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Chapter 52:​

Yuuhi Kurenai walked into the Hokage's office with all the poise and grace one would expect of a newly-minted jounin, her firm gaze belying the attractive form she'd spent long hours coaching her body into through harsh exercise and diligent attention to detail. Coming to a respectful stop before the desk of the man who might, someday, be her father-in-law, she gave a short bow as he refilled his pipe and lit it with a near-ghostlike pulse of chakra, so invisible was it to her senses. Beside him, the much younger form of Uchiha Itachi, his heir-apparent, carefully picked up a series of forms and scrolls to organize.

"You wished to speak to me, Yuuhi-jounin?" He asked, leaning back in his chair even as he looked her over.

"It's about the boy, Lord Hokage. Kotaro." She spoke shortly, then gestured to her hip where her new blade hung. "May I?"

The older man sighed out a cloud of ash, reaching up to rub at his forehead tiredly. "I swear, that boy... Itachi, make a note to have a conversation with him on the topic of discretion. Again. Not that it will help." After a few shakes of his head back and forth, he spoke. "I take it he has defied conventional wisdom and produced some sort of powerful unheard of blade for you as a personal token of peace?"

Startled red eyes blinked. "Ah... it is as you say, yes sir."

Hirzuen nodded tiredly. "Yes, that fits with the reports from the men watching him."

Kurenai continued to stare at the older man, unsure of the turn this conversation had taken. "Ah, I had thought..."

A hand-sign was made and the walls of the Hokage's office seemed to shimmer with energy as another wave of nearly-imperceptible chakra rolled over the room.

Neither of the two men made any move to explain what had just happened, and Kurenai was beginning to realize that she had just trespassed across something she might have been better off leaving alone.

"That he was merely an interesting oddity who made excellent swords and was unusually-adept at the shinobi arts despite his handicap?" Hiruzen asked rhetorically, taking a drag from his pipe. "Yes, that is the general feeling we've worked hard to maintain in regards to him. Given his recent association with your young Hyuuga student, though, it seems as if I will have to bring you in to some of the more sensitive information regarding him."

The man who wore the mantle of 'The God of Ninja' leveled an even stare at her. "Now, obviously, you have come before me today to air concerns. I think it best we start with those and move on from there. Speak freely."

The jounin kept a blank facade of emotion over the sheer relief and satisfaction that the most powerful ninja in the village had truly understood what she meant when bringing the boy to his attention in their previous meetings. Granted, she knew much more of Kotaro than most, having associated with him during her attempts to steer him away from the Kurama heiress... even if, admittedly, those had ultimately proved wrong-footed given the girl's acceptance into the rank of genin.

Most people, as she'd come to learn, had very limited interactions with the boy that she'd surveilled over the past few months. They knew him as an excellent blacksmith, or a budding master of the art of fuuinjutsu, or a skilled combatant and swordsman, or an associate of the daughters of several clan heads. It was all very neatly compartmentalized outside of the boy's inner circle.

That same inner circle which just so happened to include Uchiha Itachi, heir apparent to the Hokage. As well as Uchiha Obito, one of the surviving students of the Yondaime. And the head of the Uzumaki clan, who's child closely associated with Kotaro and received training from him.

Now, Kurenai did not consider herself stupid and it followed that no single individual would be able to deceive so many highly-trained and accomplished shinobi, but their willingness to simply overlook problematic incidents he was involved with simply rubbed her the wrong way. She wasn't precisely a fan of telling an individual that they needed to stop learning or accumulating skills, either, but there had to be reasonable limits set for someone who so blatantly and carelessly abused the title 'civilian,' especially when the excuse laid down for him to do so had more holes in it than an academy practice dummy.

Put simply, it was not Kotaro receiving special treatment that irked Kurenai, no. She'd grown up in a village dominated politically, economically, and militarily by groups of blood-related clans practicing all sorts of favor-trading politics. That was normal.

It was the fact that Kotaro's treatment was inexplicable that grated.

Yes, he was skilled. He was well-connected. He was intelligent and capable in his given trade. He produced, by all accounts (her own recently added to that list), excellent blades that doubled as works of art. He'd even apparently taught himself (or, more plausibly, leaned on the Uzumaki for tutelage) one of the most arcane and esoteric of the shinobi arts.

And yet still had the brazen gall to hide behind a 'disability' that seemed anything but, particularly aggravating in light of his coaching Yakumo through her own troubles and his interactions with Guy's protege.

By all accounts, Kotaro should be in the field representing the village.

Yet, for some reason, he wasn't.

Even if Kurenai hadn't explicitly ruled out Kotaro being some kind of plant by a foreign power within the village, there were still a number of more likely alternatives that painted a sobering and dire picture for her home's security. Foremost among her considerations was that the boy had embarked on some half-baked scheme to accrue influence using his talent for forge-works, essentially bribing his way into the upper echelons of the village in a play for personal power. Close 'friendships' with the Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Kurama clans... and now a budding closeness with the Nara, along with more personal interactions with other jounin such as Might Guy.

