The next afternoon.
Sora returned to his room from underground, changed into clean clothes, and prepared to go out.
'The framework for the lab is pretty much set up. Next is slowly adding equipment and guiding Kabuto. '
' For now, I'll go check on Night Owl's situation first. '
Thinking of Night Owl and Baihu, Sora was still somewhat concerned.
After all, he personally saved Baihu from the brink of death and handed him over to Night Owl. Whether these two could mesh well and form an effective combat force was also related to the implementation of some of his future plans.
However, shortly after Sora walked out of the orphanage area, he ran into three familiar figures head-on.
They were Yūhi Kurenai, Asuma, and Uesugi Min.
They seemed to have just finished a mission, with a hint of weariness on their faces, but more a sense of relaxation after completing a task.
"Sora!"
Kurenai was the first to see him. Her wine-red eyes instantly lit up, a surprised smile appearing on her face. She subconsciously took a few quick steps forward.
She had not seen Sora for several months.
The shadow of the Third Great Ninja War hung over Konoha, and all ninja missions had become much heavier.
After Sora was assigned to the "Anbu Special Operations Unit", he became even more elusive, his whereabouts unpredictable.
And as a genin team, Kurenai and the others were also assigned many patrol, reconnaissance, and rear-guard protection missions.
Interestingly, these safer missions were still thanks to Asuma's status as the "prince". Otherwise, a team like theirs would likely have died somewhere on the battlefield long ago.
Because of the urgency of the war, the opportunities for Sora and Kurenai to meet became very few and far between.
Each brief encounter was especially precious to Kurenai. The childhood dependence and vague affection she had accumulated for Sora quietly grew in her longing.
It was just that her personality, although a bit stronger than Hinata's, was still slightly introverted and shy. Combined with the tense atmosphere of the war environment, she never dared to, and didn't know how to, express these feelings.
Running into him on the road like this was already a rare and pleasant surprise for her.
"Kurenai, Asuma, Min."
Sora stopped and greeted the three of them, his gaze lingering on Kurenai's delighted face for a moment.
He could feel Kurenai's undisguised happiness, and a trace of warmth rose in his heart.
In this strange world full of schemes and dangers, such pure concern and care felt particularly precious.
' Unknowingly, Kurenai has grown quite a bit taller. '
Looking at the graceful girl before him, Sora felt emotional.
After several months apart, Yūhi Kurenai had grown a bit taller. The baby fat on her face had slightly diminished, making her large wine-red eyes even brighter and more striking.
She wore a well-fitting ninja uniform that outlined her gradually developing figure. Her face showed obvious fatigue, but the look she directed at Sora at this moment was full of unconcealed joy and a hint of barely perceptible shyness.
"Hey, if it isn't the very busy 'Green Snake'-sama! Rare to see you in the village."
Asuma still had that slightly teasing tone as he spoke with a smile.
He secretly complained to himself. His old man recently kept mentioning Sora, comparing Sora's performance to his own. It felt just like how neighborhood adults always used "look how good that other kid is" to scold their own child.
"Sora, you're back."
Uesugi Min elbowed Asuma and also greeted with a smile. Her eyes shifted between Sora and Kurenai, revealing a look of understanding.
She knew her friend's feelings very well.
"Yes, just came back to hand over a mission, got a little free time." Sora nodded, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "You guys just finished patrolling?"
"Yeah, totally exhausted." Asuma stretched. "This damn war, when will it end?"
His words made the atmosphere slightly heavier.
The Third Great Ninja War had been going on for over two years now. Although Konoha was barely holding on thanks to its deep foundations and excellent ninja quality, the pressure of fighting on multiple fronts was immense. Casualty numbers kept rising, and a heavy weight seemed to press on the hearts of every Konoha villager and ninja.
Hearing this, Sora's eyes also deepened slightly.
' Yeah, when will it end... According to the original story, in about two more years, the Namikaze Minato squad will carry out the Kannabi Bridge mission, accelerating the war's end. '
' But the war ending doesn't mean peace. The subsequent Nine-Tails attack, the Uchiha massacre, the rise of the Akatsuki... a series of upheavals are still to come. '
These thoughts flashed quickly through Sora's mind, strengthening his resolve to obtain the "Dragon Vein" as soon as possible to enhance his strength and deal with the many future uncertainties.
