When evening ca, Jiraiya and the children returned, and Naruto began to grumble.
"Seriously! Is this weird old guy even really strong? Why was he peeping at the won's bath! You pervy sage!!"
Then Jiraiya patted Naruto on the back and said, "Gathering material is essential for writing novels."
"Pervy sage, don't say weird things!! Bro writes great novels without doing stuff like that!"
"Well..."
When Jiraiya was at a loss for words, I answered for him. "I'm a practical type, you see."
"Oh~ As expected, you're amazing, Author Jin!"
Then Kurenai, who had been listening, said incredulously, "Unbelievable. A man who sees won as stones calling himself a practical type!"
"Huh? What do you an..."
"I don't know!!"
Kurenai suddenly shouted and went into her room, slamming the door shut. I was flustered. Jiraiya, watching, slapped his fist into his palm.
"Oh~ This is good material. The woman is aggressive, but the man is like a stone..."
He took out his notebook and began writing sothing. He was probably using the incident as material for his novel.
"That's likely to be a potato."
"Huh? Potato?"
"It ans it gives a stifling feeling, like choking on a potato."
"Oh~ I see."
I explained a bit more. "It's a common trope in harem stories. The popular male lead is so oblivious he can't sense the heroine's signals, forcing the heroine or heroines to act more aggressively or leading to a competitive dynamic. But if handled poorly, it can just be frustrating for the reader, so you have to be careful."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it's not easy to handle. If done wrong, only the protagonist gets criticized."
Jiraiya thought for a mont, then said, "Hmm... Hearing that, I suppose so. So, Author-nim, you must be the oblivious type."
"Excuse ?"
I was flustered by that. Jiraiya then looked at Naruto and Sasuke and asked, "Right?"
Both Naruto and Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, Bro is totally oblivious." "That's right. Author-nim is really oblivious."
"Huh... Really?"
At that, I thought that Kurenai might have felt the sa way. When doing dishes or preparing als, even though she wasn't required to as my guard, she had actively helped. She also brought tea and snacks when I was writing. I had thought she was just a considerate person, but it seed there was more to it.
"Big sis gave up her Jonin promotion and decided to continue as your guard after asking the Old Man…"
Naruto revealed a fact I didn't know, and Sasuke hit him on the back.
"Hey! She asked us to keep that a secret! How could you say that?"
"But Bro is being too frustrating."
I was surprised and asked again. "What? Is that true?"
"Yeah..."
For such a thing, my clones would have contacted , but hearing nothing ant they probably talked about it outside when Hiruzen ca. The funny thing was that even the children knew.
'So that happened...'
Certainly, Kurenai was a fine woman. The most beautiful in the village, and with a good personality. But there was one problem: she was slated to be Hinata's team leader.
'There aren't many decent Jonin as it is... What should I do...'
As I was seriously thinking, Naruto carefully asked, "Bro, were you not oblivious, but just not interested in Big Sis at all, ya know?"
"Yuhi-san is certainly a good woman. But I've never thought of her that way... It's sudden, I suppose."
I told the truth. Jiraiya again slapped his fist into his palm.
"Oh~ So it's unrequited love! Unrequited love for the person she's guarding! This is great material!"
"..."
I prepared dinner in silence. In retrospect, it might have been a good story. It's a the often explored in many masterpieces. But I didn't bring it up this ti. I had a lot on my mind.
Since Kurenai didn't help this ti, I had to prepare the al alone.
When the al was ready, everyone ate in silence. I glanced at Kurenai, but she also ate without a word. Even though the windows were closed, a cold draft seed to seep in.
"...Ugh, I think I'm going to choke... I'm done."
Unable to bear the atmosphere, Naruto barely ate before leaving the table for his room. One by one, the others followed. If I didn't have my [Strong Mind] ability, I wouldn't have been able to eat much either. Since I had prepared the usual large amount, a lot was left over, resulting in a lot of food waste.
'Really... They'll be hungry later...'
After clearing the table, I set a few cups of ran on it in case the children got hungry, then went to my room to think about how to resolve the situation. But no clear solution ca to mind.
'Ah, to hell with it. I'll just sleep.'
I gave up thinking and went to sleep.
The next morning, I went to the living room to find all the cup ran gone. I cleaned up and prepared breakfast. Kurenai suddenly appeared and silently began helping.
An awkward silence lingered for a while, then Kurenai quietly asked, "I heard what you said last night. Am I not attractive?"
"No, Yuhi-san is a very attractive woman."
"Then why did you say that?"
"Because I've never thought of you as a romantic interest."
"I see. So I've been rejected?"
When Kurenai asked directly, I thought for a mont, then said, "To be honest, it's not that I'm not interested, and dating wouldn't be a problem, but... I'm worried I'd only end up hurting you by starting lightly. And frankly, I'm not comfortable with my girlfriend going on dangerous missions. If you're serious about this... I would want you to give up being a ninja."
Kurenai was speechless, apparently shocked by my request.
The reason I made this condition was that if we were to date, Kurenai, like , would beco a target for enemies. She was certainly not weak, but considering the events and enemy levels that would co, her skill might not be enough.
'You could just train Kurenai to be super strong,' one might say. But if that resulted in her taking down Itachi, the original story would be a complete ss. So if we were to date, I thought it best to keep her quietly by my side, hence this condition.
"Give so ti to think..."
"Understood."
Thus, I left the choice to Kurenai. If she gave up, I would be disappointed, but I decided to accept it. We had lived together for a while, and no matter how beautiful she was, she wasn't yet precious enough to ruin my Playful Life.
