Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 328: The Boat of Friendship

"Careless?"

"Then you'd better pay attention from now on."

Kurenai's brows furrowed as she thought to herself that this guy truly needed a good beating. Without hesitation, she charged forward again.

This time, she unleashed her full speed, engaging Asuma in a fast-paced fight. After just a few moves, Kurenai landed an elbow squarely on Asuma's chest. His face twisted in pain as the force sent him flying backward.

"Kurenai, well done!" Guy shouted excitedly, his enthusiasm as intense as if he had fought the battle himself.

"Keep your voice down," Kakashi interjected, shooting a sharp glance at Guy, though his mouth curved into a faint smile.

"Still careless?" Kurenai taunted, taking full advantage of the moment, refusing to give Asuma an ounce of leeway.

Osamu Suzuki, standing nearby, watched the scene closely. He was ready to step in if Asuma couldn't fend off the attack. If things got out of hand, explaining an injury would be a nightmare.

"Don't get too cocky," Asuma growled, putting aside his pride for the moment. He rolled to the side to avoid Kurenai's overhead kick, springing to his feet with one hand bracing him on the ground.

"You can't even handle a single punch," Kurenai said casually, her remark making Asuma's face flush with embarrassment. Even though Hiruzen had retired, Asuma had never experienced such public humiliation before.

What a sharp-tongued little girl, he thought bitterly. He had been blind to ever consider this girl cute.

"I'm going to beat you black and blue," Kurenai declared. Still young and impulsive, her words often came out unfiltered.

"Just you?" Asuma spat through gritted teeth, his frustration bubbling over.

"Just me," Kurenai replied confidently, cutting off his retort as she leaped toward him.

This time, Asuma had learned his lesson. He used his superior strength to counter her attacks. While Kurenai was skilled, she was still at a natural disadvantage physically.

After an extended exchange of blows, her stamina began to wane. Her speed slowed, and her strikes grew noticeably weaker.

"No, Kurenai is going to lose."

Kakashi frowned, brushing Guy's hand off his shoulder as he prepared to intervene at any moment.

Less than half a minute later, just as Kakashi had predicted, Kurenai exposed a flaw and was kicked away by Asuma.

"You win."

Kakashi darted forward, catching Kurenai before she hit the ground. Asuma, intent on continuing his attack, was stopped by Guy's swift kick, forcing him to retreat three steps. Asuma shook his aching arm and thought, This guy has such hard legs.

"Asuma wins," Osamu Suzuki announced, keeping his statement concise.

"I lost," Kurenai admitted to herself, recalling the harsh words she had spoken earlier. Embarrassment crept over her, and being cradled in Kakashi's arms only made her feel more aggrieved. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, it's okay. You've done really well," Kakashi whispered, offering her some comfort.

Though Kurenai had lost, Kakashi knew it was already impressive for her to have performed so well. After all, her opponent wasn't just anyone; Asuma was the son of the previous Hokage, trained under exceptional guidance. That fact was undeniable.

If it were a real battle, Kurenai might have stood a better chance of winning, Kakashi thought.

"I've decided that I will work even harder in the future," Kurenai declared, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand as she stood up from Kakashi's embrace.

"Okay, I'll supervise you then," Kakashi replied, smiling at her renewed determination.

"I look forward to sparring with you," Asuma said to Guy before leaving the arena.

"Then you better get ready to take a beating," Guy muttered under his breath, a small smirk playing on his lips. Despite himself, he felt a bit more favorable toward Asuma. People who like a challenge can't be all bad, right?

"You three hurry up and get out of here. Don't get in the way of the next students," Osamu ordered, dismissing Kakashi, Kurenai, and Guy from the field.

The next practical session was lackluster. The fights lacked excitement, resembling childish scuffles at best.

Kakashi yawned, growing bored as the final session dragged on. At last, it ended.

"I have a general idea of your level," Osamu said, gathering his paper and pen. "Let's go back to the classroom."

He led the students back and addressed them sternly. "I won't rearrange the seats, so you can organize yourselves. But let me be clear—if you don't pay attention in class and keep talking, don't blame me for being harsh."

He narrowed his single eye, scanning the students below.

"Yes."

"Understood."

...

The children answered in trepidation, while Obito secretly gloated. He had been worried he wouldn't get the chance to sit with Rin.

"I'll be depending on you a lot from now on," Obito said softly, leaning in toward Rin.

"There's no need to be so polite; we should look after each other," Rin replied with a slight smile, making Obito feel as though his heart had melted.

"Okay, we'll look after each other," Obito repeated, his voice unintentionally rising in volume as his thoughts ran wild.

It was a big mistake.

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"You just finished talking, and now you're whispering. Why don't you come up here?" Osamu Suzuki's voice cut through the room, instantly silencing the class.

Obito froze, his forehead damp with nervous sweat. He didn't dare lift his head.

"Sorry, Sensei. I was the one who asked him a question," Rin said, summoning her courage to stand and take the blame for him.

"I'll let it slide this time, but I don't want to see it again," Osamu said, sparing Rin further scolding. A good student admits their mistakes on their own initiative, he thought.

"Phew~" Rin sighed in relief as she sat down. She had been prepared for a scolding but hadn't expected to get off so easily.

"Shh!" Rin quickly silenced Obito before he could say anything else. Without words, the gratitude in Obito's eyes said everything.

"She's so brave," Kurenai whispered to Kakashi, her voice barely audible, afraid that Osamu might catch her as well.

"Not as brave as you," Kakashi replied smoothly, having picked up Kawakaze's knack for saying just the right thing. His comment had Kurenai struggling to stifle her laughter.

If it weren't for Osamu Suzuki's endless chatter on stage, she might have burst out laughing completely.

"I knew it was just flattery," Guy muttered, rolling his eyes, his patience for the playful banter nearly exhausted. Still, knowing Kakashi and Kurenai's relationship was arranged, he could only endure.

"That's all I have to say for today," Osamu concluded, timing his words perfectly with the sound of the class bell.

"Class dismissed."

As soon as Osamu left the classroom, the noise picked up again.

"Thank you for earlier," Obito said to Rin, feeling ashamed for not being as courageous as she had been.

"It's fine, it's all in the past," Rin replied with her characteristic gentle smile, the very essence of her charm.

"If you really feel bad about it, just buy me some dumplings," Rin teased lightly, sensing Obito was still overthinking it and giving him a way to feel better.

"Okay, no problem!" Obito responded eagerly, ready to buy them immediately. The small expense was nothing to him.

"Hello, can we get to know each other?" Kurenai approached the two of them, having been impressed by Rin's earlier actions and wanting to connect with her.

"Of course you can. Your name is Kurenai Yūhi, right? I'm Rin Nohara. You were amazing on the field before," Rin said, barely able to contain her admiration.

"No, I'm just average at taijutsu," Kurenai replied modestly, though she could tell Rin's praise was sincere. Flattered, she tried to downplay it, even as her confidence soared.

"If your skills are average, then people like us are even worse," Rin joked, prompting laughter from everyone.

In just a short break, Kurenai and Rin became fast friends.

The first day of school ended as the sun set, casting a warm glow as the children headed home.