Hong's heart sank, and she argued weakly: "I don't know what you're talking about."
Anko casually pointed out: "I'm talking about Kamizuki Aoba. That little guy is exactly the same! Seriously... I said, why have you been so absent-minded lately?"
"So you're targeting this little boy?"
Kurenai: "..."
She fell silent.
As Kurenai's longtime friend, Anko immediately sensed something was wrong.
Because Kurenai would never get so depressed just because of a kid who looked like Kamizuki Aoba.
Under Anko's questioning, Kurenai still didn't tell the truth.
In the end, after being pushed repeatedly, Kurenai finally confessed—only after Anko swore she wouldn't say anything.
"I knew it!"
Anko stared at Kurenai with a horrified expression: "Then you just watched Kamizuki get taken away by the Hyuga family's little princess?"
"This is too frustrating!"
"If you ask me, you should just kidnap that little blond brat and train him into what we want. That would be perfect~"
When Kurenai heard Anko's words, her scalp went numb from fright.
Kidnapping a Jinchūriki and the Fourth Hokage's son…
Only a big-chested, brainless woman like Anko would say that.
But Anko wasn't done yet.
She recalled how the grown Kamizuki used to treat her, and immediately complained even more: "Damn it!"
"Back then he used his height advantage to bully me and always smacked me on the head. I have to get payback! Otherwise, the disadvantage is too great."
Seeing that Anko couldn't hold herself back, Kurenai panicked and quickly grabbed her arm: "Don't mess around."
Anko was unconvinced. She couldn't understand why Kurenai was still protecting Naruto.
But Anko wasn't wrong.
"Forget it, he doesn't know the truth yet. Doing something now would be out of character for me." Anko found herself a way out: "I'll smack him twice as hard after he learns everything!"
After that, the days continued to pass.
Anko watched Naruto getting more and more flirtatious every day, to the point she felt angry on Kurenai's behalf.
All these years, Kurenai had never taken advantage of that big idiot even once.
It turns out the Kamizuki Aoba Kurenai had been thinking about all these years was Naruto.
Meanwhile Naruto flirted with Hinata one day, teased Haruno Sakura the next, and the day after tried to cling to that rich girl Tenten's thigh.
So Anko suggested they find out why Naruto appeared in that era.
Then, by preventing Naruto from going to that era, Kurenai would forget Kamizuki Aoba.
Of course Kurenai disagreed.
But Anko didn't want to see her depressed.
So Anko started investigating.
Later Naruto graduated, and Kurenai gained three students.
One of them…
Was Naruto's little girlfriend, Hinata.
Anko nearly exploded when she found out Kurenai watched Naruto run into her team to hang out with Hinata.
Anko couldn't understand how Kurenai could endure this.
She later understood.
Kurenai felt a little inferior…
No, not inferior in character.
But in this specific matter, she couldn't figure out her feelings and didn't have the courage to tell Naruto the truth.
What happened next was what recently took place.
Naruto kept growing stronger and left Konoha.
Kurenai no longer feared Naruto's identity being revealed or that Asuma or Hiruzen would retaliate.
But Anko still refused to give up searching for answers.
Searching for why Naruto appeared in their time.
In the end, Anko discovered the Dragon Vein and Loulan.
So she brought Kurenai with her.
And the result?
Too late!
In the desert, the ancient ruins stood silently.
Two beautiful figures remained there.
Anko never stopped complaining.
Finally, Anko came up with a brilliant idea.
Anko hugged Kurenai with a mischievous grin and whispered: "Kurenai! Do you think we can use the Dragon Vein to return to our own time too, and stop Naruto from disguising as Kamizuki? Or prevent him from ever going to Konoha?"
"Even if we're late, we can still rewrite history this way!"
"No!" Kurenai rejected the idea immediately. She told Anko seriously, "This matter ends here. Don't bring it up again. Let's go back."
Anko didn't know why Kurenai was so firm.
She felt disappointed.
To be honest.
As Kurenai's good friend, Anko didn't want Kamizuki Aoba appearing in her life again.
Because that would only hurt Kurenai deeply.
But Anko knew she couldn't change Kurenai's mind.
"Oh… forget him, then!"
"Even if he returned right now, he might not even think about you!"
Anko grumbled angrily, her face flushing—no one could tell if it was from anger or the heat.
Kurenai, however, walked out of the ruins without hesitation and headed straight for Konoha.
…
And just like Anko predicted.
After Anko and Kurenai returned, Naruto was the same as ever.
Logically speaking—
Naruto had gone to Loulan, experienced the Dragon Veins, and acted as Kamizuki Aoba.
But after returning to Konoha, he behaved exactly as before: either looking for Hinata, teasing Haruno Sakura, or unleashing his extreme perverted S-attribute on that poor kid Sasuke.
That Sasuke was really patient. Even knowing he couldn't win, he still challenged Naruto daily.
Seeing Naruto had no intention of seeing Kurenai, Anko almost lost control.
"Kurenai, look at that brat. Even if he doesn't like you, he should at least tell you clearly!"
Anko stomped her foot anxiously, but Kurenai acted like she didn't care at all.
This made Anko absolutely furious.
She knew it was her turn to act!
She decided to look for a chance to confront Naruto.
Anko wasn't one to procrastinate. Once she decided, she immediately left Kurenai and began asking around about Naruto's location.
When she learned Naruto was at the Hyuga compound, Anko went straight there.
Anko arrived alone outside the Hyuga residence and was quickly noticed.
The Hyuga gate guard asked Anko, who stood there suspiciously: "What are you here for?"
People who appeared at the Hyuga compound were usually either Hyuga or Anbu.
This Anko was neither. Obviously she had other motives.
Anko stepped forward and said bluntly: "I'm here to see Uzumaki Naruto."
Looking for Uzumaki Naruto?
The Hyuga gate guard didn't ask further and simply replied: "Alright, wait here."
Naruto wasn't Hyuga, so he didn't bother with it.
…
Boom—
"Hiss…"
Anko held her head and recoiled violently.
She squatted down, tears in her eyes, while the two huge things in front of her were squeezed and bent out of shape.
That's right!
After Anko called Naruto out of the Hyuga clan, she had planned to ambush him the moment she saw him.
But Naruto was too fast.
Before Anko could hit him, the second striker—Naruto's fist—arrived first and bonked her on the head.
Seeing Anko in pain.
Naruto chuckled: "Familiar, right? That's how I used to knock you out."
Anko: "You… you ahole… b***d!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
There are 70+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[Naruto: I Don't Want Recognition]