Konoha’s White Fang Shines

Chapter 6: Innocent Understanding Between Boy and Girl

The boring start of the school year had come to an end, but that morning was rather peculiar.

Genma first met Kurenai, trained with her for a while, and upon returning to the classroom, he encountered Asuma. However, Asuma seemed to be meeting Kurenai for the first time.

Just as Shiranui Genma was feeling confused, Kurenai proactively sat beside him instead of next to Asuma.

This strange action left him utterly baffled.

But with such thoughts brewing in his mind, how could he sleep peacefully? Thus, he woke up exceptionally early, being the first in his household.

After exercising for a while and taking a shower, he headed to the living room.

There, the dining table was adorned with numerous dishes, including delicacies he and his mother had researched.

He had to admit, his mother Riya was truly remarkable. Having been transmigrated for five years, she could whip up his desired dishes just by mentioning them, sometimes within a few days.

Dumplings, shumai, tangyuan, pancakes—none of these posed any difficulty for Riya.

While marveling at his father's good fortune and feeling deeply happy, Genma washed his hands and, once his mother arrived, they began to eat.

Seeing Genma's obedient eagerness to wait for her, Riya affectionately patted his head.

Meanwhile, Hideyoshi noticed Genma's behavior, clearly suspecting favoritism, his expression turning somewhat displeased.

"Speaking of which, someone started flirting as soon as school began. Isn't that a bit inappropriate? Given the age difference, you're two years apart~"

"Wow, you—you're actually stalking me," Genma immediately sensed something was wrong. He knew that Hideyoshi often used indirect criticism.

But Hideyoshi seemed to have built an emotional wall, maintaining a smile. "What are you talking about, hon? Just go and see if a kid who's been suppressed for two years has finally been liberated and lost control. Isn't that stalking? Don't you understand fatherly love? Daddy loves you so much, and yet you say things like that."

"Hmph, don't listen to your dad's nonsense. It's all because I asked him to. By the way, does that girl like you? This is your first time initiating a conversation with a girl. If you have questions, you can ask mom, forget about dad. Also, what's that girl's name and which family is she from?"

Facing Hideyoshi's sharp and bitter rambling, Riya directly glared at him as a warning, then began to speak gently and softly with Genma.

Although his mother had directly countered his father's malice, her enthusiastic demeanor—as if she had already decided on a future wife—was a bit overwhelming for Genma.

He had never had a single relationship before; even when girls showed interest, he couldn't really converse with them.

Although chatting with Kurenai was comfortable, whether Kurenai liked him was entirely unclear.

They had only met twice combined, and Kurenai sitting beside him was merely because he was a senior, knowing much about campus affairs.

As Kurenai understood more, Genma gradually realized that he might soon face challenges in love, a field in which he lacked any aptitude.

But his mother's words were so gentle that he couldn't refuse. He had to reluctantly admit, "Mom, that girl is named Kurenai. She's from the Yuhi Clan, which is a prominent family. She probably looks down on me. It's still uncertain, so please don't worry your expression~"

Seeing Genma so dejected, Riya became even happier, crossing her arms and saying, "I just want to ask you one thing: Do you like that girl?"

Genma wasn't entirely sure if he liked her.

Speaking of Kurenai, regardless of now or the future, her beauty was undeniable. Countless otakus secretly envied Asuma's good fortune, which was evident.

Purely based on his past ridiculous love history, such a beautiful Kurenai—he definitely liked her.

Having chatted with Kurenai many times, often feeling a sense of harmony, but life's great illusions kept him hiding those feelings deep within.

One of life's three great illusions is thinking she likes you, but if she doesn't, how awkward would that be?

Moreover, in this unstable world, his future was uncertain. Falling in love too early might affect his training, and losing a loved one would undoubtedly leave him heartbroken. To avoid future pain, it was better to focus intensely on his efforts now.

Confused, scared, worried—these feelings clouded Genma's face as he pondered for a long time. He finally said slowly, "For now, there's nothing I dislike about her. Maybe I like her~"

However, an unwilling sense of dissatisfaction surged in his heart, making Shiranui Genma feel like crying.

His behavior was noticed by Riya. As the highest-ranking member of the family, she first glanced at Hideyoshi, who was now dipping a tea leaf into his tea to make circles.

Riya rolled her eyes at Hideyoshi, ignoring his presence, and gently placed her hand on Genma's head.

"Clearly, you like her, but why don't you just firmly express your feelings? Whether it's love or hate, men of the Shiranui Clan should be decisive like fire—burn passionately and extinguish completely. Mom supports you, and so does your dad. Trust me, your dad supports you too."

Feeling her grand and overwhelming care, Shiranui Genma's melancholic mood gradually lifted, a few tears falling as he nodded at his mother's warm gaze.

