Chapter 148: Chapter 148

Konoha’s village gates

“Thanks.”

After Kotetsu and Izumo finished recording their departure, Kitazawa gave a nod and stepped past the gates.

“I’ve already marked out the quickest and safest route.”

Kurenai unfurled a map scroll, her lips curving into a confident smile. “Stick with me, and nothing will go wrong.”

“Yes, yes, Kurenai-sensei.”

Kitazawa chuckled lightly. “You’re the captain now.”

Kurenai rolled her eyes at him. “Does it matter who the captain is?”

Kitazawa shrugged with mock defeat. “Forget it. I’m too lazy to argue.”

She closed the scroll with a snap. “Keep up.”

With a graceful leap, Kurenai shot forward, weaving through the dense canopy of the Forest of Death with practiced ease.

The Land of Grass bordered the Land of Fire to the northwest. After a full day’s travel, the two finally arrived at the border.

“We’ll enter Grass Country tomorrow.”

Kurenai gazed across the rolling horizon, a vast sea of unbroken green.

“If you want to see the Great Plains, you’ll have to go deeper inland,” Kitazawa reminded.

“I know.” She tore her eyes away from the landscape. “We’ll camp here tonight. Better rest well—we’ve got a fight ahead tomorrow.”

“Relax, Kiichi Rou is just a Chūnin.”

Kitazawa opened a summoning storage scroll, pulling out a tent.

“You’ve been teaching brats in the Academy too long,” Kurenai scolded sharply. “A shinobi never underestimates an enemy. Rule number one of the code.”

Kitazawa raised his hand in mock solemnity. “Please enlighten me, Yuhi-sensei. Let’s discuss in detail… inside the tent.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why is there only one tent?”

“On missions, you pack light,” Kitazawa said matter-of-factly, then added with a smirk, “What’s wrong? Afraid?”

“Hmph. As if. There’s a sleeping bag—I’ll manage.”

She slipped off her shoes and strode barefoot into the tent.

“Let’s eat first.” Kitazawa produced a low folding table.

“I brought bento.” Kurenai sat cross-legged, placing two boxes on the table with a small flourish.

Kitazawa bit into a chicken cutlet and smiled. “Delicious as always.”

“Of course!” She tilted her chin proudly. “You should be grateful you get to eat my cooking!”

“You’re right.” His eyes gleamed with mischief. “I’ll repay you once we’re done eating.”

Kurenai’s smile faltered. “…Repay? What exactly are you planning?”

“You’ll find out soon. nervous?” Kitazawa chuckled, watching her tense.

“Who’s nervous?!” She snapped, kicking him with her bare foot. “Me? Nervous?”

“Of course not.” He nodded as if agreeing with her entirely.

They finished the meal quickly, though Kurenai’s clenched fists betrayed her calm façade.

“Do you want to wash up?” Kitazawa asked while packing away the boxes. “There’s a river nearby.”

“Who bathes on a mission?” she scoffed, then softened. “At most, we can wash our feet and face.”

“Good enough. I’ve got towels.”

“…Fine.”

At the riverbank, they dipped their feet into the cool water.

“So… about that repayment?” Kurenai asked casually.

“What kind would you like?” Kitazawa’s gaze lingered on her, catching the flicker of unease in her crimson eyes.

“That’s your problem, not mine,” she retorted, sitting straighter.

His eyes slid from her face down to her pale, toned thighs.

Kurenai felt his gaze instantly—her legs tensed despite herself.

“You’ve been running all day. Let me massage your legs.” Kitazawa handed her a towel.

Oddly enough, relief washed over her.

“If you’re not happy, pick another spot,” he teased.

“No need!” she blurted, lifting one leg. Droplets glistened as they slid down her smooth skin.

They returned to the tent. Before Kitazawa could say a word, Kurenai plopped her feet onto his lap.

“If your massage is bad, I won’t forgive you. And don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting, you pervert.”

“I’m only trying to ease your fatigue,” Kitazawa said innocently, taking hold of her ankles.

