I Think Sensei Is Pretty Too

"Um, Kurenai…"

Asuma, standing beside her, hadn't expected the girl from his team to have a crush on a boy from Kurenai's team. What a coincidence.

"Want to grab dinner tonight?"

"No time. We're on a mission outside the village. We won't be back for a while." Kurenai was still trying to decipher the "complicated" dynamic between her students and had no time to deal with her childhood friend, who had reappeared after vanishing for over a decade.

"A mission outside the village?" Asuma seemed surprised. "It's been a month. Shouldn't your team be taking on higher-level missions by now?"

These weren't wartime, and only by leaving the village could young ninja experience the harsh realities of the ninja world. Kurenai didn't think Asuma needed reminding of this.

"Well, I plan to have them go to a neighboring village for a boar extermination. It's a form of training." Asuma scratched his head; he really couldn't bring himself to be strict with his students.

"You can't overprotect your students, you know."

"Sensei Kurenai is right! We really should be taking on missions outside the village!" Ino reluctantly released Uchiha Ying's arm and then eagerly grabbed Kurenai's sleeve. "Sensei, you're so beautiful! You have such a great figure and amazing skin. What's your secret?"

"I…" Kurenai had never encountered anything like this. Her usual mission companions only talked about tedious ninjutsu and their experiences, never about beauty regimens. She knew this blond girl was just fawning over her because of Ying, hoping to get closer to him through her. *Hmph, nice try. I'm Hinata's teacher; of course, I'm on Hinata's side. I won't—* *Oh dear, why is she smiling at me again? She's such a disarmingly enthusiastic girl…* Kurenai found herself unable to rebuff the girl's effusive friendliness. She could only cast a pleading look at her female student. *Hinata, Hinata, say something! Help your teacher escape this! *

Unfortunately, Hinata not only remained silent but also dipped her head slightly and exchanged greetings with Ino, as if she, the supposed "champion," had already conceded defeat before the match even began.

"It's no use buttering up Sensei. Even if we do take a mission outside the village, we won't be going with them." Thankfully, Shikamaru's words wiped the smile from Ino's face.

"Tch." Ino clicked her tongue in annoyance. Why were all the men in Team 10 so dense? It was utterly boring. "Goodbye, Sensei. Next time you come to the flower shop, I'll tell Mom to give you a discount." Her sullen expression vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced with a bright smile directed at Kurenai.

"Thank you… You're a smooth talker. But I'm really busy right now. I have to go!" Kurenai finally found an opportunity to break free from Ino's grip.

"Wait, Kurenai…" Asuma wanted to press the matter and arrange a time to meet with Kurenai, but by the time he spoke, Kurenai and her team were long gone. He could only sigh at the empty space they had occupied.

"What a useless teacher. He can't even land a date with another teacher." Seeing Asuma's dejected state, Ino couldn't resist taunting him.

"Don't disrespect your teacher. Besides, Kurenai and I aren't what you think." Having his feelings laid bare by his student, Asuma was mortified.

"So you don't like Sensei Kurenai?"

"I… It's not that I don't…" His masculine pride prevented him from admitting such personal matters in front of his students.

"Sigh, Sensei Asuma is definitely going to be whipped in the future." *Incompetent and too cowardly to admit his feelings. He's leagues below Ying. But Sensei Asuma and Ying are on completely different levels. What am I even thinking?* Ino shook her head, resolving to wait until after the mission to properly ask Uchiha Ying out.

"I don't think you're any better than Sensei Asuma." Choji, who had been observing the drama unfold while munching on potato chips, suddenly offered his impartial opinion.

"What did you say, you fat—?"

"Alright, let's go get our mission assignment. Otherwise, we'll waste the entire day bickering." Shikamaru prevented Ino from uttering her usual insult towards Choji and then, relieved, prompted Asuma, "Let's go, Sensei."

However, Asuma had sunk into a gloomy mood because of Ino's words.

"Shikamaru, am I really that useless?"

"No, Sensei, you're very capable. For example, becoming a Jonin, I think that's quite an accomplishment."

"I-Is that so?" Although Shikamaru seemed to be praising him, why did it sound vaguely sarcastic? Asuma pondered for a moment but couldn't decipher it, so he simply dismissed the thought.

