"Wow, Kurenai-sensei, your back doesn't have a single scar," Naruto blurted out.
The words hung in the air, so out of place that for a moment no one knew how to react. Kurenai, who had just untied the top of her dress to offer her back to the group, didn't move. Sakura, on the verge of shouting an objection, was left with her mouth open, her protest choked by the awkwardness of the comment.
Naruto realized what he had said and color rose to his cheeks. "I mean... it's not like I was looking at her like that! It's just... you look so strong. Like no one's ever been able to touch you. It's awesome!"
A faint smile curved Kurenai's lips, a gesture so subtle that only Hinata, watching attentively from the side, could notice. Naruto's clumsy comment had broken the tension.
"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, finding her voice. "This isn't the time for... for that! Besides, Sensei, please, don't do this!"
She took a step forward, her hands outstretched and panic etched on her face. "Stop! This is crazy! Are you going to let him use that... that jutsu on you? We just saw it on Hinata! We don't really know what it does!"
Kurenai kept her back straight. "We know enough, Sakura. We saw it worked on Hinata."
"Working doesn't mean it's safe!" Sakura retorted, her voice rising. "Remember the mark. The Kyūbi's seal! What if it's permanent? What if it connects you to... to that thing? What if it corrupts you? It could destroy your chakra network from the inside!"
The implication hung in the air. Hinata shivered visibly, hugging herself.
"That's a risk I have already calculated and accepted," Kurenai said, her voice calm. "Naruto, I'm waiting."
"But it's my fault!" Sakura insisted, frustration and guilt tinging her words. "If I weren't so weak, we wouldn't have to resort to something so desperate. Let me do it! I'll take the risk."
"No," Kurenai cut her off with a finality that allowed no argument. "You are in no condition to take any risks. More importantly, you don't understand the tactical situation we are in."
She turned slightly, just enough for her red eyes to lock onto Sakura's. "This is no longer just about helping you. We've stumbled upon a tool we can use on this mission. Trust Naruto as I trust him. Besides, my duty as the jōnin in command of this team is to investigate any advantage we can get. If Naruto's jutsu can strengthen a shinobi, I need to understand how it works, what its scope is, and what its limitations are. I need to experience it myself."
"Experience it? You're not a test subject, you're our teacher!" Sakura exclaimed.
"In the field, we are all tools for the success of the mission," Kurenai replied. "And this is my decision. As your superior officer and the one responsible for your safety, I am ordering you to stand still, remain silent, and observe. Consider this a lesson in decision making under pressure. Understood?"
The word "order" was a wall. Sakura stepped back, her face pale and her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Helplessness washed over her. She was a Konoha ninja; she could not disobey a direct order in the field. She bit her lip and nodded stiffly.
Naruto swallowed. The excitement that someone like Kurenai trusted him was still bubbling in his chest, but the seriousness of the situation finally hit him.
He glanced at Hinata, who was still standing to the side, watching everything with worried eyes. Their gazes met, and she gave him an almost imperceptible nod. It was enough. You can do it, her eyes seemed to say.
He knelt behind Kurenai. Unlike the trial with Hinata, the air was thick with tension.
"Are you sure, Kurenai-sensei?" he asked in a low voice. "Once I start..."
"I'm sure, Naruto," she answered, her voice firm. "Proceed."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his hammering heart. He extended his right hand, his index finger straight. For a second, he hesitated, the tip of his finger hovering millimeters from his sensei's pale skin.
I can't mess this up. I can't mess this up.
He placed the tip of his finger on the center of her back. The skin was cold, or maybe it was his own hand that was trembling. He closed his eyes and concentrated, gathering his chakra.
To Sakura, the effect was terrifying. An intense orange light erupted from the point of contact, spreading beneath Kurenai's skin. The intricate black web of the fox's seal spread across the jōnin's back with blinding intensity, each line burning with power. It lasted for four, maybe five seconds that felt like an eternity. She saw every muscle in Kurenai's back tighten to its limit, a choked hiss escaping through her teeth as her body contracted. Then, as abruptly as it began, the light vanished, and Kurenai slumped slightly forward.
For Kurenai, the experience was a cataclysm. It wasn't the warmth of a medical jutsu or the flow of an energy transfer. The instant Naruto's chakra entered her, she felt as if her full potential had been unleashed all at once. An avalanche of pure, unrefined power flooded every one of her cells and chakra points. The sensation was both terrifying and strangely exhilarating.
Her entire body vibrated. She felt the small spiritual scars, the inefficient knots of chakra accumulated over years of casting and countering thousands of genjutsu, simply dissolve.
For Naruto, the vision was overwhelming. When the "screen" appeared in his mind, he almost fell backward from the sheer density of the information. It was a torrent of data that made Hinata's information seem insignificant in comparison.
Name: Kurenai Yuhi Level: 1 Strength: D [550] → C [610] (+60) Endurance: E [480] → D [530] (+50) Dexterity: C [690] → B [745] (+55) Agility: B [780] → A [850] (+70) Chakra: A [890] → S [955] (+65)
Development Abilities:
Mind's Eye (G): Allows for greater resistance to and detection of attacks affecting the spirit and mind. Facilitates perception of fluctuations in the opponent's mental state.
Huntress (H): Enhances combat skills when fighting monsters, demonic beasts, or non-human beings.
Jutsus/Techniques:
- Magen: Jubaku Satsu
- Magen: Kasegui no Jutsu
- Genjutsu: Kai
- Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu
- Kori Shinchū no Jutsu
Sly Mind Affect Technique …and the list went on, a litany of techniques he could barely read before they vanished.
Skills:
Genjutsu Master (S)
Sensory Perception (A)
Shurikenjutsu (B)
Close Quarters Combat (C)
Tactical Analysis (B)
She has S-ranks! Naruto thought, stunned. What the hell is 'Mind's Eye'? And 'Huntress'? This is incredible!
