Kurenai felt ice seep into her veins.
A chill unlike anything she had ever known spread through her body in an instant.
This was not something an ordinary Jonin could accomplish.
Even Itachi Uchiha—when facing multiple capable Chunin or Special Jonin—would require focus, intent, and deliberate action.
But the man before her…
With nothing more than the faint afterglow of his gaze—
Had effortlessly crushed her three strongest subordinates.
The ruler of the Land of Fire was no sovereign in silk robes.
He was a predator.
A wolf draped in human skin—wielding the Mangekyo Sharingan.
The realization slithered into Kurenai's thoughts like venom.
The former Daimyo's thirty-six heirs.
The sudden proclamation of an "Emperor."
The reconstruction of the palace.
All of it.
All of it traced back to those forbidden eyes—and the unchecked ambition they had awakened.
This was no longer a matter of personal arrogance.
It was a threat capable of overturning the balance of the Land of Fire… perhaps even the entire shinobi world.
The Hokage had sent them on what was described as a retrieval mission.
But this—
This had been a trap from the very beginning.
A trap aimed at Konoha.
A trap aimed at her.
She had to get this information back to Konoha.
"Genjutsu? Against me?"
Di Yan's voice, laced with ridicule, shattered her final thread of hope.
He did not form a single hand seal.
He did not move.
His Mangekyo Sharingan merely focused.
Just slightly.
"—!"
The impact struck her like a collapsing mountain.
An indescribable pain erupted from deep within her consciousness. Her mental defenses shattered instantly, torn apart by overwhelming force.
It felt as though burning needles had pierced her mind from every direction.
The chakra she had gathered spiraled violently out of control, rebounding through her pathways with brutal backlash.
A muffled sound escaped her throat.
Her body went rigid.
All strength drained away in a heartbeat.
She could not move.
Not a finger.
Only her awareness remained—painfully, mercilessly clear.
Absolute suppression.
Like an insect before a dragon.
Her genjutsu, in comparison, was child's play.
The pressure even surpassed what she had felt when facing Itachi Uchiha.
Di Yan's smile deepened.
He descended from the throne with unhurried elegance.
The hem of his black-and-gold robe glided silently across the polished floor. Each step echoed through the silent hall like the toll of a funeral bell.
He stopped before her.
Close enough that she could sense the faint fragrance of incense on him—mixed with something far more dangerous.
He lifted a slender hand and brushed his fingers lightly against her cheek.
Cold.
Deliberate.
Kurenai trembled involuntarily—not from fear alone, but from instinctive rejection.
"You… what are you trying to do? Do you not fear the Hokage?"
"Shh."
He silenced her with a quiet whisper.
His fingers traced along her jawline, slow and measured, before pausing near the corner of her eye.
His gaze was filled not merely with desire—but with possession.
"Still as beautiful as ever, Red."
His voice was low, almost reflective.
"That defiance in your eyes… that refusal to yield. It's nostalgic."
"As for Konoha… does it truly need to exist any longer?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"The Fifth Hokage is Tsunade now, isn't she? Interesting…"
He clapped once.
A sharp sound echoed.
In the next instant, a woman in fitted black armor appeared and knelt.
"Your Majesty."
"Izumi," Di Yan said calmly. "Remove the three."
"Hinata is to be confined separately. The other two will be detained. Ensure they are kept alive."
"Yes."
Izumi signaled to the guards outside. Within moments, Hinata, Kiba, Shino—and Akamaru—were carried from the hall.
The doors closed.
Silence returned.
Di Yan's gaze settled once more upon Kurenai.
"Now… it is only us."
"Welcome back."
His voice lowered, colder than before.
"The Land of Fire requires unity. Konoha must understand who truly governs this nation."
His fingers tightened beneath her chin, forcing her face upward.
The Mangekyo Sharingan spun slowly before her vision.
The world tilted.
Darkness swallowed the hall.
—
When sensation returned, Kurenai found herself standing—not in the palace—but in an endless crimson landscape.
A genjutsu.
A complete dominion of consciousness.
Di Yan's figure stood before her, larger than life, the sky itself fractured behind him.
"This," he said calmly, "is the difference between us."
His presence pressed against her from all directions.
"I do not need to conquer Konoha with armies."
"I can dismantle it… from its foundation."
The illusion tightened around her mind like iron chains.
Pain surged again—controlled, deliberate.
Not physical.
Psychological.
Domination without resistance.
"You will return to Konoha," he continued.
"And you will tell them what you witnessed."
His Mangekyo glowed brighter.
"Tell Tsunade this—"
"The era of divided authority is over."
"The Land of Fire answers to one ruler."
The illusion shattered.
Kurenai collapsed to one knee, gasping, drenched in cold sweat.
Di Yan stood above her.
Untouched.
Unmoved.
"Run, if you can," he said softly.
"But understand this, Red."
"No matter where you go…"
"The Emperor sees everything."
And for the first time since entering the palace—
Kurenai understood.
This was no impulsive tyrant.
This was a man with a plan.
A plan vast enough to swallow nations.