Isaribi looked at Aoba, the corners of her lips curling up.
"Because Kurenai-nee thinks you're a total scumbag, Aoba."
"Huh?", Aoba didn't react right away.
Isaribi looked pleased and went on, "Last night, after Kurenai-nee finished talking about how she turned down that confession, she just wouldn't stop complaining about you, Aoba."
"She said things like how you haven't gone on a mission together for so long, called you a flirt and a big scumbag, and said a whole bunch of other stuff too. By the time we realized it, she'd already had quite a bit to drink."
"In the end, she and my sister got into a huge fight, and I didn't even get to sleep until really late."
By the end of her words, Isaribi's expression had turned slightly aggrieved.
"Uh…"
Aoba listened in a daze, but he already understood.
If he still didn't get it after this, he'd have to be impossibly dense—and Aoba was anything but dense.
His relationship with Yuhi Kurenai had always been rather ambiguous over the past few years.
After all, Kurenai was a diehard believer in pure love. She approached him back then for Yakumo's sake, wanting to change his "playboy" mindset.
Naturally, she failed, and from the looks of it, even ended up falling for him herself.
But this wasn't the time to discuss such things with Isaribi. Better to wait until the next time they had an outside mission together.
"Anyway, Isaribi, your Transformation Technique's gotten a lot better. If I hadn't sensed your chakra, I honestly wouldn't have realized you were a fake," Aoba shifted the topic.
The way she'd scolded those kids today really had been a carbon copy of Anko, no difference at all.
"Transformation Technique…", The moment Aoba brought it up, it was as if Isaribi had triggered some kind of switch. Her face, which had been normal just seconds ago, was suddenly covered in a deep blush.
Aoba realized he might've picked an even worse topic to change to.
After all, the reason he and Isaribi had come this far was precisely because of that Transformation Technique.
Isaribi still remembered it vividly, probably for the rest of her life.
That time, Anko had suddenly called her over and said a whole bunch of things that made her blush furiously.
And even more outrageous, Isaribi had somehow, in her dazed confusion, agreed to that ridiculous plan.
She transformed into Anko's appearance, then crawled under the covers pretending to be sick. When Aoba came in, she hugged him in the dark.
And from there, things just kept moving in a dreamy direction.
"So embarrassing!", Isaribi instantly covered her face.
Remembering how shameful she'd looked back then, and the embarrassing things she'd said, her cheeks flared even redder.
Though that feeling at the time had been intoxicating, she really shouldn't have… shouldn't have said those kinds of shameful things.
Still, when the Transformation Technique was dispelled after she was "attacked" by Aoba, though he'd looked surprised, he never once pushed her away.
He'd treated her both forcefully and tenderly at the same time.
All in all, that night had been like a beautiful dream.
If this kept going, Aoba figured he might not make it home anytime soon.
So he simply grabbed Isaribi's hand, pulled her into a side alley, and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear straight in Anko's living room.
———
"Aoba?"
Anko, who had been waiting for her instant noodles to finish soaking, froze as she stared at the two who suddenly appeared.
Clearly, she hadn't expected them to show up together.
"You're eating instant noodles in the middle of the day?"
Aoba glanced around, the empty bottles from last night's drinking were still scattered about.
Anko didn't answer. Once she came to her senses, she got up right away and dragged Aoba toward the bedroom.
"Isaribi, the noodles are yours."
"Ah?"
Still stunned, Isaribi blinked, and then BANG! A loud thud echoed.
Followed by an odd conversation.
"Anko-nee, you smell so strongly of alcohol."
"No kidding! I drank so much last night. Of course I smell like booze when I just woke up!"
"Maybe you should go take a bath first."
"Cut the crap! I haven't eaten all day, how am I supposed to have the strength to bathe right now?"
"!"
Listening to the increasingly indecent sounds from the room, Isaribi clenched her fists tightly.
'Damn it!'
'So Anko-nee was hungry, but am I not hungry too?'
She was the one who'd met Aoba first today, and she'd even been looking forward to hearing him call her "Sister" when they got back.
Feeling wronged, Isaribi went to the sofa and started cleaning up the mess of bottles.
But the more she cleaned, the more aggrieved she felt.
Finally, after finishing, she pushed the door open and stormed in.
She startled the two inside, who were caught mid–snack.
Watching the way they were eating, Isaribi couldn't help feeling something was off.
It wasn't like she'd never shared a drink with Aoba before, but watching him drink Anko's soup right in front of her.
And seeing Anko eating the food she herself had once eaten… she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
"Is it good?", Isaribi blurted out before she could stop herself.
Anko looked up, momentarily dazed by Isaribi's boldness, then asked curiously,
"Haven't you had it before?"
After all, she'd invited Isaribi to eat with her several times before, but Isaribi always refused.
And now she was the one asking.
Was this a normal conversation?
Meanwhile, Aoba, still covering his face, was filled with question marks.
It really did sound like they were just talking about food.
And, well… they were just talking about food.
"I… I was asking Aoba…", Isaribi's face turned scarlet.
Who was asking her, anyway? It wasn't like she hadn't eaten it before.
"Aoba, whose cooking tastes better, Sister's, or mine?"
Honestly, watching Aoba eat with such relish, Isaribi was starting to get curious about the taste herself.
But the moment she thought of Anko, a faint competitiveness flickered in her big eyes.
"Want to try it yourself?"
Of course Anko noticed the hint of rivalry and teased with a smile.
Isaribi clenched her fists, then silently closed the bedroom door.
Meanwhile, as Anko and Isaribi squabbled over food, in the next room, Yuhi Kurenai, who had been half–asleep with a hangover, rolled over and opened her eyes at the sound of all the commotion.
At first she was dazed, but then her eyes slowly widened.
She wasn't some innocent girl, maybe she hadn't done it herself, but she definitely knew what was going on.
She just hadn't expected this to happen right beside her.
'And… judging by the sounds, it isn't just Anko?'
"That damn Anko!"
It was absolutely on purpose.
Kurenai gritted her teeth, fists tightening.
There was no way Anko didn't know she was still here, and yet she'd even brought Isaribi into this.
'Unbelievable!'
All she'd done last night was drink too much and speak a few honest words, and that woman had actually gone and done it for real.
Kurenai tried hard to calm herself down.
But the noise next door only made it worse, the opposite of calming, she just couldn't stay still anymore.
At last, unable to take it, she silently pressed her ear to the wall.
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