"Xiao Xian! Xiao Xian! I learned it!"
Yuzuru, who was studying the Flying Thunder God scroll, smiled helplessly at the voice ringing out in the yard.
He put down the scroll and had barely stepped outside when Kurenai barreled straight into his arms.
"Hehe, Xiao Xian, look."
Kurenai excitedly pulled Yuzuru into the middle of the yard. Chakra gathered in her hand, slowly forming a familiar blue sphere, which she pressed into a block of ice that suddenly appeared beside her.
The familiar destructive power sent ice chips flying.
"Great job, Kurenai."
Yuzuru dotingly pinched her cheek.
"Hehe."
For a six... no, already seven-year-old child, Kurenai was already outstanding. Just being able to settle down and practice put her far ahead of her peers.
Now, not only did she have a solid foundation, she had not neglected genjutsu, Fire Style, or Wind Release.
For Wind Release, she had the Rasengan she had just mastered. For Fire Style, she had two ninjutsu obtained from Jiraiya, though she had yet to learn both and could only use one.
Yūhi Shinku personally taught her genjutsu. Besides the Hell Viewing Technique, she also had Tree Binding Death and the False Surroundings Technique, and she was more proficient in them than in either Fire Style or Wind Release.
All he could say was that Kurenai truly had an exceptional talent for genjutsu, but genjutsu itself was very difficult to improve. The Shinobi World's emphasis on bloodlines was no ordinary matter.
Fortunately, genjutsu was no longer all Kurenai had. Even setting it aside, her current strength absolutely placed her among the best Genin. Apart from combat experience, she was lacking in no area.
Once she gained a little more experience, both in casting ninjutsu and applying it in actual combat, Kurenai would easily be able to become a Chunin.
"Speaking of which, are we skipping the end-of-term test this time too?"
Kurenai could not help asking.
"Yeah. It's boring."
"Rather than spending time with a bunch of kids who can't do anything, I'd rather practice ninjutsu some more. At the very least, I can train with you."
"Oh, right. Speaking of that, Xiao Xian, how's your Ice Dragon Technique coming along?"
Kurenai pulled Yuzuru over to sit at the edge of the veranda as she asked.
"It's almost ready. There are just a few final issues, and my teacher is already fixing them for me."
"Ah, Lady Tsunade is so amazing. I really want to be like her too."
Every girl and female ninja in Konoha greatly admired Tsunade.
"You will be."
Yuzuru stroked Kurenai's head.
"With me around, you'll be an amazing female ninja someday too."
Just then, Sakumo appeared in the yard. Looking at the two little ones sitting together, he scratched the back of his head.
"Did I come back at a bad time?"
Yuzuru: ...
Looking at this old geezer who showed his true colors the moment he came home, Yuzuru finally understood why the grown-up Kakashi was such a closet pervert.
"Uncle Sakumo."
Kurenai, on the other hand, did not notice anything amiss and greeted him brightly.
"Mm, it's been over two months. You've gotten even prettier, Kurenai."
"Hehe."
"Speaking of which, Dad, didn't you leave on an A-rank mission? Why are you back so soon? Didn't you say it was pretty far away and would take at least three months? You're already done?"
Yuzuru narrowed his eyes at Sakumo.
"Well, about that... something unexpected happened. There were some changes during the mission, and its difficulty went straight up to S-rank, so we were forced to retreat."
Sakumo grew a little embarrassed. After all, his mission completion rate had always been a hundred percent. Who would have thought he would fail this time? Though there were other reasons too.
"As long as you're all right. The mission doesn't really matter."
Yuzuru had also noticed the faint smell of blood on Sakumo, as well as his damaged clothes and the blood on his scabbard.
"No mission is more important than coming back alive. If you lose a mission, you can take another. If you lose your life, you lose everything."
"That's true."
Sakumo came over and rubbed Yuzuru's head.
"Hey, stop touching my hair! One of these days, I'm cutting this damn long hair off!"
Yuzuru said irritably.
"No!" ×2
The moment he finished speaking, both Kurenai and Sakumo objected.
"?"
"You look better with long hair, Xiao Xian."
Kurenai said with a smile as she looked at Yuzuru.
"I think so too."
Sakumo nodded as well.
Yuzuru rolled his eyes, not bothering with them.
Nobody had told him that members of the Yuki Clan grew prettier as they grew older.
He really could not blame Haku from the original story for getting mistaken for a girl. Yuzuru suffered from it too.
In the past, whenever he went to Kushina to learn Sealing Jutsu, she would teach him without hesitation. Now things were different. Every time, she made him wear some, uh... very embarrassing clothes. Even Tsunade seemed quite happy to see him like that.
It had forced Yuzuru to increase his daily training. As long as he built up some muscle, he would look a lot more masculine.
In the end, he was still disappointed.
Those damn Yuki Clan genes really would not let him bulk up at all, and even his muscles were just standard little blocks.
With his clothes on, there was no sign of any muscle at all. Only when he took them off could anyone tell he was a lean, muscular little leopard.
But... who the hell goes around shirtless for no reason?!
Just then, someone from the Anbu came to summon Sakumo to the Hokage Building.
Watching this, Yuzuru narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Inwardly, however, he already knew very well that certain things were coming.
"Come on, let's go out for a walk too."
"Okay."
In just three days, public criticism had spread everywhere.
Sakumo stayed home without going out, his face full of bitterness.
Kakashi had come home too and was looking worriedly at his father.
Seeing Yuzuru come downstairs, Kakashi immediately looked to him for help.
Noticing the atmosphere at home, Yuzuru said with some amusement, "Seriously, why the long faces? Does me getting out of bed upset you that much? Should I go back and sleep again?"
"Yuzuru, stop joking around. You know everyone out there is saying Dad did the wrong thing."
"That's because they're stupid. Why bother with them?"
Yuzuru sat beside Kakashi and stole the breakfast in front of him.
"And you too, Dad. You love getting hung up on things. Do you think you were wrong? If you could do it again, would you choose to save people or abandon the mission?"
Yuzuru looked at Sakumo.
"Save people, of course."
"Then there you go. That means you weren't wrong, doesn't it? What are you feeling guilty about?"
"But as a ninja, abandoning a mission is wrong in itself."
"Aren't ninja human?"
Yuzuru abruptly asked.
"Hm? What?"
Sakumo raised his head in surprise to look at him.
"Are ninja somehow not human? Do they have to abandon all their feelings?"
"The way I see it, being a ninja is just a profession. But that profession has become rotten now. Or rather, it's always been rotten. Even Hashirama Senju himself was no different."
Yuzuru spoke bluntly.
Hearing this, Sakumo and Kakashi's expressions immediately changed, and they warily checked the house and yard with their senses.
"Relax, there's nobody around. Otherwise, I wouldn't be speaking so bluntly."
Yuzuru waved a hand.
"Yuzuru, you mustn't say things like that again. Lord First was-"
Sakumo warned him.
"No matter how strong he was, it doesn't change the fact that he was an idiot."
"Being strong and being brainless are two different things. Hashirama Senju is the perfect example."
"By comparison, Lord Tobirama, who was slightly weaker, was far smarter, and Madara Uchiha even more so. Unfortunately, the one with foresight was a little weaker, letting an idiot have the final say. That left the Shinobi World in endless war, with ninja and civilians forever living in misery."
"I've always wondered-if the Second and Madara Uchiha had been brothers, the Shinobi World might have been at peace long ago. How could there have been so much bullshit? The ninja profession certainly wouldn't be as warped as it is today. Unfortunately, there are no ifs."