Shunsui found out about one of the new jonin that had been inducted into the Shadow Platoon.
The man had been fighting on the frontlines against Kumo already and was now reassigned to their unit because of their recent losses and the need for more experienced fighters.
He was a senior member of the Kurama clan. His name was Kazuma and he was a man in his fifties who had been a Jonin for two decades now.
During the first full meeting of the expanded platoon the new members were introduced one by one. Shunsui listened carefully and decided at once that he needed to speak with this particular jonin alone after the gathering ended.
The reason for why he wanted to talk to him was because he wanted to learn the genjutsu of the Kurama clan. In their recent mission he had been far too reliant on his Shikai and the games it created.
He knew that Shikai would always remain his strongest trump card no matter how much stronger he became, yet he also understood the danger of depending on them for everything.
He never got a real chance to use his barrier jutsus which he learned from Torifu during the fight and he had barely used any water ninjutsu beyond the single time he coated his sword with the Water Forge jutsu.
The truth was not that opportunities had been missing. The truth was that he simply preferred to reach for his Shikai first and had grown too comfortable with that habit.
His Shikai consumed large amounts of chakra every time it was activated and maintained. If he wanted to stay effective across long battles he needed to mix his games with barrier techniques, regular ninjutsu and genjutsu so that he could conserve energy.
Enemies would also slowly grow used to the strange rules of his Shikai. Adding new tools to his fighting style would keep them uncertain and force them to stay on their toes.
High level genjutsu was the missing piece he needed most. The only practical ways to obtain such techniques were to learn them from a clan that specialised in the art or to ask his sensei Choza to call in a favour from someone willing to teach.
Shunsui did not want Choza to spend political capital on his behalf. Asking open genjutsu users such as Shinku would also put those men in an awkward position.
They belonged to clans and could not freely hand over clan techniques, while civilian shinobi were forbidden from teaching jutsus taken from the village library without official permission. That left the Kurama clan as the cleanest path.
Kazuma sat outside his tent when Shunsui approached him after the meeting. The older man looked up and asked in a straightforward voice, "What do you want to talk about kid?"
Shunsui saw no reason to circle around the request. "I want to learn the genjutsus of your clan."
Kazuma's eyes sharpened at once. Asking directly for another clan's secret techniques was considered very rude in the shinobi world and often led to immediate refusal or worse.
"Do you know what you are asking for?" the jonin said, his tone carrying clear warning.
Shunsui met the gaze without flinching. "Yes I know."
Kazuma leaned back slightly and continued. "And why would I teach them to you? If you want to learn genjutsu I can teach you some of the ones that do not belong to the clan. With the war contribution you have already made the village would authorise me teaching you those techniques anyway."
The offer was reasonable and would still give Shunsui useful skills. Shunsui gave the suggestion a short moment of thought before he shook his head.
He specifically wanted genjutsu that could be used with sound. From the research he had done the Kurama clan techniques did not even require hand seals.
That single feature would allow him to cast illusions even while his hands were busy with swords in close combat.
"I think since you already want to teach me genjutsu anyway, this should be enough motivation for you to teach the clan ones without any extra motivation." Shunsui said as he held out a sealed scroll.
Kazuma took it with cautious fingers and opened the paper. His eyes widened the moment he read the contents.
The scroll had been given to Shunsui by the Third Hokage when the boy first received official information about his own lineage.
It carried the Hokage's personal stamp and confirmed that Shunsui possessed Kurama blood through his mother's side.
A second scroll about Senju lineage existed as well but that one remained stored for a future day.
Because the document proved Shunsui was a member of the Kurama clan by blood, Kazuma as a senior member had both the right and the traditional duty to teach the jutsus of the clan to any true member of the family,
"You are Imi's son?" Kazuma muttered in shock. It was the name of the woman he had known years ago.
Shunsui asked his own question,"You knew my mother?" The older man's expression changed from surprise to something much softer and older. Memories clearly rose behind his eyes.
"She was like a little sister to me," Kazuma said after a long breath. "I watched her grow up inside the compound. She was always bright and stubborn and she never liked sitting still for lessons. When she left the clan to follow her own path many of us thought we would never see her again. Finding out that she had a son and that the boy carries her blood feels like the past has walked back into the present."
He looked at Shunsui more carefully now, searching for traces of the woman he remembered. "Your eyes are different but the way you stand and the way you speak directly reminds me of her. She would have been proud to see you wearing the forehead protector of the Leaf."
Kazuma's hand tightened slightly on the scroll. "I failed to keep contact with her after she left. When the news of her death during a mission eventually reached us I regretted that silence more than I can say. Seeing you here today feels like a second chance I do not deserve but I will not waste it."
The jonin was silent for several more seconds while the sounds of the camp continued around them. "Fine. I will teach you. Not only because the bloodline gives you the right but because she would have wanted someone to look after the skills she left behind in her child."
He folded the scroll carefully and handed it back. "We start tomorrow morning before the sun is fully up."
Shunsui bowed his head in respect. "Thank you Kazuma san. I will not waste the teaching."
-------Author Notes--------
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