The Arrogant Murderer

After tidying up the room, Uchiha Yan looked at Kurenai with some confusion.

"Why did you come to my place today, Kurenai? My cat doesn't know how to do backflips."

Kurenai sat on the sofa naturally, crossing her legs, and kicked off her shoes for comfort.

Her toes were lined up neatly, the nails trimmed round and clean. Without any nail polish, they naturally glowed a faint pink, looking like a work of art under the sunlight.

Kurenai seemed unaware of how much "visual impact" her sitting posture had on Uchiha Yan.

She stretched, and as her body extended, the curves beneath her knit sweater became even more pronounced.

Uchiha Yan's gaze swept over her proud curves calmly before finally resting on Kurenai's jade-like feet.

Kurenai felt Uchiha Yan's gaze.

Her face, already slightly flushed from her earlier movements, turned even redder.

However, she still feigned composure and replied, "Did you forget? You promised to go out with me today."

Uchiha Yan recalled the situation carefully and realized he had made no such promise.

He glanced at Kurenai with suspicion.

Feeling his doubtful gaze, Kurenai snapped, "What, are you trying to go back on your word?"

Seeing this, Uchiha Yan quickly gave a standard French military salute.

"Alright, alright, I'll go change my clothes right now."

With that, he returned to his room to change.

Kurenai was left alone in the living room.

Just then, a knock came from the courtyard gate.

Kurenai straightened her clothes, put on her shoes, and opened the gate.

"Yan, did you know? Recently..."

Izumi's voice rang out.

When she saw Kurenai, especially her slightly flushed face, her expression faltered for a moment, and her tone immediately filled with vigilance. "Senior Kurenai, why are you here?"

She emphasized the words "Senior Kurenai" heavily.

Kurenai's eyes narrowed slightly as she closed the gate.

She then crossed her arms, revealing her proud curves.

Izumi looked at Kurenai's figure and then glanced down at her own, which were still just budding.

She said, "Senior Kurenai, is there something you need from Yan?"

Kurenai smiled with narrowed eyes. "Of course, we're going on a date."

The atmosphere in the courtyard fell into an instant, icy silence.

As the two were at daggers drawn, Uchiha Yan walked out, already dressed.

Seeing the tension between them, he immediately knew something was wrong.

He quickly stepped forward and asked, "What's going on?"

An indescribable scent of gunpowder permeated the courtyard.

Izumi stood with her hands on her hips, staring daggers at Kurenai, a flicker of unease flashing in her dark eyes.

She and Uchiha Yan had been childhood sweethearts, but the Kurenai before her possessed a feminine charm she couldn't yet reach.

Kurenai appeared much more composed; she leaned against the doorframe with her long legs crossed, making Izumi feel even more breathless.

"A date?" Izumi repeated the word.

She looked at Kurenai's slightly loose, homey knit sweater, then at the playful smile on Kurenai's lips, and alarm bells rang in her heart.

Kurenai maintained her composed posture.

She gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and chuckled, "Izumi, we're all adults here. Yan accompanying me out for a stroll doesn't require reporting his itinerary to anyone, does it?"

Seeing the situation, Uchiha Yan immediately stepped between their gazes to explain.

"Izumi, Kurenai came over today mainly to discuss student safety for the upcoming Chunin Exams and to talk about genjutsu. It's not a date, don't misunderstand."

After saying this, he reached out and ruffled Izumi's hair.

Hearing Uchiha Yan's explanation, the vigilance in Izumi's eyes dissipated slightly.

Kurenai, not wanting to escalate things further, flashed a mischievous smile and said, "Izumi is really no fun to tease. The way you were baring your fangs just now was really..."

Uchiha Yan quickly cut her off.

He asked Izumi, "Izumi, what did you come here for?"

Izumi replied naturally, "I came to ask you to accompany me for training."

Uchiha Yan suddenly remembered that this was indeed the case.

At this moment, Kurenai changed the subject.

She said indifferently, "Alright, take a careful look at the documents I just gave you; I'll come find you again at noon."

After saying this, she deliberately let out a yawn and turned to leave.

After all, her visit this time was purely a spur-of-the-moment decision to hoodwink Uchiha Yan.

However, she hadn't expected Izumi to show up suddenly. Since that was the case, there was no need to make things too awkward and put Uchiha Yan in a difficult position; it was better to retreat in order to advance.

After all, high-end hunters often appear in the form of prey.

Seeing Kurenai take the initiative to withdraw, Uchiha Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

In a blind spot, he gently squeezed Kurenai's hand, and Kurenai rolled her eyes at him before leaving.

The second stage of the Chunin Exams was nearing its end.

Yet, Kakashi and a few Anbu members had made a shocking discovery.

Kakashi looked at the three corpses before him, their faces completely flayed, his expression grave.

The perpetrator's methods were heinous, and it seemed as though they had been left there intentionally for them to find.

He knelt on one knee, attempting to find information and clues from the bodies.

Observing the familiar modus operandi, he quickly thought of one person.

His expression shifted, and he turned to the others, saying, "Take the bodies away; I am going to report this to the Hokage."

Hearing the gravity in Kakashi's tone, the Anbu members nodded one after another.

They carefully sealed off the scene.

One of the Anbu members spoke to a Special Jonin responsible for this exam area, "Please clear the perimeter; we are going to remove the bodies."

The Special Jonin nodded, then left with his own subordinates.

The Anbu then took out a storage scroll and sealed the corpses of the individuals inside.

Hokage Office.

Kakashi knocked hurriedly on the door of the office before him.

"Please, come in."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's familiar voice rang out.

Kakashi walked into the office and said in a grave tone, "Lord Hokage, something has happened."

Sensing Kakashi's mood, the gentle smile that usually hung on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face year-round vanished.

He knew Kakashi's capabilities all too well.

Anything that could be called a major incident by him was undoubtedly very serious.

Kakashi spoke at a rapid pace, "Lord Hokage, it is like this: we discovered three corpses with their faces flayed off on the perimeter of the exam grounds. The killer's methods were extremely cruel, and we suspect the killer intentionally let us find the bodies as a provocation against us."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. He looked at Kakashi and asked, "Are there any clues at the moment?"

Kakashi said calmly, "Based on my judgment, there is a high probability that Orochimaru did this."

"Orochimaru?" Sarutobi Hiruzen repeated.

Upon hearing that name, his expression became filled with memories.

His eyes even held a hint of complexity.

He closed his eyes and thought carefully, attempting to find a solution that served both his own interests and those of Konoha.