As the illusionary space dissipated, Kurenai's lower body, which had been erased by the genjutsu, returned.
Regaining her ability to move, Kurenai immediately went to Kurama Yakumo, knelt beside her, and hugged the girl tightly. With a worried expression, she asked, "Yakumo, are you okay?"
Lying in Kurenai's arms, Yakumo was filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Kurenai-sensei. I've misunderstood you all this time."
"It's okay, it's my fault for not being able to help you fulfill your wishes," Kurenai replied with deep affection, gently stroking Yakumo's face. "Now that Ido is gone, you and the Kurama clan don't have to live outside the village anymore. You can return to Konoha, and I'll ask Lady Tsunade to heal your body, so you can become a ninja."
"…Okay," Yakumo softly responded before closing her eyes and falling asleep in Kurenai's arms.
"Kurenai-sensei, is she our senior?" Yagyu's voice suddenly broke the silence.
Hearing his words, Kurenai nodded. "Yes, Yakumo is a year older than you all. She was in the same year as Lee and Neji from Guy's team, but due to her health, she couldn't complete the academy's ninja training and had to study at home. I was her personal tutor."
"With such talent in genjutsu, could she be the rumored genius of the Kurama clan, who appears once every few generations, surpassing her peers?" Yagyu asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"Yes," Kurenai nodded again, her eyes filled with pity as she looked at the sleeping girl.
"That's quite a shame," Yagyu commented. "To have such extraordinary talent and a powerful kekkei genkai, but be unable to become a ninja due to physical limitations… As the hope for the clan's revival, it's no wonder the pressure created that kind of monster."
"Becoming a ninja has always been Yakumo's wish," Kurenai said resolutely. "This time, no matter what, I'll help her achieve that dream."
"Let's set that aside for now, Kurenai-sensei…" Yagyu's voice suddenly paused, prompting Kurenai to look up at him.
Standing tall with his arms crossed, Yagyu gazed down at Kurenai and said, "Don't you owe me something?"
Kurenai was momentarily confused, but then she smiled wryly. "Thank you, Yagyu."
"Wrong, you owe me an apology!" Yagyu sternly said, bending down and ruffling Kurenai's hair. "If I hadn't returned today and arrived in time, we wouldn't be seeing each other again—you wouldn't be seeing any of us again!"
"This was such a dangerous situation! Couldn't you have consulted us? Do you not trust your students' abilities? Is my status as a Wood Release user that insignificant to you?" Yagyu scolded, visibly upset, a rare departure from his usual calm demeanor.
As Kurenai listened to Yagyu's uncharacteristic outburst and felt his hand tousling her hair, her heart filled with warmth. Despite the roughness of his actions, Kurenai wasn't repelled—instead, she was deeply moved.
The more angry Yagyu was, the more it showed how much he cared about her.
Kurenai hadn't felt this kind of concern since her father.
Asuma's attempts to show care were different from Yagyu's genuine anger and concern.
At that moment, Kurenai finally understood how Hinata and the other girls felt about Yagyu.
Aside from his slight flirtatiousness, Yagyu was perfect—his looks, personality, even his status and strength.
Suddenly, Kurenai found herself feeling a bit envious of Hinata and the other girls.
Why hadn't she, as a young girl, had a perfect childhood friend like Yagyu?
As she thought about this, the image of Yagyu accidentally seeing her naked in Tanzaku Town popped into her mind.
Her cheeks flushed, and she bowed her head slightly, mumbling, "S-Sorry, it was my fault."
Seeing the usually composed and mature Kurenai blushing, Yagyu was momentarily stunned, his hand still in mid-motion, ruffling her hair.
"Ahem… I forgive you. Just don't let this happen again," Yagyu said, clearing his throat as he squatted down to take Yakumo from Kurenai's arms. Carrying the girl, he headed for the door. "Let's go back. She needs treatment, and Kurenai-sensei, you need to explain things to Lady Tsunade."
"Okay," Kurenai replied, obediently following behind him.
At 167 cm tall, walking behind the 173 cm Yagyu, it almost looked as if Yagyu was the senior between them, not the other way around.
Neither of them realized it, but after this heroic rescue and Yagyu's earlier scolding, their already complicated teacher-student relationship had changed once again.
It might not have been obvious yet, but once the shackles of propriety were gone, they would both realize that their relationship had irrevocably shifted away from the initial teacher-student dynamic.
——————
"I'm sorry, but I can't help her."
In the rest area attached to the Hokage's office, after examining Yakumo, Tsunade shook her head at Kurenai's request. "Her frailty isn't an illness; it's congenital."
