Naruto : Crimson wood

The space behind the iron door was cramped, narrow, and deeper than it was wide.

Renji Takahashi slipped in first, grabbing Yuna Hoshizaki's hand and pulling her in before quickly closing the door behind them.

"Ah—"

Caught off guard, Yuna nearly fell onto Renji. The two of them were face to face, pressed tightly against each other. In such close quarters, even their breath intermingled.

"Shh!"

Renji gestured silently, signaling her to remain quiet. The sound of boots echoed faintly from outside, drawing nearer.

"I heard the captain sent Kiyoshi and Akatsuki on this mission. Wonder if they've already caught those two targets."

"Yeah. Kiyoshi 's space-type ability lets him teleport across long distances using pre-marked arrays. Even if the targets had third-level spiritual energy, they wouldn't escape. And Akatsuki's illusions? Anyone below third tier wouldn't stand a chance."

"Lucky bastards. They got the easy job this time. Meanwhile, we're stuck with nothing again."

"Quit whining. Just finish the patrol."

Their footsteps passed the door Renji and Yuna were hiding behind.

The two held their breath, hearts pounding, not daring to make a sound. It wasn't until the group's presence faded that they allowed themselves to breathe again. But they didn't dare move just yet.

The tiny space offered no room to maneuver. Yuna tried to step back, but her back was already pressed to the door. There was no space to turn, and they remained locked in that... extremely close posture.

"They're probably heading to the basement we escaped from earlier. If they discover the bodies down there, they'll start searching for us. We've got maybe ten minutes before they return. Let's wait a little longer," Renji whispered.

Those soldiers were most likely third-tier spiritual users like Kiyoshi and Akatsuki. Their perception was sharp. Leaving too early might get them caught.

Yuna gave a soft hum in response.

Renji's voice was calm and focused, but in this tight space, his breath blew warmly against her cheek. It made her skin tingle.

Combined with their physical closeness, it was hard to ignore how... intimate the situation had become.

Yuna's face flushed. She shifted her head slightly, trying not to look at Renji directly.

Silence settled once again.

Renji swore—he really had no intention beyond hiding. But now that they were so close, time seemed to stretch. Seconds felt like minutes.

Yuna's skin, up close, was impossibly flawless—smooth and delicate like a peeled lychee. A faint floral scent lingered on her, hard to define. It reminded Renji of cherry blossoms, light and ethereal, barely there unless you were very close.

His gaze traced down the soft curve of her neck. Below that... of course, there was nothing indecent visible. Yuna wore her combat jacket tightly fastened. But even that couldn't fully conceal the soft outline brushing against him.

It was the first time Renji had been this close to a girl. His mind wandered. His body reacted.

Noticing the sudden change in pressure against her, Yuna froze—then immediately blushed deeper.

"You…"

Her voice trembled.

Renji's face turned crimson. "It's... a normal reaction," he muttered, clearly embarrassed.

And the more he tried to suppress it, the worse it got.

"We... we should go. They've probably moved on by now."

Desperate to escape the awkwardness, Renji reached for the door—

Bang!

A loud slam echoed as a door nearby was kicked open. The sound of metal hitting concrete rang out sharply.

"Ugh, us again? Why are we always on clean-up duty?"

"What do you expect? We're still low-rank. Stop complaining or the commander will skin us."

"What's there to mess up? This job's boring and pointless."

From the voices, there were two men nearby.

Renji tensed.

Bang. Bang.

Doors were being opened one by one, moving down the hallway. The next one would be theirs.

"What do we do?" Yuna whispered urgently, her tone tight with anxiety.

"What else?" Renji's Sharingan snapped open, spinning slowly. "We fight."

"This is the last one. Let's wrap up."

Two Flameborn Clan soldiers stood in front of the final door.

As they opened it—

Whoosh!

Two figures burst from the shadows, slamming into them.

"Who's there?!"

The men staggered. Suddenly, two arcs of water rose from the filthy canal between the corridors.

"Holy Water Strike!"

Catching the guards off guard, the columns of water surged toward them. Instinctively, they leapt back to dodge.

Exactly what Renji wanted.

Shhk!

A dagger pierced straight into one man's chest.

"Kenji!" the other screamed in horror, whirling around, rage flaring.

But his gaze locked onto Renji's crimson eyes—too late.

His body froze as though bound by massive iron stakes.

Illusion Art: Binding Seal.

A powerful Genjutsu that makes the victim feel as if they're nailed to the ground, unable to move a muscle.

Luckily for them, these two were only first-tier advanced users. If they had been third-tier, this ambush wouldn't have worked.

Renji stepped forward, the Sharingan still active.

"So... ready to talk?"

His voice was cold.

The bound man trembled as the illusion sank deeper into his mind.

"Tell me everything you know."

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