Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Yagyu's Favor, Encounter with Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki
After deciding on their course of action, Kurenai Yuhi quickly packed her bags, storing her items in a storage scroll.
Seeing Yagyu empty-handed, Kurenai couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to pack anything?"
Yagyu took out a storage scroll from his pocket and smiled. "I've already prepared everything."
"Impressive, it seems you were confident I'd agree."
"Of course, you're the kindest and most compassionate teacher I've ever met, Kurenai-sensei."
"Such a sweet talker, no wonder Hinata and the others can't stay away from you."
If there was a noticeable height difference, Kurenai might have playfully pinched Yagyu's cheek. His flattery made her quite happy.
With Yagyu in tow, Kurenai headed to the Hokage's office to obtain permission to leave the village.
Just like how Kakashi Hatake could issue A-rank missions to Genin during emergencies, Kurenai, who had been promoted from special Jonin to Jonin earlier in the year, also had certain privileges within the village.
At the very least, she had the freedom to leave the village without much restriction.
As Kurenai finalized the paperwork and the two of them left Konoha, Sarutobi Asuma, who had been feeling down for days and staying at home smoking because of his father's death, finally decided to step outside.
As if gathering courage for something, Asuma made his way to Kurenai's house and knocked on her door.
Knock, knock, knock…
The knocking continued, but there was no response.
Seeing that Kurenai wasn't home, Asuma, who had finally gathered the courage to visit her, deflated like a balloon, his shoulders slumped as he walked away, head down.
With a cigarette between his lips, Asuma's figure was one of melancholy.
Little did Yagyu and Kurenai know that just after they left, Asuma had shown up at Kurenai's doorstep.
By that time, the two of them had already handed over their travel papers to Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, the gatekeepers, and had left Konoha.
Until the Fifth Hokage was chosen, the mission system was temporarily suspended, and no one could accept or commission tasks.
This gave most shinobi, except those guarding the borders and major cities, some time off.
This was one of the reasons why Kurenai decided to take a break and clear her mind.
Since the Hokage's succession ceremony would be announced nationwide, and Tanzaku Town was a small town within the Land of Fire, Kurenai and Yagyu weren't in a hurry to use Body Flicker and instead walked leisurely as if on a sightseeing trip.
Along the way, they chatted.
"Yagyu, how do you manage to perform genjutsu without hand seals?"
"Well, it's not entirely seal-free. At least for the genjutsu you taught me, Kurenai-sensei, I still use one-handed seals. It's just that my hand-seal speed is so fast that most people can't notice. As for the seal-less genjutsu, I trigger them using sound. I learned it from a Sound ninja skilled in sound-based genjutsu during the second part of the Chunin Exams."
"I see, I thought your Yin Chakra had grown strong enough that you no longer needed seals."
Kurenai nodded, believing Yagyu's lie.
After all, using one-handed seals could indeed catch enemies off guard, which was why Yagyu had coveted Haku's one-handed seal technique so much.
Yagyu had been practicing his hand-seal speed since childhood, so if he wanted to, he could move his hands fast enough to be undetectable, just like Uchiha Itachi.
"Your genjutsu skills are now almost on par with mine."
Kurenai patted Yagyu's shoulder and smiled. "When we get back from Tanzaku Town, you should come by and spar with me more often. It'll help us both improve faster."
"Of course."
Yagyu nodded obediently on the surface, though internally, he wondered how much he should hold back.
It wasn't that he looked down on Kurenai, but his current genjutsu skills were only a Mangekyo Sharingan away from those of a genjutsu master like Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi and Shisui became genjutsu masters largely because of the overwhelming power of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
The three-tomoe Sharingan was already known as the "Eye of Hypnosis" and the "Eye of Genjutsu." It could perform genjutsu without seals and automatically reflect enemy genjutsu against those whose Yin Chakra was inferior.
However, even the three-tomoe Sharingan's Yin Chakra output paled in comparison to the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Only with the Mangekyo could one truly control a Tailed Beast.
Just think about how strong the Yin Chakra output needed to be to control a Tailed Beast with just a glance!
Even Uchiha Obito, whose body was half composed of Hashirama's cells, controlled one of the Five Kage, Yagura Karatachi, using only a single Mangekyo Sharingan.
