"You shouldn't deceive the people who care about you."
"You shouldn't deceive kaoru, who loves you."
"Be honest."
"Be honest with the girl whose world revolves entirely around you."
"That's the best choice—for her, for you, and for Naori as well."
"If you keep deceiving her like this… isn't kaoru just too pitiful?"
Senju Hashirama's heavy voice echoed beside Kyusei's ear.
Kyusei remained silent, unsure how to respond.
"Boy…"
Kyusei looked up at Hashirama, his gray-brown eyes meeting those deep black pupils.
"Only someone who dares to take responsibility for what he's done can be called a real man."
"Don't betray those who treat you with sincerity."
"No matter how this ends, you must have the courage to bear the consequences."
Facing Hashirama's profound gaze, Kyusei let out a long sigh.
Maybe he really was too greedy.
He wanted kaoru… and he wanted Naori too.
Hashirama was right.
He rehung the necklace around his neck, then brought the cigarette he'd just put away back to his lips.
With a flick, the lighter sparked to life.
The weak, flickering flame cast Kyusei's face into shadow and light.
Hashirama and Sarutobi Hiruzen watched quietly, neither saying a word.
In the end, the flame never touched the cigarette.
Kyusei spat it out, and in the next instant, vanished from where he stood.
As Kyusei disappeared, Hashirama's clone dispersed as well.
Hiruzen looked at the lighter and cigarette case left on the ground, chuckled softly, bent down, and picked them up. He smoothly drew out a cigarette, lit it with practiced ease, took a deep drag, and exhaled a pale blue cloud of smoke.
"Heh… guess this old man benefits."
"Wasting things isn't a good habit…"
—
Kyusei appeared outside kaoru's house, standing before the tightly shut door for a long while.
After a fierce internal struggle, he finally raised his hand and knocked.
"I'm coming!"
Moments later, the door opened. A girl in a nightdress stood there, towel in hand, wiping her still-damp hair.
"Huh?"
"Kyusei… why are you—"
Seeing him, kaoru's cheeks flushed slightly.
This jerk… don't tell me he wants more?
Looking at the clearly just-showered girl before him, Kyusei's expression turned complicated. He didn't know how to begin.
"kaoru…"
"Hm? What are you doing?"
Just as Kyusei finally gathered his courage, kaoru suddenly grabbed him and dragged him inside.
She poked her head out the door, looked left and right, then quickly shut it.
"So… what do you want to do?"
Kyusei asked stiffly, watching the suspicious-looking girl.
"You bad guy, still pretending?"
She lunged forward, pinning Kyusei down on the sofa.
With kaoru so close, Kyusei swallowed hard.
She smelled faintly of soap and steam; her warm breath brushed directly against his face.
Kyusei panicked, staring at kaoru as if she were about to devour him—but Hashirama's words echoed in his mind. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to push her away.
kaoru looked at him in confusion.
Meeting her puzzled gaze, Kyusei spoke in a low voice.
"kaoru, there's something I need to tell you."
"…Okay. I'm listening."
She slipped off her slippers, revealing her delicate, pale feet, then sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking at him.
Faced with her bright smile, Kyusei opened his mouth—only to find that all the carefully prepared words in his mind refused to come out.
"What is it? Didn't you say you had something to tell me?"
kaoru leaned closer, her clear eyes fixed on him.
"I… I…"
Kyusei clenched his teeth. In the end, he forced the words out.
"Do you remember what happened with Naori some time ago…"
Under Kyusei's halting explanation, everything was finally laid bare.
The smile on kaoru's face gradually faded, until it became as still as dead water.
Her golden bangs fell, shadowing her eyes. Kyusei couldn't see her expression.
kaoru moved.
She stood up, barefoot, and walked into the bedroom.
Kyusei wanted to stop her, wanted to say something—anything—but in the end, he couldn't utter a single word.
Not long after, kaoru came back out.
She was now dressed in combat gear.
Kyusei's scalp instantly went numb.
What… what was she planning to do?!
"kaoru…"
He stammered.
"Come with me. Now."
Without giving him a choice, she yanked him to his feet. Her grip was frighteningly strong, and Kyusei, wracked with guilt, didn't resist.
In a flash of Flying Thunder God, the two vanished.
The world blurred, and Kyusei found himself in an open field. Looking around, he realized they were at Training Ground No. 3.
Before he could even ask—
A Flying Thunder God kunai shot toward him with killing intent!
Holy—!
Kyusei dropped into a crouch on instinct, barely dodging it.
The very next second, a vicious roundhouse kick tore through the air and sent him flying.
Kyusei didn't dare fight back at all, crashing heavily to the ground.
As he struggled up, he met a pair of blue eyes filled with tears.
"Do you remember what I told you before?!"
"If you dare abandon me—"
"I'll kill you!"
"Get up! Only one of us is leaving here today!"
Her tearful roar made Kyusei's scalp go numb—and even Hashirama, inside the necklace, felt his scalp tingle.
This girl… she really does resemble Mito.
"Wait—!"
"kaoru, listen to me!"
Just as Kyusei tried to explain, she snapped back furiously:
"Explain my ass!"
"You two-timing bastard!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
A storm of shuriken flooded toward him. Kyusei's face turned green.
He hastily summoned Adamantine Sealing Chains to block the barrage. Just as he was about to beg—
A golden flash.
kaoru appeared right in front of him, a swirling blue Rasengan already formed in her hand.
She's trying to kill me!
Kyusei dodged in desperation. The Rasengan smashed into the ground, blasting out a crater deep enough to bury him whole.
"You scumbag, you still dare to dodge?!"
Seeing him flee, kaoru was furious. Another golden flash—she was on him again.
"Spiral Heavenly Light—Extreme Piercing Flash!"
Hearing that ridiculously chuuni yet oddly cute technique name, Kyusei didn't feel like laughing at all.
A kick, so fast he couldn't even react, slammed straight into his abdomen.
Kyusei's eyes nearly rolled back as he was sent flying.
At the same time, deep inside him, the Nine-Tails felt as if its own stomach had just been kicked by a Susanoo.
…Hey, what the hell does this have to do with me?!
To Read advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146