Yugito Nii said with pride.
Looking at the forehead protectors worn by that group of Konohagakure shinobi, Yugito thought of the man who always made her grit her teeth in hatred.
This time, she was definitely going to get her revenge.
The next day.
"I want to duel you!"
Kurenai Yuhi sought out Shimizu, demanding a one-on-one match.
Shimizu, naturally, obliged her request.
The two of them arrived at an empty, deserted tent.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death!"
Kurenai formed hand signs and cast her genjutsu.
Shimizu followed suit, forming hand signs to clash with her in a battle of illusions.
He didn't activate his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
He had already promised Kurenai that he would hold back. If he still used the power of the Sharingan, it would just be outright bullying.
During their clash, Shimizu intentionally closed the distance between them.
He focused entirely on creating a sensation of "just a hair's breadth away."
Every time Kurenai was on the verge of landing a hit, she would fail due to various coincidental reasons.
Kurenai bit her lip, a surge of joy welling up in the depths of her eyes.
Her hard work during this recent period hadn't gone to waste!
Just as Kurenai was planning to muster all her strength to take Shimizu down in one fell swoop, she suddenly heard Shimizu's faint whisper.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death."
Kurenai's vision went black, and she fell fast asleep.
Shimizu hoisted Kurenai onto his shoulder and used the Flying Raijin Jutsu, returning to the tent where he frequently treated patients.
It was still early, so no new patients had arrived yet.
Shimizu stroked his chin, a sinister smile playing across his lips.
It was about time to finally consume Kurenai.
And give her a little extra motivation.
This rate of genjutsu progress was simply too slow.
She didn't even have the qualifications to make him use his Sharingan.
"!"
After an unknown amount of time, Kurenai opened her eyes.
She had been jolted awake by intense pain!
Everything before her eyes was pitch black, as if she were trapped inside some kind of box.
Kurenai wanted to form hand signs to break free and escape from this place.
However, she discovered that her hands and feet were already tightly bound with ropes.
Her elbows were bent and tied together, and her knees were similarly folded and bound tightly with ropes beneath her legs.
Her entire body was sprawled flat against a very hard wooden board. Because she had no arms to support herself, her head hung low, while her rear was elevated much higher due to the positioning of her thighs.
She was forced into a posture where her front was low and her back was high, with her pelvis thrust prominently upward.
Slap!
A ripple coursed through her hips.
"Mmph... mmph..."
The fear of the unknown and the sudden onset of pain made Kurenai unable to hold back her tears.
Only then did she realize that even her mouth had been stuffed and blocked by a gag.
"I was so scared. You almost beat me."
Shimizu's voice drifted in.
Hearing Shimizu's words, the anxiety in Kurenai's heart eased slightly.
At the same time, a surge of joy hit her; her hard work really hadn't been in vain.
Although she had still lost this time, she was getting closer and closer to victory!
She muffled a series of loud cries, desperately wanting to get out.
But this wasn't up to Kurenai to decide.
Shimizu slapped the table, forcefully driving it a centimeter deep into the ground, its four legs firmly embedding themselves into the soil.
Right now, Kurenai was right underneath Shimizu's desk.
Shimizu had modified the space beneath the desk, adding a baseboard and sealing off all four sides, leaving only a single hole carved out on the side facing him.
And that hole corresponded to another tunnel.
"You almost broke my legend of invincibility, so, I have to comfort myself a little."
Shimizu summoned a giant unicorn beast.
He prepared to dispatch the giant unicorn beast to the enemy camp to conduct reconnaissance and see if any enemies were present.
"!"
The anxiety that had just receded in Kurenai surged right back up.
Something terrible was about to happen.
This premonition was incredibly strong, making Kurenai profoundly uneasy.
"Mmm...!"
However, the development of events would not alter based on human will.
Just like a person who hates the rain and dislikes rainy days, the natural phenomenon of rainfall will not simply vanish because of it.
