Untying the Knot

"This time, it's not about who can throw farther, but who has more power."

"The rules are that Chakra can be used. Throw the blades at the same tree and see whose blade is more powerful."

Asuma added the details of the second contest.

Toru readily agreed.

The two held Chakra Blades and each infused them with Chakra.

This time, Toru did not use the Six Eyes to copy Asuma's method. Instead, he infused the Chakra based on his own understanding.

Toru chose Lightning-nature Chakra because he believed it was the most powerful of the five basic natures.

Asuma chose Wind-nature Chakra, his specialty.

Once they were ready, they threw their Chakra Blades almost simultaneously.

The victim was a tree so large it would take two people to wrap their arms around it.

Ssh! Boom!

Two completely different sounds rang out as the blades they had thrown each inflicted considerable damage on the tree.

One blade cleanly pierced straight through the trunk, leaving a hollow as thin as the blade itself in the middle.

The other struck the trunk and blasted out a bowl-sized crater. The blade was buried deep in the tree, with scorch marks all around it.

The former had been thrown by Asuma, while the latter had been thrown by Toru.

Toru and Asuma walked over to inspect both their own blades and each other's.

Both were surprised by the other's strength.

Asuma's Wind Blade had incredible piercing power, while Toru's Lightning Blade possessed overwhelming destructive force. It was difficult to say who was superior.

But at that moment, Toru pulled out Asuma's Chakra Blade and said, "You win, Asuma."

Asuma looked where Toru had been staring and saw that it was a stone that had just been split in half by the residual force of the Wind Blade.

Seeing this, Asuma let out a breath of relief. "Then let's go find Kurenai. It's getting late anyway."

Toru nodded. The two then led the deer back to the cabin and tied them outside.

Before long, Kurenai returned to the cabin carrying a bag of ingredients. Toru explained the situation and asked her to come up with a contest for them.

Kurenai seemed to think the two men in front of her were playing some childish game. "Are all boys this childish? Competing again? Fine, then compete to see who can help me prepare the ingredients first."

"We're having beef stew with potatoes tonight. One of you will cut the potatoes, and the other will cut the beef. Cut both into chunks."

"I'll feed the little deer."

Kurenai handed the bag of ingredients to Toru, then happily went over to the deer and examined them with curiosity.

Toru and Asuma went into the kitchen and took out the potatoes and beef. Toru asked Asuma, "Which one do you want?"

Asuma thought for a moment. "I'll cut the beef."

Toru readily handed the beef to Asuma, while he washed the potatoes first. Once the preparations were complete, the contest was about to begin.

To keep things fair, Toru and Asuma used identical cutting boards. Since there was only one kitchen knife, they both used Asuma's Chakra Blade. Toru also took four palm-sized potatoes, whose total volume was no smaller than the beef in Asuma's hands.

The two counted down from three together, then began at the same time.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Toru gripped the Chakra Blade and rapidly chopped the potatoes, making the cutting board thud repeatedly. The potatoes were quickly cut into thick slices, then into chunks.

There was much less noise from Asuma's side. On closer inspection, the Chakra Blade had been infused with sharp Wind-nature Chakra.

It made cutting the beef effortless for Asuma, and he was no slower than Toru.

They finished their tasks at the same time. Just then, Kurenai pushed open the door and complained, "Why is only one of those deer willing to eat the grass I fed them? Huh, you're already done cutting? Who was faster?"

Toru and Asuma answered, "We were equally fast."

Kurenai walked into the kitchen to inspect the quality of their work.

Then Kurenai noticed something strange and looked directly at the beef Asuma had cut. Lowering her gaze, she finally realized what was wrong.

When Yuhi Kurenai tried to pick up the cutting board, she only lifted a block of wood. Then she pushed the cutting board, and the entire thing scattered across the table.

Asuma had cut straight through the cutting board along with the beef.

A vein bulged on Yuhi Kurenai's forehead as she said speechlessly, "There are only two cutting boards here! Seriously, you couldn't even cut beef properly and sliced the cutting board too? Were you really that impatient?"

Hearing Yuhi Kurenai's criticism, Asuma lowered his head and did not dare say a word.

"Alright, alright, stop making trouble, you two. I'll clean up this mess now. Just wait for dinner."

And so, Toru and Asuma were driven out of the cabin together by Kurenai.

Outside, Asuma looked through a gap in the trees and saw the moon already hanging in the night sky. For some reason, he felt a melancholy urge to light up a cigarette.

"I lost," Asuma said.

"Yeah, you lost. But it was two to one, so you're not bad," Toru replied.

Asuma gave a bitter laugh. "That truly is an honor."

At first, Asuma had believed he could accept defeat calmly, but now it seemed that idea had been far too naive.

When defeat truly came, even if Asuma could find all sorts of reasons—such as his opponent being Uchiha Toru—he still found it difficult to get past the hurdle in his heart.

Toru suddenly said, "I think Kurenai's last sentence was pretty good."

Asuma took a moment to react, then remembered Kurenai's final remark. He muttered, "Too impatient? Yeah, I was too impatient."

After saying that, Asuma thought for a long time before letting out a heavy breath. "Yeah, I was too impatient. I actually thought I could shake off your shadow through three simple contests."

"Looks like I was overthinking it. You really are still a shadow I can't shake off." Though Asuma said this, he began to smile instead.

"But at least this proves I'm not inferior to you in everything. My Wind Release is still better than yours, right?" Asuma asked Toru with a smile.

Toru nodded. "When it comes to using Wind-nature Chakra, I really am not as good as you."

With that affirmation, the knot in Asuma's heart that had lingered for so long suddenly came undone.

Asuma smiled. "If you want to learn, I can teach you."

Toru readily accepted the offer and said, "Then I'll teach you a move too."

Asuma asked, "It wouldn't be that move of Jonin Minato's, would it? Was that what you traded with Kakashi for last time?"

Toru froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You really are smart. You guessed right. It's the Rasengan, though we'll still need Jonin Minato to confirm it."

Asuma readily agreed as well.

After Asuma untied the knot in his heart, the two began talking freely, chatting about all sorts of things from time to time.

"Do you like hunting?" "I've never tried it." "I can teach you the two most practical hunting methods: throwing stones and archery." "Alright. Then I'll teach you shogi sometime." "You like playing shogi? Isn't that something only old people like?" "Isn't liking the Shamisen even more old-fashioned?"

It was not until Yuhi Kurenai opened the cabin door and called outside, "Dinner's ready!"

That Toru and Asuma entered the cabin and enjoyed the lavish dinner together.

Kurenai noticed that the relationship between the two men before her seemed to have improved, leaving her completely confused. The relationship between boys really is strange.

That night, Uchiha Toru and Sarutobi Asuma slept in the same bed, their feet touching.