She'd just been at Qiushui's house, eaten a piece of egg, and then turned into a chicken?
After swallowing the egg, Yuhi Kurenai opened her eyes and stared at Qiushui in shock. She hurriedly asked, "Did I just turn into a chicken? Is there some kind of genjutsu effect in this food?"
Qiushui shook his head and explained, "I don't know what happened either. My cooking never did this before, but ever since I came back, it's been like this whenever I cook. Still, it shouldn't be genjutsu, and it doesn't do the body any harm."
Yuhi Kurenai nodded thoughtfully.
As a genjutsu expert, she could tell that it wasn't genjutsu. There had been no chakra fluctuations and no trace of a technique. It felt more like some kind of sensory experience beyond the bounds of reason.
Yuhi Kurenai recalled rumors she'd heard over the years while out on missions: deep in the Shinobi World, there were a handful of people whose cooking skills had reached such heights that eating their food could make you feel as if you were right there in the scene. It was an experience that surpassed even the most exquisite taste.
"Qiushui, your cooking is way too good!" Yuhi Kurenai was now fully focused on eating, her chopsticks flying. She picked up a piece of beef and popped it into her mouth. The meat was so tender she barely needed to chew. Its juices burst across her palate, mingling with the rich red-wine sauce and the toasted aroma of garlic, making her eyes narrow with pleasure.
As she ate, she couldn't help praising him. "Mmm, this is so good! I've never had anything this delicious—"
A smile spread across Qiushui's face.
For anyone who cooked, the highest praise was knowing their food had made someone happy.
Sitting across from her, he watched Yuhi Kurenai enjoy her meal, and his own mood lifted along with hers.
However, as Yuhi Kurenai ate, she kept leaning forward. Without realizing it, she revealed a glimpse of the cleavage at her chest. The pale skin peeked in and out through the gap in her collar, swaying slightly whenever she reached for another bite.
Qiushui accidentally glanced over, then quickly looked away.
But Yuhi Kurenai was so engrossed in her food that she didn't notice her collar had slipped open. She continued leaning forward to shovel rice into her mouth, and that glimpse of cleavage kept appearing and disappearing in the corner of Qiushui's eye.
Qiushui wasn't sure whether he should say something.
If he did, it would be so awkward.
She was enjoying her meal, and then he suddenly said, "Your collar's open." What would that sound like?
But if he didn't say anything, he couldn't figure out where to look. Everywhere seemed wrong.
Caught in that dilemma, he struggled through the next ten minutes.
"Oh no, I'm done for." After finishing her meal, Yuhi Kurenai leaned back against the sofa, looking utterly content and languid. "After eating your cooking, I don't think I'll be able to eat anything else again."
Her long, pale legs were crossed in the sunlight, gleaming enticingly. The hem of her white skirt had ridden up a little, exposing more smooth skin. She sprawled carelessly across the sofa like a well-fed cat.
Qiushui forced himself to look away from her legs and kept his voice as natural as possible. "If you like it, you can come over whenever you have time. I live alone anyway, so it gets pretty quiet. It'd be nice to have some company."
Although Yuhi Kurenai hadn't made much of an impression in the anime—whether she was knocked out by prisoners led by Mizuki, trapped in an illusion by Kurama Yakumo, or audacious enough to use genjutsu on Itachi Uchiha only to be taken down in a single move—she had inherited Yuhi Shinku's legacy and was undoubtedly one of the village's top genjutsu experts.
And Qiushui was very wary of genjutsu.
No matter how strong you were, you could still fall victim to it. Orochimaru, who was at Kage Level, had been left standing there obediently stunned by a single glare from Itachi Uchiha. Ever since, he'd been deeply wary of him.
During his time since arriving in this world, most of the ninjutsu his system had rewarded him with had involved elemental transformations or practical utility. He hadn't received a single genjutsu reward. In this world, genjutsu users weren't exactly everywhere, but there were plenty of them. If he ever ran into an opponent as skilled as Yuhi Kurenai, he might not even know how he'd been caught.
So when he'd met Yuhi Kurenai the day before, he'd started thinking about learning genjutsu from her.
He wasn't hoping to become incredibly skilled. He just wanted enough understanding to keep others from trapping him so easily.
But Qiushui and Yuhi Kurenai weren't close enough for him to ask her to teach him genjutsu. So he'd decided to use food to build their relationship, then bring up the idea of learning from her once they were closer.
Hearing him, Yuhi Kurenai tilted her head toward him, a little sauce still at the corner of her mouth. "Really? Then I'll take you up on that. Your food's better than anything at any restaurant in the village."
Qiushui smiled and handed her a tissue. "Of course. You're always welcome. Wipe your mouth."
Yuhi Kurenai froze for a moment, then accepted the tissue and realized how messy she'd gotten. Her face turned faintly red as she wiped her mouth and muttered, "It's all your fault for making the food so good."
The sudden, coquettish act from the sexy older woman left Qiushui briefly stunned.
Yuhi Kurenai noticed his reaction, but rather than feeling embarrassed, she was pleased that her charms hadn't faded. The fact that she could captivate a handsome man even better-looking than Kakashi gave her a quiet sense of satisfaction.
Qiushui stood up and began clearing the dishes.
Seeing him, Yuhi Kurenai stood up too. "Let me help with the dishes. Your two students are still waiting for their food, right? They should be done training by now."
"It's fine. Waiting another twenty minutes won't hurt them." Qiushui stacked the dishes with practiced ease. "Besides, how could I let a guest do the work? Making those hands of yours, which you use to cast genjutsu, wash dishes would be such a waste."
"Pfft." Yuhi Kurenai couldn't help laughing. "Qiushui, why are you so funny? 'Such a waste'? My hands aren't some priceless treasure."
But she was delighted all the same.
Why did the phrase "such a waste" sound so pleasing?
Meanwhile, at Training Ground 3.
"Why hasn't Teacher Qiushui arrived yet?" Naruto Uzumaki was sprawled across the table, his left cheek squashed and his mouth skewed to one side. His bright blue eyes were fixed on the entrance, full of longing.
Hyuga Hinata was hungry too, but the rules she'd followed all her life as a member of the Hyuga Clan kept her sitting straight in her chair, back stiff and hands properly placed on her knees. Still, she kept glancing in the direction Naruto was watching, her lashes trembling slightly.
"Grr."
Hinata's stomach began to protest.
Naruto turned to look at Hinata.
Hinata's face flushed red. She lowered her head, her ears burning.
"Hehe, so you're hungry too," Naruto said with a grin.
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