A Single Jealous Fit Crowned Her Queen

Just as Minato's team and Yushi's team arrived at the town, countless ninja appeared on Rainbow Mist Mountain.

"Uh, didn't they say there were ninja lurking on this mountain? Why is there nothing here?"

"Look carefully at the surroundings. It looks like there's nothing, but this soil was freshly turned over."

"Huh, there seems to be a faint burnt smell. Maybe someone got here before us, wiped out the Mountain Bandits, and erased all the traces."

"Wasn't this supposed to be a joint operation with Konohagakure to eliminate the Mountain Bandits? They were way too fast, weren't they?"

"Even if it was a joint operation, Konohagakure is a major village. Would they need to ask us before acting? Strictly speaking, we were only here as reinforcements."

"Let's go. Avoiding a battle is good for the village too."

"..."

Before long, the ninja wearing forehead protectors marked with a small grass pattern went from worry to delight and departed one after another.

Kasumi Town.

"Genma, why do you keep looking at that woman named Kana? Don't tell me you have some special thoughts about her!"

Genma kept glancing at the rather attractive Kana whenever he had the chance. Kurenai, standing beside him, finally couldn't take it anymore and snarled in a low voice.

When Genma was a beat too slow to react, she immediately grabbed his weak spot.

"Hiss! Kurenai, Kurenai, let go of me! It's not what you think! Listen to my explanation!"

"Go on. I'm listening!" Kurenai stopped what she was doing and glared at Genma furiously.

"Well, Kana's background is unknown, and no one in the bandit stronghold knew her at all. We also checked the town records, and there's no such person. We can be sure she isn't from this area, so... I thought..."

"Hm? What did you think? Hurry up and confess honestly!" It was as if a fire burned in Kurenai's heart. Before she knew it, she had grabbed Genma by the ear, making him wince in pain.

"Waaah!"

"What happened?" Hearing Genma's miserable cry, everyone turned to look at him and Kurenai.

"Pfft! Hahaha! You're always acting so smug. Getting taught a lesson now, aren't you? Hahaha!" The only one heartless enough to laugh like that was, naturally, Namiashi Raidō, who had suffered plenty from watching the two of them flaunt their relationship.

"Ahem, Kurenai, don't be so angry. We still have to go to the Town Chief's Mansion." Rin hurried to Kurenai's side and tried to persuade her to let go.

Kurenai glared fiercely at Genma. Though there was more anger than anything else in her eyes, Genma could still see a trace of bitterness.

I really took this too far...

Genma had not deliberately been looking at Kana. The main reason was that the woman looked somewhat familiar, and her behavior was also rather unusual.

But it seemed Kurenai had downed an entire bottle of vinegar. Genma stopped thinking about anything else, moved a little closer to her, and said apologetically to everyone, "Everyone, it's fine. I'll handle it. It's fine."

After speaking to the others, Genma lowered his voice and leaned close to Kurenai's ear.

The sudden move caught Kurenai off guard. Before she could react, Genma's gentle voice had already soothed her mood.

"Kurenai, I'm really sorry. From now on, I'll tell you first before I do anything. Do you remember the promise you made me give after my fight with Raidō?"

Kurenai nodded with a complicated expression. The anger in her eyes faded somewhat, replaced by a trace of confusion and an inexplicable sense of being moved.

"I thought you didn't like thinking about complicated things, but it seems my wife gets pretty jealous too. Whenever something like this happens in the future, I'll think of you first."

"Who... who gets jealous!" Kurenai turned her head away in a coy huff, but the blush on her face had already betrayed her.

"Yes, yes, I'm the jealous one. I'm Konohagakure's number one Jealousy King."

"Hmph!"

Faced with Genma's suddenly thick skin, Kurenai had no way to deal with him. She could only pout and sulk.

"Actually, it's like this. When Kana walks, her arms barely swing, and she keeps gripping the cuffs of her sleeves from time to time. The movements are slight, but I think there may be something unusual about her arms."

"Is that so? I thought... you..."

"Uh, what did you think? That I was peeking at her hands?" Genma saw Kurenai discreetly glance at his hands and immediately understood.

So Kurenai knew perfectly well which parts of other people's bodies he looked at.

Thinking about it, though, it was only natural. Kurenai's hands were often wrapped in bandages because of her training. She normally did not care, but when she saw Genma suddenly looking at another woman's hands, she naturally took issue with it.

The two of them returned to their usual loving intimacy. As if possessed, Genma even took Kurenai's little hand in his.

But in Namiashi Raidō's eyes, standing behind them, the beautiful scene took on an entirely different meaning.

It was blatant daily relationship flaunting, completely killing his desire to see Genma get taught another lesson. So he took two steps as one, overtook them, and walked ahead.

Genma taking her hand did not make Kurenai resist much. Instead, she seemed to respond ever so slightly.

Perhaps she had still been a little jealous of Genma looking at another woman's hands, but now that he was holding her own hand, did that not prove that all her earlier wild thoughts had been wrong?

Moreover, Genma, having deeply inherited Hideyoshi's shameless essence, kept rubbing and tickling Kurenai's palm. Though it was unbearably embarrassing, Kurenai's pretty face gradually turned crimson.