"If she had come to me when she was younger, I might have been able to improve her condition. But at her current age, the best I can do is nurse her back to the health of a normal person."
"She won't have any issues living a regular life, but expecting her to endure the rigorous demands of a ninja—long journeys and battles—is nearly impossible."
Hearing this, Kurenai's eyes filled with frustration. "Is there really no way for Yakumo to become a ninja?"
"There is," came Yagyu's voice, surprising Tsunade and Kurenai.
Looking at Yagyu's smiling face, Tsunade's expression shifted as if she realized something. "Yagyu, you're not thinking about…"
"No, it's not that, Tsunade-sis," Yagyu interrupted before she could finish. He pulled out a small scroll, which he used to summon a glowing, billiard ball-sized Gelel Stone. "This stone might improve her condition."
"A glowing stone? What is this?" Tsunade examined it closely, her expression changing in surprise. "It's filled with an intense energy! Is this some kind of bomb?"
"It's not a bomb. It's a stone that can absorb natural energy and generate life force," Yagyu explained, taking the Gelel Stone back. Under Tsunade and Kurenai's wide-eyed gaze, he absorbed all the stone's energy.
Instantly, red markings appeared around Yagyu's eyes, and his pupils turned golden.
"This… This is Sage Mode!" Tsunade exclaimed in shock, her face lighting up with joy. "Yagyu, when did you learn this?"
"I accidentally absorbed the energy from these stones using Wood Release, which allowed me to fuse with Sage Chakra," Yagyu explained, tossing the now-dull Gelel Stone in his hand. "Aside from natural energy, these stones also contain a tremendous amount of life force, which can permanently improve a person's physical condition."
"I've grown so much over the past few months because I've been absorbing their life energy."
"I see," Tsunade and Kurenai both said, understanding.
Tsunade patted Yagyu's shoulder, now 10 cm taller than her, and said, "I thought it was just a growth spurt, but it turns out it's because of this stone."
Kurenai, however, was excited. "So, if Yakumo absorbs the energy from these stones, her condition will improve, and she could become a ninja?"
"If it works as Yagyu says, then yes, there's hope," Tsunade replied, rubbing her chin, though her brow furrowed. "But Yagyu mentioned that these stones also contain natural energy, and unless you're a Sage, absorbing it can cause your body to collapse."
"Unless you can perfectly separate the two energies, even a small amount of natural energy could seriously harm her."
"Of course, there's a one-in-a-million chance she could fuse natural energy with her chakra and create Sage Chakra," Tsunade added.
Kurenai didn't feel discouraged, instead looking at Yagyu with hopeful eyes. "Yagyu, do you have a way?"
"Yeah," Yagyu nodded with a smile. "I'm developing a technique for this, and it's already in the prototype phase. I'll need about three or four years to perfect it."
"Once it's done, I'll be able to transfer the life force from the stones into other people without any side effects."
"That's fantastic!" Kurenai cheered, her joy making her seem as youthful as a girl.
Having witnessed Yagyu's extraordinary talent in ninjutsu, neither she nor Tsunade doubted his words.
Kurenai immediately went to Yakumo's bedside, eager to share the good news.
"Yakumo, did you hear that? You'll be able to become a ninja! Your dream will come true."
"I'm sorry, Kurenai-sensei…" Yakumo opened her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I've been eavesdropping on your conversation. I heard everything."
Kurenai couldn't help but embrace the tragic girl, both of them crying tears of joy.
Yagyu and Tsunade smiled at the scene, then exchanged glances and quietly left the room.
When Kurenai eventually emerged, her face was glowing with happiness.
Ido, Yakumo's inner demon, had been her greatest tormentor, and Yakumo's problems had been Kurenai's greatest burden.
Now that the burden had been lifted, Kurenai's entire demeanor changed, radiating newfound vitality.
"Hokage-sama, how about a drink tonight?" Kurenai asked.
"Sure, I've been looking for someone to drink with! Shizune doesn't drink much, and all these kids are too young. I've been wanting to have a few with you."
"Shall we go to the izakaya?"
"No need, let's go to my place. The izakaya food doesn't compare to what Yagyu can cook."
"Alright, I'll take you up on that," Kurenai agreed.
"Hey, aren't you going to ask me first? I just got back—can't you cut me some slack?" Yagyu protested.
"No!" both women responded in unison.
Through the office window, the Hokage and the special jounin could be seen, both tall, powerful women, each locking an arm around Yagyu's neck in a playful chokehold.
Unwittingly, Yagyu had just received the best double benefit in the world.
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