Naruto: Eating Kaido's Azure Dragon Devil Fruit-Chapter 273: Starry Sky Promise

The back mountain of the Konoha Orphanage.

Yuhi Kurenai walked to the tree where she first met Sora, leaned her back against the big tree, and looked up at the starry sky.

"It has been a long time since I came here."

"When I was little, whenever I missed my father, or encountered unhappy things, I would run here alone."

Sora walked to her side, imitated her posture leaning against the tree trunk, and looked up at the starry sky.

The vast sea of stars reminded him of his previous life, and also of the vastness of this universe.

The Ninja World, in comparison, was truly too small.

"Sit for a while?"

Sora pointed to the soft grass under the tree.

Yuhi Kurenai nodded gently, and the two sat down side by side, their shoulders almost touching.

Through their thin clothing, they could feel the warmth from each other’s bodies.

Yuhi Kurenai’s face felt slightly warm, and her heartbeat involuntarily quickened a bit.

She secretly sniffed the clean scent from Sora, mixed with the smell of grass and sunshine, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace in her heart.

Since Sora joined the Anbu, especially after the war broke out, the number of times they met could be counted on one hand. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Each meeting was precious, and each separation made her anxious.

She was so afraid that one farewell would become the last.

Just like her classmates and seniors who sacrificed themselves on missions.

After a moment of silence, Yuhi Kurenai spoke softly:

"Sora."

"Have you been... okay recently? Is the frontline very dangerous?"

Her voice carried a worry that was difficult to conceal.

Although Sora was powerful, the battlefield was ever-changing, anything could happen.

Especially recently, the rumors in the village about the "Azure Dragon" confronting the Third Raikage were intensifying, which made her both proud and scared.

"I am fine. Danger is unavoidable, but it’s still within controllable limits."

Sora responded gently, turning his head to look at the girl beside him.

After not seeing each other for several months, Yuhi Kurenai had indeed grown up a lot.

Her originally somewhat baby-fat cheeks had slimmed down, the lines becoming more delicate and distinct.

Her figure had also lengthened a bit, the ninja outfit outlining the beginning curves of a young woman.

Yuhi Kurenai noticed Sora’s gaze, her cheeks reddening further.

"What... what are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

Sora smiled: "Just thinking, after not seeing you for a few months, you’ve grown up quite a bit."

Hearing that Sora noticed her changes, Yuhi Kurenai smiled, pressing her lips together, and also boldly looked at Sora:

"You’ve changed too, you seem... more steady."

Actually, she wanted to say more handsome, but when the words reached her mouth, she didn’t have the nerve to say them out loud.

Sora’s face had shed some of its boyish immaturity, the lines becoming more defined. Under the starlight, his black eyes seemed especially profound, as if hiding countless secrets.

The two looked at each other and smiled, the atmosphere becoming more harmonious.

Yuhi Kurenai relaxed, unconsciously leaning a little closer to Sora.

"Sora, do you remember?"

"The first time we met was right here. That day, I was also sitting under the tree crying, just like now."

Thinking of her embarrassing childhood incident, Yuhi Kurenai smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"I remember."

Sora nodded, teasing:

"You were crying so miserably back then, your eyes as red as a rabbit’s. Luckily, I was kind-hearted and managed to coax you with just a piece of candy."

"That’s not true!"

Yuhi Kurenai, both shy and annoyed, gently punched his arm, retorting:

"I was just lost back then, a little scared, that’s all! And... and your candy was very sweet. I’m not that easy to coax!"

When she said this, her tone carried a coquettishness she herself didn’t notice.

Sora smiled and did not continue to tease her.

Recalling the scene of their first meeting, he also felt some emotion in his heart.

Back then, he had just transmigrated not long ago, still full of strangeness and wariness towards this ninja world.

Meeting Yuhi Kurenai as a child was purely accidental.

Who would have thought that several years later, that little crybaby had grown into the bright and lovely young woman before him, and had developed feelings for him that went beyond friendship.

"Time passes so quickly."

Sora said softly.

"Yeah..."

Kurenai also softly agreed, her gaze gentle.

She wished so much that time could forever stop in such peaceful and beautiful moments, without war, without separation.

But she also knew this was just wishful thinking.

"Sora, promise me, you must protect yourself on the battlefield, okay?"

"I know you are very strong, but... but I am really worried."

Seeing the worry in Yuhi Kurenai’s eyes, Sora reached out and gently ruffled her hair:

"Don’t worry, I am very strong."

Feeling the warm touch on her head, Yuhi Kurenai’s face flushed crimson.

