"Hehe…" Kirito smiled foolishly.
In the soft afterglow of the setting sun, the two figures—one tall, one small—stood together in a strangely peaceful harmony.
As dusk fell, the theme stalls of the campus festival closed, and the long-awaited bonfire party began.
Kirito leaned against a large tree while Mitarashi Anko lay lazily on a branch above him, watching students clean up their stalls.
"Kirito! Anko!" Iruka's voice echoed from a hundred meters away. "The bonfire party's starting at the north training ground—come join us!"
Kirito called back, "Okay, Iruka-sensei! We'll be there soon!"
"Then hurry up!"
After Iruka left, Kirito stretched and said, "Sister Anko, I'm heading to the bonfire party."
Silence.
"Huh?" Kirito frowned and looked up—just in time for a drop of saliva to land on his forehead.
Mitarashi Anko had fallen asleep!
Kirito sighed deeply, focused chakra into his right leg, lifted it slightly, and kicked the tree trunk hard.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Anko, who had been comfortably lying on her back, woke with a scream and hugged the trunk like her life depended on it.
Trying not to laugh, Kirito put on a mock-angry face. "Sister Anko, you drooled on me!"
"Huh? My drool?" Anko mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Of course! If you don't believe me, smell it yourself!"
Anko rubbed the corner of her mouth sleepily, then pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping Kirito's forehead. "Sorry, I was dreaming about barbecue."
The wiping left his hair sticking up in all directions.
"Are you doing this on purpose, Sister Anko?!"
"…" Anko smiled sheepishly, pretending innocence.
The two made their way to the training ground, where the blazing bonfire illuminated the night like daylight.
"Kirito! Kirito! Over here!"
Ino's cheerful voice rang out. Kirito turned and saw her waving with a bright smile.
He grinned and waved back. "Be careful, Ino! Don't break your arm!"
"Let's go over there," Kirito said, pointing toward Ino and the others. "What do you think, Sister Anko?"
"Sure," Anko replied casually.
As they walked closer, Ino's expression darkened. She clenched her fists, clearly unhappy.
Shikamaru noticed and muttered, "Women really are troublesome."
Before Kirito could even greet them, Ino pulled him aside and whispered sharply, "Kirito, who's that woman?"
"Oh," Kirito said with a smile, "I forgot to introduce you. This is Konoha's Special Jōnin, Mitarashi Anko. We were assigned to maintain order during the festival, so we came together."
"Really…" Ino said calmly, then stepped in front of Kirito and smiled sweetly at Anko. "Hello, I'm Kirito's best friend—Yamanaka Ino. Please take care of me."
Anko smirked inwardly. So this little girl's showing off, huh? The words "best friend" were clearly a challenge.
She patted Ino's head and said with a teasing smile, "Oh, the Yamanaka clan's eldest daughter! What a coincidence—I'm Kirito's best sister."
Kirito almost fell over beside Shikamaru. The tension between the two women was so thick you could cut it with a kunai.
He just wanted to relax, eat some food, and finish this mission peacefully… Was that too much to ask?
Shikamaru nudged him and whispered, "If you hadn't come, Ino would've gone out looking for you."
Kirito scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah, I had to help pack up the stalls before coming."
Shikamaru gave him a look that said everything but said nothing aloud. Among his peers, his EQ and IQ were unmatched.
Soon, all twenty-five students of Class S gathered around the fire. Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino had saved a seat for Kirito—but not for Anko.
Noticing this, Anko decided to have some fun. She dodged Ino and sat right beside Kirito, leaning closer with a grin. "Little Kirito, let's sit together!"
Kirito's face went pale. "…"
"Hey! That's my seat!" Ino shouted, grabbing Anko's sleeve. "Get up, Anko-senpai! You can't bully students like this!"
"Oh?" Anko feigned surprise. "But I don't have anywhere else to sit! Shouldn't students respect their seniors?"
"You…" Ino fumed, tugging harder. "No! That's my seat! Find your own!"
Kirito watched helplessly as the two argued and thought to himself, Women really are such trouble…
He quickly said in a placating tone, "Thank you, Miss Ino, for saving me a seat. Please, come sit."
The bonfire's light made Ino's face blush red as Shikamaru and Chōji scooted aside to make room.
"Hmph!" Ino sat down proudly between Kirito and Shikamaru, glaring at him. "This is all your fault, Kirito!"
Kirito gave a sheepish smile. "It's my fault, it's my fault. Don't be mad, okay?"
"…" Ino looked away, cheeks still pink.
Anko leaned close to Kirito's ear and whispered with a grin, "Your girlfriend?"
Kirito's heart skipped a beat. "We're just friends!"
Ino caught sight of them whispering and instantly snapped, "What are you two talking about?!"
"…" Kirito and Anko both went silent.
Under the starlit sky, Iruka busied himself roasting a suckling pig as laughter and chatter filled the field.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke was surrounded by squealing fangirls.
Sakura sat nearby, eyes shining. "Wow, Sasuke-kun is so handsome!"
The group of girls erupted in giggles and whispers. Sasuke, looking mildly annoyed, raised his head and noticed Kirito.
Kirito… that outsider? He's close with Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino. Interesting.
Sakura suddenly realized Ino wasn't among Sasuke's fans. After glancing around, she saw her sitting with Kirito—and smirked. Perfect.
Kirito, on the other hand, could feel Ino's gaze burning beside him.
When music started and students began dancing, Ino's eyes brightened. She grabbed Kirito's hand. "Come on, let's dance!"
"Ah?! I don't know how!"
"Then learn!" she snapped. "Get up!"
After being dragged for a while, Kirito finally gave in. With so many people watching, he couldn't refuse.
As the two joined the crowd, Anko stood up, stretched, and said to Shikamaru and Chōji, "I'm getting old—time to head back. Tell Kirito to pick up my reward from Iruka later."
Shikamaru nodded. "Got it."
Leaving the school, Mitarashi Anko went straight to the Novel Store, planning to submit Kirito's manuscript for him first.
End of the chapter.