Chapter 124: The Beautiful Instructor, Kurenai Yuhi
The day after Shishou left his secret base.
January 31, Year 60 of Konoha.
At the stone bridge outside Konoha Village.
Disguised, Shishou finally met the beautiful instructor he had spent 35 million ryo to hire—Kurenai Yuhi!
To be honest, if it had been the old Third Hokage again, Shishou would have turned around and left.
After all, his genjutsu training was nearly complete; he had already reached the level where he could incapacitate opponents with just a glare. Whether he continued or not didn't really matter.
This time, he came purely to meet Kurenai Yuhi, to see what this elite female jonin of Konoha was like.
"Mr. Lurigan, hello," Kurenai greeted him quickly when she saw him approach. The Third Hokage had already informed her that Lurigan was very powerful and an important ally of Konoha, so she should treat him with utmost respect.
Wow, this 35 million ryo was well spent!
Looking at Kurenai's long, dark hair, crimson eyes, and stunning beauty, Shishou was full of admiration, thinking that this trip was absolutely worth it!
With such an instructor, which student would want to skip class?
"Ms. Kurenai, hello," Shishou greeted her back. "What genjutsu are you going to teach me today?"
After the greetings, Shishou asked.
"Today, I plan to teach you Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death and Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms," Kurenai responded.
Since the Third Hokage had given Kurenai several million ryo from the amount Shishou paid, she had no reservations about teaching him these genjutsu techniques.
"Thank you, Ms. Kurenai," Shishou nodded, looking at her.
"No need to be polite, Mr. Lurigan. I will first demonstrate," Kurenai said, crouching down and casting Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms on Shishou.
However, from Shishou's perspective, nothing happened.
His powerful Yin Release chakra and Mangekyo Sharingan allowed him to be immune to most genjutsu.
No, something did happen.
Kurenai, thinking Shishou was caught in her genjutsu, quietly moved behind him and pressed a kunai against his neck.
Shishou: "..."
This is how ordinary genjutsu works?
Using genjutsu to distract the opponent and then launching a sneak attack...
But it feels so awkward; what should I do?
I feel so embarrassed that I could dig out a three-room apartment with my toes...
Should I remind her or pretend not to notice?
After thinking for a moment, Shishou 'woke up' at the right time, praising Kurenai: "Ms. Kurenai, your genjutsu is amazing. I've never seen such beautiful cherry blossoms before."
Recalling the effects of Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms, Shishou flattered Kurenai.
"This is just a simple genjutsu. Mr. Lurigan should be able to learn it quickly," Kurenai responded, feeling a bit proud but still humble.
Indeed, it was a simple genjutsu.
So simple that I don't even feel like learning it...
But for the sake of this beautiful woman, Shishou swallowed these thoughts and praised Kurenai a bit more.
"Now that you've seen Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms, let me demonstrate Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death," Kurenai continued, pleased with Shishou's compliments.
She began forming hand seals, casting Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death on Shishou.
This time, Shishou's vision changed.
He saw Kurenai vanish, and suddenly, trees grew from the ground, binding his limbs. Kurenai then appeared above him on a tree branch, leaning down to graze his neck with the hilt of a kunai.
Yet, Shishou knew he could break free at any time if he wanted. He could even reflect the genjutsu back at her using Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change.
He also sensed Kurenai's real position behind him, where she had actually pressed the hilt of the kunai against his neck.
Ah, in front of the Mangekyo Sharingan, ordinary genjutsu really is completely ineffective.
Feeling a bit of pity for Kurenai, Shishou realized that her clan, specializing in genjutsu, was always overshadowed by the Uchiha, especially someone like Itachi Uchiha, who had advanced genjutsu capabilities. Kurenai, with her ordinary genjutsu, was destined to be a supporting character with minimal screen time in the latter half of the original series.
Shishou 'woke up' again at the right time, touching his neck and praising: "Ms. Kurenai, your genjutsu is truly excellent. I didn't even realize I was caught. Impressive."
Tired, let's wrap this up. I can't keep acting much longer...
Feeling exhausted, Shishou thought to himself.
"Mr. Lurigan, you flatter me," Kurenai smiled again, feeling very pleased.
Wow, just for that smile.
I think I can keep acting a bit longer.
Motivated by Kurenai's smile, Shishou felt revitalized.
"Which genjutsu would you like to learn first?" Kurenai asked cheerfully, having a good impression of Shishou.
Shishou, eager to avoid another demonstration that would test his acting skills, quickly replied: "Let's start with Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms, one at a time."
"Alright, Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms is quite simple..."
Kurenai began explaining the characteristics and key points of Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms in detail.
Shishou occasionally glanced at her red lips and beautiful face, sometimes asking questions, which made Kurenai, excited to teach for the first time, even more enthusiastic.
After explaining Genjutsu: Three Great Cherry Blossoms, Kurenai was surprised at how quickly Shishou grasped it, amazed by his talent in genjutsu.
Curious, she glanced at him a few times, and when their eyes met, she quickly looked away, blushing.
Next, she explained the features and key points of Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.
After listening, Shishou had already mastered it. However, this time, he claimed he didn't understand and asked Kurenai to explain again, not wanting to scare her with his talent.
For the next two hours, Shishou enjoyed admiring Kurenai's beauty. As the sun began to set, he reluctantly said goodbye, scheduling their next meeting.
Another day passed.
February 2, Year 60 of Konoha.
After a brief visit to the Land of Demons, Shishou, having made all necessary preparations, followed his plan with Itachi Uchiha, heading to the town called 'Dune' in the Land of Wind.
He was ready to execute his plan to lure Black Zetsu and White Zetsu.