Kurenai sliced an apple into pieces, arranged them on a plate, and fed them one by one to Kazuki’s mouth.
The female kunoichi who was famous in the original story for her mature charm now resembled an orchid blooming in a secluded valley.
Quiet!
Peaceful!
It made Kazuki feel exceedingly comfortable.
Kurenai Yuhi—no, Kurenai Uchiha—was great, but…
“Sigh, none of them came to visit me.” “Who?” Kurenai asked with a half-smile.
“Who are you waiting for?” “My girlfriend…
s!” “Mmmph!” Kurenai shoved a piece of apple straight into Kazuki’s throat.
Kazuki twitched violently in shock, swallowed it down with everything he had, and slumped onto the bed.
“Hmph!” Kurenai snorted coldly, her gorgeous face filled with displeasure.
Yet, seeing the faint red blood seeping through his bandages, she couldn’t help softening up.
“You’re just too reckless.
This involves the Mangekyo—you have no idea how anxious they are!
And yet you dared to tease them like that.
Aren’t you worried they’ll fly into a rage and do something to hurt you?” she complained.
Both Kazuki and her came from respectable backgrounds; their elders in Konoha possessed both strength and clout.
Unfortunately, the older generations of both families were gone now.
When the tea cools, people walk away—just like Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
He was essentially the prince of Konoha, yet now he was treated as a pariah by everyone!
In Kurenai’s view, now that both Kazuki and Shisui were injured, they should adopt a softer stance.
Chewing on the apple, Kazuki mumbled unclearly, “If I didn’t tease them, who knows how much they’d hassle me?” “And now?” “Now?
Now they’re worried *I’ll* go hassle *them*!” Amused, Kurenai asked, “So what about the Mangekyo?” Kazuki said unhurriedly, “What does the Mangekyo have to do with me?” “What kind of logic is that?” Kurenai paused.
“The Uchiha lost two pairs of Mangekyo—do you think they’ll just let it drop?
The village won’t agree either.” She didn’t bring up retrieving the eyes again.
For an enemy to enter the core area of the Uchiha, take down Shisui and Kazuki, and steal their Mangekyo required immense power and influence.
Getting them back would be difficult—at the very least, it would only be possible after Kazuki and Shisui were fitted with Three-tomoe Sharingan.
Furthermore, she had another faint suspicion in her heart.
Kazuki let out a soft chuckle.
“If the village is dissatisfied or the Uchiha is unhappy, let them take it up with the Hokage and Danzo.
Either way, leave me out of it.” “The Hokage and Danzo?” Kurenai froze again.
Kazuki prompted, “Yeah.
Don’t forget Wood Style!” Kurenai was still confused.
Kazuki had no choice but to explain, “Wood Style belongs exclusively to the Senju Clan, just like the Sharingan belongs to the Uchiha.” Kurenai interrupted, “Kakashi!” “Is Kakashi Hatake the same?” Kazuki shook his head, curling his lip.
“Kakashi was an exceptionally gifted shinobi back in the day, becoming a Jonin at age twelve.
Looking at the entire history of Konoha, how many could compare?
And the result?
He gets pushed to his limit by a single Sharingan.
Swap him out for anyone else, and they’d probably be six feet under joining Kakashi’s dad by now.” The Sharingan was constantly draining Kakashi’s Chakra.
If Kakashi hadn’t been genuinely brilliant, he would have collapsed long ago.
Not to mention, Kazuki’s eyes were Mangekyo!
If someone tried implanting them without the proper affinity, their eyes would probably roll back into their head instantly.
Danzo was only able to graft so many Sharingan onto his body because he had a massive amount of Hashirama cells balancing their power.
“Go on!” *Crunch!* Kazuki took another bite of apple before saying, “Wood Style belonged to Hashirama Senju.
Unfortunately, the Senju Clan was disbanded and integrated into Konoha.
Now, if a Wood Style user suddenly pops up out of nowhere, what do you think people will assume?” “Or let me ask you this…” Kazuki made a strange face.
