"Kurenai…"
Tsunade pressed down the thoughts in her chest and returned to her desk, sitting behind it again.
She gestured for Kurenai to sit as well.
"No need to be so formal. I called you here today because there's something I need to ask your opinion on."
Kurenai sat in the chair Tsunade indicated.
Her back remained straight, her hands resting naturally on her knees.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Shizune moved in without a sound, bringing two cups of tea.
She set them in front of them, then retreated to the side to continue organizing the documents.
But her attention was clearly fixed on the conversation now.
Tsunade lifted her cup, but didn't drink.
She only watched the tea leaves drifting in the liquid, as if weighing her words.
After a moment, she raised her eyes and looked straight at Kurenai.
"It's about Sunagakure's new Kazekage… Teizawa."
Clink.
Kurenai's fingers clenched hard in her lap.
The air in the office seemed to freeze.
Tsunade saw it clearly.
All the color drained from Kurenai's face.
Her once-warm complexion turned paper-white.
Those vivid red eyes contracted sharply, her pupils widening.
Shock. Fear. Shame. Anger.
And pain buried so deep it looked like it had been fossilized.
Those emotions flickered across her face in rapid succession…
Crash.
The teacup slipped from Kurenai's trembling hand and shattered on the floor.
"Kurenai?"
Tsunade set her own cup down and leaned forward, brows drawn tight.
Shizune stopped what she was doing too, staring over in surprise.
But Kurenai seemed unable to hear anything.
Her breathing turned fast and uneven.
Her chest rose and fell violently.
A flush spread across her skin in a way that wasn't normal, like her body had abruptly lost control of itself.
Her gaze unfocused.
She stared ahead emptily, as if she were seeing something far away and terrifying.
Memories surged like floodwater, flashing through her mind.
The forest's damp, clinging air.
The silhouettes of her teammates falling.
And that man's voice, amused, casual, as if he were speaking to a toy.
"Kurenai Yūhi. Konoha's genjutsu prodigy? Let's see how long you can last…"
Then the helplessness.
The sensation of being pinned down, of her chakra being locked, of her body forced into a degrading situation where resistance meant nothing.
And the aftermath that followed, the kind that didn't leave bruises anyone could see but still shattered something inside her.
"Kurenai!"
Tsunade raised her voice, and this time it carried a clear note of command.
Kurenai jolted hard.
It was like she'd been dragged up from drowning, sucking in air in ragged gulps.
She came back to herself and realized her hands were gripping the chair's armrests so tightly her knuckles were white.
Cold sweat had soaked the loose strands of hair at her forehead.
"I… I'm sorry, Hokage-sama."
Her voice was hoarse, scraped raw.
She fumbled to crouch and pick up the broken pieces of the cup.
But her fingers shook so badly she couldn't even pinch the shards.
"Shizune, clean that up."
Tsunade gave Shizune a look.
Then she stepped around the desk and walked to Kurenai.
She didn't press for answers immediately.
Instead, she pulled another chair over and sat down, facing Kurenai at eye level.
Shizune moved quickly and quietly, clearing the floor, then brought a fresh cup of tea and placed it near Kurenai's hands.
After that, she retreated to a spot farther away, giving them space.
But her eyes were full of worry.
"You know him," Tsunade said.
It wasn't a question. It was a statement.
Kurenai closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to steady the tremor still running through her.
When she opened them again, her face was still pale.
But she'd regained a thin layer of control.
"Yes."
She forced the word out, as if it hurt to shape it.
"On that mission to pursue the retreating Suna unit… the one we ran into was him."
"Kakashi said you were the only one who came back alive."
"At the time, your report said you were left near the border after collapsing from severe injuries, then found by a patrol."
Kurenai's lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line.
She didn't deny it.
But she didn't confirm it either.
A complex flicker crossed her eyes.
Guilt. Pain.
And something else that she refused to name.
"Kurenai," Tsunade leaned forward, "Konoha needs intelligence."
"This Teizawa has become Sunagakure's Sixth Kazekage."
"And he's done things that are… outside the usual rules."
"We need to understand his strength, his fighting style, his temperament. Anything. Even a small detail could matter."
She paused, softening her tone, but making it heavier at the same time.
"As the only survivor of that mission, your information may be what Konoha needs most right now."
Kurenai's arms trembled again.
She lifted the new cup with both hands, cradling it as if she could steal warmth from it.
After a long silence, she finally spoke, voice low.
"He… is strong."
The moment the word left her lips, she shuddered, involuntary.
"Not strong in the usual way," she added. "His chakra… is different."
"Besides wide-area destructive ninjutsu, he also has Magnet Release."
"Magnet Release?"
Tsunade's heart tightened.
No wonder he could become Kazekage.
Magnet Release carried the weight of Sunagakure's "legitimate" lineage.
"What about genjutsu?" Tsunade pressed. "Your genjutsu is among Konoha's best."
Kurenai gave a bitter smile, and it looked worse than crying.
"It didn't work on him… or rather, it wasn't fully effective."
"He can see the points where a genjutsu takes hold. He can even… distort it and send it back."
Her voice sank further. "I've never encountered an opponent like that."
The office fell into a brief silence.
"And his personality?" Tsunade asked, her gaze never leaving Kurenai's face.
This time, Kurenai was quiet for much longer.
"Cruel," she finally said.
"But not in the simple sense of killing for its own sake. It felt more like… play."
"He enjoys controlling people, taking them apart, turning them into prey."
She raised her eyes and met Tsunade's gaze directly for the first time.
In those red irises, something complicated and unspeakable flickered.
"Hokage-sama… if he really is Kazekage now, Konoha needs to be ready."
Tsunade studied her.
She understood the implication Kurenai wasn't saying out loud.
As a medical ninja, Tsunade knew some wounds couldn't be opened by force.
Especially the ones in the mind.
"I understand," Tsunade said at last, nodding without pushing for details. "Thank you, Kurenai. This is important."
She paused, and her tone turned gentler.
"Don't overload yourself with missions for a while. If you need anything… you can come to me."
"Or go to Medical for a psychological evaluation. That's not an order. It's a recommendation."
Kurenai froze for a fraction of a second, then lowered her eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sama. I… I'm fine."
But her trembling fingers and pale face betrayed how untrue that was.
"That's all for today," Tsunade said as she stood and returned behind her desk. "I'll consolidate your intel with the rest and have it analyzed. You've done enough, Kurenai."
Kurenai rose as if she'd been granted a pardon. Her bow was hurried.
"Then I'll take my leave."
She turned and walked to the door.
With her hand on the handle, just before she left, she paused.
Her back still facing Tsunade, she spoke quietly.
"Hokage-sama… if Konoha ever has to negotiate with him, or… confront him, please be careful."
She didn't look back.
She stepped out quickly and shut the door behind her.
Tsunade remained where she was, brows tightly knit.
Shizune walked up beside her and lowered her voice. "Tsunade-sama, Kurenai, she…"
"She hid a lot," Tsunade cut in, her eyes fixed on the closed door. "And the parts she's hiding are probably far more… troublesome than what she was willing to say."
She went back to the window and looked out at the brightly lit streets of Konoha, her voice low.
"An opponent who can make Kurenai lose control just by hearing his name…"
"Shizune. Pass the order. Every piece of intelligence on the new Kazekage, Teizawa, is now S-rank classified."
"I want a complete analysis report within three days."
"Yes," Shizune answered solemnly.
(End of Chapter)
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