Hayato Ren then led the preoccupied Mikoto toward the village center.
...
Inside the dessert shop, Mikoto stared at the plate of Three-Colored Dango - usually her favorite treat - without any appetite.
How should she face Kushina later? Kushina had always been so kind to her, yet here she was contemplating taking away what was most precious to her.
In stark contrast to the worried Mikoto, Hayato Ren sitting across from her was devouring his food with great relish.
He had only done a quick wash after waking up in the morning before following Mikoto to her home, not even having a sip of tea.
Then his duel with Uchiha Tajima had drained much of his energy, and Hayato Ren's stomach had long been protesting.
Now was the perfect time to reward his long-empty stomach.
After feeling depressed for a while, Mikoto suddenly noticed that Hayato Ren across from her was eating and drinking heartlessly without a care.
This sight instantly ignited the anger in her heart.
Don't you have any idea why I'm like this? How can you act like nothing happened?
This naturally wicked Ren brat truly deserves divine punishment.
Thinking this, Mikoto lifted her foot and stepped down on Hayato Ren's foot.
Feeling the sensation on his foot, Hayato Ren finally stopped eating.
Hayato Ren blinked and looked at the resentful Mikoto across from him.
Then he used his fork to pick up a piece from his plate and brought it to her lips.
"You want some too?"
Seeing Hayato Ren's clueless expression, Mikoto suddenly felt like she had been a complete idiot earlier.
Getting angry with someone like this was just pointless internal consumption, wasn't it?
With this thought, Mikoto opened her mouth wide and swallowed the cake by her lips in one bite.
Then, channeling her frustration into appetite, she began helping Hayato Ren demolish the desserts on the table.
Half an hour later, Mikoto lay contentedly in her chair, but a worried expression appeared on her face.
"Oh no, I ate so many high-calorie foods today. I'm definitely going to gain weight. I've decided - no dinner tonight."
Although Mikoto's muttering was quiet, it still clearly reached Hayato Ren's ears.
So he leaned close to Mikoto's ear and whispered:
"I know a method to quickly burn fat. Want to try it?"
After saying this, Hayato Ren extended his tongue and gently licked Mikoto's earlobe.
The subtle sensation on her ear made Mikoto's body tremble involuntarily.
However, she didn't pay attention to Hayato Ren's action, instead becoming very curious about that exercise method.
Tsunade, being the most skilled medical ninja in the Shinobi World, must have her own secret methods.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for her to maintain that enviably perfect figure despite drinking so much alcohol every day.
Thus, led by Hayato Ren, the two arrived at the end of an empty, deserted alley.
Looking at the dimly lit environment, Mikoto suddenly felt as if she had been tricked.
However, since she was already here, she decided to see what medicine Hayato Ren had in his gourd.
Hayato Ren didn't rush into his next move. Instead, he spoke to his own shadow:
"Haunter, I'm counting on you. If anyone comes in, scare them away."
Under Mikoto's astonished gaze, the shadow behind Hayato Ren began to twist and distort, and Haunter emerged from within.
"Ghehehe, ghehehe, ghehehe."
After letting out a somewhat eerie laugh, Haunter's figure slowly faded away.
"That's Haunter, one of my most important partners. I'll introduce you two properly when there's time," Hayato Ren explained to the slightly startled Mikoto.
Hearing this, Mikoto nodded and asked, "What's this training method you mentioned? Why did we have to come to a place like this?"
Hayato Ren didn't answer. Instead, he slowly began walking toward Mikoto.
The crisp sound of his footsteps felt like a small hammer, striking rhythmically against Mikoto's heart.
As Hayato Ren continued to approach, Mikoto instinctively shrank backward.
Suddenly, a cold, solid sensation pressed against her back.
Mikoto had been cornered against the wall, with nowhere left to retreat.
At that moment, Hayato Ren stood right in front of her, propping his right hand against the wall, creating a wall slam situation.
Watching Mikoto, who was as flustered as a frightened little rabbit, Hayato Ren slowly leaned his face closer.
Seeing his face draw nearer and nearer, Mikoto realized what was about to happen. Silently, she thought, "Sorry, Kushina," and closed her eyes.
A long time passed, but the expected sensation on her lips never came.
This made Mikoto open her eyes to see what was going on.
As soon as she opened them, she saw Hayato Ren's face wearing a mischievous grin.
Now, Mikoto understood exactly what had happened—she had been fooled by Hayato Ren again.
So, she raised her fist, intending to leave a mark on that annoying face.
Hayato Ren sidestepped slightly and easily dodged Mikoto's furious punch.
While anger can temporarily boost a person's strength, it also lowers their intelligence.
After putting all her strength into a punch that missed its target, Mikoto's body uncontrollably lurched forward.
Just as she closed her eyes, bracing for an intimate encounter between her face and the hard ground—
Mikoto was surprised to find that, unlike the pain she had anticipated, she seemed to have fallen into a warm embrace.
When she curiously opened her eyes, she found Hayato Ren's face already inches from her own.
They were so close that they could feel each other's breath.
This time, however, Hayato Ren's little trick didn't work on Mikoto.
Faced with his approaching face, Mikoto didn't close her eyes as she had before. Instead, she widened them,
as if trying to make Hayato Ren back off with a fierce glare.
An ordinary person might have faltered under Mikoto's intense gaze, feeling guilty enough to stop. However, Hayato Ren was clearly no ordinary person.
As a predator by nature, Hayato Ren felt not a shred of guilt under Mikoto's fierce glare—instead, a thrill of excitement coursed through him.
And so, under Mikoto's astonished gaze, Hayato Ren's face drew closer and closer to hers...
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