When Yagyu's Sharingan had evolved to three-tomoe, thanks to gaining the genjutsu specialist talent from Kurenai, she was no longer a match for him.
Though Yagyu had far surpassed Kurenai in strength, he still held deep respect and gratitude toward her.
Just as Might Guy was willing to teach his students the Eight Gates, Kurenai had entrusted Yagyu and his teammates with the Yuhi clan's genjutsu techniques not long after meeting them.
If Shino or Hinata possessed Yin Chakra, they too would have become genjutsu specialists, and Team 8 would have been known not just as the reconnaissance team but also as the genjutsu team.
For that reason, Yagyu was extremely grateful and respectful to Kurenai.
Yagyu had even decided that after Karin joined Konoha, he would use her as an excuse to teach some sealing techniques to Kurenai.
Especially the Uzumaki clan's Yin Seal—Yagyu was certain Kurenai wouldn't refuse. After all, what woman could turn down eternal youth?
Of course, Kurenai had no idea what Yagyu was planning. If she did, she would surely be deeply touched and grateful.
A good teacher needed good students. Otherwise, it would be a one-sided relationship, and sometimes students might even turn on their teachers.
"By the way!"
Kurenai's ruby-like eyes suddenly sparkled, and she looked at Yagyu with excitement. "Did you bring your camera?"
"Yes, I did. Do you want to take pictures?"
"Of course! It's not every day we get to leave the village without being on a mission. We have to capture some beautiful memories."
Kurenai then used the Body Flicker Technique, her voice trailing in the air. "Grab the camera and follow me; I know some great spots to take photos."
Seeing her disappear into the distance, Yagyu became intrigued. He pulled out his camera from his storage scroll and used the Body Flicker to follow her.
The Land of Fire was known for its dense forests, and you could see lush trees, cliffs, and waterfalls everywhere.
The location Kurenai took Yagyu to was similar to the place where Yagyu trained by the waterfall.
There, Kurenai posed in various ways next to the waterfall, asking Yagyu to take pictures.
She even stood on the river, using chakra to balance on the water's surface, or stood under the mist of the waterfall, allowing Yagyu to capture the scene with water vapor surrounding her.
Yagyu continued snapping photos, occasionally adjusting the angle of the shot and asking Kurenai to move based on the direction of the sunlight, capturing stunning images of her amidst the natural scenery.
Finally, Kurenai suggested, "Yagyu, let's take a picture together."
"Sure."
Yagyu didn't refuse. He made a shadow clone to operate the camera while he stood next to Kurenai.
With a bright smile, Kurenai wrapped an arm around Yagyu's shoulder, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
Yagyu smiled as well, his hand casually in his pocket.
Click!
The camera shutter clicked, capturing a beautiful image of a teacher and her student, standing by the misty waterfall, as if they were in a mythical realm. This picture would likely end up framed on Kurenai's desk once developed.
After that, Kurenai led Yagyu to several more scenic spots where they continued taking pictures and posing together.
By midday, Kurenai's stomach grumbled in protest, causing the black-haired kunoichi to blush. She threatened Yagyu to forget what he'd heard and then took him to a nearby town for lunch.
After lunch, the two continued their leisurely journey, enjoying the scenery.
In the late afternoon, as the sun began to set, they decided to pick up the pace using the Body Flicker Technique to ensure they found a village or town to rest before nightfall.
Suddenly, the clear sound of wind chimes reached their ears.
Two figures appeared ahead on the forest path, walking slowly toward them.
As soon as Kurenai and Yagyu saw the two figures, their pupils shrank.
Kurenai sensed an overwhelming aura, causing her body to instinctively tense up.
Yagyu recognized them.
He couldn't help it—their attire was too iconic for a reincarnated person like him to forget.
They wore black cloaks embroidered with red clouds and conical hats with wind chimes.
Even without seeing their faces, Yagyu immediately knew who they were.
Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki!
Yagyu's heart sank slightly. He hadn't expected to encounter these two here, where Itachi, under the pretense of gathering intelligence, was really planning to return to Konoha to warn Danzo.
"Kurenai-sensei, don't act rashly. These two are incredibly powerful," Yagyu whispered softly enough that only the two of them could hear.
Kurenai nodded, feeling the immense pressure.
She didn't need Yagyu to tell her—she could sense that these two were strong. The faces under those hats were probably ones she had seen in the Bingo Book.
