Kurenai led Furin toward the outskirts of the village. Despite knowing that her student, Kurama Yakumo, was kept isolated at the Rikami Hill Villa due to her extraordinary abilities, Furin pretended to be oblivious and asked, "Kurenai-sensei, why are we going outside of Konoha?"
Kurenai pondered for a moment before explaining, carefully omitting some details, "My student has some unique physical conditions, so she has been living at the Rikami Hill Villa outside the village."
Furin nodded, and the two ninjas traversed the forest for about ten minutes before finally arriving at the villa, which was situated halfway up a mountain.
Upon reaching the Rikami Hill Villa, Kurenai didn't immediately take Furin inside. Instead, she approached the two masked Anbu who were stationed to keep watch around the villa.
"Such tight security…" Furin observed the Anbu agents, realizing that even in this precarious situation, Konoha's higher-ups had not relaxed their vigilance over Kurama Yakumo. This highlighted the importance of the Kurama clan's abilities in the eyes of Konoha's leadership.
The Kurama clan had a lineage tracing back to the era of the Senju clan and had existed since the founding of Konoha. They were renowned for their expertise in genjutsu, rivaling the Uchiha clan during their peak. However, due to the rarity of inheritors of their bloodline limit, the Kurama clan had gradually faded into obscurity, much like the almost extinct Senju clan.
In this generation, however, a prodigious talent had emerged: Kurama Yakumo.
After realizing that Kurama Yakumo had inherited her clan's unique bloodline, her family had dedicated all their efforts to her training. Unfortunately, Yakumo's health had been poor since childhood, limiting her physical training and preventing her from even attending the Ninja Academy normally. Despite this, she was not abandoned; her father, the clan leader, had specifically requested the Third Hokage to allow Kurenai, a master of genjutsu, to be her private tutor.
"The Kurama bloodline is truly enticing!" Furin mused quietly to himself.
The Kurama clan's bloodline ability was formidable. For instance, Yakumo could manipulate a person's five senses, and anything she depicted with her brush could manifest into reality, as long as she wished it. This meant that the Kurama clan's genjutsu could turn any illusion into a tangible reality! Even Itachi Uchiha, the genius of the Uchiha clan, could not match such destructive power with his strongest genjutsu, Tsukuyomi.
"Let's go, Furin." After a brief exchange with the Anbu, Kurenai returned to Furin's side, leading him into the villa where Yakumo resided.
Inside the spacious villa, it was clean but empty, clearly maintained but devoid of occupants. Furin noticed a hint of regret in Kurenai's eyes as she surveyed the desolate space.
Although Yakumo was her first student, Kurenai had been preoccupied with various missions and responsibilities, leaving her little time to care for Yakumo. Even their weekly lessons had often been postponed.
This was the first time she had come to see Yakumo since the Third Hokage's funeral.
"Let's head upstairs, Furin." Kurenai guided him to the second floor, where Yakumo lived. After arriving, she knocked on the door.
"Come in," a delicate voice replied from within.
Kurenai opened the door to reveal a dimly lit room, thick curtains blocking out much of the sunlight. In the faint light, Kurama Yakumo sat on a stool, long hair cascading down as she meticulously painted on a canvas in front of her.
"Teacher, you're here?" Yakumo put down her brush and turned to face them.
Upon seeing her, Furin recognized that Yakumo resembled the demure girls from his previous life in China. With an old-fashioned hairpin adorning her shoulder-length hair, she exuded a refreshing innocence, devoid of any clumsiness.
Noticing Kurenai standing beside Furin, Yakumo's gaze fell upon him. As their eyes met, her heart fluttered, and she couldn't help but think, "He's so handsome…"
"Wow…" Yakumo stole a glance at Furin, quickly averting her gaze, too shy to look too long.
Since the Third Hokage's funeral, Furin had been appointed as a special jōnin, which had become common knowledge. He was now donned in the distinctive green jacket reserved for special jōnin, giving him an aura of confidence and capability.
Different clothing brought out various aspects of one's character, and Furin's outfit appeared particularly sharp and composed on him. The youthful look on his face hinted at his impressive strength, being a jōnin at such a young age—something Yakumo had always aspired to be.
Kurama Yakumo's affection for you has increased by 25%!
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T/N:
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