“When a Wood Style ninja appears, who do you think they belong to?” Kurenai blurted out almost instinctively, “The Anbu and the Foundation!” As a Secret Technique unique to the First Hokage, the appearance of Wood Style would instantly draw the eyes of the entire Ninja World.
Yet prior to Kazuki’s injury, there hadn’t been a whisper of it.
Who had that kind of capability?
Only the two men sitting at the very pinnacle of power in Konoha could keep everyone in the dark.
Kurenai’s face changed slightly.
“Is it really them?” Kazuki didn’t answer.
He just crunched on his apple and turned his head toward the window.
“You didn’t bring a gift to visit a patient, Jiraiya-sensei?” A figure appeared on the window frame.
It was none other than Jiraiya, the kanji for ‘oil’ engraved on his forehead protector.
Looking at Kazuki with his eyes wrapped in bandages, he knitted his brows and sighed helplessly, “How did things turn out like this?” “It’s a long story…” “Then don’t tell it!” Jiraiya stared deeply at him and asked, “Is the Wood Style thing true?” “Jiraiya-sensei, only because the two of us are close, I’m going to say something to you with complete seriousness.
Keep it in mind!” Kazuki’s expression was grave and earnest.
Yet Jiraiya felt a faint sense of lingering sorrow.
*Kazuki, do you know?
Whenever you look serious, you’re radiating total unreliability—or rather…
you’re getting ready to set someone up again!* *Close?
You’re best at backstabbing the people closest to you!* “Konoha indeed has a Wood Style ninja.
They were wearing a mask, but I couldn’t see clearly whether they belonged to the Foundation or the Anbu!” Kazuki held up his middle finger and added, “I swear in the name of Madara Uchiha.” Jiraiya’s solemn face froze, and he glared fiercely at the middle finger.
“If you hadn’t said that last part, I might’ve actually believed you.” Kurenai gave Kazuki a harsh smack as well.
*Pointing your middle finger right at me, what’s that supposed to mean?* Kazuki said in mock surprise, “Jiraiya-sensei, does Madara Uchiha really hold that little weight in your eyes?” Jiraiya grumped, “You’ve forgotten how many times you’ve cursed Madara Uchiha in front of me.” He had spent more time with Kazuki than with Orochimaru, because the two of them often wrote novels while peeping…
pui, searching for inspiration.
During that time, Kazuki practically cursed Madara Uchiha like a daily routine.
The line Jiraiya remembered most vividly was: *”When you curse Madara Uchiha, you have to curse backward against the river of time.
If you curse forward, you might accidentally curse our own household.”* *So you DO know he’s your clan ancestor!* Jiraiya felt helpless at times.
Although Madara Uchiha was a rogue ninja, no one could deny he was a great shinobi who played a massive role in founding Konoha.
Why did Kazuki dislike him so much?
“Watch your step,” Jiraiya warned.
“The Mangekyo carries immense implications.
Be careful, or you might lose your life.” “Relax.
If Jiraiya-sensei is still breathing, I’ll definitely be fine.” Jiraiya’s face darkened, and he gritted his teeth.
“If you hadn’t brought it up, I would’ve forgotten—you actually dared to kick me?!” *And in the face, no less!
Unforgivable!* “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve forgotten too,” Kazuki snickered.
“Lord Jiraiya got quite the eyeful.
Tsunade-sensei was…
tsk tsk, dream fulfilled!
Don’t you feel like you can die with no regrets now?” “Bullshit!” Jiraiya hollered, stomping his feet.
“That wasn’t Tsunade at all!
She noticed us right from the start, and it was just a Genjutsu to toy with us!
I got beaten up for nothing!” Kurenai chimed in faintly from the side, “I recall Tsunade-sensei isn’t particularly skilled at Genjutsu.
How did a Mangekyo user and one of the Sannin both fall for it?” Kazuki’s lip twitched.
Jiraiya was covered in dark lines.