Kurenai Yuhi's current residence was small. She had moved out of her family home after turning twenty, as her father had joined the matchmaking campaign. Her new apartment was right next to her friend Akado.
Although she lived alone, her apartment was fully equipped to host guests, and she could serve tea or snacks when needed.
"This is the first time I've seen someone offer beer to guests instead of tea,"
Hyuga Kiyo decisively pushed the beer aside. This time, she would not fall for Kurenai's trick.
"Tea is for guests. Kiyo, you're my friend, so it's fine to be casual,"
Kurenai said with a warm smile.
"Twisted logic…"
Kiyo ignored Kurenai's nonsense, poured herself a glass of water, and sat across from her. After looking around, she sighed.
"Did you invite me here just to show off your messy apartment? If you're hoping I'll clean it for you, forget it—I won't."
Kurenai's face showed a hint of mock anger. "It's only been a week since I cleaned, and are you seriously claiming you have no feminine sense?"
"So, what exactly is it you want?"
"To be honest, I didn't know how to start. You were curious earlier why the Hyuga Clan and you weren't participating in this war, right?"
Kurenai scratched her slightly curled hair. Honestly, she didn't know how Kiyo would react after hearing about Hyuga Mirai, but she assumed Kiyo felt the same way she did.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be so determined to reform the Hyuga Clan and send people to investigate everywhere—it wasn't the behavior of someone just dealing with a rogue ninja.
"You know some inside information?"
Kiyo furrowed her brow slightly. She had her suspicions but couldn't be certain—it seemed almost impossible. Tsunade was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, and the Senju had sacrificed hundreds of lives to stabilize Konoha.
"You should have guessed, Kiyo. Tsunade wants you and the Hyuga Clan to cooperate with the Aburame and Inuzuka clans to stabilize Konoha. Whatever happens, you must side with her, even… if she wants to merge Konoha with the Sand Federation!"
Kurenai's tone hardened slightly on the last sentence, and she nervously glanced at Kiyo, fearing she would react angrily.
Surprisingly, Kiyo remained calm, only occasionally sipping her water.
"I guessed wrong. Tsunade's relationship with him must be closer than I thought. Giving up Konoha doesn't matter to her, and Kurenai, you've met him too, right?"
Kurenai tilted her head slightly, avoiding Kiyo's gaze. "Yes, but it's for peace. The ninja world must unify to end wars…"
Though deceiving her friend made Kurenai feel guilty, she trusted her judgment.
"Why would Tsunade and you assume I'd lead the entire Hyuga Clan to her side if…"
Kiyo's words were cut off by Kurenai.
"Kiyo, this is what I mentioned before. Tsunade has made arrangements. You'll need to make a small sacrifice to calm potential resistance in Konoha and accelerate the merger."
Kurenai said this with some embarrassment—after all, she was a woman.
Although ninjas typically had monogamous relationships, it was only because their power and status were roughly equal. In the wider ninja world, nobles, daimyo, and merchants often had multiple wives, which was normal. Even commoners could take multiple wives if they had the opportunity.
After a brief hesitation, Kurenai decisively said, "Kiyo, Tsunade wants you and me to represent Konoha and the Sand Federation in a political marriage. It would reduce resistance to the merger."
Crack!
Before Kurenai could finish, Kiyo crushed her water glass and stood up.
"You… what are you saying? Marriage? Together? Do you even realize what you're saying?"
Kurenai noticed that Kiyo's expression, though still relatively composed, was beginning to falter. She relaxed slightly and continued.
"Kiyo, this is the best solution. If you refuse, I'll have to represent Konoha alone. My parents have pressured me multiple times, and I'm already twenty-six…"
Byakugan!
The veins along Kiyo's temples bulged as she glared at Kurenai. She could not believe her 'best friend' had said such a thing. Representing Konoha alone?
"Kiyo, don't look at me like that. There's no other choice…"
Kurenai emphasized her final words, but Kiyo still could not accept it—not because of what Kurenai said, but for other reasons.
"I'm leaving!"
Kiyo stormed toward the door, her mind buzzing, needing space to think.
"Kiyo, decide quickly. Time is short,"
Kurenai called after her, but Kiyo did not respond. She walked home, lost in thought, forgetting even to reach her door.
…
"Amazing. The Sand Federation actually has trains like this. I've only seen them in the Land of Snow…"
A Iwa ninja whispered to a companion. They had passed the second-stage exam and were taking a train to the Federation capital.
Of the fifty-five teams in the second stage, only ten passed. The pass rate was slightly lower than normal, but given the exam's competitiveness, it was understandable.
Other villages' Genin admired the luxurious train, including Konoha's Ino and Sakura. It was their first time on such a lavish train, with wide seats for reclining, fruit and snacks served, and a TV looping highlights of the first and second exams, featuring Uchiha Sasuke prominently.
After a while, Shikamaru and Kiba returned. Their wounds from the second exam had worsened, and although treated, they might be unable to participate in the third stage.
"Shikamaru, Kiba, how are you?"
Ino and the others asked, concerned since the injuries were sustained protecting teammates and might affect the third exam.
"We're okay. The medical car on the train treated us…"
Shikamaru rubbed his shoulder and whispered to Choji.
"The treatment machine on the train helped us barely recover. But strenuous activity could reopen the wounds. Also, the teachers didn't follow—they returned to the village."
Shikamaru felt uneasy. The lead instructors hadn't accompanied them for the final exam? If there was an urgent mission, what could be more important than the allied Chunin exam?
"Medical machine? You mean the one from our hospital?"
Sakura was surprised when Shikamaru nodded. "Those machines cost hundreds of millions of ryo. I never thought the Sand Federation would put one on a train…"
She had interned at Konoha Hospital and knew their value. Only medical Chunin could operate them.
The lack of supervising teachers left the freshly graduated Genin unsure.
"Don't overthink it. Maybe they're just running late," Shikamaru comforted them, though he recalled his father's words before the exam and felt uneasy.
Meanwhile, Naruto's group felt comfortable. For them, the third-stage exam felt like returning home.
Uchiha Sasuke eagerly anticipated the third-stage individual matches, ready to face Gaara and Naruto.
Previously, when his Sharingan was not fully developed, Sasuke often struggled to stand against the two due to Chakra depletion. Now, with his three-tomoe Sharingan, his strength had grown significantly.
(End of Chapter)