The matter of the Uchiha clan hiring Kurenai Yuhi—Konoha's genjutsu expert—as a genjutsu instructor didn't cause much of a stir.
After all, not long ago, the Uchiha had already hired several "medical instructors."
Most people simply assumed Uchiha Kuro was finally trying to improve himself a little.
Although the Uchiha clan was famed for its powerful genjutsu—
There were only two of them left: Uchiha Kuro and Sasuke.
And, frankly speaking… neither of them inspired much confidence.
Kurenai, on the other hand, was one of Konoha's top genjutsu specialists.
She absolutely had the qualifications to teach even the Uchiha.
—
The only one who reacted strongly—
Was Asuma.
He was furious for quite some time.
He even went to confront Kurenai, trying to get her to refuse the position.
And was promptly scolded.
"My business—is none of yours!"
With that single sentence, the conversation ended.
—
Soon after—
Kurenai officially moved into the Uchiha compound.
Over the coming days, she would also gradually reduce her outings.
She needed people—villagers and ninja alike—to slowly forget about her presence.
Otherwise—
Once her belly started showing…
There would be no hiding it.
Of course, before that—
She still needed to meet her friends a few more times.
So while she could still go out freely, she dragged along Anko Mitarashi for some dango.
—
"I never thought you'd become a genjutsu teacher…" Anko said happily, munching on dango with her eyes squinted in bliss.
"Your reputation is going to skyrocket now."
"Teaching the Uchiha—the clan recognized as the strongest in genjutsu…"
"You're basically Konoha's number one genjutsu ninja now!"
"That's not as exaggerated as you make it sound," Kurenai laughed helplessly.
"There are still plenty of powerful genjutsu users around."
Anko waved it off.
"Then why did Uchiha Kuro choose you?"
"He must think you're the best."
"This is recognition from the Uchiha—it carries weight anywhere!"
That's because I accidentally got pregnant with his child…
Kurenai couldn't say it out loud.
But inside, she felt a faint warmth.
"Recognition from the Uchiha" might seem simple—
But it was actually a way of elevating her reputation at the cost of the Uchiha's own prestige.
Yet Uchiha Kuro had chosen this method without hesitation—
A method that preserved her dignity and concealed her pregnancy.
No matter how you looked at it—
He was responsible.
A good man.
"…It's just a pity he's too flirtatious," Kurenai thought.
"Otherwise, maybe we could have…"
—
Anko, however, didn't think that far ahead.
She just sighed regretfully.
"Too bad I don't know genjutsu. Otherwise, I'd want to go too."
"You're still that short on money?" Kurenai asked curiously.
"Of course!" Anko sighed deeply.
"The snakes of Ryuchi Cave are powerful—but raising them isn't cheap!"
She used Orochimaru-style techniques, relying on snake summons in battle.
Maintaining that contract required resources—
Especially food.
Even Orochimaru had to pay for Manda's appearances.
Let alone her.
Without sufficient resources—
She simply couldn't sustain it.
Otherwise, such a powerful summoning technique would already be widely used.
Kurenai understood this.
But even if she had some savings—
This wasn't a one-time expense.
It was a long-term burden.
She couldn't support Anko indefinitely.
And Anko wouldn't accept help anyway.
That would go beyond friendship.
—
"Speaking of the Uchiha…" Anko sighed again.
"The rewards for Uchiha Kuro's 'child recruitment' have increased."
"Sometimes I even feel tempted to sell myself… just to earn enough to raise my snakes."
"All my techniques rely on them. Without money, I can't grow stronger."
"At this rate… who knows when I'll ever get my revenge…"
Kurenai's expression turned complicated.
Anko had once trusted Orochimaru completely—
Only to be abandoned by him.
Since then, she had always wanted revenge.
But she knew she wasn't strong enough.
Now—
Rejected by Konoha, short on money…
If she really chose that path—
Kurenai wouldn't be surprised.
But…
She had already given herself to Uchiha Kuro.
If her best friend did the same—
What would that make them?
"…I hope it doesn't come to that…" she thought.
—
In reality—
Compared to hiring Kurenai as a teacher—
The real shockwave in Konoha came from Uchiha Kuro increasing the rewards.
Especially for Kage-level female ninja—
The rewards were absurd.
It was even rumored that Rasa, the Kazekage—who was practically broke—regretted killing Pakura.
If she were still alive and within childbearing age—
She could have taken the job!
—
Within Konoha, the effects were even more obvious.
The Third Hokage suddenly discovered that—
The number of female ninja applying for the Jonin exam had increased tenfold compared to last year.
It was as if they had all suddenly gained motivation.
Training day and night—
Even at 3 a.m., the training grounds were full of female ninja working harder than men.
At first—
The Third Hokage was overjoyed.
"These are all my achievements as the Third Hokage!"
If not for his leadership—
Creating a fair environment for female ninja—
How could this happen?
So he even ordered a report:
"Analysis of Female Jonin Ratio Over the Past Ten Years"
He held a formal presentation.
Declaring that under his leadership—
The outdated tradition of women leaving their careers after marriage had been overturned.
Modern female ninja were now just as ambitious and hardworking as men!
—
The listeners wore strange expressions.
Even Danzo ordered Root to spread news of the Third Hokage's "great achievements."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was deeply pleased.
He even believed Danzo had finally stopped coveting the Hokage seat—
And generously granted him more authority.
—
But just a few days later—
He overheard a group of newly registered female ninja chatting privately.
"Ahh, the exam is so hard…"
"Yeah, I'll probably fail again this time…"
"At this rate, when will I become a jonin… marry into the Uchiha… and become a rich wife?"
"Hehe, I'm not as shallow as you guys."
"If I pass, I'll go to the Uchiha, work hard for a few years having children…"
"Then I'll take a huge amount of money and live carefree for the rest of my life!"
The girls chatted excitedly—
Dreaming about how many children they'd have, and how much money they'd earn.
—
Not far away—
The Third Hokage stood in silence.
"…."