He stopped channeling chakra and looked at Kurenai with interest.
The panic on Kurenai's face slowly faded, and the look she gave Ryun became complex and shifting.
Finally, she bit her lip and made the decision that best suited her feelings.
She hugged Ryun tightly, pulling him into her embrace, and said, "You're already my man. I don't need you to do anything that might hurt yourself anymore."
"I'm happy you gave me the True Spirit Seal; I'm angry that you strengthened it without regard for your own health."
"We still have a lot of time ahead of us. You can do it slowly, so why the rush?"
Hearing Kurenai's shy, timid, and deeply affectionate confession, Ryun finally stopped channeling chakra.
This matter truly wasn't urgent, because from now on, Kurenai would be living here every day.
But Tenten and the others would rarely have the chance to stay here for long, which was why Ryun needed to fully saturate their True Spirit Seals in one go.
"Then, about the chakra infusion... should we do it another time?"
Ryun strained to lift his head, looking at Kurenai's face, which was gentle yet carried a mature charm.
Kurenai finally dared to meet Ryun's gaze again. She nodded lightly, then moved to pull him back into her arms.
They were both very tired and needed a good rest... Wait, how was this guy starting again?
Kurenai angrily twisted Ryun's ears, while he chuckled softly and said, "Forgive me, Sister Kurenai. I like you too much. This is the last time."
Kurenai's body went limp. She slowly lay back on the pillow, surrendering everything to Ryun.
The next time Kurenai opened her eyes, it was already past noon.
Ryun had indeed been naughty; what he'd done had nothing whatsoever to do with 'the last time.'
She had prepared herself for physical exhaustion, or even tearing pain, but when she sat up, her whole body felt light and relaxed.
Kurenai thought of something and quickly stood before the full-length mirror. Looking at herself in the reflection, who seemed almost unchanged from before, yet was radiant and had all the fine lines around her eyes gone, tears welled up slowly in her eyes.
Had she really become younger?
And according to Ryun, this wasn't a temporary genjutsu, but a secret technique that could keep one young forever!
From now on, her age would probably freeze at around twenty-four or twenty-five, with both body and mind embracing their peak state.
As long as she had the Yin Seal, she would remain this beautiful.
And at the same time, she would remain Ryun's woman.
Kurenai sighed softly. Just as she was about to tidy herself up, a pair of large hands reached around her shoulders and embraced her.
The familiar sensation washed over her, making Kurenai quickly say, "Ryun-kun, let's stop here for today. Hinata and Karin are still waiting for you."
"What did you call me?"
Kurenai's face reddened. She stammered, "I can't possibly call you that in front of Hinata and Karin..."
"But there's no one here."
"...Husband."
Kurenai spoke as if accepting her fate. Ryun finally smiled in satisfaction, bent down to kiss her shoulder, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take her back to the large bathhouse.
By the time they came out, it was already two in the afternoon.
Kurenai was glowing; she walked as if a breeze carried her along.
She just didn't dare look back at Ryun, afraid he might want to continue their bond.
Ryun, naturally, wouldn't be so unrestrained. He only used this method to completely stabilize Kurenai's heart.
And indeed, under Ryun's diligent efforts, system notifications kept appearing.
[Ding, closer contact with ninja Kurenai, simulation count +3.]
[Ding, intimate relationship confirmed with ninja Kurenai, simulation count +5.]
If such notifications hadn't appeared, how could Ryun have ever let Kurenai go?
Fortunately, Kurenai finally accepted reality, becoming the most beautiful twenty-four-year-old Kurenai, and also the prospective wife of Ryun-kun, soon to be renamed Nojuro Kurenai.
"So slow!"
The moment Kurenai was about to step into the room, Tenten's complaint rang out.
"Hinata, didn't you say Red Teacher was checking Ryun-kun's health? What kind of check-up skips lunch and goes on until now?"
Seeing Tenten, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata in the living room, Kurenai lost all her courage for a moment and wanted to turn and flee.
But unfortunately, Ryun gave her a push from behind, forcing her to step forward and meet the girls in her younger, more vibrant state.
Tenten and the others stared at Kurenai in amazement. Finally, Sakura gasped, "Are you really Red Teacher? You can't be her younger sister, can you!"
