After the vendor's call, passersby around them turned to look at Hinata.
Feeling the attention, Hinata shyly hid behind Feng An.
Everyone saw Hinata, now wearing cat ears, peeking her head out from behind Feng An.
A man subconsciously exclaimed, "So, so cute!"
"What did you say?!"
The man was immediately yanked by the ear by the woman accompanying him.
He winced in pain and begged for mercy immediately. It seemed the woman was truly fierce.
"Gege~ I want cat ears too~."
Another woman cooed to the person walking beside her.
Her companion couldn't withstand this; his face flushed, and he shouted:
"Buy them! Boss, give me ten!"
Hinata looked stunningly cute with the cat ears, and many women who had initially shown disdain now flocked to the shop.
Soon, the place was swarmed, and no one could get in or out.
Most of them were simply too old to wear this type of headband and were too embarrassed to do so alone, but now that they were gathered, their inhibitions vanished.
"Boss, I want fifteen!"
"Gege~ I want some too~."
"I want twenty!"
"I want fifty!"
Even Feng An shook his head at these people's bizarre competitive desire.
Seeing an opportunity, the shifty-eyed vendor burst into speed comparable to a Genin's, instantly fetching more varieties of headbands from his storage to sell.
"And this blue butterfly headband! Honestly priced at only one hundred ninety-eight ryō!"
"I want it!"
"I want one too!"
…
Feng An was dumbfounded.
Is this the so-called bandwagon effect?
Because they were stuck here, the other paths became much clearer.
Feng An took Hinata's hand and rushed toward Kurenai Yūhi's location.
Soon, the two saw Kurenai Yūhi and Asuma holding hands intimately.
Feng An was furious, unleashing all the frustration he'd bottled up all morning.
He formed hand signs and quickly approached the two.
"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"
The moment the genjutsu enveloped Kurenai Yūhi and Asuma, Kurenai's unique sensory abilities allowed her to instantly detect the illusion affecting her.
She quickly formed the Ram seal with both hands, disrupting her own chakra flow.
"Kai!"
Kurenai Yūhi woke up in the blink of an eye.
She swiftly turned to seek out her attacker.
Glancing back, she saw Asuma standing there dazed.
He appeared to be trapped in the genjutsu.
"What an idiot! A Jōnin can even be caught by the most basic genjutsu."
Kurenai Yūhi helplessly placed her hand on Asuma.
"Kai."
The moment his chakra flow was disrupted, Asuma regained consciousness.
He immediately pulled Kurenai into a tight embrace.
Kurenai's face warmed at his action. Although Asuma had been pursuing her for a long time, this was the first time he'd been so bold.
Has this blockhead finally come to his senses?
Feng An, hiding in the shadows, was grinding his back teeth to dust.
I'm here to cause trouble, not to help you out!
Hinata, standing beside him, watched Kurenai Yūhi and Asuma embracing, then glanced at Feng An, lowering her head shyly, lost in thought.
Then, Asuma said in a choked voice:
"Kurenai, I just saw you die suddenly."
???
Kurenai Yūhi was stunned, then broke free from his arms angrily.
"You're the one who'll die suddenly!"
I thought this blockhead had finally wised up, but it was just the genjutsu!
Asuma quickly grabbed her hand and, ignoring the passersby, looked into her eyes with deep affection.
"Kurenai…"
"Has this blockhead finally found his nerve?" Kurenai Yūhi wondered silently.
Seeing the seriousness in Asuma's eyes, her heartbeat quickened.
Then, their faces gradually drew closer.
Damn it, what are you doing in broad daylight?!
Feng An knew if he didn't jump out now, it would be too late. If they got carried away, he might not make it home tonight.
"Kurenai Yūhi, Asuma Sarutobi, what are you doing!?"
Feng An grabbed Hinata's hand and leaped out, angrily interrupting their moment.
Hinata didn't dare look at Kurenai Yūhi and muttered softly,
"Feng An, maybe this isn't a good idea…"
Feng An gnashed his teeth. "She stood me up to go on a date. This caused me a double mental blow. My pain is greater than hers!"
When Asuma heard his name, he immediately straightened up as if coming to attention.
Kurenai Yūhi frowned, turned around, and shouted angrily.
"Feng An! What are you trying to do?"
Feng An chuckled, drew a kunai, leaped up, and charged toward Kurenai Yūhi.
Before Kurenai could react, Asuma stepped in front of her.
He swiftly drew his unique chakra blades.
He suddenly leaped up and sliced Feng An in half with a single strike!
However, instead of blood, a black ink-like liquid sprayed out, and the figure instantly split into two Feng Ans.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Kurenai Yūhi's eyelashes fluttered slightly.
"Kai."
The black-inked Feng The figures emerging from the surrounding ground and buildings gradually dissolved.
The figures of Feng An and Hinata, standing not far away, became clearer.
"Feng An, you really learned it?"
Kurenai Yūhi was still a little incredulous. How long had it been?
Feng An's face was dark.
"Did you forget that today is the last day of our bet?"
Kurenai Yūhi froze.
If he hadn't mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten that today was the deadline.
Asuma looked at Kurenai Yūhi in confusion.
"What bet?"
Kurenai Yūhi explained.
"He is Feng An, my student."
"I made a bet with him last week. If he could master two genjutsu within a week, I would agree to a condition of his."
It seemed he had also used the Hell Viewing Technique earlier.
Kurenai Yūhi thought for a moment.
"You win. I keep my word. Name your condition."
Feng An glanced at the tall, sturdy Asuma Sarutobi and felt that some of the things he might say could be inappropriate.
He swallowed the words he was about to say.
"Let's talk about it later. I won't disturb you two anymore."
Feng An took Hinata's hand and turned to leave.
Hinata obediently nodded a goodbye to Kurenai Yūhi.
Kurenai Yūhi rolled her eyes at their departing backs.
You two look disgustingly cozy.
Asuma asked curiously:
"Kurenai, I remember you said it took you a month to master genjutsu, right? That kid mastered two in just a week?"
"Yeah, he's a monster. Even after all this time together, I still can't see through him. I always feel like what he shows is just the tip of the iceberg."
There was a mix of relief and a hint of loneliness in Kurenai Yūhi's eyes.
Once, she too had been a genius hailed as a powerful genjutsu user.
But now, the things she had once taken pride in had been surpassed in every way, which made her a little sad.
Asuma saw a trace of frustration in her eyes but didn't know how to comfort her.
He subconsciously took out a cigarette and was about to put it to his mouth when he remembered Kurenai Yūhi was beside him.
He carefully tucked the cigarette behind his ear and suppressed his restless heart.
*****
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