"Not in a good mood!"
A soft, gentle female voice echoed around.
Hikari instinctively glanced around but saw no one nearby.
"No need to look. I'm still at Kurenai-sensei's place. I'm just using a small trick to talk to you right now. Pretty cool, right?" Yakumo's voice continued to sound in his mind.
"Not bad. Looks like your genjutsu research has reached a level I couldn't even imagine." Hikari replied calmly, walking down the street of Konoha without showing much surprise.
"Of course. I'm a genjutsu prodigy, after all. If it weren't for my physical condition holding me back back then, I'd have unified the entire shinobi world already!" Yakumo's tone carried rare pride and smugness.
Hikari chuckled. "Congratulations then. I'll be waiting for the day you unify the shinobi world—and preferably take down Obito's group while you're at it. That would make my life a lot easier!"
"Keep dreaming. I've got no interest in unifying the shinobi world." Yakumo replied lazily, her voice filled with satisfaction. "Having Kurenai-sensei take care of me so gently—how could anything else compare? Things like ruling the world... that's the kind of nonsense you boys worry about. I just want to stay by Kurenai-sensei's side."
"If that's really the case, then I can rest easy." Hikari let out a small sigh. If Yakumo could genuinely treat Kurenai well, Hikari would feel a lot less pressure.
After all, a girl like her was a bit too much for him to handle.
"You think you can rest easy? No way. I have something to tell you—but don't be too shocked!" Yakumo said in a tone that sounded almost like a mischievous kid about to reveal a secret.
But to Hikari, that side of her felt... normal—appropriate for her age back then.
"Go ahead, I'm listening." Hikari replied as he wandered aimlessly down Konoha's streets, unsure where to go.
Home?
If he went back, it would just be writing or drawing again. But he wasn't in the mood for either today.
"After you left last time, I realized my body seemed to have improved slightly. So, you know what that means, right?"
Hikari: ???
No, I don't. And I don't want to.
Nothing happened last time.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself... but his mind betrayed him. Unbidden, memories surfaced—the warmth of her skin, the softness, the closeness, the long night's "hard work".
"Feeling shy now?" Yakumo teased, her tone seasoned and teasing—far from that of an innocent girl.
Hikari looked up at the sky helplessly. "Weren't you the one who tricked me in the first place? Otherwise, how would I have ever..."
"Oh my, regretting it now? I did trick you in the Tsukuyomi world, saying something happened between us. But you could've walked away afterwards, couldn't you? You didn't. You stayed and worked hard all night. I didn't exactly force you to stay, did I?" Yakumo's calm, factual tone made Hikari's face flush.
She wasn't wrong. Once the blade was sheathed... there was no taking it out again.
In that situation, if Hikari had managed to hold back, he wouldn't have been a man.
"Relax. I'm not the clingy type. Go comfort your little sweetheart if you want. I just need your help with my physical recovery. You can't just ignore someone this frail, right?"
Well...
After hearing that, how could a kind-hearted man like Hikari possibly refuse?
---
At the Yūhi Residence
The usually homebound Yakumo had come out of her room for once—because there was a guest visiting Kurenai's house today.
Yakumo's eyes locked intensely onto the woman before her.
A voluptuous figure clad in a mesh bodysuit—Mitarashi Anko.
"Ara ara, Kurenai! So you've been hiding such a cute girl in your house?" Anko teased, ignoring the faint resentment in Yakumo's eyes. She reached out and playfully pinched the girl's cheek.
"Keeping such a lovely thing all to yourself—don't you care about our sisterly bond at all?"
Kurenai, who had just returned from washing some fruit, glared at her friend irritably.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Yakumo is my student! You make it sound like I'm some kind of pervert. I'm a proper straight woman, thank you very much. You, on the other hand, need to clean out those dirty thoughts of yours!"
As she said that, Kurenai tossed an apple directly at Anko.
*Whoosh!*
Anko's arm twisted in an almost boneless motion—like a snake—as she caught the apple effortlessly.
*Crunch!*
Taking a big bite, she grinned smugly at Kurenai. "Missed me! What can I say? I'm just that good."
"Hmph. Keep this up and I'll hit you with a genjutsu next time." Kurenai sighed. Dealing with Anko's shamelessness was exhausting, so she brought out her ultimate threat.
As expected, once Anko heard the word 'genjutsu', she immediately froze and behaved herself.
She knew her weakness all too well—genjutsu.
Kurenai's 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique' could force someone to confront their worst fears and darkest memories. Anko had her share of painful ones, and she had no desire to relive them.
"Hmph, you're so heartless!" Anko pouted dramatically. "You've found a new love and forgotten your old one!" Her eyes sparkled with exaggerated betrayal, as if to say 'you've changed, Kurenai!'
Kurenai tossed her another apple. "Eat this and stop talking."
"I won't! You don't love me anymore, so at least let me complain a little!" Anko muttered, inching closer to Yakumo with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Her hands—her "wicked claws"—were clearly ready to pounce.
"Anko-neesan, do you like Kurenai-sensei?" Yakumo asked sweetly, watching Anko's movements closely. She was already planning a little payback for all the teasing.
"Of course! Kurenai and I are true love!" Anko declared dramatically before blowing Kurenai a kiss. "Kurenai, let's cast aside society's shackles and be together forever! I'll treat you right, I promise."
What a line. Truly shameless.
"Since that's how you feel, Anko-neesan, I'm relieved." Yakumo smiled—an eerie, knowing smile.
"What do you—" Before Anko could finish, her words cut off. Her eyes slowly drooped closed, and a strange expression spread across her face—somewhere between confusion and horror.
"Yakumo! Did you just use genjutsu on Anko?" Kurenai immediately realized what had happened.
Yakumo blinked innocently and said with a grin, "Kurenai-sensei, I just granted Anko-neesan's wish. She said she loves you, right? So I let her be with you—in her dreams. Isn't that nice?"
Kurenai glanced at Anko's face. Even under the illusion, she could see clear terror twisting her expression, as if she were facing something unbearable.
"So... you're 'sure' that I'm the one in that illusion?" Kurenai asked.
Yakumo nodded seriously. "Of course, Kurenai-sensei! You're definitely there. As for why Anko-neesan looks terrified... well, I have no idea."
Kurenai nodded. She didn't think Yakumo would lie to her.
Yakumo, however, cast a secret, triumphant glance at the trembling Anko.
'That's what you get for lying! You said you loved Kurenai-sensei—so I let her make the first move. Why aren't you happy? Why the fear? I only fulfilled your wish!'
----
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