In Naruto with the Flame-Flame Fruit

Rain poured heavily outside, drumming loudly against the canvas of the tent. Hizashi said,

"With rain this heavy, the Mist likely won't attack. But once it clears up, we'll have our hands full. Use this time to rest up."

Heavy rain rendered Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Technique useless, so it was unlikely they'd mount an attack. It gave Konoha's forces a rare chance to breathe.

But once the rain stopped—that's when things would get difficult.

Kirigakure was bound to strike, and Konoha had already figured out their preferred window of attack.

As the downpour darkened the sky and hastened nightfall, Asuma clutched his stomach and said,

"Kiyosuke, I'm starving. Let's roast something to eat."

Hizashi opened his mouth to point out that the damp wood wouldn't light in this weather—but then he saw flames spring to life in Kiyosuke's palm.

"Ah… what the—"

Kurenai explained, "It's a unique trait of Kiyosuke's clan. It didn't manifest until his generation."

"I see." Hizashi nodded, the veins around his eyes bulging as he activated his Byakugan—an eerie and intimidating sight.

"What's that?" Kiyosuke asked curiously, noticing Hizashi scrutinizing him.

Through the Byakugan, Hizashi saw that Kiyosuke's entire arm had transformed into pure fire, while the rest of his body remained flesh and blood. That form… it looked oddly familiar. Then it clicked.

He'd seen something like it before—on the battlefield, among the Hōzuki Clan. Except, where the Hōzuki turned to water, Kiyosuke had turned to flame.

"You're watching me pretty closely, Captain Hizashi," Kiyosuke said, intrigued. "What does my body look like through the Byakugan?"

Hizashi answered, "It's entirely composed of flame. Quite similar to the Hōzuki Clan, but where they're weak to Lightning Release, you wouldn't happen to be vulnerable to Water Release, would you? Is it really smart to bring you to the front lines against Kirigakure?"

Kirigakure's shinobi were notorious for Water Release jutsu—on a good day, five out of every six of them could probably drown you with a flick of the wrist.

Was this kid sent here just to get himself killed?

"Orochimaru-sensei says I need to train. It's not like I'll drop dead the moment I come into contact with water, the way the Hōzuki are with lightning. I can still fight—I just need to be cautious."

He took the meat slices Asuma handed him, pulled out a long blade, laid the slices across it, and hovered his hand underneath—grilling them teppanyaki-style.

"Now that's a handy ability."

Kiyosuke smiled. "Captain Hizashi, want me to grill something for you too?"

"That would be appreciated."

Hizashi didn't hesitate. It had been raining for days—soaked firewood meant barely any hot meals. He wasn't going to miss out on this rare treat.

The Hyūga Clan was known for their strict discipline. They did everything with precision and etiquette—even something as mundane as eating. While Asuma and Kiyosuke scarfed down their food without a second thought, Hizashi chewed slowly and cleaned up after the simple barbecue.

Kurenai stepped outside to toss the trash.

...

"I'm sleeping in the middle," Asuma whispered to Kiyosuke.

Kiyosuke: ?_?

You little punk—don't think I don't know what you're up to. Everyone's here; what do you think you're going to pull? Even if you tried something, you don't have the skills! And do you really think you can get anything past Captain Hizashi?

Meeting Kiyosuke's look of disdain, Asuma cleared his throat and threw an arm around his neck.

"C'mon, bro. If you're really my brother, let me have the middle."

Say the words "If you're my brother, come stab me!" and I'll grab my blade right now.

"One D-rank mission's pay."

"Kurenai is so cute, and she's the daughter of Shinku-sensei. She's like family to me. I see her as a little sister!"

"What?"

"Then you're gonna have to pay extra."

"..." Asuma.

"Fine. Two D-rank missions."

"So Kurenai's only worth the pay from two little missions? That's how low she ranks in your heart? And you say you like her? That's what your love is worth? Sounds pretty cheap to me."

"I—"

Kiyosuke leaned in, whispering like a devil at his ear,

"How much is it worth to sleep beside Kurenai for a night? That close… what if she sleepwalks and hugs you?"

H-Hug?!

Asuma's eyes went wide. With a pained expression, he pulled out a little coin pouch and slapped it into Kiyosuke's hand.

"It's all yours. Just keep your distance from me and Kurenai tonight."

Hizashi, silently observing from the side, thought to himself: This kid… is a little sinister.

The Hokage's foolish son, indeed.

...

Kurenai returned under an umbrella, propped it aside, and saw the three boys already spreading out their bedding. She joined them.

She lay down in her usual spot—only to find Asuma's old-looking face staring back at her instead of Kiyosuke's.

The Sarutobi matured early. He looked far older than he was.

Next to Asuma were Kiyosuke and Hizashi.

There wasn't much space, so this was the best they could manage. They were teammates—nothing to fuss over. Everyone still had their clothes on under the blankets.

"Kiyosuke, this blanket is damp. It feels awful."

The blanket smelled musty, too.

"Don't look at me. Unless you want me to set it on fire, don't disturb my sleep."

"Just put up with it. That's how it is out here," said Hizashi.

"Let's get to sleep. Asuma, if you grind your teeth tonight, I'm throwing you out."

"And you snore like a bear! Don't lecture me!"

As the two bickered, Kurenai smiled and turned over, slowly drifting off.

That night, Hizashi lay awake between Kiyosuke's snoring and Asuma's teeth grinding.

...

By the next morning, dark circles had formed around Hizashi's eyes.

He looked over and saw Asuma clinging to Kiyosuke in his sleep.

Kurenai laughed. "They're really close. But Asuma's gonna get himself killed once he wakes up!"

Hizashi: "…" I'd kill them both right now if I could.

He looked at Kurenai with admiration. When she first joined them, she probably barely got any sleep. Now she was used to it.

...

"Huh? Is it morning already?" Kiyosuke blinked groggily awake. His stomach felt heavy. Squinting down, he saw a leg—definitely a man's leg. He could hear breathing near his ear. Kurenai was up. Hizashi, too. Which meant…

"YOU BASTARD, ASUMA! I'LL KILL YOU!"

"AAAAAAAH!"

The morning kicked off in pure chaos. After a rushed breakfast, Hizashi looked at Asuma, now sporting a black eye, and at Kiyosuke—completely unfazed—and said:

"Alright. Today's mission is to patrol the perimeter. We need to make sure we're not ambushed by Kirigakure forces. If the opportunity arises, we'll also gather intel on their movements. Understood?"

"Yes!"

As a recon squad, their job was to scout and clear threats. If they could gather intel while they were at it, even better.

With Hizashi's Byakugan, they had the best shot at spotting the enemy before the enemy spotted them.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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