A Four-Person Romantic Showdown

As for Obito, his feelings were equally complicated. Watching Koki blush as she looked at Kouki, he felt a strange, indescribable feeling welling up inside him, as if something had been touched, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

This scene was particularly jarring to him, bringing a strange sense of irritation and unease.

Asuma forced a smile and said, "You little rascal, with such a sweet tongue, you're sure to have plenty of girls swooning over you in the future."

Upon Obito, Obito glared at Asuma, his expression turning even worse.

Hearing Asuma's words, Kurenai Yuhi blushed even more deeply. She quickly waved her hands and explained, "That's not it. Koki is just a child. I just..."

Koki noticed the subtle shift in the atmosphere. He stuck out his tongue and immediately explained, "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just telling the truth. Hong-neechan is indeed very beautiful."

Koki swears to God that he simply complimented Hong on her looks and didn't mean anything else.

However, seeing Asuma's displeased expression, Koki felt a little smug. "Serves you right, your dad always picks on my dad."

A mocking smile flickered across Koki's face. He didn't care too much about Asuma's hostility towards him; after all, in his eyes, it was all childish, like children playing house.

He continued to enjoy the delicious dumplings, but his gaze inadvertently fell on Obito. Obito, who was usually always cheerful and talkative, was now silent and speechless.

This scene made Koki feel a little strange.

He turned his head and stared intently, only to find that Obito's eyes behind his goggles—eyes that usually sparkled with boundless energy—were now staring unabashedly at Asuma.

Obito's gaze seemed to conceal a subtle hostility, a sight that left Koki bewildered.

He didn't understand why Obito reacted this way to Asuma, since in his view, Asuma hadn't done anything inappropriate to Obito.

Could it be?! A thought flashed through Koki's mind, his gaze became complicated, and he was secretly amazed. He had been wondering why Obito strangely lately!

However, Koki immediately shook her head, denying her guess.

He thought to himself, "I've really lost my mind. Everyone knows Obito's feelings for Rin."

Even the slow-witted Asuma gradually sensed Obito's unusual gaze.

Obito's gaze was like a sharp sword piercing through thick goggles, going straight into the depths of his soul, bringing an indescribable psychological pressure.

Doesn't this kid like Lin? Why is he glaring at him? Could it be that he's fallen for Hong instead?

That won't do!

Asuma's discontent erupted like a volcano, becoming unbearable.

He put down the dumpling stick in his hand, his brows furrowed, but a mocking smile unconsciously curled at the corner of his mouth. His eyes were like knives, fiercely meeting Obito's gaze, his tone laced with rudeness. "Hey, Obito, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Looking at Asuma's angry face, Koki secretly pondered to herself that Asuma's temper when he was young was indeed somewhat rebellious; otherwise, why would he, as the Hokage's child, become a bodyguard for the Daimyo?

This behavior undoubtedly challenges Hiruzen Sarutobi's bottom line as Hokage, and it's no wonder that there's such a deep rift in the relationship between father and son.

Obito was caught off guard by Asuma's sudden questioning. He then realized that he had been staring at Asuma the whole time. For some reason, hearing Asuma's earlier Koki was definitely not short of girls Obito feel very uncomfortable.

He subconsciously shifted his gaze, trying to ease the awkwardness with lighthearted words. "N-nothing, I just spaced out."

Asuma clearly wasn't buying his explanation. His eyes remained sharp, and his tone carried a hint of provocation. "Distracted? Then tell me, what exactly were you thinking about?"

Obito was speechless; he couldn't explain his strange behavior just now.

Kurenai Yuhi glanced at Asuma, then at Obito, her brow furrowed slightly, her expression revealing an unspeakable trouble.

Seeing this, Koki quickly interjected, trying to ease the tension. "Alright, the dumplings are getting cold, let's eat quickly, we have things to do after we finish." As she spoke, she winked at Obito.

Kurenai Yuhi's gaze softened and fell on Koki. She looked at her intelligent Uchiha brother with gratitude, easily defusing the tense atmosphere from before.

She chuckled softly, her gaze casually sweeping over the vibrant bouquet of roses on the table. A slight thought crossed her mind, and she asked in a joking tone, "These roses are beautiful. Did Obito prepare them for Rin?"

Her tone was light and humorous, as if she were talking about a little secret that everyone already knew.

Indeed, Obito's feelings for Rin were no secret among their peers; almost everyone knew it.

"Oh, this bouquet is beautiful." Asuma's gaze casually swept over the flowers, joining in the joke with a playful attitude; the anger on his face had vanished.

"Ahem." Obito coughed twice, not saying a word. He didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer, so he turned to Asuma and Kurenai: "What are you doing here? Are you on a date?"

Similarly, Obito and the others all knew that Asuma liked red, and whenever someone mentioned it, it would always elicit a knowing laugh.

Faced with Obito's question, a faint blush rose on her cheeks, and she hurriedly denied it, explaining to them.

Let's rewind to an hour earlier.

Today is Sunday, and standing quietly on the street corner is Asuma, clutching a slip of paper with a list of Kurenai Yuhi's favorite shops.

He originally planned to invite Hong out directly, but he worried that such an action might seem presumptuous and abrupt, since their relationship hadn't reached the point where he could casually invite her out.

He needed a reason that wouldn't put pressure on Hong, an opportunity for the two of them to spend time together naturally.

Just then, Might Guy happened to pass by upside down, and Asuma had a sudden inspiration and decided to bring Guy into the plan as well.

He invited Kai, "Hey Kai, wanna go to the meatball shop? I heard they've got some new flavors of meatballs, and they're pretty good."

Kai always had a great passion for food, and upon hearing that there were delicious meatballs to try, he immediately became excited. "Really? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Asuma pressed his advantage, revealing his own little scheme. "By the way, I was also thinking of inviting Red to come along. What do you think?"

Kai was unaware of Asuma's true intentions; he simply thought it was a normal gathering and readily agreed, "Of course! The more people, the more fun!"