Jin's House
"Ugh, kinda thirsty."
Jin groggily opened his eyes, feeling his lips were a bit dry.
"Jin-kun, water."
"Thanks."
Seeing a slender hand holding a glass of water out to him, Jin subconsciously took it and downed it in one go.
Gulp— Gulp—
The cool water going down cleared Jin's head instantly.
"Kurenai? Rin? What are you two doing here?"
Jin looked at the two girls in front of him in surprise, instinctively glancing around.
Yep, this was definitely his place.
"Um, you were drunk, Jin-kun, so Rin and I brought you back together," Kurenai explained softly, her pretty face flushing slightly.
"Ah, is that so? Haha, thanks for the trouble."
Jin scratched his head, smiling.
"W-Well, Jin, it's good that you're awake. We should probably head home now."
Rin pointed towards the window— it was already pitch black outside.
"I'll walk you guys."
Jin looked out at the dark window and stood up.
"No, no need! You just rest, Jin!"
Unexpectedly, both Kurenai and Rin quickly shook their little heads, hastily put on their shoes, and practically fled Jin's house.
Bang—
Hearing the door close, Jin blinked, somewhat perplexed.
Is booze not good enough? Why bother trying to figure out girls' minds?
After less than three seconds of contemplation, Jin mentally scolded himself harshly.
"Speaking of which, feels like I forgot something?"
Jin tried to recall while scanning the room.
"Hm? Found it. This is it."
Suddenly, Jin's gaze locked onto a katana leaning against the wall, a flicker of joy in his eyes.
He walked over and drew the katana from its sheath.
Shing—
A breathtakingly cold light flashed. The blade was black-purple, its temper line an irregular, large, reversed choji pattern, adorned with red, sawtooth-like designs.
"Heavy."
Jin tried swinging it experimentally, feeling a weight that seemed disproportionate to its slender form.
Swish— Swish— Shing—
As he swung it, the black blade sang through the air.
"Black Blade — Shūsui."
Joy filled Jin's eyes.
As he swung the sword, memories surfaced in his mind.
This Black Blade—Shūsui—was the reward he received in class for terrifying Asuma into collapse with sheer presence, stunning everyone.
This sword was one of the 21 Great Grade Swords (Ō Wazamono Nijūikkō) from the world of One Piece.
Furthermore, it was the only known Black Blade among the Great Grade Swords, revered as a national treasure of Wano Country.
It possessed incredible toughness—even a dragon standing on it couldn't bend Shūsui in the slightest.
Its former wielder, Ryuma, famously used Shūsui to slay a dragon, earning worldwide fame.
Later, Ryuma entrusted Shūsui to Zoro, and it became the strongest of Zoro's three swords at the time.
The only other famous Black Blade was Yoru, one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords (Saijō Ō Wazamono), wielded by Hawk Eyes Mihawk.
So-called Black Blades were peerless swords forged only after their wielders continuously tempered them with Armament Haki (Busōshoku Haki) through countless battles.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Black Blade—Shūsui was absolutely among the very top tier of the 21 Great Grade Swords.
Some even speculated that Shūsui, having become a Black Blade, might not be inferior even to the Supreme Grade Swords.
It was a peerless blade dreamed of by countless swordsmen.
And its magnificent appearance was something Jin also greatly admired.
"This really is a fine sword."
The more Jin looked at Shūsui, the more he liked it. He took out a cloth specifically for wiping swords and began to clean it meticulously.
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Meanwhile, on a street in Konoha.
"Rin, you..."
After leaving Jin's house, Kurenai and Rin walked in silence for a long time.
Finally, Kurenai couldn't hold back anymore. She stopped, her red eyes looking at Rin with complex emotions, and spoke softly.
"That's right. I like Jin."
Rin stopped walking, met Kurenai's red gaze, and stated seriously.
"Can I ask why? I remember you and Jin-kun haven't interacted much."
Kurenai looked at Rin, asking earnestly.
"Because Jin is the best."
A look of adoration suddenly appeared in Rin's eyes.
Although Jin loved to drink, it couldn't hide his handsome features.
More importantly, Jin was hailed as one of the top geniuses since the founding of the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Even Kakashi Hatake—the highly anticipated son of the White Fang, who entered the academy with them—was defeated by Jin.
And at only eight years old, he could severely injure a Chūnin instructor with a single slash.
Though graduation was still far off—
He was already recognized as the Strongest Genius in the Ninja Academy.
And Rin admired strength above all else.
"Is that so?"
Kurenai's expression was complicated, but it quickly firmed with resolve.
"I won't just hand Jin-kun over to you easily."
Kurenai's gaze was incredibly determined.
"Then why do you like Jin?"
Rin looked at Kurenai, puzzled.
She had been classmates with Kurenai for a while, and though they didn't interact much—
Rin could sense that Kurenai wasn't the type to be swayed solely by Jin's dazzling strength.
So why...?
"Never mind that! Anyway, from now on, we're rivals."
Unexpectedly, Kurenai's pretty face suddenly flushed red. She let out a sharp retort and then ran off as if escaping.
"What was that about..."
Rin murmured, watching Kurenai's retreating figure.
"Hmph, no matter what, I won't give Jin up to you."
Rin clenched her small fists, psyching herself up, and started walking towards home.
<><><><><><><><>
"Huff... Huff..."
After running some distance, Kurenai stopped, leaning on her knees and panting slightly.
"Jin-kun."
Kurenai twitched her cute nose, feeling as though she could still smell that intoxicating scent, her gaze becoming somewhat hazy.
Unlike Rin, the reason Kurenai liked—no, 'was infatuated with' would be more accurate—
The reason she was infatuated with Jin was because Kurenai had a natural fondness for alcohol.
However, being young, Kurenai naturally didn't drink.
She discovered her fondness for alcohol because Jin drank in class.
Every time she caught the scent of alcohol, Kurenai loved it.
But that wasn't the most important part.
The crucial thing was, for some reason, Jin's entire body emitted a unique aroma of alcohol.
This scent was very special—unlike the nauseating stench of ordinary drunks, it had no impurities, only a rich, mellow fragrance.
This utterly captivated Kurenai.
"Jin-kun, I definitely won't lose."
Kurenai clenched her small fists, murmuring with determination.
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