It would only bide its time, waiting for the moment when the person who hates the rain forgets to bring an umbrella, thoroughly drenching them into a drowned rat.
An even more intense agony reverberated through Kurenai's mind, causing fine sweat to break out across her forehead.
She felt a tearing sensation of pure pain.
Shinobi would train their flexibility.
And those whose flexibility wasn't up to par would feel their muscles overextending, which was an extreme form of torture.
In his past life, Shimizu had accidentally strained a muscle like this before.
"Don't... please don't..."
Because she was overly terrified, Kurenai's voice distorted slightly, becoming sharp and shrill.
She didn't want to suffer the same plight as Shimizu; she just wanted to live a stable, peaceful life.
Right at that moment, the sound of footsteps approached.
Shimizu's striking slowed down. He lifted his head, looking toward the person entering.
Because of this, Kurenai finally gained a momentary breathing room.
Only after a good while did Kurenai adapt to Shimizu's harsh training.
This particular wave of pain didn't feel quite as agonizing anymore.
"Shimizu!"
A man with a faint, visible stubble beard was supporting another man as they walked in.
"Is there anywhere you're feeling unwell?"
Shimizu looked at the two patients who had entered.
It was Asuma Sarutobi and Gaku Inuzuka.
"This guy Gaku caught a cold out of nowhere," Asuma Sarutobi said, pointing at Gaku Inuzuka.
Gaku Inuzuka looked completely listless and devoid of energy, occasionally wiping his nose with a piece of paper.
"The weather has indeed been turning cold lately, so you need to be more careful."
"Here is a thermometer. Let's check your temperature first."
Shimizu pulled out a thermometer and placed it on the desk.
Asuma Sarutobi helped Gaku Inuzuka sit down first, then stepped up to the desk.
"Yo, you got a new desk?"
Asuma Sarutobi tapped on the desk, which emitted a dull, heavy thud.
"Mmm...!"
Kurenai desperately suppressed the urge to make a sound.
She strained to focus her eyes, listening in sheer terror to the thump, thump, thump of the tapping sounds right above her head.
Splat!
Kurenai recalled the Water Style jutsu that Shimizu had previously taught her and subconsciously executed it.
A wave of water splashed against the wooden boards. The excellent waterproofing ensured that none of this water leaked through the cracks onto the ground.
"Yeah... the previous one was too flimsy, so I exchanged it for a thicker one."
The sudden change caused Shimizu's smile to grow even more brilliant. He added a sound-muffling sealing formula onto the wooden boards beneath the desk.
"I see. I'll check on you in a bit, Gaku."
Asuma Sarutobi picked up the thermometer, telling Gaku Inuzuka to measure his temperature properly.
"I'm going to go see what Kurenai is up to."
Leaving it at that, Asuma Sarutobi turned and left without looking back.
Shimizu tapped his fingers on the desktop, creating a rhythmic, cadence-filled sound. His body swayed gently, and the desktop wobbled slightly along with his movements.
Gaku Inuzuka was waiting for the thermometer's results. Bored out of his mind, he began to bob his head along with the rhythm. He hadn't expected Shimizu to possess such musical talent.
To be able to play a whole movement just with his fingers was absolutely incredible.
Shimizu's finger-snapping music echoed quietly throughout the tent, accompanied by another faint vibration, harmonizing with one another inside the space.
In the afternoon.
Thud.
Kurenai collapsed onto the ground.
Gaku Inuzuka had already left by now.
He had stayed for barely ten minutes before leaving.
As for Asuma Sarutobi, his whereabouts were unknown; he hadn't returned at all.
Having expended his energy, Shimizu finally released Kurenai from underneath the desk.
Her eyes were vacant, a faint moan escaping her lips as her body lay limp on the ground.
She looked entirely drained of chakra, lacking even an ounce of strength.
Only after a long while did Kurenai manage to snap out of this state.
