After tidying up the room, Uchiha Yan looked at Kurenai in confusion.
"What brings you to my house today, Kurenai? My cat can't do backflips, either."
Kurenai sat down on the sofa as if she owned the place and crossed her legs. For comfort, she kicked off her shoes without hesitation.
Her toes lined up neatly, their nails trimmed into smooth, rounded shapes. She wasn't wearing any polish, but they had a natural, faint pink hue. Bathed in the sunlight, they looked like a work of art.
Kurenai didn't seem to realize how much visual impact her posture had on Uchiha Yan.
She stretched languidly, and the curves beneath her sweater looked even fuller as she arched her body.
Uchiha Yan's gaze swept discreetly over her impressive curves before coming to rest on Kurenai's bare feet.
Kurenai noticed his gaze.
Her face, already slightly flushed from her stretch, grew even redder.
Still, she feigned composure and replied, "Did you forget? You promised to go out with me today."
Uchiha Yan thought it over carefully and realized he hadn't made any such promise.
He glanced at Kurenai, suspicious.
Noticing his doubtful look, Kurenai said irritably, "What, are you going to go back on your word?"
Uchiha Yan immediately gave her a textbook French military salute.
"All right, all right. I'll go change."
With that, he went back to his room to change.
Kurenai was left alone in the living room.
Just then, someone knocked on the gate outside.
Kurenai straightened her clothes, put on her shoes, and opened the gate.
"Yan, have you heard? Lately..."
Izumi's voice rang out.
When she saw Kurenai—and especially her flushed face—she paused, her expression momentarily blank. Then her tone turned wary. "Senior Kurenai, what are you doing here?"
She put particular emphasis on the words "Senior Kurenai."
Kurenai narrowed her eyes and closed the gate.
Then she folded her arms across her chest, accentuating her impressive curves.
Izumi looked at Kurenai's figure, then glanced down at her own modest chest.
"Senior Kurenai, what did you come here to see Yan about?"
Kurenai smiled with narrowed eyes. "Of course, I'm here to go on a date with Yan."
The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly turned icy.
While the two stood on the verge of a confrontation, Uchiha Yan came out, fully dressed.
Seeing them glaring at each other, he immediately knew something was wrong.
He hurried over and asked, "What's going on?"
An indefinable tension hung in the air.
Izumi stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Kurenai. A trace of unease flickered in her dark eyes.
She and Uchiha Yan had been childhood friends, but Kurenai had a mature, feminine allure that Izumi couldn't yet hope to match.
Kurenai, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. She leaned against the doorframe, her long legs crossed, making Izumi feel even more out of her depth.
"A date?" Izumi repeated.
She looked at Kurenai's slightly loose, homey-looking sweater, then at the playful smile on her lips. An alarm immediately went off in Izumi's mind.
Kurenai maintained her composed air.
She casually brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and chuckled. "Izumi, we're all adults. Yan's just going out with me for a bit. I don't need to report my plans to anyone, do I?"
Uchiha Yan quickly stepped between them, cutting off their line of sight, and explained.
"Izumi, Kurenai came to talk with me about the safety of the Chunin Ninja Exams participants and to discuss genjutsu. It's not a date. Don't get the wrong idea."
As he spoke, he reached out and ruffled Izumi's hair.
At Uchiha Yan's explanation, some of the wariness faded from Izumi's eyes.
Kurenai didn't want to make a scene, either. With a mischievous smile, she said, "Honestly, Izumi, you're so easy to tease. The way you were baring your fangs just now was really..."
Uchiha Yan hurriedly cut her off.
He turned to Izumi and asked, "Izumi, what did you come here for?"
"I came to get you to train with me, of course."
Uchiha Yan suddenly remembered that they really had made plans to do that.
Kurenai changed the subject.
"All right, take a careful look at the documents I gave you. I'll come back at noon."
With that, she deliberately yawned and turned to leave.
After all, she'd only come on a whim, hoping to trick Uchiha Yan into going out with her.
She hadn't expected Izumi to show up. Since she had, there was no need to push things too far and put Uchiha Yan in a difficult position. Better to retreat in order to advance.
After all, the best hunters often appear as prey.
Seeing Kurenai back down of her own accord, Uchiha Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
Once they were out of Izumi's sight, he gave Kurenai's hand a light squeeze. She rolled her eyes at him, then left.
The second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams was nearing its end.
Kakashi and several Anbu had made a disturbing discovery.
Kakashi stared grimly at the three bodies in front of him. Their faces had been completely skinned.
The killer's methods were horrifying, and it seemed they had deliberately left the bodies to be found.
He dropped to one knee, trying to find information and clues on the corpses.
Recognizing the familiar method, he quickly thought of someone.
His expression changed. Turning to the others, he said, "Take the bodies away. I'm going to report to Lord Hokage."
Hearing the gravity in Kakashi's voice, the Anbu members all nodded.
They carefully secured the scene.
One of the Anbu turned to the Special Jōnin in charge of the exam site and said, "Sorry for the trouble, but please clear the area outside. We need to take the bodies away."
The Special Jōnin nodded, then left with several subordinates.
Meanwhile, the Anbu took out a storage scroll and sealed the bodies inside.
Hokage Office.
Kakashi hurriedly knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's familiar voice came from inside.
Kakashi entered the office and said gravely, "Lord Hokage, something's happened."
Seeing Kakashi's expression, the kindly smile Sarutobi Hiruzen wore so often disappeared.
He knew Kakashi's abilities too well.
If Kakashi called something serious, it was undoubtedly grave.
Kakashi spoke quickly. "Lord Hokage, we found three bodies outside the exam site. Their faces had been skinned. The killer's methods were extremely cruel, and we suspect he deliberately left the bodies for us to find as a provocation."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and looked at Kakashi. "Do we have any leads?"
"Based on my assessment, there's a strong chance Orochimaru did it."
"Orochimaru?" Sarutobi Hiruzen repeated.
At the name, his expression grew pensive.
His eyes were tinged with complicated emotions.
He closed his eyes and thought carefully, trying to find a solution that served both his own interests and Konoha's.
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