Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

After leaving Sarutobi's house, Asuma made his way to the Hokage Building alone. After greeting the gatekeeping ninja, he climbed the stairs to the top floor.

In the past, you could walk straight in. Now, you had to wait for someone to report your arrival.

Asuma couldn't help but sigh at how much things had changed. Familiar people and places all felt distant now, transformed by the passage of time.

He took a long drag on his cigarette outside the Hokage's office, exhaled the smoke, then pinched the butt and tossed it into the trash before knocking on the door.

"Come in!"

When he pushed the door open, he saw the new Hokage, Tsunade, sitting at her desk with a scowl on her face. She was visibly irritated as she flipped through documents.

Seeing her mood, Asuma wasn't sure if this was the right time to bring up his request. Scratching the back of his head, he decided to be polite and cautious.

"Tsunade-sama, thank you again for saving me and my sister-in-law the other day."

"If you've got something to say, say it. If not, leave," Tsunade said coldly, raising an eyebrow at him.

She'd been incredibly busy lately, with no time for small talk—even with elite jonin Sarutobi Asuma, now the head of the Sarutobi clan.

That one sentence shut Asuma down completely.

"Uh..." He scratched his head again, then got to the point. "Lady Tsunade, I heard that Jonin Yuhi Kurenai has accepted a mission to the Snow Country. I'd like to join that mission as well. Would that be possible?"

The Snow Country mission?

Tsunade remembered it immediately.

It had a high payout and was Konoha's first significant commission in over a month. The risk seemed low—just escorting a film crew to the Snow Country. The only expected threats were wild animals or bandits.

Normally it would have been classified as a B-rank mission, but the client had paid generously, bumping it to an A-rank. So Tsunade had assigned it to a high-level team—Team 8, led by Yuhi Kurenai.

"Asuma, Kurenai's team is more than capable of handling this. Shino Aburame has already been promoted to chunin. For an escort mission like this, that's more than enough."

Her hidden message was clear: stay out of it. It didn't make sense to send two senior jonin for an ordinary escort mission.

"I understand," Asuma said. "But I'm not asking to join because of the mission itself."

He hesitated, then said seriously, "Lady Tsunade, I'm asking for a favor. Let Kurenai and me go together on this mission. In return, the Sarutobi clan will pledge its loyalty to you—until death."

As head of the Sarutobi clan, Asuma had the authority to speak on their behalf.

Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment, then responded softly, "Just this once."

Asuma suppressed his excitement and bowed deeply in gratitude.

The Snow Country was far from the Land of Fire. A round trip would take several months, not including delays or emergencies.

That's exactly what Asuma was counting on.

He believed what he'd read in "Make-Out Paradise" with Kakashi: even the coldest woman would eventually warm up to a man who stayed by her side long enough. If he could spend enough time with Kurenai, maybe he could win her back.

If he didn't mess up again, there was still hope.

He could almost see happiness on the horizon.

After leaving the Hokage Building, Asuma headed to Kakashi's place to strategize. It was Kakashi who had told him about Kurenai taking the Snow Country mission.

A week later.

Team Kurenai and Asuma boarded a ship bound for the Snow Country. Accompanying them was a beautiful woman under Kurenai's genjutsu protection.

She was Fuji Fuyuki—the star of the film "Princess Gale"—and the primary person they were assigned to protect.

She was stunning, but to Asuma, she couldn't compare to Kurenai Yuhi.

He couldn't take his eyes off Kurenai's figure wrapped in her white bandage-style dress. His gaze followed her wherever she moved.

Kurenai noticed and frowned. She had once been close friends with Asuma, but things had changed. Now, being stared at by him only made her feel uncomfortable.

Utterly uncomfortable.

Tsunade was so frustrating. Forcing Asuma onto this mission with her made no sense.

"Asuma, let me help you," he said, stepping forward.

Kurenai quickened her pace to avoid him, replying coldly, "No need. I'm a ninja, not some helpless woman."

"..." Asuma's heart sank. She clearly wanted nothing to do with him.

Twenty years of childhood friendship—ruined by that cursed doll.

He swore that if he ever found out who had placed that doll on his bed, he would rip them apart.

And Naruto... if it weren't for his sister-in-law's orders not to touch him, Asuma would've dealt with that brat already.

If Naruto hadn't shouted, Asuma wouldn't have been confined and missed his chance to explain everything to Kurenai.

Once this mission was over and they returned to Konoha, Asuma promised himself he'd find a way to teach Naruto a lesson.

