The Blushing Maiden

"It's all right, Mom. I don't blame you..."

Tears welled at the corners of Kurama Yakumo's eyes.

But the Illusionary Realm didn't end.

Her younger self was no longer standing gently amid the flames. Instead, she moved without warning.

She lunged forward, swift as a ghost. Blow after blow struck Yakumo.

Every touch brought pain. It wasn't Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, but pain so real it was unbearable.

"Ugh... ah!"

Kurama Yakumo cried out in alarm as she was hurled heavily to the ground. Her collar slipped, revealing a streak of blood across her collarbone. She tried to get up, but could barely breathe.

"You should never have been born."

"They died because of you."

Her younger self whispered in her ear, her voice soft and sweet.

Yakumo's breathing turned ragged. Cold sweat trickled down her temple. Her body wouldn't obey her, and even her voice trembled.

Just as she was about to lose all hope,

a familiar voice broke into the Illusionary Realm.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Yakumo's eyes widened. The voice was like a faint glimmer cutting through the darkness.

She slowly raised her head and saw a familiar figure.

The man wore a mask. He approached at an unhurried pace.

"If you like fire so much, I'll use it to send you to the Yellow Springs."

The next moment, he formed a Hand Seal with one hand and lightly tapped his fingertips together.

Flames ignited inside her younger self.

Amid the fire, she kept changing form. One moment she was a monster; the next, she was herself again, her eyes vacant.

"AAAAAH—!!!"

"Why are you still alive?!"

"What gives you the right to still be here?!"

Her younger self twisted, struggled, and cried out in the flames. Her voice overlapped again and again, shifting between reality and illusion, until she finally vanished completely with a scream that tore at the soul.

Everything fell silent.

Yakumo collapsed to the ground, her clothes disheveled, her forehead damp, her lips pale. Her body was still trembling, as if she'd just endured a terrible nightmare.

The man approached and crouched beside her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.

At that moment, she could even feel the warmth of his palm passing through her shoulder and reaching her heart. She looked up at him, her voice barely audible. "Thank you..."

"Now that you know the truth, what do you want to do?"

His voice was cold, yet it made her feel safe.

"I... I want to become a ninja and revive the Kurama Clan."

Rei chuckled softly. His fingertips slid gently away from her shoulder, neither quickly nor slowly. "If you want to become a ninja, you'll have to wait. I'll help you in three days, if you can wait that long."

Yakumo bit her lip, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. She sat up, unaware that her collar had shifted, revealing a glimpse of pale skin.

Uchiha Rei's gaze seemed to sweep over it briefly before turning away.

"But," Rei said lazily, "you're the only one left in the Kurama Clan. How do you plan to revive it? Like the Kaguya? By... reproducing?"

"W-what!" Yakumo's face turned bright red. She hurriedly pulled her collar closed and stammered, "It's not... it's not that kind of thing!"

The man found her flustered scrambling rather amusing.

"I... I heard there are still some members of the clan living among other clans. They're not very strong, but they still have Kurama blood."

"If... if you're willing, my lord, I can summon them here right now."

"Good." He stood up. "My time is precious. I don't like waiting."

Yakumo nodded and took out a Sealing Scroll, carefully unfolding it.

"Whoosh—"

The scroll spun up into the air. Blue flames flashed, then the light faded.

"Is the young lady summoning us?"

"What young lady? She's just a cripple. She's not even a ninja. Why should we listen to her?"

"Why so late? What happened?"

The wandering ninjas living outside the clan soon received the message.

They began making their way to Kurama Yakumo's private estate.

Time passed quickly. The Anbu and Chunin guarding Kurama Yakumo had already fallen under Genjutsu and been knocked out.

The wandering ninjas of the Kurama Clan soon gathered in the hall of the private estate.

From the shadows, Uchiha Rei quietly watched everything below. His eyes were cold behind his mask.

"Too weak..." he murmured.

Most of them were no more than Genin. Only two were the strongest.

One was a purple-haired girl with cool eyes and soft features, her brows resembling Yakumo's. Her name was Kurama Yui, Yakumo's older cousin.

The other was a white-haired old man named Kurama Kotaro. He'd supposedly been a genius in his youth, but age had caught up with him. At best, he was an elite Chunin.

In the hall, Kurama Yakumo spoke with everyone, explaining that she wanted to rebuild the Kurama Clan.

The crowd discussed it among themselves, and soon turned their attention to the two strongest among them.

"We agree. If this goes on, we'll lose even the Kurama name." Yui's clear voice held a note of defiance as she looked at Yakumo with a complicated expression.

"Without a clan, we're like water without roots."

Kotaro sighed as he leaned on his cane. "I also agree that we should support Lady Yakumo in rebuilding the clan... but—who will be in charge?"

"Of course, Lady Yakumo."

At that, everyone turned to look at Yakumo.

"I agree with Lady Yakumo too, but the problem is that she isn't a ninja yet."

Someone spoke up quietly, and a brief silence followed.

"We can rebuild the clan after she becomes a ninja."

"Damn it! You know what condition she's in!"

"I'm thinking of her, too..."

Just then, a voice that made her feel safe sounded softly behind Yakumo.

"Deal with Yui and Kurama Kotaro."

"I'll help you... temporarily regain your Ninjutsu."

