16-20

*Chapter 16 - Team 8*

After Sakura Haruno left, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha began taking off their clothes, getting ready to jump into the water. However, Touji quickly stopped them.

"You seem to have forgotten. I asked you to stand on the surface of the water and catch fish, not dive in."

"What?! That's impossible! No way a person can stand on water! That's not scientific!" Naruto immediately protested.

Sasuke, standing nearby, frowned as well.

"Touji, while it's true that controlling chakra can let you stand on water, that's too difficult for us at this stage."

Touji realized his mistake.

The three members of Team 7 had only recently learned how to climb trees using chakra when they went on the mission to the Land of Waves.

As for walking on water, Naruto wouldn’t be able to do it until Jiraiya undoes the seal on him.

Touji couldn’t help but slap his forehead.

He had messed up the timeline, but thankfully, it wasn’t a major issue.

Since he had already spoken, Touji decided not to take back his words.

His expression became serious, and he shot a mocking glance at Sasuke.

"Did you think I just wanted you to catch fish? Or maybe collect bird nests or catch wild rabbits?"

Sasuke shivered, bowed to Touji, and then ran straight toward the lake.

Naruto looked at Sasuke in confusion.

He had no idea why Sasuke suddenly got so fired up, but since Sasuke was heading into the water, Naruto couldn’t be left behind.

After all, to Naruto, Sasuke was both a rival and someone he wanted to surpass.

Naruto's determination to outdo Sasuke was strong.

*Ding dong! Sasuke Uchiha's favorability increased by 1! Current favorability: 66 points!*

*Ding dong! Kakashi Hatake's favorability increased by 1! Current favorability: 80 points! You can now check in!*

"Damn, so I was being tested too!"

Favorability doesn’t increase randomly; it can be earned in two ways. First, by checking in. Second, by earning the person’s recognition.

Just now, by teaching Naruto and Sasuke how to train on water, Touji gained favorability with Kakashi, who was obviously nearby, watching them in secret.

However, Touji didn’t feel like exposing Kakashi. Instead, he sat down and began practicing chakra control.

Maybe there would be some unexpected surprises.

Chakra training is similar to martial arts. It involves controlling the flow of chakra through the body’s meridians. As the chakra moves, the meridians expand, increasing both the speed and quantity of chakra that can be used.

After a few cycles of chakra training, Touji felt a significant improvement in his chakra levels. Where before, he could only swing his blade once with all his strength, now he was confident he could manage three swings without collapsing.

And he might even be able to try out some of the ninjutsu he had learned earlier.

At that moment, Sasuke was barely managing to stand on the water, while Naruto was slipping and falling into the lake with every step, causing ripples that knocked Sasuke down as well.

"Hey, dead last, can’t you move farther away and stop messing me up?!" Sasuke shouted angrily.

Sasuke had almost succeeded several times, only to have Naruto’s waves ruin his efforts.

"Sasuke, you're amazing! Teach me how to do it! Look, I even caught a big fish!" Naruto grinned his signature goofy smile, holding a struggling fish that splashed water all over Sasuke’s face.

"You idiot!"

"Hahaha, Naruto and Sasuke, are you guys playing in the water? Where’s Sakura? And where’s your teacher?" A voice rang out, accompanied by laughter. A boy with a dog emerged, followed by two other figures.

Touji’s eyes lit up.

*Team 8!* Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga!

Originally, he thought they wouldn’t encounter other teams until the Chunin Exams at the earliest.

But this was reality, not the anime.

Aside from daily training, naturally, he’d interact with old classmates from time to time.

"Check!"

