Ino, walking just behind the group, couldn't help but overhear Kuro’s words. She was brimming with positivity, a stark trast to the looming darkness of the forest. Her eyes were wide with a mix of curiosity aement as she looked at the derees ahead. “This is amazing!” she excimed, her usual upbeat energy cutting through the temosphere. “I ’t wait to see what’s out there”

  But as her gaze shifted toward Kuro, a new, softer look crossed her face. There was something about the way he spoke, the calm fidence he exuded even in the face of dahat drew her in. For the first time, she found herself looking at him with a newfound fondness, a quiet admiration that wasn’t just based on his skill or sharp wit, but something deeper.

  “Looks like you’re ready for anything, Kuro,” she said, her voice light but sincere. She fshed him a smile, her eyes sparkling with an appreciation she hadn’t shown before. “I’m starting to think this might be just as fun as you said.”

  Kuro caught her gaze, his smile widening iurn, a flicker of something more in his eyes as he nodded. “Gd to see someone’s on the same page.” His voice was warm, even pyful, aook a step toward the group, as if subsciously positioning himself closer to her.

  However, Reika, who had been silently the exge, felt a pang of something unfamiliar in her chest. She had alrided herself on her posure, on her ability to remain ued by others’ as, but seeing Ino so openly eh Kuro—so easily, so freely—made a fre of jealousy spark within her.

  Her eyes narrowed for a brief moment, her usual calm demeanor flickering as her lips pressed together in a tight li wasn’t just the attention Ino was giving Kuro; it was the warmth in her smile, the way she spoke to him as if they shared some unspoken e. Reika had never beeo openly show her emotions, but something about the ease between Ino and Kuro riled her up in a way she didn’t fully uand.

  Ino, still smiling brightly at Kuro, didn’t seem to notice the subtle shift in Reika’s demeanor. She was too caught up in her owement to sehe tension. “I mean, if we hahe Forest of Death, we handle anything, right?” she added, throwing her arms out wide in a gesture of unshakable fidence.

  Kuro chuckled lightly, the sound almost teasing as he gnced over at Reika, sensing the fai ripple in her usual calm. “You’re right,” he said, voice filled with quiet amusement. “But be careful. It’s not just about guts aement here. It’s about brains too.” His eyes flicked back to Ino, then to Reika, noting the subtle shift in energy between them.

  Anko, notig the exge but choosing not to ent, gave a sharp, amused g the group. “Enough chit-chat! you all better be ready for it!” she snapped, her pyful demeanor returning as she motioned for them to follow her into the looming forest.

  As the group began to move toward the forest’s edge, Anko leaoward Kuro with a smirk, her voice dropping low enough for only him to hear. “So, what’s the deal with you and the blonde? She’s got that *new* look in her eyes. You’ve got the girls *lined up* now, huh?”

  Kuro bli her for a moment, his lips twitg with the hint of a smile. “What, you think I’m some kind of heartthrob?” he asked, feigning innoce as he raised an eyebrow. “You’re just jealous I don’t pay attention to you anymore, aren’t you?”

  Anko shot him a pyful gre, crossing her arms. “I’m just keeping an eye on the petition,” she said with a wink, clearly enjoying the banter. “You’ve got potential, Kuro. I like to see how you work under pressure.”

  “Is that so?” Kuro grinned, leaning in just a little. “Well, keep watg. You might just learn something.”

  Anko chuckled, tossing her head back with a ugh that was as wild as her personality. “I’ll be sure to take notes. But don’t get too cocky, kid. You’re not out of the woods yet—literally uratively.”

  Kuro just shrugged, his gaze turning toward the looming trees ahead. “I’ll take my ces,” he said, his tone light, even as a spark of challenge danced in his eyes. He turned back to Anko. “You’ve got a lot more than I expected up your sleeve. This might be iing after all.”

  “Stick around, and you’ll find out just how iing things get,” Anko replied, her grin widening as she motioned for everyoo follow.

  As they stepped into the forest, the tension that had been building all around them reached a cresdo. But for Kuro, the thrill of the challenge was undeniable. He was ready for whatever came . The Forest of Death ce for survival, but it was also a pce to test limits, and Kuro was never oo shy away from a good test.

  Ino, still walking beside him, seemed to be more determihan ever, her earlier fooward Kuro only fueling her resolve. She kept gng at him, her thoughts a bit of a mix between admiration and curiosity, as though she couldn’t quite decide whether she was seeing him as a teammate or something else.

  Reika, a few steps behind, couldn’t shake the disfnawing at her. She had alrided herself on being ued, but now... now it was harder to stay posed when Ino’s attention seemed so focused on Kuro. There was a strange ache she couldn’t quite pce.

  The Forest of Death was about to test them all in ways they never expected. But this wasn’t just a trial of their abilities—it was a trial of their retionships, too.