Nojuro Ryun nodded with satisfaction.
If Moegi were a few years older, he might have pressed the advantage right away.
But for now, he would just let things continue to develop naturally.
[From then on, Moegi's attitude towards you became even more sincere. Although she still called you 'Big Brother Nojuro', the teasing undertone in the address had vanished; she truly regarded you as a brother. Even though she occasionally still teased you for being friends with so many girls, she also admitted that you were the most charming boy around her.]
[In the days that followed, you continued your peaceful life while keeping an eye on the movements in the outside world. Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's maneuvers, Kumogakure and Iwagakure abandoned their plans for military action at this time, and the situation in the ninja world gradually returned to peace.]
[Konoha was still trying to investigate who had spread the false information, but the ninjas who had been busy outside also returned to the village one after another. This was because a new class of academy students was about to graduate, and the team leaders had to shoulder their responsibilities.]
[This time, the class assignments were no different from your memories. After Ino, Sakura, and Hinata joined their respective teams, they could no longer report to you every day as they used to. However, during their free time, they would still come to see you at the first opportunity, sharing interesting stories from their teams.]
[During your spare time, you began teaching Moegi to train. She was very interested in medical ninjutsu and hoped to become a medical ninja. You were familiar with Moegi's talents and felt she could indeed learn medical ninjutsu, so you did not withhold your knowledge.]
[Under your guidance, Moegi's chakra control ability improved rapidly, and her strength began to stand out within her class.]
Ryun watched this simulation progress, which resembled ordinary daily life, and felt a momentary pang of wistful nostalgia.
How long had it been since he had seen such a situation?
It felt really good to have no one causing trouble!
He hoped it could stay this way. Danzo, oh Danzo, just stay quietly in your Root hideout!
Ryun's prayer seemed to have worked, but what he didn't expect was that a new matter soon came knocking.
[One day, Yamanaka Ino sought you out with a complicated expression. She actually asked you about your relationship with Kurenai. Puzzled, you asked her why she was asking. It turned out that after Team Asuma completed a C-rank mission, a drunken Asuma had revealed that you liked Kurenai.]
The corner of Ryun's mouth twitched.
Why did it feel like Asuma had become more dispirited because of what happened before?
Although he was a delinquent in his youth and later became a smoker and drinker, he should have matured because of the turmoil within the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
So, after failing to win Kurenai's affection, everything just regressed?
Ryun did not give a guide instruction, choosing instead to calmly watch.
He believed that with his current strength and abilities, he definitely wouldn't be caught off guard by Ino's single question.
[You openly admitted this to Ino. You told Ino that after you were attacked by Yamanaka Fuu that time, it was Kurenai who saved you and comforted you with a gentle, sisterly demeanor. You admired that kind of charm in Kurenai and had indeed confessed to her, but were rejected.]
[As for the conflict with Asuma that time, you explained it as being unable to ignore Asuma harassing Kurenai early in the morning while he was hungover. You used your liking for Kurenai as an excuse to drive Asuma away. However, the cost was that you also ruined your relationship with Kurenai, and the two of you had hardly seen each other since.]
Seeing the text in the simulation, Ryun almost exclaimed "brilliant."
He didn't lie, nor did he refuse to take responsibility, but he cleverly used Yamanaka Fuu as a scapegoat.
And Yamanaka Fuu was a major bridge for boosting favorability between Ryun and Yamanaka Ino, only this time Ryun had brought him out for use much earlier.
[After hearing this, Ino's face turned pale. She realized it was her clansman who had attacked you. Biting her lip, she wanted to turn and leave, but you pulled her back and hugged her. You told Yamanaka Ino that Yamanaka Fuu's actions had nothing to do with her. She was one of the people you trusted most, and their relationship shouldn't be affected by a single Yamanaka Fuu.]
[Tears fell from Ino's eyes as she was in your arms. She hugged you tightly and told you she didn't mind you liking Kurenai now. She confidently told you that she would definitely become a beautiful, gentle older sister like Kurenai in the future, making you completely forget about Kurenai.]
