Uzuki Yūgao wanted to say something but hesitated, then suppressed her doubts, deciding to wait until she saw more intelligence before making a decision.
Anko chatted with her for a while, then continued to stand guard for Nojuro Ryun.
Although having a former ANBU member like Uzuki Yūgao participating in protecting Nojuro Ryun seemed safe enough, who knew if this person might betray that trust, just like she herself had once done.
A dreamless night passed, and Ryun, with a beauty in his arms, slept well.
Perhaps because of her taijutsu training, Tenten wasn't very quiet at night and her sleeping posture wasn't great either.
As expected, the blanket on Tenten had long been kicked to the floor.
At that moment, Tenten was lying on Ryun's chest, drooling.
Ryun patted Tenten's bottom, then poked her waist, and seeing that she still didn't want to wake up, he gently pushed her aside and got up first to make breakfast.
Almost the instant Ryun left, Tenten rolled off the bed, wrapped herself completely in the blanket, and hid inside, her body turning as red as a prawn.
After such an intimate night, Tenten no longer felt she was much inferior to Anko.
Moreover, she was the first to know the source of Ryun's power; wasn't that enough?
Tenten touched the character for "sweet" on her body. This character wasn't just for hoping for a future daughter with Ryun, but also represented the sweet feeling Tenten experienced with him at this moment.
She didn't know what other girls had gained from Ryun, but she knew that everything she had obtained had exceeded the limits of her imagination.
With a sweet heart, Tenten went back to sleep, and only when Ryun reached into the blanket to check did she scream and pop her head out.
Tenten had wanted to bicker with Ryun, but seeing the apron he was wearing, she smiled happily.
"Don't just giggle, come eat."
"!"
At the dining table, a slightly tired-looking Anko glanced awkwardly at Tenten. Being caught by Tenten in her affair with Ryun still made her feel a bit guilty.
Tenten was in a great mood, as if she had forgotten yesterday's unpleasantness, chatting and laughing with them both.
Finally, Tenten said, "Anko-nee, from now on, you have to take care of Ryun's health, okay? Don't always do strange things."
Anko nodded hurriedly, saying she would never do it again.
"I told my parents yesterday I was staying at Sakura's place, so I have to go back now."
Having said that, Tenten looked at Ryun reluctantly, and said, "I'll come often from now on."
After speaking, Tenten ran off with a red face, leaving Anko looking bitter.
"Hey, maybe we should keep a bit of distance from now on..."
As soon as Anko finished speaking, Ryun rolled his eyes at her. "Can't you just pretend to drink some alcohol and come to my room at night? It's not like I'd get angry."
Anko stared at Ryun in shock. "Is that okay? But won't Tenten and the others get angry?"
Ryun continued to offer advice. "Simple. If you get caught, just do a dogeza and apologize to them, right?"
Anko's face lit up with realization. "Great idea!"
But then she caught on. "But why am I the one apologizing? Ryun, aren't you apologizing too?"
Ryun looked at Anko with a playful expression and said, "Why don't we test it out and see who breaks first?"
Ryun was very confident in his willpower, having passed the triple tests of Sakura, Ino, and Tenten, ensuring his behavior was beyond reproach.
But Anko was different. Did she have any self-control or scruples?
Anko looked at Ryun, annoyed, wanting to loudly declare she wasn't that kind of person.
But facing Ryun's face, she really couldn't bring herself to lie.
Finally, Anko left a defiant remark. "A contest it is!"
Then, lowering her head, she muttered to herself, "Hmph, just you wait. Once I 'rope in' your Sister Kurenai,
I'll see if you can still hold back then!"
The two seemed to part on bad terms, but in reality, both were already used to this way of interacting.
After all, they were destined never to be innocent or naive, so they might as well be free and easy-going.
In the days that followed, things on Ryun's side temporarily returned to their usual tranquility.
After completing their first C-rank mission, each team went back to their original pattern of D-rank missions.
That previous C-rank mission was like a mid-term assessment, allowing the supervising jōnin instructors to identify the shortcomings of the students in their respective classes.
The following period was dedicated to continuously strengthening their individual strengths and fostering their teamwork abilities in preparation for the Chūnin Exams. During this time, the improvement in Sakura and Ino's abilities gradually became conspicuous.
Naruto was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, and Sasuke was a genius of the Uchiha clan.
It wasn't strange for those two to make significant progress, but Sakura was just a girl from an ordinary family; why was she improving so much?
Kakashi felt this was related to Ryun, but couldn't be certain, so he reported the matter to the Third Hokage.
After thinking it over, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't make any decision.
With less than a month until the Chūnin Exams, Sakura's improvement, while noticeable, only reached the level of a chūnin. A chūnin of this age wasn't enough to attract the Third Hokage's serious attention.
As for Ino, she was a descendant of the Yamanaka clan to begin with, so being a bit talented didn't seem particularly strange.
It was just unfortunate for Shikamaru and Choji; Ino had now thoroughly become the big sister among the three of them.
This wasn't just a result of them indulging Ino, but also due to her overwhelming superiority in strength.
Another half-month passed in this manner. Finally, the Hokage's office announced the decision to hold a joint Chūnin Exam with Sunagakure.
Consequently, Anko sought out Yūhi Kurenai, intending to have Kurenai conduct special training for the several girls at Ryun's place.
Naturally, Kurenai disagreed at first. It wasn't that she was unwilling to instruct the female students, but that she didn't want to get close to Ryun again.
However, Anko told her that if she didn't agree, Ryun would forcefully invite her himself.
Kurenai's first reaction upon hearing this was anger: why should she be forcefully invited by an ordinary person?
But then she thought, if Ryun did forcefully invite her, could she refuse him?
If she refused him, would Ryun have the good sense to leave quietly?
If he pestered her persistently, would she be able to steel her heart and resort to force against him?
Kurenai wasn't confident she could answer all three of these questions in the affirmative.
Looking at Anko's beaming, radiantly happy face, Kurenai found herself asking, almost involuntarily, "You've been living with him lately. Is it... harmonious? I mean in daily life... and in that aspect."
As soon as she asked, she felt it was a bit inappropriate herself.
Anko flushed deeply, never expecting Kurenai to say such a thing.
Seeing Kurenai's pale, sickly-looking face, and the messy state of her house, Anko understood:
Right now, Kurenai's life had become a complete mess!
If she weren't still needed as the supervising jōnin for her students, her living conditions would probably be even worse.
Subconsciously, Kurenai also wanted someone to pull her out of this quagmire, right?
And at this moment, the only person she could rely on was probably her best friend.
So Anko simply let go, pulled Kurenai close, and whispered in her ear, starting to recount the details of her harmonious life with Ryun.
Kurenai had originally asked half in jest; she never imagined Anko would be so open, actually pulling her aside to discuss such private matters.
At first, she wanted to refuse and change the subject, but a strange warmth rising within her slowly drew her in.
At Kurenai's age, the issue of personal marriage had become something she had to consider, even something she needed to decide on quickly.
Although Sarutobi Asuma seemed like a decent choice, whenever she thought of his previous behavior, she still felt a physiological revulsion, even nausea.
But now, listening to Anko patiently and meticulously describe her experiences with Ryun, she didn't feel a similar aversion; in fact, she even felt a faint glimmer of anticipation.
This made her realize that, deep down, she had already made a choice.
Yet, several hurdles in her heart remained difficult to overcome: one was the age gap between them, and the other was Ryun's plan for a large Nojuro clan.
So, she couldn't help but probe Anko tentatively. "Are you really okay with him starting a family with so many girls? I mean, setting aside the guilt you feel for atoning that day, don't you have any other dissatisfactions yourself?"
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