"Behave yourself, or I won't let you hold my hand anymore."

Kurenai bit her cherry lips tightly and hesitated for a long time before squeezing out those soft words. But how could that possibly restrain Genma? It merely made his movements a little smaller.

"I'm already being very well-behaved. Otherwise, this wouldn't be any different from shaking hands."

"Hmph, you bad man!"

Kurenai rolled her eyes at Genma but no longer stopped him. As Genma had said, if he behaved any more properly, it really would be no different from shaking hands. Besides, she did not know what holding hands was like between lovers and simply thought it was how things should be.

Thus, the innocent Kurenai let Genma hold her hand with ill intentions as they arrived at the Town Chief's Mansion with the others.

This time, not everyone went in together. Only Kamise Yushi entered, while everyone else waited outside.

Because Genma had mentioned Kana's strange behavior, the two girls in the team, as close as best friends, quickly joined forces and approached Kana.

"Auntie Kana, your hands are always hanging down. Did you hurt them somehow?"

Perhaps because she had spent so much time around Genma, Kurenai had become more tactful in dealing with people. Although she had ulterior motives, she could still wear a friendly smile.

"N-No, it's nothing. Didn't you already examine my body?"

A flicker of panic passed through Kana's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. Her hands merely seemed to have nowhere to go as they slowly withdrew behind her back.

There really is something wrong!

Kurenai and Rin exchanged a glance, understanding each other's thoughts.

Rin felt it even more strongly. When she had examined Kana earlier, she had noticed that Kana deliberately did not want her to look at her arms.

Rin had assumed Kana was so sensitive because the Mountain Bandits had abused her. But after Kurenai's reminder and everything she had now seen and heard, she believed Genma's guess even more.

But Kana was so resistant, unarmed, and pregnant. How could they force her to submit to an examination?

That truly put them in a difficult position. Genma, who had formed some suspicions of his own, walked over to the two of them and said, "Forget it. She's suffered enough already. Let's not force her too much."

He intended to take a step back in order to advance later, using that concession to gain some trust from Kana or lower her guard against them.

But Kurenai was not pleased. You were the one who said something was wrong, and now you're saying she's pitiful. What exactly do you mean!?

Seeing the fierce light in Kurenai's eyes, Genma panicked and hurriedly laughed awkwardly. "Well... Kurenai, I remember your new sword technique is almost complete. Let's go over there and work on it a little more."

Kurenai was not Namiashi Raidō. She did not need exaggerated hints to understand. Upon hearing Genma's words, she followed him away.

Seeing the two leave, Rin could only walk away as well.

The critical damage from couples showed no discrimination. Even she could not escape it.

"What are you thinking this time? Why did you stop me from exposing her!?"

"Ahem, although she is indeed suspicious, she's still an ordinary person. If we force her to do something she doesn't want to do and she becomes too emotionally agitated, what if it harms the child in her womb?"

Hearing Genma say that, Kurenai calmed down. She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then looked at him again with watery eyes. "What if... she brings harm to the Land of Fire?"

Even Kurenai herself could not quite believe what she was saying. Genma, meanwhile, found her stubbornness rather adorable. "Don't worry. I've already thought of a way. Do you remember that incredibly wealthy uncle?"

"I do. What about him?"

"The girls at his shop are meticulous to an excessive degree, so I imagine he himself isn't too bad either. How about we leave investigating Kana's identity to him?"

"But... wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to act privately? And if that uncle investigates a woman's background, wouldn't that be even more suspicious..."

"Ahem, that uncle... should be quite upright. At worst, we'll give him a proper warning. We'll tell him that we won't buy my wedding outfit from his store in the future and make him lose a hundred million!"

As Genma rambled on and somehow brought up marriage, Kurenai was a little dazed. But thinking about it made her both annoyed and amused.

"Why do you think about these things all day? Can't you discuss serious matters properly?"

"Uh, yes, yes. But that's roughly what I mean. That uncle will understand."

Genma answered obediently with a shameless grin, only to receive another eye roll from Kurenai.

"What about our teachers? Don't we need to tell them?"

"Well..." Genma had originally been inclined to handle this matter privately, but now that Kurenai knew, he could no longer do it in secret. "Then let's tell them. They'll probably agree."

There was not much of an obstacle, since Kana herself posed little threat and was pregnant. Though such a gentle method was not exactly aboveboard, it was still a very good approach.

After Kamise Yushi came out, Genma told him about his plan. He did not encounter much resistance. Yushi only required Genma to inform the village once he found out the truth, and Genma began making arrangements.

After seeing Kana being taken away by the townspeople, Genma ran to Tony's shop to discuss the matter.

Tony agreed without much hesitation and even gladly left Genma a way to contact him.

Genma's mouth twitched. He somewhat suspected that Tony had agreed so quickly because it would allow him to stay in touch with Genma.

Even if it was for the sake of investigating Kana, being remembered by an old man was not exactly pleasant.

With Tony enthusiastically seeing him off, Genma finally left the Clothing Store and returned to the team.

Who Kana was should be easy enough to guess, right?