The Forest of Death.
Akio strolled through the dense trees at an unhurried pace.
He'd just finished watching several battles, some straight out of the original storyline, others completely new.
And yet… not a single reward.
"Figures," he muttered. "It's all bundled into the Chunin Exams as one big arc. No way I'm getting points for every little fight."
A bit disappointing.
With Orochimaru absent, there was no real threat to Naruto Uzumaki or Sasuke Uchiha. Barring surprises, Team 7 would pass without much trouble.
The only teams worth worrying about were Tenten's squad and Toneri's group.
The Sand Village team… maybe.
"Konoha's rookies are just too strong this year."
After watching Shikamaru Nara outmaneuver a Waterfall Village team, only to end up with the same Earth Scroll Akio lost interest.
With a flicker, he vanished from the forest.
Moments later, he reappeared in the Hokage's office.
A group of jonin instructors had gathered, all focused on a crystal ball floating in front of Obito Uchiha.
"Ahem." Akio cleared his throat. "Obito… that's the Telescope Technique, right?"
"Ah Master!" Obito blinked. "Yeah, the Third Hokage taught me. Pretty useful."
Akio raised a brow. He always found that jutsu… open to misinterpretation.
After greeting the others, he waved a hand casually.
"You don't need to squint at that thing. I just came from the forest, Konoha's kids are either strong or smart. They'll be fine."
The jonin nodded.
Asuma Sarutobi instinctively pulled out a cigarette, then awkwardly put it away.
"Sorry. Habit. Still… I'd rather keep watching. Shikamaru's got brains, but he's lazy. If he slacks off…"
"His intelligence is top-tier," Akio said. "But his combat ability's lacking. Chunin is… a maybe."
"At least top eight!" Asuma blurted.
The others nodded in agreement.
Akio froze.
"…You guys placed bets, didn't you?"
Awkward smiles all around.
Even Obito.
Only Might Guy looked completely out of place.
Akio couldn't help but laugh. These jonin had all done high-level missions, they weren't exactly short on cash.
Big spenders.
"How much?"
"Five hundred thousand," said Kurenai Yuhi.
"One million," Obito added.
"Eight hundred thousand," Kakashi Hatake said lazily.
"One—cough—"
Akio's eyes widened.
"So, Asuma… you bet ten million?! On Shikamaru?!"
Asuma scratched his head sheepishly.
Akio sucked in a breath.
Kenshi's odds for top eight were 6-to-1.
If he lost…
Half the earnings from the entire pool would vanish.
"This kid's brain makes him unpredictable… I set those odds way too high." Akio shot Asuma a glare. "Kurenai. Come with me."
Asuma: "…What did I do?!"
Kurenai flushed slightly.
Their relationship wasn't public yet, how did Akio know?
She shot Asuma a quick glare before following.
Behind them, Kakashi and Obito exchanged knowing smirks.
Guy once again felt completely out of sync with everyone else.
Outside
"Where did you hear that?" Kurenai asked hesitantly.
Akio blinked. "You already know what I'm going to ask?"
"…Wait, what?"
"…Right. Never mind." He waved it off. "There's a girl, Yakumo Kurama. You were her tutor, right?"
Kurenai paused. "…How do you know about her?"
Communication was not going smoothly.
She sighed, then nodded.
"Yes. She's incredibly talented… but her body is too weak to become a ninja. It's tragic."
Akio frowned slightly.
He remembered something
A mental manifestation. A darker self.
And judging by Kurenai's subtle hesitation…
"You're holding something back. Why?"
Kurenai's expression turned complicated.
"…She's been through a lot," she said quietly. "Because she couldn't train, her power manifested in… dangerous ways. She lost control… and accidentally killed her parents."
Akio's gaze sharpened.
"She doesn't remember. It's her mind protecting itself. That's the only reason she can live normally now."
"…Take me to her," he said.
Kurenai's face changed. "Her other self is something only she can overcome. If we interfere"
Akio waved her off.
"That just means your genjutsu isn't strong enough." He straightened slightly. "Trust me, I'm not about to hurt a kid. If you'd come to me sooner, she'd already be free."
After a moment's hesitation, Kurenai nodded.
"She's being kept on the outskirts of the village. A place called Satomi Hill Estate. I'll take you there."
Akio frowned faintly.
So people had doubts about his genjutsu skills?
…Maybe it was time to remind them.
At the estate
Kurenai knocked.
After a moment, the door opened.
A girl with brown hair and dark eyes stood there, her expression cold. When she saw Kurenai, it turned even colder.
Without a word, she turned to leave.
"Hey," Akio called casually. "You recognize me?"
She froze.
Her body trembled slightly.
"…Akio. The Uzumaki elder," she said quietly. "So Konoha finally decided to get rid of me? Didn't expect them to send you."
Akio blinked.
"…Where did that come from?"
Kurenai sighed. "She's… misunderstood a few things."
"Misunderstood?!" Yakumo snapped.
The environment warped instantly.
Trees twisted, stretching into monstrous forms, their branches lashing toward Akio like claws.
"Kurenai, stay back!" she shouted.
"Yakumo, stop!" Kurenai cried. "Please don't hurt him!"
Akio, however, smiled.
"Now this is what I'm talking about. The Kurama clan's ability to turn illusion into reality… there must be a proper way to train this."
He glanced at the writhing "tree monsters."
"A Forest of Death without living trees? Now that's boring."
In a flash, he closed the distance.
One finger tapped Yakumo's forehead.
She collapsed instantly.
The trees froze mid-motion.
Akio caught her and handed her to Kurenai.
"She's fine. Just unconscious."
He stepped inside, gesturing casually.
"Let's get her to a bed."
A faint grin crossed his face.
"Time to deal with that inner demon of hers once and for all."
---
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