Kuro's "Fake Girlfriend"

Ten years ago, in Konoha's snack street, there was a dumpling shop.

"Huh?! You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend? You're not kidding, are you?!"

While stuffing dumplings into her mouth, Anko looked at the black-haired boy across from her, who was wrapped up tightly and looked like a fugitive, with an expression of utter disbelief.

Shh! Keep your voice down, someone might hear you!

While whispering a reminder, he furtively glanced around to make sure no one else was watching them before pulling his sunglasses down to reveal half of his handsome face, which was beginning to show signs of a roguish charm.

"It's all because you suddenly unleashed your ultimate move without any warning, giving me quite a fright!"

Anko wiped her mouth haphazardly with her fair forearm, placed the empty bamboo skewer on the table, and asked in confusion:

"Although I knew long ago that you, being such a stingy guy, suddenly treating us to a meal must have some ulterior motive, I never expected it to be something like this?"

Pretending to be a girlfriend? Why pull this stunt?

"It's all because of that Asuma guy!!"

As if struck on a sore spot, Kou gritted his teeth and whispered:

"Ever since he started that lousy fan club, he's been handing out my photos all over the village, making it seem like a blind date!"

Thanks to that guy, I'm now followed by a bunch of stalkers wherever I go, it's driving me crazy!

"Well, now that you mention it, it does sound quite tiring."

Anko glanced sympathetically at her bristling sweet-toothed companion, then picked up another skewer of dumplings and asked indistinctly:

"But why did you choose me? Sister Hong and Sister Lin are clearly more suitable than me, aren't they?"

Sister Hong is so beautiful; if she were to pretend to be your girlfriend, many people would definitely back down.

"You and Lin grew up together, and you two have always had a good relationship. No one would say anything if you pretended to be a couple, right?"

"Heh, Lin and Hong? I wouldn't ask either of them!"

The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily beneath the mask.

He was already relying on the two of them to distract Asuma and Obito, those two godlike figures. If he could bring one of them to his side, things would really get complicated.

Those two god-like figures, Obito and Asuma, are far more troublesome than those crazy female fans...

Thinking of this, Kou couldn't help but feel a stomachache.

He made a name for himself in Konoha not through skill, but through his fan base; he's probably the first transmigrator to do so...

That's really embarrassing.

Kou shook his head, forcibly banishing these inappropriate thoughts from his mind. Then, he clasped his hands together and said to Anko in a sincere tone:

"Please, Anko, you're the only girl I can trust right now who won't be fooled by my good looks."

For the sake of our years of going to restaurants together, please help your brother out!

Anko blinked her bright, large eyes, looked at Kou's sincere face, then at the dozens of empty plates that had unknowingly piled up on the corner of the table, and fell into deep thought.

Having clearly calculated the harsh reality that paying for today's meal would be a huge financial blow, she solemnly placed her hands on the table and nodded earnestly:

"No need to say anything, Kou! As your companion, how could I not help you when you're in trouble?"

Starting today, I'm your official girlfriend!

Don't worry, I have Orochimaru behind me. Your brainless Teacher would never dare to do anything to me!

As she spoke, she confidently patted her rather well-developed chest.

Looking at his chivalrous and loyal dessert buddy in front of him, tears of emotion almost welled up in his eyes:

"I can't thank you enough! Anko, rest assured, I, Uchiha Kuro, swear that as long as I remain in Konoha, I will never betray your kindness!"

He took a deep breath, abruptly turned his head, and shouted at the staff of the dumpling shop:

"Waiter, ten more servings of dumplings! Today I'm going to fight Anko Hero until I drop!!"

"Your character is admirable! I will follow you for life!!"

Thinking back to the past when the sweet treats were over, and that silly "first love," Koko stood in front of the curtain at Ichiraku Ramen and couldn't help but sigh.

Just as he had gathered his thoughts and was about to greet the two acquaintances who were eyeing him warily, footsteps sounded behind him.

Kakashi lifted the curtain, and a flicker of surprise crossed his dead fish eye as he saw the two faces inside the shop:

"Red, and Anko?"

