The man who arrived looked to be in his early thirties, stern-faced, with sharp crimson eyes identical to Kurenai's.
This was Yūhi Shinku, jōnin of Konoha—and Kurenai's father.
"Sensei!"
Asuma rushed forward eagerly, fawning like a puppy.
Shinku gave him a single nod. He could tell Asuma was trying to flatter him, but as the son of the Third Hokage, the boy deserved at least a polite response.
"You've done well, becoming a ninja at such a young age," Shinku said flatly.
Asuma puffed up immediately, shooting Lock a smug glance.
Lock didn't even bother acknowledging him. His eyes stayed locked on Shinku, unease twisting in his chest. Childhood friends or not, Kurenai was practically glued to him. And this man—the father—would one day be his father-in-law. The pressure was suffocating.
"You're Lock?"
Shinku's gaze sharpened like a blade. His tone wasn't warm like with Asuma—if anything, it was downright intimidating.
Lock swallowed hard. Of course, Shinku had heard his name. From the very first day of the Academy, Kurenai had mentioned him at home, again and again. Shinku had tolerated it at first, assuming it was childish admiration. But years had passed, and still Kurenai wouldn't stop talking about Lock.
When Kakashi and Lock had tested for early graduation, Shinku had been there. He'd seen Lock's potential himself—but he hadn't liked the boy's attitude one bit.
And now, not only was he stuck leading a team with his own daughter and the Hokage's son, but the Hokage had forced Lock onto his squad as well. Shinku had tried to refuse, but Sarutobi had made it an order.
So here they were.
Shinku studied the nervous boy in silence, secretly pleased at how uneasy Lock looked. Good. You want to take my daughter? Then you'll answer me first.
"Tell me," Shinku said suddenly, "are my ninja notes detailed?"
"Yes, very deta—" Lock stopped mid-sentence, face paling. He scrambled to explain. "Wait! I didn't mean—! That was Kurenai! She showed them to me, I swear!"
"Hmmph."
Shinku snorted coldly, ready to press harder—but Kurenai stomped forward, furious.
"Dad! Why are you being so harsh with Lock? I'm the one who showed him your notes! You're always too busy for me, so I asked him to help."
Shinku froze, caught off guard. He could scold Lock all day long, but against his daughter's glare, his tongue tied itself in knots. All he could do was glare daggers at Lock.
"I heard," Shinku said at last, "that you're talented with genjutsu. Is it true?"
Lock rubbed the back of his neck. "…I guess you could say that."
Shinku's eyes narrowed. Without warning, he shoved Kurenai aside and lunged, throwing a punch.
"What the—!"
Lock barely dodged, heart pounding. He backpedaled, then slipped into invisibility in a flash.
"One, two, three…" He counted down in his head, moving fast, but Shinku was already on top of him before he reached six.
There was no time. He braced and blocked, but the difference in strength was overwhelming. A strike sent blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He almost tried a surprise counter, but Jiraiya's advice echoed in his head. He grit his teeth, holding back.
"Dad! Stop it!"
Kurenai burst in, clutching her father's arm, shielding Lock with her own body.
Shinku's expression flickered. "…I wasn't trying to hurt him. I was testing his strength. Step aside, Kurenai."
"No! I saw it—you hit him until he bled! I won't let you hurt him anymore!"
Her stubbornness left Shinku helpless. He couldn't bring himself to scold his daughter, so he only glared harder at Lock.
"You're not a child anymore, Kurenai," he said sternly. "You're a shinobi. If you want to protect a comrade, do it with strength, not words. I am not just your father now—I am your jōnin commander."
Kurenai faltered, stunned.
Shinku used that opening to shake her off and advance again—only to halt when Lock vanished from sight entirely.
"Invisibility, is it?" Shinku muttered, intrigued rather than surprised. "So the rumors were true. Like the Moonlight clan's phasing. Impressive… but still far from enough against me."
He straightened, his tone calm but challenging.
"Very well. As your jōnin leader, I need to know your limits. Come at me with everything you've got. If you meet my standards, I'll grant you certain privileges within the squad."
Lock exhaled slowly, still cloaked in stealth. His heart raced, but there was no running from this test.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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