“Mm!” A soft hand slipped into his palm, and the owner of the voice spoke gently once more.
“It’s me, Kurenai Yuhi.
I’m here.” “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to see me?” Kazuki’s voice quavered with choked emotion, as if he had suffered immense grievance.
Kurenai Yuhi froze.
When had she ever said she didn’t want to see him?
She had clearly wanted to beat him to death!
Kazuki was the very first person in the Ninja World to publicly declare his intention to establish a harem of three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines.
At the time, Kurenai didn’t understand what that meant.
What palaces, what courtyards, what seventy-two…
Once she understood, her door was never opened for Kazuki again.
What had once been a burning romance came to an abrupt halt.
*Get as far away from me as you can!* “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Kazuki sniffled.
“Do you know you were wrong?” The corner of Kurenai’s eye twitched.
Good grief!
*My fault?
Where was I wrong?
Should I not have stood in the way of your grand dream?
Believe it or not, I’ll beat you to death with a stick!* Yet!
Looking at Kazuki’s intentionally raised hands, his intentionally covered eyes, and the faint sobs he let out from time to time, Kurenai felt a profound sense of helplessness from the bottom of her heart.
This guy—even with his eyes gouged out, why did it feel like it had turned into his weapon instead?
Striking her so hard she was caught completely off guard, utterly unable to resist!
“Fine, fine, fine!” Kurenai said helplessly.
“I was wrong, okay?” Kazuki’s voice held a tearful tone.
“Do you sound very reluctant?” Kurenai: “…” *Enough already!
Push me too far, and I’ll hang you up and beat you!* “No!” Kurenai grasped Kazuki’s hand firmly, her clear and elegant voice laced with determination as she said, “Kazuki, I truly know from the bottom of my heart that I was wrong.
Please forgive me.” *I shouldn’t have damn well met you in the first place!
No, I should’ve beaten you to death with a stick back when you were courting me!* Kazuki nodded in satisfaction.
During their conversation, the people walking into the ward one after another watched the two of them, rendered speechless and choked with exasperation.
What were they supposed to say?
Back then, Kazuki’s pursuit of Kurenai Yuhi had been grand and noisy, becoming known to practically all of Konoha.
However!
Not a single person favored them.
Kurenai Yuhi was a full six years older than Kazuki.
Their personalities couldn’t be linked together no matter how one looked at it.
Or rather, with Kazuki’s crazy, eccentric nature, who could stand him?
Not to mention Kurenai Yuhi, who was pursued by countless young ninjas.
Furthermore, many people knew that Kurenai Yuhi was the daughter-in-law Hiruzen Sarutobi had his eye on, intending for her to marry his second son, Asuma.
Could this be considered having his prize poached?
At this moment, Kurenai Yuhi was not even twenty-two years old, just an ordinary Special Jonin specializing in Genjutsu.
Aside from being pretty and having a good figure, there was nothing particularly outstanding about her.
However!
Her father was Shinku Yuhi, known as the Red Sunset of Konoha, a Jonin who was one of the two best Genjutsu ninjas of his era before dying during the Night of the Nine-Tails.
His Genjutsu was said to be impossible to copy even for the Sharingan.
If it were only that, it wouldn’t matter much—after all, dead was dead, and even the greatest ninja dies eventually.
The problem was that he had another critical identity: a Konoha ninja instructor.
He was responsible for guiding Konoha’s Chunin and Genin.
God only knew how many people had received his favors.
Moreover, among those ninjas, many had already been promoted to Jonin.
That was potential political capital!
If they were asked to die for Kurenai Yuhi, that would be impossible, but under many circumstances, they wouldn’t mind lending Kurenai a hand.
If one were competing for the position of Hokage, this support was by no means small, even stronger than some ninja clans.
Therefore, at the top, there was Asuma continuously approaching Kurenai under the Hokage’s subtle hints, and at the bottom, there was the admiration of countless ordinary ninjas.
