Konoha: Gu Master

Idō dashed backward, dodging the lightning strikes.

While it was true that Idō was a mental construct– completely made of spiritual energy, it had already materialized into a physical form. Ninjutsu could still affect it.

More importantly, even though it claimed to be Yakumo Kurama, it wasn't. It was merely her second personality.

In other words, the true master of this genjutsu space was still Yakumo Kurama. However, Idō had some degree of control.

Suddenly, Idō changed direction, charging toward Kurenai Yuhi and Yakumo Kurama.

It had realized that its genjutsu was ineffective against Shinho Aburame. 

His absurd defences meant there was no point wasting time on him. As long as it could merge with Yakumo Kurama, it would gain complete control over the space, becoming invincible within this genjutsu world.

"Where are you running?"

With a swift leap, Shinho Aburame's back extended into wings of lightning, instantly blocking Idō's path. His fist clenched and swung straight at its head.

Idō dodged hurriedly.

Just moments ago, Shinho's punch had nearly shattered the entire genjutsu world. If Idō took a direct hit, it would undoubtedly spell disaster.

Golden Moon Slash!

Shinho unleashed the Moon Blade and Golden Moon simultaneously, following closely behind. Idō twisted its body, narrowly avoiding the Golden Moon Slash.

But in the next second, Shinho's fist was already upon it.

CRACK!

Idō's horn shattered.

"Good job!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up from the sidelines.

"Damn you!" Idō's eyes glared at Shinho with burning hatred. "You'll die a horrible death!"

Even though it was a spirit, and breaking its horn didn't cause pain, the loss of power was unavoidable.

"Kakashi-sensei," Shinho called out calmly, "if you knock Naruto unconscious, he can break free from the genjutsu."

Although Naruto was a Jinchūriki, and could theoretically resistant to genjutsu, his poor relationship with the Nine-Tails meant he couldn't rely on its help. 

In the original story, Naruto had once used a clever trick—getting his shadow clone to knock him out to escape from a genjutsu.

Kakashi paused, then didn't hesitate any longer. He had already used up too much chakra fending off the black tendrils. Perhaps it was better to just take Naruto out of the fight.

With a swift punch, Kakashi knocked Naruto unconscious. Naruto's body reappeared in the real world, lying in the small grove, right near Yakumo Kurama's painting.

But the painting no longer showed Kurenai Yuhi. Instead, it depicted the strange, surreal space they had been fighting in.

"Kakashi-sensei, prepare the sealing technique," Shinho said, his arms flicking open. With a surge of green wind, the Jade Wind Wheel Gu activated, creating two whirlwinds swirling around him.

In an instant, Shinho vanished, leaving only an afterimage behind.

He reappeared directly in front of Idō, landing a devastating punch to its abdomen. The force of the impact sent it flying backward as a shockwave exploded outward.

Shinho followed up instantly, his speed like lightning. 

Just as Idō was about to hit the ground, he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to its stomach, slamming it into the earth with a thunderous crash.

Before Idō could recover, Shinho was already there, locking its arms and pinning its neck beneath his knee.

Having been rattled by Shinho's super strength, Idō was dazed and unable to put up much resistance.

"Kakashi-sensei, seal it," Shinho instructed, noting how much weaker Idō seemed compared to the original version. 

Was it because the battle was happening earlier in the timeline, or was his overwhelming strength too much?

Well, that made his job easier.

Kakashi covered his Sharingan and nodded.

He stepped forward, quickly carving black seal formulas into the ground around Idō.

Seeing the scene unfold, Kurenai Yuhi breathed a sigh of relief. But she couldn't help but think: This Team 7 was simply ridiculous.

Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Shinho Aburame—together, their combined power was equivalent to that of elite jōnin. Was this the power of Konoha's Genin?

Terrifying!

Kakashi pulled out a scroll. After forming a series of hand seals, the sealing technique activated, drawing Idō's form into the scroll as it dissolved into smoke.

The world around them shattered like glass, and they were back in the real world, standing in the small grove.

"Everyone, what happened!" Naruto suddenly jumped to his feet, rushing over.

"It's over, Naruto," Shinho said, casting a glance at him.

"Huh?" Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. "It's over already?"

He hadn't even fought Idō for a full minute. It was way too short!

"Sasuke-kun!"

A familiar voice called out from a distance—it was Sakura Haruno. Beside her stood Torune Aburame, and another middle-aged man.