Strength was the fundamental key to surviving and standing firm in this cruel world!
"Hey, Sora, what are you spacing out for?" Asuma nudged him with his elbow when Sora didn't speak.
"Nothing, just thinking about some things." Sora snapped out of his thoughts and looked at them. "Was the mission smooth?"
"Fine, didn't run into any enemies, just boring."
Uesugi Min took over the conversation, then her eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked at Kurenai.
"But, well, someone has been saying since the mission started that she wished she could run into a certain someone. Didn't expect to actually bump into him. Seems like wishes do come true, huh?"
"Min! You... stop talking nonsense!"
Kurenai's face instantly flushed bright red. She was embarrassed and annoyed, trying to cover Min's mouth, but her eyes involuntarily darted towards Sora, filled with nervousness and a hint of anticipation.
Watching Kurenai's shy and adorable appearance, Sora felt somewhat amused and also a bit strange inside.
He wasn't made of wood. Naturally, he could sense Kurenai's different attitude towards him.
From the little girl crying under the tree in childhood to the gradually growing young lady now, Kurenai's gaze had always followed him.
This simple yet persistent affection made him, someone with a psychological age far exceeding his appearance, feel somewhat awkward while also being somewhat moved.
' Kurenai... in the original, she should have been with Asuma... ' Sora glanced at Asuma beside him, who wore a "none of my business" expression, then looked at Kurenai, who was playfully arguing with Min.
' It seems because of my appearance, this storyline has indeed changed. '
' But, it's still too early to think about these things now. In wartime, who knows what tomorrow will bring? Besides, I have too many secrets on me, and the future path is full of unknowns. It's really not suitable to consider these... '
Sora sighed lightly in his heart, suppressing that small ripple.
"Alright, enough fooling around." Asuma stepped in to mediate, rubbing his stomach. "Speaking of which, I'm hungry. Sora, have you eaten? Want to grab something together?"
Uesugi Min immediately agreed.
"Yeah, yeah! Kurenai, didn't you say you haven't had a meal with Sora in a long time? A rare opportunity!"
Kurenai, her face still red, stole a glance at Sora and invited softly.
"Sora... do you... do you have time?"
Looking at her hopeful yet cautious eyes, Sora paused his plan to find Night Owl.
It wasn't that urgent anyway, and he really hadn't had a proper talk with Kurenai in a long time.
"Okay." Sora nodded. "My treat."
"No, no need!" Kurenai quickly waved her hands, taking out her small wallet from her ninja tool pouch. "I... I'll treat you! I've saved some money from recent missions!"
Seeing her serious look, Sora smiled and didn't insist.
"Alright then, thank you."
"So, where should we go?" Asuma asked.
Kurenai almost answered without hesitation, "Ichiraku Ramen!"
After saying it, she realized she might have seemed too eager and blushed again, adding softly.
"It's... it's quieter there, and Sora can eat a lot..."
This reason made Asuma and Min couldn't help but laugh.
Sora also smiled slightly, remembering his previous connection with Ichiraku Ramen, and nodded in agreement.
"Okay, Ichiraku Ramen it is."
Asuma shrugged.
"Alright then, Min and I won't be third wheels. We'll go find Genma and the others. You two enjoy your meal slowly."
Uesugi Min also winked at Kurenai and left with Asuma.
Only Sora and Kurenai remained. The atmosphere became subtly quiet for a moment.
"Shall we... go?" Kurenai said softly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
"Mm-hmm."
Sora nodded and walked side by side with her towards the commercial district's Ichiraku Ramen shop.
On the way, Kurenai secretly looked at Sora's sharply defined profile. Her heart felt like it held a little rabbit, thumping wildly.
Being able to be alone with Sora made her both happy and nervous.
She tried hard to find topics.
"Sora, have your recent... missions been dangerous?"
"Not too bad, manageable." Sora answered succinctly. The things he did really weren't suitable to talk about.
"Oh... that's good." Kurenai nodded, but her heart didn't relax much.
Although she didn't know the specifics of Anbu missions, she knew they were definitely much more dangerous than their genin missions.
Every time Sora left the village, she couldn't help but worry, afraid of hearing bad news.
