Kurenai Yuhi

At Su Yu's house.

Hinata Hyuga sat in front of the low table.

Su Yu brought over two cups of hot tea. He set one in front of himself and the other in front of Hinata Hyuga.

"Thank you," Hinata Hyuga said softly.

"You're welcome." Su Yu sat across from Hinata Hyuga.

Hinata Hyuga cupped the hot tea and took a sip.

Then she seemed to burn herself.

"This world runs on strength. I can't accept your confession just now. It's not because of you, but because of me. You'll understand what I mean someday." Su Yu looked at Hinata Hyuga and gave her his answer.

"Y-you don't like me?" Hinata Hyuga lowered her head.

"I do. Right now, you're my favorite girl," Su Yu said without hesitation.

"Then why...?"

"Give me some time. I'll explain. When the time comes, you might be afraid of me, or you might hate me." Su Yu took her small hand.

"Afraid of you or hate you?" Hinata Hyuga couldn't quite understand what Su Yu meant.

Su Yu didn't explain further. He let go of her hand and began explaining his new understanding of taijutsu.

Hinata Hyuga listened intently.

As the sun set.

In the courtyard of Su Yu's house.

He was giving Hinata Hyuga pointers when Uzuki Yugao arrived.

Uzuki Yugao looked surprised to see Hinata Hyuga.

Hinata Hyuga quickly bowed.

"Here's your share." Uzuki Yugao handed Su Yu an envelope.

"Thank you." Su Yu knew it was his payment for the mission in the Land of Waves.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Uzuki Yugao asked.

"Not yet," Su Yu replied, shaking his head.

Hinata Hyuga's face flushed slightly.

"If you become an Anbu captain, the head of the Hyuga Clan probably won't object," Uzuki Yugao reminded him.

"I'll work toward that goal." Su Yu understood what Uzuki Yugao meant.

Hinata Hyuga's face grew even redder, and she turned her head away.

"There's a month left until the Chunin Ninja Exams. The Anbu also hold their own Chunin assessment. Which will you choose?" Uzuki Yugao asked after a moment's hesitation.

"I want to become a Chunin as soon as possible," Su Yu answered without hesitation.

"The Anbu's Chunin assessment is very difficult. You'll face current Anbu Chunin, and you might even have to escape from an elite jonin." Uzuki Yugao looked at Su Yu.

"In a one-on-one fight, I don't think I'd lose to any Chunin or jonin." Su Yu met Uzuki Yugao's gaze.

"Confidence is a good thing, but you still need to be careful. Come find me when you're ready." With that, Uzuki Yugao disappeared.

Su Yu looked at the spot where Uzuki Yugao had vanished.

"S-Su Yu, are you going to join the Anbu?" Hinata Hyuga asked.

"I'm not joining the Anbu. I just want to become a Chunin. Come on, I'll walk you home." Su Yu took Hinata Hyuga's small hand.

With Su Yu holding her hand, Hinata Hyuga didn't ask anything else.

The two made their way to the Hyuga Clan compound.

Su Yu watched Hinata Hyuga go inside, then turned and left.

The Anbu's Chunin assessment would certainly require the Third Hokage's approval. In other words, the Third Hokage already knew how strong he really was.

He could pass the assessment now.

But what if one of the new achievements required him to defeat a Chunin or a jonin...?

So he had to become a Chunin first.

That would be simple enough.

Train, extract chakra, eat, and replenish the energy he'd used.

Become a Chunin within a week. Su Yu silently set himself the goal.

Five days later.

In the forest near Konoha.

Su Yu was eating grilled meat.

He'd spent all five days in the forest.

At night, when he slept, his two Shadow Clones kept watch beside him.

He'd been training almost every moment.

Even so, it had taken him five days to reach a Chunin's chakra level.

A new achievement list had appeared.

1. Use an offensive ninjutsu once

2. Learn the Shadow Clone Technique (Completed)

3. Defeat a Chunin once

4. Reach proficient taijutsu level (Completed)

5. Learn Sealing Jutsu

6. Learn Medical Ninjutsu

7. Use a Fire Style ninjutsu

8. Use a Wind Style ninjutsu

9. Use a Water Style ninjutsu

10. Complete all the achievements above.

After looking over the new achievements, Su Yu's first thought was that they were strange.

Was this trying to turn him into an all-around ninja?

He could set aside the offensive ninjutsu for now. Sealing Jutsu and Medical Ninjutsu both required specialized training.

Konoha had a dedicated medical ninja department as well as a Sealing Squad. If he tried to learn both, he might not have enough time, and understanding the material would be difficult.

Sealing Jutsu and Medical Ninjutsu weren't things he could learn in a day or two.

If he was going to study them, he should focus on skills he would actually need.

For example, a Sealing Jutsu capable of sealing a Tailed Beast, along with the Chakra Scalpel and healing techniques.

Medical Ninjutsu was manageable, but a Sealing Jutsu capable of sealing a Tailed Beast was far beyond his level.

Unless he could become an Anbu Ninja guarding the Hokage Office during Konoha's Collapse.

But that seemed unlikely.

By the time Su Yu left the forest.

It was exactly noon.

He went to Uzuki Yugao's residence.

She had given him the address before he went to the forest.

Uzuki Yugao and Kurenai Yuhi lived in the same apartment building.

Su Yu stood outside the door and knocked.

A short while later.

Uzuki Yugao opened the door.

Su Yu saw how she was dressed and froze.

Then he turned his head away.

"Teacher Uzuki Yugao, could you get dressed before opening the door? I don't want people to get the wrong idea."

"..." Uzuki Yugao.

She had just finished bathing. When she heard the knock, she'd come to the door wearing only a towel, never expecting Su Yu to be there.

It really wasn't appropriate to greet one of her subordinates dressed like that.

Uzuki Yugao shut the door.

A few minutes later.

She opened it again, now dressed in a Konoha Ninja uniform.

"Are you ready to take the Chunin assessment?"

Su Yu nodded.

"Then come with me," Uzuki Yugao said seriously.

They left the building, one after the other.

When they reached the ground floor.

They happened to run into Kurenai Yuhi.

Uzuki Yugao saw Kurenai Yuhi and hesitated for a moment before stopping her.

"Is something wrong?" Kurenai Yuhi asked, puzzled.

"Jonin Kurenai Yuhi, you're a genjutsu master. Could I ask you to assess my subordinate?" Uzuki Yugao fixed her gaze on Kurenai Yuhi.

"Assess your subordinate?" Kurenai Yuhi was taken aback.

"Su Yu has already reached Chunin level. I specifically applied for him to take the Anbu's Chunin assessment, and we need a jonin to make it more difficult," Uzuki Yugao explained briefly.

"The Anbu's Chunin assessment!" Kurenai Yuhi exclaimed in surprise.

She knew that Su Yu, like Hinata Hyuga, had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy as a Genin.

She hadn't expected Su Yu to be ready for the Anbu's Chunin assessment.

He had to be the fastest of all the newly graduated Genin to reach Chunin level.

With that thought, Kurenai Yuhi didn't hesitate.

"No problem. I'll assess Su Yu."