*Ding dong! Kiba Inuzuka! Favorability: 50 points! You can now check in!*

*At 50 points: Body Flicker Technique unlocked!*

*At 60 points: Four Legs Technique unlocked!*

*At 70 points: Shadow Clone Jutsu unlocked!*

*At 80 points: Fang Over Fang unlocked!*

*At 90 points: Enhanced Sense of Smell unlocked!*

*At 100 points: Akamaru unlocked! Kiba Inuzuka’s dog becomes yours! Unlimited check-ins activated (check-in cooldown: 7 days)!*

*Ding dong! Shino Aburame! Favorability: 50 points! You can now check in!*

*At 50 points: Body Flicker Technique unlocked!*

*At 60 points: Insect Summoning unlocked!*

*At 70 points: Insect Clone unlocked!*

*At 80 points: Insect Cocoon unlocked!*

*At 90 points: Insect Ball unlocked!*

*At 100 points: Insect Tornado unlocked! Shino Aburame invites you to play with bugs! Unlimited check-ins activated (check-in cooldown: 7 days)!*

*Ding dong! Hinata Hyuga! Favorability: 50 points! You can now check in!*

*At 50 points: Gentle Fist unlocked!*

*At 60 points: Eight Trigrams Air Palm unlocked!*

*At 70 points: Twin Lion Fists unlocked!*

*At 80 points: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms unlocked!*

*At 90 points: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms unlocked!*

*At 100 points: Byakugan unlocked! Gain Hinata Hyuga’s affection! Unlimited check-ins activated (check-in cooldown: 7 days)!*

After checking the details for each person, Touji couldn’t help but shiver.

Kiba was fine—Akamaru was cute, so no problem there.

But playing with Shino’s bugs? Touji just couldn’t handle that. The thought of bugs crawling all over his body gave him the creeps.

On the other hand, Hinata seemed like a much better option.

Though some of her skills overlapped with Neji, Touji was fine with that for now.

High-level ninjutsu and bloodline limits were powerful but also too conspicuous. He didn’t want to get targeted by people who wanted to steal his eyes or experiment on him.

But low-level ninjutsu, which almost everyone knew, could be trained repeatedly. After checking in a few times, the power of these techniques wouldn’t be any weaker than high-level ones.

And the best part was, no one would suspect a thing.

"Check in with Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga!"

*Ding dong! Check-in with Kiba Inuzuka successful! Substitution Jutsu unlocked! Favorability increased by 5 points!*

*Ding dong! You already have Substitution Jutsu. Lower-level Substitution Jutsu experience will be added to your higher-level skills!*

*Ding dong! Check-in with Shino Aburame successful! Chakra Control unlocked! Favorability increased by 5 points!*

*Ding dong! You already have Chakra Control. Lower-level experience will be added to your higher-level skills!*

*Ding dong! Check-in with Hinata Hyuga successful! Gentle Fist unlocked! Favorability increased by 5 points!*

*Ding dong! You already have Gentle Fist. Lower-level experience will be added to your higher-level skills!*

Touji felt a surge of joy. All the new abilities were things he already had, so nothing strange appeared.

Now that he had encountered Hinata, it was time to figure out how to increase her favorability.

New book starting, please add it to your collection! And don't forget those recommendation votes…

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 17: Still Here Tonight*

Upon seeing the three members of Team 8, Naruto Uzumaki ran over while holding a fish, while Sasuke Uchiha remained standing on the surface of the lake, practicing chakra control.

"Kiba, why are you here?"

"We met with our teacher today. After a brief lecture, we were given some free time. But what about you guys? Why are you swimming here?" Kiba Inuzuka asked with a grin.

When Hinata Hyuga saw Naruto running over shirtless, her face immediately turned beet red, and she quickly hid behind a wooden post, barely daring to breathe.

"Our teacher is pretty strict. We have another assessment this afternoon," Naruto said with a helpless smile. After all, being called a failure by Kakashi Hatake wasn’t something to be proud of.

At this moment, Kiba's gaze shifted toward Touji, and he became curious.

"Who’s that? I’ve never seen him before."

Naruto hurriedly leaned in close to Kiba's ear and whispered, "That guy's a demon! He defeated all three of us by himself!"

Although Naruto lowered his voice, everyone present was a ninja, so of course, they heard him clearly—everyone except Hinata, who was hiding behind the wooden post with her eyes still glued to Naruto.

