One Night (8)

"Too late!" A sneer appeared on the young girl's face.

Holding a drawing board in her left hand and a brush in her right, she gave a light stroke across the board. Ueno Kei, who had already sensed that something was wrong, retreated rapidly before the other two men could even react.

However, just as the girl had said, the world went black for all three of them.

Oh no! Ueno Kei shouted inwardly.

In an instant, he was plunged into an unknown space.

That was not all; Yuhi Kurenai, who had just arrived nearby, seemed to have no power to resist either. Her vision darkened, and she fell into the same predicament as Ueno Kei and the others.

Nara Shikaku, who had been traveling with Yuhi Kurenai, stared in astonishment as she and the few Chunin suddenly vanished.

A gray, swirling, barrier-like object appeared abruptly in their place. Not knowing what to do, a helpless Nara Shikaku had no choice but to circle the mysterious barrier to investigate the situation first.

On the other side, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen stood on the hill where the cabin housing Kurama Yakumo had been located, his deep eyes scanning the silent forest before him.

"Lord Hokage, all seven Anbu have been found. They were merely subdued and knocked unconscious. One of them used a secret technique and is severely injured, but their life is not in danger."

"Oh?" A flash of surprise crossed Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. He had not expected the Kurama Clan member to show such restraint. A smile soon appeared on his wrinkled face.

He muttered to himself, "It seems there is still room for redemption."

The fact that the Kurama Clan had not killed the Anbu stationed there proved that she had held back. Moreover, the whole incident stemmed from a misunderstanding. Thinking of this, the image of those parents begging him flashed through Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind.

A strange, thunderous boom suddenly echoed, followed by the roar of an unnatural, monstrous creature.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned exceptionally grim; a feeling of extreme unease suddenly gripped his heart.

Pitch black and empty—that was Ueno Kei's current sensation. Once he fell into this inexplicable place, he knew he was in trouble. The only thing he was certain of was that he hadn't moved himself. While space-time ninjutsu existed, Ueno Kei refused to believe that any of the people present had the ability to cast it.

In Ueno Kei's understanding, that was a realm accessible only to those with Kage-level strength or special Kekkei Genkai.

Gripping the Lingyu Blade tightly, Ueno Kei squinted at the unusual situation.

He found that he seemed to have fallen into a space similar to the one he had encountered when he first obtained the Lingyu Blade, yet it felt different.

Genjutsu! Ueno Kei's eyes narrowed.

Recalling the fear those two men had shown toward the girl and their conversation, there was no doubt he had fallen into her Genjutsu.

However, it seemed different from the Genjutsu Ueno Kei understood. He knew he couldn't act rashly, but sitting still and waiting for death wasn't his style.

"Who's there!" Sensing something, Ueno Kei exploded chakra into his feet and leaped away from his original spot. The Lingyu Blade, as if sensing its master's vigilance, began to hum softly.

"Child, don't worry. I am a Konoha Jonin, Yuhi Kurenai!"

Ueno Kei stared in astonishment at the female ninja who had suddenly appeared. She had black curly hair, fiery red eyes, a curvaceous figure, and a gentle smile. Although Ueno Kei did not recognize her, the Konoha forehead protector on her brow was unmistakable.

Furthermore, Ueno Kei could feel that this female ninja clearly harbored no malice.

"Konoha Academy student Ueno Kei greets Jonin Yuhi!" Ueno Kei sheathed his blade and spoke respectfully. Although he didn't know the strength of this mysterious woman, since she claimed to be a Konoha Jonin, she certainly wouldn't be lying to him.

Ueno Kei could also sense the powerful aura emanating from her, which put him slightly at ease. She had to be a genuine Jonin.

Yuhi Kurenai smiled gently. "Kei, you don't need to be so formal. By the way, how did you end up here?"

As for how Yuhi Kurenai appeared here, it was because Kurama Yakumo, when facing her uncle and great-uncle, could no longer endure their faces. Past grievances and present resentment collided, causing Kurama Yakumo to explode instantly and unleash her Five Senses Genjutsu.

She had forcibly dragged everyone within a certain range into this mysterious space, and Yuhi Kurenai, who had just arrived in the mountain range where Satomi Hill Villa was located, had been abruptly pulled in as well.

Yuhi Kurenai, who had suddenly shifted spaces, showed no panic.

She merely looked at the abruptly changed environment with a bitter smile. "As expected, it's that thing inside the child..."

Yuhi Kurenai shook her head. As a newly promoted Jonin, although she wasn't qualified to know some secrets, as one of Konoha's few masters of Genjutsu, she was very well-informed about the Kurama Clan.

Because she was that girl's teacher—Kurama Yakumo's first and only teacher of Genjutsu.

Yakumo, please don't do anything foolish again. The image of the frail, stubborn girl standing before her two years ago flashed through Yuhi Kurenai's mind.

A flash of pity crossed her eyes. She still remembered the tragedy from two years ago vividly, and she did not want such a tragedy to happen to that child again.

Immediately, Yuhi Kurenai scanned the surroundings and quickly formed hand seals.

"Hah!" Yuhi Kurenai shouted in a low voice, slamming her palm onto the ground. A mysterious, profound formation flashed and vanished.

"Found it!" A hint of joy crossed Yuhi Kurenai's face. Then, as if she knew the way, she headed straight in one direction without hesitation.

Not long after becoming Kurama Yakumo's teacher two years ago, Yuhi Kurenai had once entered a similar space. During that incident, the Kurama Clan's ancestral home had been burned down, and Kurama Yakumo's parents had died.

Yuhi Kurenai was already somewhat familiar with this space.

Originally, she had intended to go straight to Kurama Yakumo to resolve the incident directly, but on the way, she had sensed a trace of different chakra. Moved by this, she had taken a slight detour to reach Ueno Kei.

That was why Yuhi Kurenai had appeared before Ueno Kei at this moment.

Regarding Yuhi Kurenai's question, Ueno Kei did not hide anything. He explained concisely how he had been training there and had been inexplicably dragged in by the Anbu.

Yuhi Kurenai nodded thoughtfully. She could tell that the boy before her was not lying. Although Satomi Hill Villa was a place used to keep Kurama Yakumo under house arrest, villagers were not forbidden from entering the mountain range itself, as long as they did not approach the villa.

Yuhi Kurenai felt a slight sense of apology toward Ueno Kei, who had been dragged in for no reason, as the girl was her student.

"Kei-kun, this space was created by Yakumo using her own chakra. Under normal circumstances, one must either find a weak point in the space to break through and leave, or use chakra several times stronger than Yakumo's to forcibly shatter the space."

"Shatter the space? Isn't this a Genjutsu?" Ueno Kei asked with slight surprise.

Yuhi Kurenai shook her head and explained, "You could call it a Genjutsu, but Yakumo is a genius of the Kurama Clan. Her talent is the ability to turn Genjutsu into reality. That is what makes Yakumo truly terrifying."

Hearing Yuhi Kurenai's words, the corners of Ueno Kei's mouth twitched slightly. Turning into reality? There was such a Genjutsu?