"These things... did you exchange your military merits for them?"
Kurenai Yuhi looked up, her red eyes staring intently at him, her voice carrying a trace of an imperceptible tremble.
"Ah... ha, yes!"
Aokawa was stunned for a moment, then followed her lead and nodded.
Only this explanation made sense; otherwise, he really didn't know how to explain where these things had come from.
In an instant, Kurenai Yuhi's heart felt as if it were being held by a warm hand.
Immense emotion and a hint of heartache instantly filled her chest.
She carefully placed the bouquet on a nearby table and, with a mix of playful reproach and shyness, extended her small fist and gave his chest a light thump.
"Don't be so wasteful next time."
Her tone was less of a reprimand and more of heartache.
Immediately after, she thought of something, and the shyness on her face quickly turned into worry.
"If all your military merits are spent, then... then won't you be unable to exchange for the Genjutsu materials you need?"
"It's fine, I'll just save up more merits during the next mission," Aokawa said in a relaxed tone, as if he didn't care at all.
But his words made Kurenai Yuhi fall silent.
She lowered her head, her lips trembling, and tears welled up in her eyes.
It took quite a while before she regained her composure.
Her fair little face was twisted in conflict, and her hands kept wringing the hem of her clothes in front of her.
Her eyes were full of struggle and hesitation.
After a long time.
As if she had finally made a certain decision, she suddenly looked up.
From her waist sash, she carefully took out a scroll.
This was something Kurenai Yūhi had been carrying with her, written to her by Kurenai Yūhi some time ago.
Although Kurenai Yūhi had instructed her not to pass it on to others.
But Aokawa was different.
Kurenai Yuhi handed the scroll to Aokawa.
"This..." Her voice was still trembling slightly.
"This is the Genjutsu knowledge passed down through the generations of our Yuhi Clan. Although it's not everything, it should... be able to help you."
"You... you take it and have a look."
The smile on Aokawa's face suddenly froze.
He fell silent for a moment and did not refuse; he really needed this information right now.
He reached out to take Kurenai Yuhi's scroll, looking at the beautiful woman before him with a soft gaze, his heart deeply moved.
"Kurenai, thank you!" Aokawa said, his voice filled with emotion.
Kurenai Yuhi lowered her head and shook it gently: "Mhm~, compared to what Aokawa has done for me, this scroll is not worth mentioning."
She looked up, tears rolling in her eyes, yet she smiled very happily: "Being able to help you is the thing that makes me happiest."
"All this time, I've always been holding you back. Every time there's danger, you always appear before me just in time, Aokawa."
"Every time, I tell myself that I can't be a burden to you next time. I must grow up, at least so I can help you."
"But, but..." At this point, Kurenai Yuhi could no longer hold back the tears as they burst from her eyes: "But every time, I can only stand there, watching you risk your life on the field with my own eyes, while I can't help at all."
Looking at the tearful Kurenai Yuhi before him, the softest part of Aokawa's heart was touched.
An indescribable emotion, seemingly a mixture of being moved, pity, and a certain more fiery passion, instantly filled his chest.
He gently stroked her smooth hair with his hand: "How could that be?"
Afraid of getting Aokawa's clothes wet, Kurenai Yuhi wiped her tears with her hand and sniffled: "Am I very useless? Only knowing how to cry when things happen, unable to help with anything."
"Who said you can't help with anything?" Aokawa said.
Hearing this, Kurenai Yuhi's sobbing suddenly paused, her eyes filled with confusion.
Had she helped?
Aokawa placed both hands on her shoulders and spoke to Kurenai Yuhi with a serious expression: "You only need to stand behind me and support me firmly, and you've already been a huge help."
"If I am a wall that shelters from the wind and rain, then you are the solid pillar behind this wall."
"Without the pillar behind it, no matter how big the wall is, it can't block the wind and rain forever, and it loses the meaning of blocking them."
"We complement and support each other; how can you say you haven't helped?"
Kurenai Yuhi's tears were still flowing, but the corners of her mouth had already begun to curl up uncontrollably.
She lightly tapped Aokawa's chest and said in a playful, reproachful tone: "You only say nice things to comfort me. No wonder so many girls are crazy about you."
With strands of hair wet with tears sticking to her cheeks and her long eyelashes fluttering, her smile carried shyness and happiness. Her little face was flushed red and exceptionally cute.
Aokawa's heart stirred. With a stretch of his long arm, he directly pulled the still somewhat shy young girl into his embrace: "I only know that you are very charming right now."
"Ah..." Kurenai Yuhi let out a short cry of surprise.
Her body instantly tensed up, and her hands hung helplessly in mid-air, not knowing where to put them.
The tip of her nose bumped into the young man's firm chest.
With the beauty in his arms, a faint scent of a young girl drifted into Aokawa's nose.
At the same time, he finally felt just how well-endowed Kurenai Yuhi was; the tactile sensation felt much more substantial than the visual one.
Her great 'conscience' spread out to the sides after being squeezed, filling the gap between the two.
"In the future, he and the children won't have to worry about food and drink," Aokawa thought to himself.
Lying in Aokawa's arms, Kurenai Yuhi felt his body temperature as hot as a ball of fire, continuously transferring through their clothes.
And there was that powerful heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Each beat felt like it was striking her eardrums, gradually overlapping with her own heartbeat.
Kurenai Yuhi's cheeks instantly became burning hot.
She could clearly feel those large hands wrapped around her waist tightening slightly.
The bodies of the two were pressed tightly together, leaving not a single gap.
She could even feel the slight vibration of his chest when he breathed.
This never-before-experienced intimate contact made her brain fall into a state of dizziness.
Her breathing became hurried.
The surrounding air seemed to be heating up, becoming thick and ambiguous.
"Aok... Aokawa..."
Kurenai Yuhi's voice was as soft as a pool of water.
Reason told her she should push him away; after all, this was a military camp, and someone could come in at any time.
But her body seemed to have lost its strength, lingering in this warm embrace.
After quite a while.
That sense of shame that almost melted her finally gained the upper hand.
Kurenai Yuhi bit her lip, pressed her hands against Aokawa's chest, and gave a gentle push.
"Don't... in case someone comes in, we'll be seen."
She lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, finally breaking free from that embrace.
However.
The moment she stepped back.
"Hiss—"
Kurenai Yuhi suddenly gasped.
That little face, which had just been covered in a blush, instantly wrinkled up in pain.
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