[And you told Ino that you believed she would grow more beautiful day by day, eventually charming you so completely that you wouldn't be able to take your eyes off her. You held each other for a long time. Ino only reluctantly left when it grew dark. The favorability between you clearly increased.]
Ryun let out a soft sigh. He could only say, as expected of himself.
What should have been a scene of intense, conflicting drama was easily transformed by Ryun into a romantic scene that boosted favorability. It could only be said that Ryun's abilities in this area were now masterful.
Having established a bond with Ino, what about Kurenai's side?
Looking at the situation in the simulation, it didn't seem very promising.
Asuma hadn't been able to reconcile with Kurenai, but he himself also had no opportunity to get close to Kurenai.
It could only be said that the him in the simulation was ultimately not the real Ryun. The real Ryun would create opportunities even if there were none.
If absolutely necessary, Ryun would pull Anko out as a wingwoman. After all, good girlfriends marrying Ryun together could also team up to bully him later, right?
Ryun believed Anko would agree.
[Near the day before the Chunin Exams, Anko found you and told you about Kurenai's recent situation. From her description, Kurenai's recent situation was terrible. Not only was her personal life a mess, but she also frequently ran into problems even while on missions.]
[Fortunately, Hinata, whose strength had greatly increased under your tutelage, along with the ever-reliable Shino in the team, prevented Team 8 from suffering any casualties. Kurenai blamed herself deeply for this and even considered not letting her team members participate in the Chunin Exams, fearing her guidance was insufficient.]
[As her close friend, Anko really wanted to help her friend break out of this state. But even Anko found it very difficult to see Kurenai. Kurenai always found various excuses to avoid meeting Anko, and Anko couldn't break through the barrier seals Kurenai had set up around her home.]
Seeing this, Ryun realized that Kurenai had shut herself away.
Falling out with him and Asuma was one thing, but after learning about Anko's relationship with Ryun, Kurenai didn't even want to see Anko anymore.
It could only be said that Kurenai had walked into a dead end. Someone needed to pull her out, even if it required somewhat forceful means.
After a moment's thought, Ryun decided to give a guide.
It wasn't that this was such a critical time node, but Ryun needed to act before Asuma reacted.
Asuma should still be preparing Team 10 for the Chunin Exams right now, giving Ryun an unmissable time window.
Soon, your guide input was complete, and the simulation continued.
[You decided to take action. The first step of your action was to lay your cards on the table with Anko. You told Anko that you still liked Kurenai and wanted to have both of them, and even more outstanding girls, in order to work towards building a large clan.]
[Anko remained very calm at your words. As someone who was often intimately close with you, she had long known your thoughts. She chose to support you, with only one small request: that you invite her to join your clan first. You agreed.]
[With Anko's help, your second step was to meet with all members of Team 8 through Hinata. You bluntly stated your purpose: to help Kurenai get out of her slump. The hot-blooded Kiba and the steady Shino both expressed that they held no grudge against Kurenai and also wanted to help their teacher.]
[Thus, you had the support of four people. You brought all of them directly to Kurenai's doorstep, entered by undoing the seals without Kurenai's permission. The messy state of the house shocked your group, so you decided to give Kurenai's home a thorough cleaning.]
[When Kurenai returned, she was shocked by the changes in her home, and even more shocked that you had barged right into her house. She wanted to chase you all out, but you pulled Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru, the man-and-dog duo, to lie down on the tatami and started playing flower cards.]
[Facing a furious Kurenai, you even boldly declared: as long as she didn't beat you to death, you were moving into Kurenai's house. As for the reason, it was that the Chunin Exams were approaching, and you were going to conduct intensive training for Team 8's results, with the location chosen to be Kurenai's house.]
[The utterly furious Kurenai still couldn't bring herself to attack you and could only let you have your way. Your group actually did settle in at Kurenai's house and refused to leave, dragging Kurenai to eat and train together every day. Kurenai, Anko, and Hinata slept together, while you, Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru slept together.]
[Not long after, the day of the Chunin Exams arrived.]
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