Outside the weed-choked courtyard, Yuhi Kurenai stood in casual clothes, her eyes lively but her expression unusually awkward.
Across from her stood Uzuki Yugao, her waist-length purple hair framing a pure yet alluring face. She, too, looked somewhat puzzled.
"Kurenai-senpai? Why are you at Hanazuki's house? Did you hear about it too?"
"Um... you're in the same year as Anko... what did you hear?"
Yuhi Kurenai studied the young woman before her, feeling an inexplicable sense of danger welling up inside.
"Senpai, you didn't know? Hanazuki—Uchiha Hanazuki—was taken on as a disciple by Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. Anko became Lord Orochimaru's student afterward, too."
"That's why our team, Team Orochimaru, disbanded. I wanted to congratulate the two of them, but I heard that Hanazuki used up too much chakra in the last battle and wouldn't be able to take missions for a while, so..."
Yugao's words did little to dispel Kurenai's suspicions. She shot a doubtful glance at the gift Yugao was hiding behind her, just the corner of it peeking out. The sense of danger only grew stronger.
"I see. You and Anko were on the same team as Hanazuki?"
"That was a few months ago. After he rescued us from the Fourth Raikage and became Lord Orochimaru's disciple, Team Orochimaru disbanded."
A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed Yugao's face. Just as Kurenai was about to comfort her, a hearty laugh rang out from a street corner in the distance.
"Kurenai! Yugao! What are you doing at this guy's doorstep? Huh? Since when did you two start liking sweets?"
Anko raced over, reaching Hanazuki's front door from the end of the street in the blink of an eye. She looked left and right, then asked curiously.
"Kurenai, don't you hate cake? And you too, Yugao. Three-Color Dango is hard to get. Don't tell me..."
Under Anko's gaze, both women felt awkward at the same time, as if they could dig out a three-bedroom apartment with their toes.
Their eyes met by chance, and their cheeks seemed to burn. They quickly looked away as Yuhi Kurenai fumbled for an explanation.
"Actually, I..."
"So you finally understand how wonderful dango and sweets are?"
Anko's smile grew brighter and brighter. Kurenai and Yugao couldn't help but feel relieved. Luckily, Anko was rather dense. Otherwise, they would have been found out.
Hm? Why is Anko joining in too? What is this, a battlefield of love?
"Hey! Hanazuki, how long have you been hiding over there watching us? The great Anko has arrived, so hurry up and open the door!"
Hands on her hips, Anko stood there with brazen confidence and shouted.
Yugao and Kurenai looked up in a panic. Only then did they notice the boy in the second-floor window, his long hair casually draped behind him and a languid air about him.
"How long? Pretty much the whole time. You didn't ring the doorbell, and I'm not the kind of person who invites women into my house willy-nilly."
Kurenai and Yugao looked awkward. They really hadn't rung the doorbell. They'd been too busy sizing each other up as rivals to notice.
"That sounds suspicious. Your whole explanation sounds suspicious. Whatever—hurry up and open the door! If you don't, the dango and red bean soup will get cold!"
The door creaked open slowly. The dark hallway made the three women uneasy, but the mysterious fragrance that drifted out soon eased their fear.
"Welcome. I honestly didn't expect anyone to come visit me. I haven't prepared anything, so... sorry for the trouble."
Hanazuki spoke with little enthusiasm, prompting Anko to shout in protest.
"Liar! Even when you were learning ninjutsu from Lord Orochimaru, you just sent a Shadow Clone to take a quick look and then left! You're just afraid of trouble!"
In the clean, bright living room, three cups of tea steamed gently. The three women exchanged glances at Hanazuki, who was nearly swallowed by the sofa. In the end, Anko was the first to speak.
"Hey, in a little while, Lord Orochimaru is going to train outside the village with me. Are you coming?"
Anko's gaze wandered as she asked in a low voice. After waiting a long time without getting an answer, she worked up the courage to look up, only to hear a faint snore.
"You! I'm asking you something! Lord Orochimaru wants me to train with him outside the village. Are you going or not, you jerk?"
She grabbed Hanazuki by the neck and hauled him straight up from the sofa. As they drew close, a deep, mysterious fragrance quietly filled the air, making all three women blush.
Anko looked around in confusion, the suspicion on her face growing more obvious.
"When did you start growing flowers in your house? There's this really nice smell. What's going on?"
"Now that you mention it, I noticed it as soon as we came inside. There really is a pleasant, but strange, fragrance."
"Is it the scent of flowers? It seems to be coming from close by. What kind of flower could it be?"
While the three women were puzzled, Anko suddenly brought her hand to her nose and sniffed. The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Don't tell me..."
Kurenai and Yugao leaned closer. Their expressions changed, and their faces flushed red. They instinctively covered their eyes, but excitement shimmered through the gaps between their fingers.
"Anko! What are you doing? Are you kissing him? Are you?"
"Wait, we can't make a mistake like this at our age! Even if we're going to become adults, don't do it in front of us, Anko!"
Anko looked utterly confused. The screams interrupted Hanazuki's thoughts, and he opened his eyes. Seeing that he was finally awake, she instinctively let go of him.
"Wait, what are you thinking? That smell is coming from him. From his body! What did you think I was trying to do?"
"Don't tell me..."
Anko's look left Kurenai and Yugao so embarrassed they wanted to disappear. Hanazuki, jolted out of his daze, was even more bewildered by what he saw.
"What are you all talking about?"
Feeling that something was strange about himself today, Hanazuki instinctively examined his own status. He soon found the problem.
[Name: Uchiha Hanazuki] [Bloodline Limit: Mangekyō Sharingan] [Identity: Nine-Tails Jinchuriki] [Tailed Beast: Black Nine-Tails] [Special Trait: Fox Charm]
Fox Charm? When did I get this weird trait? Where did it come from?
He searched through his status, and finally found the trait's source at the end of the Moon Sign list.
Exclusive to the Moon Sign? So the Moon Sign doesn't give me ninjutsu or items, but traits that enhance me?
Feeling three dangerous gazes fixed on him, Hanazuki looked up. Several youthful faces, their beauty far too alluring for their age, were pressed close to him, their expressions tinged with desire.
"Brother, you smell so good. I want to hug you and lick you..."
"Hanazuki-kun, you're so cute! What I really want is you..."
"Actually, ever since the day you saved me, I've..."
Bang!
A sudden gust of wind swept away the dreamy atmosphere in the living room. Someone hurried over, looking frantic.
"Uchiha Hanazuki, something terrible has happened!"