For a moment, both Kiba and Shino Aburame became interested in Touji.

Putting Naruto aside, both Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno were top students at the Ninja Academy. The fact that all three of them couldn’t defeat Touji was quite surprising to them.

"Is he really that strong? Could he be a senior from a previous class?"

Hearing them discuss him, Touji took the opportunity to walk over.

"My name is Touji. I'm substituting for Kakashi-sensei to supervise them."

Given that he had defeated all of Team 7 by himself, Kiba didn’t dare take him lightly.

"Hi, I’m Kiba Inuzuka, and the guy with the sunglasses is Shino Aburame. That red apple over there is Hinata Hyuga."

"Kiba-kun~! How could you introduce me like that!" Hinata softly protested, though she still didn’t dare to leave the safety of the wooden post.

Touji smiled wryly.

Hinata’s eyes were always on Naruto, but Naruto seemed completely oblivious. It could be said that almost everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village knew about Hinata's feelings for Naruto—except Naruto himself.

Touji didn’t believe for a second that Naruto didn’t understand Hinata’s affection. It was just that Naruto clearly wasn’t interested in her at all.

"I know who you guys are. Want to join Team 7 in catching some fish?"

"No need to catch fish," Kiba started to decline, but Shino, who had been silent, stepped forward.

"This seems like more than just catching fish; it looks like some sort of training."

Even though on the surface everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village appeared to be friendly, the training methods of ninjas were often kept secret. Every ninja's training routine was considered private, and if someone happened to come across a ninja training, they would usually leave immediately.

However, for Touji to openly invite them to join in the training was extremely rare.

*[Ding! Kiba Inuzuka's favorability has increased by one! Current favorability: 56!]*

*[Ding! Shino Aburame's favorability has increased by one! Current favorability: 56!]*

"Well, I can’t refuse such an invitation now, can I?" Kiba said, though he was already undressing and sprinting toward the lake. He quickly dove in, playing more with Naruto than actually training.

Sasuke had just barely found his balance on the water when ripples from the others' movements made him fall right back in.

Meanwhile, Hinata remained behind the wooden post, unsure what to do.

Kiba and Shino were guys, so it wasn’t a big deal for them. But Hinata, being a girl, naturally couldn’t join them in the water, especially with Naruto there. That made her even more hesitant.

Touji's eyes brightened as he approached Hinata.

Seeing Touji come closer, Hinata didn’t blush like she did with Naruto, but a look of confusion appeared on her face.

"Is there something you need, Touji-kun? I’m fine just resting here."

"How about trying to hit me with your Gentle Fist?" Touji suggested.

"No, really, I don’t..." Hinata began, then suddenly realized, "You want me to use the Gentle Fist on you?"

Hinata understood what Touji meant. It wasn’t that she underestimated him; it was just that as the Hyuga clan’s heiress, her father, Hiashi Hyuga, trained her in the Gentle Fist technique daily.

Hinata believed that her father was far more skilled in the Gentle Fist than Touji could be.

"Yes, give it a try," Touji encouraged.

Hinata took a deep breath. Seeing Touji insist, she couldn't think of a way to refuse, so she prepared herself for an attack.

"I’m coming, Touji-kun! Be careful!" she warned.

Hinata swiftly charged toward Touji and aimed a direct palm strike at his chest.

Touji smiled slightly, showing no intention of dodging. He responded by mimicking her move, aiming his own palm strike at her chest.

Startled, Hinata quickly pulled back her attack and dodged to the side.

Touji then swept his leg toward her feet, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground.

Touji shook his head with a sigh.

If Hinata hadn’t pulled back, they would’ve both been injured. And with her Gentle Fist, she could have sealed Touji's chakra points, giving her the upper hand in the fight.

Hinata had the perfect combination of the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist but lacked the fighting spirit, which explained why she had lost to her younger sister, Hanabi.

No wonder Hiashi was disappointed in Hinata.

