Kurama Yakumo

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked expectantly, "Is it the Puzzle Ball?"

"No... Lord Hokage, could you stop coveting my Puzzle Ball? It's not for sale."

Masayo complained helplessly.

"Then what did you carve this time? Could it be even better than that Puzzle Ball of yours?"

Hearing that it was not the Puzzle Ball, Hiruzen Sarutobi lost some interest. Even master sculptors responsible for carving Hokage Rock had conceded defeat before Masayo's carvings, with their layers linked one within another. Not to mention that Masayo had carved nineteen layers. In his heart, he had long acknowledged Masayo as the greatest sculptor.

"You definitely won't be disappointed, Lord Hokage. In that case, I'll be going. Bye. I'm off to welcome the final member of Team 12."

After vanishing with Wind Body Flicker, Masayo returned with a dark expression, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to ask curiously, "What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

"Um..."

Masayo's face reddened as he looked to the side. "Lord Hokage, you still haven't told me where Red Sis's Survival Trial is. I can't do this without her help."

Hiruzen Sarutobi: ...

"Holy shit, you have moments like this too?"

Having picked up Masayo's way of speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi blurted out a curse and stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

At one in the afternoon, Masayo invited Kurenai Yuhi, who had also finished her Survival Trial, to a restaurant for a meal and took the opportunity to explain the situation.

"Yakumo? Masayo, wait, who did you say? Who did Lord Hokage assign to your Team 12?"

Kurenai Yuhi became agitated, her voice rising several degrees. Fortunately, Masayo had prepared beforehand and booked a private room.

"Kurama Yakumo of the Kurama Clan. Red Sis, you mentioned her to me before. To be honest, Lord Hokage gave me quite a scare at first, but I agreed in the end."

The moment Masayo finished speaking, Kurenai Yuhi glared at him without hesitation. "No. Yakumo can't be a ninja at all. Her body is far too weak; even a little training exhausts her. Masayo, hurry and ask Lord Hokage to take back his order."

Masayo shook his head. "I want to, too, but Lord Hokage has already decided. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Red Sis, I've learned the Spirit Transformation Jutsu. As long as we explain everything clearly and get rid of the monster Idō in her heart, it'll all be over."

To be honest, Masayo was not entirely confident either. He did not know whether he could deal with Idō. In his memories, this seemed to be the only time the protagonist had not been involved. There was simply too much to remember; even though he had seen it all, he could not recall every minor detail. For example, if Hiruzen Sarutobi had not shown him a photograph, he would not even have known who Hiruzen Sarutobi was talking about.

"But I failed her expectations!"

Kurenai Yuhi's pupils trembled as she continued, "Her physical condition was too poor. Even though she had extraordinary talent for genjutsu, her body was too weak. I advised her not to become a ninja because it would put her life at risk. I already told you about what happened afterward."

Masayo said nothing, allowing Kurenai Yuhi to calm down.

The Kurama Clan was an ancient family of Konohagakure. They specialized in genjutsu, and every few generations, someone capable of using the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai genjutsu would appear. Like the Uchiha Clan of old, they had once been a major force in Konoha. Later, as no ninjas awakened their Kekkei Genkai, the clan gradually declined and had now become an inconspicuous minor family in Konoha.

Kurama Yakumo was the most gifted Kekkei Genkai wielder in the Kurama Clan's history. Yet heaven envied genius. Yakumo had been frail since childhood, becoming exhausted after training for only a short while. Because of this, she had not even attended the Ninja Academy. Her parents hired Kurenai Yuhi as her private tutor.

Even so, Masayo really wanted to complain, Red Sis, your genjutsu may not be weak, but could you really teach Kurama Yakumo? Hiruzen Sarutobi's real purpose was probably to make you Yakumo's caretaker. You just messed it up.

Of course, Masayo could not say that aloud. He feared Kurenai Yuhi would truly start crying. What he needed to do now was persuade her to clear up the misunderstanding with Kurama Yakumo.

Back then, after Kurenai Yuhi met Kurama Yakumo, she worried about Yakumo's health and urged her to give up on becoming a ninja and live an ordinary life. Yakumo's parents felt the same way. They did not want her excessive efforts to further worsen her already fragile health.

However, Kurama Yakumo was the only person in several generations to awaken the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai, and her clansmen had placed great hopes upon her. Yakumo trained hard for the sake of the entire Kurama Clan, but Kurenai Yuhi's and her parents' lack of understanding created a huge emotional divide. Thus resentment took root, giving birth to a monster named Idō, a creature filled with desire and vengeance.

One day, after Kurama Yakumo once again failed to gain her parents' permission to become a ninja, the other self within her, Idō, the monster filled with desire and vengeance, broke free from its mental shackles. It burned down their home, and Yakumo's parents perished in the flames.

Kurama Yakumo's self-protection mechanism made her completely forget that part of her history. She mistakenly believed Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent people to assassinate her and her parents. Thus, she harbored deep hatred toward Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Hokage, and she was also extremely cold toward Kurenai Yuhi, who had continued visiting her.

Later, after overhearing a conversation between Kurenai Yuhi and Hiruzen Sarutobi, she came to another mistaken conclusion. Even when Kurenai Yuhi sealed Idō, Kurama Yakumo believed she was being persecuted. In the end, she was confined in Hill Villa, where she remained until now. After learning that Masayo had mastered the Spirit Transformation Jutsu, Hiruzen Sarutobi believed Masayo could suppress Kurama Yakumo. Along with his teaching ability, Hiruzen Sarutobi hoped Yakumo would be able to control her power.

"Red Sis, once the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything will be fine. We had no way to eliminate Idō before, but I do now. You also hope Yakumo can become a ninja, don't you? Like Senior Guy and Rock Lee."

Masayo continued persuading Kurenai Yuhi to tell Kurama Yakumo the truth so they could completely deal with Idō. Honestly, Masayo also wanted to study how the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai, which controlled the five senses, actually worked. He always felt it was somehow related to Yin–Yang Release.

As for why Shimura Danzō, who had been suppressed by Hiruzen Sarutobi so thoroughly that he could barely lift his head, had not made a move against Kurama Yakumo, it was definitely because he did not dare. That genjutsu capable of controlling the five senses was truly terrifying. That old bastard Danzo was likely afraid that if Kurama Yakumo lost control one day, she would wipe out Root entirely.