“Do you expect me to believe—ah!” Her words cut short as his fingers danced across her soles.

“Stop! Hahaha—no!” Kurenai squirmed, laughter spilling against her will, toes curling helplessly.

“You’re too loud. You’ll alert enemies.” Kitazawa grinned, finally letting go.

“You dare blame me?!” she fumed, trying to kick him, but he caught her leg easily.

“I’m sleeping!” she declared, retreating into her sleeping bag. “No massage!”

“This time it’s real,” he promised, gently kneading the arch of her foot.

Kurenai shot him a fiery glare but slowly stilled, her long lashes trembling.

“You really are both beautiful and adorable.”

She pouted, cheeks flushed. “Flattery won’t save you.”

“That wasn’t flattery. Just the truth.”

“…Massage properly.” Her lips curved faintly despite herself.

When he moved to her thighs, she hissed, “Massage—not caress!” But she didn’t stop him. Her face burned as the warmth of his touch seeped into her muscles.

Finally, she yanked her legs back. “That’s enough. We have a mission tomorrow.” She dove into her sleeping bag.

Kitazawa slid into his own beside hers. Her cheeks still glowed faintly pink as she shut her eyes tight.

He leaned over and kissed her lips—soft, fleeting.

Kurenai’s eyes widened… but she didn’t pull away.

“Good night,” he whispered.

“…Mmm.” She closed her eyes again.

Kitazawa smiled to himself. Her reaction told him one thing: the affection between them had already reached its peak. The rest was only a matter of time.

The next morning, they entered the Land of Grass.

The endless plain stretched into the horizon, tall grass rippling beneath the wind.

“According to the mission scroll, Kiichi Rou is hiding in the Kusa capital.” Kurenai’s tone hardened as she pulled her thoughts back to the task. “We should plan carefully before moving.”

“No need to overthink it.” Kitazawa shook his head. “We’ll just go straight to the capital and find him.”

Kurenai hesitated, then nodded. Against a mere Chūnin, there was no need to waste energy on unnecessary strategy.

Another half hour slipped by before Kitazawa and Kurenai finally reached the Kusa’s capital.

“Wait here. I’ll use my sensory jutsu to track him down.”

Before Kurenai could respond, Kitazawa vaulted onto a nearby rooftop.

The mission scroll contained Kiichi Rou’s portrait, but no location—only that he had been sighted somewhere in this district over the past few days.

’Byakugan!’

The veins around Kitazawa’s temples bulged as his eyes turned milky white. Within moments, he picked out every chakra signature in the vicinity. Only seven ninja were present.

He and Kurenai swept through them one by one until they found their target.

“Konoha shinobi?”

Kiichi Rou’s expression twisted the instant he saw them. He yanked his blade free without hesitation and lunged at Kitazawa.

But vines erupted, binding his legs before he even reached his opponent.

A tree—inside a room?

No, it was the Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.

Kiichi Rou’s instincts screamed to form hand seals and break the genjutsu, but he was too slow. Pain lanced through his skull—and then darkness claimed him.

“That’s it?”

Kurenai blinked, utterly speechless. She hadn’t even had the chance to move. Hours of travel, and the mission ended in a single exchange.

It wasn’t that Kiichi Rou was weak—Kitazawa’s sheer efficiency was just overwhelming. Single-handed seals and a flawless genjutsu had left their target no chance to resist.

“We’ll have to take A-rank missions next time,” Kurenai muttered with a wry shake of her head. “If we stick with B-rank, I’ll never even participate.”

“It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that the mission’s complete.”

Kitazawa, however, was already thinking ahead. His real goal wasn’t Kiichi Rou—it was Karin and her mother. But finding a reasonable excuse to head for Kusagakure was another matter entirely.

“Let’s move. If we hurry, we might reach Konoha by nightfall.”

He hefted the unconscious man onto his shoulder. Their assignment was to capture him alive—not drag back a corpse. Of course, killing was acceptable if necessary, but it lowered the mission’s rating.

Kurenai nodded. Together they took a secluded path out of the city, scaling a wall before slipping into the open grasslands beyond.