Even if she hadn’t pulled her punch, her skill level was still far below that of Neji Hyuga. It was clear to Touji that during their fight in the Chunin Exams, Neji had been debating whether or not to kill her.

Hinata rubbed her sore bottom but didn’t seem upset about losing. Instead, she smiled sheepishly.

"Touji-kun, you’re amazing! I’m no match for you."

Touji looked at her, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment.

She had such great potential, but her gentle nature was holding her back from realizing it. If Naruto hadn’t awakened her fighting spirit during the Chunin Exams, Hinata might have remained mediocre her entire life.

But since Touji was now part of this world, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity to boost favorability pass by.

He leaned in close to Hinata’s ear and whispered, "If you want to earn your father’s approval, come back here tonight."

Hinata blushed deeply, the redness spreading to her ears. It wasn’t until she heard Touji’s words that she snapped out of her daze.

"Huh?"

*[Ding! Hinata Hyuga's favorability has increased by two! Current favorability: 57!]*

---

New story, seeking favorites! Please vote, everyone!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 18: The Role of Affection Points*

Touji didn’t say much.

What Hinata Hyuga lacked was someone to push her just once. As long as that happens, there will be countless more opportunities after.

However, with so many people around now, there was no way to use any tactics. He would have to wait until the evening.

What Hinata Hyuga wanted most was her father’s approval. Touji wasn't worried about baiting her with that.

If she didn’t take the bait, he’d find another chance to manipulate her again.

At that moment, the lake had already become a chaotic scene.

At first, Sasuke Uchiha could still stand briefly on the water’s surface. But with two more people and a dog added into the mix, it completely threw off his rhythm.

Eventually, Sasuke gave up on his training and focused entirely on catching fish.

Now, Sakura Haruno returned with firewood, and as the campfire slowly rose, the fish they had caught were cleaned and placed on the fire to grill.

Grilled food, it can be said, is all about the seasoning. As long as you have enough spices, even something spoiled can taste good.

And the fish they were grilling now came from an untouched, pollution-free lake. With just a little grilling, the aroma began to waft through the air.

With the scent in the air, Naruto Uzumaki suddenly remembered he hadn’t eaten lunch. His eyes locked onto the fish, as if afraid someone would steal it from him.

“Touji, can we eat the fish now?” Naruto drooled as he asked.

Touji was frustrated.

During training, Naruto messed around the most, yet when it came to eating, he was the most eager.

If he hadn’t smartened up later on, would he have even become Hokage?

As the grilling finished, Touji began distributing the fish. He handed the first two to Sakura and Hinata.

But as soon as Hinata received hers, she blushed and immediately gave the fish to Naruto. Naruto didn’t hesitate and began devouring it happily.

“Touji, you eat first.”

Touji paused.

He had expected Sakura to give her fish to Sasuke, but instead, she handed it to him.

After a brief thought, Touji understood.

After all, he was standing in for Kakashi, monitoring the three of them. If they didn’t try to curry favor with him, there was a chance none of them would pass the test.

Most importantly, the affection points system was starting to show its effect.

Although Sakura’s affection points were currently only at sixty-eight, those sixty-eight points shouldn’t be underestimated.

Passing fifty points meant someone could be considered an acquaintance. Reaching sixty points meant you were good friends.

Sakura was approaching seventy points. If it were a romantic situation, this would be more than just a normal friendship.

She might even like Touji more than she liked Sasuke at this point.

Kakashi’s affection points had reached eighty, signifying a close bond. If translated to a marriage context, that would be the kind of love that lasts a lifetime and makes others envious.

If Touji hadn’t raised his affection points in their first battle, when Kakashi realized Touji knew about the Hatake swordsmanship and the White Fang, his response wouldn’t have been a mere identity card, but something more lethal—a flashing blade.

After all, it would be highly suspicious for someone to suddenly show up, knowing everything about you, while you know nothing about them.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if he had been killed on the spot!

As the fish around the fire was nearly distributed, Touji handed the last grilled fish to Hinata.

