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“Heh…” A watched Kurenai Yūhi’s flustered expression and couldn’t hold back a quiet laugh.
It had thrown her off balance, but it also handed her the initiative.
Her crimson pupils narrowed, expression sharpening.
“What’s so funny?
Was I that entertaining?”
“Not at all.” A’s voice dropped low and warm.
He reached out, his rough palm closing gently around her fair arms.
The heat radiating from his hand made her whole body shiver.
He leaned in slightly, gaze intent and sincere.
“I’m genuinely grateful to you, Yūhi Jōnin.
A kunoichi as talented and beautiful, as gentle and considerate as you.
They don’t come along very often.”
Kurenai’s tension eased a fraction.
She was just about to manage a polite smile when A drew one hand back and, without any warning whatsoever, began untying the knot at his waist.
Kurenai Yūhi: “?”
When I’m the one making a question mark face, the problem isn’t me, the problem is definitely you.
Seriously, man?
That’s your idea of showing gratitude?
Well.
Thanks a lot.
“Raikage-sama, please conduct yourself with some dignity!” Kurenai’s brows shot up in fury.
Her crystal pupils blazed with cold anger.
Chakra surged through her body, and she looked seconds away from attacking.
“Whoa, whoa — what are you doing?” A grabbed her shoulders and held up the ferocious beast-head belt he’d just unbuckled, dangling it in front of her face.
“Calm down.
I simply wanted to give you a personal token — so when you’re ever in trouble, you can bring it to Kumogakure and find me.
That’s all.”
Outside Training Ground 44, Sakura Haruno gripped her kunai and scanned the surroundings, unease gnawing at her chest.
The air was damp and thick with the smell of rotting leaves.
A massive canopy swallowed the sky overhead, letting only a few thin blades of sunlight slice through the gaps.
It felt exactly like the opening shot of a horror movie.
She swallowed hard.
“This place is so gloomy…”
“Heh.
That feeling makes perfect sense.
This place is called the Forest of Death, after all.”
Sakura turned.
Anko Mitarashi was leaning against a decaying tree, her black fishnet outfit tracing every curve of her figure, her smile just a little too wicked.
“Oh~ no!
This place is called the FOREST OF DEATH!” Naruto’s jaw dropped comically.
He spun around and wiggled his butt at Anko with wild, unhinged enthusiasm.
“So what?!
No matter how hard you try to scare me, I won’t be scared!”
Several crows burst from the branches above with a sharp CAW CAW, startled into flight by the sheer weirdness of it all.
A heavy, slightly awkward silence settled over the assembled examinees.
Kids from a dozen villages were desperately trying not to laugh.
Half of them had gone red in the face from the effort.
“My, my.
You’re full of energy.” Anko smiled sweetly at Naruto, her voice soft as silk.
“Should I give you a little reward?”
“Huh?” Naruto scratched the back of his head.
“Well, I mean, that’s not really—”
WHOOSH!
A kunai shot from Anko’s sleeve and streaked straight toward his face.
CLANG!
A massive metal bracer knocked it out of the air with a bright, crisp ring.
“Good arm.
Quite impressive.” A stepped between them with a calm smile, offering Anko’s kunai throw the most thoroughly insincere compliment in recorded history.
Only then did Naruto process what had just happened.
He scrambled behind A with the desperation of a man who’d glimpsed his own death, face a complete disaster of snot and tears.
“UWAAAH!
Raikage old man, save me!
This woman actually tried to kill me!”
“Alright, alright.
Oh my god.” A’s frown deepened.
“If you wipe your snot on my clothes, I swear I will beat your ass into eight separate pieces.”
He shoved Naruto aside and turned back to Anko.
His gaze traveled over her outfit with zero shame or hesitation.
“That fishnet number is seriously something else.
Hits my XP dead center…”
Naruto’s eyes went wide.
He raised a tentative finger.
“Rai, Raikage old man…
I think you just said your inner thoughts out loud…”
“Hm?
Did I?” A’s grin spread wide.
“I just couldn’t help myself, I suppose, WAHAHAHAHA!” His laughter exploded outward, shaking a cascade of leaves from every nearby branch.
Not a single trace of guilt about the children present.
Sakura took two careful steps back.
[This Raikage is so, so pervy…]
Temari turned her head away in disgust.
[Hmph.
That bastard.
As depraved as I expected.]
Tenten stood frozen, staring blankly at Anko’s fishnet outfit.
[So he likes that kind of thing?
But…
wouldn’t that be a bit embarrassing…]
Anko’s pupils contracted slightly.
Then she let her eyes drift half-closed, her gaze going slow and sultry.
“Ara ara.
It sounds like Raikage-sama is quite fond of me.”
“Very much so.” A strolled toward her, his eyes moving over her without apology or pretense.
“Honestly?
The main reason I came to Konoha was to bring you back to Kumogakure with me.
The position of Raikage’s wife has been sitting vacant for far too long.” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
With Anko, A had settled on a completely different approach.
She was bold, lively, and impossible to catch with subtlety.
So he went straight for the basket.
The smile on Anko’s face froze solid.
Her feet moved without her permission, one step back, then another, until her back hit an old tree and she had nowhere left to go.
She had never imagined the Fourth Raikage would say something like that.
Out loud.
In front of everyone.
As a Konoha Special Jōnin, as Orochimaru’s former student, what scene hadn’t she witnessed?
She truly had never witnessed this scene.
“Y-You’re joking, right!?” She bit down hard, eyes darting frantically across the assembled proctors in search of backup.
Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane both shrugged in perfect unison.
Completely beyond their pay grade.
“I, I…” The words fell apart in Anko’s mouth.
All her usual fire guttered out.
“You lot brief the examinees on the rules!
Hokage-sama needs me for something.
I have to go!” The last word hadn’t even finished leaving her lips before her figure vanished from the spot entirely.
She had used the Body Flicker Technique to bolt.
[Running away from me?
You have no idea how fast a Raikage can move…] A stared at the space where she’d been, a peculiar look crossing his face.
He turned to Tenten.
His expression softened.
He gave a small, easy wave.
“Stay safe.
Don’t let yourself get hurt.”
Then his figure was gone too.
Tenten had been watching the whole exchange with a quiet, crestfallen look, eyes brimming with tears, and then A turned to smile at her, waved, and told her to be careful.
Her heart did something it had absolutely no business doing.
[He…
he’s worried about me?
But he clearly said he came here to find that examiner…
Still.
Whatever the reason.
I’m happy.] Her face went scarlet.
She started fiddling with a kunai without noticing, which was enough to make Neji Hyūga and Rock Lee, standing right beside her, exchange a look of profound discomfort.
(So this is what a lovesick brain looks like.
Terrifying.)
At the very back of the crowd, in the group of examinees standing farthest from the gates, a woman in a bamboo hat extended a long, crimson tongue and let it drag slowly across her lips.
“Heheh…
The Fourth Raikage turning up in Konoha.
How delightful.” A quiet pause.
“I hope he won’t get in the way of the plan…
And Anko.” Her voice dropped to something almost like warmth.
“It’s been a long time.”
➤ Next: Engagement — A’s Bouquet Offensive
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