Brother, You Smell So Good

Outside the weed-choked courtyard, Yuhi Kurenai stood in casual clothes, her eyes lively but her expression unusually awkward.

Across from her, Uzuki Yugao, her purple hair falling to her waist and her innocent beauty tinged with allure, looked equally puzzled.

"Kurenai-senpai? Why are you at Huayue's house? Did you hear about it too?"

"Um... you're in the same year as Anko, right...? What did you hear about?"

Yuhi Kurenai studied the younger girl before her, an inexplicable sense of crisis rising in her heart.

"Senpai, you didn't know? Huayue—Uchiha Huayue—was taken in as a disciple by Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. Anko was also accepted as Lord Orochimaru's disciple afterward."

"The Orochimaru Squad the three of us were in was disbanded because of that. I originally wanted to congratulate the two of them, but I heard that during the last battle, Huayue exhausted too much Chakra and wouldn't be able to take missions for a while, so..."

Yugao's words did nothing to ease Kurenai's suspicions. She glanced dubiously at the gift Yugao had hidden behind her back, a corner of it faintly visible, and her sense of crisis intensified.

"So that's how it is. You and Anko were on the same squad as Huayue?"

"That was already several months ago. Ever since he rescued us from the Fourth Raikage and became Orochimaru-sensei's disciple, the Orochimaru Squad has been disbanded."

A nearly imperceptible flicker of loneliness passed over Yugao's face. Just as Kurenai was about to comfort her, a hearty laugh came from the distant street corner.

"Kurenai! Yugao! Why are you two standing outside this guy's house? Huh? Since when did you two like sweets?"

Anko rushed over at a rapid pace, crossing from the end of the street to Huayue's front door in the blink of an eye. Looking from side to side, she asked curiously.

"Kurenai, don't you hate cake? And Yugao too—Tricolor Dango is really popular. Could it be..."

Under Anko's gaze, the two of them felt awkward at the same time, as though their toes could dig out a three-bedroom apartment.

When their eyes happened to meet, they could feel their cheeks burning. They hurriedly looked away, and Yuhi Kurenai fumbled out an explanation.

"Actually, I..."

"Just as I thought! Have you finally come to understand the beauty of dango and desserts?"

Anko's smile grew brighter and brighter, and Kurenai and Yugao both secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Anko was rather slow on the uptake. Otherwise, they would have been exposed.

Hm? Why is even Anko joining the fun? What is this supposed to be? A love triangle?

"Hey! Huayue, how long have you been hiding over there watching? The great Anko has arrived, so hurry up and open the door for us!"

With her hands on her hips, Anko spoke with perfect confidence, her face brimming with arrogance.

Yugao and Kurenai looked up in alarm, only then noticing the boy in the second-floor window, his long hair casually draped behind him and a languid air about him.

"How long? Probably the whole time. You didn't ring the doorbell, and I'm not the kind of man who casually invites women into his home."

Kurenai and Yugao looked thoroughly embarrassed. It seemed they really had not rung the doorbell just now. They had been too busy sizing up their rival to notice it at all.

"That sounds suspicious. Very suspicious. Forget it—hurry up and open the door for me! If you don't, the dango and Red Bean Soup will get cold!"

With a creak, the door slowly opened. The pitch-black corridor made the three girls' hearts tighten, but the inexplicable fragrance that drifted out quickly diluted their fear.

"Welcome. I really didn't expect anyone to come visit me. I didn't prepare anything at home, so sorry."

Huayue spoke somewhat perfunctorily, making Anko unable to stop herself from shouting.

"Liar! You were like this even when you studied ninjutsu with Orochimaru-sensei! You'd just send a Shadow Clone over to take one look and leave. You're simply afraid of trouble."

In the clean, bright living room, three cups of black tea gave off faint steam. Facing Huayue, who was practically sunk into the sofa, the three girls looked at one another. In the end, Anko spoke first.

"Hey, after a while, Orochimaru-sensei is taking me outside the village to train. Are you going?"

Her gaze wandered as Anko asked in a low voice. After waiting for a long while without receiving an answer, she gathered her courage and looked up—only to hear faint snoring.

"You bastard! I'm asking you a question! Orochimaru-sensei wants me to train with him outside the village! Are you going or not, damn it?!"

Furiously grabbing him by the collar, she yanked Huayue straight up from the sofa. As she drew close, a deep, lingering fragrance quietly spread through the air, making all three girls blush.

Anko looked around blankly, the suspicion on her face growing more apparent.

"Since when did you start growing flowers at home? It feels like there's a really nice scent in here. What's going on?"

"Indeed, I noticed it the moment we came inside. There's a pleasant fragrance, but it's also strange."

"The scent of flowers? It seems like the source is very close to us. What kind of flower could it be?"

As the three girls puzzled over it, Anko suddenly raised her hand to her nose and sniffed it. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"Could it be..."

As Anko pressed her cheek close to his, Kurenai and Yugao's expressions changed slightly. Their faces flushed red, and they instinctively covered their eyes, though excitement gleamed through the gaps between their fingers.

"Anko! What are you doing? Are you kissing him? Is that a kiss?"

"Wait, we can't make mistakes at our age! Even if you want to become an adult, don't do it in front of us, Anko!"

Anko looked utterly bewildered. Huayue, whose thoughts had been interrupted by their screams, opened his eyes as well. Seeing that he had finally awakened, Anko instinctively released him.

"Wait, what are you two thinking? That scent is coming from him—from his body! What did you think I was trying to do?"

"Could it be..."

Anko's gaze left Kurenai and Yugao so embarrassed that they wished they could disappear into the ground. Huayue, having awakened from his daze, was even more confused by the scene.

"What are you three even talking about?"

Feeling that something about himself was strange today, Huayue instinctively examined himself and quickly discovered the problem.

Name: Uchiha Huayue

Kekkei Genkai: Mangekyō Sharingan

Identity: Nine-Tails Jinchuriki

Tailed Beast: Black Nine-Tails

Exclusive Trait: Fox Charm

Fox Charm? When did I get such a strange trait? Where did it come from?

Acting on instinct, Huayue searched through it and eventually found the trait's source at the very end of the Monthly Sign-In.

Monthly Sign-In exclusive? So the Monthly Sign-In didn't grant ninjutsu or items, but traits that were bestowed upon oneself?

Feeling three dangerous gazes fixed firmly on him, Huayue looked up. Those youthful yet age-inappropriately alluring faces were pressed close to him, a hint of springtime desire hidden between their brows.

"Brother, you smell so good. I really want to rub you... and lick you..."

"Lord Huayue, you're so cute! As expected, what I really want is you, Lord Huayue..."

"Actually, ever since the day you saved me, I've..."

Bang!

A sudden gust scattered the intimate atmosphere in the living room. A figure hurried in, looking frantic.

"Uchiha Huayue, something terrible has happened!"