Shinku, hearing what Anko just said, looked at his daughter.
"I guess your son is doing what you predicted, Kenji," Shinku said in a low tone.
Kurenai looked at him with surprise, while Anko tilted her head in confusion.
"Uncle… who is Kenji?" Anko asked curiously.
Shinku looked at her with a straight, emotionless face.
"Kenji is the father of that boy. He was also my first student, the one I personally trained."
"Wow…"
Both Kurenai and Anko were shocked when they learned about the boy's connection to this man in front of them.
"Was that the reason why you said his mother would not touch us about that incident at the barbeque store?" Kurenai asked.
"That's right. As long as you weren't the one to throw the first punch, she would not attack you," Shinku replied. "Like I said before, she knows you are my daughter and respects her husband. That means she gives me twice the respect she gave Kenji."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Kenji was a quiet boy. All he wanted was to sleep and daydream. He was the younger brother of the current Head of the Nara Clan, Shikaku Nara. When he entered the academy, he didn't know what dream he wanted to chase. He often said he just wanted to be left alone. But despite that, Kenji was social. He had many civilian friends, even friends among other clans."
Shinku's eyes grew distant.
"After he graduated from the academy, he refused to join the Ino–Shika–Cho squad. His supposed teammate once took over his body and committed a crime, which nearly led Kenji to kill the boy if not for nearby Anbu stopping him. From then on, he became a solo shinobi, taking missions alone and keeping the money for himself. Even the Nara Clan wanted nothing to do with his problems."
"You mean he was just doing missions alone, never joining a team? But why?" Anko asked.
"When I asked him, he told me he didn't want to share with anybody. That's why he went solo," Shinku said, then chuckled softly. "I first met him when he was dragging a deer back from a mission, running at full speed."
"Wait, isn't the Nara Clan supposed to own the deer in this village?" Anko asked again.
"Yes. But he wasn't playing with the deer. He was hunting it," Shinku answered plainly.
"How did he become your student, Dad?" Kurenai asked.
"He became my student because I agreed we would share missions together. He wasn't powerful in taijutsu or kenjutsu. But when he grew serious, you could see why the Nara Clan is respected. Not only for their shadow techniques, but for the way they think and use their brains," Shinku explained.
"Did you know why he hated the other clans?" Anko asked. She struggled to process everything she was hearing.
"He hated the Hyuga Clan because… no, let us skip that part. He could never allow the next generation to know about the corruption hidden by the village leaders."
Kurenai leaned forward. "Then… how did he die? And how did he meet that woman?"
Shinku sighed. "We met her on our way back from a mission. We heard an explosion and decided to check if it was a spy. That's when we saw her in an Anbu uniform, bleeding, surrounded by masked men who warned us to leave if we valued our lives. I didn't want to intervene, but Kenji said those masked men weren't Anbu, just some group working beneath them. He saved her and killed the men. That incident became one of the reasons he never became clan head."
"From then on, they were in a relationship. His brother made him branch head, though he didn't want the position. Later, he accepted it. When the Third War began, he was a captain of my team, which included shinobi from the Hokage's clan. He was a master strategist, and because of him, we suffered no casualties on our side."
Shinku's voice trembled.
"He told me he was going to be a father. He asked me if I thought he could be the best father for his unborn child. His brother had told him that his woman was pregnant."
Tears began to fall from the old man's eyes.
"He planned to pay Kaede's debt so he could marry her after the war. But only a few days later, he received intel from the village. He took a small squad with him. That intel turned out to be false, and it cost him his life. He was killed by Cloud ninja, like he was their main target, while the others were spared."
Shinku looked directly at Kurenai and Anko.
"Do you know the question he asked me before he died?"
The two girls stayed silent, unsure of what to say. They had never seen the old man cry like this.
"He asked me if his son would miss him as a father… or hate him for leaving."
Kurenai lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry for bringing up such a painful memory."
"There's no need. It's alright," Shinku said with a small, sad smile.
"What will you do about the son?" Kurenai asked softly.
"I don't know how to face him. I have seen him twice, and with that Nara Forest incident, I am sure he will hate this village. But you must be the one to look after him, because he is your brother… and you must correct him," Shinku said firmly.