Escape

Considering his embarrassing display just moments ago, Ebisu sprang to his feet. His reputation was at stake, and he had to handle this with the utmost caution; if these two wretched brats went around spreading rumors...

"Isn't that the repressed, lecherous elite teacher Ebisu? I heard he fainted and had a massive nosebleed just from catching a glimpse of a beautiful woman." A group of Ninja Academy students were discussing the matter heatedly.

"Yeah! Do you think there's something wrong with his health? To have such issues at such a young age, how pathetic!" several female students chimed in unison.

After imagining several possible scenarios, he realized that none of them were heading in a positive direction.

Ebisu suddenly accelerated, his expression shifting into a rare, solemn mask. His hands blurred as he performed a lightning-fast sequence of hand seals, and four identical copies of Ebisu—each with eyes as lively and spirited as the original—popped into existence.

It was the B-rank ninjutsu, the Shadow Clone Technique. Clearly, he was ready to get serious.

A moment later, Yi Xiang, who had dragged Naruto twenty meters away, glanced back over his shoulder. When he saw that Ebisu was already in pursuit and clearly giving it his all, his expression darkened.

It's over, it's over. I was so focused on how to knock Ebisu down that I forgot he's a Special Jonin. How am I supposed to escape this?

As his thoughts raced, Yi Xiang cycled through various plans, only to conclude that escape was impossible. He immediately shifted his focus to deciding whose appearance he should adopt if he were caught.

In that brief instant, Ebisu closed the distance to less than ten meters. He wore a look of smug disdain, seemingly surprised that these two wretched ninjas were so weak that he hadn't even needed to exert much effort to catch up.

At this critical juncture, Yi Xiang suddenly shouted, "Kaiso, use the Transformation Technique from before, now!"

"Poof!"

Yi Xiang transformed first into a beautiful, alluring young lady, while Naruto followed a beat later, turning into a blonde bombshell.

"Help! Someone kind, please come and help us sisters!"

The sparse pedestrians nearby heard the weak, charming voices and immediately stopped in their tracks. Gazes filled with curiosity, confusion, and greed converged upon the two sisters.

The next moment, sensing the eyes of the crowd about to fall upon him, Ebisu abruptly dispelled his Shadow Clone Technique. Without a second thought, he leaped onto a rooftop and flashed away, disappearing from everyone's sight.

"You can even do that? As expected of... Big Brother Umi, you came up with a solution so quickly."

And that uncle from before was truly strong. I've never seen anyone catch up to us that fast.

Naruto thought to himself while offering his praise.

Seeing that Ebisu had truly gone, Yi Xiang ignored the lingering gazes of the crowd and pulled Naruto toward the left, already formulating a new plan.

They reached their destination quickly. Yi Xiang glanced at the sign for the Rising Sun Pavilion, confirmed it was the right place, and hurried inside.

As soon as they entered, a wave of steam hit them in the face. This was Konoha's famous hot spring sanctuary.

Outside, perched in a large tree, Ebisu—who had feigned departure in front of the crowd but had actually been tailing them in secret—felt a wave of distress as he failed to stop them from entering. He had already guessed their intentions.

Damn it! Who exactly are these two? To be so cunning, despicable, and shameless... am I just supposed to give up like this?!

Recalling their masterful acting, he realized that since he possessed neither the Byakugan nor the Sharingan, and was not a sensory-type ninja, seeing through their disguise would be nearly impossible.

A moment later, unable to think of any other solution, Ebisu could only pace back and forth outside the building. Finally, he shouted helplessly toward the interior:

"You two brats in there, listen up! If you dare spread word of today's events or ruin my reputation, I will hunt you down and show you the true meaning of despair."

Hearing this, Yi Xiang let out a sigh of relief. He had been worried about being caught by Ebisu; while there was no real danger, he would certainly have been humiliated.

He immediately responded in a loud voice, "You can rest easy. We have no intention of leaking anything. We were just looking for random people to test a new ninjutsu on; you weren't the first one we tried."

Ebisu: "..."

So I'm just the unlucky one... Since when did the Ninja Academy produce such wretched brats? Don't let me find out who you are, you bastards!

After a brief silence, Ebisu merely said, "You had better keep your word. Hmph!"

With that, he turned and left. He had intended to go to Shueisha Hall to buy the Icha Icha Paradise series and some magazines, but he had lost all interest.

For some reason, however, as Ebisu made his way home, the image of those two alluring figures kept flashing through his mind. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt.

After confirming that Ebisu had truly gone, Yi Xiang waited a cautious amount of time before leaving as well.

One week later, Yi Xiang's residence.

Yi Xiang, Naruto, and Sasuke sat on separate sides, enjoying lunch in a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

Naruto, who was in the middle of picking up some food, couldn't help but feel surprised and curious. He didn't know why Sasuke had suddenly changed three days ago and started coming over to Yi Xiang's house for meals every day, when he used to visit only once in a blue moon.

This forced him to cook an extra dish and boil an extra bowl of rice every meal, but he was genuinely happy in his heart—happy to have another friend, and happy that he no longer had to do the dishes.

What was even more surprising was that Sasuke seemed to have changed; he was more willing to converse with others and was even genuinely willing to call Yi Xiang "Big Brother."

Sasuke, chewing his rice, noticed Naruto's surprise over the past few days and couldn't help but recall that afternoon three days ago.

Three days ago, at the training ground.

It was evening, and the earth had grown quiet and serene under the setting sun. The trees along the road were bathed in golden light, as if draped in a brilliant, shimmering cloak.

Naruto had finished his training early and returned to Yi Xiang's place to prepare dinner. Only Sasuke remained in the vast training ground, while Yi Xiang was busy admiring a sunset that was a rare sight in his previous life.

Just as Sasuke was planning to return home, Yi Xiang suddenly said, "Sasuke, come over here for a moment."

Sasuke approached Yi Xiang with a hint of confusion, waiting for an answer.

Under Sasuke's puzzled gaze, Yi Xiang reached into his pocket, acting as if he were joking, then cupped his hands together and whispered into Sasuke's ear:

"There are Anbu ninjas monitoring me, you, and Naruto nearby, so I'll keep this brief."

The answer to every question is on the note I wrote; I've already slipped it into your pocket. Remember, read it somewhere shielded from view, or under your covers, and burn it immediately after.

Yi Xiang finished speaking with a wicked grin and gave Sasuke a wink, then added in a boisterous tone:

"Sasuke, do you think Naruto will be scared out of his wits when we do this?"

Catching the implication in Yi Xiang's eyes, Sasuke replied with a blank expression: "Do it yourself."

With those words, he turned and walked away alone, leaving Yi Xiang to shake his head helplessly, his expression tinged with a hint of regret.