"Here."
Kiyohara peeled off the wrapper and extended the candy.
"If it doesn't taste good... well, no refunds."
Kurenai Yuhi glanced at him with ruby-like eyes. She tucked a strand of curly black hair behind her ear, leaned forward, and gently took the lollipop into her mouth directly from his hand.
The sweetness hit her tongue instantly.
"Limited edition," Kiyohara noted. "You get what you pay for."
In wartime, sugar was a strategic resource. It stimulated dopamine, relieved stress, and provided a quick caloric burn for chakra recovery.
An old ninja once told Kiyohara: 'You can survive a week on water. You can survive two weeks on sugar water.'
"It's not like you to spend money on this," Kurenai mumbled around the candy, her cheeks puffing out slightly. "This brand is expensive."
"It'll be useful at a critical moment."
Kiyohara shrugged.
'Or maybe I just wanted to see you eat it,' he didn't say.
"The loot is packed. I'm heading to town."
Kiyohara stepped out of the tent.
Kurenai followed. "I'll come with you."
They hadn't walked ten paces when a figure blocked their path.
A young man with a rebellious sash and a face that screamed "delinquent youth."
Asuma Sarutobi. The Third Hokage's son.
"Kurenai!"
Asuma's eyes lit up. He ignored Kiyohara entirely.
"I heard you were transferred here. I was looking for you."
He grinned, leaning in close. He pulled a small, beautifully packaged box from his vest.
"I found this on a mission. Imported tea. They say it has a calming effect. I thought it suited you."
Kurenai looked at the box, then at Asuma's eager smile.
She felt a familiar pressure.
'The Hokage's Son.'
Her father, Shinku Yuhi, was a loyal retainer. She had to be polite. She had to be careful. It was exhausting.
"No need, Asuma," she said, her voice polite but distant.
She pointed to the stick protruding from her lips.
"Kiyohara just gave me a lollipop."
Asuma froze.
He looked at Kurenai's puffed cheek. Then he looked at Kiyohara.
'Him?'
The taciturn civilian ninja from their class? The one who was always broke?
Jealousy flared in Asuma's chest. 'I was here first! Dammit, old man, why did you put them on the same team?'
"Asuma," Kiyohara greeted him flatly.
Asuma nodded stiffly. "Kiyohara."
"Why are you here, Asuma?" Kurenai asked, changing the subject.
"Transit," Asuma shrugged, trying to regain his cool composure. "You should hear the news soon. The Mist front is heating up. Intel says the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have crossed the border."
"The Seven Swordsmen?" Kurenai gasped softly.
The legends of Kirigakure. Seven elites wielding unique, terrifying blades passed down through generations.
Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade). Samehada (Shark Skin). Hiramekarei.
They were monsters who could wipe out entire platoons.
Kiyohara's heart stirred.
'They are here.'
If the Seven Swordsmen were active, then that event was imminent.
Might Duy. The Eternal Genin.
In the original timeline, Duy would sacrifice himself to save Guy, Genma, and Ebisu. He would open the Eight Inner Gates—the Forbidden Jutsu that grants power surpassing the Kage at the cost of the user's life.
A Genin silenced for decades would erupt, killing four of the Seven Swordsmen and shattering their organization for a generation.
'Because of my butterfly effect, Genma is on my team now,' Kiyohara realized. 'Will Duy still fight them? Or will history change?'
"You need to be careful, Kurenai," Asuma continued, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "The war is shifting. After this, the Kikyo Pass will likely become the flashpoint."
Kiyohara listened silently.
'Kikyo Pass. And the Sand Village front.'
He thought of Pakura, the Hero of the Sand.
She possessed Scorch Release (Shakuton)—a terrifying Kekkei Genkai combining Wind and Fire to evaporate all moisture in a target's body instantly.
'The intensity is ramping up,' Kiyohara analyzed. 'I need to be ready.'
Asuma kept talking, mostly trying to impress Kurenai with his concern.
Kiyohara checked his mental watch.
'Boring.'
"I'm leaving," Kiyohara interrupted. "I have business in town."
He started walking.
"I'll go with you," Kurenai said instantly.
She seized the excuse to escape the awkward social pressure.
"Suit yourself," Kiyohara didn't look back.
"Kurenai, wait—" Asuma reached out.
"Let's talk another time, Asuma," she waved, hurrying after Kiyohara.
Asuma was left standing alone in the camp street, holding his box of tea.
He scratched his head.
"Is she just shy?" he muttered. "Yeah. She hasn't seen me in a while. That must be it."
But the image of the lollipop in her mouth lingered in his mind.
'I need to step up my game.'
Kiyohara and Kurenai arrived at the transit town.
It wasn't a village; it was a service station for killers. Weapon shops, scroll vendors, and bars filled with smoke.
Kiyohara headed for the pawnbroker.
He had a scroll full of Mist gear to liquidate.
'For the next few weeks, I avoid dangerous missions,' he plotted. 'I have money. I have the Sword Legacy. I stay low.'
'I wait for the next Letter.'
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