"Honestly, can't you get along with Jiraiya-sensei a little better, just once?"
Holding the boy's hand, Kaoru complained softly as they walked. Her tone carried more helplessness than blame, like she'd long since accepted that this was simply how he was.
Really…
Why was it that she had fallen for someone so shameless and unreliable-looking in the first place?
"Huh?"
Kyusei blinked. He was about to instinctively argue back, but the moment he met Kaoru's slightly annoyed gaze, he forcefully swallowed his words and twisted them around.
"You don't know, Kaoru. Back then, that white-haired—"
He immediately corrected himself.
"I mean, the old Jiraiya. He was always egging Tsunade-neesan on to beat me up."
"And she hit hard. Really hard."
He spoke with such sincerity it sounded like a childhood grievance that had been festering for years.
"And whose fault do you think that was?"
Kaoru shot him a look, clearly unimpressed.
"If you behaved yourself properly, Jiraiya-sensei wouldn't have done that."
That answer caught Kyusei completely off guard.
Kaoru was usually gentle, accommodating, the kind of girl who rarely got upset. Seeing her show a hint of irritation like this was… rare.
And somehow—
It was ridiculously cute.
"W-what's wrong?"
Noticing him staring without speaking, Kaoru immediately panicked.
Had she said something too harsh?
Did she hurt his feelings?
"I can behave, you know," Kyusei suddenly said, leaning closer with a straight face.
"Huh?"
Kaoru looked up at him, confused.
"Really…?"
She eyed him suspiciously. She knew this guy far too well—there was no way he'd say something like that without a catch.
"Of course," Kyusei declared confidently.
"Uzumaki Kyusei never goes back on his word."
Before she could react, he pulled her into a quiet corner where no one was around.
"K-Kyusei?"
Kaoru stared at him, heart beginning to race.
"Getting me to behave is actually really simple."
With a mischievous smile, Kyusei leaned down and whispered something into her ear.
Kaoru's eyes widened instantly.
Her delicate face flushed bright red.
T-This—
This guy really had no shame at all!
She almost cursed out loud.
"If you don't say anything," Kyusei chuckled softly,
"I'll take that as agreement."
He pressed her lightly against the wall.
Kaoru wanted to protest.
She wanted to scold him for acting like this.
But for some reason, alongside the embarrassment, there was also a faint, uncontrollable sense of anticipation.
Kyusei watched her, cheeks glowing like a ripe apple, and swallowed.
He casually shut out the noisy fox inside him who was clearly enjoying the show.
Kaoru closed her eyes tightly, heart pounding.
I'm his girlfriend…
This was going to happen eventually…
Didn't we even have Naruko together in the future…?
Don't be scared. Don't be scared…
Then—
Something soft pressed against her lips.
Her mind went completely blank.
It was a sensation she had never experienced before.
She froze, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, letting Kyusei guide her gently.
Kyusei smiled faintly.
He kissed her carefully, restrained, not going any further than she could bear.
One arm wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her into his warmth.
Her scent filled his senses, sweet and familiar.
Her breathing was light and uneven, brushing against his ear.
He stopped before she reached her limit.
Slowly, he pulled back.
They were still too young.
Way too young.
Kaoru opened her eyes cautiously, only to meet his gaze—one that made her feel like she might melt on the spot.
Her face turned even redder.
She instinctively licked her lips, still tasting him there.
Kyusei nearly lost control.
But he held it in.
He smiled and gently pulled her into his arms, whispering by her ear,
"See? If it's like this, I'll be good from now on~~"
"Y-you jerk…"
Kaoru muttered weakly, leaning against him, legs still a little unsteady.
Kyusei played with a strand of her golden hair, wrapping it around his finger, his expression unusually gentle.
Then, inevitably, a certain white-haired figure crossed his mind.
Jiraiya-sama…
I'll be a very obedient kid from now on~~
—
Hand in hand, the two walked along Konoha's streets.
Kaoru's face was still tinged with pink, and she avoided looking directly at Kyusei as he mischievously traced circles on her palm.
"Hey, brat!"
A familiar, angry voice suddenly rang out.
Jiraiya appeared right in front of them, glaring daggers at Kyusei.
"J-Jiraiya-sensei?!"
Kaoru panicked instantly.
For some reason, being caught right now made her feel like she'd been doing something terribly improper.
"Oh, Jiraiya-sama. Long time no see."
Kyusei greeted him with a sunny smile.
Jiraiya almost jumped.
"What's with that tone, brat?! Did you eat something bad?!"
Kyusei looked wounded.
"Wow… Jiraiya-sama saying something like that really hurts."
"Enough nonsense," Jiraiya snapped.
"Let go of Kaoru. Right now."
"That won't do, Jiraiya-sama," Kyusei replied calmly.
"It's getting late. We need to go home and cook."
"If Kaoru gets hungry, that would be terrible, wouldn't it?"
"You don't want Kaoru going hungry, do you?"
Jiraiya choked.
Kyusei smiled brightly.
Words spoken—
Must be kept.
That was his nindō.
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