Before she could take it, Naruto shouted.

“That’s my fish!”

Hinata froze for a moment, then gave a small, indifferent smile.

“Give it to Naruto. I just ate something.”

Touji frowned. Naruto definitely had the personality of someone destined to be single forever. He couldn’t understand why Hinata liked him.

“Naruto, you’ve already had one. This one’s for Hinata.”

“But the one I ate earlier was Hinata’s, so this one is mine!” Naruto's eyes were locked on the fish, and he was drooling even more.

“Should I just eat it?”

Just as the two were in a standoff, a graceful figure suddenly appeared between them. Without waiting for Touji’s approval, the person took the fish.

“Kurenai Yuhi!”

Touji was stunned, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Kurenai had appeared so silently. If she had been an enemy, Touji would have been dead by now.

At that moment, Touji realized the vast difference between his abilities and those of a Jonin.

Ding! Kurenai Yuhi! Affection points: 51! You can sign in!

Affection points at 50: Sensory Jutsu unlocked!

Affection points at 60: Tree Binding Death unlocked!

Affection points at 70: Triple Blossom Sakura unlocked!

Affection points at 80: Mirage unlocked!

Affection points at 90: Falling Sakura Illusion unlocked!

Affection points at 100: Absolute Lotus Blossom unlocked! Bonus: Don’t tell Asuma! Unlimited sign-ins unlocked (sign-in interval: 7 days)!

Touji's eyes lit up.

Kurenai was the first Genjutsu specialist Touji had encountered. Without the Sharingan, improving his Genjutsu skills was the only way to effectively resist it.

Kurenai also possessed rare sensory-type Jutsu, something Touji desperately needed.

“Sign in for Kurenai Yuhi!”

Ding! Signed in successfully with Kurenai Yuhi! You have obtained Sensory Jutsu! Affection points increased by 5! Current affection points: 56!

“Sensory-type Jutsu!”

Touji was ecstatic. This was exactly like getting a pillow when you were just about to fall asleep.

He had just been thinking about Sensory Jutsu, and now he had it!

As Kurenai Yuhi ate her fish, she sized up Touji. After finishing, she spoke.

“You’re Touji, right? I heard from Guy that you’re quite talented. Would you be interested in sparring with Team 8?”

Touji immediately felt reluctant when he heard this.

Team 8 might seem like just three people, but Akamaru alone could be counted as a fourth.

Each of them had unique skills, and they were definitely not to be underestimated, unlike Team 7.

But seeing the determination in Kurenai’s eyes, Touji realized there was no escaping this fight today.

“Alright, how do you want to do this?”

“Just like Team 7—you against all three of them,” Kurenai said with a sly grin.

Team 8 immediately got excited.

Kiba Inuzuka, who had been listening to Naruto earlier, had already become interested in Touji. He just hadn’t had a reason to challenge him until now. Kurenai’s suggestion immediately sparked his enthusiasm.

Shino Aburame, upon hearing that Sasuke had lost, also became curious about Touji.

Only Hinata looked confused, unsure of what to do next.

But seeing that everyone else had agreed, Hinata reluctantly joined in, like a duck being forced into water.

Touji smiled slightly. While Kakashi might have instigated this, it was clear Kurenai also wanted to use him as a test for her newly-formed team.

He didn’t know if he could win, but he was determined to give them an unforgettable experience.

Touji formed the hand sign for One Thousand Years of Death and lightly blew on his fingers.

The sight made the entire Team 7 shiver involuntarily.

Chapter 19: Out of Control Fang Over Fang

Touji cautiously observed the three people in front of him.

Class 8 and Class 7 were very different. In Class 7, the only one with strong observational skills was Uchiha Sasuke. But in Class 8, all three members had formidable observational abilities.

Inuzuka Kiba's nose, Aburame Shino's swarm of insects, and Hyuga Hinata's Byakugan.

You could say Touji's Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) had been greatly weakened.

And unlike Class 7, who only knew how to attack head-on, Class 8 was different.

