Chapter 116 - Chapter 115: She Is Worthy of Being Konoha's Female Ninja!

Sarutobi Asuma slammed his fist against the table in frustration."I'm so pissed off! That Naruto… he actually dared to attack Yuhi Kurenai! And I haven't even gotten through to him yet!"Kurenai, sitting nearby, flushed in embarrassment."Asuma, don't say such things in public. It's... humiliating."Moonlight Gai let out a deep breath."Honestly, I feel a bit relieved. At least Naruto isn't just targeting Yugao. It's clear this is something more complicated."Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was stern."@Namikaze Minato @Uzumaki Kushina — you two should have done more to guide Naruto!"Minato glanced aside, visibly troubled."Well..."Kushina's fiery temper flared instantly."Old man Third, how dare you pin this on us? Minato and I gave our lives to protect Konoha! What could two dead people possibly do now? Educating Naruto was your responsibility. If you hadn't ignored him all these years, he wouldn't be like this. This is on you!"Sarutobi Hiruzen scratched his head awkwardly."Well… but look at him now, he's... fine, right?"Sakura stepped forward indignantly."Fine? Naruto sneaks into the women's bath using his Transformation Technique, and he's even developed a Seduction Jutsu! How is that fine?"Konohamaru beamed proudly."Don't badmouth my brother! The Seduction Technique is awesome! It can even defeat Grandpa and help Naruto become Hokage!"Kushina pointed accusingly."See, old man? Even your grandson's picking up your bad habits. Don't try to act innocent—this perversion runs in your bloodline!"Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed, flustered."Nonsense! I'm not a pervert! I'm the Hokage of Konoha! I wouldn't do anything so… inappropriate!"Shimura Danzo snorted coldly."Heh. And what about the crystal ball? You've used it to peek at certain things, haven't you?"Jiraiya, nearby, burst out laughing."Exactly! That's the correct way to use a crystal ball! I asked the old man to lend it to me, and he refused!"Senju Tobirama's voice rang out from the afterlife projection."Monkey… You're the Hokage!"Hiruzen looked guilty."I-I can explain! My wife was killed by the masked man the night Kushina gave birth. The past ten years have been… hard. But I never did anything wrong! Danzo, stop spreading lies. Are you spying on me?"Danzo remained silent but crossed his arms knowingly.He didn't need to say it. Everyone in the village was aware of Root's surveillance system.Danzo always had people monitoring important figures — even the Hokage himself.---Meanwhile…Hiss…Yuhi Kurenai stirred awake with a soft groan, her senses slowly returning. She blinked against the dim light, realizing she was lying inside a cave. A small fire crackled gently nearby, offering both warmth and illumination.She tried to sit up and winced slightly. Her wounds still ached, but they had been tended to. Her outer clothing had been put back on, although the fishnet top beneath had a large tear.Kurenai's expression hardened. She was no inexperienced Genin — she understood what could happen in situations like this. Her eyes scanned the cave, quickly spotting a figure seated near the fire.He wore a white fox mask and was calmly roasting fish over the flames. The aroma made her stomach growl involuntarily — she hadn't eaten in a long time, and the toll of her injuries had drained her strength.Despite her hunger, Kurenai fought to remain composed."Who are you?" she asked coldly. "And what's your connection to Uchiha Itachi?"The masked man didn't turn immediately. His voice was deep and steady."My name is Uzumaki Menma. I will become the nightmare of Konoha — more specifically, the nightmare of the Sarutobi clan."Kurenai's eyes widened."The Sarutobi clan? You… you're after Asuma?"She could barely hide the concern in her voice.Menma chuckled beneath the mask."No. If it were just about killing Asuma, I wouldn't need to go through all this effort."Kurenai felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't about a simple grudge. He had gone out of his way to capture her — heal her — and bring her here.Her thoughts raced. Could it be that he's targeting me because I'm Asuma's fiancée?The realization dawned on her like thunder. Everyone in Konoha knows about me and Asuma. This man… he planned this.Menma slowly stood and removed his fox mask. The flickering firelight revealed a face she recognized — Naruto's, but colder, sharper. The eyes held a deadly seriousness that chilled her.At that moment, something strange occurred. Kurenai's body tensed — not from fear, but from something deeper. Her vision blurred, and her senses distorted."No… what's happening…?"Suddenly, darkness enveloped her.Her body was trapped in a genjutsu — a powerful one.She could still feel everything… but she had no control.---Inside the illusion, time passed strangely.She heard voices. Laughter. Her own cries. Shame. Embarrassment. Emotions twisted in a whirlwind.Then—Silence.When her eyes opened again, she was still in the cave. The same fire burned gently, and the masked figure was once again sitting quietly, roasting fish as if nothing had happened.Kurenai sat up, drenched in sweat. Was it all… an illusion?It had felt too real. Every detail, every sound — every shameful moment.And what disturbed her the most wasn't the illusion itself... but her own reaction to it. At first, she resisted with all her will.But later… she had cooperated.Three times she had submitted to the illusion, fully immersed in its false sensations.She clenched her fists, biting her lip in humiliation. What's wrong with me?Her pride as a Jonin, her loyalty to Asuma… everything felt shaken.The masked figure stood up and glanced her way."Eat. Then return to Konoha."His voice was calm, but filled with an unshakable authority — as if they were an old couple, familiar with each other's habits.Kurenai wanted to question him, demand an explanation, anything — but he was already gone.She sat in stunned silence.Then, slowly, she approached the fire. The fish he had prepared smelled irresistible. She picked off a piece with trembling fingers and placed it in her mouth.Delicious. Tender. Rich with flavor.She ate silently, processing everything. Confused, exhausted, and angry — but strangely… not terrified.---Outside the cave, Menma — or rather, Naruto — stretched under the night sky, exhaling deeply.To be honest, he had struggled to keep calm during the genjutsu. Yuhi Kurenai's mature beauty had almost broken his concentration.Inside his mind, Kurama snorted."Naruto, what the hell did you really do in that genjutsu? That woman's acting weird."Naruto smirked."It's a secret, Kurama.""Tch. You're getting weirder by the day.""Don't be mad," Naruto said playfully.Then he looked toward the direction of Konoha, his expression sharpening."We have more important things to do next."---To Be Continued…