After finishing his class, Kitazawa returned to the office.
Coming along with him were Hinata Hyūga and Yakumo Kurama—the two had already grown used to cutting class.
"Yakumo," Kitazawa said after he sat down, "how's the reading going?"
"I've finished three books already," Yakumo answered.
Perhaps thanks to the enormous mental power granted by her Kekkei Genkai, she had possessed an excellent memory since childhood.
"Hmm…" Kitazawa mused.
At this pace they would soon be able to try developing a kind of psychological medical ninjutsu—though strictly speaking, it would fall under Yin Release, not Yang.
After thinking it over, Kitazawa decided to consult Kurenai Yūhi. Yin Release wasn't his strong suit, but he did have one advantage: he wasn't shackled by traditional shinobi thinking.
"I'm stepping out for a bit," he said once he had wrapped up his affairs, then left the academy.
A dozen‑plus minutes later he arrived at Kurenai's house, raised his hand, and knocked.
The door quickly swung open. First to appear were a pair of long, fair legs, then a slim waist, and finally a blouse that concealed its "valhalla."
"Kitazawa? No class today?" Kurenai asked, curiosity on her face.
"I only had one period this morning. I'm free now, so I came to discuss Yakumo," he replied.
"Is that so? Come in." Kurenai stepped back and made room.
"Mhm." Kitazawa nodded faintly.
Kurenai closed the door and moved into the living room. She flopped onto the sofa, crossed her legs, and propped one foot up—utterly at ease.
Kitazawa sat opposite her, his gaze naturally falling on the pale soles of her feet.
"What brings you here?" Kurenai prompted.
"Yakumo's grasp of theory is lightning‑fast, so it's time to think about learning—and even creating—ninjutsu," Kitazawa said. "Where do you think we should start?"
"Genjutsu," Kurenai replied without hesitation.
"I thought the same," Kitazawa continued, "but the genjutsu that already exists doesn't really suit her."
"Mm‑hmm." Kurenai folded her arms and pondered.
Kitazawa had previously outlined two styles of genjutsu Yakumo might wield:
1. A technique that bypasses the five senses and attacks the mind directly.
2. A psychological‑healing genjutsu that targets negative emotions.
"Any thoughts on creating new techniques?"
Kurenai rubbed her brow; she was no natural innovator like Minato Namikaze. In the original story every genjutsu she used was inherited from her mother, so inventing something from scratch felt daunting.
"As a psychological healer, your first job is to earn the patient's trust—mental problems are hard to speak of," Kitazawa said after some thought.
"Agreed. So how do we gain that trust?" Kurenai asked.
"By giving the patient a comfortable environment," Kitazawa replied evenly. "We'll use Yakumo's paintings."
Yakumo's Kekkei Genkai can make the contents of her art manifest as real worlds. Because the world feels real, the subject scarcely realizes they're trapped in genjutsu. Even Kurenai—an illusion master—couldn't break free of Yakumo's art world in the canon story.
"When people feel at ease, they open up more readily," Kitazawa added. "And we can layer a sound‑based genjutsu on top to lower their guard."
Most genjutsu target vision; audio illusions are rare, so people rarely defend against them.
"If the patient still won't talk, we have one last resort: dream interrogation," Kitazawa explained. "Once the patient falls asleep, Yakumo uses her formidable mental power to enter their dreams."
No one thinks twice about what happens in a dream, and Yakumo can assume any form she likes to probe inside.
"That's a fresh idea," Kurenai murmured. "Your three points give us three research directions."
Simple notions, yet ones she herself had never considered—because in her mind genjutsu (indeed, ninjutsu at large) was a killing art.
"Whether it works or not is up to you," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"It'll be tough, but I'll give it a try," Kurenai said, a confident curve to her lips. "I do know a thing or two about genjutsu."
"You're too modest. Except for the Uchiha, you're Konoha's best illusionist," Kitazawa said, shaking his head.
"Save it," Kurenai huffed. Curse those Uchiha—they had crushed her genjutsu dreams. In her hot‑blooded youth she'd aspired to surpass them, but later learned it was impossible: an Uchiha who'd never studied genjutsu could become top‑tier the instant they awakened a three‑tomoe Sharingan. How do you compete with that? They skip the whole queue!
"As an apology, lunch is on me," Kitazawa offered quickly.
"You're already here—don't waste money. I'll cook," Kurenai rolled her eyes.
"Even your eye‑roll is gorgeous," Kitazawa grinned. "I dare say you're the most beautiful woman in Konoha."
"Flatterer," Kurenai sighed, then stood. "Come on—upstairs."
Oh no, Kurenai… Kitazawa trailed behind.
Barefoot, Kurenai's steps made faint sounds on the floor. With each one, Kitazawa could see her full hips sway in a soft arc.
"Here we are—come in," she said, pushing open a door.
Kitazawa glanced around: a study.
"The shelves are full of my family's genjutsu scrolls. Feel free to look," Kurenai said off‑handedly, sitting at the desk.
"Isn't it a bit… improper for an outsider?" Kitazawa blinked.
Kurenai paused—she'd only thought it convenient to discuss new genjutsu here and had forgotten that point.
"I already said it's fine; no one will complain," she decided, though it felt oddly intimate.
"All right—let's start with the simplest sound genjutsu and try to craft a basic version," Kurenai said, pushing the awkwardness aside.
"Sounds good," Kitazawa agreed. It was a rare chance to get hands-on with illusion arts; even if he didn't study them himself, it provided a perfect excuse should his "system" later hand him genjutsu.
…
Later that afternoon, during the practical‑skills class…
"Before we begin, I have an announcement," Kitazawa told the students of First‑Year Class A. "On April 30th we'll hold the semester's first all‑grade exam."
"Does that mean we'll be ranked against the whole grade?" Naruto Uzumaki seized on the key point.
"Yes," Kitazawa nodded.
Sasuke Uchiha narrowed his eyes—first in class, first in the entire grade: he wanted both.
"Great!" Naruto shouted, pumped. "I'm going straight for the grade‑topper's throne!"
"Whatever—this big dog will show you all," Kiba Inuzuka said, hands stuffed in his pockets and brimming with confidence.
Hinata Hyūga drew a deep breath. After all the training she'd received from Kitazawa, it was time to repay him—she had to take first place.
~~~
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