The Misconception of Perception

Pfft...

Kurama Yakumo drove the paintbrush in her hand hard into Idō's forehead!

"W-why? I was helping you!"

Idō stared at Kurama Yakumo in disbelief. It had been born because of her, and it could not understand why this was happening.

"Whew... what a relief!"

Masayo withdrew the Spirit Transformation Shackles. This technique had been developed based on the Spirit Transformation Jutsu. Perhaps because he had transmigrated, or perhaps for some other reason, the Spirit Transformation Jutsu was exceptionally compatible with him.

Idō let out one final wail and dissipated before everyone's eyes. With Idō gone, Kurama Yakumo's delicate body went limp beyond her control, and Masayo and Kurenai Yuhi hurriedly caught her.

"Masayo, this house...?"

Kurenai Yuhi looked as though she wanted to say something but held back. From the moment he made his move to the end, it had taken less than two minutes. He had really been that direct—once he decided to act, he did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Lord Hokage already knows, so don't worry. Yakumo, meet at the mission hall tomorrow. Sister Kurenai, let Yakumo stay with you for now. It's getting late, and I need to report to Lord Hokage."

Masayo waved a hand, handed a Konoha forehead protector to Kurama Yakumo, then vanished in a Body Flicker. He left behind a speechless Kurenai Yuhi, a bright-eyed Kurama Yakumo clutching the forehead protector, and Hill Villa, which had been reduced to ruins.

The house had been quite large—larger than his own, even. What a pity. Still, the compensation had nothing to do with him. Trying to dock his pay? Not a chance. Why stick around unless he wanted to pay for the damages?

Kurenai Yuhi carried Kurama Yakumo away. With the misunderstanding cleared up and Idō gone, the two returned to how they used to be. However, Kurama Yakumo still could not let go of her parents' deaths. Idō had been born because of her; in other words, her parents had indirectly died by her own hand.

By then, the sky was completely dark. Thick clouds covered the heavens, leaving not even a trace of light visible.

Yet the Hokage's Office remained brightly lit. When Masayo arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been waiting specifically for him.

"Just as I thought, handing this to you was the right choice, Masayo!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief and gestured for Masayo, who was currently kneeling on one knee, to rise. Kurama Yakumo's problem had been giving them a tremendous headache as well.

"Tomorrow, she'll be assigned to Team 12 for missions. But is there really no solution to her physical condition, Lord Hokage?"

Masayo asked curiously. Bloodline limits outside the five basic elements—such as the Nara Family's shadows and the Akimichi Family's Multi-Size Jutsu—would all involve Yin Release and Yang Release. He felt that Kurama Yakumo's frail body was likely related to that.

After switching off the lights in the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked side by side with Masayo down the corridor.

"We've never found the true cause of Kurama Yakumo's physical weakness. The medical ninja have been helpless all along. The Kurama Clan has always been renowned for genjutsu, but a case like Kurama Yakumo's has never appeared before."

Hiruzen Sarutobi answered. Clearly, he found Kurama Yakumo's situation deeply regrettable. She was obviously a genjutsu prodigy capable of astonishing the world, yet her physical condition made even moving around difficult.

"So even if she becomes a ninja, we still won't be able to leave the village for missions because of her physical condition?"

Masayo thought of those tedious, boring D-rank missions. The number of D-rank missions on his ninja record had always been zero; he had never done one before. Who would have thought he would be making up for that now?

After discussing a few more matters concerning Kurama Yakumo with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Masayo bade him farewell. He ate a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku Ramen before returning home.

Back when he attended the ninja academy and was building his foundation, even his meals had not been casual affairs. Masayo had specially prepared them all himself. But after graduating, he had completely let himself go. The clean, tidy kitchen had grown cold, and its stove had not been lit in a long time.

When he reached his front door, Masayo saw an old man standing there, flanked by two ninja.

"Heh... it's been lively today. I haven't had a moment to myself."

Masayo yawned tiredly and appeared before the three in a Body Flicker.

"Lord Masayo!"

The old man was visibly excited.

"The current head of the Kurama Clan, Unkai Kurama. Clan Head Kurama, you came to see me because of Yakumo, didn't you?"

Masayo did not invite them inside. First, they were not familiar enough. Second, he was truly exhausted. Third, making tea and all that was too troublesome. It was already very late; if he started dealing with such tedious things now, they probably would not be finished until the middle of the night. Better to talk at the door.

"Yes, Lord Masayo. It concerns Yakumo."

The old man—Unkai Kurama, the head of the Kurama Clan—said to Masayo.

Masayo knew what he wanted to say and answered directly, "You don't need to worry about Idō anymore. Yakumo destroyed that thing herself just now. She can now fully control her own power."

"Really? That's wonderful!"

Unkai Kurama cried out excitedly. Even Naruto, in the distance, curiously opened his window and pricked up his ears to listen.

Masayo yawned and said, "Sorry, Clan Head Kurama. Too much has happened today, and I'm a little tired. Besides, it's too late, so I won't invite you inside. I have something I'd like to ask you as well. Do you know the real reason Yakumo's body is so weak? No one else in the Kurama Clan has ever had this condition. There must be some reason for it!"

"It's all right, Lord Masayo. Regarding Yakumo, our entire clan searched through every record the Kurama Clan possessed, but we never found another example like hers. We even invited many medical ninja, yet they were equally helpless."

Unkai Kurama's words made Masayo pause. He felt as though he might have overlooked something. Then he suddenly asked, "Clan Head, do you know anything about Yin–Yang Release?"

"Yin–Yang Release???"

Masayo's words stunned Unkai Kurama. He pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head.

"My apologies, Lord Masayo. This is the first time I've heard of Yin–Yang Release. Could Yakumo's physical weakness be related to Yin–Yang Release?"

Masayo: ...

Masayo wanted to ask if the man was messing with him, but seeing the earnest look on Unkai Kurama's face, he realized that he was the one who had been wrong. His mistake was viewing everyone from a third-person perspective. He had assumed that because he knew what Yin–Yang Release was, everyone else would know as well.

He had made an error in perception. The Kurama Clan had already declined, so it was entirely possible that many books had been lost. Even in a clan like the Hyuga, aside from the clan head or elders, who would understand how their own bloodline limit had come to be?

However, Unkai Kurama's reaction also confirmed Masayo's speculation. At the very least, his line of thinking had not been wrong. He had found the reason behind Kurama Yakumo's physical weakness.