Confrontation with Kurenai Yuhi

"Hahaha, Qingshui, I really feel like you're a great friend of mine."

Under Qingshui's deliberate flattery, Asuma Sarutobi felt a bit carried away.

Due to his status, he was no stranger to being fawned over.

Many commoners were sycophantic, driven by the natural disparity in their social standing.

However, the easier something is to obtain, the less one tends to value it.

Those commoners were weak, far inferior to Asuma Sarutobi in strength.

But now, he had a comparison in a genius student from the Ninja Academy—Uchiha Shimizu!

With almost no weaknesses and top-tier ability in every category, praise from someone like this carried the most weight and was the most gratifying.

"Qingshui, you're strong too. You might even become a medical ninja on par with Tsunade; you'll be a leaf that shades the sky."

Asuma Sarutobi swallowed a piece of grilled meat, speaking with his mouth full.

He had once overheard a conversation between his father, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and his mother, Biwako Sarutobi, while eating at home.

According to his mother, Qingshui seemed to have a high aptitude for medical ninjutsu, and the captain of the Medical Team had been teaching him in that field.

"Not at all, not at all. The secret Fire Style of the Sarutobi Clan is on par with our Uchiha Clan. You'll be better than me in combat, Asuma; I can only play around with medical ninjutsu and handle logistics. When it comes to the critical moments, we'll have to rely on you."

Qingshui and Asuma Sarutobi engaged in a bout of mutual flattery.

In the distance, Kurenai Yuhi saw them chatting so harmoniously and felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

The Yuhi Clan could not compare to either the Sarutobi Clan or the Uchiha Clan; they were just a small, sparsely populated ninja clan that relied entirely on her father's strength to hold its own.

Clap!

Kurenai Yuhi slammed her iron chopsticks onto the table.

"I'm going to the restroom."

Before leaving, Kurenai Yuhi glanced back at Qingshui, the meaning in her eyes self-evident.

"Kurenai, what's wrong with her?"

Asuma Sarutobi sighed that a woman's heart is as deep as the sea; no wonder the old man was nagged by his mother every day.

"Perhaps she's feeling unwell."

Qingshui raised a glass of orange juice, downed it in one gulp, and added:

"I'm going to the restroom too."

"What is going on with you two? There's still so much meat left. Don't tell me you've got upset stomachs."

"I'll be back soon."

Qingshui waved his hand.

Asuma Sarutobi watched Qingshui walk toward the restroom, frowning as he picked up a piece of grilled meat and sniffed it.

The scent was fine, nothing unusual, and his own stomach felt perfectly normal.

"I'll just eat more, then."

Asuma Sarutobi sped up, picking up several more pieces of meat and stuffing them into his mouth.

Since he was the one who had invited Kurenai Yuhi and Uchiha Shimizu to dinner, he couldn't ask them to split the bill, so he had to pay.

To get his money's worth and avoid waste, Asuma Sarutobi decided to eat his fill.

While Asuma Sarutobi was busy, Kurenai Yuhi and Qingshui were not idle in the restroom corridor.

"I've just learned a very powerful technique!"

Kurenai Yuhi crossed her arms and held her head high.

Her soft voice was crisp and filled with confidence.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Qingshui nodded.

He studied Kurenai Yuhi intently.

She wore a pink dress adorned with small flowers, a thin ribbon tied around her waist, and the flowing hem of the skirt revealed her small red shoes.

Her long, curly hair was held back by a small hair clip embedded with tiny beads, making her look even more lively and adorable.

"Stop staring at me."

Kurenai Yuhi keenly felt Qingshui's gaze wandering over her clothes, which annoyed her slightly.

"Are you feeling smug right now? Well, you won't be for long!"

Seeing Kurenai Yuhi's overreaction, Qingshui's lips curled upward:

"What happens if you lose?"

"Hmph, impossible."

Kurenai Yuhi hadn't been idle these past two years; she had been training diligently every day, and in order to practice genjutsu, her training in other areas had even fallen behind.

The return on that investment was a significant boost to his genjutsu capabilities.

"If you make me wear such an embarrassing skirt and you lose, you have to promise me that not only will you admit the Yuhi Clan's genjutsu isn't weak, but you'll also grant me one request."

"Any request will do, let's just start."

Uchiha Shimizu cut Kurenai Yuhi off.

With his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and Byakugan, it was impossible for him to lose to Kurenai Yuhi.

Although Kurenai Yuhi worked very hard, it was a pity that this was a world that valued bloodlines.

Without relying on bloodlines, the highest level one could reach was the likes of Perfect Sage Kabuto, Gate of Death Guy, or Nine-Tails Mode Minato.

Of course, Minato wasn't weak during his lifetime, but he wasn't that strong either; in the later decisive battles, he could barely serve as support.

"Genjutsu: Three Absolute Cherry Blossoms!"

Kurenai Yuhi crouched halfway to the ground, and instantly, countless pink petals appeared, drifting through the air.

The entire restroom corridor seemed to transform into a kingdom of cherry blossoms, while Kurenai Yuhi's figure vanished from within them.

Whoosh!

With the sound of air being sliced, Kurenai Yuhi attacked from Uchiha Shimizu's side.

Uchiha Shimizu dodged slightly and pressed one hand onto Kurenai Yuhi's wrist, his immense strength forcing her to stop in her tracks, unable to advance an inch.

Just as Uchiha Shimizu parted his lips, about to say something, a pair of hands reached out from beneath his feet, gripping his ankles tightly.

Bang.

The two Kurenai Yuhi figures glowed faintly, turning crystalline before exploding.

"Genjutsu: Mirage, is it?"

This technique used genjutsu to create an image of oneself; as soon as anything approached the image, it would trigger a pursuit, and upon contact, it would generate a crystal shield.

"Demonic Illusion: Sharingan."

Uchiha Shimizu's eyes instantly spun, three black tomoe swirling within his crimson pupils before settling back into stillness as black irises.

Once the crystal explosion subsided, Uchiha Shimizu remained completely unharmed.

These things were all genjutsu—in other words, a clash of spirits—and had no impact on reality.

Of course, this was only because Uchiha Shimizu had used his Sharingan to break the technique.

If one were to take that hit head-on, Kurenai Yuhi's chakra would interfere with the target's brain, deceiving their senses and making the brain believe the body had truly suffered massive explosive damage.

The target would immediately lose the ability to act and feel immense pain.

The brain's influence on the human body was significant; some people who had lost limbs still felt pain in those areas, a phenomenon known as phantom limb pain caused by the brain's illusions.

"How could he break my genjutsu so directly?"

Hidden within the cherry blossom petals, Kurenai Yuhi was shocked to see Uchiha Shimizu standing there without a scratch.

"Is that all you have?"

Uchiha Shimizu looked disappointed.

Hearing this, Kurenai Yuhi grew increasingly nervous; the technique she had used was easily neutralized by Uchiha Shimizu.

What kind of powerful technique would Uchiha Shimizu use now?

Bang.

The world constructed by the genjutsu collapsed with a roar.

Kurenai Yuhi, who had been hiding among the petals, found herself back in reality before she even realized it.

Uchiha Shimizu stepped forward, bracing one hand against the wall and cornering Kurenai Yuhi.

He stroked her curled hair and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Kurenai Yuhi's body tensed; at this distance, she could even feel Uchiha Shimizu's heartbeat, and the scent of the opposite sex wafted toward her.