Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 272: Asuma’s Second Search for a Summon

Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Asuma’s Second Search for a Summon

"This person is..."

Asuma ultimately could not hold back. He looked at Tagitsuhime and took the initiative to ask.

Sora turned sideways, giving a simple introduction.

"Tagitsuhime, from Ryūchi Cave."

"Ryūchi Cave?!"

Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai were both startled.

As ninjas, they naturally knew the legends of the three great sage regions.

But the look Yūhi Kurenai directed at Tagitsuhime held, besides surprise, an additional faint trace of wariness.

"Heh heh, hello there, little ones."

Tagitsuhime smiled as she greeted them, her gaze lingering particularly on Yūhi Kurenai with a hint of amusement, as if she had noticed something.

"Grrr..."

Right at that moment, Asuma’s stomach betrayed him with an embarrassing rumble.

He scratched his head awkwardly.

"Haha, just finished a mission and I’m hungry. Sora, have you eaten yet? How about we go to Ichiraku Ramen together? My treat!"

Yūhi Kurenai also looked at Sora expectantly.

Sora glanced at the silent Uesugi Min, pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay."

...

Ichiraku Ramen shop.

Teuchi warmly welcomed the group and had them take their seats.

The little Ayame was already able to run around after her father, helping pass small things. Seeing Sora, this "big eater" brother, her large, dark eyes were full of curiosity.

The five of them sat around the counter, the atmosphere somewhat delicate.

After ordering his own meal, Asuma finally could not suppress his curiosity. He leaned close to Sora and lowered his voice to ask.

"Sora, I heard on the battlefield, you used a super powerful staff to drive back the Third Raikage? Is that thing what Tenji transformed into?"

News about "The Azure Dragon" using a mysterious giant pillar to clash head-on with the Third Raikage’s "Strongest Spear" had long spread on the front lines, and naturally flowed back to the village through various channels.

Asuma, as the Hokage’s son, had more well-informed channels and could not resist seeking confirmation now.

Sora looked at him and did not conceal it, nodding.

"Yes, it was Tenji."

Having it confirmed, Asuma immediately became excited.

"Damn! I knew it! That’s a treasure that can go blow-for-blow with the Third Raikage’s Hell Stab! Your luck is way too good!"

His face was filled with envy, his eyes blazing.

"No way! Once this mission phase is over, I absolutely have to try my luck with the Enma clan again! I need to get a summon and weapon that cool too!"

Hearing this, Sora inwardly shook his head.

’Asuma’s wish is good, but an existence like Tenji is probably one of a kind.’

Tenji itself was already extremely special and rare. Coupled with later long-term consumption of his essence blood infused with Azure Dragon power, leading to a benign mutation, its potential was greatly stimulated further.

This kind of opportunity is not something one can just seek out.

’In the original work, Asuma’s summon seemed to be an ordinary monkey from the Enma clan? While not bad, reaching Tenji’s level combining intelligence, potential, and variable weapon form is basically impossible now.’

Sora silently wished Asuma could find a suitable summoning partner, but deep down he did not hold much hope.

The strength of a summoning creature often also depends heavily on "fate."

Yūhi Kurenai listened to their conversation, her gaze always resting on Sora’s profile, carrying gentleness and a trace of hard-to-notice heartache.

She said softly to Sora.

"You at the front lines... it must have been very dangerous."

"It was okay."

Sora still gave a simple reply, but his tone was slightly softer compared to when speaking to others.

To the side, Uesugi Min silently ate the ramen in her bowl the whole time, not saying a word.

She listened to Asuma’s excited words, listened to Kurenai’s concern for Sora, feeling like an outsider.

Her mind involuntarily recalled that day in Nonō’s room, the scene when everyone decided to leave Konoha.

Yumi, Ayumi, Ichirō, Kabuto...

They all followed Sora and Nonō sister, leaving for an unknown but reportedly safer place.

Only she, because she could not let go of the person beside her now, chose to stay.

Was this choice right?

She did not know.

She only knew that every time she saw Sora, she would remember everyone’s complicated looks during that parting.

An indescribable sense of guilt and loneliness would surge in her heart, as if her staying was a kind of betrayal of the past, of the orphanage "home."

Although Asuma treated her well, Kurenai was also her good friend, and squad life was fairly fulfilling.

But that feeling of a deep-seated bond from "family" being forcibly severed still often gnawed at her heart in the dead of night.

She secretly glanced up at Sora, opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

To ask if Nonō sister and the others were well, to ask if everyone was getting used to the new place...

But in the end, she did not speak.

What was the point of asking these things now?

The choice was her own to make, the path she must walk herself.

Sora had actually noticed Uesugi Min’s unusual silence long ago.

He could guess at the conflict and pain in Uesugi Min’s heart.

On one side were the "family" who shared difficult times, on the other side a budding first love and the familiar village. Choosing either side would bring guilt towards the other.

This feeling, he could understand to some extent.

But he did not offer words of comfort.

Some knots in the heart, she needed to untangle herself.

Everyone must take responsibility for their own choices, especially in the cruel world of the ninja world.

What he could do was simply hope in his heart that this girl who chose to stay in Konoha could have peace and smooth sailing, and would not pay an unbearable price in the future for this choice.

...

Coming out of Ichiraku Ramen shop, the sky was completely dark.

Asuma patted his full, round belly and let out a burp.

"Full and satisfied! Min, Kurenai, shall we walk you back?"

Uesugi Min nodded lightly.

Yūhi Kurenai, her face flushed, spoke up.

"Asuma, you and Min go ahead. I... I have something I want to say to Sora."

Asuma looked at Yūhi Kurenai’s slightly flushed cheeks, shrugged, with an "I understand" expression.

"Alright then. Min, I’ll walk you back to the orphanage. Sora, Kurenai, take your time talking."

After saying this, he took Uesugi Min and headed towards the orphanage’s direction.

Tagitsuhime watched this scene before her with great interest. She leaned close to Sora’s ear and said in a coquettish voice.

"Little brother~ Looks like you have ’private business’ to handle~ Does big sister need to make herself scarce?"

Sora tilted his head, avoiding her overly close presence, and said flatly.

"You go back to the orphanage with my shadow clone to rest first."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a shadow clone identical to Sora appeared.

The shadow clone made a "please" gesture towards Tagitsuhime.

Tagitsuhime pouted, swaying her slender waist as she laughed coquettishly.

"Fine, fine~ I won’t disturb your young lovers’ world for two~"

Before leaving, she gave Yūhi Kurenai another meaningful glance, then followed the shadow clone away.

In that spot, only Sora and Yūhi Kurenai remained. The atmosphere became quiet for a moment.

"Um..."

Yūhi Kurenai took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and looked up at Sora.

"Can... can you come with me to a place?"

---

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