Chapter 79: Chapter 79
"Naruto, I was wrong! Please don't let her hit me anymore… wu wu wu…"
Sakura sobbed as she begged for mercy.
She had never imagined that a tokubetsu jōnin would actually beat her up over someone like Uzumaki Naruto, that "monster."
Even Sasuke-kun wouldn't step in to save her.
Just as it looked like Sakura was about to be knocked unconscious, Naruto finally walked over and gently patted Yakumo's head.
"Yakumo, let's stop here for today."
Yakumo still seemed upset, but then her eyes lit up, catching on to Naruto's subtle message.
Today ends here… so what about tomorrow?
She finally stopped hitting Sakura and immediately clung to Naruto's arm, declaring loudly:
"Naruto-kun is mine! If I see you all bullying him again, I'll toss you straight into magma!"
All the teachers watching broke into a cold sweat—none of them doubted her.
Having just endured Yakumo's genjutsu, they understood better than anyone how terrifying her illusions were.
Naruto, meanwhile, gave her a helpless look.
"Yakumo… aren't you getting a bit too into the role?"
He had arranged for her to become a tokubetsu jōnin so she could gain some standing in the village.
But this girl—three years older than him—was acting more "into character" than he expected.
Did she really think he needed protecting?
Yakumo stuck out her tongue guiltily.
She knew she might've gone a bit overboard. After all, Naruto had just asked her to "teach them a lesson."
But… she might've used a bit too much force...
"Yakumo! What did you do?!"
A shout came from the doorway. Another tokubetsu jōnin, Yūhi Kurenai, rushed into the classroom.
Her eyes widened at the chaotic scene before her.
"Yakumo, you…"
She looked on in pain and disappointment.
This student—so full of promise—had recently begun regaining her strength, letting go of past grudges toward the Hokage, and had even been promoted early to tokubetsu jōnin thanks to her overwhelming talent.
It had once made Kurenai so proud.
But this student was also utterly fearless.
Because of Uzumaki Naruto's guidance, Yakumo had grown extremely attached to him—so much so that she constantly caused trouble for his sake.
"Yakumo… a few days ago, you punished those villagers with genjutsu… then you attacked some shinobi… and now you've hurt these children…"
Kurenai bit her lip and gave Yakumo a stern glare.
"Even if you're my student, I must discipline you."
Yakumo glanced lazily at her and replied with irritation:
"Shut up, you old hag."
"…What did you call me?" Kurenai's red eyes widened.
"You heard me." Yakumo's tone was impatient. "Those villagers insulted Naruto-kun. And those shinobi kept spying on him. I was just teaching them a lesson."
"Yakumo!!!"
Kurenai stormed forward.
"Uzumaki Naruto may have helped you, but his position in the village is… complicated. You can't just attack others on his behalf!"
"Today, as your teacher, I'm going to discipline you—and teach you what happens when you step out of line!"
Resolute, Kurenai quickly formed hand signs.
"Magen: Jubaku Satsu (Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death)!"
In an instant, massive trees sprouted from the floor, wrapping around Yakumo's body and pinning her in place.
Yakumo simply scoffed.
"Using genjutsu on me? Really, sensei?"
Without forming a single seal, Yakumo activated her kekkei genkai: a true illusion that could control all five senses.
A moment later, Kurenai's expression twisted in panic.
Then—
She staggered forward.
And to Naruto's astonishment, knelt before him.
"Father…? You're alive?! I—I'm sorry! I was wrong! I shouldn't have been so lazy—!"
"Eh?!"
Naruto blinked in disbelief.
He turned to Yakumo, mouth twitching.
"Yakumo… what did you do?"
Yakumo flashed a smug smile, snuggling up to Naruto's arm again.
"I made her see her father—scolding her loudly. So? Aren't you happy, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto couldn't help but laugh, though he quickly said:
"Okay, that's enough. Cancel it."
Seeing such a mature beauty kneeling before him and apologizing… of course it stirred something inside him.
Especially considering this woman would one day marry Sarutobi Asuma…
That thought gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
But it wasn't the right time to make a bigger scene.
"Fine…" Yakumo nodded, clearly satisfied. She waved her hand and canceled her full-sensory genjutsu.
Kurenai instantly snapped back to reality.
Her cheeks flushed crimson.
She remembered everything—kneeling down, apologizing… everything.
Her face turned beet red, and whether from shame or rage, she couldn't tell. She jumped to her feet and glared at her student.
"Yakumo… you went too far!!"
Yakumo just turned her head, looking indifferent.
"You were the one who went too far first. You insulted Naruto-kun, then tried to hit me with genjutsu. I just defended myself."
Kurenai's chest heaved with anger.
She wanted to punish Yakumo.
But… she couldn't deny it.
Her student had far surpassed her in genjutsu.
"…Yakumo only went that far because she was defending me," Naruto interjected with a faint smile.
"She might've gone a bit too far, but please don't take it to heart."
Kurenai looked at the blond boy, and for a moment, the memory of herself kneeling before him flashed in her mind again.
The shame and helplessness rose anew.
But there was nothing she could do.
All she could manage was a fierce glare at Naruto before storming out of the classroom.
Naruto sighed and flicked Yakumo's forehead.
"No more over-the-top stunts next time, got it?"
Yakumo stuck out her tongue and clung to his arm again, giggling:
"No one's allowed to bully Naruto-kun. And besides, I know you were enjoying it."
"You…"
Meanwhile, at the Hokage's office…
Hiruzen rubbed his temples while staring into the crystal ball.
"…This is getting way too troublesome."
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]