Yet, Kurenai Yuhi was won over by Kazuki, a brat whom many saw as unserious and improper.
God knew how many people’s jaws dropped in shock back then.
At this very moment, quite a few people intentionally or unintentionally looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, making his face darken completely.
*What are you looking at!
It’s not like anything happened between Kurenai and me!* A brief silence fell over the ward.
“Kazuki!
What exactly happened?” Kurenai couldn’t help asking.
These words perked everyone up.
If possible, they definitely didn’t want to deal with Kazuki.
He was a tormenting little devil!
He could make you feel helpless and broken from body to soul.
Every single person present—who among them hadn’t endured that pain?
The pain inflicted by Kazuki!
However, this incident was simply too big.
From the top—the Konoha F4, the Uchiha patriarch, and the two major elders—down to the representatives of ordinary clans, almost everyone had come.
Kazuki asked a question in return instead: “Where’s my brother?” Fugaku said in a deep voice, “Shisui has already woken up, but he won’t say anything.
He’s maintained complete silence.” *Oho, my foolish big brother…
wait, no, my dear brother!
He actually didn’t say a word!
Even though he fell unconscious after drinking my tea!
It wasn’t in vain that I drained my strength to gouge out your eyes and save your life!* “Sigh!” Kazuki let out a sigh.
Where could one find a brother who cared so much for his younger brother!
“There’s no need to sigh!” Danzo’s sinister voice sounded, saying, “Speak whatever you know!
Don’t even think about lying, let me tell you—” The moment Danzo’s voice rang out, Kazuki’s body began to tremble violently.
His expression turned into one of horror, cutting Danzo’s words off mid-sentence.
“Hmm?” This scene drew the gazes of many to Danzo.
The Uchiha high-ranking elders had especially sharp glares.
*Good grief!
It really was you!
Danzo Shimura!
You have nerve, daring to charge into the core area of our Uchiha clan grounds and harm our clan’s geniuses!
This matter with you will not rest until one of us is dead!* Danzo: “…” *Looking at your reaction, could it really have been me?
The problem is, why don’t I have any memory of it at all?
Hiruzen, what on earth did you do?* “Ahem!” Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a dry cough and glared at Danzo.
*I told you not to come in the first place.
You just had to come!
Now, are you satisfied?
Dammit, don’t you have any idea what you’ve done yourself?
Do you really take everyone else for fools!* Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head with a face full of smiles, preparing to speak, but suddenly froze.
Many people’s eyes landed on him.
Because upon hearing his voice, Kazuki trembled even more violently.
“Heh heh!” Setsuna Uchiha let out a cold laugh.
That single cold laugh was worth a thousand words.
It was practically pointing right at Hiruzen Sarutobi’s nose and cursing: *It was the two of you.* Although Kazuki hadn’t said a word, his expression said everything.
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face turned green.
On the side, Danzo’s eyes held a bit more disdain.
*Hiruzen, don’t you have any idea what you’ve done yourself?* “What on earth is going on?” Homura Mitokado couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Kazuki Uchiha, speak up!
Stop trembling like that and tell us everything you know!
Let me tell you, don’t play tricks!” And so, the trembling on Kazuki became even more intense.
As Kurenai squeezed his hand, he couldn’t help mumbling softly in a low voice, “Scared…” Homura Mitokado: “…” The Uchiha members’ eyes grew even sharper.
*Good grief, so you’re involved too.
Out of the four of you, only one is left!* Koharu Utatane sensed the subtle glances coming her way and couldn’t take it anymore.
She stepped forward and said angrily, “What is the meaning of this?
Kazuki Uchiha, are you trying to say that all of this was done by Hiruzen, Danzo, and Homura?” Kazuki’s response was to pull the blanket over his head, hiding completely underneath it.
Konoha F4: “…” *He didn’t say a single word, yet the spears were aimed directly at us.
Holy crap!
You can even play it like this?!*