Naruto, are you all so good at self-seduction

"What's wrong, Anko? You look downcast."

In an izakaya, a few peers gathered together to enjoy drinks and chat.

"Who made you angry?" Shiranui Genma mentioned casually, wearing a bandana.

Everyone's gaze shifted to Anko, noticing that the usually lively girl appeared somewhat subdued.

Kurenai looked over at Anko, who was slumped on the table, and spoke up, "She probably ran into some annoying issues."

"Anko!" Anko's voice suddenly rose, signaling Kurenai to keep quiet.

Kurenai rolled her eyes at Anko's reaction and decided to sip her drink in silence.

Although she was a woman, she particularly enjoyed drinking, especially in the evenings, yet she was always mindful of her limits, usually remaining pleasantly tipsy when out.

"Did someone really make you mad?" Yamashiro Aoba, still wearing his sunglasses inside the establishment, asked in surprise.

"What's going on, Anko?" Uzuki Yugao, a beautiful girl with long purple hair, also chimed in.

Yugao was the youngest of the three girls present and the only one from a younger graduating class.

"Cough, who is it?" asked Gekkou Hayate, who also wore a bandana. Despite his delicate appearance, his sickly complexion raised doubts about whether he might suffer from a serious illness.

"Come on, tell us! If that guy is being a nuisance, we can help you deal with him," Might Guy declared, flexing his arms to appear reliable.

"I'll take care of it myself," Anko replied, rolling her eyes dismissively.

"You look pretty amusing like this; it's rare to see you at a disadvantage," Shiranui Genma laughed suddenly. "Right, Raidou?"

Namiashi Raidou kept quiet, not daring to share his opinion.

"You really want to die?" Anko shot a glare at Genma.

Genma just shrugged.

"Anko, what's the matter?" Yugao asked again, noticing Anko's reluctance to say anything and turning back to Kurenai for help.

"Well, I'll tell you," Kurenai replied, glancing over at Anko, then clearing her throat.

Anko remained slumped on the table, not responding nor stopping her.

Kurenai continued, "It's about someone."

"Someone?" Yugao asked.

"What kind of someone?" Hayate inquired.

"An enemy?" Guy suggested.

"A past acquaintance?" Aoba chimed in.

Genma raised an eyebrow, "A lover?"

Splash!

Anko suddenly splashed a drink onto Genma's face, putting her glass down hard on the table. Genma wiped his face with a wry smile.

"Just a kid," Kurenai laughed lightly, enjoying the moment.

"A kid? Could it be...?" Ebisu, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up.

"It's him," Kurenai nodded.

"Who exactly is it?" Guy asked, thoroughly confused.

"Yeah, who is it?" Yugao echoed, as everyone became curious.

Ebisu hesitated, looking at Anko's disgruntled expression.

"His name is Kanzuki Oboro," Kurenai said.

"Kanzuki Oboro?"

"That name... sounds somewhat familiar..."

"Could it be Kanzuki...?"

"No way..."

Anko rested her chin on the table, staring unblinkingly at the bottle of alcohol in front of her, seemingly seeing something in the white porcelain bottle. As she listened to her friends' chatter, her irritation grew.

"Are you all that annoying? He's just a kid!" she shouted.

The room quieted down.

"We're just concerned about you," Yugao softly said from the side.

Anko said nothing, sitting up and pouring herself another drink, gulping it down.

Everyone's eyes were on her.

"I haven't heard that name mentioned since the war ended," Guy remarked.

"Did that kid do something to you?" Genma asked Anko, suddenly spitting out the senbon he was chewing, which embedded itself into the table.

"Cough, maybe it's best to teach him a lesson," Hayate suggested. Yugao gently pulled on his sleeve, but it was of no use.

Raidou and Aoba nodded in agreement.

Anko shot Genma a flat look. "You all want to bully a junior, huh? Aren't you ashamed?"

