Located at the bustling intersection of Konoha's western district, this area had become a haven for merchants—a place countless businesspeople dreamed of setting foot in.
Inside the lavishly adorned office of Konoha's Foreign Trade Department, Kurenai Yuhi—now known across the Land of Fire as the "Red Queen"—handled daily transactions that ranged from millions to hundreds of millions of ryo. And today, she had just concluded a deal worth trillions with none other than Konoha's Assistant Hokage, Uchiha Hikaru.
At the moment, Kurenai sat slumped in her chair, utterly exhausted. Her black-and-red kimono was wrinkled beyond recognition, her long dark hair damp with sweat. Her legs dangled weakly to the side, quivering slightly. Though her mind resisted the truth, her body clearly wasn't obeying her commands anymore.
The deal was over. She knew it.
But even then, her crimson eyes remained locked onto Uchiha Hikaru. Stubbornly, she extended a provocative invitation.
"This doesn't count. Let's stop here for today," she said hoarsely, voice laced with defiance. "I'll settle the score with you after the Chunin Exams."
With that, she reached into her drawer and pulled out two special military ration pills. She popped them into her mouth and bit down with a sharp crunch, crunch.
Uchiha Hikaru watched her chewing and instinctively crossed his legs, a shiver running up his spine.
Tch. He hadn't expected Kurenai to become this competitive in just three short years.
But strangely, it didn't disgust him. In fact, it stirred something in him—something he'd never felt before.
"Tell me what you really want," he said, folding his arms. "Don't tell me you just missed me."
"I came because I wanted to see you."
"If that were true," Kurenai shot back, "you would've shown up at my house at night—not in my office first thing in the morning."
The pills worked quickly. Though she still felt weak, her body began to recover. She sat up straighter in her chair, regaining her usual poise.
Her words made Uchiha Hikaru rub the bridge of his nose.
Though her current queenly demeanor suited her... he couldn't help but miss the gentler Kurenai from the past.
Ahem. He cleared his throat. "Well, there's something I wanted to talk about. Whether or not you're interested is up to you. If not, I'll find someone else."
Kurenai leaned back in her chair, one hand resting on her thigh, the other playing with a lock of her hair.
"Let's hear it first. Does it involve Anko?"
Uchiha Hikaru finally got to the point. "It's about the Chunin Exams."
"I've already asked Anko and Hayate to be the proctors for the second and third rounds."
"That just leaves the written exam. I was thinking—"
"I'll do it," Kurenai interrupted.
Hikaru blinked, momentarily surprised by how fast she responded.
With that, all three examiner slots were officially filled.
But Kurenai wasn't finished.
"However—" she added with a wry smile, "if I'm going to proctor the written test, the difficulty will be higher than usual."
"There are a lot more applicants this time. We need a harsher screening process."
Hikaru nodded in agreement. She was right.
Compared to the Chunin Exam from years ago, this one was shaping up to be massive. Hundreds—possibly even thousands—of Genin would be participating.
It wasn't enough to just make the second stage, the Forest of Death, more difficult.
Kurenai's approach fit perfectly into his plan.
"No problem. If more Genin get eliminated early, that's fine. The five great nations are watching. This exam is as much about politics as it is skill."
"If it's too easy, it won't have the right impact."
"But what kind of test are you planning to run?" he asked.
Kurenai simply smirked. "Not telling."
"I'll submit it to Tsunade for approval. You'll see it then. Why should I show you now~?"
Her playful gaze sparkled as she threw him a daring look, practically shouting:
(*≧▽≦)σ [Not convinced? Then come make me~]
Uchiha Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Fair enough."
"I'll just let Tsunade decide."
Then, with a slow and dangerous grin, he approached her.
Placing both hands on her arms, he leaned in and pushed her back into the chair, pinning her down gently but firmly.
"If you're going to provoke me, you'd better be ready to follow through to the end."
"Don't you dare beg for mercy later."
Only then did Kurenai realize how far she'd gone with her teasing.
This... this was serious.
Before she could react, Hikaru pressed her down against the desk, shredding her elegant black-and-red kimono with swift, practiced movements. He slid a cushion beneath her waist for support.
"You don't want people outside hearing too much, do you~?"
Kurenai gritted her teeth but refused to flinch.
"Hmph. These walls are soundproofed. They can handle noise like this."
"It won't do you any good."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.
"Well then~"
"Let's see how long that pride lasts."
"As Assistant Hokage, I need to thoroughly understand the person handling this exam."
What had started as a routine visit became... something else entirely.
The "negotiation" that was supposed to end by noon continued long into the afternoon.
Those waiting outside only saw the Hokage's assistant working "intensely" with the Red Queen behind closed doors.
Rumors swirled that a major diplomatic shift was being discussed—perhaps even changes that would shake the foundations of the ninja world.
After all, the person inside was Kurenai—the Red Queen of Konoha. Ruthless, powerful, and famous across the shinobi nations.
They weren't wrong.
After this Chunin Exam, the shinobi world would change.
But sadly for them, no one else—except Uchiha Hikaru—was privy to the true "meeting" taking place inside the office.
Women would envy Kurenai. Men would envy Hikaru.
The two of them "discussed" the Chunin Exams in... exhaustive detail.
The sound of exertion, the occasional moan, the rhythmic slap of movement—all echoed faintly within the soundproof room.
Until afternoon.
After fainting three times, Kurenai finally surrendered.
Nestled in Hikaru's arms, she wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes, her cheeks flushed and pouty.
"Why are you so insane...?" she muttered breathlessly. "You'll wear me out completely... you crazy bull..."
Hikaru sat back in the chair, peeling a fruit in his hand.
When he reached to offer her a bite, Kurenai whimpered softly again. (｡>﹏<｡)
"They say only cows die from exhaustion, not the field from being plowed," he said teasingly.
"But now I'm not so sure."
"You tapped out first, so... now that you've surrendered, tell me what you have in mind for the written exam."
Kurenai pointed weakly to a nearby cabinet.
Hikaru understood and retrieved a brand-new black-and-red kimono, handing it to her gently.
There were even some daily essentials tucked inside. Seeing them, Hikaru's expression softened.
No one truly understood how much this woman—feared and respected as the Red Queen—had endured over the past three years.
They only saw her decisiveness and power.
They never saw the price she paid behind closed doors.
…
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