What were such powerful individuals doing in the Land of Fire?
And judging by the direction they were traveling, it seemed they were heading toward Konoha.
Why were they going there?
With these thoughts, Kurenai became even more cautious, not only for Yagyu's safety but also to report back to the village as soon as they distanced themselves from the duo.
Sometimes, encounters on narrow paths were awkward.
If one party made a sudden move, it could expose their intentions.
If one side posed no threat, it might be fine, but when both parties harbored their own thoughts, tension arose.
Just like the time Team 8 passed by the Kurotsuchi family, neither Yagyu nor Kurenai made any moves. They acted as if they were ordinary travelers passing by.
However, as the four of them crossed paths, an unexpected event occurred!
Riiip!
Kisame's sword, Samehada, wrapped in white bandages, began to twitch violently as if it had caught the scent of something irresistible. The sword tore through its bandages and lunged toward Yagyu, jaws open wide, eager to bite into its target.
Already on high alert, Yagyu and Kurenai immediately used the Body Flicker to evade.
As Yagyu flew backward, he inflated his cheeks and expelled a high-pressure stream of water, slicing through the air toward Itachi and Kisame.
Kisame grabbed Samehada's hilt, and he and Itachi disappeared using Body Flicker.
Yagyu's eyes briefly flashed red as he adjusted his water jet, slicing it toward the three o'clock direction.
Crash!
Trees were severed at their trunks, toppling over with a loud crash and raising clouds of dust.
The water jet Yagyu unleashed was none other than the Water Release: Water Severing Wave.
After developing the film containing all the techniques he had photographed, Yagyu's first priority wasn't learning Wood Release or sealing techniques—it was mastering Tobirama Senju's water-style jutsu.
Having trained in water-style chakra control since childhood and having developed the Spiral Water Dragon and S-rank Hard Whirlpool Cutter using the chakra control techniques he had learned from Sakura, Yagyu had firmly established himself as the top water-style user in Konoha.
Given his mastery, learning new water-style techniques was like a simple task, similar to clicking a "learn" button in a video game.
As the water jet cut through the trees, clearing a swath of forest, Yagyu suddenly stopped.
Splash…
The sound of rushing water filled the air.
A massive wave rolled through, scattering the dust and rushing toward Yagyu and Kurenai.
They quickly used the Body Flicker again, landing atop a tree.
The waters swirled, turning the area into a lake, with water reaching halfway up the trunks of the remaining trees.
On the now-barren lake's surface, two figures stood, their conical hats removed.
Kisame gripped the twitching Samehada, his shark-like face twisted into a grin. "For Samehada to go out of control like that… Itachi-san, do you think that kid could be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"No," Itachi replied flatly. "The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has blond hair and blue eyes, like the Fourth Hokage."
Kisame's grin widened. "So he's not the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, yet he has chakra that excites Samehada and can perform such a powerful water jutsu… Itachi-san, Konoha really is a cradle of geniuses."
"That water-style jutsu is probably the Second Hokage's Water Severing Wave," Itachi said with a calm expression, though he sighed internally.
As expected of the top student who had always bested Sasuke—Yagyu clearly wasn't just some ordinary orphan.
Yes, Itachi knew who Yagyu was.
At first, Itachi hadn't recognized him because Yagyu had grown so much. But now, after studying his hair and eyes, Itachi remembered.
As a devoted brother, Itachi had always kept a close eye on Sasuke.
By the time Itachi had massacred the Uchiha clan, Sasuke was already seven.
Yagyu had gained the chakra of Ashura when he was six, and Itachi had heard about him being named the top student over Sasuke.
Itachi had once thought Yagyu was just another talented commoner, but now it seemed he might be the true monster of Sasuke's generation.
Through the lens of Itachi's Sharingan, Yagyu's chakra reserves were as abundant as those of Kisame, the man known as the tailless Tailed Beast.
And Yagyu was only twelve, still growing.
When Yagyu reached Kisame's age, just how astonishing would his chakra reserves be?
Could it be that Yagyu was a descendant of the Senju Clan, having inherited their bloodline?
No, that couldn't be the only explanation—Senju blood alone wouldn't account for such absurd chakra levels.
There had to be another secret within Yagyu's body, one that gave him this extraordinary chakra!
Itachi pondered this quietly.
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