“I think Kusagakure is nearby. I’ll send a Shadow Clone to fetch lunch,” Kitazawa suggested after ten minutes of walking.

“No need,” Kurenai replied lightly. “I still have my bento.”

“It’s already cold. Besides…” Kitazawa smiled, “We don’t often get out here. Don’t you want to try Kusagakure’s specialties?”

Kurenai considered, then sighed. “Fine.”

Kitazawa wove seals and sent a Shadow Clone running toward the village while he and Kurenai continued at a slower pace with their prisoner.

By noon, they stopped in an open field to rest.

“I wonder when your clone will be back,” Kurenai said, glancing at the unconscious Kiichi Rou. He had woken briefly before, only for Kitazawa to knock him out again—reasoning that an unconscious captive was far less troublesome.

“It won’t be long,” Kitazawa assured her. “This isn’t wartime. Kusagakure wouldn’t dare move against Leaf shinobi. And besides, it’s a clone—if anything happens, I’ll know instantly.”

Kurenai accepted that logic, though her eyes lingered on him.

“Why are you staring at me?” Kitazawa teased, waving a hand in front of her.

“Only you can look at me? I can’t look at you?” she countered, smiling.

“My point is, if you want a better look, I can take off my clothes.” Kitazawa deadpanned.

“Pervert!” she snapped, cheeks warming.

“You were the one staring,” he retorted, flicking her thigh playfully.

Kurenai’s lips twitched—half exasperation, half amusement. This man was impossible.

Just then, a rush of wind announced the clone’s return. It set down a summoning scroll.

“All the food’s inside,” the clone reported before dispersing.

Kitazawa skimmed through the clone’s memories. After infiltrating Kusagakure, it had tracked down Karin and her mother. Relief washed through him—the objective was complete. Now all that remained was informing Lady Tsunade.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder: would rescuing Karin trigger a new mission, just as saving Nono and Kabuto had?

“Your clone… find anything unusual?” Kurenai asked, catching the flicker in his expression.

“One thing,” Kitazawa admitted. “A red-haired kunoichi.”

“Red hair? That’s rare. Why would she stand out?”

“Because her body was covered in bite marks,” Kitazawa said grimly.

Kurenai’s eyes widened. “What?!”

“Seemed like medical chakra; they can bite her and absorb it,” Kitazawa explained.

“That’s monstrous!” Kurenai’s voice shook with outrage. She could vividly imagine the torment that kunoichi endured.

“Red hair, immense chakra… I suspect she’s of the Uzumaki Clan,” Kitazawa added. “And as you know, the Uzumaki are Konoha’s allies.”

“Then this must be reported to Hokage-sama,” Kurenai said firmly, face hardening.

The two finished their meal, collected Kiichi Rou, and pressed on. By nightfall they reached Konoha, weary but successful.

After handing their captive to the Hokage Building staff, Kurenai all but collapsed onto her sofa. “Home sweet home. I’m exhausted.”

“You should rest,” Kitazawa advised, resisting the urge to tease her more.

She lifted her head, smiling faintly. “See you tomorrow.”

After he left, memories of the previous night’s massage crept back. Her cheeks warmed. “…Bad guy,” she murmured, though the corner of her lips betrayed her.

Kitazawa, meanwhile, decided against disturbing Tsunade so late. Tomorrow would do.

—

At dawn, he arrived at Tsunade’s residence and knocked. Shizune, still in a nightgown, answered the door.

“Kitazawa?” she blinked in surprise, then flushed. “I—I just woke up. I haven’t changed yet.”

“It’s fine,” Kitazawa said with a disarming smile. “That nightgown suits you.”

Shizune coughed lightly, embarrassed. “Th-thank you. But you’re here so early… is something urgent?”

“Yes. I need to speak with Lady Tsunade immediately.”

“She isn’t awake yet,” Shizune admitted, then stepped aside. “Come in. I’ll go wake her.”

“Thank you, Shizune-senpai.” Kitazawa slipped off his shoes and entered.

——————

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