V.1-C.43│Growth III│

Kurenai Yuhi is a young girl with a pretty appearance, which is something that she has both been used to attracting some attention, but also annoyed by.

Not that she wasn't getting any attention like that here, not when they are away from the safety within the walls of Konoha. No, here there was supposed to be bloodshed and all, but there was no such thing.

At first, there was this major fight, but it wasn't even happening anymore. No skirmishes, nothing. Nothing that could make her say that this was a truly dangerous place, and just as it was confusing to others why this was happening.

Why Kumogakure didn't seem as interested in Konohagakure anymore, it was not something she all that thought about.

It was not her job to think about things like that, as she is meant to be just another soldier in this battle against rivalling villages. In fact, she couldn't even be considered someone that was high up in the ranks, meaning that she really was at the same level as all of the others that mostly failed to become greater than genin.

Most would think that genin are mainly children, but that was wrong and very untrue. In fact, a lot of genin are those that are older than herself, with the populace only really knowing about the very talented of the genin.

Those with great potential were also those that were young enough and would be promoted into a higher tier and rank.

She could at least say that she sees herself in that same regard, as someone that is above the average person that would forever be stuck and linger as a genin. There were also a lot of chunin ranked people as well, but there will always be more so people that are ranked as genin, rather than chunin or above.

Kurenai was starting to come into herself as well, growing and developing in more ways than just physically, but also mentally as well.

A fair-skinned young girl of slender build. She has long black untamed hair reaching her upper back, and very unique eyes that are red in color, with an additional ring in them. She is also still wearing the same outfit she had on as an academy student, but she was starting to think that maybe she should start changing out her wardrobe.

'Maybe I could wear something to match with Obito...?' She thought to herself, unaware of why such thoughts would spring into her head. She wanted to go past her current pinkish and white look, and instead replace the pink with red to not only suit her own eyes, but also suit Obito's eyes as well.

'We are a team after all.' She nodded her head, thinking that this was only logical. It would help foster even greater 'teamwork,' or that is what she was thinking when trying to come up with a reason to do so.

Not that she herself didn't want to change her outfit, her looks to make herself seem like she is more mature looking. She took inspiration from Mikoto, seeing her as some sort of role model that she may base herself around.

It also probably helped that Mikoto and Obito were close to each other, meaning Kurenai could pick up on things from Mikoto and plan from there.

Getting up, Kurenai moved towards her stuff within her shared room with the other girls. She looked towards a gift that she very much kept close to herself. A gift that she had received from Obito in the form of a book, and while it may not seem like much, it was notes on his own experience with genjutsu.

He knew of her like for genjutsu, knew that she wanted to know more about it, also in relation to dojutsu, and he had happily made something for her. This book. It was extremely helpful to her, as she could discover some things about dojutsu's but also the nature of how the brain perceives the world.

Illusions are based on changing ones perspective after all, and if she didn't do anything to change her own perspective, how could she change others.

She may have been also happy at the fact that Obito seemed to trust her with this knowledge, even if it may not be much.

As she looked at the book, she left it before she would eventually leave the room to go towards the training grounds designated by Mikoto. Mikoto and Kurenai would train here very often, given that the current situation was calm enough to do so, and intelligence suggested that such battles or skirmishes wouldn't be happening for at least until they are done here between Kumo and Konoha, she only had time to do other things.

Other things being training and working hard to develop herself enough so that she may be a formidable opponent to those that face her. To be a protector for those that she cares for.

At this point, Kurenai is a genjutsu prodigy, who is considered Konoha's number one, up and coming genjutsu user. That is, she is considered so because someone else would currently have that title, that being Mikoto.

Kurenai herself would surpass her, as Mikoto herself had said that she would do so.

Capable of discerning the truth in an instant to see through an illusion. She has likewise been trying to develop enough of her illusionary skills so that she may be able to lure enemies to a place far beyond genjutsu, while simultaneously affecting multiple opponents with her genjutsu.

She even wanted to go as far as to develop a new method in which she could use genjutsu. Reverting the effects of genjutsu onto the caster, and she was making ample progress towards such a goal.

