A wolf in sheep's clothing

Before long, Kurenai Yuhi could no longer smile. Her genjutsu never lasted more than a few seconds before Anyo dispelled it almost instantly. He even seemed a little dissatisfied, but there was no helping it—the difference was simply too great compared to yesterday's genjutsu space.

A casual stir of his chakra made the genjutsu disappear. It had no effect at all.

Kurenai Yuhi looked utterly aggrieved, her already red eyes making her look even more pitiful.

Noticing this, Anyo naturally tried to comfort her. "How about we switch? I'll cast the genjutsu, and you dispel it."

Kurenai Yuhi looked puzzled. "Have you already learned how to use genjutsu?"

"A little, I suppose." Anyo himself was unsure. After all, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique barely required any learning. It suited him so well that he had picked it up easily, but he might not actually be able to perform ordinary genjutsu.

Kurenai Yuhi nodded uncertainly. "All right."

Anyo formed hand seals, completing them with extremely swift movements, and cast, "Demonic illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."

This genjutsu could conjure what each person most wished to avoid or feared most. In an instant, Kurenai Yuhi felt the houses around her vanish, leaving her in an empty expanse of darkness without a single person in sight.

The hand seals and incantation she had prepared vanished completely from her mind. She was terrified, her legs weak, her whole body trembling, and her heart pounding as though a demon were grinning viciously at her from the darkness.

At last, unable to bear the pressure, she cried out, "Anyo, let me out! I'm scared!"

Noticing something was wrong, Anyo immediately dispelled the genjutsu. Seeing tears spilling from Kurenai Yuhi's eyes as she trembled uncontrollably in fear, he hurried over and picked her up. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have used that genjutsu."

After speaking, Anyo saw that Kurenai Yuhi still had not recovered and silently blamed himself. There were so many genjutsu recorded in there. Why did I have to use this one? Kurenai Yuhi probably just experienced her greatest fear. A child's ability to cope is clearly limited. What should I do?

That's right, the Spirit Transformation Technique.

An idea struck Anyo. He silently activated the Spirit Transformation Technique, sending a strand of soul power straight into Kurenai Yuhi's mind.

Finding her mind filled with darkness, Anyo understood what she had just experienced. He immediately channeled his chakra to disperse the surrounding darkness, then conjured the most beautiful places he had experienced in his previous life. There were mountains, rivers, seas, and lakes, as well as all sorts of little animals she had never seen.

Amid these unfamiliar yet comforting surroundings, Kurenai Yuhi finally began to recover, opening her eyes to look at everything appearing in her mind.

Just then, a reassuring voice sounded beside her ear. "Don't be afraid. I'm right beside you. I can take you around to have fun, wherever you want to go."

Kurenai Yuhi recognized him, of course. This was her nominal "student," Anyo. Without realizing it, she leaned against him, holding him as they admired the beautiful scenery in her mind together, gradually becoming entranced.

By the time Kurenai Yuhi emerged from the illusion in her mind, the room was already filled with the aroma of food.

Anyo stood holding a spoon, having prepared a few steaming dishes. "There's hardly any food in your house. These are all I could make. If they aren't to your taste, we can eat out."

Without a word, Kurenai Yuhi served Anyo his rice as well, like a little wife, then happily began eating.

A day quickly passed. Just as he had said, Anyo stayed at Kurenai Yuhi's house, studying genjutsu almost without sleep or rest. The more he studied, the more interested he became.

He did not even notice another person entering the room.

Only when the visitor deliberately made his footsteps audible did Anyo instinctively take a guarded stance, ready to draw the blade in his hand at any moment.

"You're less alert than I imagined." The visitor was, of course, Kurenai Yuhi's father, Shinku.

Anyo breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "I was too absorbed in studying. My alertness really did slip quite a bit."

"Is Kurenai asleep?"

Anyo nodded. "She's been asleep for a while."

Looking at his sleeping daughter, Shinku thanked him sincerely. "Thank you for keeping her company at home."

"Of course," Anyo teased. "She is my little teacher now, after all."

Shinku smiled and sat cross-legged. Glancing at the books scattered throughout the room, he asked, "How are your studies going?"

Anyo nodded in satisfaction. "I have a general understanding of genjutsu now, and I can cast simple ones, but I don't understand double-layered genjutsu yet."

Shinku looked somewhat shocked. "You're learning that quickly? Have you had any exposure to genjutsu before?"

"Yes, but I've never studied it systematically. This is my first time."

Shinku marveled at what a fine student White Fang had found. Had he met Anyo first, he probably would have taken him as his student no matter what.

Looking at Anyo with appreciation, Shinku said, "I happen to be free tonight. You can ask me about anything you don't understand."

"All right." With a bellyful of questions, Anyo dispensed with the formalities and asked everything that had puzzled him earlier. Shinku answered each question in turn, without a trace of impatience.

The sun shone high and the night had faded. Shinku, busy with administrative duties, had long since left. Kurenai Yuhi woke from her deep sleep, and the first thing she saw was Anyo's grinning face. Her little face flushed involuntarily.

Anyo crouched down and patted his back.

Understanding, Kurenai Yuhi climbed onto it, feeling warm all over.

Anyo asked, "What would you like for breakfast today?"

"Anything. You choose."

"All right."

Anyo deliberately brought Kurenai Yuhi to a breakfast shop Genno had once directed him to. After ordering the same breakfast as that day, he settled in to wait. He believed that, given Genno's abilities, he should know Anyo was waiting for him here.

There was nothing more to it. It was the instinct shared by those in the same line of work, and he would not be wrong.

Sure enough, before long, Genno also appeared at the shop and ordered a bowl of the same breakfast as Anyo. The two ate quietly, pretending not to know each other.

Once Kurenai Yuhi finished eating, Anyo said to her, "The Ninja Academy was closed yesterday, but you have classes today, right? Come on, I'll carry you there."

Kurenai Yuhi said shyly, "There's no need. I can walk."

"Why stand on ceremony with your student? This is a privilege reserved for teachers."

With that, Anyo hoisted Kurenai Yuhi onto his back and skipped toward the academy like a happy child, making Kurenai Yuhi giggle again and again on his back.

Genno pretended not to see any of it. Only after finishing his meal did he sigh. "Who knows whose little girl has had the misfortune to end up with a menace like him? He's a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Having said that, Genno followed them. He knew the theft plan had officially begun, and a faint thrill he had not felt in a long time actually stirred within him. Whatever. We're stealing from an enemy village anyway, so there's no need to feel guilty. Besides, I've already put my backup measures in place. At worst, we'll part ways.