Chapter 129: Time to Be a Little Tougher on Kurenai Yūhi
Akiyama Makoto nodded with satisfaction. If Moegi were a few years older, he might have struck while the iron was hot. But for now, it was better to let things develop naturally.
[From this point on, Moegi's attitude towards you becomes even more sincere. Although she still calls you 'Big Brother Makoto,' the teasing tone is gone. She truly sees you as her older brother. While she occasionally teases you for being friends with so many girls, she also admits that you are the most charming boy she knows.]
[In the following days, you continue your peaceful life, while keeping an eye on external developments. Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's maneuvering, the Cloud and Rock villages abandon their plans to mobilize troops for the time being, and the situation in the ninja world slowly returns to peace.]
[Konoha is still trying to investigate who spread the false intelligence, but the ninja who were away have all returned to the village, because the new class of Academy students is about to graduate, and the Jōnin instructors must shoulder their responsibilities.]
[This time, the class assignments are no different from your memory. After joining their respective squads, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata are no longer able to report to you every day. However, during their free time, they still come to see you first and share interesting stories from their teams.]
[In your spare time, you begin to train Moegi. She is very interested in medical ninjutsu and hopes to become a medical-nin. You are familiar with her talent and feel that she can indeed learn it, so you do not hold back your knowledge.]
[Under your tutelage, Moegi's chakra control improves rapidly, and her strength begins to stand out in her class.]
Makoto sighed as he watched this peaceful, daily-life-like simulation progress. How long had it been since he had seen such a situation? It felt so good when no one was causing trouble! I hope it can stay this way. Danzō, oh Danzō, just stay obediently in your Root headquarters!
His prayers seemed to work, but to his surprise, a new problem soon came knocking.
[On this day, Yamanaka Ino comes to you with a complicated expression. She asks you about your relationship with Kurenai Yūhi. When you ask why, it turns out that after Team Asuma completed a C-rank mission, a drunk Asuma had told them that you were in love with Kurenai.]
The corner of his mouth twitched. Why did it feel like Asuma had become decadent after the previous incident? Although he had been a delinquent in his youth and later picked up smoking and drinking, he should have matured after the incident with the Guardian Shinobi Twelve. Had his failure in pursuing Kurenai caused him to regress completely?
He did not use a guidance, choosing to watch calmly instead. He believed that with his current strength and abilities, he wouldn't be stumped by a simple question from Ino.
[You generously admit it to Ino. You tell her that Kurenai had saved you after you were attacked by Yamanaka Fū and had comforted you with a sisterly gentleness. You admired her charm and had indeed confessed to her, but were rejected.]
[As for the conflict with Asuma, you explain it as you being unable to turn a blind eye to him harassing a hungover Kurenai early in the morning. You had used your 'crush' on her as an excuse to drive him away. The price, however, was that your relationship with Kurenai was also ruined, and the two of you have barely seen each other since.]
Reading the text in the simulation, Makoto almost wanted to say, "Brilliant." He hadn't lied, nor had he refused to take responsibility, but he had cleverly dragged Yamanaka Fū out to take the blame. And Fū was a major bridge for increasing his and Ino's affection level. He had just used it a bit earlier this time.
[After listening, Ino's face turns pale. She realizes that it was her own clansman who had attacked you. She bites her lip and wants to turn and leave, but you grab her and pull her into your arms. You tell her that what Fū did had nothing to do with her, that she is one of the people you trust most, and that you shouldn't let a single clansman affect your relationship.]
[Ino bursts into tears in your arms, hugs you back tightly, and tells you that she doesn't mind that you like Kurenai right now. She confidently tells you that she will definitely become a beautiful and gentle big sister like Kurenai in the future, and make you completely forget about her.]
[And you tell her that you believe she will become more beautiful every day and completely mesmerize you, making it so that you can never take your eyes off her again. You hold each other for a long time. It is not until dark that Ino reluctantly leaves. The affection between you has clearly increased.]
He let out a soft breath. He could only say, "As expected of me." What should have been a dramatic and intense conflict was easily transformed by him into a romance drama for boosting affection. His ability in this area had reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Now that the bond with Ino was settled, what about Kurenai? Looking at the situation in the simulation, it didn't seem very promising. Asuma hadn't gotten back together with her, but he himself had also lost the opportunity to get close to her.
All he could say was that his simulated self was, in the end, not the real him. The real him would create opportunities even if there were none. If it really came down to it, he would just pull Anko out to be his wingman. After all, if two best friends married the same man, they could team up to bully him in the future, right? He was confident Anko would agree.
Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.
[On the day before the Chūnin Exams, Anko finds you and tells you about Kurenai's recent situation. In her description, Kurenai is doing very poorly. Not only has her life become a mess, but she has also been making frequent mistakes during missions.]
[Fortunately, after your teachings, Hinata's strength has greatly increased. Coupled with the ever-reliable Shino on the team, Team 8 has not suffered any casualties. Kurenai feels very guilty about this and is even planning not to let her team participate in the exams, because she is worried her guidance is not enough.]
[As her best friend, Anko really wants to help her out of this situation. But even she is finding it difficult to see her. Kurenai always makes excuses to avoid her, and she can't break through the sealing jutsu Kurenai has placed on her home.]
Seeing this, he realized that Kurenai had sealed herself off. It was one thing to have a falling out with him and Asuma, but after learning about his and Anko's relationship, she didn't even want to see her best friend. She had walked into a dead end, and someone had to pull her out, even if it meant using some forceful means.
After a moment's thought, he decided to use a guidance. It wasn't that they had reached a critical juncture, but that he had to act before Asuma had a chance to react. The current Asuma should still be busy preparing Team 10 for the Chūnin Exams. This gave him an unmissable window of opportunity.
Soon, your guidance was input, and the simulation continued.
[You decide to act, and your first step is to lay your cards on the table with Anko. You tell her that you still like Kurenai, and that you want to have both of them, and even more outstanding girls, to work towards building a big family.]
[Anko is very calm about your words. As someone who is frequently intimate with you, she has known your thoughts for a long time. She chooses to support you, with only one small request: that you invite her to join your family first. You agree.]
[With Anko's help, your second step is to arrange a meeting with all the members of Team 8 through Hinata. You bluntly state your intention to help Kurenai out of her slump. The hot-blooded Kiba and the steady Shino both express that they have no complaints against Kurenai and also want to help their teacher.]
[With that, you have the support of four people. You take all of them directly to Kurenai's front door and, without her permission, undo the seal and walk in. The messy state of the house shocks all of you. You decide to give her house a major cleaning.]
[When Kurenai returns, she is shocked by the change in her house, and even more shocked that you all just broke in. She tries to drive you out, but you, along with Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru, just lie down on her tatami mat and start playing Hanafuda.]
[Facing the furious Kurenai, you even declare: as long as she doesn't beat you to death, you are staying. The reason? The Chūnin Exams are imminent, and you are going to hold a training camp for Team 8 to improve their results, and the location you've chosen is her house.]
[The furious Kurenai is still unable to attack you and can only let it be. Your group really does end up staying at her house, pulling her to eat and train with you every day. Kurenai, Anko, and Hinata sleep together, while you, Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru sleep together.]
[Before long, the day of the Chūnin Exams arrives.]
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