Chapter 169: A New Rival and a Bold Move
Just as the atmosphere in the Hokage's office grew heavy with unspoken agreements and simmering resentment, a sharp, polite knock broke the quiet.
"Come in," Uchiha Akira said, his voice cutting through the tension.
The office door opened, and a graceful figure walked in.
The newcomer was a woman of striking beauty. She was dressed in a fitted, black Jōnin combat uniform, outlining her beautiful, mature curves. Her long, dark, and wavy hair flowed behind her, framing a face dominated by unique, captivating crimson-red eyes.
It was none of Konoha's elite, the genjutsu master, Kurenai Yūhi.
"Lord Fifth," Kurenai said respectfully, holding a stack of secured scrolls. "The intelligence summaries you requested regarding the recent movements of the other four Great Ninja Villages have been compiled."
She took two steps into the office, and her professional demeanor faltered. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the imposing blonde woman standing near the desk.
So, that's her... Kurenai's mind registered instantly. Tsunade Senju. One of the legendary Sannin.
Kurenai's eyes swept over Tsunade, taking in the dazzling golden hair, the powerful chakra signature, and the stunning, almost unbelievably voluptuous figure that made her feel, for a fleeting, painful moment, a little inferior.
Her pupils contracted slightly.
News of Tsunade's dramatic return to the village, dragged back by the Fifth Hokage himself, had already spread like wildfire throughout Konoha.
Kurenai, as one of Akira's trusted subordinates, had naturally heard about it.
For some reason she couldn't immediately place, the moment she saw Tsunade standing there, looking so familiar and at home in the Hokage's office, a strange, intense hostility surged up from the depths of her heart.
This woman… the way she's looking at Akira... Kurenai observed. It's not right. It's... possessive. And angry.
Kurenai's gaze, usually warm or professional, involuntarily became tinged with sharp scrutiny and a deep, protective wariness.
Tsunade, who had been lost in her own thoughts, also noticed the new arrival. She felt the intense gaze and looked up.
She was a bit confused. Who is this? A Jōnin? And why is she looking at me like that?
I don't think… I've ever offended her, have I?
Tsunade could clearly feel the faint, almost undisguised hostility emanating from the other party. It was perplexing. This woman was staring at her as if she were the intruder.
The two women's gazes met and locked in the air. For a long moment, it felt as if invisible electric sparks were flickering between them.
The atmosphere in the office, already tense, instantly became something far more peculiar and electrically charged.
Jiraiya, ever the observer of human nature (especially female nature), looked from Kurenai's stiff, hostile posture to Tsunade's confused, defensive glare. He keenly sensed the unusual, unspoken rivalry unfolding.
He rubbed his nose, a knowing, almost amused glint in his eye. He wisely chose to remain absolutely silent. Oh, this is going to be interesting.
Only Shizune remained blissfully, sweetly unaware, simply wondering who this new woman was and why everyone had stopped talking.
"Put the scrolls on the desk, Kurenai."
Uchiha Akira's voice, calm and cold, broke the strange standoff.
"Ah... Yes, Lord Fifth."
Kurenai mentally kicked herself. She had lost her composure. She withdrew her gaze and stepped forward, respectfully placing the stack of scrolls on the Hokage's desk.
But as she stepped back, her peripheral vision couldn't help but secretly glance at Tsunade again.
This woman was too dazzling. A living legend.
Whether it was her identity as a Sannin, her raw, untamed strength, or her astonishing beauty and figure... all were enough to make any man in the world turn his head.
For the first time since she had begun working closely with Akira, a strong, genuine sense of crisis arose in Kurenai's heart.
Akira… he brought her back personally. He... he wouldn't...
She didn't dare to think further.
"Tsunade," Akira said, turning his full attention back to the Sannin, his voice all business. "You are now aware of my plan. You know what I intend to do, and you know the price of your compliance."
"The Konoha Medical Department, as of this moment, is entirely under your authority."
"I am disbanding the old, inefficient leadership. You will rebuild it from the ground up."
Akira's voice was cold, precise, and absolute.
"Your mission is twofold. First: Reorganize the hospital. Second: Establish a new, complete medical-ninja training system. I need you to cultivate at least one hundred qualified medical-ninja who can be deployed to the battlefield."
His eyes hardened. "You have one year."
Tsunade's eyes widened. "One hundred? In a year? That's impossible!"
"I will take care of funding, resources, and recruitment," Akira cut her off. "You do not need to worry about supplies or political opposition. I will handle all of it."
"I only want results. One year. One hundred combat medics. Can you do it?"
