Chapter 67: The Two of Us

"I'm home."

"Welcome back."

"Ino, you're back!"

Ino kicked off her shoes in the entryway, hearing her parents' voices from the living room and the sounds of her mother cooking in the kitchen.

"You met your Jounin instructor today, right?"

Her father, Inoichi, was sitting on the couch reading a magazine.

"Yeah, I did," she replied nonchalantly.

"And what do you think?" he asked.

"He's young and pretty handsome," she said, feeling a little better than yesterday. The disappointment of not being on the same team as Sasuke had faded somewhat, especially now that her Jounin instructor was someone she found interesting.

"Oh, he said his name is Ren."

Inoichi nodded, already aware; Shikaku had consulted him and Choza about the matter. After some deliberation, they had agreed to trust the Hokage's choice.

"He's well-regarded, known for his strength in the war and quite accomplished for his age," Inoichi said.

"Really?" Ino asked, surprised, taking a seat beside him. "Dad, tell me more about him!"

Inoichi hesitated. "Are you that interested in him?"

"Of course! He's going to be my teacher, so I want to know more about him," she replied confidently.

"He... well, I've only heard his name, so I don't know much," he said, choosing his words carefully.

Ino pursed her lips. "Alright then." She got up and headed to her room.

"Dinner's almost ready!" her mother called out.

"Okay, I'll be down soon!"

After rearranging the flowers on her windowsill, Ino threw herself onto her bed, one leg hanging over the side, lightly swinging back and forth.

A teacher... he seems pretty cool.

If only her teammates included Sasuke.

...

"Tenten, dinner's ready! Come down."

Tenten's mother called up to her, and she quickly shouted back, "Okay, coming!"

But instead of heading to the dining room, she dashed outside.

"I'm going to get Ren! He probably hasn't eaten yet."

Her mother watched her dash off with a sigh, muttering, "That girl, always thinking about her Ren."

The sky was dark, and lights were on in the houses up and down the street, including the one across the way.

Humming, Tenten skipped down the street, crossed to Ren's house, and knocked.

"Ren!"

When there was no answer after a moment, she knocked again.

"Ren?"

Leaning her ear against the door, she heard the faint sound of running water.

Is he in the shower?

She hesitated, wondering if she should climb in through the window, but just then, the door opened.

Standing there wasn't Ren, but a woman with long, wavy black hair, elegant and beautiful.

Tenten froze.

Through the open door, she could hear the water running from inside.

"Are you here to see Ren?" the woman asked with a gentle smile. "He's in the shower right now."

In the shower…

Tenten stared, a flood of questions racing through her mind.

Who was this woman?

Why was she in Ren's house, talking about him so casually?

And why would Ren be comfortable showering with someone else in his home?

"And you are...?" Tenten managed, keeping her gaze steady.

"I'm Ren's friend," the woman said, smiling. "Are you going to wait for him?"

Tenten pressed her lips together. "No, that's alright."

She cast a final glance at the woman, then turned and walked away.

As she walked, she heard the door close behind her.

I'm probably overthinking it. She seems a lot older than him anyway.

There's no way Ren has a girlfriend… I'll ask him later, just in case.

But she really was beautiful…

Inside, Ren, now wearing just a pair of shorts, walked out of the bathroom, towel in hand.

"Tenten was here, wasn't she?" he asked, drying his hair.

"Oh, Tenten?" the woman said, smiling as she realized. "That cute girl from next door, right?"

Ren gave a nod. "She's about the only one who would come knocking."

"Sounds like you two are close," she remarked.

Ren replied with a nonchalant "Mm."

She watched him as he dried his hair, then took a step forward, surprising him slightly by offering to help.

Ren looked at her, eyebrows slightly raised.

The woman took the towel from him, placing it over his head and gently patting his hair dry, moving with soft, tender strokes.

Standing so close, she could smell his fresh shampoo, her gaze lifting to meet his despite the height difference.

"Couldn't you lean down just a bit?" she teased, her voice soft.

"Don't you like looking up at me?" Ren replied.

She rolled her eyes playfully before lowering her gaze.

But Ren suddenly tilted her chin up, his fingers gentle yet firm.

She felt herself freeze, letting the towel slip from her hands onto a nearby chair as she closed her eyes.

Yet the kiss she was anticipating didn't come. When she opened her eyes, she found him simply watching her, expression unreadable.

"What…?" she asked, biting her lip.

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[Name]: Kurenai Yuhi

[Gender]: Female

[Age]: 26

[Affection]: 90

[Relationship]: Lover

[Difficulty]: A

[First Kiss Reward]: Genjutsu Mastery (obtained)

[Full Intimacy Reward]: Genjutsu Counter (obtained)

---------------------------------------------------------

Ren's gaze softened slightly. Her affection level had just risen; it had been 89 points before.

90…

He spoke calmly, "Aren't you afraid of our relationship becoming public?"

Kurenai's eyes glistened. "What would I have to hide? There's nothing shameful about us."

"Then why did you act so flustered when you saw Asuma earlier?" Ren asked.

"I… I didn't…" Her gaze faltered.

"Is that so?" He removed his hand from her chin, his tone indifferent.

She dropped her head, almost guilty.

"You can go now."

Kurenai's head snapped up, alarm flashing in her eyes.

"Ren, no! You misunderstood!" she insisted, grasping his arm as if he might disappear.

"If you can't make a choice, I'll make it for you," he said, pulling his arm away.

"No!" she cried, wrapping both arms around him tightly. He remained expressionless as she desperately tried to kiss him, his face impassive.

"I'm sorry… I just wasn't ready… Please forgive me…" she pleaded.

"Do you think you love me?" he asked quietly.

Resting her face against his chest, she murmured, "All I know is that I feel complete when I'm with you, and when you're not here, you're all I think about."

"And Asuma?"

"If I liked him, I would've accepted him long ago," she said urgently.

Ren raised her chin again, holding her gaze. "So, what exactly are you waiting for?"

She felt her heart sink, his unyielding gaze keeping her from moving.

"Are you just afraid of losing him as someone who's always around?" he pressed.

"No!" she shook her head, as much as his grip would allow.

"Afraid of tarnishing your reputation by being with someone like me?"

"That's not it!" she protested, her voice trembling.

Ren's voice was cold. "You don't have to humble yourself for me. I can't give you anything you want. You're free to go back to your world, where you're adored by everyone around you."

"Asuma is the Hokage's son. Wouldn't he be a better choice?"

"No!" she nearly shouted.

"No, I would never choose that! I'll make things clear with Asuma."

She shook her head, desperately rejecting everything he was saying.

Ren released her chin, stepping back.

Kurenai immediately wrapped herself around him again.

Ren began to gently stroke her hair, the sudden softness of his touch making her feel as if she were dreaming.

"Don't say I didn't give you a choice," he murmured near her ear.

"…"

"If you've chosen me, then you're mine now, and I'll treat you well."

"But if you betray me like someone once did…" His tone dropped to a frigid chill, making her glance up in dread.

"I'll make sure you'd rather be dead."

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