Chapter 23: Finally, No Longer Human
Chapter 23: Finally, No Longer Human
Huh?!
Kakashi Hatake suddenly pulled Kurenai Yuhi into the house, leaving Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyuga stiffening in surprise. Their young minds, like locomotives setting off, raced to distant places in an instant.
What was Kakashi up to? Why did he pull Kurenai inside? Could it be that he wanted to...
But Ino was right there too. Could he be thinking of both of them together? That would make him such a playboy! Unacceptable, she couldn't agree to that! But...
This was also an opportunity...
On the other side, Ino had similar thoughts, and in a moment, her mind flew to the far horizon, her expression and movements becoming slightly stiff.
"It's not a confidential mission, so telling you won't hurt. But it's best not to let others know. Un, participating in the Chunin Exams is a task assigned to me by the Hokage."
In the strange atmosphere that left both girls speechless, Kakashi walked towards the living room as he spoke.
Kakashi's words startled Kurenai.
She and Ino exchanged a glance, their eyes surprisingly aligned as a hint of embarrassment flashed across their faces. Then, they averted their gazes, and the hint of hostility that had arisen earlier faded again.
Their expressions amused Kakashi, and he couldn't help but feel like laughing inwardly. If they were adults, they would likely sense the tension in the air. But for these two girls who hadn't even turned nine yet, the only word to describe this scene was "cute."
But, what on earth were you two little lolis thinking just now?!
Kakashi walked into the living room, poured himself a glass of water, and then pointed to the refrigerator. "There's milk and soda in the fridge. Help yourselves if you want something to drink."
"......Eh, um."
Hearing Kakashi's words, Kurenai and Ino gradually snapped out of their daze. Kurenai looked at Kakashi, a trace of astonishment flashing in her eyes as she asked, "Kakashi, did you just say... a mission from the Hokage?"
"Mhm."
Kakashi nodded. "It's similar to what you know. This Chunin Exam will be like a war, and the outcome may affect the negotiations between Konoha and Kirigakure. Even a slight influence is crucial, so Konoha will go all out. I'm one of the specially designated participants."
Hearing this, Ino's eyes widened in brief astonishment. "So, does that mean that graduating early was also the Hokage's instruction?"
"Yeah."
Kakashi nodded and spread his hands helplessly. "If it weren't for this mission, I would've liked to stay in school a bit longer to attend classes with you two."
Kurenai was stunned, and then she seemed to realize something. She looked at Kakashi in shock. "How could the Hokage specifically choose you to participate in the Chunin Exams... Could it be that your strength has gained the Hokage's recognition?!"
Hinata also looked at Kakashi with a hint of disbelief.
This sounded like a far-fetched tale, hard to believe. If anyone else had said this, they would have thought that person was deliberately lying to them.
"Well..."
Kakashi smiled. "If I say that Kakashi has never been able to beat me, would you believe it?"
Regarding this question, Kurenai and Hinata's thoughts were almost identical.
Believe!
They almost instinctively chose to believe it. This was something Kakashi was capable of! Even if he hadn't displayed any stunning abilities recently, they would still have a hint of belief. And after witnessing his effortless victory over Hinata's cousin, there was hardly any room for doubt.
Kurenai and Lin nodded in agreement, their cheeks dusted with a faint blush as they embraced this perspective.
Furthermore, upon reflection, they realized that despite being surrounded by such rumors, Fengye remained unperturbed, attending classes with a smile and never letting it affect him. The impulsive and immature boys in their class couldn't hold a candle to him, as they lacked his maturity and composure.
This realization made their hearts flutter.
The way they were looking at Fengye made him feel a bit uncomfortable, so he coughed to break the strange atmosphere.
While such adoring gazes might be acceptable for teenagers of fifteen or sixteen, in the ninja world where the average lifespan was shorter, their current age was already considered adulthood. Nonetheless, he felt that such attention could be dangerous at their young age.
The level of danger might even rival that of Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"Umm... I didn't expect to be visiting your home under these circumstances, Fengye. Please excuse my rudeness," Kurenai quickly averted her gaze, attempting to change the subject.
Lin also snapped out of her daze, admiring Fengye as she said, "No wonder you were chosen by the Hokage to take part in the Chunin Exams... But please be careful. There are likely to be strong ninjas from other villages as well."
"I will," Fengye assured with a smile, then turned to Kurenai and added, "It was impolite of me to suddenly bring you two inside like this, but I didn't want to explain the mission at the door..."
As he spoke, Fengye casually glanced towards the entrance, his expression unchanged, before continuing with a smile.
At that moment.
At the door.
Kakashi, who was about to push the door open, heard the commotion inside and quietly withdrew his hand. "One... two... You've finally gone too far..."
Although he was aware of Fengye's popularity at school, this was the first time he had brought two girls home. Kakashi hesitated for a moment before deciding to forgo his plan to enter.
He muttered to himself, his confusion about Fengye's behavior evident.
In his opinion, girls were extremely troublesome creatures, especially during missions. In his previous team assignments, they had often been a liability, and there had even been instances where teammates lost their rationality and abandoned their duties to protect the girls, nearly causing mission failures.
This had happened just recently, leading to a heated argument after the mission, which almost turned into a physical fight if not for the intervention of their Jonin leader.
One girl was troublesome enough, and now with two, the trouble would likely double... In a sense, it was admirable.
At least, Kakashi knew he couldn't handle it.
What worried him the most was the prospect of having multiple sisters-in-law in the future if this continued. Dealing with that situation would undoubtedly be a headache.
(End of Chapter)
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