It was more than concerning to watch a jumped-up child manipulate the levers of power for what seemed to be his own benefit.

All of this, she explained to the Hokage as the man waited patiently, Itachi sending a shadow clone for tea at one point.

At the end of what she hoped was a composed and sensible explanation of her points and why she felt they deserved to be heard by her kage, Hiruzen nodded. "You raise good points, Yuuhi-jounin, and are a credit to your station." Kurenai released the tiniest exhalation of breath. "That said, your fundamental assumptions regarding the situation are, sadly, wrong-footed."

Honestly, she'd hoped to hear that response, insomuch as anyone ever wanted to hear someone tell them they were wrong. Personal validation could take second place to the security of her village.

"Kotaro has, we believe, a new form of bloodline," Hiruzen explained, and the jounin felt her eyes widen slightly. "It has elements of the enhanced cognitive abilities of the sharingan, in speed of thought, the ability to analyze material, and depth of understanding. We have not yet plunged the depths of what he is capable of, but we are optimistic that his value is... substantial, such that allowances have been made to retain him within the village in the name of fostering his abilities during this time of peace, when we are allowed such extravagances."

"I see," Kurenai nodded slowly. "Then the girls-"

Too late, she realized that of the young kunoichi she was about to imply were part of a breeding project, one of them had a sibling within the very room she now occupied. Said sibling, who was also slated to take the place of her ultimate superior. While the village valued a certain amount of brutal honesty in the chain of command, there was a world of difference between that and addressing a superior on the subject of his younger sister spreading her legs in the village's cause.

There are easier ways to commit career suicide, Kurenai. Such as actual suicide, which would probably be less traumatic.

Sarutobi, no doubt having followed her train of thought to its ultimate conclusion, gave her a singularly unimpressed look, but remained silent.

Instead, Uchiha Itachi, infamously blank-faced as always, released a small sigh. "In the future, it would help to be less impolitic about these things, Yuuhi-jounin, but... as the topic has been brought up, and for all that it is your business to begin with, the affection between the Kurama girl, my sister, Might Guy's student, and Kotaro appears to be entirely legitimate."

Kurenai stretched an unsure smile over her face. "That is... good to hear. I had hoped such a cruel necessity, as sometimes it is, was not being invoked."

She was reminded, intimately, that regardless of the fact that Itachi was years younger than her, he was also both higher-ranked for a reason and much more experienced.

"We haven't ruled out the possibility of inducting him into the shinobi forces at a later date," Sarutobi explained further, languidly drawing from his pipe. "Still, pressures from... interested parties are pushing back against the notion and, as much as I would like to imagine myself as the final arbiter of all decisions, there are allowances that must be made to keep Konoha in proper order."

Which, to Kurenai, sounded like a roundabout way of saying, 'politics.' Being careful to not allow her gaze to shift to Itachi, she mulled the thought over. It was obvious that the Uchiha had some kind of play in the whole affair, and truthfully she could see their motivation. Whatever this bloodline was, if it could be successfully replicated and melded with the sharingan, it sounded as if it would either add to or outright amplify any descendant's abilities.

The Kurama were less clear, but... the kind of increased speed of thought and analytic ability would doubtless be useful for the genjutsu-focused clan, even putting aside what he'd done for their heiress. Though, thinking of that...

"If I am allowed, may I ask how such a bloodline relates to his physical abilities? His control over his body, in particular, seems unrelated," Kurenai stated politely.

"It is our understanding that Kotaro, at a young age, either focused his understanding on his own body or that there is some level of increased coordination and physicality as a secondary trait," Itachi explained calmly. "In theory, if the latter is correct, that would allow him a greater efficiency of action in conjunction with his increased speed of thought. One without the other would be of extremely limited effectiveness, after all."

It... did make a certain amount of sense, Kurenai supposed. She'd heard from an Uchiha comrade that the activation of the sharingan did not make one faster so much as capable of more effectively putting one's natural speed to use. If this new bloodline was similar to the Uchiha, then there might be a similar trait within it as well.

"Given he's so capable... we are sure he's loyal?" Kurenai asked, then grimaced. "Not that it is my place to make that judgment, Lord Hokage."

The old man chuckled and waved off the potential offense. "Truthfully? We are still evaluating his loyalties, but it is my belief that his personal ties override any institutional allegiances. When I've had the pleasure of speaking with him, rare that it is, he's come across as incredibly intelligent and cynical, yet possesses seemingly-contradictory idealistic aspirations. One of those is... not quite pacifism, but a general unwillingness to instigate conflict."

Kurenai frowned thoughtfully. "That is definitely... unusual, but not necessarily bad. Or, at least, it could have been a much more problematic personality trait. I-"

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow as she cut herself off. "I did say to speak freely, Yuuhi-jounin."