Tsunade took a deep, shuddering breath. Her mind reeled. It was a monumental, back-breaking task.
But then, she thought of Dan. She thought of Nawaki.
They died... they bled out... because there were no skilled combat medics on the front lines. Her entire life's trauma stemmed from that one, horrifying failure of the village's system.
And now... this man... was giving her absolute, unlimited power to fix it.
She realized, with a jolt, that she had no way out. But... maybe... she no longer wanted one.
A peaceful and powerful ninja world without the endless, meaningless wars that consumed children... led by a Konoha strong enough to enforce it...
Wasn't that the exact goal her grandfather, the First Hokage, and those she cherished had once fought and died for?
Perhaps… just perhaps… following this terrifying Uchiha... I can truly see that day.
"...I understand," Tsunade said, her voice low but firm. She nodded, her eyes meeting his, full of a new, grudging determination. She was accepting the mission.
"Very good," Uchiha Akira nodded, satisfied. He had her.
"Jiraiya. Take Tsunade and Shizune to the Medical Department. Introduce them to the current staff. They can begin their assessment immediately."
"Eh? Me?" Jiraiya blanched. "I... I was just about to go... research..."
"Go," Akira commanded.
Jiraiya sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Right. This way, Tsunade, Shizune."
Tsunade looked deeply, one last time, at Uchiha Akira. Then, without another word, she turned and left the office with Shizune and a grumbling Jiraiya.
The heavy door clicked shut.
In the vast office, only Uchiha Akira and Kurenai remained.
The atmosphere, once charged with hostility and command, now became quiet. Almost... intimate.
Kurenai stood there, her hands clasped in front of her, suddenly feeling somewhat at a loss. Her mind was still reeling from the encounter with Tsunade. She felt unsure of what to say.
Akira turned to the window, watching the sun begin to dip lower, painting the village in shades of orange and purple.
"It's getting late," he said, his voice softer than it had been all day. He stood up from the desk and stretched, a rare, human gesture that made Kurenai's heart skip. "Let's go back together."
"Ah? Y-Yes!"
Kurenai was stunned for a moment, then her small, pale face flushed with a lovely pink.
Go... go home with Akira?
It seemed like... this was the first time they had ever left work to go home together. Just the two of them.
Kurenai felt her cheeks growing undeniably hot.
She lowered her head, her heart thumping, and followed closely behind Uchiha Akira as he walked out of the office, like a... like a young wife.
The two walked one after another, their footsteps echoing softly down the long, empty corridors of the Hokage Building.
Kurenai looked at the tall, reliable, and powerful figure in front of her. His white Hokage robes, with the red flames, made his shoulders look even broader. Her heart, which had been so agitated and anxious, was now filled with an unprecedented sense of peace and deep contentment.
If only... she thought, a wistful, secret wish. If only time could stop forever at this moment. This would be wonderful.
Soon, the two left the tower and walked through the quiet, darkening streets of the Uchiha compound, arriving at Akira's residence.
"I'm home," Akira called out, his voice neutral as he pushed open the door.
"Teacher! You're back!"
A clear, pleasant, and excited girlish voice came from the courtyard.
Hyūga Hinata, dressed in a simple white training uniform, was sweating profusely, her face red with effort. She was practicing the Gentle Fist forms in the courtyard, her movements far sharper and more confident than they had been months ago.
Seeing Uchiha Akira return, she immediately stopped, her face beaming with a happy, radiant smile. She took small, quick steps and ran over.
When she saw Kurenai following shyly behind Akira, her smile became even sweeter.
"Kurenai-sensei! You're here too! Welcome!"
"Hello, Hinata," Kurenai said warmly, her "sensei" persona returning. She smiled and gently stroked Hinata's head.
She genuinely liked this girl. Well-behaved, sensible, and, under Akira's tutelage, exceptionally talented.
"Have you completed all your training tasks for today?" Akira asked Hinata, his voice softening just a fraction, a tone he seemed to reserve only for his disciples.
"Mm! Yes!" Hinata nodded emphatically, her pale eyes shining. "I completed all the training tasks you assigned, Akira-sensei! I... I think I'm getting the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms sequence right!"
She looked like a child proudly waiting for praise.
"Very good," Akira nodded, satisfied. "We will review it tomorrow. Go take a bath and get ready for dinner."
"Yes!" Hinata said, bowing happily before running off.
In the courtyard, only Uchiha Akira and Kurenai remained. The sun had set, and the first crickets of the evening began to chirp.
"Akira, I…" Kurenai opened her mouth, knowing she should say her goodbyes. "I should..."