Yakumo was taken aback, but the next moment, her eyes suddenly flew open.

The hall shook. A massive tree burst from the ground, its vines whipping wildly as they instantly bound the two strongest people in the room.

"Th-this is—!"

"Lady Yakumo's technique! She can use Ninjutsu!"

Vines coiled around Yui, leaving thin marks like snakes winding around her body.

Yui's face flushed as she gritted her teeth and struggled, but the vines only tightened. Her purple hair hung in disarray, exposing her neck and collarbone, while cold sweat and a shiver gave her skin a taut sheen.

"That's enough." Yakumo spoke calmly, and the technique was released.

The two fell to the floor. Yui's face was flushed, and her breathing hadn't settled; Kotaro, meanwhile, stared at Yakumo in astonishment, with a newfound trace of reverence in his eyes.

"This is the Kurama Clan's unique Kekkei Genkai, Illusion Technique: True-Illusion Fusion," Kotaro said gravely. "Injuries sustained in the illusion are real..."

"...My lady!"

Everyone dropped to one knee, their eyes shining with long-forgotten respect and hope.

The clan members, once scattered and wandering, hungry and cold, had finally found a place to belong again.

No one wanted to be a wandering ninja. Clan ninjas were far stronger.

They had warm homes, wouldn't go hungry, and wouldn't have to worry about making it through tomorrow.

Everyone could see hope.

"Yui, stay. Everyone else, leave for now," Yakumo said quietly.

After everyone left, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Uchiha Rei.

"Who are you?" Yui warily drew her sword. Her body was tense, her stance lowered, and her skin gleamed tautly in the moonlight.

"Stop! He's our senior!" Yakumo hurriedly explained, afraid Yui might rashly attack him.

Yui lowered her sword with a cold expression, but kept her eyes on Rei.

"I want to see how strong you are, my lord." Yui raised her sword again.

"I'd like to see how committed your Kurama Clan is, too," Rei said lightly.

"Stop!" Yakumo stepped between them. "If my senior isn't careful, he'll kill you!"

Rei lifted a finger and flicked it lightly.

"Your sword is pretty good."

As he spoke, the ninja sword in Yui's hand disappeared.

She froze, then instinctively took a step back. Gritting her teeth, she formed Hand Seals and tried to use Invisibility, but the next second she was yanked back out. Her clothes fluttered, exposing a stretch of pale waist.

"You... used Genjutsu!" Her breathing was unsteady, and sweat beaded on her forehead.

Uchiha Rei slowly approached. His gaze beneath the mask seemed so sharp she couldn't bear to meet it.

Yui tried to form Hand Seals again, only to find her body bound, unable to move.

The lash marks from the earlier fight remained on her skin, but under the Genjutsu they quickly peeled away, revealing smooth, pale skin. It was as if the wounds were being stripped away bit by bit, with the pain and sensation all too real.

Her injuries were slowly healing. Genjutsu could affect reality; it was the Kurama Clan's unique Kekkei Genkai.

Her knees gave way, and she instinctively fell to the ground. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, though she couldn't tell if it was embarrassment, anger, or fear.

"Greetings, my lord." Yui lowered her head, a trace of restraint and shyness in her voice.

"You believe me now?" Rei smiled.

"Only you can heal Lady Yakumo's injuries." Yui nodded, her voice firmer now, though her ears remained faintly red.

"I haven't decided to help the Kurama Clan as it stands," Rei said, his gaze sweeping over them both, his tone still indifferent. "You're too weak. But... I'll give you a chance."

"What chance?" Yui's voice tightened, as if she'd sensed something coming. Her eyes trembled, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head. Her voice grew so soft it seemed she was afraid of being overheard. "What does the Kurama Clan have that could catch your eye, senior..." She bit her lip, her gaze flickering as if she wanted to say more but couldn't.

"The Kurama Clan still has some ancestral property. We can offer it to you, my lord..." Yakumo hurriedly added, but paused mid-sentence. She seemed to sense something off about the atmosphere, and looked slightly ill at ease.

"I don't need your wealth." Rei suddenly paused. His voice sank, as if each word were a drumbeat against their hearts. "I only want one person."

"One person?" Yakumo and Yui's expressions changed at the same time. Their eyes met, their faces taking on an indescribable blush.

"I'll give you two days," Rei said coolly.

"Two days... that's so soon..." Yakumo murmured. Her voice trembled slightly as she lowered her head, her hair hiding her flushed cheeks.

Yui's ears had already turned bright red. Her fingers curled slightly into her sleeves, and her throat bobbed, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"I want you to find Uchiha Itachi within two days."

"Itachi?!" Yakumo and Yui looked up at almost the exact same moment, crying out in shock, their voices mingling disbelief with complicated emotions.

"Did he... offend you, my lord?"

"Don't ask. Whether you're rewarded or punished depends on how well you complete the task."

As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Rei's figure warped in the air and quickly vanished.

Silence filled the room. Yui and Yakumo looked at each other.

"Senior... has he really left?" Yui asked softly.

"He should have..." Yakumo replied quietly, though her heart was still trembling.

"Get the clan members together," Yakumo said slowly. "We have to find Uchiha Itachi within two days."

Yui nodded and silently agreed. Yet when she turned away, her eyes lingered on the place where Uchiha Rei had disappeared for a long time.