It had been a long time since Sora had made such an intimate gesture towards her. She subconsciously lowered her head slightly, matching his movement.

"How strong?"

Sora looked at Yuhi Kurenai, suddenly feeling a bit mischievous. He leaned close to her ear and lowered his voice:

"Probably... about as strong as fighting five Hokage-samas."

"Ah?"

Yuhi Kurenai’s eyes widened in disbelief at Sora, then she realized and couldn’t help but let out a "pfft" laugh, quickly covering her mouth with her hand:

"You... you, lower your voice! You can’t joke like that!"

She nervously looked around, afraid someone might hear.

Sora looked at her nervous yet laughing expression and couldn’t help but smile too.

He wasn’t lying. If he used all his trump cards and fought with full power, fighting five aged Sarutobi Hiruzens really wouldn’t be a problem.

But obviously, no one would believe that.

"Don’t worry, no one heard."

Sora said with a smile.

Yuhi Kurenai gave him a coquettish glare, her nervous mood relaxing a bit.

She gently leaned against Sora’s shoulder.

"Anyway... you must be careful."

"I will."

Sora felt the weight and warmth on his shoulder, his body stiffening slightly before relaxing.

After a moment of silence, Sora looked towards the distant Hokage Rock and asked:

"Kurenai, if in the future... I leave Konoha, would you leave with me?"

Yuhi Kurenai, leaning against his shoulder, trembled slightly, paused for a moment, and then responded:

"...I don’t know."

"Why do you suddenly ask this?"

Actually, she wasn’t completely without foreboding in her heart.

She had been to the orphanage a few times and discovered that several people from the orphanage had disappeared. Combined with Uesugi Min’s silence, she already had some suspicions.

But her father, her mother were in Konoha. Many of her friends and memories were also in Konoha.

Leave?

This word was too heavy for her.

She had never thought that one day she would have to choose between Konoha and Sora.

Sora did not press further, nor did he explain the reason. He understood her hesitation; this was a question that was difficult to answer immediately.

He raised his head to look at the brilliant starry sky, his heart calm.

"Kurenai, do you know what the stars in the sky are?"

Yuhi Kurenai was taken aback, following Sora’s gaze, and shook her head:

"I don’t know. I think the teacher said they are very, very distant suns?"

Astronomy in this world was not advanced.

"You could put it that way."

Sora nodded: "But the starlight we see comes from countless worlds like the Ninja World, and even worlds thousands of times bigger than the Ninja World."

A trace of shock flashed in Kurenai’s eyes:

"Thousands of times bigger than the Ninja World...?"

She couldn’t imagine what that concept was like.

"Yes."

Sora’s voice carried a distant quality:

"That is a larger, more brilliant, more vast world. Beyond the starry sky is the real stage."

"There is also the place I must go to in the future."

He withdrew his gaze, looking at Kurenai leaning on his shoulder, and said slowly:

"So, you really don’t need to worry. The Ninja World is just a temporary stop for me. I won’t easily fall on the journey in a place like this."

Yuhi Kurenai stared blankly at Sora’s profile.

Under the starry sky, his eyes were incredibly profound and serious, as if he were truly gazing towards the far reaches of the distant universe.

She didn’t fully understand the deeper meaning in Sora’s words, but she could sense that Sora’s goals and vision had long transcended the scope of the Ninja World, directed towards a distance she couldn’t imagine.

This made her feel a slight sense of loss in her heart, feeling as if the distance between her and Sora had been stretched.

But more than that, it was a strange sense of reassurance.

How could someone with such lofty aspirations and such great power easily perish on the battlefields of the Ninja World?

"Yes!"

"I believe you! That larger, more brilliant world must be very beautiful!"

Yuhi Kurenai nodded forcefully, but secretly resolved in her heart to train even harder.

Even if she couldn’t reach the scenery Sora saw, at least she wanted to be qualified to stand behind him, watching him walk towards that starry sky.

Thinking of this, she suddenly straightened up and extended her little finger:

"Then it’s settled! Later... when you go to see that bigger world, you have to take me! Let’s pinky promise!"

Sora looked at the slender little finger before him, then at Yuhi Kurenai’s extremely serious and expectant eyes, and couldn’t help but smile.

"You’re this old, and still learning from kids with pinky promises?"

Yuhi Kurenai’s face reddened even more:

"I don’t care! It’s only a promise after a pinky promise! When my father promised me things when I was little, we always pinky promised! Hurry up!"

Looking at her adorable "I won’t give up until you pinky promise" expression, Sora smiled helplessly.

"Okay, it’s promised."

Their little fingers tightly hooked together, and under the witness of the vast starry sky, they made a promise about a distant future.

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