She wanted to say that she should also take her leave. But the words caught in her throat. After the day she'd had, the thought of returning to her cold, empty apartment... she couldn't utter them.
"Stay and eat with us," Akira said simply, turning to look at her as if he had read her mind.
Kurenai suddenly looked up, a hint of genuine surprise flashing in her eyes. "Can... can I? I wouldn't want to impose..."
"Of course," Akira looked at her, a rare, almost invisible flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Or... do you want to go back and eat instant noodles for dinner? Again?"
Kurenai's face instantly flushed a deep, scarlet red.
He… how did he know?! How did he know I often eat instant noodles...
He noticed.
...
The atmosphere at dinner was strangely, wonderfully warm.
Akira's residence was large, a traditional Uchiha main house, and the dining room seemed particularly spacious. But at this moment, with four people gathered around the low wooden table, it didn't feel empty at all.
There was steaming miso soup, grilled saury sizzling with oil, and several exquisite home-cooked dishes. Hinata, it turned out, was a fantastic cook.
These were not luxurious, expensive dishes, but they carried a comforting, homely taste that Kurenai hadn't experienced in years.
"Kurenai-sensei, please, try this!"
Hinata, her face glowing, picked up a piece of golden-yellow tamagoyaki (sweet rolled omelet) with her chopsticks and carefully placed it in Kurenai's bowl. Her fair little face was full of anticipation.
"Thank you, Hinata. It looks delicious."
Kurenai smiled and took a bite. The sweet, delicate flavor of the egg instantly melted on her taste buds. "It's truly delicious. You're very skilled."
Hinata blushed and beamed with pride.
Naruto, meanwhile, who had arrived just before dinner, was engrossed in a comically large bowl of ramen that Hinata had prepared separately for him. The slurping sounds were incessant.
"Oi, Naruto," Akira said, not even looking up from his rice. "Breathe, or you'll choke."
"I'm fine, Teacher! Thish ish great!" Naruto replied, his mouth full.
Kurenai watched it all, a small, genuine smile on her face. This was Akira's... family. It was chaotic and strange, but it was warm.
The meal concluded in this quiet and harmonious atmosphere.
Hinata and Naruto proactively cleared the dishes, their bickering ("You're holding too many, Naruto-kun, you'll drop them!" "I got it, Hinata, believe it!") fading into the kitchen.
"Akira, I…" Kurenai stood up, her heart full, but knowing it was time for her to take her leave.
"It's getting late," Akira said, also standing up. "I'll see you to the door."
"...Okay."
The two walked one after another, in silence, along the stone path leading to the mansion's main gate. The Uchiha compound was dark and quiet around them.
Only the sound of the wind in the trees and the chirping of insects remained in the cool night air.
At the main gate, Kurenai stopped. She turned around to face him, the moonlight catching the crimson of her eyes. She lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"Akira, today… thank you. For your hospitality. The dinner was... it was wonderful."
"Mm," Uchiha Akira responded indifferently, his hands clasped behind his back.
Silence.
She knew she should leave. She should say "goodnight" and go. To say anything more would seem overly sentimental, unprofessional.
But… Kurenai's feet were as if rooted to the spot. She couldn't move an inch.
Just go. Say goodnight and go. Don't be a fool.
But after seeing Tsunade today... after feeling that cold spike of fear... after feeling this domestic, impossible warmth...
An unprecedented, terrifying impulse surged from the depths of her heart, overwhelming all her Jōnin-level reason and iron-clad restraint.
The next second, under Uchiha Akira's slightly surprised gaze, Kurenai suddenly took a step forward.
She closed the distance, rose onto her toes, opened her arms, and tightly embraced him.
The soft, warm body of the female ninja, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance of night-blooming jasmine, thus crashed into his embrace.
Uchiha Akira's body stiffened for a moment, his arms remaining at his sides, completely caught off guard.
He could feel the body in his arms trembling slightly, as if she had used every last scrap of her strength and courage to make this one, desperate move.
This embrace was very brief. Three seconds, maybe four.
Then, as if she had been shocked by his lightning, Kurenai released her hands. She suddenly stumbled back, her entire body shaking.
Her cheeks were so red they looked as if blood would drip from them. Even her earlobes and the tips of her ears had turned a deep, embarrassed pink.
Kurenai dared not look into Uchiha Akira's eyes.
"I… I... I have to go! Goodnight!"
Dropping these incoherent, panicked words, Kurenai turned around and, without looking back, fled into the night as if escaping from a high-stakes mission.
Uchiha Akira stood still, his hands still clasped behind his back.
He quietly watched Kurenai's figure disappear around the street corner, his purple Rinnegan unreadable in the moonlight.
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