"What's there to discuss with someone like him?" Genma scoffed. "He abandoned his teammates during missions, fabricated false intel, deceived the village, and is a coward. The Hokage has shown too much leniency by not throwing him in jail."

Kurenai quietly drank her alcohol, showing no intention to explain to the group.

The atmosphere became a bit heavy.

Anko surveyed the group around her, realizing that they all wanted to avenge her, but she didn't feel happy about it.

Every one of her friends cared for her, and in every circle, she was the center of attention.

Yet that damned kid so casually dismissed her goodwill!

It would be fine to let him experience some consequences.

"Do whatever you want," Anko said, downed another drink, and pulled out a stack of bills, placing them on the table.

"I'm leaving."

"Anko..." Yugao looked at her as she stood to leave, somewhat worried.

"Don't worry about her," Kurenai huffed.

"She'll be fine."

"Are you truly planning to seek out Kanzuki Oboro?" Yugao asked, glancing at Hayate and Genma.

Genma was still trying to dislodge the senbon stuck in the table, putting it back in his mouth.

"Like I said, teaching that kid a lesson would be good."

"For someone like him, I have no moral qualms," Aoba added, nodding in agreement.

"I won't be going," Guy stated.

"Didn't you just say you wanted to avenge Anko? Cough, cough," Hayate teased.

Guy shrugged. "I didn't expect it to come to this. I think it's not very honorable."

"Then let's go with the five of us," Genma said, not bothering to elaborate further. "It'll show him some respect."

Ebisu looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, anxious.

"What's wrong?" Guy noticed and asked.

"Um..." Ebisu began cautiously, "Actually, Kanzuki Oboro might not be what you think."

"What do you mean?" Genma shot him a glance.

Ebisu then recounted the details of their recent mission, causing the group to ponder.

"That doesn't necessarily prove anything. He was just doing what any Konoha ninja should do," Genma remarked. "If he abandoned you all again, he should have been thrown into jail by now."

"But if you're saying that, it doesn't mean we have to resort to violence. Let's see what his attitude is like first."

"Ebisu, you don't have to get involved," Genma added.

Ebisu merely chuckled awkwardly, saying nothing more.

"You really put a lot of thought into this," Kurenai teased.

Genma just shrugged lightly. "It's for a friend."

Kurenai didn't respond.

"Is this really necessary..." Yugao still seemed hesitant.

"Let the men handle their own matters," Kurenai declared.

Just then, through the curtain covering the booth, a familiar voice was heard.

What's he doing here...?

"That voice... it's Asuma, isn't it?" Guy mentioned as he recognized the sound, lifting the curtain and looking toward the entrance, where Asuma entered with someone else.

"I need to leave," Kurenai said hurriedly, pulling out her money and bypassing the front door, leaping through the nearby window.

In the dim night, her figure vanished into the brightly lit streets.

"What happened to her?" Raidou asked, puzzled.

Asuma walked in at that moment, greeting everyone.

"Hey, everyone!"

"Isn't it strange that she's avoiding you?" Aoba nodded toward Asuma.

"What?" Asuma replied, somewhat confused, his gaze scanning the room and noticing two empty seats along with the untouched cups.

"Is anyone else here?"

"It's Anko and Kurenai," Guy said.

Asuma's eyes brightened, "Where's Anko?"

"She heard you were here and jumped out the window," Genma said, barely able to hold back laughter.

"Ah?" Asuma was dumbfounded.

Why has Anko been avoiding me lately...?

He felt a pang of frustration in his heart.

After a full day's tasks, Kanzuki returned home and was getting ready to rest when he suddenly noticed changes in the information on the system panel.

[Name: Mitarashi Anko

Gender: Female

Age: 21

Favorability: 67

Relationship: Frenemy

Difficulty Level: B

First Kiss Reward: Orochimaru Style

Intimacy Reward: Sage Power]

What's going on with this woman? How did her favorability increase?

And why the relationship as a "frenemy"?

He clearly hadn't done anything at all!