"Leave me alone!" Sasuke muttered, clearly upset. 

Today's battle had struck a nerve in him. If it weren't for Shinho, he might have been the first Uchiha in history to die from another clan's genjutsu.

Sakura bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

"How is Yakumo?" The middle-aged man glanced at Yakumo Kurama, who was sitting quietly, hugging her knees.

"She's fine," Kurenai Yuhi answered. "The monster inside her has been sealed."

"And what about...?" The man hesitated.

"Yakumo," Kurenai knelt down beside her. "You didn't kill your parents. It was Idō."

"No, it was me," Yakumo raised her tear-streaked face, shaking her head.

"No, it wasn't," Kurenai pointed to the man. "Uncle Unkai was there that night. He witnessed everything."

"I'm only aware of Idō because I saw it with my own eyes that night," said the man, Kurama Unkai, nodding earnestly.

"Shinho."

While they were busy reassuring Yakumo, Sakura walked over to Shinho and waved him over.

"What is it?" Shinho asked, puzzled.

They didn't have much of any interactions outside of the academy.

"Well... what does Sasuke like?" Sakura asked in a hushed voice. "His birthday's coming up soon, and I want to give him something."

"Birthday?" Shinho raised an eyebrow.

"July 23rd," Sakura responded, as if it were common knowledge.

"I'm not sure about much, but I do know he likes onigiri with dried bonito flakes," Shinho said after thinking for a moment. "And training. He loves training."

That much he had gathered from the countless meals he'd shared at the Uchiha house.

"Dried bonito onigiri?" Sakura's eyes sparkled. "Thanks!"

"No problem," Shinho replied, recalling the sword he had commissioned from Tenten. That could make a perfect birthday gift for Sasuke.

Maybe Naruto should give him something special too. He was old enough now to handle it.

"Oh, one more thing," Sakura fidgeted slightly. "Kurenai-sensei found me a medical ninjutsu teacher. Should I prepare anything?"

"Buy a few live fish," Shinho said simply.

….

"Kurenai," Kakashi called out. "You can handle the rest."

"Yes," Kurenai nodded gratefully. "Thank you. If it weren't for you all, this would've been a disaster."

She had originally thought she could handle Idō on her own. Now, she realized how out of her depth she had been.

As a ninja specialising in genjutsu, if she encountered someone overwhelmingly stronger in genjutsu, she would be utterly defenseless.

"Let's head to the Hokage's office," Kakashi said, holding up the scroll.

This mission had been assigned directly by the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, so they needed to report in person.

"Sensei, I want to learn genjutsu," Shinho said, abruptly.

At that moment, Sasuke stepped forward and said, "I can teach you."

Kakashi didn't refute Sasuke's offer.

After all, the Uchiha clan's natural affinity for genjutsu, especially with the Sharingan, made them unparalleled in this art. Sasuke's skills would far surpass that of a typical ninja specialising in genjutsu.

"Kakashi-sensei! I want to learn too!" Naruto sain, jumping up eagerly.

He still felt frustrated. If it hadn't been for the genjutsu, he would have had a much more enjoyable fight today.

"You don't need to learn genjutsu," Kakashi replied, shaking his head.

What kind of Jinchūriki trains in genjutsu anyway? Besides, genjutsu battles relied heavily on strategy, where every move anticipates ten others.

While Naruto wasn't dumb, he rarely used his brain to its full potential.

"Why not?" Naruto asked, looking puzzled.

"Just stick to taijutsu," Kakashi said after a moment of thought. "I can teach you how to deal with genjutsu."

"Alright!" Naruto's excitement skyrocketed.

So easy to calm down.

Kakashi chuckled to himself.

Naruto really was nothing like his father.

….

Hokage's Office

Once they received permission, Kakashi opened the door and walked in.

"Granny Tsunade!" Naruto burst out, grinning from ear to ear. "Mission complete!"

Tsunade's forehead twitched.

"Lady Hokage," Kakashi said hastily, sweat dripping down his back. He quickly handed over the sealing scroll. "Idō has been sealed in here."

"You sealed it?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"It was Shinho's suggestion," Kakashi explained.

Tsunade glanced at Shinho Aburame and immediately understood his silent signals.

"You all did well," Tsunade said, nodding approvingly. "Shinho, you stay behind. The rest of you, go get some rest."