Anyway, we silently resud preparing breakfast. Jiraiya and the children, having woken up, began coming into the living room one by one. Sensing the strange atmosphere, they silently ate and prepared for the Academy.
When Naruto and Sasuke ate little again, I packed them generous lunches.
After a simple cleanup, I went to my room to write. I was deeply focused when Kurenai ca in with tea and snacks.
"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."
"Not at all. And I've been thinking. I'll give up being a ninja. But I have a condition too."
"What is it?"
"Take responsibility for to the end."
In a way, Kurenai's request was only natural. She was giving up everything because of .
"Understood. I'll do that."
Since she had made a difficult decision, I answered sincerely.
"Um... then should we combine rooms now?"
Having heard that I hadn't considered her romantically, Kurenai was surprisingly bold.
"I'm fine with it, but won't your parents worry?"
"Don't worry about that. I'm already of age, and they've been worried every day because I didn't have a boyfriend. They might actually be happy... But I don't know how they'll take quitting being a ninja."
Co to think of it, Kurenai was now in her mid-twenties, well of marriageable age.
"I see. Then let's do that."
When I agreed, Kurenai happily began moving her belongings from her room. I helped. Jiraiya, drinking tea in the living room, watched with a satisfied smile.
"Oh~ So that's how it is. Good for you."
At that, Kurenai was very embarrassed.
Fortunately, she didn't have much luggage, so the move was quick. After tidying up, I resud writing. Kurenai imdiately went to see Hiruzen. It was likely to begin the process of resigning as a ninja.
She returned a bit after lunchti, carrying a bag with more belongings. It seed she had brought everything remaining at her old house. I took the bag.
"Hoo... It was hard to bring. I'm no longer a ninja. I told the Hokage and returned my forehead protector. I'm a civilian now."
"I see. In exchange, I'll hire you as my guard. I'll pay you a salary, of course."
"Oh~ That's nice. Guarding my lover... It's romantic."
That day, I had dinner with Kurenai and Jiraiya, and organized the room a bit more with the new belongings. Then we sat in the room and talked.
"So, let's speak comfortably now."
"Okay, Kurenai."
At my words, Kurenai blushed and said shyly, "Uh, huh... Jin..."
Having said it herself, she seed a bit embarrassed to actually do it.
"By the way, have you had other girlfriends? From what you said last night, it sounded like you had a lot of experience..."
"Yeah, there were a few."
"I-Is that so... Were they more beautiful than ?"
I thought of my past loves. Luna, Darkness, Karina, Natasha, Robin, Hina, Vivi, Ran, Rin, Saber, Rider, Arwen, Nezuko... All were won with top-tier beauty, wherever they were from.
"Should I be honest?"
"Huh? When you say it like that, I'm nervous... But go ahead."
"They were incredibly beautiful."
At that, Kurenai frowned slightly, perhaps jealous.
"Then why didn't you stay with them? Why were you alone?"
"They don't exist in this world."
Kurenai, looking surprised, apologized. "I'm sorry... I didn't know..."
"It's fine."
Kurenai seed to have misunderstood that my past lovers had died. I didn't feel the need to explain.
After talking a bit more, I resud writing, and Kurenai began practicing ninjutsu, forming hand seals. Even indoors, she seed to train consistently.
I didn't need to form seals to use ninjutsu. I had [EX No Incantation]. But having trained and studied various techniques for so long, I understood the flow and transformation of chakra in the body, so I could use most techniques without seals anyway.
'Hmm... Ah, she could reduce that part...'
Feeling frustrated watching her train, I asked, "Sorry to interrupt your training, but those hand seals... do you have to form all of them?"
"Yes. Otherwise, the technique won't co out properly."
"But in combat, every second counts. Isn't it hard to form such complex seals?"
"That's why I practice. To do them faster."
"Then, can't you simplify or reduce them?"
Kurenai thought for a mont, then said, "I've heard of people who shorten them."
"Then it's possible. Why could those people shorten them?"
"Well... I'm not sure..."
She couldn't answer my question. So I guessed. "Don't you think those people prioritized the flow and transformation of chakra over the seals themselves? Then they could reduce unnecessary movents and use ninjutsu with minimal seals. Actually, we blacksmiths do the sa when making special swords. Optimal path and transformation... I don't know if I'm right, but I think the body is no different."
At my words, Kurenai, with a serious expression, slowly ford the seals for a basic technique, checking the flow and transformation of her chakra.
'Good. Now she's training properly.'
In truth, hand seals are emphasized early on, but later appear rarely or are omitted entirely. It was probably a result of learning from good teachers, but I suspect they ca to understand this very essence.
After that, Kurenai continued practicing seals until evening. The children and Jiraiya had already finished training and returned ho.
"Eat first, then practice."
"Oh, is it already..."
Only when I called did she check the clock. She had been so focused she lost track of ti.
Even during the al, she ate while still thinking, her expression serious. Naruto, seeing this, quietly asked , misunderstanding.
"Hey... Is it still about that?"
"Ah, no. Kurenai and I have decided to beco lovers."
"Oh~ Really? That's good! But why does she look so serious? She doesn't look happy at all."
"That's about sothing that happened today."
I told them what we had discussed during the day. I thought it would be helpful for the children too. Jiraiya then clapped his hands.
"Oh~ Congratulations. Kurenai is trying to take a step up."
Hearing that, Sasuke asked Jiraiya, "Then can't we practice that way from the beginning?"
"No, you can't. This is sothing possible only for those who have reached a certain level. If you worry about that at your level, your techniques will only get slower."
As expected of a legendary ninja, Jiraiya seed to know this already.
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