Chapter 189

"Well, when he's not bitching about how much he hates all humans, we talk about how disappointedly weak I am, or girls."

"…girls," both men repeat, surprised to hear any interest to the demon beast, let alone girls. However, with red cheeks, both highly observant males can effortlessly picture how any angle of a seductive and shapely woman holds the power to easily break down seemingly insurmountable barriers.

"…Yeah," Naruto slowly answers, staring curiously at the deeply pensive adults. "But that's private so I don't want to say anymore."

Clearing his throat and his thoughts, Sarutobi asks, "is it possible you could tame the beast?" Though Kakashi understands how beneficial to the village having a Jinchūriki on the capability of Killer Bee can be, he can only imagine a much darker path for Naruto than he would like.

Naruto quickly asserts, "nope! I mean, no more than you can tame a person."

"Is it possible you can convince it to cooperative with Konoha," Hiruzen then asks.

"I don't know, I never asked," Naruto shrugs as if he doesn't even care to. "It doesn't really feel right to push like that. I don't want him to think I'm just using him for his chakra."

'Again with the 'him,'' Kakashi mentally notes.

"I can't even describe how thoroughly impressed I am, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen proclaims. "None of your formidable predecessors have ever conversed with the Kyūbi, let alone made use of its chakra in a combat situation."

"Yeah, well, you never know what tomorrow will bring," Naruto tells them. "You have to be ready for anything, right Ji-chan?"

"Very wise words," the elder agrees with a proud smile. "I think I've learned all I needed, Naruto-kun. I'd appreciate it if you spoke with me or your sensei after any future conversations you might have with the Kyūbi."

"Sure," Naruto answers before the clone dispels in a thick puff of white smoke.

Hiruzen's very strong and disapproving eyes finally land on a very rigid Kakashi. The elder's stern and powerful voice asserts, "since you were a boy, you've never failed an assignment within reason. You may have erred, as we all have, but never failed in a thing you've set your mind and considerable talents to. You are a man, grown, Kakashi-kun, and now you are failing. At this very moment, you are failing your students, you're failing yourself, and you're failing me, which means you are failing your village."

Shamed to the point he can't take a breath as his chest is so tight, an ashamed Kakashi weakly responds, "Hai… Hokage-sama."

"This is a first for us both, as I never expected to have a conversation such as this with you," Hiruzen sadly observes. "However, these missteps do not have to mean our defeat. You must do things differently, Kakashi-kun, beginning with a closer association to the living. I understand why your mind and heart remain in the past, but, the many sins we must atone for lay in the future, not in the heavy shackles of our shameful past. We need you, Kakashi-kun. For yourself as much as your village, do not fail me again."

"…Hai, Hokage-sama."

KURENAI

Exiting the Hokage's office and keeping the clone in front of her, Kurenai finds Asuma waiting for her down the empty hall.

"I haven't had a chance to say, congratulations," Asuma begins to say upon reaching him. "Your entire team… that's quite an accomplishment for a fresh Jōnin-sensei, but I can hardly be surprised."

"Oh, yeah," Naruto thoughtfully recalls beaming at her. He usually doesn't think much of Shino and often prefers not to think about Kiba, but he knows how passionate Kurenai is about teaching, and so still can't believe it slipped his mind. This would obviously be an amazing achievement for her and he praises her as much. "That's awesome, Kurenai-sensei! Congratulations!"

"Don't forget you're my student as well," Kurenai gratefully tells him. Turning to Asuma, she congratulates the tall man as well, adding, "Shikamaru-kun has impressive deductive reasoning and critical thinking ability."

The gruff Jōnin chuckles before mentioning, "can't really take credit for that one."

"Still, he's learning from you," Kurenai tells him. "You're clearly a good influence on him."

An errant thought of Asuma as a positive father figure to their child wiggled its way to the forefront of Kurenai's mind, and rather than bring shame, doubt, and impropriety along with it for her current relationship with Naruto, she's amazed by how far she's come without even realizing it. Here she stands with her manly ex in front of her, her blond passion beside her, and there's a clear separation of what once was and what currently is.

Even in his presence, her relationship with Naruto no longer feels wrong, just different. Standing between these men, she can discern that it's not supposed to feel better or worse, but her current state of affairs is simply a more honest understanding of who she is and what these men represent to her.

Kurenai could, very well, be that fantasy mother she imagines with a dutiful and loving husband, taking care of their beautiful child in a charming home. That desire for her future is still there, but, the husband she has her child with isn't as clear as it used to be. And that's okay. At the opposite spectrum, not only does Kurenai love teaching the future of the village, she also enjoys the day-to-day fulfillment of working her students to the bone, picturing how their hard work will one day be to the benefit of the village. And that is also okay.

What her mind seems to effortlessly map out is, opening herself to Asuma again feels like it wouldn't be long before she's discharged from active duty, her students would be reassigned, she'd be left home most days to tend to the house and her growing belly, eventually joining the Allied Mother's Force, and completely giving up her influence over the true Hokage of the future.

Though she wouldn't be opposed to such a future, Kurenai can also continue on her current path as a strong kunoichi sensei who adores her team, cherishes the profession of guiding the youths of tomorrow, and absolutely loves mind-blowing sex with the most surprising, resilient, and amazing boy she's ever met. Aside from the thrill of standing between two of the most prominent avenues her young life is more than capable of traveling, she also feels solace by her acceptance of it all, and ultimately, is in no hurry to change a thing.

Kurenai is so staggered by this monumental self-revelation, she nearly misses Asuma ask, "how about we celebrate? I don't have to meet my team until later. How about a celebratory drink?"

Surprised by the proximity of her former boyfriend asking her out as her bored lover watches patiently, Kurenai says in a slightly elevated tone, "uh, actually, I need to speak with Naruto, so, now isn't ideal for me."

"I can wait," Asuma shrugs casually.

"It'll take some time," Kurenai explains, feeling her armpits prickle in rising body heat. "I wouldn't want to keep you."

"I've got nothing better to do," Asuma voices assuredly. "It's one drink. It'll help distract me from a celebratory smoke."

"I only mean to say, if you did have something else, I wouldn't want to keep you," Kurenai clumsily tries to kindly rebuff his invitation, an action she never thought she'd ever do to Asuma.

"Yeesh, it's one drink, Kurenai-chan," a clueless Naruto phrases with a bored look upon his face, as if he's completely unaware of her personal romantic history with Asuma. 'Which of course, he doesn't know,' she thinks with inward agitation as Naruto adds, "the man's practically begging."

Slightly embarrassed, Asuma huffs, "I wouldn't say begging," as Kurenai weakly answers, "okay," with a roll of her eyes. Any more dismissals and it would've been awkward. Additionally, it isn't as if they don't need to have a frank conversation in the not-so-distant future. Life couldn't have given her a clearer sign to pick an avenue.

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