“Come to think of it, when did you learn this technique?”
Anko Mitarashi stared at the Shadow Clones working around Kazan, surprise written across her face.
If she remembered correctly, these physical clones came from the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique created by the Second Hokage.
It was an A-rank ninjutsu.
Kazan spent every day punching things.
She had never heard of him practicing ninjutsu, so how had he suddenly mastered such a high-level technique?
“Want to know?”
“I don’t!”
Anko refused to take the bait.
She could figure it out with her butt—if she said she wanted to know, Kazan definitely wouldn’t tell her.
She was fairly smart.
Just not smart enough.
Because Kazan still had another move.
“Then I won’t tell you.”
So you weren’t going to tell me whether I wanted to know or not?!
Anko ground her teeth and glared viciously at Kazan.
Kurenai covered her mouth and giggled, looking especially cute.
Even as a child, Kurenai Yūhi was already something of a class beauty.
She was, after all, destined to become one of Naruto’s famous mature beauties.
She walked over to Kazan and quietly asked,
“Why did you get into another fight?”
Kazan pointed off to the side.
“I’m not the original. That one is.”
“You’re lying. You’re the original. Don’t even try to fool me.”
Kurenai narrowed her eyes, smiling cheerfully without falling for it at all.
Anko couldn’t tell the difference, but Kazan’s expression proved Kurenai had guessed correctly.
“Kurenai, how did you know this one was the original?”
“Because this Kazan is the cleanest. Other than training, Kazan isn’t interested in most things.”
As she spoke, she even turned toward Kazan.
“Am I right?”
You’re seriously a freak, Kurenai.
Paying this much attention to me goes way beyond simply having a crush, doesn’t it?
Anko silently felt sorry for Asuma for one second.
“You still haven’t told me why you fought Uchiha Jō. Same with Kakashi before.”
“Nothing special. I happened to see him and felt like throwing some punches.”
Kazan casually made up an excuse.
From his answer, Kurenai could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, so she didn’t press him.
Instead, she asked,
“So the Kazan at the Academy today was also a Shadow Clone, wasn’t it?”
“Huh? Kazan, you’re actually using a Shadow Clone to attend class for you?”
Before Kazan could say anything, Anko was shocked again.
“Can you stop acting surprised by everything?”
Kazan rolled his eyes at her, then looked back at Kurenai.
How had he never noticed this before?
This little girl’s powers of observation were way too sharp.
“Remember to keep it secret for me. The Academy’s classes don’t help me much anymore. I need to use that time elsewhere.”
“No problem. Anko won’t tell anyone either, right?”
Kurenai was still smiling.
Yet somehow, that smile made it impossible for Anko to refuse.
“…Fine. I’ll keep it secret.”
For the first time, Anko found her best friend a little frightening.
Only then did Kurenai’s smile return to normal.
“I’ll help you too, Kazan. Anko can head home first.”
First, she would help Kazan finish Lord Hokage’s punishment.
Then she could naturally go have dinner with him afterward.
Perfect.
Kurenai quietly made her plans.
Even though Anko was standing right beside them, an inexplicable sense of loneliness suddenly washed over her.
“What is this disgusting feeling?”
She couldn’t figure it out.
Better leave.
In the end, Kurenai got her wish and had dinner with Kazan.
The location, however, was completely beyond her expectations.
“…This is where you usually eat?”
Wasn’t his taste a little too extreme?
If she remembered correctly, this place was the village’s forbidden area—
The Forest of Death!
“Yeah. Since you helped me with the work, I’ll make an exception today and take you hunting inside. Let’s go.”
Kazan grinned.
“Eh~?”
Kurenai let out a cute cry of surprise.
The next instant, she felt herself being lifted off the ground.
It wasn’t the romantic princess carry from storybooks.
Kazan simply tucked her under one arm around the waist.
Then the world suddenly flew past her as he leaped directly into the Forest of Death.
The first thing Kurenai saw after entering the forest was an enormous tiger.
Her legs instantly went weak with fear.
But what happened next was even more unbelievable.
The terrifying tiger allowed Kazan to stroke its fur like a pet, even wearing an expression of obvious enjoyment.
Then Kurenai was tossed onto the tiger’s back.
Before she knew it, she was riding the creature Kazan called “Hakimi” deeper into the Forest of Death.
…….
Not long afterward—
BOOM!
A deafening crash echoed through the forest as an absurdly enormous ox collapsed to the ground.
“You’re pretty lucky today. Normally, finding an ox isn’t easy.”
Kazan naturally didn’t mention why there seemed to be fewer and fewer oxen around lately.
He simply said she was lucky.
A while later, Kurenai accepted the meat Kazan handed her.
Her mind was still buzzing. Get faster updates on g.com.
Everything that had happened today had shaken her understanding of Kazan.
While the rest of them spent their days laughing and playing around, Kazan had actually been coming to the Forest of Death every day to hunt just so he could eat enough.
It must have been hard.
She had her father and mother protecting her.
Kazan only had himself.
And with how enormous his appetite was…
“It must be hard, right?”
The question came so suddenly that Kazan paused.
He looked into Kurenai’s eyes and saw genuine concern there.
Kids in anime worlds really have ridiculously complicated emotions.
He shook his head.
“It’s fine. At first, I only hunted around the outer edge. The Forest of Death isn’t as dangerous as you guys think.”
Kurenai said nothing.
She simply lowered her head and continued eating.
Kazan really was amazing.
People like them still depended on their parents for everything.
Yet Kazan had been living independently since he was very young.
Especially that Asuma Sarutobi.
He was the worst.
Just because his father was the Hokage, he was always saying bad things about Kazan.
In truth, Asuma hadn’t actually done anything particularly bad.
Kurenai simply didn’t like him.
After another while, Kazan patted his swollen stomach.
“You full? I’ll take you home.”
“Okay!”
Kurenai’s house was some distance from the Forest of Death.
Her father was one of Konoha’s foremost experts in genjutsu.
Setting aside the Uchiha Clan and the natural genjutsu advantages granted by their Sharingan, Shinku Yūhi could be considered Konoha’s strongest genjutsu specialist.
At the same time, he also served as an instructor for Konoha’s chūnin and genin, giving him considerable status within the village.
As a result, Kurenai lived in one of Konoha’s most prosperous districts.
“Then I’m heading inside. See you tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
Tomorrow, you’ll be seeing my Shadow Clone.
After escorting Kurenai home, Kazan immediately left.
When he returned to his own house, he opened the system interface.
What he had been hoping for did not appear.
Apparently, defeating Uchiha Jō alone wasn’t enough to complete the second achievement.
Thinking about it, that made sense.
Uchiha Jō might be an Uchiha, but Kakashi was still the most outstanding genius of their generation.
There was an obvious gap between the two.
“Still, Kakashi graduated at five and set a record that probably won’t ever be broken in the future.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll beat Hyūga Asuka too and see if that completes the achievement.”
As for what Hiruzen Sarutobi had told him?
Kazan had already treated it like a fart and forgotten about it.
“You want to win me over? Then you’d better put in some effort.”
“I’m not Naruto!”