The Meaning of Holding Your Breath

Having gained a rare insight, Kiba Inuzuka had originally wanted to keep practicing, but when he heard Kurenai Yuhi's voice, he had no choice but to stop.

"Kiba, what are you doing?" Kurenai Yuhi walked over to the riverbank. Although she had already gotten the answer from Hinata Hyuga, she still wanted to hear what Kiba Inuzuka had to say.

Kiba Inuzuka reached up to wipe the droplets from his face and said with a smile, "Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, I'm training."

"Training for what?" A faint smile played on Kurenai Yuhi's lips.

"Practicing holding my breath. I need to go twenty minutes without breathing," Kiba Inuzuka quickly answered.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Um..." Kiba Inuzuka hesitated. Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame had asked him about it before, but he had not explained it clearly. He had only thought of giving them a surprise once he had truly mastered the "Essence of the Sixth Sense."

But now, the one asking was his mentor.

Scratching his head, Kiba Inuzuka ultimately failed to withstand Kurenai Yuhi's direct gaze from those vivid red eyes. "Actually, this was a training goal Ye Fan set for me. Only after I can 'hold my breath for two minutes' can I begin the next stage of training."

"And what is the next stage of training?" Kurenai Yuhi pressed.

"I don't know. Ye Fan didn't tell me."

Kurenai Yuhi studied Kiba Inuzuka with an unusual look in her eyes. She was now rather curious about this person named Ye Fan. What method had he used to make Kiba Inuzuka so obedient?

Although she had not been leading Team 8 for long, she knew each of their personalities very well. In her eyes, Kiba Inuzuka had many strengths, but he also had plenty of flaws. The one that gave her the greatest headache was his tendency to do as he pleased and frequently ignore other people's advice.

Because of Kiba Inuzuka's personality, Kurenai Yuhi had even specifically spoken to his mother. Her reply had been: If that brat won't behave, beat him senseless!

"When I get the chance, I'd really like to meet this 'Ye Fan' you keep talking about," Kurenai Yuhi said with a smile.

She had heard of Inuzuka Ye Fan, but she had never met him.

She truly wanted to know what method Inuzuka Ye Fan had used to make Kiba Inuzuka so obedient.

"What a coincidence, Kurenai Yuhi-sensei. Ye Fan also told me he wanted to meet you!" Kiba Inuzuka hurriedly said.

Kurenai Yuhi was taken aback and quickly asked, "Does he need to see me for something?"

"I'm not sure about that. How about this, Kurenai Yuhi-sensei? I'll go get Ye Fan right now." Kiba Inuzuka looked eager beyond measure, as though he were greatly anticipating the meeting between Ye Fan and Kurenai Yuhi.

Kurenai Yuhi said nothing, tacitly approving Kiba Inuzuka's suggestion.

Just then, to the surprise of everyone present, Ye Fan's voice drifted over from the distance.

"Looks like I arrived at just the right time!"

"Ye Fan!" Seeing Ye Fan race over atop Laiyun, Kiba Inuzuka cried out joyfully.

A white blur flashed past, and Ye Fan had already arrived before the group. Laiyun beneath him instantly became the center of everyone's attention.

For Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame, this was their first time seeing Laiyun, so they could not help being astonished.

Kurenai Yuhi, however, knew Laiyun. At the moment, she wore a thoughtful expression.

"Ye Fan, has Laiyun's injury healed already?" Kiba Inuzuka asked in surprise.

"Not completely." As Ye Fan spoke, he turned his gaze toward Kurenai Yuhi nearby.

He found this female ninja unfamiliar, but he could guess her identity.

"You must be Kurenai Yuhi-sensei. You truly are a stunning beauty. I'm Kiba's brother, Inuzuka Ye Fan." Ye Fan introduced himself with easy confidence.

Kurenai Yuhi had been somewhat distracted, but upon suddenly hearing Ye Fan say that, even someone as worldly as her could not help her cheeks turning faintly red.

"I've heard Kiba mention you." Kurenai Yuhi quickly composed herself and looked Ye Fan over with a scrutinizing gaze.

Rumor had it that Inuzuka Ye Fan suffered from some strange illness, that the chakra in his body was steadily dwindling, and that he had been unable to graduate from the Ninja Academy for several consecutive years. By all rights, a boy like that ought to be insecure or despondent. Yet why did the boy before her give her such a different feeling?

She could actually see brightness and confidence on his face. In particular, the seemingly casual glance from those eyes gave her the illusion that he could see right through her.

With a woman's innate intuition, Kurenai Yuhi felt that the boy before her certainly possessed secrets unknown to others.

"Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, I haven't interrupted you, have I?" Ye Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. Just as Kurenai Yuhi sensed, he was observing the female ninja before him, who had only recently become a Jonin.

Ye Fan had heard Kiba Inuzuka say that their mentor, Kurenai Yuhi, was skilled in genjutsu. If possible, he wanted to experience what it felt like to be caught in genjutsu.

"Ye Fan, you don't know this, but Kurenai Yuhi-sensei just said she wanted to meet you!" Kiba Inuzuka quickly interjected from the side.

"Oh? Kurenai Yuhi-sensei wanted to see me? Is there something you need?" Ye Fan looked at Kurenai Yuhi curiously.

Kurenai Yuhi smiled awkwardly. "It's like this. I'm very curious about Kiba's breath-holding exercise. Can you tell me what this training is for?"

The moment she asked that, both Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame pricked up their ears.

"Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, if you don't mind, let's talk over there." Rather than answer directly, Ye Fan pointed toward an open space in the distance.

Kurenai Yuhi was taken aback, then immediately understood. Ye Fan meant that he did not want the others to hear what they were about to discuss.

Once they reached the spot Ye Fan had indicated, Kurenai Yuhi quickly asked, "Can you tell me now?"

She found the boy increasingly mysterious.

"Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, the training I'm having Kiba do now is meant not only to let him control his chakra more precisely, but more importantly, to temper his character." Ye Fan's expression suddenly grew serious. "Kiba is easily impulsive by nature. If he can't correct that in time, I'm afraid it will get him killed!"

Without beating around the bush, Ye Fan directly explained what worried him most. This was also why he had not directly taught Kiba Inuzuka taijutsu.

Kurenai Yuhi looked at Ye Fan in considerable surprise. She had never imagined that those words would come from a boy who was not even a ninja.

"Your concern is not unfounded. I have the same concern. I've talked to Kiba about it many times, but it never had any effect." Kurenai Yuhi changed the subject and asked curiously, "What I find strange is why Kiba listens to you so well. I've given him training plans before, but he never stuck with them."

"Because I told him that if he followed my advice, he would learn an ability similar to a Bloodline Limit!"

"What?" Kurenai Yuhi was startled. She even suspected that she had misheard him.