The red-eyed woman frowned. "It very much is not my place, Sandaime-sama, but... would not that same tendency result in a disdain for the... necessities we, as shinobi, undertake? I only ask because it would seem... potentially problematic regarding those relationships which constitute his ties to the village."

Hiruzen nodded, stroking his beard as he visibly considered the matter.

"If I may?" Itachi asked, turning to the Hokage, who gave his assent in a silent gesture. As the Uchiha looked back to Kurenai, he spoke. "As noted, Kotaro is extremely intelligent. He is also pragmatic and realistic in his expectations and willing to compromise should he believe it necessary. Having lightly probed my sister on the subject, he has made it clear that, although he disapproves of instigating violence on a philosophical level, he also acknowledges there are sometimes few good alternatives to a preemptive strike. On a personal level, he also understands that it isn't feasible to force his system of beliefs on others, especially when one lives in a world such as ours."

Before she had time to properly consider a response, the Hokage's lips quirked in one of his rare displays of impishness. "Unless, of course, you are asking because of personal interest, Kurenai?"

It took a moment for the thought to properly register, blood rushing to her cheeks once it did. "I-ah, no. That is, no, I had not intended-I am committed-er, involved with Asuma and-"

The old man chuckled, showing the question for the joke it had been intended as. "Peace, peace, Kurenai. Though I am happy to hear that with the return of my son, your relationship has picked up once again. Perhaps I may yet live to see another grandchild."

Even if the comment was idle, it made her uncomfortable. Taking care not to show it, she composed herself. "That is unlikely in the next year, at least, Lord Hokage, with the team I'm currently training, but potentially afterwards..."

She restrained a sigh of relief when the man seemed willing to drop the issue, for now. It was a subject that had come up a few times in the past year since Asuma had returned from his time in the Guardians of Fire. During his term there, their childhood romance had been put on hold, both of them pursuing other options in the interim. Kurenai had even taken a few 'honeypot' missions in addition to a lover or two among the shinobi of Konoha to scratch the occasional itch. She knew Asuma had done the same, especially given that being posted to the daimyo's court almost required intimacy with a few bored handmaidens, rebellious noble sons and daughters, and even the rare eunuch from the eastern lands.

Still, she knew that her youth was soon to be behind her, if it wasn't already so by some accounting. She was twenty-seven now, and it was time to consider children. Her time with Team Eight would likely be her last hurrah unless Asuma proved more willing to stay at home and raise the next generation than she suspected.

Oh, she wouldn't be retiring for another decade or two, certainly, but once children entered the equation, there'd be preferential filing for in-village postings, such as guard duty, teaching in the academy, retraining as a medic for the hospital, or classified clerical work.

None of which were poor job prospects, she knew.

It was just a shame to leave the field.

Such was the role of women, though.

With her worries resolved, Kurenai made to close the conversation after one last warning from the Hokage on the confidential nature of their discussion. Her head now full of very different considerations, Kurenai left before the old man could take another jab at her and Asuma. Perhaps she could put in some time training with her new blade to salve the notion of her future benching?

…​

Sarutobi leaned back and reached for his pipe again. "A sword able to store five genjutsu at a time and bestow them directly into a target's chakra system upon piercing their skin, thus bypassing most conventional defenses. For anyone else, it would be a masterpiece a family lineage could be built upon for generations to come. For our young prodigy, it is a careless gift given to someone over a past disagreement."

Itachi hummed and nodded. "I'll speak to him about the proper methodologies for disseminating his creations. This is why we have Sai and Torune report blades of exceptional quality or ability. It would draw too much attention if such weapons began to circulate among the general populace, and buying them out reduces Sagara's more mundane workload, allowing the store to work on more important things."

Sarutobi chuckled, nodding. "Perhaps... inform counter-intelligence to passively spread a rumor that it was commissioned from a foreign master. Kurenai and my son's relationship is not unknown to interested parties and it would make sense for me, or my family at least, to have paid her something of a dowry."

"I take it we will spread the rumor after she takes her team on a few field missions?" Itachi asked idly.

"Of course, of course," Hiruzen smiled, glad his successor was on the same page. "You have more interactions with the boy than I do. Do you think he's attempting to court the Hyuuga girl?"

Itachi was silent for a moment, considering. "If pressed, I would say that I do not believe so. He has made no move to induct her into his group. If anything, he seems to enjoy their spars as a means of stress-relief. The manner in which he goes about instructing her is very different from how he approached my sister."

Sarutobi inhaled smoke and exhaled a cloud of ash. "Do you believe it would become an issue if that were to change?"

There were several unspoken layers to that question, both knew. "Kotaro is very mature for his age. I trust him not to do anything unwise."

Sarutobi chuckled at the implied threat and shuffled a few papers around his desk. "Very well, the next meeting should be with Inoichi. I don't see anything out of the ordinary, so I think I'll remand you to the ANBU offices for the remainder of the day to prepare for the mission to the Land of Stone..."