Shizune's words caught Senya somewhat off guard, yet somehow, not entirely.
He was surprised because of Kurenai's gentle nature. It was hard for him to imagine what kind of change she could have undergone for even Shizune to find it surprising.
He was not surprised because the position Kurenai now held would inevitably make her increasingly tough.
This piqued Senya's curiosity. He glanced at the sun outside. It had only just risen.
Originally, he had planned to hand the role of first-round examiner to Mori no Ibiki or Hyuga Hiashi. After all, the first round needed to test the genin's temperament and ability to gather intelligence.
But now, it seemed there was still plenty of time. He could use it to visit Kurenai and see how she was doing.
He could also ask what she thought about this examination. If possible, letting Kurenai handle the first round would not be a bad idea.
After all, although Kurenai was the weakest among the few of them, she was still unquestionably at jōnin level within Konoha. She was more than capable of overseeing the first round.
But that was only if Kurenai had the ability for it.
With that in mind, Senya bid Shizune farewell and headed toward western Konoha.
Senya leaped from rooftop to rooftop, observing the changes along the village's western streets. He had not noticed them when looking down from Kageyama, but now that he was passing through in person, he realized this place had changed considerably.
The roads had doubled in width, while the shops on either side had gone from single-story buildings to multi-level structures. Merchants from different villages could be seen haggling and conducting business along the streets.
The few buildings Yamato had initially constructed with Wood Release had also undergone earth-shaking changes. They had been