Changes

Kazuya opened the door to find Kurenai standing there, her red and white coat contrasting beautifully with her black hair. She held a small lunch box in her hand and looked at him with her tender red eyes.

"Kazuya-kun!" Kurenai greeted with a warm smile.

"Kurenai! What brings you here?" Kazuya asked, surprised.

"Why, aren't you happy to see me?" Kurenai pretended to pout, feigning hurt.

"No, come in. I'm just here by myself," Kazuya replied, smiling softly as he let her into the room.

Kurenai placed the lunch box on the table and glanced around the messy room, sighing helplessly. "You've been home for a while and haven't tidied up at all. This place is a mess."

Kazuya waved dismissively. "I'm alone anyway. A little mess doesn't bother me. By the way, what did you bring?"

"Your favorite—unagi," Kurenai answered with a grin.

"Haha, then I won't hold back!" Kazuya laughed, grabbing a clean spoon from the kitchen and sitting down at the table to enjoy his meal.

As Kazuya ate, Kurenai began to clean up the room, gathering dirty clothes and socks and taking them to the bathroom to soak them. Since Kazuya had been hospitalized for a year, Kurenai had taken on the task of cleaning his house, and she had grown accustomed to it over time. She found a sense of contentment in being able to do something for Kazuya.

While tidying up, Kurenai picked up a string of white pearl beads from the sofa. Holding it in her hand, she inspected it curiously. "Kazuya-kun, did you buy this necklace? It looks strange. The beads are as big as walnuts, and it's quite long. Were you tricked by the seller?"

Kazuya inwardly groaned but maintained a calm expression. "Kurenai, this was meant to be a New Year's gift for you. I guess I got cheated. I don't usually buy jewelry for girls."

Kurenai, touched by his thoughtfulness, said, "That's understandable. You spend so much time training. It's normal to be unfamiliar with these things. But I didn't expect you to prepare a New Year's gift for me in advance. I'm really touched..."

She looked at the necklace again, feeling deeply moved. "This is the first gift from Kazuya-kun... How touching!"

Realizing she might figure out its true purpose, Kazuya quickly stepped in. He gently pinched Kurenai's cheek and said, "Kurenai, I always feel like you're acting strange today..."

"Huh? What's strange?" Kurenai asked, worried.

"Strangely beautiful," Kazuya said sincerely, taking the "pearl necklace" from her hand.

"You... you tease, Kazuya-kun!" Kurenai blushed, giving him a playful glare.

Bad guy, Kurenai thought, suddenly teasing me. What hidden intentions does he have? But she saw Kazuya take the necklace away and didn't mind. If it was a New Year's gift, it would be hers eventually. She just hoped he wouldn't give it to anyone else.

"By the way, congratulations!" Kurenai suddenly said, smiling. "I heard from my father that you've been promoted to Anbu captain. Isn't that great?"

"Oh, yes," Kazuya nodded.

"Now that you're a big shot, you won't forget about little me, will you?" Kurenai said half-jokingly.

"Of course not!" Kazuya said seriously. "You're my best little secretary. I'll take you with me wherever I go. Who else will handle all the tedious daily work?"

"Cut it out, slob!" Kurenai laughed, heading to the bathroom. "I'm not a secretary; I'm a proud Konoha Jonin!"

After Kurenai left, Kazuya sat back, contemplating his new responsibilities. Since being promoted to Anbu captain, he had become a favorite in Konoha. The heads of major ninja clans had all visited him, including the Hyuga, Akimichi, Nara, Inuzuka, and even the Uchiha.

The position of Anbu captain was significant, and Kazuya's strength was too formidable to ignore. He had faced powerful enemies like the Fourth Raikage, Orochimaru, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki Yugito Nii, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer Bee, emerging victorious each time. His reputation had grown immensely, and many were eager to align themselves with him.

In the following days, Kazuya sat in his office at the Anbu base, sifting through potential new recruits sent by the clan heads. Most were impressive, with accolades such as graduating from the ninja academy at seven, becoming Chunin at eleven, and having various abilities.

"It's really some boring choices..." Kazuya sighed, shaking his head.

This generation of young Konoha ninjas seemed less remarkable compared to the prodigies of previous and upcoming generations. Only a few stood out, like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.

As he reviewed the documents, two names caught his eye: Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Izumi. Both had impressive records, and Kazuya's expression became thoughtful.

Uchiha Itachi, graduated from the ninja academy at age 7, awakened his Sharingan at age 8, skilled in Fire Style and ninja throwing. Uchiha Izumi, age 9, Two Tomoe Sharingan, proficient in taijutsu.

Kazuya couldn't help but think of their tragic fates in the original plot. He felt a pang of sympathy for Uchiha Izumi, who was killed on the night of the Uchiha massacre. What a waste of potential.

An idea began to form in Kazuya's mind. What if he could train Uchiha Itachi in a different direction? Maybe pair him with Uchiha Izumi and Uzuki Yugao, guiding them to become a formidable team.

With a smirk, Kazuya decided to take a chance on these two. After all, reshaping their futures might be the key to altering the course of the entire village.