"Yes," Kakashi replied, swiftly covering Naruto's mouth before he could shout "Granny Tsunade" again. With an awkward but polite smile, he led Naruto and Sasuke out of the room.

….

Once the others had left, Tsunade crossed her arms. "Alright, what's your ploy this time?"

"This is a serious plan," Shinho corrected her.

"So, what do you intend to do with Idō?" Tsunade asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Have Ino use it for training. What do you think?"

Shinho didn't hold back. Tsunade was one of the Sannin, after all. Her knowledge and expertise far exceeded his own. Consulting her was only natural.

"Training?" Tsunade blinked, her arms tightening. The atmosphere grew more intense as she considered the proposition.

"Would that increase her mental strength?" Tsunade mused aloud. "It could work in theory, but Idō is a sentient being, which makes it dangerous."

"Is there a way to neutralize that threat?" Shinho asked eagerly.

Tsunade's tone softened, a playful smile on her lips. "Worried about your little girlfriend, are we?"

"Drop that sensei," Shinho answered seriously. "We're just friends."

"Sure you are," Tsunade snickered.

"I'm telling the truth," Shinho insisted. "I'm not interested in little girls."

Tsunade's playful smirk widened. "Not interested in older women either?"

She stopped herself mid-sentence, suddenly realizing she might be insulting herself. After all, she was forever eighteen!

"We can let Inoichi handle this," Tsunade returned to business. "He should be able to suppress Idō's consciousness."

"Thank you, Sensei," Shinho stepped forward and grabbed the scroll.

"You're not very polite, are you?" Tsunade flicked his forehead with her finger. "Remember not to be so casual in front of others."

[Tl/n: Shinho's speech isn't following the mannerism used when addressing older people here, that's what Tsunade is mentioning.]

"Yes, Sensei." Shinho stowed the scroll carefully, then added, "I have a suggestion."

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, intrigued.

"Make Naruto's identity, public."

Shinho's voice was calm, but his words carried weight. "He's suffered enough hatred over the years."

"Isn't it too soon?" Tsunade sighed, worry clouding her face. "What if he can't handle it?"

"He's a ninja now," Shinho replied with a faint smile. "You should believe in the power of youth."

Tsunade groaned, feeling a headache coming on.

"What if we let Guy-sensei handle it?" Shinho suggested. "He has this amazing way of breaking through gloomy situations."

Tsunade's mind immediately conjured an image of two green-clad figures crying dramatically, and she hurriedly pushed the thought away.

She raised a concern. "But he's the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails."

"So what?" Shinho countered. "Kumogakure openly revealed both the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, and they're fine. Does Konoha pale in comparison to kumo?"

Besides, Shinho had always found Naruto's secret laughably obvious—golden hair, a spiral emblem, and a demonic aura. Any decent spy would figure it out.

"Of course not!" Tsunade refuted automatically.

"If someone's bold enough to try kidnapping the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, does it really matter whether his identity is public or not?" Shinho pressed on.

Tsunade fell silent, her expression growing serious. "We'll make the announcement when Guy returns."

"You're wise as always, Lady Hokage," Shinho said with a grin. 

"Call me Sensei," Tsunade grumbled, leaning back in her chair. She eyed Shinho thoughtfully, her heart softening.

This kid really cares about his friends.

If only he were older, Tsunade mused. Then I could retire peacefully, spending my days drinking and gambling without a care in the world.

"Sensei," Shinho's voice pulled her from her thoughts, "you can't slack off."

"Cheeky brat," Tsunade glared at him. "Who do you think is the Hokage here—you or me?"

"You, obviously."

Shinho stared boldly into the valley. After all, he was standing, while Tsunade was seated. The angle was... ideal.

"Then stop bossing me around!" Tsunade snapped.

"It's perfectly reasonable for students to guide their teachers," Shinho retorted, his tone utterly serious.

"You and your twisted logic!" Tsunade growled, grabbing his head and giving his hair a rough ruffle. "Stop distracting me from my work! Get out of here!"

As he smoothed down his hair, Shinho asked, "Where's Team 10 assigned to?"

"They're at the Daimyo's mansion," Tsunade recalled. "One of the Daimyo's wives lost her cat yesterday, so Team 10 took the mission."

As expected, it was another simple D-rank task.

Except for Team 7, of course.

Come to think of it, Shinho realized, his influence was indeed impressive.

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