After a while, Genya stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and began getting dressed.
Kurenai watched him without moving.
"Leaving already?"
Once he was dressed, Genya turned back and kissed her forehead.
"Yeah."
Kurenai rolled her eyes.
"Afraid that woman will find out you slipped out for a little action tonight?"
Genya stopped in his tracks, torn between laughter and exasperation.
"Kurenai, that mouth of yours..."
Kurenai chuckled and waved him off.
"All right, all right, get out of here. Use the front door next time. Stop climbing through the window."
"Got it."
Genya walked to the window, pushed it open, and glanced back at her.
"Get some sleep."
With that, his figure flickered and vanished into the night.
Kurenai stared at the empty window and sighed.
"That bastard..."
She lay back down and pulled the covers snug around herself.
The moonlight was unchanged, and so was the night.
But someone's heart now had one more person to worry about.
Genya Uchiha's home.
Genya slipped silently back into his room through the window. The moment he landed, he heard a faint noise from next door.
His heart lurched, and he held his breath.
The sounds next door continued for a few seconds, then fell silent.
Genya waited a while. Once he was sure nothing was wrong, he breathed a sigh of relief and slipped quietly back into bed.
Across Konoha, preparations for the third exam were underway.
There was still a month until the official examination.
During that month, even the air in Konoha seemed to change.
Tension, anticipation, anxiety, excitement-all sorts of emotions gripped every contestant.
The Training Ground, Uchiha Clan Compound.
The Training Ground was already packed.
Uchiha Fugaku stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze stern.
Uchiha Itachi stood beside him, his expression calm.