Shinji rubbed the spot where Kurenai had tapped him, deliberately feigning a pained expression.
"How could I possibly refuse an invitation from Lady Kurenai Yuhi?"
Kurenai Yuhi saw right through his attempt to amuse her and couldn't help rolling her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of teasing. "If you perform well, I might just give you a little reward."
She lightly licked her lower lip, enunciating the word "reward" with particular clarity, imbuing it with a subtle, tantalizing allure.
This sight would make anyone's heart race. Shinji was no exception, feeling his heartbeat inexplicably quicken.
Of course, he wasn't particularly interested in the reward itself—he simply loved helping others.
Shinji abruptly stood up, extending a hand toward Kurenai with a serious expression.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go now."
Kurenai Yuhi's eyes curved into crescents, a hidden smile in their depths as she gently placed her hand in his palm.
...
West of Konohagakure.
Three thick wooden posts stood in the central clearing. Beside them, a stone monument shaped like a kunai was engraved with the words "Training Ground Three."
Surrounded by dense forest, the ground was covered with kunai scratches and scorch marks left by ninjutsu, each one distinctly clear.
Shinji and Kurenai stepped side by side into this familiar clearing.
Since becoming a ninja, he had rarely come here. It was only recently, while training with Kurenai, that he had returned a few times.
His first trial after becoming a genin had been here, fighting his jonin instructor for a bell.
Back then, he, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi had been a team.
Every time he returned here, a faint sense of nostalgia would well up in Shinji's heart.
He walked up to the wooden posts, raising a hand to gently stroke the thickest one in the middle. This was the legendary post that had once bound Jiraiya and Naruto.
"Could this be considered a famous Konoha landmark?" he silently quipped in his mind.
"What are you thinking about?" Kurenai Yuhi asked curiously.
Shinji shook his head, dispelling the stray thoughts.
"Nothing. Let's start training, Kurenai!"
Kurenai Yuhi nodded, then retreated to create distance between them, her expression turning serious.
"Shinji, please guide me well!"
Her hands swiftly formed hand seals, and the light in Training Ground Three suddenly distorted slightly.
Kurenai's figure began to dissipate like mist, fading into the illusion.
Shinji stood calmly in place, not immediately activating his Sharingan.
The next moment, Kurenai had already unleashed her most proficient genjutsu.
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!
The ground erupted as dark, thick roots burst forth, coiling and tightening like living creatures, instantly binding Shinji's limbs and torso in a death grip.
"How is it, Shinji?"
Shinji lightly struggled against the branches, feeling their solid restraining force, and sincerely praised, "Kurenai, you've grown stronger again."
"Of course. I've been training hard all along."
Kurenai's voice was ethereal and elusive, making it impossible to pinpoint her true location.
"Hurry and activate your Sharingan. I'm going to keep attacking."
Shinji gave a slight nod. "Come at me, Kurenai."
Kurenai Yuhi held back no longer.
In their previous training sessions, she had been completely defeated by Shinji, especially since he possessed the Sharingan.
Shinji never needed her to go easy on him. It was precisely through sparring with him repeatedly that she had gradually identified her own weaknesses and steadily improved her strength.
Before her words faded, Kurenai Yuhi's figure suddenly began to "grow" from the ground, her hands transforming into over a dozen branches.
With a flick of her wrists, the branches shot toward Shinji like venomous snakes!
Shinji slightly raised his eyes, and the Sharingan abruptly activated.
Every node woven by the genjutsu, every layer of false perception, became crystal clear in his eyes, instantly seen through completely.
The branches assaulting him vanished in an instant.
But this wasn't the end.
Through these illusory attacks, Shinji easily pinpointed Kurenai's true body.
The moment their eyes met.
"Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change."
After thoroughly analyzing the structure of Kurenai's genjutsu, he reflected it back like a mirror, directly reversing and refracting it.
The branches that had been binding Shinji suddenly halted mid-air and reversed.
Kurenai's pupils contracted sharply. Darkness enveloped her vision as the Tree Binding Death she had cast now bound her tightly.
"Hmm!"
She let out a low groan, her body instinctively tensing.
The next second, all the genjutsu was gently dispelled by Shinji.
Shinji looked at her and said, "Kurenai, let's continue."
He paused, then suggested, "Next, you can incorporate more variations of genjutsu into our exchanges."
Kurenai Yuhi took a deep breath, a fighting spirit igniting in her eyes.
"Alright."
She would unleash every genjutsu she had mastered.
Kurenai began continuously casting genjutsu at Shinji.
Shinji, in turn, saw through, dispelled, reflected, and gently released each one.
Sometimes he would fully activate his Sharingan; other times he wouldn't use it at all, simulating various types of opponents solely to help Kurenai accumulate practical experience.
With his current strength, achieving this was effortless.
And this process was equally beneficial for Shinji.
He meticulously sensed the various changes and details within Kurenai's genjutsu, almost replicating every one of her techniques.
Time slipped away unnoticed in their focused training.
Kurenai Yuhi suddenly threw a punch. Shinji swung his arm to block, firmly parrying it.
Kurenai immediately used the force to retreat several steps, her hands swiftly forming hand seals once more.
This time, she used the Mist Servant Technique.
In an instant, numerous illusions appeared around Kurenai, intertwining reality and falsehood, greatly disrupting Shinji's vision and judgment.
Without the slightest hesitation, Shinji flashed forward, charging straight toward the core of the illusions.
He reached out and grabbed, accurately seizing Kurenai's arm.
The surrounding illusions instantly dissipated like smoke.
Shinji smiled faintly and softly suggested, "Let's take a break, Kurenai."
Kurenai Yuhi, breathing lightly, nodded.
The two retreated to the large tree at the edge of the training ground, leaning against its thick trunk as they sat down.
Shinji slightly turned his head, looking at Kurenai Yuhi, who was still breathing lightly, and naturally reached out to gently tuck the strand of sweat-dampened hair from her forehead behind her ear.
Kurenai Yuhi's cheeks warmed slightly, but she didn't pull away, allowing his gentle gesture.
She took a water bottle from her ninja tool pouch, unscrewed the cap, and offered it to Shinji first.
"You drink first."
Shinji didn't refuse. He took it, drank a sip, and handed it back to her.
Kurenai accepted it, naturally using the same water bottle.
She leaned back against the tree trunk, her shoulder inadvertently brushing lightly against his.
"The Sharingan really is incredible."
Her tone carried a hint of genuine envy.
Shinji reached out, gently taking her hand, and slowly spoke.
"It's not that easy to manipulate the Sharingan's vision with genjutsu."
"However, the Sharingan also has a counter."
"A counter?" Kurenai looked at him in surprise, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Shinji thought for a moment, then said softly, "The Darkness Genjutsu created by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."
"It can create an environment of complete darkness, thoroughly sealing off the vision the Sharingan relies on."
Kurenai softly repeated the name, a faint light glimmering in her eyes.
"Darkness Genjutsu..."
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!