OBS Chapter 536 Walking Alone
Chapter 536 Walking Alone
The next morning, when Zhang Hai squatted down at the door as usual, preparing to carry Xi Ri Hong to school, the little girl took a step back for the first time ever.
"I...I want to walk by myself today." Kurenai lowered her head, her voice muffled, her small hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Zhang Hai looked at her with some surprise: "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing...it's nothing." Kurenai lowered her head even further. "It's just...my classmates...they...they laughed at me..."
Zhang Hai instantly understood. For the children at the ninja academy, a girl nearing graduation being carried to school by a boy every day was indeed something that could easily attract gossip. A pang of guilt flashed through his mind; he seemed to have overlooked the sensitive feelings of a girl of this age.
He stood up and said softly, "How about this, I'll carry you to the vicinity of the school, put you down where they can't see you, and you can walk the rest of the way yourself, okay?"
Kurenai raised her head, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes, and nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
The two walked along the familiar street, their shadows stretched long in the morning light. Just as they were about to reach a corner near the school, a figure blocked their way.
"Hey! You bastard, you're always taking advantage of Xiaohong, have you no shame?!"
A provocative shout rang out, followed by a pebble whistling as it hurtled toward Zhang Hai’s back.
Zhang Hai frowned, not even turning around, but simply shifting his body slightly to easily dodge the pebble. He gently placed the Sunset Red on the ground before turning around and coldly looking at the newcomer.
The newcomer was none other than Sarutobi Asuma, the son of the Third Hokage. He looked displeased and was holding a few pebbles in his hand, clearly intending to provoke them.
"Asuma! What are you doing!" Before Zhang Hai could speak, Kurenai Yuhi, like an enraged kitten, stood in front of Zhang Hai, baring her teeth and claws, glaring at Asuma. "Why did you throw stones at him! I'm going to tell the teacher!"
Asuma pursed his lips and said nonchalantly, "I'm not afraid at all. I just can't stand this guy. What right does a wild brat without even a surname have to carry you around every day?"
"Mind your own business!" Kurenai Yuhi's face flushed red with anger. "If you bully him again, I'll... I'll tell the Third Hokage! I'll say you're bullying your classmate!"
"You!" Upon hearing the title "Third Hokage," Asuma's arrogance immediately diminished. He might not be afraid of his teacher, but he couldn't be afraid of his father. He glared fiercely at Zhang Hai, as if trying to kill him with his eyes, but ultimately muttered "Mind your own business" resentfully before turning and running away.
Kurenai Yuhi breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Asuma run away, but then sighed softly again.
"Don't be angry with him." She turned to Zhang Hai and whispered, "The Third Hokage is... too busy. Asuma is actually... quite pitiful too."
Looking at the girl in front of him, who was clearly being bullied but was still thinking of the other person, Zhang Hai felt a gentle touch on the softest part of his heart. He reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his handsome profile. His eyes were deep and earnest, as if they held the stars and the sea.
“Hong,” he said softly, his voice carrying a tenderness he himself was unaware of, “I think I’m growing to like you more and more.”
An awkward yet subtly sweet atmosphere filled the air.
Zhang Hai's sudden declaration of "like" was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in the tranquil world of Yuhiko. Her face flushed crimson, like a ripe apple, and she kept her head down the whole way, not daring to look into the eyes of the boy beside her.
Zhang Hai didn't say anything more, just walked silently, a faint smile playing on his lips. He loved seeing her shy and bewildered expression; it was more captivating than any illusion.
However, this warm and peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a sharp cry of a hawk.
A lithe messenger eagle swooped down from the sky with lightning speed, its wing branded with a menacing wolf fang mark in special white dye. It didn't linger anywhere, flying straight towards the Hokage Building.
“It’s Lord White Fang’s messenger hawk…” Kurenai Yuhi subconsciously stopped in her tracks, muttering to herself. As the daughter of a Jonin, she was all too familiar with this symbol representing the highest level of military orders from the front lines.
Zhang Hai's pupils contracted instantly, and the smile on his face vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. He knew that this meant the war machine was in full swing, and his leisurely "vacation" was about to come to an end.
The peaceful life in the village came to an end.
He stopped, took out a small oil paper packet from his pocket, and stuffed it into Yuhi Kurenai's hand.
"What is this?" Kurenai opened it with some confusion and found a few crystal-clear candies inside, which were sold at her favorite shop.
"I'm leaving." Zhang Hai's voice was soft, but it struck Xi Ri Hong's heart like a heavy hammer.
"Go? Where to?" Yuhi Hong suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with panic and confusion. She instinctively grabbed Zhang Hai's sleeve and shook her head violently. "No, you can't go! Didn't you say... didn't you say..."
Her words stuck in her throat; she just couldn't bring herself to say "I like you."
“The war has begun, Hong.” Zhang Hai looked at her, his eyes filled with a calmness and depth beyond his years. “I must go where I am meant to go.”
"But...but you're only..." Kurenai wanted to say something more, but looking at Zhang Hai's unwavering gaze, all her words of pleading became pale and powerless. She knew he was a ninja, and a ninja's duty was to obey orders and rush to the battlefield.
Zhang Hai looked at her one last time, as if trying to etch her image into the depths of his soul. Then, he gently pulled his hand away from hers.
"wait me back."
Before he finished speaking, his figure turned into a wisp of green smoke with a "bang" and disappeared from the spot, leaving only a gentle breeze blowing through the girl's hair.
Kurenai stood there, stunned, clutching the bag of candy still warm from his touch. Her eyes welled up, and tears finally streamed down her face. A void filled her heart, as if something important had been taken away with that wisp of smoke.
……
Hokage's office.
The atmosphere was oppressive, almost suffocating. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in the main seat, his face grim. His signature pipe lay to the side, the tobacco long since extinguished. Several high-ranking officials of Konoha stood in the office, including Kurenai Yuhi's father, Shinku Yuhi.