The temperature around Asuka and Suikazan Fuguki seemed to drop by several degrees.
Suikazan Fuguki put down the grilled meat in his hand, stood up, and glared fiercely at Asuka.
Asuka met his gaze without fear, their killing intents constantly clashing.
"Bang!"
A cup on the table finally couldn't withstand the pressure and shattered. The moment it broke, their killing intents instantly receded, as if nothing had happened.
Suikazan Fuguki sat back down in the main seat and stuffed the grilled meat into his mouth.
"Thank you for your consideration, Jōnin Asuka. Jōnin Kenshi is in the tent next door, so I won't see you out."
Asuka thanked him expressionlessly before turning and walking out of the tent.
The moment Asuka left, Suikazan Fuguki's face darkened. His sharp teeth ground together as the roasted meat in his mouth was crushed to bits in an instant.
After exiting the main tent, Asuka turned and entered the tent beside it. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Terumi Kenshi walking toward him with a worried expression.
"What happened? Did you fight with Suikazan Fuguki?"
It was clear he had sensed the disturbance caused by the clash in the main tent.
"Of course not. Kenshi-kun, what are you thinking? Jōnin Fuguki and I just had a simple chat."
"A simple chat?"
Terumi Kenshi gave him a look that clearly said Do you think I'd believe that? But seeing that Asuka had no intention of explaining further, he chose not to pursue the matter.
"Tell me, what happened this time? Why are you in such a miserable state?"
"That's exactly what I came to report. During this patrol, we encountered a formidable Konoha ninja."
"A formidable ninja? Hearing that word from you is quite surprising."
After working together for some time, Terumi Kenshi had already realized that although Asuka was usually gentle with others, he carried a deep sense of pride. Anyone he described as formidable had to be extraordinary.
Asuka briefly described his battle with Minato Namikaze, which greatly shocked Terumi Kenshi.
"You're saying this golden-haired Konoha ninja can skillfully use space-time ninjutsu?"
After receiving Asuka's confirmation, he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Konoha truly produces geniuses! First the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha, then the White Fang, and now another ninja capable of using space-time ninjutsu has appeared!"
After a moment of amazement, Terumi Kenshi spoke again.
"I understand the situation. Don't worry—I'll relay this intelligence back to the village and have them pay closer attention to this golden-haired ninja."
"It's getting late, and you must be tired. Go back and rest. Your squad will remain in camp for the next few days and won't need to participate in patrol missions."
Asuka thanked him and turned to leave the tent.
But just before he stepped outside, Terumi Kenshi called out again.
"Oh, right. Is Mei alright? She wasn't seriously injured, was she?"
Asuka turned back and saw Terumi Kenshi's worried expression.
"Don't worry, Kenshi-kun. Mei is fine. She's just a little exhausted. A good night's sleep will fix her right up."
"That's good, that's good. Thank you for looking after her. That child has always been stubborn since she was little and rarely tells us elders when she's hurt."
From Terumi Kenshi's tone, it was easy to tell how much his family cared for Mei Terumī.
"You're too polite, Kenshi-kun. Mei and I are friends as well. It's only natural. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."
"Right, right—my head's a mess tonight. Go get some rest, Asuka-kun."
Terumi Kenshi even stood up and personally saw Asuka out of the tent.
---
By the time Asuka finished eating, night had already fallen, and faint starlight dotted the sky.
Finding a random branch on a tree in the forest beside the camp, Asuka sat down and looked up at the starry sky.
This was one of the few habits he still kept from his previous life. Back then, he enjoyed gazing at the night sky as well, though bright stars were difficult to see in the city.
"Meeting Minato Namikaze this time probably counts as my first encounter with a main character…"
"As expected, his strength is even greater than what I remember from my previous life."
"Perhaps it's only natural. After all, he's Minato Namikaze—the man Jiraiya once said no ninja could surpass in talent."
Thinking about Minato's movements when he used the Flying Thunder God Technique, Asuka couldn't help feeling a bit envious.
Then he thought about his own unlucky constitution and wondered when he would finally obtain a space-type ability.
Just as Asuka was lost in thought, Minazuki Murasaki suddenly appeared beside him and sat down.
"Captain, why aren't you resting yet?"
"I just finished eating. I'm letting the food settle. What about you? Why aren't you asleep?"
"I already slept enough on the way back… on your back."
As she said this, Minazuki Murasaki's cheeks flushed red again.
"Captain, the last time we chatted like this was when we were heading to the border, wasn't it? I can't believe so many days have passed in the blink of an eye."
"Yes… time really does pass quickly. After so many battles, many of our companions can no longer be seen."
"Yes… Captain, do you remember when we first met?"
"Of course. When we first met, you were always so cold."
Asuka's words made Minazuki Murasaki laugh softly, and her thoughts drifted back to the first time she met him.
At that time, Minazuki Murasaki had just joined the Anbu. One day, her squad leader suddenly called a meeting to introduce the newly recruited Asuka to the team.
At first, Minazuki Murasaki had little interest in this fresh graduate. The dangerous life of the Anbu left her no energy to worry about newcomers.
That was until the higher-ups assigned the two of them a mission together.
Their task was to hunt down a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village.
After several days of searching, they finally discovered the rogue ninja's trail. But just as they were about to capture him alive, they realized they had walked straight into a trap.
The rogue ninja had stolen important intelligence from the village and planned to defect to the Land of Lightning.
When Asuka and Minazuki Murasaki tracked him down, it happened to be the meeting point between him and the ninja from the Land of Lightning.
Once the enemy discovered they were being pursued, they deliberately set a trap and lured them in.
Looking at the many ninja surrounding them, Minazuki Murasaki felt a wave of despair.
Just as she prepared to fight to the death, Asuka's voice suddenly reached her ears.
Looking at the young man who seemed even younger than herself, her heart strangely calmed down.
Together, the two began to break through the encirclement.
During the escape, Minazuki Murasaki witnessed the terrifying strength of this newcomer. The enemies simply couldn't stop his charge.
But as time passed, the distance between them slowly widened.
When she saw Asuka about to break through the encirclement successfully, Minazuki Murasaki's heart sank.
Just then, a long sword stabbed toward her from her blind spot. By the time she noticed it, she realized she had no way to dodge.
"Pfft!"
Minazuki Murasaki had already closed her eyes, waiting for death.
But the expected pain never came.
Slowly opening her eyes, she discovered that at some unknown moment, Asuka—who had been on the verge of escaping—had returned to her side and blocked the fatal attack for her.
The long sword had pierced straight through his chest.
Asuka's concerned voice sounded beside her ear.
"Senpai… are you alright?"
Minazuki Murasaki looked up and saw Asuka's gentle smile.
That smile became forever etched in her heart.