A battle between romantic rivals?

"Asuma?!"

Kurenai looked up to see a slightly gloomy face. Surprise flickered across her expression, and she instinctively called out his name.

Hearing her, Uchiha Hui stopped eating and looked in the same direction.

He saw a youthful face with a hint of maturity.

It gave him the odd impression of someone young yet scruffy with stubble...

Asuma?

Asuma Sarutobi?

Now this was interesting!

Uchiha Hui remembered that his dining companion was Kurenai Yuhi, then considered Asuma's arrival. His heart skipped a beat. Had he been mistaken for someone trying to steal another man's girl?

"Uh... hello."

He greeted Asuma Sarutobi, who stood there motionless.

He was the Third's son, after all.

He deserved at least that much courtesy.

"I heard you were attacked yesterday. Why didn't you stay in the hospital a little longer?"

Asuma spoke softly to Kurenai.

He had left the village on a mission and only returned last night. As soon as he heard the news that morning, he set out for the hospital, only for a friend to tell him along the way that Kurenai had already been discharged.

When he finally found her here, he discovered his "goddess" laughing and chatting with a considerably older man, looking very happy.

"The doctor said it wasn't anything serious, so I left early. The hospital is still pretty busy, after all."

Kurenai seemed oblivious to the shift in Asuma's mood. She smiled and asked, "Weren't you away on a mission? Did you just get back?"

The two were not officially dating yet.

Although many people knew how Asuma felt about Kurenai, Kurenai herself was rather slow to catch on. So far, she only considered him a close companion and friend.

"Yeah, just got back."

Asuma was a little unhappy. His gaze shifted to Uchiha Hui, who had greeted him earlier. "Sorry for interrupting. I was just too worried about Kurenai's condition. Hello, I'm Asuma Sarutobi. Are you... an Uchiha ninja?"

Uchiha Hui was not angry about being ignored for half a minute.

It was only natural for the village's "prince" to have some pride.

His father was the Third, after all.

Not only was he the longest-serving Hokage, he would soon take office again.

"Hello, I'm Uchiha Hui."

He briefly introduced himself.

"Asuma, this is the senior who saved me. Hui is very strong. He held his own against two Chunin and successfully killed both enemies."

Kurenai introduced Uchiha Hui to Asuma again, emphasizing his accomplishments.

As she spoke,

her eyes sparkled without her even realizing it. Her expression grew livelier, and her whole demeanor seemed much brighter.

However,

Kurenai herself did not notice.

But Asuma, who had been watching her the entire time, saw the change clearly.

"Are you a member of the Konoha Military Police Force? Thank you for stepping in. Otherwise, Kurenai could have been in danger."

Asuma noticed Uchiha Hui's casual clothes. After looking him over, curiosity crossed his face, followed by a hint of seriousness.

Clearly,

he had not lost his head over Kurenai's attitude. He might have been unhappy, but he would never show it.

On that point,

Uchiha Hui was quite satisfied.

He had been afraid this "prince" would think he was stealing his girl and attack him in a fit of anger.

That would have been far too melodramatic.

"Asuma, please speak respectfully. Hui may also be a Chunin, but he's much stronger than we are."

Kurenai was a little displeased by Asuma's words, showing a trace of girlish stubbornness. But she soon spoke again. "By the way, have you eaten? Would you like to sit down and join us?"

She considered Asuma her friend.

So,

she naturally invited him without hesitation.

As she spoke,

she instinctively glanced at Uchiha Hui.

After all, today's meal was meant to thank him. She had to give his wishes some consideration.

Seeing that Uchiha Hui did not object, Kurenai turned back to Asuma.

Asuma looked at Kurenai, then at Uchiha Hui, before shaking his head. "Not right now. I still have things to do. Since you're fine, Kurenai, I'll get going. Let's meet up another time?"

"Hui, I'll take my leave."

He nodded to Uchiha Hui, then turned and left.

"What was that about?!"

Kurenai pouted, looking adorably petulant. She seemed rather puzzled by Asuma's reaction.

"Let's carry on, Hui. Don't mind Asuma. Something happened, so he hasn't been in a very good mood lately. He's not usually like this..."

The Nine-Tails' Rampage.

She had lost her father.

And Asuma had lost his mother.

The two shared a similar grief.

However,

Asuma still had his father, the Hokage, while Kurenai had no family left.

"Mm."

Uchiha Hui smiled and glanced at Asuma's retreating back before lowering his head to eat again. His eyes flickered as memories surfaced in his mind.

As he recalled,

Asuma had chosen to leave the village after becoming a Chunin.

From the looks of things,

Asuma was already a Chunin.

That meant this Hokage's son would leave the village around this period following the Nine-Tails' Rampage, eventually become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and later return to Konoha...

Supposedly, Asuma left the village because his ideals differed from those of the Third.

