At the thought of that possibility, Kurenai Yuhi's expression darkened considerably. She moved swiftly through the crowd, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
A minute after she departed, Asuma Sarutobi arrived at her previous location.
"Strange, where did Kurenai go?" Asuma scratched his head. He had heard from Shi Inuzuka that Kurenai had been spotted nearby and was hoping to catch up with her. "Whatever. She probably went to my house."
Asuma channeled chakra into his feet, scaled a wall, and began leaping across the rooftops toward his home.
At the Uchiha Estate
"Lord Shimizu..."
Guren's face was flushed a soft pink as she sat on Shimizu Uchiha's lap.
"You've been eating nothing but Military Rations Pills with me for so long; it's time you had a real meal." Shimizu used his chopsticks to place a piece of meat into Guren's bowl.
Bonding with subordinates was a mandatory lesson for anyone in a position of power. To Shimizu, Guren was worth the investment. Her potential far exceeded that of Suzumebachi. Once she grew a bit older and Shimizu implanted a Juin (Curse Mark) on her, her Shoton (Crystal Style) would become even more formidable.
Shimizu intended to cultivate a group of subordinates branded with Curse Marks. Once their strength reached a certain level, the entire shinobi world would become his personal backyard.
The Otsutsuki—who always seemed to emerge from nowhere—and the Kara organization had to be suppressed. However, he couldn't watch over the entire world alone. He needed people to patrol and maintain order for him. A shinobi with a Curse Mark would, at the very least, be far stronger than one without. In truth, there were very few shinobi in the world who could use Senjutsu. Against ordinary ninja, it was essentially a "dimensional strike."
"Has Shisui been bothering you lately?" Shimizu asked.
That fellow Shisui was quite curious about Guren, fascinated by how her loyalty had been forged. After all, within the Uchiha Clan, absolute personal loyalty was a rarity. The Uchiha were a clan defined by betrayal. They had betrayed Madara Uchiha, the very patriarch who had brought them stability. Yet, for the sake of that same stability and their refusal to return to a life of wandering, none of them had followed Madara when he left.
The current Setsuna Uchiha was a die-hard fan of Madara, but that was mostly a case of "distance creating beauty." When Madara had actually stood alone in the sunset, carrying his Gunbai (War Fan) away from Konohagakure, no one had actually followed him.
"He has," Guren pouted, her blue hair cascading down her shoulders. "He's always asking me strange questions. Like, how do I feel living among the Uchiha as an outsider? He also says things like Lord Shimizu's 'caliber' is the same as other Uchiha and so on."
"Is that so?" Shimizu reached out and stroked Guren's head.
Guren immediately narrowed her eyes, leaning into his touch with a slight blush. She felt that Lord Shimizu was becoming more handsome by the day, possessing a truly captivating aura.
Thump. Thump.
The sound of someone knocking at the courtyard interrupted them. A flash of irritation and danger flickered in Guren's eyes.
"Go open the door," Shimizu commanded.
"Yes." Guren rose from his lap, masking her emotions. She stepped out in her wooden clogs, wanting to see who was so blind as to disturb them. It wasn't often that Lord Shimizu was this intimate with her.
"Shimizu... he should be home, right?" Kurenai Yuhi paused, looking down at Guren, who was a head shorter than her.
"Lord Shimizu is inside." Guren stepped aside to let her in, though she felt uncomfortable that this woman had interrupted her time with him. However, she recognized her as one of Shimizu's former classmates.
"Good." Kurenai stepped into the courtyard. She had heard that Shimizu Uchiha had adopted a young girl with a unique Kekkei Genkai; it seemed this was the one.
"Have you eaten?" Shimizu offered a traditional greeting.
"Let's settle this quickly." Kurenai didn't even glance at the food on the table, her eyes fixed solely on Shimizu.
"You've grown distant, Kurenai."
"Hmph, didn't you just call me 'classmate'?" Kurenai shot back sarcastically, her face tense. "Stop with the idle talk. Let's begin."
"Well, alright." Seeing Kurenai's impatience for a "one-on-one" duel, Shimizu decided to satisfy her. "Guren, keep eating."
Shimizu patted Guren's head and led Kurenai into the bedroom. Kurenai felt a flicker of doubt, thinking that with a child present, Shimizu surely wouldn't be such a beast. She followed him inside.
Guren watched them enter the room and close the door.
"What does that woman want with Lord Shimizu?" Guren gripped her chopsticks tightly, a surge of jealousy rising within her. She had never been into Lord Shimizu's bedroom. What was inside? She was dying of curiosity but didn't dare to peek.
