Undercurrents

Hokage Office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen listened to the Anbu's report.

"Lord Danzo left Konoha a short while ago, citing a mission as his reason."

A flash of complexity crossed Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, but he quickly composed himself, nodded, and said in a gentle tone, "Understood. You may return and rest."

Once the Anbu had departed, Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, lit his pipe, and muttered to himself, "Danzo, I am the Hokage."

Having just survived an assassination attempt, he was exceptionally sensitive to such matters.

He summoned an Anbu from the shadows, "Monitor Danzo. Report every single move he makes to me."

The Anbu acknowledged the order, then vanished from the Hokage office in a flicker.

Inside the office, only Sarutobi Hiruzen remained, his expression obscured by a veil of smoke.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Yan was accompanying Kurenai on a shopping trip, feeling as though life had lost all meaning.

Perhaps shopping was a talent inherent to women.

Kurenai held onto Uchiha Yan's arm, dragging him aimlessly through the streets.

Inadvertently, the fullness of Kurenai's chest pressed against Uchiha Yan's arm.

Kurenai acted as if she hadn't noticed, though the deep crimson of her ears betrayed her true state of mind.

Suddenly, Kurenai stopped, a serious expression on her delicate face as if she were pondering something profound.

Uchiha Yan looked at her exquisite profile and asked in confusion, "Kurenai, what's wrong?"

Kurenai said in a grave tone, "I am contemplating a question."

Uchiha Yan was piqued by her solemnity.

He looked at her and asked, "What question?"

Kurenai's eyes met Uchiha Yan's, and she suddenly leaned in close to his face.

The distance between them became incredibly small.

Uchiha Yan could even feel Kurenai's warm breath and the faint scent of flowers on her.

Kurenai then spoke, enunciating every word clearly, "I am contemplating what we should eat later."

Only then did Uchiha Yan realize that Kurenai was looking at him with a smile of triumph.

Her eyes were brimming with amusement.

Just as Kurenai was feeling smug, a sharp pain suddenly struck her forehead.

Kurenai let out a cry of pain, looking at Uchiha Yan with wide, pleading eyes.

Uchiha Yan retracted his hand with satisfaction; the crisp sound indicated that the flick had been well-executed.

However, he shivered upon seeing Kurenai's resentful gaze.

Moreover, her eyes were already misting over.

Even though he knew Kurenai was acting, Uchiha Yan could only raise his free hand in surrender and say, "How about this? I'll treat you to this meal, alright?"

Hearing this, Kurenai narrowed her eyes, and her previous resentment vanished.

"That's more like it. No need for you to treat me; let's go buy groceries and cook at home."

The rapid shift in her demeanor made Uchiha Yan sigh inwardly that women were indeed born actors.

The two returned home.

Kurenai gathered her long, loose hair and tied it into a simple bun.

This revealed her fair, slender neck.

She then went into her room, and when she emerged, she had changed into a V-neck loungewear top, exposing her delicate collarbones.

She walked into the kitchen, and after a moment, she called out, "Yan, come in for a second."

Hearing her, Uchiha Yan walked into the kitchen.

Sensing his arrival, Kurenai didn't turn around and said, "Help me wipe my sweat."

Uchiha Yan had no choice but to pick up a tissue and wipe the perspiration from Kurenai's forehead.

Kurenai then lifted her chin and said, "Wipe my neck, too. It's too hot in the kitchen; I'm drenched in sweat."

Uchiha Yan swallowed hard. Standing behind her, he had a clear view of her delicate collarbones and the faint, alluring abyss beyond.

He gently wiped her jade-like neck.

At this moment, the corners of Kurenai's mouth curled into a beautiful arc as she said, "Alright, thank you for your hard work."

Only then did Uchiha Yan put down the tissue and leave the kitchen.

Feeling Uchiha Yan's footsteps fade away, Kurenai pouted and muttered, "Dull blockhead."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a playful voice echoed in her ear, "Who are you calling a blockhead?"

Kurenai was startled and whipped her head around to look behind her.

She discovered Uchiha Yan standing right behind her with a mischievous smirk on his face.

Kurenai turned around and gave Uchiha Yan a light punch, pouting, "Are you trying to scare me to death?"

Uchiha Yan leaned in toward Kurenai with an aggressive air, smirking, "I just remembered a question."

Kurenai looked at him with her ruby-like eyes, tilted her head, and asked, "What question?"

Uchiha Yan gently lifted her smooth chin and said, "That is, you keep saying your cat can do a backflip, but I haven't seen it yet."

Faced with Uchiha Yan's flirtatious behavior, Kurenai felt no annoyance at all.

Instead, her eyes were filled with the relief of seeing that he had finally grown up.

Kurenai naturally reached out an arm to wrap around Uchiha Yan's neck, while her other hand stroked his chest, saying, "Tonight, my cat will be performing backflips in the bedroom. Would you like to..."

Just as the atmosphere between the two grew intimate, a burnt smell suddenly wafted over.

Kurenai's expression changed, and she gently pushed Uchiha Yan away, muttering, "Oh, it's all your fault, the beef is going to burn."

As she spoke, she pushed Uchiha Yan out of the kitchen.

Only after confirming that Uchiha Yan wouldn't make a sudden return did she let out a sigh of relief.

Kurenai gently patted her heaving chest, causing a surging wave of motion.

Covering her flushed face, she whispered to herself, "Kurenai, you were truly insane just now."

At the dining table, Uchiha Yan and Kurenai sat side by side.

Uchiha Yan picked up a piece of beef; although it was a bit burnt, it didn't affect the overall taste.

Kurenai picked up a slice of salmon, held it to Uchiha Yan's lips, and said, "Try this."

Uchiha Yan looked at the salmon, which had evenly distributed marbling and a thick layer of fat, and opened his mouth to taste it.

Hmm, the taste was indeed alright, though Uchiha Yan still wasn't quite used to eating things raw.

He gave an honest assessment, "It tastes good."

Throughout the rest of the meal, Kurenai barely ate anything herself.

She kept busy constantly feeding Uchiha Yan.

Uchiha Yan didn't refuse any of it, eating the majority of the food.