He wondered whether it had anything to do with the Third returning to office.

Or perhaps Asuma had simply entered his rebellious phase.

Outside the restaurant,

Asuma stepped out and encountered the two men leaning against the wall nearby again.

"Hey, Asuma! I thought you'd challenge that Uchiha ninja. You've liked Kurenai for so long, yet he still dared to get close to her..."

Ebisu sidled over with a sly grin.

"What nonsense are you talking about?! He saved Kurenai's life. She's only treating him to a meal to thank him. If I attacked him, who knows what she'd think of me!"

Asuma rolled his eyes at Ebisu in annoyance.

This guy had been a sleaze since childhood. Reading porn in school was bad enough, but after becoming a ninja, he still liked peeping at bathhouses. Now he was even trying to ruin things between Asuma and Kurenai.

"Still, that guy's pretty strong, isn't he?"

Genma Shiranui glanced at Uchiha Hui inside the restaurant, the Senbon in his mouth quivering slightly. "I heard both spies were killed instantly. One was even an Elite Chunin. Even an ordinary Special Jōnin couldn't have finished them off that quickly."

"He's a ninja from the Uchiha Clan, after all. Isn't it normal for him to be strong?"

Asuma replied.

Everyone agreed on one thing about Uchiha ninja: they were generally a cut above ordinary ninja. Otherwise, their clan could never have become Konoha's foremost elite clan.

"Let's go. We'll grab some ramen, then see what missions are available. I've been resting for a while, and money's getting tight. I need to find some work soon."

Genma Shiranui slung an arm around Ebisu and dragged his reluctant companion away.

Asuma lingered for a few seconds.

He looked back at the two inside the restaurant. Seeing how happily Kurenai was smiling, his fists still clenched involuntarily.

In the end,

he took a deep breath, turned, and left.

After saying goodbye to Kurenai, Uchiha Hui headed home.

He still had a portion of pupil power to absorb.

Today was the day he would advance to three-tomoe!

But as he walked,

he noticed something.

Without saying a word,

Uchiha Hui turned onto another narrow path. A few minutes later, he arrived at the Wooded Grove.

"Come out. You've followed me for so long. What do you want?"

"Asuma."

He looked behind him.

From the shadows,

a figure slowly emerged. It was Asuma Sarutobi, whom he had met earlier.

Kurenai's rumored boyfriend—or rather, her suitor.

Still too young, huh?

Looking at him, a thought crossed Uchiha Hui's mind. After seeing the girl he liked laughing and chatting alone with another man, had Asuma finally failed to hold back and come out to warn him?

"Hui."

Asuma had thought he was well hidden, but it now seemed Uchiha Hui had noticed him long ago.

He looked at the older man in mild surprise.

Earlier, he had assumed Uchiha Hui belonged to the Konoha Military Police Force.

But after going back and making a few inquiries,

Asuma discovered that Uchiha Hui was little known even within the Uchiha Clan. There had even been claims that he only became a Chunin through connections.

If anything had changed,

it was that this senior, who had stagnated at Chunin for so long, seemed to have begun training hard recently.

"If you have something to say, say it. I have things to do at home, and I'm in a hurry."

Previously, Uchiha Hui might have shown restraint because Asuma was the Third's son. But now that Asuma had sought him out, he clearly saw no reason to keep indulging him. His tone was no longer gentle.

At those words,

Asuma froze for a moment.

But his gaze soon grew resolute.

"I want you to stay away from Kurenai."

Asuma stared at Uchiha Hui as he spoke slowly.

"Oh?!"

Uchiha Hui had not expected him to be so direct.

He had thought Asuma would beat him up under the pretext of a "friendly spar," then deliver that threat as a warning from her "boyfriend."

That was it?

"Your attitude really rubs me the wrong way!"

Uchiha Hui could not help scratching his head. His gaze gradually turned amused as he slowly looked at Asuma and narrowed his eyes.

Name: Asuma Sarutobi

Identity: Chunin of the Sarutobi Clan, Konohagakure, Land of Fire

Reputation: 8,689 points

Relationship: Distant

Asuma Sarutobi, who would later become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, was not particularly strong yet. He was only at the Chunin level.

However,

considering his age, that was already quite impressive. Not everyone could become a Jonin at twelve or thirteen like Kakashi.

"How about a fight? If you win, I'll turn around and leave whenever I see Kurenai from now on."

Uchiha Hui could not resist testing this Hokage's son.

The next Hokage's son had only recently been born.

This previous Hokage's son, however, was just right.

He was simply too eager to grow stronger!

Asuma had not expected such an answer.

Usually, people would choose to settle things peacefully out of respect for the Third.

Yet Uchiha Hui had taken the initiative to propose a fight.

Recalling the way Kurenai and Uchiha Hui had interacted earlier,

Asuma was tempted.

At the end of the day...

