After Namikaze Kirito walked in—
A scream rang out in the room first.
Then, everything went quiet.
There was nothing more to say for the rest of the night.
Early the next morning, Kirito slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the familiar ceiling for a moment, his thoughts drifting, his mind unusually calm.
This was the best sleep he'd had since coming to this world.
"You're awake?"
A soft voice came from the side.
Kurenai Yuhi walked in carrying breakfast, a gentle smile on her face. She had woken up early and quietly prepared everything herself.
Kirito sat up, reached out, and pulled her straight into his arms. His eyes curved with mischief.
"You woke up this early… trying to score points in my heart?" he said with a grin. "Alright. Nine out of ten. You passed."
Kurenai laughed softly. Right now, she looked exactly like a loving girlfriend—gentle, warm, and relaxed.
"I was woken up by your stomach screaming," she said teasingly. "You were starving ages ago, but somehow that still didn't wake you."
"Hahaha—!"
Kirito scratched his head, clearly embarrassed.
He'd inherited the physique of the Pirate World—huge appetite, fast metabolism. He got hungry far faster than normal people, and ate far more than them too.
Honestly, if he worked as a regular civilian, the pay probably wouldn't even cover his food.
"Thanks," he said quietly.
Kirito buried his face in Kurenai's hair, breathing in her faint fragrance.
Nothing truly serious had happened between them last night. They had only just confirmed their feelings. Even though Kirito had wanted to go further, he restrained himself.
So all they did was hug and kiss—enough to make Kurenai blush again and again as she shyly responded.
They were just like a couple who had confessed for the first time.
"I always blamed myself," Kurenai said softly, running her fingers through his hair.
"For not taking care of you right after the Nine-Tails incident. From now on… I'll stay by your side."
Even though her own father had died that same night, she still carried guilt toward Kirito.
How could someone like this not be cherished?
Kirito smiled faintly.
"How could I ever blame you?" he said. "Besides… I'll give you a surprise someday. I'll make up for the regrets in your life."
They talked quietly, sharing their feelings, and before they realized it, time slipped by once again.
The Chūnin Exams were progressing at full speed.
Their brutality filtered out those without resolve or strength.
But what surprised the people of Konoha was this—
They hadn't seen the Fourth Hokage's orphan for days.
Namikaze Kirito was gone.
Even Kurenai Yuhi had disappeared.
What no one knew was that Kirito had completely sunk into Kurenai's tenderness during this time. Their relationship had just begun, and they were enjoying each other's company without restraint—dating, walking together, eating together, sleeping together.
Neither of them had ever been in a relationship before, so they simply followed their instincts.
Because Kurenai requested leave, Team Eight temporarily returned to their clans for family training.
The Hyūga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans didn't rely much on outside instruction anyway. Their true inheritance couldn't be taught to outsiders, and teamwork was the only thing Kurenai usually focused on.
But comfort never lasted forever.
If it weren't for the plan he carried, Namikaze Kirito truly wished he could live like this forever.
But to protect everything he cared about, there was no path forward except to keep fighting.
In the final stage of the Chūnin Exams, Kirito finally appeared again—this time together with Kurenai.
The exams had passed the written test, the Forest of Death, and the preliminary matches.
Today was the final round.
It was held outdoors, with massive stands packed full of spectators. At the highest seats sat the leaders of the three villages and the three Kage.
The genin who had advanced stood in the center, listening to the referee explain the rules.
Kirito looked over the arena with interest.
Many familiar faces were there.
The rest of the Konoha Twelve, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke—
And of course, his own subordinates: Kimimaro, Suigetsu, and Karin. As auxiliary ninja, they weren't required to participate in this evaluation.
In the audience—
Kirito sat beside Kurenai, surrounded by old acquaintances.
Hatake Kakashi glanced at him with complicated emotions through his exposed eye.
He had always felt guilty about Kirito and Naruto. After all, they were his sensei's children and yet he had done so little for them.
Now, meeting again after so many years, there was no warmth or familiarity.
They felt like strangers.
Some things had also changed from the original timeline.
Kakashi had already taught Chidori to Sasuke earlier than expected, due to pressure from Kimimaro and the continued existence of the Uchiha clan.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya hadn't disappeared.
Because of Kirito's words before leaving the village, Jiraiya had frequently returned over the years to accompany Naruto.
In Naruto's childhood, besides the "big brother" figure he admired, Jiraiya had also been there as his sensei.
The matchups began.
Naruto versus Neji Hyūga.
Sasuke versus Nara Shikamaru.
Kimimaro versus Gaara.
The order was completely different from the original.
In the stands—
"Hey! Sakura-chan, look over there!" Yamanaka Ino suddenly shouted.
"That guy is so handsome!"
She had been planning to watch Shikamaru's match, but Kirito's presence caught her attention immediately.
"What are you doing?" Haruno Sakura said impatiently. "I'm watching Sasuke—no matter how handsome they—ah—!"
She froze the moment she saw Kirito.
Both girls instantly turned starry-eyed.
"I heard he's the Fourth Hokage's son," Ino said confidently.
"Sasuke's yours now, so Kirito-kun is mine!"
Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but remembering their recently repaired friendship, she simply nodded and turned her attention back to the arena.
"You seem popular," Kurenai said softly.
Kirito leaned closer, smiling.
"Is my lovely Kurenai jealous?"
She shook her head, amused rather than upset. If anything, she felt proud that the man she loved was admired by others.
"Hinata! There's space here!"
Inuzuka Kiba waved loudly.
Hinata hesitated briefly, then walked over and sat between Kurenai and Kiba.
Kiba had done it on purpose.
His sensei had a boyfriend!?
What about Sarutobi Asuma, who had been relentlessly pursuing Kurenai lately!?
Watching them openly flirt made Kiba feel completely stuffed—emotionally and mentally.
Hinata's arrival saved him.
"So that's Hinata…" Kirito thought.
She really was a good girl. Perfect for his little brother.
"She's a sweet child, isn't she?" Kurenai said, gently patting Hinata's head.
"Be careful next time, Hinata-chan. Don't push yourself like that again."
"I—I'm fine," Hinata replied softly. "Thank you, Kurenai-sensei."
As the chatter died down—
The first match of the Chūnin Exam finals officially began.
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