Chapter 21: A Major Event Unfolds! Yūhi Kurenai's Journey as a Secretary!
Kazuya's initial confusion gave way to disappointment, but he kept his expression neutral. "Training? I thought the daily regimen in ANBU was already quite intense for you."
"It's not enough! Not nearly enough!" Uzuki Yugao gritted her teeth. "I want to become stronger! Only then can I keep up with you, Kazuya-taichou!"
Yugao lifted her head, her gaze steady and full of determination as she looked up at Kazuya. Every word she spoke came from her heart.
Over the past two weeks, Yugao had barely seen Kazuya. She could count the number of times on one hand.
And each time they met, that gnawing sense of insecurity grew stronger.
After all, now that Kazuya had become a squad captain, he no longer needed to oversee daily training. Their opportunities to meet had dwindled.
"I see…"
Kazuya paused for a moment, then something clicked in his mind.
Uzuki Yugao—the girl who seemed so outwardly aloof—was, in truth, hiding a deep admiration for him, a mix of awe and perhaps a bit of infatuation.
Admiring strength. Being attracted to someone strong and good-looking.
It all started making sense.
In the original story, Yugao had once followed Kakashi in the ANBU, practically idolizing him like a fangirl. But Kakashi, being the cold, distant type, never showed much interest in women.
That left an opening for Moonlight Hayate, who eventually swooped in to win her heart.
But now…
Kazuya realized that his battle against the Fourth Raikage must've made quite an impression on her.
"Strong, handsome… Is she talking about me?"
It seemed his fight with the Raikage had left a deep mark on the young girl's heart.
"Youthful admiration…"
Kazuya understood her feelings. It was only natural.
"Please, Kazuya-taichou!"
Uzuki Yugao lowered her head even further, her tone sincere. "I want to follow in your footsteps and become a capable, independent warrior!"
"I beg of you!"
She was so determined that she even knocked her forehead to the ground, bowing before him.
"Alright, alright." Kazuya put on a show of reluctance, sighing deeply. "If you're that eager to train under me, just know that it won't be easy. You're going to face a lot of hardship."
"I'm not afraid of hardship!" Yugao lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement and resolve. "As long as I can grow stronger, I'm ready to endure anything!"
"Very well. Just make sure you don't forget these words."
"I won't!" Yugao's face lit up with a wide smile. "I'll always remember this day and these words. I won't let you down, Kazuya-taichou!"
"Excellent!"
Inside, Yugao was overjoyed. She had succeeded!
Kazuya-taichou forever!
The excitement in her heart was overwhelming.
"You…" Kazuya thought to himself, feeling a bit exasperated.
"She's only twelve… Is this even allowed?"
Yugao soon left, still brimming with excitement.
Honestly, if she hadn't been worried about being rejected, she would've outright asked Kazuya to take her as his apprentice.
The Uzuki Clan had some minor jutsu passed down, but they were far too weak.
Without the guidance of a truly great mentor, her progress in the shinobi world might be limited to becoming a mere special jōnin at best.
But Kazuya, the man who had gone toe-to-toe with the Fourth Raikage, represented hope—her only hope to become truly powerful.
It was an opportunity she couldn't afford to miss.
A few minutes later, Yūhi Kurenai walked into Kazuya's office.
"Kazuya-kun!"
She glanced around, curious. "Did you see Yugao just now? She seemed incredibly happy."
"Yeah, she just left." Kazuya pointed to the pile of reports on his desk. "Here's the latest intelligence briefing. Sorry, but I'll need you to handle this for me."
With that, he stood up and motioned for her to take his seat.
"You…" Kurenai sighed, giving him a sideways glance.
"You're such a troublemaker."
Every day, there was a never-ending pile of tasks waiting for her. Sometimes she wondered whether she had signed up to be part of the ANBU or Kazuya's secretary.
"Don't look so down."
Kazuya playfully pinched Kurenai's cheek, stretching her face into a smile. "You're Yūhi Kurenai, after all. The future strongest female genjutsu user in Konoha! A little paperwork shouldn't scare you."
"Come on!"
"Smile!"
Kurenai's face was now puffed up like a dumpling.
"Ugh, Kazuya-kun! Stop bothering me while I'm trying to work!"
She batted his hand away and glared at him, puffing out her cheeks. "I'm busy, okay!"
Still grinning, Kazuya backed off, watching as she dove into the reports.
Despite the teasing, Kurenai enjoyed the work. Being involved in the duties of a squad captain gave her a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment.
After all, one day she aspired to rise to this position herself.
Kazuya was satisfied too.
In the original story, Kurenai had an "8" in competency—certainly less than Tsunade's "10," but more than enough to serve as an ANBU squad captain.
With a secretary like her handling the daily grind, Kazuya couldn't ask for more.
Kazuya thought that maybe it was time to put some extra effort into training Uzuki Yugao.
With Yūhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao by his side, he wouldn't have to worry about future administrative duties!
Kazuya sighed with a sense of foresight.
Only someone like him, with such a high level of vision, could think ahead like this!
Speaking of which...
Half a month ago, the batch of Flying Thunder God kunai that Kazuya had ordered was finally ready.
The kunai were modeled after the ones used during the Fourth Hokage's time, a batch of 40, with excellent quality.
The store owner, hearing that Kazuya was the one ordering, gave him a 50% discount and even threw in an extra 10 kunai!
Turns out, the owner was a retired ninja who Kazuya had saved during the Nine-Tails attack on the village.
This was indeed a pleasant surprise!
Now, each kunai bore Kazuya's unique Flying Thunder God marking.
Although his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique was only at level 3, it might not compare to the Fourth Hokage's, but it was enough to put him ahead of nearly everyone else in the ninja world.
"With my current strength, survival shouldn't be an issue anymore..."
Kazuya felt a sense of accomplishment.
In the current ninja world, the power of the Six Paths had not yet emerged, and the strongest individuals were probably the Five Kage, along with characters like Pain and Obito.
Even if he couldn't defeat these top-tier opponents, Kazuya was confident he could escape.
That was how broken the Flying Thunder God Technique was!
Knock, knock, knock!
Just as Kazuya was lost in thought, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Kazuya said calmly.
Creak~
The door swung open.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke walked in, his face serious.
"Kazuya, there's an S-Rank mission!"
"Please gather the upper-ranked ninja in your squad immediately!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's expression was grim, clearly indicating something major had happened.
Kazuya's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be... that incident?