Author Note:
Here's the BONUS CHAPTER as promised—thanks for the support, and let's keep this energy going!
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Kushina raised her chin proudly at Kurenai's words, a smug glint in her eyes—like she was silently saying,
"See? Look how gentle my boyfriend is."
Guts scoffed, arms crossed.
"This kind of guy? He'll end up being a doormat, completely whipped. What's next? Going out to buy milk and never coming back?"
Minato chuckled awkwardly.
It was a bit much to be called "whipped" to his face, wasn't it?
Kushina, however, didn't find it funny. Her crimson eyes narrowed in fury, glaring at Guts like she was ready to explode.
She didn't understand what "going out for milk" meant, but judging by Guts tone, it was definitely not something nice.
Then—
Gururuuuu—
The loud rumble from Guts' stomach broke the tension in the air like a surprise attack.
The guy had just come back from the battlefield, after all.
Kushina coughed lightly, trying to maintain her cool. She puffed out her chest with pride (something Naruto could never get), and said,
"You might be an annoying brat, but as your senpai… I'll treat you to a meal!"
"Uh, Kushina…" Minato hesitated, frowning.
He hadn't seen Guts eat firsthand, but he'd heard plenty from Jiraiya—and it wasn't good.
But Guts was already grinning.
"Really? You sure?"
"Of course!" Kushina declared confidently.
"Who do you think I am!?"
Boisterous and bold—Kushina's personality was definitely a little too close to Tsunade's for anyone's wallet.
Half an hour later – A sushi restaurant in Konoha
Five towering hills of empty plates stood proudly on the table.
Kushina's confident smile was gone. She sat frozen, face pale, eyes empty. In her mind, she could hear her bank account sobbing.
"We're terribly sorry,"
Said the waiter, arriving with a polite bow.
"We've run out of ingredients for the day."
Kurenai, sitting beside Guts, didn't look surprised. This wasn't her first time witnessing this madness.
Guts rubbed his stomach and sighed contentedly.
"Ahh… not bad. I'm about seventy percent full."
Kushina's heart bled.
At the register, her hand trembled as she reached into her wallet.
Minato stepped forward with a smile, placing a wad of bills on the counter before she collapsed on the spot.
As the four left the restaurant, Guts waved cheerfully.
"Thanks for the meal! Next time, I'll treat you two lovely ladies—"
But before he could finish, Kushina grabbed Minato's sleeve and bolted like she was escaping a plague.
Guts blinked. "Tch. I was going to say, 'if I ever get the chance.'"
Kurenai gave him a long look.
"Come on. When have you ever treated anyone?"
It had been nearly a year since they met. And in all that time, she'd never seen him pay once.
"Haha~" Guts only laughed it off, yawning.
"Man, food coma's hitting. I'm sleepy."
"Are you a pig?"
Kurenai shot back.
"Eat and sleep, is that all you do?"
He ignored her. "C'mon. I'll show you a good spot."
Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand and took off running out of the village.
At the lakeside training ground beyond Konoha
Under the shade of a wide tree beside a gentle stream, Guts lay down, resting his head on Kurenai's lap. Her legs tensed beneath him.
A little nervous… he thought.
It felt nothing like in the novels or anime.
Kurenai was thin—maybe too thin. Her lap wasn't exactly a cushion.
But Guts wasn't stupid enough to say that out loud. He wasn't Luffy. He valued his life.
Time passed, and the awkwardness slowly melted away. Kurenai began chatting about what had happened recently at the Ninja Academy.
Kakashi had graduated last month at just six years old.
That made Guts raise an eyebrow. White Fang was still alive because of his interference, meaning Kakashi hadn't suffered that early trauma. So, his graduation was delayed—by a bit.
Which meant that the record for youngest graduate now belonged… to Guts.
Not that he cared about that kind of title.
Apparently, after Guts left for the battlefield, Kakashi's graduation lit a fire under many of the other high-ranking students—Kurenai included.
Even Might Guy, Genma, Ebisu, Asuma, Rin… and yes, even the class dunce, Obito.
All of them had made a goal: to graduate within the next two years.
"Can you help me train?"
Kurenai asked softly, hesitating for a moment.
Guts' eyes narrowed slightly.
He didn't know genjutsu. How could he help?
And when it came to physical training, her father—Yuhi Shinku—was a Jōnin. He should be more than enough.
So why ask him?
If your emotional intelligence was even a little higher than Luffy or Naruto's, the answer was obvious.
"…Sure."
Kurenai's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yeah," he said with a quiet chuckle.
The warm orange glow of the sunset filtered through the leaves. Guts shifted, resting the back of his head on her stomach now. Much better.
Kurenai's face flared up again, her breath catching in her throat—but she didn't move.
The two of them lay like that in silence, the sound of the stream nearby, the air calm and lazy.
Eventually, they both drifted into sleep.
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