"It really is Red Teacher! How did you get so young!"
"Could it be—"
"Could it be—"
Ino and Sakura exchanged glances, then rushed towards Kurenai, trying to check her belly.
Kurenai's strength far surpassed theirs, so she wasn't about to be restrained. With a few effortless moves, she flipped them all onto the floor. Then, blushing, she said, "Your Red Teacher here just knows how to preserve her youthful looks. It's nothing like what you're thinking."
"Hmph, I don't believe it, unless you let me see... Ouch!"
Ino's complaint earned her a flick on the forehead from Kurenai. Looking at the sighing girls, Kurenai said, "Tell you what: if you win in the Chunin Exams, I'll answer your questions. How about that?"
"Really?"
"It's a deal!"
"Ryun-kun, get over here! Hurry up and train with us!"
"That's right, that's right! What have you been up to? Spill it!"
With all the girls gathered, Ryun's home became lively and full of energy.
Even though the girls chased him for answers about Kurenai, Ryun enjoyed it.
It didn't matter if Kurenai's True Spirit Seal was exposed later, and he might have to soothe each girl's feelings one by one.
Having had enough of loneliness, Ryun cherished this kind of life.
Of course, from today on, Ryun wouldn't have the chance to be lonely at night either.
When Anko was there, he'd be with Anko; when she wasn't, he'd be with Kurenai.
No matter how much Kurenai verbally refused Ryun, physically she couldn't resist him.
Moreover, Ryun's front door was open, and Kurenai went out daily to buy supplies.
If she truly wanted to leave, Ryun couldn't very well make a move on her in the street.
Suffice to say, Kurenai's words were quite stubborn—the most stubborn among the girls around Ryun—but even they couldn't outlast Ryun's persistence and firmness.
Furthermore, Karin's presence was quickly accepted by the girls.
After hearing Karin's story, almost everyone praised Ryun for doing the right thing.
They were still at an emotional age and couldn't imagine anyone living such an inhuman life in Kusagakure.
Karin also took the opportunity to assure them that she would use her power to heal every comrade, which endeared her even more to the girls.
Of course, this was because Karin hadn't yet told them her surname was now Nojuro. Otherwise, Ryun was sure Karin would also get a grilling from the girls.
In the days that followed, the girls spent their mornings training with their respective teams and their afternoons receiving individual guidance from Kurenai at Ryun's place.
They would only leave after soaking in the hot springs in the evening, and during this time, Kurenai would find excuses not to bathe with them anymore.
This almost convinced them that Kurenai had also received the True Spirit Seal from Ryun.
The girls still found this a bit hard to accept, and at times like this, Hinata and Tenten took on the responsibility of guiding Ino and Sakura.
Tenten prided herself on being the first to know Ryun's secret, while Hinata explained that their teacher Kurenai, troubled by age anxiety, couldn't sleep well at night and only found comfort and restful sleep after receiving reassurance from Ryun.
Hearing this explanation, Ino and Sakura slowly came to accept things, as they genuinely liked their dedicated teacher, Kurenai.
Besides, they had long known about Ryun's plan for a large clan; they were just sulking for the moment.
However, they soon had no time to be angry, because the first part of the Chunin Exams was about to begin.
Ryun's shadow clone, disguised as Karin, participated as a Kusagakure ninja.
The shadow clone couldn't be seen through by any means; one could only deduce it wasn't the original through knowledge of the opponent's intel.
No one was familiar with a low-profile figure like Karin, so naturally, no one would discover that this Karin was actually Ryun in disguise.
This piqued Ryun's interest, as he planned to watch the little pre-exam skit: Kotetsu and Izumo, disguised as examinees, using the Magical: Not This Place Technique to turn the second floor into the third, blocking examinees from entering the exam hall.
This was also part of the exam; if you couldn't even get through the door, you naturally weren't qualified to take the Chunin Exams.
But to their embarrassment, Tenten, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata completely ignored the two blustering pretenders. Leading their respective teams, they passed right through the edge of the genjutsu and went straight up the stairs.
The crowd burst into laughter as they realized what happened, and Ryun ignored his teammates and followed along.
He wanted to see if Lee would still confess to Sakura.
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