The Orphanage.
Dressed in simple training clothes, Lin Ze was practicing a sequence of Taijutsu movements in the middle of the courtyard.
Not far away, Tagitsuhime leaned against a veranda pillar, her beautiful eyes resting on Lin Ze with interest.
A faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips, her thoughts unknown.
"Lin Ze!"
Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma walked in side by side.
"Kurenai, Asuma." Lin Ze finished his movements and nodded to them.
With a senbon between his lips, Asuma greeted him:
"Morning, Lin Ze! Training? We're here for Ling. Time to head out on a mission."
His gaze swept over Tagitsuhime nearby, and he couldn't help inwardly muttering that Lin Ze really had luck with women, actually getting the Snake Princess of Ryūchi Cave to be so "obedient."
Kurenai Yuhi walked up to Lin Ze and looked up at him:
"You look really well today. Have you made some progress in your training?"
Lin Ze smiled faintly and asked casually:
"Yeah, a little. But you seem to be in an especially good mood today?"
Kurenai nodded vigorously and said, her face flushed:
"Yes! Seeing you happy makes me happy too!"
Lin Ze was slightly taken aback.
As he looked into Kurenai Yuhi's pure, ardent eyes, her undisguised concern and reliance sent a ripple through his heart.
This girl...
A thought surfaced again-should he ask her one more time whether she was willing to leave with him?
But with the words on the tip of his tongue, he swallowed them back.
Kurenai's roots were in Konoha. Her father, Yuhi Shinku, was a Konoha Jōnin, and though her clan was small, it still had its ties.
Her hesitation on the hill behind the village last time had already made the issue clear.
"What is it?" Seeing Lin Ze staring