He pulled his finger back with a gasp. A wave of exhaustion, much deeper than the first time with Hinata, hit him hard. He staggered back, breathing heavily, but a smile of pure triumph spread across his face.
"I... I did it," he panted, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
Kurenai remained motionless for a long moment. Slowly, she fixed her dress. When she finally turned, her expression was unreadable, but her red eyes shone with a new intensity.
She looked at her own hands, flexing her fingers as if she didn't recognize them. Then she closed her eyes, concentrating.
"I can feel it," she whispered, her voice filled with a restrained awe that chilled Sakura. "The chakra... it's so clear."
She took a step, her movement so fluid and fast it seemed like she glided. "My sensory range... has increased ridiculously."
Sakura stared at her, searching for any sign of illness or corruption. She found nothing. Only her sensei, who seemed more alert, vibrant, and dangerous than ever.
"What did you see, Naruto?" Kurenai asked, her voice slowly recovering without completely hiding her own excitement. "I need the details. Exactly what you saw."
Naruto straightened up, still breathless but overflowing with energy. "It was amazing, Kurenai-sensei! She's Level 1! And her numbers shot up! Her agility went from B 780 to A 850! And her chakra! Her chakra went from A 890 to S 955! She has an S-rank in chakra now! For real!"
Sakura frowned, crossing her arms. "Naruto, I still don't get what that means. What's an 'S-rank'? How do you quantify chakra in a number? Or 'agility'? Did the jutsu also give you a stopwatch and a measuring tape?"
"I don't know!" Naruto exclaimed, frustrated at not being able to explain. "I just know the numbers went way up! And the letters! Going from B to A is a huge jump! And from A to S is even better!"
"Try to calm down, Naruto," Kurenai said patiently. She turned to Sakura. "He can't give us the science behind it because there isn't any. He's the only one who can interpret the results. We have to learn his language." She turned back to Naruto. "Tell me about the other things you saw. You said there was something else."
"Yeah! That was the coolest part!" Naruto said, perking up again. "Two 'Development Abilities' appeared! One is called 'Mind's Eye' and the other is 'Huntress.' I don't know exactly what they do, but their names are awesome!"
"Mind's Eye..." Kurenai repeated to herself, her eyes momentarily unfocusing. She raised a hand and channeled a minuscule amount of chakra. "I see... I understand. It's a passive ability. My affinity for genjutsu has always been based on projecting illusions outward, on affecting my opponents' minds."
She looked at Sakura again, and this time, Sakura felt a chill. It was as if Kurenai's gaze was analyzing her on a non-physical level. "Now... I can use it to perceive inward. I can feel your skepticism like a barrier of static. And Hinata's concern, like a warm current. Naruto's self-doubt, hidden under all that energy... This is a revolution for my fighting style. I can anticipate a mental attack before it's formed. I can feel an opponent's intent."
She turned to Sakura, and her gaze softened. "Sakura, this is real. I don't understand how it works, and I assure you, the origin of this power terrifies me as much as it does you. But the result is undeniable. I feel stronger. Faster. I feel my chakra responding to my will with an efficiency I've never experienced before."
That statement, coming from one of Konoha's most skilled kunoichi in chakra control, hit Sakura. Her skepticism, her logic, all her training wavered before her own master's testimony.
"But... how?" she whispered, her mind struggling to find a logical anchor. "How can her agility increase instantly? Did her muscles become denser? Has the transmission speed of her nervous system improved? That's biologically impossible without years of training! And the chakra? Where did that extra power come from? You can't create energy from nothing! Did you steal it from someone, Naruto?"
"Dummy, I didn't steal anything!" Naruto defended himself, offended. "I've told you a bunch of times! It's the power she already had! All the training, every mission, every battle! My jutsu just grabs all that experience and turns it into real strength. It's not power from nothing, it's the power she earned!"
"It's like... unlocking latent potential," Kurenai intervened, her voice thoughtful. "All shinobi have limits. Physical and mental barriers that define how fast we can react or how much chakra we can mold. This jutsu seems to take those limits and push them upward. It has perfected what was already there."
Sakura brought a hand to her forehead, massaging her temples.
"So, what's the cost?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. She looked at Naruto. "Nothing is free. What's the price for this power?"
He shrugged, his expression turning serious. "It makes me tired. A lot. Leveling you up left me much more exhausted than the first time with Hinata. I guess the stronger the person, the more chakra it costs me. I need to rest."
Kurenai nodded, her face grave. "An exchange of energy. That makes sense. And the other cost..." she looked Naruto directly in the eyes, "...is trust. If my body had fought against your chakra, if I hadn't been willing to accept it, the conflict between our two energies could have been catastrophic. It could have torn me apart from the inside."
A tense silence fell over the group. The power had been tested, the effects confirmed, and the cost, at least in part, established.
Kurenai turned completely toward Sakura. Her expression softened, regaining the warmth of a teacher worried about her student.
"The final decision is yours, Sakura. I've tested Naruto's power, and not only am I unharmed, I'm better than before. I understand your doubts, believe me. But I also know you long to be stronger. Not for pride, but to protect your comrades, to stop feeling like you're the one who always needs protecting."
She placed a hand on her shoulder, her grip firm and reassuring. "No one is going to force you. But the offer is on the table. This power... it could give you the tool you've been looking for."
Sakura looked at her sensei's serious face, then at Hinata, who watched her with silent empathy. Finally, her eyes landed on Naruto.
She took a deep breath and made the most illogical, irrational, and terrifying decision of her life.
"Okay," she said, her voice trembling but firm. She turned and, with a decisive movement that mimicked her master's, she gave her back to Naruto. "Be gentle."