Time passed quickly, like a swing gently moving forward from late March to early June. Over the past two months, the new generation of Genin, the 60th class, had been completing various D-rank missions.
These D-rank missions mostly involved helping villagers with trivial tasks, such as babysitting, assisting with farm work, clearing debris from ditches, and so on. The rewards for these missions were minimal, and a large portion of the earnings was divided among the village, their Jonin mentor, and their teammates.
For those lacking patience, these tasks could become incredibly frustrating—especially for Team 7, who had just graduated and were dreaming of missions involving the protection of high-profile figures or fierce battles against strong enemies.
On the other hand, Team 8 approached these missions dutifully. Yagyu and his team understood that these D-rank missions not only tested their patience but also helped build teamwork. Therefore, neither Yagyu nor Hinata used shadow clones to complete these tasks; they carried them out personally.
Unlike the more laid-back Kakashi, Kurenai Yuhi, in her first role as a Jonin mentor, was extremely attentive to her students. After each mission, she would teach Yagyu and the others techniques that were typically learned by Genin, such as tree climbing and water walking—skills Yagyu and Hinata had already mastered.
She also conducted chakra nature tests for the team and even brought out genjutsu scrolls to see if anyone possessed yin-nature chakra.
After all these tests, Kurenai became even more attached to Yagyu as a student. She had the feeling that Yagyu was a perfect student, sent by fate, to inherit the teachings of the Yuhi family.
Shino and Hinata lacked the aptitude to learn genjutsu, as they didn't possess yin-nature chakra. For a mentor who specialized in genjutsu, like Kurenai, there wasn't much left for her to teach them beyond basic ninja skills. When it came to their clan-specific techniques, Kurenai had no authority to make suggestions.
Yagyu, on the other hand, learned the genjutsu from Kurenai's scrolls in just one day. This meant that not only did he possess yin-nature chakra, but he also had an exceptional talent for genjutsu.
As a result, Kurenai devoted herself to nurturing Yagyu's abilities, often giving him personal lessons in front of Shino and Hinata.
Over these two months, Yagyu's skills had grown immensely. His understanding of genjutsu had progressed from novice to surpassing his peers. Even if he relied solely on genjutsu, Yagyu was confident that he could defeat any of the twelve Konoha rookies.
This was largely due to the fact that his Sharingan had finally evolved into a three-tomoe Sharingan. All of this was thanks to his Illusion Expert talent.
Genjutsu is a yin-natured technique, while the Sharingan, a yin-nature kekkei genkai, is also referred to as the "Illusion Eye." However, before the evolution to three-tomoe, the Sharingan primarily functioned as an eye for perception and copying.
The three-tomoe Sharingan was what made the Uchiha Clan renowned throughout the ninja world, making them nearly unbeatable in one-on-one combat. The legendary Mangekyō Sharingan was an even more powerful version of this eye.
Every Uchiha who mastered the three-tomoe Sharingan to its full potential became an elite Jonin, genjutsu specialist, and a nightmare for those reliant on genjutsu. This bloodline was so overpowered that a single glance could cast genjutsu without any need for hand seals.
If the opponent was a genjutsu user, unless their yin-nature chakra was stronger than that of the Uchiha, the Sharingan naturally reflected the genjutsu back at them. In the original series, Kurenai herself had experienced this firsthand when her genjutsu was reflected by Itachi Uchiha.
This is why, when fighting against someone from the Uchiha Clan, a ninja without sufficient countermeasures was essentially fighting with one eye closed. In a real-life battle, getting hit by a finishing move meant actual death.
Yagyu's mastery of yin-nature chakra, further honed through his genjutsu training, naturally led his Sharingan to evolve into its three-tomoe form. With this evolution into the "Illusion Eye," Yagyu's genjutsu skills soared to unprecedented levels, as though his abilities were enhanced by a cheat code.
The genjutsu techniques that Kurenai taught him were not only quickly mastered but Yagyu also found that he could cast them without needing to form hand seals. By the time he fully controlled his three-tomoe Sharingan, his proficiency in genjutsu had surpassed even Kurenai's.
This was the difference between a normal person and someone with a cheat-level ability. This was the "Legend of the Eyes."
No one understood this feeling better than Rock Lee from the original series.
In addition to his growth in strength, Yagyu's relationship with Hinata had also made incredible progress during these two months. After each mission, Yagyu would invite Hinata to his home for training. Despite her shyness, Hinata never refused his invitations.
At first, Yagyu was very gentlemanly and reserved, only acting as Hinata's sparring partner. But as Hinata gradually grew accustomed to being alone with Yagyu, the so-called "Master of Nurturing" began his next steps.
During their taijutsu sparring, Yagyu no longer stopped at simply blocking or parrying. The training became more chaotic, and Yagyu would secretly activate his Sharingan to spot Hinata's weak points, using gentle force to create mistakes that led to moments of close physical contact.
Yagyu's "training" methods were highly effective. At first, Hinata would turn beet-red and even faint at the slightest touch. But since Yagyu never crossed any lines, she slowly adapted, eventually becoming immune to these moments of physical closeness.
After each training session, Hinata would stay to eat at Yagyu's house. She felt more comfortable there since she was still too reserved to fully relax at home, especially since her father and sister were unaware of her big appetite. Only Yagyu would prepare large amounts of food for her, allowing her to eat freely.
Learning from her earlier embarrassment, Hinata began creating shadow clones to help Yagyu's shadow clone with the cooking and house chores. Since Yagyu provided all the food, and she was the one who ate the most, Hinata also started giving Yagyu her share of the mission rewards.
Yagyu didn't refuse. After all, ever since graduating from the academy, the village had stopped providing him with allowances. And without any high-level missions under his belt yet, Yagyu barely earned enough to cover Hinata's meals.
Thus, Yagyu and Hinata had essentially begun living a "married life" in advance. While helping Yagyu clean his home, Hinata even started washing his clothes. Every time, Yagyu would praise Hinata for her diligence, telling her she would make a great wife, leaving the girl blushing and more determined than ever to please him.
Thankfully, after graduation, Hiashi Hyuga had shifted his focus to Hinata's younger sister, who showed more promise. He had no idea that his eldest daughter was spending so much time at a boy's house, helping with cleaning, laundry, and meals.
Otherwise, Yagyu might have found himself under the scrutiny of a Jonin-level protective father.
Life was peaceful and pleasant.
One day, at 9 a.m., Team 8 gathered at their usual spot, waiting for Kurenai.
Kurenai arrived right on time, appearing with a body flicker technique.
Her next words, however, excited Yagyu and his teammates: "Your performance over the past few months has been excellent. You've received high praise from every client."
"That's why I've decided—to take you all to receive a higher-ranked mission today."
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