Lost in his thoughts, Renzou arrived at Kurenai Yūhi's house, a familiar destination after several years of frequent visits for meals. He could practically navigate his way there blindfolded. Passing a fishing store, he collected some earthworms and small insects, tucking them into his pocket for Iguro Obanai's "lunch." With his companion's needs sorted, his own hunger pangs reminded him of Kurenai's cooking. He unconsciously quickened his pace.
Five minutes later, Renzou stood at Kurenai's door and knocked. "Kurenai, open up, it's Renzou."
"Oh, just a moment! I'll be right there!" Kurenai's hurried voice replied from inside.
After a slightly longer wait than usual, Kurenai finally opened the door, a sheepish smile on her face. "You're here." She stepped aside to let Renzou in.
Renzou looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face. "What's wrong? You took a while to answer."
"No, I was just… cooking. It was a critical moment, so I had to ask you to wait a little longer." A blush tinted Kurenai's cheeks. Her attempt at a new dish hadn't gone as planned, leaving her face with a few smudges. She'd quickly washed up before opening the door.
"Huh? What's that smell? Smells like something boiled over." Renzou wrinkled his nose, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Kurenai's expression shifted, and she dashed towards the kitchen. "Oh no, my pork ribs and kelp soup!"
Renzou followed closely. Standing at the kitchen doorway, he surveyed the aftermath on the stovetop. A pot of pork ribs and kelp had indeed boiled over, the splattered soup and meat sizzling where they landed on the burner. A bewildered Kurenai stood beside the mess.
"Oh," Renzou sighed softly, stepping forward. He untied Kurenai's apron and tied it around his own waist. "Leave the rest to me. Kurenai, come and help me clean up."
"Oh… okay," Kurenai replied, a little flustered, watching Renzou's actions with keen interest.
Hmm… pork ribs? Yes! Renzou's eyes lit up. First, he and Kurenai cleaned the stovetop. Then, he soaked the twice-rinsed ribs in cold water. He heated oil in a pan until it shimmered, briefly fried the ribs, and set them aside. Next, he used a casserole, sautéing onion, ginger, garlic, and pepper until fragrant before adding the ribs. He poured in cooking wine, soy sauce, and two bowls of purified water, then brought it to a boil. Once bubbling, he covered the pot, reduced the heat to low, and let it simmer for half an hour. After thirty minutes, he added rice vinegar, rock sugar, and a pinch of salt, turned the heat up, and simmered until the sauce thickened. Finally, leaving a little of the flavorful broth, he turned off the heat and sprinkled some chopped green onion on top. "Kurenai, could you grab a plate for me?"
"Oh… oh! Right." Still slightly dazed by Renzou's efficient cooking, Kurenai retrieved a plate from the cupboard and handed it to him. Renzou carefully poured the glistening, sweet, and sour pork ribs onto the plate. The rich color was enticing, and both of them couldn't help but swallow. He then ladled the simmering kelp soup into a bowl. Done.
They sat opposite each other at the dining table. After their unexpected culinary collaboration, they were finally ready to eat. A standard three dishes and a soup. Kurenai had already prepared fried tempura and grilled eel before her soup endeavor went awry. Now, the sweet and sour pork ribs completed the trio, alongside a shrimp and kelp soup.
"Uncle Shinku won't be joining us for dinner tonight?" Renzou asked, noticing only two place settings.
"Father went on a mission today. It seems he'll be gone for two or three days," Kurenai replied, shaking her head.
"I see. Well then… itadakimasu," they both said, glancing at each other with a smile before starting their meal.
Kurenai picked up a piece of the sweet and sour pork ribs and took a bite. The savory-sweet juices burst in her mouth. The meat was tender yet firm, incredibly flavorful, leaving a delightful aftertaste. "Renzou, this is amazing! So delicious! (///▽///)" Kurenai ate the ribs with a happy expression, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
"Haha, is that so? If you like it, please have more," Renzou said with a smile, slowly savoring the grilled eel. Haven't cooked this in a while. Seems my skills haven't deteriorated too much. The dishes are quite good. Seeing Kurenai's enjoyment made his own meal even more satisfying.
Later, after they had eaten their fill and washed the dishes, the two sat on the sofa, chatting. Suddenly, Renzou said, "Kurenai, I want to learn genjutsu. Could you ask your father to help me when he gets back?"
Kurenai looked at him, surprised. "You want to learn genjutsu? Haven't you been focusing on taijutsu and ninjutsu? Why the sudden interest in genjutsu?"
"Well… I feel like my strength has hit a bit of a bottleneck, and I have a feeling that the key to breaking through lies in illusion!" After all, as someone who would eventually possess the Sharingan, he had a natural predisposition for genjutsu. Neglecting it would be a waste. And Kurenai's father, Shinku Yūhi, was a renowned genjutsu master, one of Konoha's finest.
Seeing Renzou's determination, Kurenai didn't press further. Trust was an unspoken bond between them. "Okay, I'll tell my father as soon as he returns. In the meantime, I can teach you some basic genjutsu theory. That should make learning easier later."
"Okay," Renzou replied, listening attentively as Kurenai began her explanation.
Genjutsu differed from ninjutsu and taijutsu. It targeted the enemy's five senses, trapping them in hallucinations. A skilled user could even manipulate the flow of chakra within the opponent's brain. It was a fighting style that demanded high intelligence and tactical awareness. Genjutsu included illusions activated through Yin Release and those stemming from bloodline limits. While many ninjas could use genjutsu as a supplementary skill, only a few specialized in it, such as Madara Uchiha, Izuna Uchiha, Kagami Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shisui, Senju Tobirama, Tōka Senju, my father Shinku Yūhi, Gengetsu Hozuki, Kurama Murakumo, and etc. There were primarily two ways to break genjutsu: for non-dōjutsu illusions, one could disrupt their own chakra flow. Dōjutsu-based illusions, however, usually required an external force to disrupt the chakra flow of the victim.
"Those are the basic theories and applications of genjutsu. The rest will have to wait until Father gets back," Kurenai said, taking a sip of water, her red lips slightly dry, a hint of fatigue in her eyes.
Noticing this, Renzou stood up to leave. "Then I won't disturb you any longer. Thank you, Kurenai. Get some rest." With that, he walked towards the door.
Kurenai followed him, watching as he waved from a distance. She returned his wave enthusiastically, her bright eyes crinkling at the corners. Only after Renzou disappeared into the darkness did she return inside, lie down on her bed, and soon drift off to sleep…
Renzou walked through the brightly lit streets. Back home, he took a hot bath to wash away the day's fatigue. Donning his pajamas, he sat on the windowsill and began his nightly chakra refinement. As his chakra slowly circulated, the sounds of the outside world gradually faded into the quiet of the night…
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End of Chapter 14