Kakashi stared at the Hokage Building as thick smoke billowed upward, his eye twitching.
He didn't have time to keep wallowing in his pile of money. With a quick motion, he swept the scattered bills into a sealing scroll. His figure blurred, leaving an afterimage behind as he rushed straight toward the Hokage Building.
By the time he arrived, the scene was already complete chaos.
Hot.
That was Kakashi's first sensation as he landed.
The oncoming heatwave nearly singed his eyebrows, and the air was thick with the sharp scent of ozone from lightning and the stench of burning wood. Flames had already consumed the roof of the Hokage's office, and under the fierce wind, they were spreading rapidly toward the Archives below.
"Move it! Water Release squad, extinguish the fire immediately! Do not let it spread to the Archives!"
ANBU and the Konoha Guard Unit shouted orders. More than a dozen ninja proficient in Water Release had already formed hand seals, drawing in deep breaths, ready to unleash torrents of water.
Kakashi landed in front of them. His normally lazy gaze narrowed slightly.
Something was wrong.
The heat, the smoke, the smell of burning—everything felt perfectly real. Even the sweat on the guards' faces didn't look fake. Yet the instincts he had honed through years of walking the line between life and death picked up on an almost imperceptible sense of dissonance.
"Wait! Everyone stop!"
Kakashi shouted as he flashed in front of the Water Release squad, pressing down on the hands of the lead ANBU just as he was forming seals.
"Kakashi, what are you doing?! The fire is about to—"
The Guard Unit captain looked frantic. If it weren't Kakashi blocking him—Konoha's famous Copy Ninja—he would have shoved him aside already.
Kakashi didn't bother explaining. He raised a hand, pushed up his slanted forehead protector, and revealed his Sharingan.
As the tomoe spun, the world before his eyes changed instantly.
Within the vision of his left eye, the raging flames, rolling black smoke, and even the oppressive heat all vanished into nothingness.
There was no fire at all.
If they had unleashed their ninjutsu just now, they would have ended up flooding a completely intact Hokage Building.
"What in the world is going on?!"
Just then, the doors of the Hokage Building burst open with a loud bang.
Tsunade stormed out, her green haori flaring, her face twisted with rage. She had been secretly drinking in her office when the thunder struck, shattering her favorite sake cup. Her mood was already explosive.
"Hokage-sama!"
Kakashi turned his head.
"This is genjutsu."
"Genjutsu?"
Tsunade froze for a moment, then her eyebrows shot up.
"Are you kidding me? Even I can feel that damn heat. What kind of genjutsu could cover the entire Hokage Building and fool the senses of this many ANBU?!"
"It is genjutsu, Lady Tsunade."
A calm but grave female voice came from behind them.
Everyone turned to see Kurenai Yūhi landing beside Tsunade and Kakashi after a few swift leaps. Her black curls swayed gently, ruby-red eyes fixed on the illusion of flames.
"A normal genjutsu couldn't do this," Kurenai said slowly, "but… if I'm not mistaken, this is the work of that child."
"That child?"
Tsunade paused, records of Konoha's ninja flashing through her mind. Her pupils suddenly contracted.
"You mean… someone from the Kurama Clan…"
"Yes," Kurenai nodded heavily.
"Enough explanations. Get rid of this eyesore already," Tsunade snapped, rubbing her temples.
"Leave it to me."
Kakashi nodded. He raised two fingers before his chest, forming the Ram seal. The Sharingan in his left eye flared with eerie red light.
"Genjutsu: Release!"
At the moment his low voice fell, a crisp sound like glass shattering echoed through the air.
Under the stunned gazes of the surrounding guards, the raging fire, choking smoke, and scorching heat twisted like a burst bubble and vanished without a trace.
Sunlight poured down once more.
The Hokage Building stood perfectly intact, exactly as it had before. Not a single scorch mark marred its surface—no tiles were even missing.
The Guard Unit members stared at one another, cold sweat soaking their backs.
What a terrifying genjutsu—to deceive all five senses to such an extent.
"Everyone disperse. Strengthen security in the surrounding area. Not a word of what happened today leaves this place."
Tsunade waved them off, then turned toward Kakashi and Kurenai, her expression grim.
"Kakashi, Kurenai, you two—come with me."
Inside the Hokage's office, the door shut tight, sealing off the noise outside.
Tsunade sat behind her desk, hands clasped beneath her chin, staring sharply at the two of them.
"Kurenai. Tell me everything. The child you mentioned—Kurama Yakumo, correct?"
Kurenai let out a quiet sigh, pain and regret flashing in her eyes.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. Yakumo… has awakened a power that appears only once in a hundred years within the Kurama Clan.
"Her genjutsu doesn't just manipulate the five senses. What's truly terrifying is that it can influence reality itself. Within her genjutsu space, events that occur in the subconscious can inflict real damage on the physical body.
"If she had poured more chakra into the lightning and fire earlier, even without real flames, everyone inside the building would have suffered genuine burns—because their brains believed they were being burned alive."
Tsunade's voice grew heavy.
"A genjutsu that bypasses the brain's self-protection and causes physical damage… That's already bordering on reality alteration."
"Exactly," Kurenai said softly. "That power is far too dangerous. And Yakumo's body is extremely weak—her mental state is also unstable. She's been under strict supervision because of it.
"I was once her instructor, but I… I failed to guide her properly. In the end, all I could do was seal her power."
Kakashi listened quietly as he lowered his forehead protector again, covering his Sharingan. Outwardly calm, his mind was already racing.
Kurama Yakumo… this kid's talent for genjutsu is absurd.
A genjutsu that directly deceives the brain and interferes with reality itself was an explosive existence, even in a shinobi world full of monsters. Compared to it, ordinary visual genjutsu was nothing more than child's play.
If that inner demon born from her subconscious—"Ido"—could be completely resolved… she'd be a perfect candidate for the path of genjutsu.
A faint glint flashed in Kakashi's eye as he rubbed his chin.
Coincidentally, Team 7 had a glaring gap in that area. Naruto was practically defenseless against genjutsu. Sakura leaned toward medical ninjutsu—something Tsunade could teach her personally. Sasuke had the Sharingan, but his style leaned heavily toward direct combat.
If he could take this child as a disciple, not only would it fill Team 7's weakness in high-level genjutsu, but bringing her along would also be… very impressive.
As for her frail constitution—so mismatched between spirit and body that she couldn't even pass the Ninja Academy's physical tests…
The corner of Kakashi's mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.
To ordinary medical ninja, such a congenital imbalance might be incurable.
But he was someone who had access to a System Shop.
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