Chapter 28: The Chūnin Uniform
Passing through Konoha's gates, the familiar scent of grass and trees welcomed them back, forming a sharp contrast to the smell of blood and mud from the battlefield.
Pedestrians came and went along the streets. Children ran around playing tag in the corners of the alleys. Every so often, ninja patrols passed by. Everything looked peaceful and calm.
"I'm finally home! I'm going back first—I want to eat my mom's yakiniku!" Kotetsu shouted excitedly. He couldn't wait and sprinted off toward his house, leaving Izumo and Kurenai walking side by side.
The evening light wove their shadows together on the green stone road, stretching far behind them. The scent of late-afternoon sakura—sweet like honey that refused to fade—drifted gently through the air.
Kurenai's long hair was lifted by the breeze. A few strands wrapped around Izumo's wrist.
The warmth at the tips of her hair, mixed with the fragrance of sakura, felt like the soft lick of a small animal's tongue against his skin.
She hurriedly raised her hand to fix it, but her fingertips brushed against the back of Izumo's hand instead.
The touch felt like placing her fingers against a hot spring stone.
Both of them stopped at the same time, then quickly looked away. The tips of Kurenai's ears quietly flushed the same shade of red.
"I'm going to pick up my Chūnin uniform. The Logistics Department should still be open," Izumo said, breaking the silence. From the corner of his eye, he caught the faint red at the tips of her ears, but his tone stayed natural.
Kurenai nodded. Her cheeks were tinted the same color as the evening glow. She replied softly, "Alright. I'll go with you."
As they walked, their arms occasionally brushed by accident. Each touch felt like a tiny current running through her body, making Kurenai's heartbeat skip half a beat.
When they passed a sweets shop, Izumo stopped. His eyes settled on the three-colored dango behind the glass display.
"Do you want this? I remember you like it."
Kurenai lifted her head in surprise. A flicker of joy flashed in her eyes.
"How did you know?"
She really did like three-colored dango. She hadn't expected Izumo to remember.
"I heard it by accident once," Izumo smiled. He went into the shop and came back out holding two skewers of three-colored dango.
When he handed one to her, their fingertips brushed lightly.
Kurenai's fingers felt a little cool—like sakura petals just picked from the morning dew.
When she took it, her fingers trembled slightly. The lingering warmth seemed to imprint itself on her skin. As she bit into the dango, the clear sweetness mixed with the warmth in her chest and slowly spread.
At the corner of her lips, a small smile held a shy happiness she didn't even realize herself.
After they arrived at the Logistics Department and reported Izumo's ninja number, he quickly received his Chūnin uniform.
The Chūnin uniform wasn't just a single piece of clothing—it was a full equipment system.
The upper part was a sleeveless green flak jacket worn over an inner layer.
The vest was made from thick, durable protective material. It could absorb impacts and provide a certain level of defense, enough to block light attacks like kunai and shuriken.
On both the left and right sides of the chest were sets of scroll pouches. Each set contained three small rectangular pockets stacked vertically, with the openings facing downward to prevent items from falling out. These pouches were designed specifically to hold ninjutsu scrolls, small ninja tools, and medical supplies, making it easy for a ninja to grab what they needed with one hand and maintain a tactical edge in the middle of combat.
The lower part consisted of dark-colored pants with tapered cuffs.
The protective gear included Konoha's forehead protector and hand wraps. His footwear was a pair of specialized ninja combat sandals.
At his waist was a box-shaped ninja pouch used to store kunai, shuriken, and other equipment.
Once Izumo had everything on, his posture looked even more upright.
On his back, the striking red spiral emblem burned like a glowing ember. The Konoha forehead protector on his brow only made the sharpness in his eyes stand out more.
When Izumo turned around after changing, Kurenai looked at him in a daze.
On the battlefield, he was as sharp as a drawn blade.
But now, beneath that impressive presence, there was a deeper sense of calm and gentleness.
As he stepped closer, he noticed a sakura petal caught in Kurenai's hair.
He reached out and brushed it away. His fingers slid along her hair, past her ear, leaving behind a light, ticklish sensation.
"There's a petal in your hair."
The warmth of his fingertips touched the tip of Kurenai's ear.
Her body tensed instantly. The tip of her ear turned so red it looked like it might drip blood, and she reflexively pulled her neck back a little.
Izumo also realized he had gone too far. He pulled his hand back and pretended to adjust the collar of his uniform.
The sweet scent of sakura still lingered in the air.
It was time for them to part.
Kurenai tightened her grip on the bamboo skewer of three-colored dango. Her knuckles turned pale from holding it too tightly.
After a moment, she gathered her courage and lifted her head. Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
"Um… it's not too late yet. I'd like to invite the captain to dinner as a way of saying thank you for taking care of me all this time. Would the captain be willing to spare some time?"
Izumo paused.
He had actually planned to go back and continue training his proficiency, but this was the first time Kurenai had invited him so directly.
"Alright," he sighed quietly in his heart, then smiled and nodded. "Of course."
Kurenai's house was in the western alley of Konoha—a wooden home with a small yard.
In the corner of the yard, evening sakura were in full bloom.
When Izumo realized she was bringing him to her own home, he was surprised.
"Kurenai, we're eating at your place? Won't this trouble your parents?"
"Ah, I forgot to mention it. My parents are out on a mission. It's just me at home," she replied lightly.
She pushed the door open with a nimble motion, like a little bird returning to its nest.
"Please sit for a bit. I'll go change and cook something."
Izumo sat down near the low table, watching Kurenai bustle around the kitchen.
She had changed into light pink home clothes. Her long hair was loosely tied up with a wooden hairpin, the ends swaying gently as she moved.
The evening breeze slipped in through the window, carrying the scent of sakura and cooking, wrapping the whole room in a soft warmth.
Before long, several small dishes were laid out on the table.
Golden grilled fish with crisp skin, brightly colored pickles, and a plate of neatly sliced, seasoned radish.
Kurenai brought out a ceramic flask of sake. A red paper seal was still stuck to its surface.
She skillfully peeled it off. A drop of sake touched her fingertip, and without thinking, she licked it away.
"This is Sakura Clear Sake from last year. It's sweeter and doesn't get you drunk easily," she said as she poured the drink into two white porcelain cups.
The liquid was clear, with a soft pink tint—like evening sakura petals crushed inside.
"Kurenai, drinking alcohol is one of the three ninja taboos," Izumo said with a smile.
"Izumo-kun, that rule only applies during missions. Or… are you just afraid to drink?" Once the topic of alcohol came up, Kurenai seemed oddly enthusiastic. One of her small hobbies was enjoying light drinks.
Izumo didn't say anything. He raised his cup.
Their cups touched lightly.
The clear sake mixed with the sweet scent of sakura as it spread across his tongue.
He took a small sip and watched as Kurenai lifted her cup and drank in tiny mouthfuls.
Before long, her cheeks grew even redder than the evening glow outside.
One cup after another, Kurenai's eyes slowly turned watery and unfocused.
"Izumo-kun…" she suddenly spoke. Her voice was soft, carrying the faint scent of alcohol.
"Do you remember? On that mission, you blocked an Iwagakure ninja's attack for me. Your back got cut, but you still smiled and said it was fine."
Izumo froze for a moment, then let out a small laugh.
"You still remember something like that?"
"Of course I remember!" Kurenai set her cup down with a soft clink. There was a hint of complaint in her tone.
"You're always like that—carrying everything on your own."
As she spoke, she took another sip.
Her gaze grew even more unfocused, and her body unconsciously leaned a little closer to Izumo…
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