Yuhi Kurenai

Namikaze Minato had become the Fourth Hokage in his early twenties, a civilian-born genius who had risen above the entrenched elites of the ninja clans and defeated the renowned Kage Level powerhouses Orochimaru and Jiraiya. It wasn't because Jiraiya was his teacher or because his wife was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He had earned the title through sheer battlefield merit and his contributions when he'd turned the tide.

With the Flying Thunder God Technique's uncanny speed and the Rasengan's one-hit lethality, his killing efficiency was downright terrifying.

Sometimes, other ninja squads would fight for hours or face off for days without securing a victory, while he could reap dozens of lives in minutes, tipping the local battlefield in Konoha's favor.

In the Third Shinobi World War, he alone was responsible for nearly a third of the enemy casualties.

Konoha had been beaten to the brink of collapse, yet still managed to hold its own against the other ninja villages, and the war had ended quickly. On the surface, the turning point had been the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, which cut off Iwagakure's supply lines. But the deeper reason was that all four of the other great ninja villages had realized that continuing to fight Namikaze Minato cost far more than it was worth. It was no longer a war, but a one-sided slaughter.

The war had made Minato famous overnight, but it had also earned him enemies in every major ninja village.

While Minato was alive, none of them dared even think of revenge.

After all, during the war, the leaders of the various ninja villages had issued an unprecedented order: if they encountered Namikaze Minato, they could abandon their mission and retreat without punishment. The fact that a group of ninjas, whose very duty was to obey orders, had been granted permission to flee showed just how deeply they feared him.

But once Minato was dead, if they learned that Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, was his son and had also inherited the Uzumaki Clan's constitution, they would find a way to send the information back, even if it meant risking exposure as a long-term undercover agent.

First, for revenge. Second, to prevent Naruto from growing up into another Yellow Flash—someone his enemies couldn't handle and feared at the mere mention of his name.

Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure might have various reasons to hold back and avoid starting a war.

But Kumogakure's greedy, unscrupulous thieves would never pass up an opportunity like this.

In Konoha Year 44, they kidnapped Kushina, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

In Konoha Year 53, during peace talks, they kidnapped Hyuga Hinata, the future head of the Hyuga Clan.

When they were discovered, they even turned around and demanded an explanation from Konoha, forcing the Hyuga Clan to send Hizashi Hyuga as a scapegoat to avert war.

Qiushui could practically picture it: if Naruto's identity were exposed in the morning, by the afternoon the Fourth Raikage would have sent an envoy to visit Konoha—and kidnap Naruto.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was no longer the God of Shinobi whose name had once shaken the Shinobi World. He was just an old man in his twilight years. Nor was Konoha as prosperous and rich in talent as it had been in years past. Three consecutive Shinobi World Wars had drained the strongest ninja village dry.

As Hokage, he had too much to consider.

The village's drastically diminished strength and its very survival left no room for mistakes. There was no one left who could step in and save Konoha if things went wrong.

Qiushui understood some of Sarutobi Hiruzen's decisions, but that didn't mean he agreed with all of them. In his view, there were better ways to handle things. But for now, he had little influence, and speaking up would make no difference.

In any world, overwhelming strength was one of the most important things that made people trust and support you.

Saturday morning, 7:30.

Qiushui woke up but didn't hurry to get dressed or wash up. Instead, he formed a hand seal.

With a soft pop, a clone identical to him appeared in the room. Rubbing its eyes and yawning, it sat down at the desk of its own accord, spread out some manuscript paper, and began writing a novel.

As Qiushui pulled on his jacket, he marveled inwardly: Senju Tobirama really was a genius.

The Shadow Clone Technique was an incredible trick for staying home, traveling, killing and looting, or slacking off.

In battle, it could serve as a decoy to fool the enemy. In everyday life, it was even more absurdly useful. He could leave a clone behind to write a novel while his real body went out to take care of business. When the clone dispersed, everything it had written and every idea it had came back to him. It was like getting the work done without doing anything himself.

Back when he had little chakra, his clones would disappear after three to five days at most. But now that his chakra reserves had surged, he could keep one going for about two months, as long as he didn't send it into battle.

Is this the joy of having lots of chakra? Qiushui thought happily.

As soon as Qiushui opened the door, he saw a tall, alluring woman stepping out of the room next door. She seemed just as surprised to see him.

Without thinking, he gave her a quick once-over.

Her slightly wavy hair fell lazily around her shoulders, making her delicate features look even more striking. His gaze traveled lower, taking in her mature, curvaceous figure, perfectly accentuated by a well-tailored dress. Beneath the hem were two long, shapely legs. But most striking of all were her beautiful ruby-red eyes.

"Senior Kurenai," Qiushui greeted her.

He and Yuhi Kurenai had gone on a mission together before, so they knew each other and got along fairly well.

"Qiushui, long time no see." Yuhi Kurenai smiled, looking a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Qiushui explained with a smile, "I became a teacher at the academy this year. I wanted to live closer to it, so I rented a place here."

The academy dormitory was free, but the rooms were tiny, which made a lot of things inconvenient. He didn't want to come home from work every day and be cooped up in such a small space. Now that he was a teacher, his life was more settled, so two days before the new term began, he'd found an agent and rented this 120-square-meter apartment within the Third Ring Road. The rent was 50,000 ryo a month. It was a little expensive, but much more comfortable.

"You became a teacher?" Surprise flashed in Yuhi Kurenai's eyes, then she nodded. "That seems like a good fit for you. It's certainly more stable than living rough out in the field on missions."

When Yuhi Kurenai had worked with Qiushui on a mission, she'd found his skills rather average. His only strengths, aside from being handsome, were that he followed orders in battle and had solid fundamentals. Becoming a teacher really was a good choice.

Academy teachers earned far less than ninjas who went on missions, but their income was steady. Besides, most of the ninjas who earned good money were elite Chunin and Jonin with strong abilities. Ordinary Chunin and Genin sometimes made even less than academy teachers.

Qiushui gently closed the door and went downstairs with Yuhi Kurenai. Turning his head toward her, he asked, "You're out early, Senior Kurenai. Are you heading out of the village on another mission?"