This kind of worry was especially strong during wartime.
' Please be safe, Sora. ' She prayed silently in her heart.
...
The two soon arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
Lifting the curtain, the familiar aroma of bone broth greeted them.
"Welcome!" Teuchi greeted warmly. Seeing Sora and Kurenai, a smile spread across his face. "It's you two! Long time no see! Please, have a seat!"
There weren't many customers in the shop. The two sat at the counter.
Sora noticed that behind the counter, a little girl who looked about two or three years old, with two small buns in her hair and chubby cheeks, was holding an empty ingredient basket, babbling as she played.
' That must be Ayame. So small and already in the shop. ' Sora understood.
Little Ayame wasn't shy. She opened her big, dark eyes wide and looked curiously at Sora and Kurenai.
"Boss, is this your daughter? Very cute." Sora remarked casually.
"Haha, yes, my little girl Ayame. Quite mischievous." Teuchi's face beamed with a happy smile as he skillfully prepared the ramen. "What will you two have today? The usual?"
"Mm-hmm! One bowl of tonkotsu ramen." Kurenai nodded, then looked at Sora.
Sora looked at the menu and thought. Wartime, shouldn't let Kurenai spend too much, but his own appetite...
"Please give me thirty bowls of tonkotsu ramen. Thank you."
After considering Kurenai's financial situation, Sora ultimately decided to listen to his stomach.
"Th... thirty bowls?" Teuchi, although he knew Sora could eat, was still taken aback hearing this number again. He then laughed, "Alright! Coming right up! It's a blessing for young people to have a good appetite!"
Kurenai also covered her mouth with a light laugh. She knew Sora's appetite was always astonishing. She was long used to it and even felt it was a reflection of his great strength.
She took out her small wallet and carefully counted the money, wondering in her heart if it was enough. There wasn't a trace of reluctance on her face, only happiness at being able to do something for Sora.
While waiting, Sora glanced at Kurenai sitting quietly beside him. The girl's profile was soft. Her eyes were focused on counting the banknotes in her small wallet. Occasionally, she would sneak a glance at him and quickly look away when discovered, the tips of her ears turning red.
This peace and warmth formed a stark contrast with the brutal war outside.
' Perhaps, protecting these small, beautiful things before me is one of the reasons worth fighting for. ' Sora thought to himself.
The ramen was served quickly. A tall stack of bowls piled up in front of Sora, while only one bowl sat before Kurenai.
The two didn't talk much more and silently began eating.
The shop was filled only with the sound of Sora slurping noodles and little Ayame's occasional babbling. The atmosphere wasn't awkward, but rather had a rare sense of peace.
Kurenai ate her noodles in small bites, her heart full of contentment.
Being able to sit with Sora like this, eating a meal quietly, was a very happy thing for her.
She hoped the war would end soon. She hoped there could be more times like this.
Sora ate very quickly. Only after thirty bowls of ramen did the hunger in his stomach finally disappear.
When paying the bill, Kurenai insisted on paying. Although it used up most of her mission savings, a sweet smile remained on her face.
Stepping out of the ramen shop, the sky had already darkened.
"I'll walk you home." Sora said naturally.
"Mm-hmm." Kurenai nodded lightly, feeling sweet inside.
The two walked side by side slowly on the street where the streetlights had lit up. No words were spoken along the way, but it wasn't dull.
As they neared the Yūhi household, Kurenai stopped, turned around, and mustered her courage to look at Sora.
"Sora..."
"Hmm?"
"You... next mission, you must be careful." All the words she wanted to say ultimately condensed into the simplest reminder.
Seeing the undisguised concern in the girl's eyes, Sora felt a stir in his heart and nodded.
"I will. You too, don't overexert yourself on missions."
"Mm! I know!" Kurenai nodded vigorously, a bright smile blooming on her face. "Then... I'm going back?"
"Okay, see you."
"See you!"
Kurenai waved, turned, and ran towards her house. At the door, she looked back at Sora once more before pushing the door open and going inside.
Sora stood where he was, watching her disappearing figure. He stood silently for a while before turning and leaving, heading in the direction of Night Owl and Grey Wolf's home.
The warm interlude was over. Time to attend to serious matters.
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