As long as Aburame Shino's bugs were still on the battlefield, there were endless possibilities.

However, Class 8 had some clear weaknesses as well.

Inuzuka Kiba, like Naruto Uzumaki, liked to charge in headfirst—simply put, he didn't think things through.

As for Hyuga Hinata, her Gentle Fist was essentially just a means of perception.

So the only real threat on the field was Aburame Shino.

While Touji was deep in thought, bugs had already begun to fill the sky.

Though it hadn’t yet reached a dense swarm, the situation was such that if Touji took a few steps, he'd likely run into some bugs.

A few bugs by themselves weren't much of a threat, but the moment Touji touched them, Shino would immediately know his location.

Kurenai Yuhi's lips curled into a slight smile.

At first, when Kakashi asked her to test Touji, she had refused.

But when she learned Touji’s specialty was speed, Kurenai agreed to Kakashi’s request.

After all, who could pass up a free training opportunity?

Moreover, if Class 8 managed to defeat Touji—who Class 7 couldn’t— it would definitely be a big point of pride.

And looking at the current situation, Kurenai was quite pleased.

As long as things continued like this, and Shino summoned more bugs, victory would definitely belong to Class 8.

At this moment, Inuzuka Kiba and his dog Akamaru had already activated their Four Legs Technique and Beast Human Clone.

Kiba crouched low like a beast, and Akamaru transformed into an exact replica of Kiba, both eyes locked on Touji.

"Akamaru, let's go!"

"Woof!"

Two Kiba’s sprinted towards Touji with impressive speed, thanks to the Four Legs Technique, even faster than most regular ninjas.

"This kid is only good at Hatake’s swordsmanship. As long as we don't give him a chance to draw his sword, he’s definitely no match for Kiba!" Kurenai’s smile deepened as she glanced off in the distance.

"We’ve got this!"

"Woof!"

In just a few moments, the two Kiba’s reached Touji, their claws striking at him from above and below, like wild animals.

But Touji didn’t move at all; he simply stood still.

"He's not drawing his sword... Is he intentionally giving up?" Kurenai furrowed her brows.

Defeating someone and having them throw the fight were two completely different things.

If Touji was intentionally losing, there wasn’t much Kurenai could do. After all, you can’t wake someone who’s pretending to sleep.

"Didn’t expect it to end this easily."

Kurenai turned to leave, but before she could take a step, she heard Akamaru’s painful cry.

Kurenai quickly turned back and saw Touji using Might Guy’s signature technique, the Leaf Whirlwind, to send Kiba flying with a single kick.

Kurenai stared in disbelief.

Kiba, after activating the Four Legs Technique, was practically a beast. Regular punches and kicks wouldn’t faze him at all.

Yet Touji had sent him flying with just one kick.

"Damn it! All he can do is Hatake’s swordsmanship? Kakashi, you tricked me!" A flicker of anger appeared on Kurenai’s face as she glared towards the woods.

"Kiba, get back here! As long as we hold on for a bit longer, we won’t lose!" Shino shouted anxiously.

Summoning more bugs took time, and before he had enough of them, his attacks were pretty weak.

"Damn, this guy’s tough. Akamaru, let’s use that move!"

Kiba completely ignored Shino’s words and tossed a pill to Akamaru.

In an instant, Akamaru’s body grew larger, swelling several times its original size.

"Fang Over Fang!"

Kiba and Akamaru spun into twin tornadoes, barreling towards Touji like bulldozers, tearing up the ground and leaving deep trenches in their wake.

Kurenai shook her head helplessly.

Fang Over Fang was powerful; one hit could instantly take someone down.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t very fast, and Touji could easily dodge it with his speed.

Besides, Fang Over Fang wasn’t fully developed yet.

Kiba and Akamaru knew how to start the jutsu but had no idea how to stop it, and controlling its direction was extremely difficult.

"This move is just a waste of energy." Kurenai started to say, but then noticed that Touji was still standing in place, not moving at all.