Outside the Konoha gates:

"Wasn't the Land of Whirlpools destroyed a long time ago? Are there really treasures waiting to be found in its ruins?" Even the usually taciturn Shino was a little excited about his first mission outside the village.

"I don't fully understand either, but the intel suggests that many villages are eyeing the location, even ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village. Maybe there really is treasure!" Kurenai was intrigued as well. She had undertaken numerous missions, but this was her first treasure hunt.

"I heard that the Land of Whirlpools initially had strong ties with the Land of Fire, or more accurately, with Konoha. I don't know how it ended up being destroyed." Uchiha Ying remembered a time when the Land of Whirlpools and the Hidden Whirlpool Village still existed.

"That's because other nations feared the Land of Whirlpools' formidable sealing jutsu, so they…" *Wait, I almost forgot something important!* Kurenai was itching to ask her most amenable student which girl he favored: Hinata or that boisterous blond?

"Come here for a second. I need to ask you something." Subtly separating from Hinata and Shino, Kurenai drew Uchiha Ying aside by his arm, leading him to a shaded area.

"What is it? So secretive. Is there some hidden objective to this mission?" After hearing Kurenai mention that ninja from the Hidden Cloud might also be vying for the "treasure," Uchiha Ying grew cautious.

"It's not about the mission. I just wanted to ask about your relationship with that Ino girl from earlier."

"We're classmates." *So… it's a personal matter unrelated to the mission.* Uchiha Ying immediately lost interest.

"That's hardly believable. What kind of classmates embrace like that?"

"Didn't Sensei kiss me on our first meeting?"

"That… That was different! That doesn't count!" Besides, she was his senior. Kissing his forehead was simply a gesture of affection and care. How could it be construed as anything else? However, despite her internal justifications, Kurenai's face flushed slightly. She hadn't expected to be so deftly countered by her student.

"Even close friends of the opposite sex wouldn't hug like that."

"Maybe she likes me. It's understandable, considering I'm handsome."

"You… and you still maintain you're just classmates?" *This boy, so brazen, and he delivers such lines with utter confidence. He has all the hallmarks of a future heartbreaker.* *I need to set him straight while he's still young!*

"If not classmates, then what? We're not dating."

"So you don't have feelings for her?" *So it's a one-sided infatuation?* Kurenai felt a wave of relief.

"Not exactly. She's attractive, and her personality isn't bad. I have no reason to dislike her."

"And what about Hinata?"

"I don't dislike her either. And Sensei, you're also very attractive."

"You… you…" Kurenai was completely flustered. *This boy isn't even sparing his teacher!*

"Hold on, do you have a skewed understanding of the word 'like'? What I mean is…"

"I understand, Sensei. But my current priority is reviving the Uchiha clan. Everything else can wait." *Ino and Hinata are still a little too immature. Once they've blossomed, I won't let either of them escape. After all, I am the wicked Uchiha.*

"Oh, I see." *I almost forgot he's an Uchiha, and the Uchiha clan is currently…* This realization eased Kurenai's mind considerably. It seemed her student wasn't a philanderer, but simply preoccupied with weighty responsibilities to consider such things. *Poor boy. I should be more patient with him.*

"Let's make camp here." After leaving Konoha, Kurenai and her team journeyed for an entire day, finally nearing the border of the Land of Fire.

"Ying, set the traps. Shino, you're on perimeter duty. Hinata, scout the surrounding terrain."

"Yes, Sensei!"

The three Genin dispersed to carry out their assigned tasks, and Kurenai began setting up the tent. *It's just a C-rank mission, and we're still within the Land of Fire. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there shouldn't be any danger…*

"Sensei! There's a large caravan and several unusual individuals in the forest ahead!" After activating her Byakugan, Hinata quickly detected something amiss in the vicinity.

"It's probably just a passing merchant caravan." Though momentarily startled by her student's sudden report, Kurenai quickly regained her composure.

"No, Sensei. Someone is attacking them!" Hinata shook her head gravely.

"Oh?" Kurenai frowned and, accompanied by Uchiha Ying and Shino, who had rushed over, proceeded to a nearby hill for a better vantage point.

