A few days had passed since the funeral of the Third Hokage and the many Konoha ninjas who perished during the Konoha Crush plan. Although Konoha had lost its Hokage, the remaining high-ranking officials quickly organized the village's affairs.
Fortunately, after receiving the Konoha Crush plan from Furin, the Third Hokage had prepared extensively for the village's defense. Despite the chaos, Konoha had managed to avoid significant losses.
"Danzo must be arguing with the other high-ups right now..." Furin thought, recalling Danzo's earlier attempt to recruit him into the Root organization. He couldn't help but sneer, "After Sarutobi's fall, the so-called 'roots of Konoha' emerge from the shadows, eager to expand their influence."
"With Jiraiya still out searching for Tsunade, Konoha is likely waiting for news from the Fire Country's daimyo." The attack from the Sand and Sound ninjas, coupled with the death of the Third Hokage, had shaken Konoha's standing in the ninja world. A misstep could potentially lead to a full-blown ninja war.
The Fire Country was strategically positioned, attracting the attention of all neighboring nations. With the recent defeat against the Sand Village and the death of Sarutobi, Konoha was seen as vulnerable. Any sign of weakness might invite attacks from other villages looking to capitalize on Konoha's diminished strength.
Before the funeral, the Sand Village had already begun sending messages to shift the blame. After discovering that the Fourth Kazekage, Gaara, had died due to Orochimaru's betrayal, the Sand shinobi wasted no time. Once Temari and Gaara returned to their village, the Sand leadership promptly announced their surrender to Konoha, citing Orochimaru's manipulation in their actions.
Konoha accepted the surrender. At this point, they lacked the strength to wage war, especially with the Hokage position still unfilled after Sarutobi's death.
"Once the Fire Country's daimyo chooses a new Hokage, Jiraiya will likely head out to find Tsunade," Furin planned. Tsunade was essential to his strategy; her mastery of the First Hokage's healing techniques was crucial for the future.
"If memory serves, shortly after Jiraiya left the village, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki entered Konoha... Perfect timing! I can use my skills to acquire Kurama Yakumo's genjutsu and see how it compares to the Sharingan's Mangekyou."
A spark of determination ignited in Furin's eyes. Having reached a half-Kage level of strength, he was now ready to claim the powerful genjutsu of the Kurama clan to eliminate the threat posed by Danzo's Kotoamatsukami and elevate his abilities even further.
"To get close to Kurama Yakumo, I should start by connecting with her teacher, Kurenai Yuhi."
Ten minutes later, Furin found Kurenai leading Team 8—Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame—on a mission. Their assignment was to help repair houses damaged during the recent battles—a C-rank task.
As he watched, Furin noticed Hinata struggling to carry a heavy beam, panting heavily. Suddenly, the pressure on her shoulder lessened, and she heard Furin's encouraging voice in her ear.
"Hang in there, Hinata-chan..."
Hinata turned her head, her face flushing bright red, and steam seemed to rise from her head as she stammered, "F-Furin-kun..."
Hinata Hyuga's affection for you has increased by 2%!
"Just a bit more, we're almost done!" Furin smiled, and together with his teammates, they helped complete the task.
Once the mission was finished, Furin approached Kurenai, sitting down beside her.
"Is there something you need, Furin?" Kurenai asked, having heard much about him from Kakashi. She knew he was exceptional, even receiving praise that he was better than Kakashi had been during the war.
"Kurenai-sensei," Furin said sincerely, "I've heard your genjutsu is the strongest in Konoha. I would like to learn some of your techniques. If I can master genjutsu, I could be of help should we face any more threats from the Sound or Sand."
"Is that so?" Kurenai murmured, recalling how Furin had bravely entered the Four Purple Flames Formation during the invasion. After a moment of thought, she nodded. "I can teach you some genjutsu, but... the workload has piled up lately. Would it be alright to wait a little while?"
Furin expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Kurenai-sensei. There's no need to make it a hassle; I'm sure I'll learn a lot just by listening to you teach your students."
Kurenai's eyes sparkled with thought, remembering that it had been a while since she had checked in on Kurama Yakumo to instruct her in genjutsu.
"If you're willing, I could arrange to have some time tomorrow to go over the basics with you."
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T/N:
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