A shiver ran down her spine as a bad feeling crept up.

"Don’t tell me... he’s not planning to dodge?"

Ten meters!

Five meters!

Three meters!

Kurenai couldn’t remain calm any longer.

Fang Over Fang was still in its incomplete stage, and once activated, it was hard to stop.

If Touji got caught in the twin tornadoes, no human body could survive it.

But Touji seemed completely unaware of the danger, standing still, not moving an inch.

"Damn it! If I don’t intervene, it’ll be too late!"

Kurenai stomped her foot in frustration and rushed in front of the two tornadoes, her hands wrapped in chakra as she pressed down on the spinning drills.

But the moment she did, she regretted it.

Fang Over Fang’s power was even stronger than she had anticipated.

Though Kurenai was a jonin, she specialized in genjutsu, and her physical strength wasn’t as good as some regular ninja.

To stop Fang Over Fang, she’d need a long stretch of ground to slow it down.

And if there were obstacles behind her, she could easily get injured.

"I should’ve just grabbed Touji!" Kurenai cursed herself internally. But now that she had already stopped the drills, there was no turning back.

Her only hope was that Touji would have the sense to get out of the way.

However, when she turned to look, Touji was still standing there, smiling confidently.

"Kakashi, I’m not letting you off the hook!" Kurenai silently raged, increasing her chakra output, desperately trying to stop Fang Over Fang.

But it showed no signs of slowing down and continued forward steadily.

Kurenai closed her eyes, knowing this would end in complete embarrassment. She silently cursed Kakashi again.

Just then, an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into a firm embrace.

Startled, Kurenai opened her eyes to see a young, confident face smiling down at her.

"Leave it to me."

*[Ding! Kurenai Yuhi’s favorability increased by 3 points! Current favorability: 59 points!]*

---

*Chapter 20: Kurenai’s Attempt to Recruit*

Kurenai Yuhi found herself in Touji’s embrace, her face turning red as she was so close to him. However, the sound of Kiba’s Fang Over Fang attack immediately snapped her back to reality.

"Run! I'll hold him off!" Kurenai tried to break free from Touji’s arms, but instead, he pulled her closer, holding her even tighter.

"I already said, I'll handle it!"

Kurenai was anxious. There was no way a Genin could withstand Kiba’s powerful attack, especially since Touji was only using one hand to hold her. Trying to block Kiba’s attack with one hand was a fool's errand.

Yet, to her surprise, she couldn't escape Touji’s grasp.

"Let go of me and run!"

"Don’t move, just watch," Touji smiled slightly and extended one hand forward.

Kurenai let out a helpless laugh.

Although Touji was using chakra to protect his hand, the chakra was so thin it was almost negligible.

To try to block Fang Over Fang like this would surely mean his entire hand would be destroyed.

Just then, Touji moved his hand in the air, but instead of trying to block the attack head-on, he lightly tapped one of the spinning drills.

With that gentle tap, one of the drills suddenly changed direction and crashed into the other.

Boom!

The violent collision stirred up a gust of wind, causing Kurenai’s hair to whip around. Her eyes were locked onto the scene before her, completely oblivious to the flying debris.

"He actually did it!" Kurenai muttered in disbelief.

So Touji wasn’t just pretending after all!

So he had been confident from the very beginning!

I was overthinking things...

"How did you do that?" she asked.

"Using softness to overcome hardness, diverting force with just the right amount of effort. Once you understand that, it's quite simple," Touji explained calmly.

Kurenai almost spat out blood.

Simple?

Sure, everyone understands the concept, but when it comes to actually doing it, the mind may know, but the body can’t always keep up.

Plus, the principle of using softness to overcome hardness comes from the Gentle Fist technique, which is easy to learn but hard to apply in real combat.

Very few in the entire Hyuga clan could execute it so effortlessly.

"A genius... truly a genius!"

Ding! Kurenai's affection level has increased by 5 points! Current affection level: 64 points! You can now sign in!

"Sign in with Kurenai!"

