Kurenai Yuhi Was a Creep

"Come to think of it, when did you learn that technique?"

Mitaraishi Anko stared at Kazan's Shadow Clones, surprise on her face.

If she remembered correctly, these solid clones came from the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique created by the Second Hokage. It was an A-rank Ninjutsu.

Kazan spent every day practicing his punches. She had never heard of him training in Ninjutsu, so how had he suddenly mastered such an advanced technique?

"Want to know?"

"No!"

Anko wasn't falling for it. She could guess with her eyes closed that if she said yes, Kazan wouldn't tell her.

She was fairly clever, but not clever enough. Kazan had another move.

"Then I won't tell you."

So you weren't going to tell me either way?

Anko ground her teeth and glared at Kazan.

Kurenai Yuhi covered her mouth and laughed. She looked adorable.

Even as a child, Kurenai had been the kind of girl everyone in class admired. After all, she would grow up to be one of the famous beauties of the Hokage's world.

She walked up to Kazan and asked quietly, "Why were you fighting again?"

Kazan pointed to one side. "I'm not the original. That one is."

"Liar. You're the original. You can't fool me." She narrowed her eyes and smiled, completely unfazed.

Anko couldn't tell the difference, but Kazan's expression proved Kurenai right. "Kurenai, how did you know this one was the original?"

"Because this Kazan is the cleanest. Aside from training, Kazan isn't interested in much else." She turned to Kazan. "Am I right?"

You're seriously obsessed, Kurenai. Paying this much attention to him goes beyond a simple crush.

Anko spared Asuma a second of sympathy.

"You still haven't told me why you fought Jing Uchiha. You fought Kakashi before, too."

"No reason. I happened to see him and felt like fighting." Kazan made up an excuse.

Kurenai could tell he didn't want to say more, so she didn't press him. Instead, she asked, "So the Kazan at the Ninja Academy today was a Shadow Clone too?"

"What? Kazan, you actually sent a Shadow Clone to class?"

Before Kazan could answer, Anko was shocked all over again.

"Could you stop making a fuss?" Kazan shot her a look, then turned back to Kurenai.

How had he never noticed? This girl was far too observant.

He didn't ask how she had figured it out. "Keep it a secret for me. The Ninja Academy's classes don't do much for me. I need that time for other things."

"Of course. Anko won't tell anyone either, right?"

She was still smiling, but somehow Anko couldn't refuse.

"...Fine. I'll keep his secret."

For the first time, Anko found her best friend a little frightening.

Only then did Kurenai's smile return to normal.

"I'll help you too, Kazan. Anko, you can head back first."

First I'll help Kazan finish Lord Hokage's punishment. Then we can go to dinner together.

That settles it.

Kurenai had it all planned out.

Though Anko stood right beside them, she was suddenly struck by a sense of loneliness.

"What's this awful feeling?"

She couldn't figure it out. Better leave.

In the end, Kurenai got her dinner with Kazan, just as she had hoped. The location, however, caught her off guard.

"...This is where Kazan usually eats?"

Wasn't this a bit extreme?

If she remembered correctly, this was the Forest of Death, a forbidden area of the village!

"Yeah. To thank you for helping me, I'll make an exception and take you hunting today. Let's go." Kazan grinned.

"Wha—"

Kurenai let out a startled little cry as she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

It wasn't some romantic bridal carry from a story. Kazan tucked her under one arm, and the next instant they were airborne, leaping into the Forest of Death.

The first thing she saw inside was a massive tiger. Kurenai's legs nearly gave out on the spot.

What happened next was even harder to believe.

The fierce tiger let Kazan stroke its fur like a pet and even looked pleased.

Then Kazan set her on its back, and they rode "Hakimi," as he called it, deep into the Forest of Death.

Before long—

Boom!

A thunderous crash rang through the forest as an absurdly huge cow toppled to the ground.

"You're lucky today. It's usually hard to find a cow."

Kazan didn't mention why cows were getting harder to find. He just told her she was lucky.

A little later, Kurenai took the meat Kazan handed her.

Her head was still spinning. What she had seen today had shaken her view of the world.

While they spent their days laughing and playing, Kazan had to hunt in the Forest of Death every day just to eat his fill.

It must be hard.

She had her mother and father to protect her. Kazan had no one but himself.

And he had such a big appetite...

"It must be hard, isn't it?"

The question came out of nowhere. Kazan looked into Kurenai's eyes and saw the sympathy there.

Kids in this world get caught up in their feelings way too easily.

He shook his head. "It's fine. At first, I only hunted near the edge. The Forest of Death isn't as dangerous as you think."

Kurenai said nothing and lowered her head to eat.

Kazan really is amazing.

She and the others still relied on their parents to get by, while Kazan had been on his own since he was little.

Asuma Sarutobi was the worst. Just because his father was Hokage, he was always saying bad things about Kazan.

Asuma hadn't really done anything to her. Kurenai just didn't like him.

A while later, Kazan patted his full stomach.

"You've had enough, right? I'll take you home."

"Okay!"

Kurenai's home was some distance from the Forest of Death.

Her father was a master of Genjutsu in Konoha. Setting aside the Genjutsu that came naturally to the Uchiha Clan through the Sharingan, Shinku Yuhi was Konoha's strongest Genjutsu Ninja.

He also trained Konoha's Chunin and Genin, giving him considerable standing in the village.

That was why Kurenai lived in one of Konoha's busiest districts.

"I'll head in, then. See you tomorrow."

"Mm."

Tomorrow, you'll see my Shadow Clone.

After taking her home, Kazan left.

Back at his place, he opened the system, but what he had hoped to see wasn't there.

Clearly, beating Jing Uchiha wasn't enough to complete the second achievement.

It made sense. Jing was an Uchiha, but Kakashi was the outstanding genius of their generation. There was a clear gap between them.

"Still, Kakashi graduated at five. No one's going to break that record, even years from now."

"I'll beat Asuka Hyuga tomorrow and see if that completes the achievement."

As for what Hiruzen Sarutobi had said?

Kazan had dismissed it on the spot.

"If you want to win me over, you'll have to try harder than that."

"I'm not Naruto!"