ago? Could there really be treasure left behind?"
Even Shino, normally quiet, seemed excited about their first out-of-village mission. He was chattier than usual.
"Sensei doesn't really know either. But the intel says lots of villages have their eyes on the place—even Kumo-nin have started moving. Maybe there's really treasure there!"
Kurenai looked intrigued too.
She'd done plenty of missions before, but this kind of treasure-hunting gig was a first.
"I heard the Land of Whirlpools used to have a good relationship with the Land of Fire—or more specifically, with Konoha. I wonder how they got destroyed."
Uchiha Ying recalled that back in his time, Uzushiogakure and the Land of Whirlpools were still around.
"That's because the other countries feared their powerful sealing techniques, so they—"
Wait, crap, almost forgot what I really wanted to say!
Kurenai glanced at her favorite student.
Time to get some answers.
"You, come here. I've got something to ask you!"
She pulled Ying aside under a nearby tree, away from Hinata and Shino.
"What is it? So secretive. Don't tell me this mission has some hidden agenda?"
After hearing that even Kumogakure might be involved, Ying had been on alert.
"It's not about the mission. I just want to ask... What's your relationship with Ino?"
"Classmates."
So it's a personal question. Ying instantly lost interest.
"No way. What kind of classmate hugs you the moment she sees you?"
"Didn't Sensei kiss me on the forehead the first day we met?"
"T-That was... That doesn't count!"
She was an adult! It was just a gesture of affection and care. No ulterior motive!
Still... her cheeks flushed slightly.
She hadn't expected her student to turn the tables on her so easily.
"Even close classmates wouldn't act like that."
"Maybe she likes me. Makes sense—I'm handsome."
"You... and yet you say you're just classmates?"
This guy. That smug confidence... he's definitely got the makings of a future playboy.
She had to correct him while he was still young!
"If we're not classmates, then what? It's not like we're dating."
"So you don't like her?"
So it's unrequited on the girl's part?
Kurenai felt a little relieved.
"She's pretty. Good personality too. No reason to dislike her."
"What about Hinata?"
"Also don't dislike. And Sensei, you're very pretty too."
"You... You—!"
Kurenai was stunned.
Even his teacher wasn't safe from his smooth talk?
"Wait a sec... Do you even understand what 'like' means? I meant—"
"I understand, Sensei. But right now, I only want to restore the Uchiha clan. Everything else can wait."
Ino and Hinata were both promising. Once they matured a bit, he'd take them all.
After all, he was an *evil* Uchiha.
"O-Oh, I see..."
She had nearly forgotten—he *was* a Uchiha. And now, he carried the burden alone...
That made sense. He wasn't a flirt—he just had too much on his shoulders.
Poor kid.
I should probably treat him even better from now on...
---
"Let's set up camp here."
After a day of travel, Kurenai's team finally reached the border of the Land of Fire.
"Ying, set traps. Shino, stand watch. Hinata, scout the area."
"Yes!"
Once they split up, Kurenai started setting up the tent.
It was just a C-rank mission. Still within Fire Country borders. Should be safe...
"Sensei! There's a caravan in the woods up ahead—and some strange people too!"
Hinata's Byakugan quickly spotted something odd.
"Probably just merchants passing through."
Kurenai stayed calm, despite the surprise.
"No, Sensei! Someone's attacking them!"
Hinata's face turned serious.
"Oh?"
Kurenai frowned. She and the other two quickly climbed a small hill for a better look.
Below, a group of bandits was attacking a traveling caravan.
"Should we intervene?"
Shino sent out a few bugs before turning back to ask.
"Hmm... Looks like ordinary bandits. Since we're here, go deal with them."
Ordinary people couldn't fight ninja—even genin.
And her team had never seen real combat before. This would be a good trial.
"Yes."
Hinata and Shino were already rushing down. Watching the innocent traders get slaughtered had clearly pushed their buttons.
"You're not going too?"
Kurenai noticed Ying still crouching beside her.
"Wait a second. Looks like more people are coming."
"You—"
She was about to deny it, but then spotted movement in the trees—more figures, and fast.
Ninja?
But... no forehead protectors.
That meant either spies, rogue ninja, or missing-nin.
Either way, trouble.
But then those new ninja joined in—attacking the bandits too?
"Sensei, don't you think they showed up a little *too* conveniently?"
Ying's eyes narrowed.
He noticed something strange: those "bandits" were backing off immediately after touching those new ninja, while Hinata and Shino were unknowingly being surrounded.
"They're up to no good."
Kurenai finally saw it too.
She was shocked by Ying's sharp observation. No Sharingan, no Byakugan—how was he seeing this?
And those ninja… they were likely working with the bandits.
"Bandits rob first. Then these fake ninja show up to 'save' the caravan and extort a second fee. That way, they don't trigger missions from nearby hidden villages."
Ying quickly broke it down.
"They didn't expect us to show up—now they're stuck."
Seriously, after all these years, the scamming methods in the shinobi world still haven't changed.
"This too? How do you even know all this?"
Was this stuff being taught in the academy now!?
"Sensei, we're close to the ruins of Uzushio. Let's capture them and see if they know anything."
"...Alright."
Wait, hang on.
*Why does it feel like he's the jōnin here and I'm the genin?*
Kurenai blinked, and then reached out with all the authority she could muster—
—and pinched Uchiha Ying's cheek.
"Stop stealing your teacher's lines! And don't give your teacher orders!"
"Sensei, now's not the time for harassment..."
It had been *years* since anyone dared pinch his cheek. This woman was the first.
He decided—he'd get revenge. Someday, he'd pinch her back a thousand times over.
"W-Who's harassing you!? And don't talk back to your teacher either!"
Feeling refreshed after playing with his cheek, Kurenai let go.
"Sensei, if we don't move now, those ninja might seriously hurt Hinata and Shino."
This lady... was totally abusing
her position to tease him!
"It's fine. Hinata and Shino should be able to handle a few rogue ninja."
Despite her confident words, she still lowered her presence and moved down the hill with Ying, ready to intervene.
"Hey! Don't slack off—go help them too!"
Kurenai gave him a push.
She still hadn't seen what this guy could really do.
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