"So that's how it works… incredible…"
Mamoru ignored Kurenai, chin in hand, pale-blue eyes unblinking as he drank in the sight of the girl like she was a rare treasure.
Though those beautiful blue eyes were fixed on her, Yakumo felt a chill. It was as if he wasn't looking at her at all, but at something inside her.
Through the unique vision of the Six Eyes, a hulking, green-skinned oni lay curled against Yakumo's back like a sleeping beast, its life-force strangely entwined with hers.
"Heh-heh… scary, scary…" Mamoru chuckled softly, tone unreadable.
"Don't be rude to a girl, idiot!"
Fed up with his mystifying act, Kurenai swung a fist at his head, only to have it stopped a hair's breadth away by an invisible barrier.
"No violence." Mamoru said, finally glancing back as though stating the obvious.
Used to his tricks, Kurenai withdrew her hand with a huff. "What do you actually want?"
"I really was just passing by. I'd come from that geezer Hiru—"
The moment the words left Mamoru's mouth, he knew he'd misspoken, but it was too late.
"Hokage-sama?!" Kurenai's voice shot up.
She grabbed his collar, crimson eyes flashing as she pulled him close. "What idiotic thing did you do to involve Hokage-sama?!"
Mamoru tried to sound casual. "Uh… yesterday I was 'exchanging pointers' with some ninjas from out of town, got a bit carried away, and accidentally cracked the ground a little."
Kurenai narrowed her eyes. "Exchanging pointers? A little? You mean a brawl and a crater, right?"
Mamoru shrugged, hoping to brush it off, "Same thing."
Kurenai released him, rubbed her temples, and sighed as her blood pressure spiked. "It's completely different. I swear, you'll be the death of me."
Mamoru merely shrugged again and calmly straightened the collar she'd rumpled.
"Kurenai-sensei…" a timid voice piped up.
Hands clasped nervously, Yakumo glanced between them and asked softly, "Is… is he someone you know?"
"Yeah." Kurenai took a steadying breath. "This is my student, Uchiha Mamoru."
"Uchiha… Mamoru?" Yakumo echoed, eyes widening as the name registered. "You're the Ninja Academy's Number-One Dragon?"
Mamoru froze, lips twitching.
That ridiculous nickname again, did the whole village know?
Kurenai couldn't stifle a snort of laughter, then quickly coughed into her fist. "Ahem... sorry."
"Go ahead and laugh, holding it in's bad for your health." Mamoru flashed her a thin, humorless smile.
Ignoring the jab, Kurenai introduced the girl beside her. "This is Kurama Yakumo, also my student."
She offered no further details.
"Kurama…"
The name clicked in Mamoru's mind: the Kurama clan, like the Uchiha, a once-great clan now in decline.
Though the Kurama clan had simply failed to produce heirs worthy of their bloodline, while the Uchiha had been culled, leaving only two survivors.
The girl before him was presumably the last hope of a clan desperate to break years of mediocrity.
And she deserved the title "prodigy." Leaving everything else aside, the way she could make genjutsu almost corporeal was unmatched and apparently without the usual horrific cost.
Shaking off his thoughts, Mamoru turned to leave, only for a pale arm to block his path.
"Did you see something?" Kurenai murmured, eyes fixed on his Six Eyes, keeping her voice low enough for only him to hear.
Mamoru didn't answer at once. Slowly, he looked toward Yakumo. In those strange irises, the girl's reflection seemed utterly exposed.
Feeling his gaze, Yakumo lowered her lashes and turned aside, fingers tightening on her hem until her knuckles whitened.
He withdrew his gaze, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "Not a thing."
"Really?" Kurenai pressed, searching his alien eyes for the truth.
"See you." Without waiting, Mamoru clapped his hands together.
In the next instant he vanished, leaving only a faint ripple in the air and two puzzled girls staring at the empty training ground.
—
The sweet scent of roasted chestnuts drifted in front of a shop.
Mamoru rounded the corner just in time to see Team 10 seated on benches outside the store, taking a break.
Asuma puffed on a cigarette, Shikamaru and Ino sipped matcha, and several empty paper bags were stacked beside Choji as he kept stuffing chestnut cakes into his mouth.
The sound of footsteps made all three raise their heads in perfect unison and freeze.
"Mamoru!" Ino exclaimed first, so delighted her teacup tilted and almost spilled.
"What a coincidence." Shikamaru drawled in greeting.
"Mmmph—" Choji's cheeks bulged and he mumbled something unintelligible while waving the half-eaten cake.
"Yo." Mamoru flicked a casual wave and kept walking.
He strolled into the shop, gave the owner behind the counter an easy grin and said, "Boss, I'm back. Two chestnut buns, please."
He angled his body, finger pointing accurately at Asuma smoking outside, a sly gleam in his eye. "Put it on that uncle's tab."
Asuma, still on the bench, turned at the words. His expression ran from surprise to resignation and ended in a wry smile. Under the owner's questioning look, he could only nod in surrender.
"Thank you for your patronage." The white-haired proprietor beamed, handing Mamoru two steaming paper bags.
Mamoru took them, sauntered out and stopped in front of Asuma. He patted the man's shoulder, a meaningful smile on his lips. "Uncle, Kurenai likes generous men. I'll put in a good word for you."
Asuma blinked, then caught on.
Exhaling a smoke ring, he chuckled at the shrewd kid. Fleeced or not, the offer of help left him feeling better.
"Ah… thanks." Asuma rubbed his cheek, adding sheepishly, "And, uh... Kakashi and I were in the same graduating class as Kurenai."
"Oh..." Mamoru tapped his chin,
Shikamaru changed the subject, "You're that free? Lately you're always wandering alone, what about missions?"
"I'm very free."
Mamoru walked to another bench and patted the spot beside him. He tore open a bag and the rich chestnut aroma drifted out.
"My Jōnin instructor's fed up with me, even D-ranks won't take me along." He complained with theatrical hurt.
Shikamaru sat down with his tea. He rolled his eyes, disgusted. "Mamoru, could you speak normally?"
Mamoru pulled out a bun, voice reverting. "This isn't normal? To keep Team 8's D-rank mission efficiency up, I asked for leave."
"Your jōnin actually agreed, she must've weighed a lot of factors." Shikamaru wasn't surprised.
Mamoru had always been a law unto himself, and his inborn confidence made you accept his choices.
Mamoru added with a pointed glance at Asuma, "Yeah, she weighed plenty. After all, she's kind and gorgeous."
Asuma coughed and looked away, pretending the smoke had caught his throat, his fingers trembling slightly.
Mamoru bit into the bun and said, "The other two in Team 8 can't keep up. To spare them pressure and let them grow normally, she probably had no choice but to okay my request."
In truth, Mamoru felt he no longer belonged in Team 8. Swapping in a repeater from the Academy might help everyone, and with his displayed strength, higher assignments were inevitable—Anbu or more advanced missions.
Since becoming a Genin, he'd hidden only the Six Eyes, everything else was in the open. Konoha's higher-ups had to have noticed, yet Hiruzen still hadn't moved, and Mamoru wondered why.
Maybe they were waiting until after the Chunin Exams, by which time the old man might already be dead. But nothing was certain.
After all, Hiruzen's life or death had long been part of his calculations.
"Shino and Hinata?" Shikamaru murmured, gazing at two wildflowers swaying beneath a distant tree. "With you around, they really do have it rough."
He shifted his gaze to Ino, the silent question clear: Still want to be in the same squad as Mamoru? Think you can handle it?
Ino turned away with a pout.
Listening, Mamoru lifted his eyes. The vast sky stretched above, as deep and unreadable as his Six Eyes.