Who would've thought the old man hadn't put him and Kurenai on the same team—snuffing out the first sparks of young love before they even caught!
If he'd been assigned with her, the one standing beside Kurenai training right now would be Sarutobi Asuma!
The more Asuma thought about it, the worse he felt.
"Kurenai, are you free tomorrow? I should be able to stay here for a few days," he said, after mentally rehearsing his lines.
"I'm not," Kurenai rejected him immediately.
"Oh—it's fine. No rush," Asuma said, assuming she had something important.
He had to keep his composure. He couldn't look desperate.
"What about the day after tomorrow?" he asked again.
"No."
Asuma's expression twitched. He tried once more, still clinging to hope.
"Then… the day after that?"
"Still no."
Kurenai shut him down three times in a row.
That left Asuma completely at a loss.
What kind of business took three full days? A major recon assignment?
"Kurenai, are you going out on missions?" he asked, confused.
"No. I'm training with Kiyohara," she said as if it were obvious.
Training with a genius meant better efficiency.
Asuma felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
His expression collapsed in a single second, almost turning into a "pain mask."
So the reason she had no time… was Kiyohara?
"Ahem. Kurenai, I've learned quite a few new jutsu," Asuma said, pulling his hand out of his pocket like he was about to show off.
"The Sarutobi clan is a great clan. Our Fire Release isn't inferior to the Uchiha's."
He said it with pride.
Even though he had more talent in Wind Release, he still knew the Sarutobi family's inherited Fire Release.
"And how's your genjutsu been since graduation?" Kurenai asked.
"Uh… well…" Asuma scratched his head.
Genjutsu wasn't his strong suit.
"Then does Kiyohara know it?" Asuma asked, pointing at Kiyohara.
He'd heard Kiyohara had Magnet Release now, but that had nothing to do with genjutsu.
"Of course he does," Kurenai said.
She then listed off what Kiyohara could do and emphasized that he learned extremely fast.
Asuma immediately insisted he could do it too.
So Kurenai recited the same D-rank beginner genjutsu from earlier—the one Kiyohara had learned.
Asuma listened once and still looked completely blank.
Kurenai repeated it several more times.
He finally understood it… but still couldn't cast it.
"Asuma, everyone has different strengths," Kiyohara said, shaking his head.
According to the databook, Asuma's chakra natures were Fire and Wind.
That was a long way from the Yin chakra emphasis needed for genjutsu, and Asuma had never shown any aptitude for it.
So yes—he really wasn't built for genjutsu.
That was normal. Every shinobi had a specialization.
Someone like Kiyohara—an "all-rounder" stacked with multiple future selves—was the rare exception.
"We'll get going, Asuma," Kurenai said with a wave as she walked forward.
Asuma wanted to invite her out, but he couldn't do genjutsu.
Sticking with Kiyohara meant she could at least discuss genjutsu techniques now and then.
"See you next time, Asuma," Kiyohara added.
Honestly, Asuma was a decent guy.
It was just that right now he was a rebellious youth—of course he'd do dumb things for love.
He was far more rebellious than most shinobi.
Only after leaving the village and "marinating" for a few years would he become the mature man he later was.
Asuma was left standing there alone.
He wanted to chase them, but didn't know what to say.
His chest felt tight; irritated, he raked a hand through his already messy hair.
"No. I need to learn some genjutsu too," he thought.
If he really tried, surely he'd get somewhere.
"I can't let Kiyohara be with Kurenai every day."
The more Asuma thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
If only he had Kiyohara's face—then he wouldn't have to worry like this.
...
Ten days passed.
On the other side of the camp, new reinforcements arrived.
A neat formation of Uchiha—each wearing the clan's fan crest—marched in, led by the sharp-eyed Uchiha Yakumi.
"They finally came," Nara Kashitan muttered, hurrying over to coordinate.
Mist's invasion of this sector was inevitable, and to prevent the enemy from cutting too deeply into Land of Fire, Konoha's leadership had dispatched a batch of Uchiha to bolster the defense.
While the two leaders were negotiating, one Uchiha among the group stood out—smaller, younger-looking, with a gentler gaze than Yakumi's hawk-like stare.
That was Uchiha Shisui.
"Tekka-nii, this front-line atmosphere really is different. With your ability, you'll definitely earn merit here," Shisui said sincerely.
Uchiha Tekka's mouth curved upward, clearly pleased. He patted Shisui's shoulder.
"Hearing you say that makes me feel good, Shisui."
Then his tone shifted—he deliberately put on a stern face.
"But talk is cheap. If you don't show some real support, I won't be happy."
Shisui blinked his clear eyes, genuinely puzzled.
"Support? What kind of support do you need, Tekka-nii?"
He truly respected Tekka.
Since Shisui's father's old injury had flared up again and a chronic leg condition left him disabled, much of the family burden had fallen onto Shisui despite his age.
Tekka, as a clan elder-brother, had helped him in countless ways, openly and quietly. Shisui never forgot that kindness.
Tekka saw Shisui still didn't get it and stopped dancing around the point. He lowered his voice, expression turning serious.
"It's about Kiyohara."
"Losing to him in the last chūnin exam has been stuck in my throat. Now I hear he has a kekkei genkai—heh, honestly, it makes me feel a bit better. Losing to a bloodline user isn't that shameful, right?"
Tekka sounded like he was asking Shisui, but also like he was convincing himself.
Then his tone hardened into the Uchiha's familiar pride.
"But Uchiha honor can't be slighted. Shisui, I can tell you'll become someone great—one of the clan's pillars. Help me—help the Uchiha—and beat him head-on once. How about it?"
He stared at Shisui with burning expectation.
Shisui's brows drew together slightly. By nature, he disliked pointless conflict and preferred persuasion over fighting.
But seeing the rare plea in Tekka's eyes—and remembering how Tekka had cared for him—Shisui found it hard to refuse.
After a moment's thought, he nodded.
"I understand, Tekka-nii. If it's just a spar, then we'll keep it to a clean match."
"Good—deal!"
Tekka's mood brightened instantly. He slapped Shisui's back with force, satisfied.