She tremblingly supported herself to stand up.
She tidied her disheveled clothes, glaring with burning hatred at Shimizu.
Shimizu raised an eyebrow, about to say something.
"Where on earth did Kurenai go?"
A voice muttering to itself drifted from outside the tent.
Kurenai's expression changed instantly. She hurriedly squeezed out every last drop of her strength to fix her appearance.
"Oh, Kurenai, you're here!"
Asuma Sarutobi exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
He had searched inside and out but couldn't find Kurenai anywhere.
He had originally intended to see if Gaku Inuzuka had left yet, only to find that Kurenai was actually here.
"Asuma..."
Kurenai's voice sounded somewhat weak.
However, Asuma Sarutobi didn't catch onto this detail at all.
At this moment, his entire focus was captured by Kurenai's face.
He felt as though Kurenai looked heavily rejuvenated, the radiance on her face appearing even more moving than usual.
Every inadvertent movement of her body exuded a breath-taking, intoxicating allure.
Thump, thump!
Asuma Sarutobi's heart pounded wildly, his throat going dry.
It felt as though he had returned to the very first day he realized he liked Kurenai.
Cherry blossom petals drifted through the air, surrounded by lush, blooming cherry blossom thickets, and at the end of the path stood a beautiful girl.
Even though there were no cherry blossoms in this tent, Asuma Sarutobi felt as if he were seeing that exact sight.
"Kurenai, you're so beautiful. I really... like you."
The words in Asuma Sarutobi's heart slipped out of his mouth.
"Ah, no, that's not it, I didn't mean anything else! I really just felt... well, that was my immediate impression."
Asuma Sarutobi's words were a bit chaotic. He flusteredly explained himself to Kurenai, terrified that she would think of him as some sort of degenerate.
"Okay," Kurenai said flatly, a trace of coldness etched onto her face.
She looked at Asuma Sarutobi.
Originally, she had been on the verge of accepting Asuma.
But after going through this ordeal, there was probably no longer any possibility between them.
She no longer had the right to pursue happiness either.
Because the current her was no longer pure.
Grief welled up in Kurenai's heart, and she lowered her head.
Asuma Sarutobi scratched his head in anxiety. Kurenai was a very proper, serious woman.
Saying something like that to her would definitely ruin his impression.
He looked left and right, desperately trying to think of a topic that could divert Kurenai's attention.
"What is this! Shimizu, did you pee your pants?" Asuma Sarutobi cried out exaggeratedly.
He pointed at the stream of water flowing from underneath Shimizu's desk.
Because Shimizu had removed the cover panel to let Kurenai out, the water that had been pooling on the wooden boards had spilled out, wetting the ground.
Sensing that his joke might have been a bit too gaudy, Asuma Sarutobi quickly supplemented:
"Heh, just kidding. Is this some kind of expired drink?"
Asuma Sarutobi began to voice his observations.
He felt that the smell was incredibly bizarre.
He couldn't quite articulate how it was weird.
It was just weird regardless.
Thus, he scavenged the few remaining adjectives in his brain to describe this puddle of water.
Kurenai's expression grew darker and darker, her hands clenching tightly into fists.
Was she really that detestable?
To think that after being treated in such a manner by Shimizu, she still had to endure this humiliation from Asuma Sarutobi.
A wave of pure rage surged within Kurenai.
"Hmph!"
Kurenai swiftly turned and stormed out of the place.
"Eh, Kurenai, what's wrong?"
Staring at the sudden turn of events, Asuma Sarutobi froze in place.
Didn't he just talk about this water?
Why did Kurenai get so angry?
"Shimizu, was this drink brought over by Kurenai, and then it expired?"
Asuma Sarutobi attempted to deduce the situation.
For Kurenai to react so strongly, it definitely had to be related to this matter.
Deducing with his brilliant brain, this was absolutely a beverage.
"Pretty much," Shimizu nodded.
However, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
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