Most of her illusion techniques focus around flora; primarily using large trees to bind opponents, as well as flower petals for various purposes. The reason? Because Obito said he liked to garden, or water plants, and so she fashioned her illusions around that.

There were many other ideas that she wanted to try out as well. 'But that should be for later!' She exclaimed within her mind as she saw Obito coming her way, probably to spend some time with her.

Or at least that is what she would've liked. "Hey, Kurenai." Obito said as he approached.

"Hey, Obito." Kurenai replied with a small smile, not knowing why he was here, and it seemed like her memory was failing her. "What is going on? Why are you here?"

"I'm here because we have our scheduled training time together. Remember?" Obito said.

"Oh! Sorry, that's my fault." Kurenai slapped her head as she said this. "Yeah, I still want to do it. You?"

"I don't mind. I came here specifically for you, so lets do it." Obito replied.

So they did just that, spend time together through Kurenai using Obito to better hone herself and her skills. A few times she would manage to do something that would catch him off guard, which was a testament to her growth, but it also didn't mean she was still anywhere near his current level.

She knew that she had the potential to become a chunin soon, but that didn't mean she could elevate herself towards jonin position as well. Only Obito would be able to do, and if Kakashi hadn't already, he would be able to do so as well.

Even if she could catch Obito off guard with some of her new tactics, designed specifically to get around opponents that had something like the Sharingan, she would still ultimately 'lose,' but that doesn't mean anything.

She and Obito were enemies, and instead they are allies. Friends even.

Other skills she had been working on was her physical attributes, but that obviously still couldn't compare to Obito, given the amount of hard work he does in combination with whatever seemed to be empowering his current stamina and lifeforce.

So talented in genjutsu was Kurenai, that she had even started to develop the initial stages of some brand new techniques surrounding said school of shinobi training. She wanted to be able to travel through surfaces and sense others by their chakra.

Kurenai has been prone to showing advanced chakra sensing abilities, which obviously Kushina and Obito had caught onto. While she has to develop something that best suits herself, she also got advice from those two, whom also have a great sensitivity for chakra.

She also got from Obito, or more specifically the Sharingan, the idea of being able to enter the subconsciousness of a person, but unlike the Sharingan, she wished to do so to see their 'true nature.'

Or maybe that is exactly what the Sharingan does, allow someone to see the true nature of the world. She wouldn't know, not really.

Now laying on the ground, Kurenai saw that Obito was above her as the sun shone behind him, and he was smiling. He extended his hand down towards her as she was tired, and for a split second she thought she saw him with blond hair.

After that small delusion, she grasped his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up by him. "Great job. You really are improving." He said.

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it with elder sister Mikoto... and elder sister Kushina... and Rin, and Mei... and especially I wouldn't have been able to get this far without you." She admitted with a blush from her cheeks, but this could be mistaken for her exhaustion at having to deal with Obito, instead of anything else.

"No, no. You would've done great without me." Obito said it so easily, and without doubt that Kurenai believed his words, but at the same time she thought that this was probably incorrect.

"No, I know for sure that I wouldn't have grown this quick without you." Kurenai said in all seriousness.

"Then I guess, your welcome." Obito chuckled a bit after this and she smiled seeing him happy.

[]

Kushina's feelings on the topic of the Nine Tail's was conflicted at best, and at most she very much disliked the fox. Just on principle, one could in a way see that she is simply transitioning the feelings she has for her current situation on the only thing she has an adequate amount of control over, and doesn't like.

That being the Nine Tail's.

Even so, she also understood that while the fox itself may not be directly at fault for her current status as a jinchuriki, it was in a way indirectly so. She didn't consider it's current position relative to now and then, and she didn't consider it's feelings due to this either.

She just had no way to go against those that had actually done her harm, and she didn't even have a proper target with which she may go against.

Right now, she just has three, in general targets that are correlated with the destruction of her home, and while she can admit that her home wasn't all that nice, and could be described as savage, it was still the place she originated from. Her family was from there, and she is a part of the main Uzumaki clan.