"Hey, Asuma-sensei, where's Shikamaru and the others?" Inuzuka Kiba came over to chat, clearly bored. "Why didn't they come along?"

"Haha... They've got their own missions." Asuma forced a smile. He hadn't led Team 10 in a while.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was now under Akimichi Choza's leadership. Asuma was only their nominal jonin instructor.

"That's weird," Kiba muttered, already frustrated. Hinata and Shino were quiet types, and he was the only talker. Missions with them were always painfully dull.

Home was better—at least his sister would train with him.

"Hey, Asuma-sensei," Kiba asked again, "Did Shikamaru and the others get sent to deliver prisoners to Sunagakure? My sister's on that mission too."

"Uh... I don't think so."

"Man, how come you don't know anything?" Kiba grumbled.

Asuma just laughed awkwardly and slowly walked away.

An hour later, the ship left port, bound for the Snow Country.

Staring at Kurenai's back, Asuma sighed. He could only hope that this mission would help heal the rift between them.

On the first day at sea, Asuma didn't get a chance to speak with Kurenai. Kiba, however, wouldn't stop chatting.

By noon the next day, whether due to the cold weather or to escape Asuma's gaze, Kurenai had changed into her standard ninja uniform—green vest, black long coat, and trousers.

Asuma felt the rejection more strongly than ever. But he kept telling himself it was okay.

"She hates me now... but after this mission, she'll warm up to me again."

With that in mind, he moved closer, preparing to strike up another conversation.

But just then, the ship rocked violently. Civilians without chakra lost their balance and fell to the deck.

Yet the sea was calm.

The rocking wasn't natural—it was caused by something else.

Immediately, the five ninja—Kurenai, Asuma, and the three students—became alert.

"Woof! Woof!" barked Akamaru, Inuzuka Kiba's ninja dog. He tugged on Kiba's pants and trembled. At the same time, Shino's bugs sent him a warning: a dangerous presence was approaching.

"There!" shouted Hinata, standing high on the deck, pointing to the right.

A small boat was heading toward them, with a figure on board that both Kurenai and Asuma recognized instantly.

"Orochimaru?! What are you doing here?!"

Asuma's face went pale. Before he could react, Orochimaru had already boarded. Hundreds—no, thousands—of snakes slithered onto the ship, sending the crew into a panic.

"Close the door! Quick, don't let them in!"

"Help!"

Even elite ninja struggled to face Orochimaru. For civilians, his very presence was terrifying.

"Run! All three of you, get out of here!" Kurenai yelled at her students.

"Run? Where can we run?" A cold female voice interrupted her.

Suddenly, ice surged up from around the ship. In seconds, thick layers of it blanketed the deck.

Haku and Zabuza appeared beside Orochimaru, forming a triangle and trapping Asuma and Team 8.

Orochimaru—the same man who killed the Third Hokage and the Kazekage—Zabuza Momochi of the Hidden Mist, and the Ice Release user Haku.

Kurenai's mind reeled. This was supposed to be a simple A-rank escort mission.

How... how did it come to this?

Before she could gather her thoughts, their attackers moved.

"You're lucky," Haku said calmly. "We didn't have a ship to reach the Snow Country. Now we do."

As autumn faded into winter, a light snowfall blanketed the forest.

Konoha's patrol forces were still stationed near the border. Today, Naruto was out surveying the area with a beautiful older woman.

"Woof! Woof!"

A large dog, resembling a wolf, ran ahead excitedly. Naruto patted its shaggy head and looked toward where it was pointing.

There stood Inuzuka Hana, waiting with two other ninja dogs.

She was Kiba's older sister—five years his senior. Slender, graceful, with a gentle smile. Her red face markings mirrored Kiba's, but her personality couldn't have been more different. She was composed and deeply considerate.

"Naruto-kun, you and Kiba were classmates, right? How do you get along?"

"Hana-nee, Kiba's one of my best friends. He's like family to me."

Brother-in-law counts as family, right?

"Aw, is that so? No wonder he talks about you all the time at home."

Hana smiled warmly. It made her happy to know her clumsy little brother had such a good friend.

Kiba could be reckless and blunt. She often worried he'd end up alone.

As patrol duty dragged on, Hana changed the subject. "Naruto-kun, why did you two fight at graduation? Did something happen?"

"Uh..." Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. How could he explain?

After all, the fight had been about... Inuzuka Hana herself.