The Secret Chamber
Whoosh. A candle was lit, illuminating the hidden room. Kurenai was finally able to see her surroundings clearly. She looked around in shock. Why was there a secret passage inside Shimizu's bedroom?
As she saw the various interrogation tools hanging on the walls, a sense of profound unease washed over her. Are these torture devices from the Konoha Military Police Force? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
"Come. Let me see how much you've grown lately." Shimizu appraised her.
Kurenai wore red shinobi trousers paired with a green, sleeveless flak jacket, revealing arms as white as snow with a faint, healthy glow. As she matured, her beauty had become more pronounced. Her once delicate features had become more defined, and the curves of her shoulders and waist showed the grace and resilience of a young woman.
Shimizu looked on with interest. Mature women had their charms, but girls his own age were also excellent. There was a certain satisfaction in watching them bloom and "coloring" them with his own influence. Whether it was Kurenai Yuhi or Rin Nohara, they were both growing more beautiful by the day.
"You haven't changed at all," Kurenai said, shaking her head. She formed a hand seal. "Magen: Jubakusatsu!" (Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death).
Unlike her days at the Academy, she could now cast this Genjutsu instantaneously. Twisted, terrifying wooden hands erupted from the floor of the secret chamber. As if possessing a will of their own, they lunged toward Shimizu, intending to bind him in place.
"Magen: Kyo Tenchi-ten." (Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change).
Three tomoe spun into existence in Shimizu's eyes—the Sharingan. His visual prowess allowed him to reflect the enemy's Genjutsu back at them!
The trees that were slowly coiling around Shimizu suddenly reversed direction. Startled, Kurenai tried to dodge, but the chamber was too small. The corridor outside the iron bars was less than two meters wide. She slammed into the wall, and the trees from the Magen: Jubakusatsu instantly ensnared her.
"This is the tragedy of those without a Kekkei Genkai. Kurenai, the fault isn't yours; it's the world's," Shimizu said coldly.
No one's Genjutsu could compete with the Sharingan. The Uchiha Clan's illusions stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world. Even the ultimate Genjutsu, Infinite Tsukuyomi, required the Nine-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan to cast.
"Do you know what kind of miraculous reaction occurs when Raiton (Lightning Release) is applied to the human body?" Shimizu extended a finger, tiny arcs of electricity dancing at his fingertip.
Kurenai looked at his hand in terror, shaking her head frantically.
"Lightning... it's different from Fire, Wind, Earth, or Water. It possesses a quality the others lack. In the cycle of the Five Elements, they say Lightning generates Water!"
Kurenai's eyes remained clouded with confusion. Lightning generates Water?
In the basic Five Elements (Wu Xing) used for techniques like the Gogyo Fuin (Five Elements Seal), the cycle was usually Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. She had heard of "Metal generating Water," but never "Lightning generating Water!"
Shimizu didn't care about her confusion. It didn't matter if she didn't understand yet. She would become very familiar with his meaning soon enough.
"Now then, let us begin this round of 'defeat punishment.' I hope that next time, you can restore the honor of the Yuhi name."
The corners of Shimizu's mouth curled into a slight smirk. Under the flickering candlelight, he looked like a demon toying with a mortal soul.
Crackle!
The arcs of electricity made a faint sound as they struck Kurenai.
"Ngh...!"
Such "punishment" was intense, even for a shinobi. Tears began to stream down Kurenai's face. She finally understood what he meant by "Lightning generating Water."
"What was that sound?"
In the living room on the first floor, Guren frowned slightly. She thought she felt a ripple of Raiton chakra. Was it just her imagination? Such a tiny amount of chakra probably couldn't cause any harm. Guren pushed the thought aside, staring at the closed wooden door.
"Lord Shimizu... what exactly are you doing in there?"
At the Sarutobi Residence
Hiruzen Sarutobi, having just finished his duties at the Hokage Building, found his son standing blankly at the entrance.
"Asuma," Hiruzen said in a heavy tone.
"Old man, what is it?" Asuma replied with a casual, rebellious air. Others might fear the Third Hokage, but he didn't.
"What are you doing standing out here?" Hiruzen didn't pay much mind to his son's tone; Asuma had been like this for a while. Fortunately, Hiruzen had more than one son. His elder son was very sensible, already married, and both he and his wife served in the Anbu.
"What does it matter to you?" Asuma replied without looking back.
Hiruzen choked on his words, his brow furrowing. He pushed past and walked inside. Asuma was currently in his rebellious phase; lecturing or scolding him might only produce the opposite effect.
Perhaps this boy should be sent to the Daimyo for some training, Hiruzen thought to himself.
The power of a shinobi was great, but it needed direction...
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