He was only fifteen or sixteen, an age when even a little provocation could go straight to his head.

Not to mention, this involved the girl he liked.

That made it even easier for him to lose his cool.

"Want to give it a try? If you're too scared, I'll leave."

Seeing that Asuma was still hesitating, Uchiha Hui spoke again. As he spoke, he lifted a foot as though he were about to leave.

"Wait!"

Asuma immediately called out to stop him.

"If I win, I hope you'll keep your word, senior. Kurenai is innocent. I don't want her getting hurt."

"Sure!"

Uchiha Hui readily agreed.

Leaving the matter of Kurenai aside, all he wanted right now was to see what good loot he could get from defeating Asuma, the Hokage's son.

The two headed deeper into the woods and took their fighting stances.

The breeze around them began to stir gently, and everything seemed utterly quiet.

Swish!

Asuma pulled a pair of brass knuckles from his pocket and slowly slipped them on. His expression grew serious, his gaze sharpening considerably.

As the Third's son...

He had excellent combat instincts and ranked among the best of his peers.

Aside from Kakashi, who was renowned as a genius...

Asuma already counted among the standout shinobi of Konoha's rising generation.

"I'm coming!"

Asuma warned Uchiha Hui.

Although he had heard about Hui winning a two-on-one fight, he had also heard about his past exploits.

So...

When it came to defeating Uchiha Hui...

Asuma still felt confident.

Uchiha Hui kept his smile and slowly activated his Sharingan. Without saying a word, he simply drew a kunai and stood where he was.

Whoosh!

The next second...

Asuma vanished from his spot, shooting toward Uchiha Hui like an arrow.

Clang, clang, clang!

In the space of a single breath...

Uchiha Hui blocked several of his attacks.

Fortunately...

None of Asuma's movements could escape those eyes.

After blocking another slash from Asuma...

Uchiha Hui stopped playing defense.

He lashed out with a kick, driving it hard into Asuma's abdomen.

In an instant...

Asuma reeled from the heavy blow and went flying backward.

But Uchiha Hui took no joy in the sight. He swiftly leaped away from his spot, formed hand seals, and unleashed a ninjutsu in another direction off to the side.

Boom!

The Great Fireball Technique, which Uchiha Hui had trained up to "Expert" level, erupted in an instant.

The enormous fireball radiated astonishing heat.

Its diameter already exceeded five meters.

Both its color and its temperature differed somewhat from an ordinary Great Fireball.

And this was nowhere near Uchiha Hui's current limit.

If he wanted...

With the Great Fireball Technique alone, he could produce a fireball more than ten meters across, or even larger. He could also perform it one-handed, casting it with just a few simplified hand seals.

But his opponent now was Asuma.

He was not an enemy who had to die.

So Uchiha Hui chose to hold back some of his ability.

Even so...

The fireball, over five meters across and hot enough to feel scorching from several meters away, still filled Asuma with dread.

As the Asuma who had just been kicked away turned into a log amid a puff of white smoke...

The real Asuma appeared directly in the path of Uchiha Hui's ninjutsu, his face filled with shock.

Still...

His training as a shinobi kept him composed.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!!!"

Facing the oncoming heat, Asuma rapidly formed hand seals. Just as the fireball was about to strike him, his chest swelled. He leaned back, then violently blew forward.

Whoosh!

Like a pillar of air...

His chakra-enhanced breath whipped up a hurricane-like blast that surged outward from him.

Boom!

The Great Fireball Technique instantly collided with Great Breakthrough.

The raging flames pressed through the Wind Release and continued advancing, as though they were about to break through Asuma's defenses.

Fortunately, Asuma kept pouring power into his technique.

And so...

After several seconds of stalemate...

Uchiha Hui watched his Expert-level Great Fireball Technique finally break apart.

But to him, it already counted as an ordinary attack.

For Asuma, however...

It seemed to have taken an enormous amount of effort.

Sweeping his gaze over him...

Uchiha Hui saw Asuma panting heavily, as though that Wind Release had drained everything he had.

Noticing Uchiha Hui's gaze...

Asuma abruptly raised his head.

"Don't look down on me!"

With that...

He first hurled several shuriken at Uchiha Hui, then formed hand seals again.

"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"

In an instant...

A dense cloud of ash spewed from Asuma's mouth, enveloping Uchiha Hui almost immediately.

Within the smoke...

The corner of Uchiha Hui's mouth lifted slightly.

He knew this ninjutsu.

The Nicotine Technique.

Its principle was to use "tar" to make the target inhale decades' worth of secondhand smoke in a matter of moments... yeah, right!

Rumble!

After swirling briefly, the smoke erupted in a violent explosion.

"He... he didn't dodge?!"

Asuma was startled, seemingly unable to believe that his ninjutsu had actually hit Uchiha Hui.

If it really hit him...

Wouldn't he be seriously injured?!