"Here."
Kiyohara peeled the wrapper off the lollipop and held it out mid-air.
"If it tastes bad..."
Yūhi Kurenai's ruby-red eyes lingered on him for a moment. Then she brushed a strand of her curled black hair behind her ear, lowered her head, and softly wrapped her lips around the candy.
"It's a limited edition. You get what you pay for," Kiyohara said casually.
In times of war, sweets were essentially strategic supplies. Ninjas needed to stay mentally sharp during missions—sugar helped stimulate dopamine and fight off fatigue.
"Didn't expect you to buy something like this."
The sweet taste danced across her tongue. Kurenai bit down lightly on the lollipop. It was much sweeter than regular ones.
"Useful when it matters."
Kiyohara shook his head.
An old veteran once told him: a ninja without food could survive seven to ten days with just water. But if you added sugar to the water, you could double that time. This lollipop was even fortified with essential nutrients.
"I'll be going then."
Kurenai gave a casual wave and stepped out of his tent.
"Wait. I'm heading out too."
Kiyohara rose from his cot and followed.
He had some spoils to sell.
With no mission at the moment, he had some freedom. Staying too tense too long could break even seasoned shinobi. The first mental health clinic in the ninja world wouldn't be established until two years after the Fourth Great War, after all…
"Let's go," Kurenai said.
They hadn't walked far before they ran into a sharp-faced, delinquent-looking young man.
"Asuma? You've been stationed here too?"
Kurenai blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Sarutobi Asuma to be here.
"Hey, Kurenai."
Asuma's eyes lit up. He'd asked around before arriving—already knew she was here.
And now, conveniently, he'd run into her.
With a grin, he stepped forward and held out a small, finely wrapped box.
"I saw this on a mission. Thought it suited you. Supposed to help with relaxation."
Kurenai glanced at the box, then at the hopeful smile on his face.
"Thanks, Asuma, but no need. Kiyohara just gave me a lollipop."
She pointed to the candy in her mouth, puffing out her cheeks slightly.
Honestly, being around Asuma always felt awkward. He was overly eager and, more importantly, the Hokage's son. As his friend, she constantly had to watch her words—worried anything might reflect badly on her father, Yūhi Shinku.
With Kiyohara, it was different. She could relax.
"Kiyohara?"
Asuma turned to him.
The three of them had been classmates. His impression of Kiyohara was still that of a quiet, unremarkable kid. Just a civilian ninja, promoted to Chūnin later on, supposedly after completing some important mission.
'Did being on the same team bring them closer?'
Asuma suddenly felt sour.
He was supposed to be first.
If it weren't for that old man splitting the teams like this…
"Asuma."
Kiyohara greeted him politely.
Right now, Asuma was the very picture of a rebellious teen. He and his father—the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen—did not get along, to the point that Asuma eventually left the village for several years before returning as a mature adult.
Asuma gave a nod in return.
"So what brings you here?" Kurenai asked.
"I'm just passing through. You'll probably hear about it soon—the Mist's attacks are ramping up. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have mobilized."
"The Seven Swordsmen?" Kurenai gasped softly.
Their reputation was legendary. Each wielded a terrifying, chakra-enhanced blade.
Kiyohara's eyes narrowed.
'Might Guy's father, Might Duy, should still be alive now… meaning the battle with the Seven Swordsmen hadn't happened yet.'
That meant it was coming soon.
In the original story, Guy, Genma, and Ebisu were ambushed on the battlefield. Duy, desperate to protect his son, used the Eight Gates and sacrificed himself to buy time.
That battle made every nation realize the terrifying power of taijutsu.
A silent, overlooked Genin exploded with overwhelming strength—killing four of the Swordsmen and wounding three more.
From that day on, the Seven Swordsmen became the Three Swordsmen.
"You should be careful these days, Kurenai."
Asuma said it with concern, then launched into an overly attentive, 'caring' monologue.
Kurenai listened in silence, his words firing like a machine gun. She found it… kind of dull.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to interrupt him.
Kiyohara waited a bit.
Aside from the earlier bit about the Seven Swordsmen, Asuma's chatter was entirely focused on Kurenai.
Kiyohara had no interest in watching a lovesick puppy whimper, so he spoke up:
"I'll head off. Got things to do."
He turned and walked away.
Thanks to the butterfly effect he'd caused, Genma had ended up on his team.
Whether Might Duy would face the Swordsmen as in canon was unclear. But one thing was certain—the war was escalating.
Next came the Battle of Kikyo Pass, and even the gates of Konoha would be threatened. Heroes like Pakura, the wielder of Scorch Release, would shine.
"I'll go with you," Kurenai said quickly.
A convenient excuse to escape Asuma's barrage of small talk.
"Whatever," Kiyohara replied without looking back.
"Wait—Kurenai, you…"
Asuma reached out, only for Kurenai to wave him off.
"Let's talk later, Asuma."
She followed Kiyohara, leaving Asuma standing there alone.
"She must just be shy after not seeing me for so long..."
Asuma scratched his head, trying to convince himself.
But deep down, seeing Kurenai walk off with Kiyohara had sounded an internal alarm.
He'd have to make more effort. He was not about to lose her.
Kiyohara and Kurenai made their way to a small transfer town behind the front lines.
Though called a "town," there were few civilians—most of the people here were ninja. The shops were geared toward them too.
For now, it's best to steer clear of high-risk missions.
Kiyohara planned to lay low.
Better to wait until the next "last will" arrived.