Just as the tears were about to fall onto the table, a hand swiftly caught them.

"Men shouldn't cry tears of frustration. Even though dad isn't usually serious, he knows what's right and wrong. If you like someone, just experience it. Even if you end up battered and bruised, that's your own choice. As long as you study well and keep your composure, it's no big deal to start early."

Although the feeling of being understood was somewhat uncomfortable, after spending so much time together, he had already regarded his parents as his true guardians.

Seeing his parents support him like this, Shiranui Genma also quietly made up his mind.

After finishing breakfast, Genma patted his belly contentedly, grabbed his backpack, and took his lunch to leave.

"Hmm, why is it so much heavier?"

Picking up his coarse cloth bag, he noticed it was significantly larger than usual. Looking towards Riya and Hideyoshi, he saw their eyes full of smiles.

"Conquering women and men alike, starting with the stomach is standard. Our family's cooking will surely make her come back for more."

Hideyoshi was talking nonsense like a comedian, and Riya gave him a stern look, grumbling impatiently.

"What do you mean by 'come back for more'? It sounds like we're all bad people. It's just a little girl—when she's hungry, getting her stomach hooked makes it much easier."

Such an approach left Genma completely dumbfounded, while Riya's gentle demeanor contrasted sharply with Hideyoshi's furrowed brows, giving Genma a strange feeling.

"Am I being deceived?"

Genma questioned himself but quickly dismissed the thought, his intuition telling him that what had just happened was beneficial and harmless.

Since it was beneficial and harmless, why worry?

After saying goodbye to his parents, Genma briskly walked towards the school.

By noon, the eagerly awaited moment arrived. Genma went to the cafeteria, took out his lunchbox, and also grabbed Kurenai's portion.

But he had almost brought two portions for himself, making it difficult to let Kurenai accept it without feeling guilty.

With a resolve born of "better to die early than late," Genma firmly decided and hurried back to the classroom.

At that moment, Kurenai was already resting her chin on her hand, sitting among the chairs. She lifted her playful little foot, looking exceptionally cute.

Seeing Genma's arrival, her beautiful eyes instantly sparkled.

"Wow, you're really fast. If you join the entrance exam, can you beat Kakashi~"

"Uh, maybe I'm just used to it. In a few days, I might not be able to outrun them. As for Kakashi, who knows~"

"Eh, something you haven't beaten yet. You should have some confidence in yourself. Just like Kakashi, I'll punch down one opponent at a time in the future."

As Kurenai spoke, she swung her plump little fist, seemingly envisioning Kakashi's stern face, her punches creating a gust of wind.

Taking advantage of this distraction, Genma first placed Kurenai's portion down, then took out his oversized lunchbox.

"Hmm~ Your lunchbox is way too big, almost four times mine~"

"Cough, I train pretty hard, so I eat more~" Genma said while opening his lunchbox.

"Wow, what kind of dishes do you have? There are so many compartments, it looks like there are a lot of varieties~"

As Genma wondered how to find an excuse to invite Kurenai to eat together, he noticed that Kurenai's gaze hadn't left his oversized lunchbox.

"That Kurenai, why don't we eat together? My mom made all this; you can't buy it anywhere else~"

Genma's lunchbox, with its beautiful appearance, variety of dishes, and enticing aromas, irresistibly attracted Kurenai. But her rationality told her not to covet someone else's lunch.

"No, you might not eat enough. Your parents prepared so much, it should suit your physical condition perfectly."

"Uh, no, no. They always prepare extra for me, saying it helps me better interact with classmates~"

"Really?"

"Uh, yes, it's true."

Kurenai hesitated but then leaned closer, picking up a beautifully crafted shumai.

"Then I'll eat it."

"Hmm~ Don't worry about it." Sensing Kurenai's pitiful yet considerate demeanor, Genma grabbed his own chopsticks and began scooping various dishes into Kurenai's lunchbox.

Under Kurenai's wide-eyed gaze, she quickly piled her lunchbox into a small mountain of food.

Having done all this, and now calm, Genma held his own lunchbox, sat beside Kurenai, and began eating as if he were the only one there.

Seeing Genma's behavior, Kurenai also stopped saying anything and started eating her meal.

After eating for a while, perhaps conquered by the delicious food, Kurenai was especially happy. She pulled out some of her own food from her lunchbox.

"Here, reciprocate the favor. Try some of my family's~"

Genma was given a piece of beef—fragrant, tender, perfectly cooked.

"Delicious, Kurenai. I didn't expect your family's cooking to be this good~"

However, Kurenai frowned.

"Maybe we can exchange more next time. My dad only knows how to make grilled meat, and I'm getting bored of it. I still make rice balls myself. Here, try some of my rice balls~"

"Wow, your cooking is really good too, Kurenai. Truly impressive."

End of Chapter 6