Nadeshiko's Anger

"Uchiha Qiuyang, come with me. Now. Immediately."

Shizuka Nadeshiko realized she'd been teased and was furious. After coldly addressing Qiuyang, who had just finished off the rogue ninja, she headed to the left.

Hmph. He'd deliberately stayed out of the fight. He must have wanted that rogue ninja to slash open her mask.

Her icy demeanor, devilishly beautiful face, and stunning figure only made Qiuyang more interested in her.

It felt like a charming older girl, cool one moment and sweet the next, had landed a critical hit on him, leaving a tingling warmth in his heart.

Unlike the politeness and distance he felt toward beauties from the original story, like Tsunade, Hinata, and Ino.

He was sure this was the sort of feeling that was... well... pleasantly cool and refreshing.

And he seemed to have some vague memory of a girl who looked like her, but he couldn't remember what her name was.

So Qiuyang decided to follow her and take a look.

After telling the merchant group he was protecting to rest there, he followed the girl's trail.

A few minutes later, he reached an area of rocks and grass.

This place...

Qiuyang guessed they were in the territory of a neutral country at the junction of the borders of the Fire, Earth, and Wind countries. No wonder the rogue ninja had chosen that spot to attack.

Too bad for him he'd run into Uchiha Qiuyang.

But what puzzled him was that the graceful young woman who'd been leading the way had vanished.

Still puzzled, he leapt down from a tree and landed on the grass. Just as he was about to ask where she'd gone, the girl suddenly sprang out from behind a rock.

Without a word, she aimed several kunai at him and declared, "Fight me, you vile Uchiha Qiuyang!"

The girl struck a battle pose, looking both beautiful and dashing.

Qiuyang drew a kunai and blocked the incoming weapons. Then, admiring her face with interest, he asked:

"I don't even know who you are. Why do you suddenly want to fight me?"

"Hmph. Ask your teacher, Jiraiya. After he defeated my master years ago, they made an agreement."

After speaking, the girl noticed Qiuyang gazing intently at her face. Blushing with embarrassment and anger, she leapt into the air:

"Nadeshiko Style: Vacuum Dance Type Two!"

The technique sounded impressive, but it was really just a rapid spin that sent a rain of kunai at her enemy.

It was like Tenten's technique of hurling a pile of ninja tools at the enemy all at once—a wasteful way to fight.

Qiuyang didn't even need to activate his Sharingan. He dealt with the technique using only his kunai and quick dodges.

As he wondered whether the beauty would get dizzy from spinning, he quickly searched his memory of Naruto's story, trying to figure out when Jiraiya had gotten himself into this romantic mess.

He'd defeated the beauty's master? And the two of them had agreed that their students would fight?

Good grief, could it be...

"Hey, you're not called Shizuka Nadeshiko, are you?"

"Looks like your teacher already told you. So what are you waiting for? Show me what you can really do!"

Told him? As if. Jiraiya was the kind of man who forgot what he'd promised the moment he saw a beautiful woman. How would he remember to tell his student about this?

It seemed her master had wanted to marry Jiraiya, but Jiraiya had refused. Then they'd agreed that their students would fight as a kind of proxy for the marriage...

And if Qiuyang's memory wasn't failing him, the girl already had someone she liked.

He'd actually started to feel attracted to her just now. That wouldn't do—not at all!

Qiuyang ignored his disappointment and hurriedly waved his hands, hoping to end this unnecessary fight:

"Hey, I can speak for my teacher. That agreement can be called off. You can go be happy with that guy—what's his name, Sayuki Mist?"

Hearing that, Nadeshiko was enraged by the nonsense this idiot had just made up.

Seeing that Vacuum Dance Type Two hadn't worked, she pulled out a kunai and rushed him, determined to fight him up close.

"What are you doing? I said I wouldn't stop you from being happy with that guy..."

He might like her, but he had no interest in forcing anything.

"Uchiha Qiuyang, shut up! I don't even know the person you're talking about!"

Nadeshiko cried angrily, her attacks growing fiercer as she thrust her kunai straight at Qiuyang's vital points.

How dare he spread such lies about her!

Qiuyang froze at her answer for a moment, then began to understand what was going on.

Hmm? So they hadn't met yet!

In that case, didn't that mean he could tease this breathtaking beauty a little?

Exactly.

With his scruples gone and his mischievous plan settled, Qiuyang got serious. He pretended to narrowly evade one of her attacks, then quickly flipped backward to put some distance between them.

His gaze sharpened as he activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan:

"Sharingan."

Hmm... Qiuyang wanted to use the Sharingan's extraordinary powers of observation to get a good feel for her. After spending so much time with her, he'd long since been losing his head over her.

The poor girl was delighted, thinking her moves had finally worked and earned the attention of the Black Flash of Konoha!

She hurried in close and continued using her Taijutsu advantage to keep Qiuyang tied up. That was exactly what he'd hoped for.

Hmm, her hair was long, straight, and silky black, smooth as satin to the touch;

Though she excelled at Taijutsu, her waist was slender and supple, graceful as a budding willow branch;

And her skin was so soft that he didn't want to take his hand away.

"You... you..."

As Qiuyang caught her leg during a sweeping kick and secretly gave it a squeeze, Nadeshiko finally realized something was wrong.

Who used such lecherous moves in a fight?

She backed away and noticed the despicable man's lingering expression. She was so embarrassed she nearly burst into tears—

She'd never suffered such humiliation in her life.

Now a strange man had... a strange man had touched her...

Huh? Why did she stop attacking? He hadn't even touched her hands or little feet yet... Qiuyang wondered why Nadeshiko had stopped.

He was just about to take the initiative and "take advantage" of her when he saw the girl glaring at him through clenched teeth.

Uh-oh. She'd noticed!

Qiuyang awkwardly stopped, suddenly realizing that what he'd just done was wrong.

She was an inexperienced young girl, after all. What he'd done was too much. Even if he was physically attracted to her, he couldn't behave like that!

For the first time, he blushed and lowered his head, afraid to meet her eyes. Even his words came out haltingly:

"Um, would you believe me if I said it was an accident?"

"Shut up! You're just like that Jiraiya my master told me about—a hypocrite who likes taking advantage of women!"

Nadeshiko glared at him and was about to use Wind Release Ninjutsu to teach the lecher a lesson when the man opposite her suddenly changed expression and charged toward her, his face grim.

Hmph. Is this because I insulted your teacher?

Nadeshiko raised her kunai defensively, focusing all her attention on Qiuyang and vowing not to let him take advantage of her again.

"Idiot, get out of the way to your right!"

What did he say?

Nadeshiko was baffled, and of course she didn't move to the right as Qiuyang had told her.

"Art is an Explosion! Haa..."