"Oh my, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you guys here. Are you having a girls' team building activity?"

"Kakashi?"

Kurenai, seeing Kakashi suddenly appear, instinctively called out to him.

As if sensing something, her gaze passed over Kakashi and landed on the two tall and slender figures behind him, both wearing the same Mist Village Forehead Protector.

She gently placed the chopsticks on the rim of the bowl and asked softly and naturally:

"Who are these people...?"

"This is Lord Shiina Sora, who has come all the way from Mist Village, along with Mr. Kisame and Mr. Utakata, who are serving as his guards."

Kakashi turned to the side, opened his palm between Kokoro and Kurenai, and introduced them in a calm tone:

"Lord Sora, this is Kurenai Yuhi, the newly Jonin of the Jonin Commander Team, and Mitarashi Anko, the temporary captain of the Konoha Military Police Force."

"Konoha Military Police Force Captain? Who? Anko?!"

The expression on his face nearly collapsed on the spot.

It took him a full 0.3 seconds to suppress his astonishment, and then he gave the person in front of him, his sweet-tooth partner who had once set a record of eating fifty plates of dumplings with him, a very subtle look.

The Konoha Military Police Force —that was the former duty of the Uchiha Clan, the position once held by Uchiha Fugaku, and the glory that every Uchiha boy once looked up to in the clan's territory.

And now, the person standing in this position is actually Anko?!

"Heh, if the Uchiha Clan members were still alive, they'd probably die from anger over this again..."

Seemingly sensing Kou's increasingly strange gaze, Anko frowned slightly, her bright eyes meeting his gaze without flinching, her voice carrying a hint of displeasure:

"What, is there something you're unhappy about with me?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing Kou's ordinary, harmless face from head to toe:

"This should be our first time meeting."

"Uh, no, well..."

Kou instantly realized what was happening and guiltily looked away from Anko's face, momentarily at a loss for words to salvage the atmosphere that was already sliding off the edge.

Just as Kakashi sensed the situation was turning sour and was about to step forward to smooth things over, Kurenai had already stood up from her chair.

She reached out and took Anko's wrist, giving Kakashi an apologetic smile:

"We've finished eating, so we won't bother you any longer."

She turned around and nodded politely to the three people.

Have a great time in Konoha!

With that, she forcefully pulled Anko along, drew the curtain, and left the shop.

Anko was pulled a few steps by Hong, and just as they were about to leave, she couldn't help but turn back and look at Kou with her confused eyes.

Kakashi watched Kurenai's figure disappear into the alleyway and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much, Hong."

However, just as he was about to turn around and invite the three of them to sit down, he suddenly caught a very subtle gesture that Hong made to him before she turned around.

Kakashi's pupils contracted slightly for a moment, but his languid expression remained unchanged.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, here are four bowls of our signature tonkotsu ramen!!"

Teuchi's loud and enthusiastic shouts broke the brief silence at just the right moment.

Four steaming bowls of ramen were placed on a wooden table, with the char siu floating on the surface of the soup still trembling slightly.

As Kakashi listened to the sounds of the people behind him taking their seats one by one, he temporarily suppressed the vigilance that had just risen in his heart and turned around to sit down next to Koko.

"Right now, let's finish the task at hand first..."

At the same time, Kou used the corner of his eye to catch the direction in which Hong and Anko disappeared, and his heart tightened slightly:

"Was Red's gesture meant to send a message to Kakashi?"

"Forget it, let's not think about those things for now. The most important thing is the Chakra of Indra and Asura."

If Red's gesture can distract Kakashi, it will actually be a good thing for my next move.

He analyzed the situation in his mind, then picked up his chopsticks and slurped up a mouthful of ramen.

The rich aroma that filled his mouth instantly soothed the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

"This flavor... is definitely even better than before, Uncle Teuchi."

In no time at all, the four of them had finished their generous portions of Ichiraku Ramen.

Kou placed his chopsticks on the rim of the bowl, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and gave Kakashi a satisfied, gentle smile.

Kakashi then stood up and led them through the street, a tapestry of night and lights, to the inn that had been prepared for them...