On a small path below, a group of bandits were indeed ambushing and robbing a passing merchant caravan.

"Sensei, should we intervene?" Shino sent a few of his kikaichū ahead to investigate before turning to his teacher.

"Hmm, they appear to be common bandits. Since we've stumbled upon them, you two go deal with them." Ordinary people were no match for ninja, not even Genin. But her students, having always remained within the village, had likely never witnessed true bloodshed. This was a good opportunity to give them some practical experience. With this in mind, Kurenai readily made the decision to engage the bandits.

"Yes, Sensei!" Witnessing the merchants being slaughtered below, Hinata and Shino couldn't bear it any longer. They eagerly leaped down the hill and charged towards the bandits.

"Why aren't you going with them?" Kurenai observed her two students bravely engaging the bandits while casting a curious glance at Uchiha Ying, who remained beside her, watching the scene unfold.

"Let's wait a moment. It seems we have company."

"You…" Kurenai was about to question his statement when she, too, noticed several figures emerging from the nearby forest. Judging by their swift movements, they were also ninja. *This boy… is his sensory perception even greater than mine?* Aside from being surprised by the appearance of other ninja, Kurenai was even more astonished by her student's acute observation skills. He possessed neither the Sharingan nor the Byakugan, so how could he detect their presence before she did? *Wait, these ninja aren't wearing headbands.* Ninja without headbands were either spies from other nations, rogue ninja, or missing-nin. Regardless of their affiliation, they were trouble. Upon this realization, Kurenai almost immediately wanted to recall her two students.

"However, these ninja also appear to be intervening on behalf of the merchants." But seeing this new group of ninja also engaging the bandits, Kurenai decided to observe a little longer.

"Sensei, the timing of their arrival seems a little too convenient." Uchiha Ying observed for only a moment before realizing that the bandits weren't putting up much of a fight against these newcomers. They were predominantly retreating upon contact. Meanwhile, Hinata and Shino, who were fully engaged in combat, were gradually being surrounded by these suspicious ninja.

"It seems they have an ulterior motive." Kurenai quickly reached the same conclusion. Although still impressed by Uchiha Ying's perceptiveness, she was now more concerned about the safety of her two students below.

"We're the ones who arrived unexpectedly, Sensei. They're clearly working with the bandits. The bandits rob the merchants first, then these ninja chase the bandits away and extort the merchants again for their 'services.' This way, they collect a 'toll' twice, and they avoid being targeted for extermination by nearby hidden villages." Uchiha Ying swiftly deduced the ninja's strategy. "But they didn't anticipate our presence, so now they're in a rather awkward position." *After all these years, these rogue ninja haven't changed their tired old tactics. This world truly hasn't changed at all.*

"You… you even understand this?" *Do they teach this sort of thing at the Academy now?* Kurenai had encountered similar schemes before, but only after numerous missions did she grasp the underlying tactic. Yet this boy saw through it instantly?

"Sensei, this isn't far from the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. We could capture them and interrogate them. They might have information relevant to our mission."

"Oh… Good idea." *What is happening? I'm the Jonin instructor, yet why do I feel like he's leading this operation?* Kurenai was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly reasserted her authority as a teacher—by lightly pinching Uchiha Ying's cheek.

"Don't steal my lines, and don't presume to give me orders!"

"Sensei, now isn't the time to be… playful." *After all this time, this woman is the first to dare pinch my cheek. I'll definitely return the favor tenfold someday.*

"W-Who's being playful?! And don't talk back to your teacher!" After indulging in a brief moment of levity with Uchiha Ying, Kurenai released his cheek, feeling strangely invigorated.

"Sensei, if we don't intervene soon, those ninja might resort to lethal force against Hinata and Shino." *This… this woman is harassing me on the job.*

"They'll be fine. Against a few rogue ninja, Hinata and Shino shouldn't be outmatched." Despite her confident words, Kurenai stealthily followed Uchiha Ying down the hill, masking their presence. If Hinata and Shino were in danger, she would intervene without hesitation.

"Hey, don't think you can just stand around. Go and engage them!" Seeing Uchiha Ying still at her side, Kurenai gave him a gentle push forward. It had been some time, and she had yet to witness his true combat abilities.