The feelings between Sarutobi Asuma and Kurenai Yūhi began to heat up as his time in the hospital lengthened.
During this period, their interactions slowly rekindled the connection between them that had grown distant over the years.
Asuma, who had always prided himself on being devoted to his career and following the path of his teacher Danzō, couldn't resist Kurenai's allure. He began wondering what kind of approach he should take to pursue his beautiful former classmate.
Unlike Takeshi, Asuma wasn't surrounded by a group of capable friends—truth be told, he didn't really have anyone reliable to ask for advice.
Takeshi, Might Guy, Kakashi, Obito...
Asuma thought carefully about the people around him and realized they were all in the same boat—textbook bachelors.
Especially Obito—his feelings for Rin were obvious to anyone with eyes, yet after all these years, there hadn't been the slightest progress between them.
That hopeless case was immediately crossed off the list.
Might Guy… pass.
Kakashi seemed a bit more dependable, but he had recently taken over Anko's duties, leading Naruto and the others on missions, so he wasn't in the village.
Takeshi? That unreliable guy—skip him entirely.
After running through all the options, Asuma suddenly remembered that frail figure who always had dark circles under his eyes.
...
"Cough, cough… so, you came to ask me for advice?"
Inside the dango shop, Gekko Hayate looked helplessly at the impatient Asuma sitting across from him—the Sarutobi clan's second son, whose injuries hadn't even fully healed yet.
"Cough, cough… Asuma-san, you should be resting in the hospital right now. If you have something to discuss, I could have gone there instead, cough cough cough…"
The dark circles beneath Hayate's eyes were even darker than when he was a kid.
Being told to rest in the hospital by a man who couldn't stop coughing left Asuma rather speechless.
They hadn't seen each other in a while—how had this guy's health gotten so bad?
That concern made Asuma momentarily forget about asking for advice and instead worry about Hayate's condition.
"No, if we're talking about who needs to be in the hospital, I'd say you more than me…"
As they talked, neither of them noticed that not far from their table, a young man wearing glasses sat nearby, quietly listening to their conversation.
...
"So that's what's going on?"
Before long, Yamato had learned that Asuma was planning to pursue Kurenai Yūhi—and that he had even gone to Gekko Hayate for advice.
"Heh, of course. I heard it with my own ears."
Kabuto smirked proudly and pushed up his glasses with a finger.
Uchiha Itachi: "..."
In the original timeline, these three completely unrelated people had somehow become close friends thanks to Takeshi's influence.
"Asuma, huh... My impression of him is still from right after the Third Great Ninja War. Back then, he didn't even have that scruffy beard yet."
Yamato recalled Asuma in his mind. As Danzō's most powerful hidden weapon, Yamato had been kept in the shadows for years, only beginning to interact more with others after Takeshi took over his care.
"Wouldn't it be weird if he already had that beard back then?"
Kabuto gave Yamato a tired look.
"Yeah..." Itachi murmured quietly, chewing on a dango.
"But speaking of romance—Yamato, how are things going with Yukimi?" Kabuto suddenly grinned mischievously, shifting the focus.
"Pff—cough! Cough! Yukimi and I are just friends!" Yamato choked on his saliva and waved his hands in panic as the spotlight turned on him.
But Kabuto clearly wasn't planning to let him off so easily. He made an exaggerated "I see!" face and said,
"Oh, so that's how it is! Then I'll just go tell Yukimi tomorrow that you only see her as a friend."
"Kabuto!"
"Hey! Don't use Wood Release in here!"
"Damn it, I've had enough of you since we were kids—take this!"
"Nani?!"
"Alright, alright, stop fighting already…" Itachi said half-heartedly, though his focus remained completely on his dango. He had no intention of getting involved.
...
Soon enough, news of Asuma's plan to chase after Kurenai began spreading through Kabuto's social network.
And since Kabuto's social circle overlapped heavily with Takeshi's, it didn't take long before Obito and the others heard about it too.
"Hmph, don't be fooled just because Asuma acted mature when we were kids. When it comes to love, he's still a complete amateur."
Sitting at Konoha's plaza, Obito raised his chin proudly, completely dismissing Asuma's romantic skills.
"So, how far have you gotten with Rin, then?"
Shiranui Genma wasn't one to hold back—he struck right at Obito's weak spot.
"I-I-I-I..." Obito's face turned bright red as he stammered, unable to form a coherent answer.
"Still... we've all grown up, haven't we?" Anko said softly, a hint of nostalgia in her tone.
"Love? Hah. A true shinobi wouldn't bother with such trivial matters."
Ebisu stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the plaza, speaking with disdain.
"Take off your sunglasses before pretending to be wise."
As someone who'd known Ebisu since they were kids, Genma easily saw through his act.
Ebisu: "~Why doesn't anyone pursue someone as outstanding as me…"
"Love is part of youth too! Hahaha! Alright, I'll join this passionate game myself!"
Having just returned to the village from a mission, Might Guy suddenly burned with fiery determination to find a lovely lady to confess to.
"You—sigh, forget it." Genma rubbed his forehead helplessly.
...
Times really had changed. Back before Takeshi became Hokage, no one in Konoha had the leisure to sit around discussing romance.
Now, though—it was a sign of peace.
Genma couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.
Maybe… he should try falling in love too?
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