Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Yūhi Kurenai

Sunlight, a gentle breeze, tree shade, and a beautiful woman.

It should have been a blissful afternoon, but ever since this beauty appeared before him, Kamizuki Hikari felt that his leisurely time had come to an abrupt end.

Her slightly curled long hair, crimson eyes, and unique outfit—red as the base with white stripes, appearing separate yet actually one piece—made her resemble a snow lotus blooming atop a high mountain, exuding a delicate fragrance that made it hard to look away.

’Seriously, what was Asuma thinking?’

’Leaving such a beautiful woman unattended and wandering around outside—isn’t he afraid someone else might steal her away?’

Thinking this to himself, Hikari climbed down from his hammock and greeted her with a wave.

"Good afternoon, Kurenai-sensei!"

Yūhi Kurenai glanced at the Ino-Shika-Chō trio training hard in the distance, then back at Hikari, who had just gotten off his hammock. Only one thought crossed her mind:

’This guy is definitely unreliable.’

Still, since she was already here, she couldn’t just leave empty-handed.

"Good afternoon." Kurenai nodded slightly, her manners impeccable.

"No need to be so formal. You can just call me Kurenai, and I’ll call you Hikari. Is that alright?"

"Sure." Hikari had no objections to being called by his name.

To him, names existed to be used. If people insisted on adding titles or ranks after them, he’d find it rather uncomfortable.

"So, Kurenai, you’re here to see me..." Hikari was about to joke about how eager she was, but then remembered she wasn’t as shameless as Anko, and they weren’t exactly close. So he quickly changed his words.

"It’s about Yakumo, right?"

Kurenai nodded.

"Yes. Yakumo’s physical condition has worsened significantly, and her mental state is even more unstable than before. Anko told me you might have a solution, so I came."

She briefly explained her reason for visiting.

Hikari blinked in confusion.

"But I just saw Anko at noon, and she said I should help find Tsunade-sama. That’s not quite the same as what you’re saying."

Anko had asked him to find Tsunade, while Kurenai had come to him directly. The difference in who they were seeking couldn’t be ignored, so it was no wonder Hikari found it odd.

"Actually, I just came from the Hokage’s office. After parting with Anko this morning, I went to check on Yakumo again, and her condition had deteriorated further. So, I went straight to Tsunade-sama, but..."

She didn’t need to finish. Hikari could already guess—Tsunade had undoubtedly pushed the matter onto him.

What puzzled him, though, was why Tsunade had so much faith in his abilities when he’d never demonstrated them before.

Was it because of his dashing good looks?

If Kurenai weren’t standing right there, Kamizuki Hikari would’ve pulled out a mirror to admire his own breathtaking beauty.

"Just to be clear, I’ll go with you, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to solve Yakumo’s problem." Hikari said, setting expectations upfront.

"Of course. Let’s hurry, then!" Kurenai urged him before realizing she might have been too abrupt—Hikari hadn’t even said goodbye to the Ino-Shika-Chō team.

But she overestimated him. Given Kamizuki Hikari’s personality, a quick farewell was more than enough.

At the end of training, if Shikamaru couldn’t find Hikari, he’d take Chōji and Ino and leave. It was one of the few points of understanding they’d developed.

Hikari turned and signaled to Shikamaru that he was leaving with Kurenai. Whether Shikamaru misinterpreted the gesture wasn’t his problem.

"Let’s go!" With that, Hikari strode off without hesitation.

His casual departure left Kurenai momentarily stunned.

’This guy is definitely unreliable.’

Meanwhile...

Shikamaru watched as Hikari walked side by side with Kurenai, his eyes narrowing slightly before he sighed.

Sigh.

’Asuma-sensei, if you don’t come back soon, Kurenai-sensei’s future child might not be an ’Sarutobi’ anymore.’

"Shikamaru, did Hikari-senpai leave?" Ino walked over curiously, catching only the faintest glimpse of Hikari’s retreating figure.

"Yeah. And he left with Kurenai-sensei." Shikamaru’s expression was complicated. As Asuma’s student, he felt it was his duty to protect Kurenai-sensei in Asuma’s absence.

But now?

He wasn’t sure his protection was even needed anymore.

"He left? Good riddance!" Ino didn’t think much of Hikari’s departure.

As far as she was concerned, when Kamizuki Hikari was around, he just lounged in a corner anyway. Their training had already entered a stable phase.

Hikari had even told them that from now on, they needed to integrate taijutsu with their clan techniques to develop their own unique fighting styles.

Whether it was Shikamaru’s shadow jutsu, Chōji’s Multi-Size Technique, or Ino’s Mind Body Switch, all could be combined with this new approach.

"Chōji, I’m kinda hungry. Give me one of your snacks." Ino said, turning to Chōji.

If it were anything else, Chōji might have relented.

But snacks?

Those were his lifeline.

"No way! I don’t even have enough for myself!" Chōji hesitated for three full seconds before refusing.

Those three seconds represented the battle between his friendship with Ino and his love for snacks.

"You’re not sharing?" Ino rubbed her stomach. Having only eaten half her fill at lunch, she couldn’t endure such intense training on an empty stomach.

"No! Snacks are more important than life itself to us Akimichi!" Chōji stood his ground.

Hearing this, Ino smirked.

"Fine. Then I’ll take your life first!" She grabbed Chōji’s chubby hand, her other hand landing on his shoulder.

"Nerve Disruption Technique!"

*WHACK!*

Her palm struck Chōji’s shoulder, making him yelp in pain.

Shikamaru shook his head.

What a mess.

When Ino had shouted "Nerve Disruption Technique", he’d actually thought she’d learned some advanced medical ninjutsu.

Turns out she just slapped Chōji really hard.

"Stop hitting me! I give up!"

Chōji caved instantly, reluctantly pulling out a few packs of snacks to share with Ino and Shikamaru.

Watching Ino eat the snacks with delicate grace, Chōji sighed inwardly.

He really missed Asuma-sensei.

At least back then, Ino hadn’t learned all these weird tricks, and her punches still felt soft.

He made a silent vow: when the time comes to find a wife, he’d choose someone gentle and sweet.

Someone like Ino? Absolutely not. noveldrama

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