Ding! You’ve successfully signed in with Kurenai! Congratulations, you’ve obtained the Shuriken Jutsu! Affection level increased by 4 points! Current affection level: 68 points!

Ding! Since you already possess Shuriken Jutsu, the lower-level technique has been upgraded to a higher level!

"Hey, how long are you planning to hold me?" Kurenai’s voice snapped Touji back to reality. He realized that his arm was still around her waist, and the two were standing rather intimately close.

Startled, Touji quickly let go and stepped back.

"Sorry, I forgot," he said hastily.

Kurenai wasn’t upset though. She smiled and teased him, "How about joining my Team 8? I’ll let you hold me as much as you want. If that’s still not enough, I could even arrange for Hinata to keep you company. Don’t be fooled by how shy she looks; she’s actually quite... well-endowed."

"R-Red sensei! What are you saying?!" Hinata Hyuga turned away, her face flushed with embarrassment, her eyes darting between Naruto Uzumaki and Touji.

Hinata was now torn.

At first, she really didn’t want to come when Touji asked her to meet up here tonight. But after seeing that incredible Gentle Fist technique earlier, and Touji remaining calm while holding Kurenai, she couldn’t help but be impressed.

And the more she looked at Touji, the more she liked what she saw.

She had to come tonight!

Meanwhile, Sakura Haruno, who had been standing to the side, wasn’t having any of it. "Touji is part of Kakashi-sensei’s team! Red sensei, shouldn’t you ask Kakashi-sensei before trying to take him?"

"Kakashi that jerk! I’ll deal with him sooner or later," Kurenai grumbled through gritted teeth, then turned back to Touji. "So, what do you think?"

Touji swallowed nervously.

Kurenai was setting him up for disaster.

If Asuma Sarutobi found out about this, he’d definitely castrate him—no doubt about it.

Touji was still young; he wasn’t ready to become a monk just yet. At least let him experience some worldly pleasures first.

"Red sensei, do you think we should continue with the match?" Touji coughed, breaking the awkward silence and quickly changing the subject.

"Continue? Of course, we’re continuing!" Kurenai shouted angrily.

Touji was caught off guard by her sudden change in mood.

Just a moment ago, she was as gentle as a spring breeze, but now she was raging like a thunderstorm. How could she change faces so fast?

Kurenai stormed off in anger, and when Touji turned around, he was left stunned by what he saw.

While Touji had been intercepting Kiba, Shino Aburame had quietly been summoning his bugs, and now there were so many of them that they filled the sky.

There were so many bugs that they blocked out the sunlight, casting everything into shadow.

“Whoa, that’s a lot of bugs!"

Even though Touji didn’t have a fear of insects, seeing so many at once made his skin crawl.

"Give up. In this sea of insects, I’m unbeatable," Shino said coldly, his voice almost insect-like itself.

"It may look bad for me, but I still want to give it a shot," Touji said as he drew the White Fang blade.

There were plenty of powerful ninja he would face in the future, each with their own unique abilities.

If he was scared of a simple sparring match, how would he ever have the courage to fight in life-or-death situations?

There was no way he could surrender now!

"What's the point of drawing your sword now?" Kurenai scoffed, still fuming from earlier.

She had great faith in Kakashi’s swordsmanship and was sure that if Touji had used it earlier, Shino would’ve lost for sure.

But now, Shino’s bugs were fully in position, and even a Jonin would find it troublesome.

No matter how good Touji was, he’d only last a few more seconds.

It was his fault for underestimating his opponent.

"He’s getting what he deserves, learning the sting of defeat now will save him from losing his life later," Kurenai thought with satisfaction.

Though she had been embarrassed earlier, if Shino won, it would prove her superiority over Kakashi, and all the shame would be wiped away.

Touji gathered chakra into the White Fang blade, causing it to emit a faint glow.

With his increased chakra reserves, the glow was much brighter than before.

"Give up. In my insect swarm, you have no chance."

"We won’t know until I try."

---

*(End of chapter)*