If she weren't, she wouldn't have access to the unique chakra, with which allows her to become the Nine Tail's jinchuriki safely.

That aside, she had not really made any progress looking into things, and it wasn't like she was the best when it comes to collecting and gathering information either. She was more of a front line and center type, a brawler, instead of a scholar or strategist that plans ahead.

Thankfully it seemed like Obito was on her side as well, willing to help her out in trying to track everything and everyone down in relation to the attack on Uzushiogakure. He also seemed to think that Danzo most definitely played a part in the whole villages destruction.

Obito held a certain level of distrust for the man called Kushina, and she could tell why. Although she couldn't sense it a lot of the time, and the Kyuubi is something she dislikes, she can also say that the Kyuubi provides ample power in the form of sensing negative emotions.

While she couldn't say that Danzo was someone that oozed said emotions, he was certainly someone that didn't have best intentions for most things or people. What she did know is that Danzo was someone that seemed to be someone for the village.

Then there was Kumogakure and Kirigakure, where she may dislike, maybe even hate Kumogakure to a certain extent for their actions taken against her, she believes that Kirigakure was the more likely of everyone to be involved.

If she were to take into account Obito's opinion, then it would make sense that, maybe, Kiri, Kumo and Danzo working for Konoha were all involved in Uzushiogakure's downfall.

It was currently nighttime, with the moon that was out and Kushina was shifting a bit, missing something that should be right beside her. 'Where is Obito...?' She had grown quite accustomed to his presence within her bed, and to find that he wasn't here was strange.

Then again, having him cuddle with her in her assigned bedroom may be weird in on itself, but it isn't like she cared at this point. She is very much attached, attached so much so that she would probably follow him if he ever decided he wanted to leave the village.

Shifting and turning, she decided that she has had enough of waiting around, and that she would rather drag him back to her bedroom. Wherever he may be.

What Kushina didn't realize is that Obito had been doing some very strange back and forth travels between this Konoha encampment and the other Kumo encampment over the course of the last few months, not wanting to waste his eyesight.

He was the source of the no deaths happening here, and it had gotten so peaceful for those between the borders of Kumo and Konoha that they didn't have to fear for their lives.

All in secret of course.

Getting up, Kushina searched high and low trying to find Obito, even extending her sensory abilities to her outermost limit, and she couldn't find anything.

Grumpily, she wasn't worried, she went back to her room. She wasn't worried exactly because Obito has Kamui, but also because it has been so peaceful, it was like a ceasefire had been commenced between both villages and lands subconsciously.

She knew that he would be ok, or should be with that ridiculous power of his. 'Yeah, but where the hell is he!' She thought grumpily, having gotten super attached that she wished he was here by her side this instant.

It was exactly as she was thinking this, Kushina sensed a familiar presence that was way more than familiar, and had practically become assimilated into her own presence. As she lay within the bed, Obito falls onto her small bed, just enough to fit the two of them.

She immediately pounced him, placing the entirety of her body on him, and Obito was used to it. She whispered. "Where were you?"

"Training." He sounded tired, but with the training he did it makes sense, but he wasn't exactly training. There was some of that, but there was also helping manipulate things so that bloodshed doesn't happen.

"Tell me where you are going next time, so I can find you." Kushina said, becoming a bit possessive, but this was a natural trend over the years. More so after that incident in the Land of Whirlpools, renamed the Land of Waves.

"I'll try." Obito said before he would fall asleep in her presence, completely comfortable with her.

Kushina could only helplessly smile, but it was one of warmth as she would also continue to hug him, still noticing that he was getting big. 'What are you thinking!?' She blushed a little, a bit more flustered than maybe she should be.

The bed would soon enough need to be replaced at this rate, as he wasn't only growing in height, but muscle as well. 'And other things...' Her mind lingered dirtily for a few seconds before she mentally slapped herself.

'Sleep, sleep, sleep...' Her mantra would be, just as it was becoming over the course of the time she has spent with him.