Shogi

The stench of dried blood and rust lingered in the air, seeping into her senses as Kurenai navigated the winding corridors of the Hyuuga compound. The floorboards creaked sporadically beneath her steps, the sound echoing through the near-silent hallways like the groan of a tired old soul. The compound was vast and cold, its stone walls steeped in an ancient, oppressive silence that made Kurenai feel like an intruder. It was her first time inside the compound, a supposed privilege—though calling it a “privilege” was a stretch. Kurenai was here out of necessity. Hinata Hyuuga, the heir to the Hyuuga clan, was now part of her team, along with Kiba Inazuka and Shino Aburame. The Hokage had insisted she meet with the parents of her students, given the prominence of their respective clans.

She had already met with the heads of the Inazuka and Aburame clans, which had gone smoothly, as expected. But the Hyuuga? The Hyuuga were another story. She dreaded this meeting. No one liked dealing with stuffy, uptight clan leaders. With the Uchihas gone, it seemed only the Hyuugas remained to carry on that proud, almost suffocating tradition.

She was ushered outside to the dojo, told to wait, her escort disappearing without a word.

Through the thin walls of the dojo, faint sounds reached her ears—the rhythmic slap of palms against skin, followed by soft, strained panting. Then a loud thud, followed by a harsh, clipped command: "Again!" The sounds returned, relentless. Palms striking, grunts of effort, the sharp sounds of a harsh training session.

Kurenai frowned as she strained to listen. It wasn’t just regular training. No, this felt different. She could hear the crack of skin against skin, the weight of each blow carried through the thin walls. "Again! Again! Again!" The phrase was repeated endlessly, punctuated by the sounds of combat that grew increasingly intense, as if the repetitions were designed not to improve, but to break the spirit. It sounded too grueling, even for the Hyuuga.

Rumors about the Hyuuga clan had circulated through Konoha, but Kurenai had always tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. She knew how rumors spread for entertainment and jealousy. But this? This was something else. It sounded as though the Hyuuga had turned discipline into a form of cruelty—something that didn’t sit right with her.

Another thud echoed through the dojo.

"On your feet! Now, dammit!" The voice was filled with disgust. "You're a disgrace. I can't even look at you."

Kurenai’s eyes widened. The unmistakable sound of a slap rang out, followed by a soft, stifled whimper. Kurenai’s stomach twisted with dread, her gut telling her this wasn’t just training—it was punishment. She had to know what was going on.

The doors of the dojo swung open, and there he was. Hiashi Hyuuga. His cold demeanor remained unshaken, his steely gaze fixed ahead, not even acknowledging her presence.

“The Hokage informed me that you’re in charge of my daughter’s team,” he said flatly, his tone more business-like than personal.

Kurenai quickly stood and smoothed out her uniform before speaking. “I am. I just wanted to assure you—”

Hiashi raised a hand, silencing her. His gaze swept briefly over the dojo, though his face never softened. “Hinata is now in your care,” he said, his voice sharp as a blade. “Whatever happens to her is none of my concern.” He turned his back to her, dismissing her presence as though she were irrelevant.

Kurenai’s eyes, however, remained locked on the dojo, and what she saw there made her stomach turn. Hinata, the fragile, kind-hearted girl she had come to care for, lay sprawled on the floor, clutching her stomach, breathing heavily. Standing over her was another girl—no more than seven years old. She was drenched in sweat, her small frame tense and alert. Her expression was strikingly identical to Hiashi’s—cold, calculating, and unforgiving.

Kurenai’s heart sank as she realized who the girl was. Hanabi Hyuuga, Hiashi’s younger daughter. And standing in the corner of the room, watching with a tight grip on his cane, was Hiashi’s father, Hikoda—a figure of authority and cold tradition in the Hyuuga clan.

“The Hyuuga clan has no place for someone so weak,” Hiashi continued, speaking in an uncaring tone, oblivious to the presence of Kurenai. “If she cannot handle a simple sparring match with her younger sister, she has no place in our future.”

Kurenai’s throat tightened as his words struck her like a slap. *So this is how they treat their own blood,* she thought bitterly, the coldness of Hiashi’s words sinking into her chest. It made her blood run cold to think that someone so young, someone who should have been protected, was forced into this kind of grueling environment. Hinata didn’t deserve this.

Hiashi’s voice cut through the silence again. “Just don’t let anyone get a hold of the Byakugan, Yuhi. Or there will be consequences.”

Kurenai’s mind raced as she processed his words. The Byakugan. The Hyuuga clan’s sacred bloodline. Kurenai had heard the rumors—how the Byakugan had been seen as a weapon to be controlled, and how Hinata’s father had no qualms about breaking her spirit to keep it that way. The Hokage had warned her about the politics of the big clans, how Konoha needed the Hyuugas more than they needed the village. But this? This was beyond what she had imagined.

Before she could respond, Hiashi was already turning, his icy gaze dismissing her completely.

Kurenai held her tongue. She knew better than to challenge the head of the Hyuuga clan, but a knot had formed in her stomach. Konoha needs the Hyuugas, yes, she thought bitterly, but this is too far.

---

Later, Kurenai sat at the training grounds, waiting for her team. The first to arrive was Shino Aburame, his steps slow but deliberate. She wasn’t surprised—Shino was always punctual. His father was a member of the council, a man of honor and discipline. It made sense that Shino would follow suit, carrying those same values with him. He was a quiet one, almost impossible to read, his emotions hidden behind a mask of composure. Kurenai couldn’t tell if he was uncomfortable being the first to arrive or if he preferred it that way.

The next to arrive was Hinata. She bowed respectfully, her voice barely a whisper. “S-sensei, I’m sorry for being late.” Kurenai gave her a warm smile, but she couldn’t help noticing the faint exhaustion in her demeanor. The sweat on her forehead, the bruises on her fingers. Something was off. Hinata looked tired—no, more than tired—worn. She had barely met the girl’s eyes before her attention was grabbed by the loud, brash voice of Kiba Inazuka ringing out in the distance, accompanied by his ninken, Akamaru.

“Well, now that we’re all here, let’s introduce ourselves. I’ll go first: My name is Kurenai Yuhi. I like steamed fish and udon, I dislike the smell of peppermint, and my goal right now is to make the three of you the best tracking team Konoha has ever seen.”

The team exchanged surprised glances. None of them had expected such a long-term goal. None of them had even reached the rank of Chunin yet.

Shino was the first to speak. “My name is Shino Aburame. I like onigiri and my insects, I dislike people who don’t keep their promises, and my goal in life is to breed a new species of insects that would benefit my clan.”

Kurenai made a mental note of the dislike—there was a story there, no doubt.

Kiba followed, his energy as boisterous as ever. “My name is Kiba, and this is Akamaru. We like any kind of meat, dislike cats, and our goal is to be the best duo Konoha has ever seen!” Akamaru barked in agreement.

Finally, it was Hinata’s turn. She fidgeted nervously with her jacket, avoiding eye contact. “M-my name is Hinata Hyuuga. I like cinnamon rolls and flower pressing, I dislike seafood.” There was a long, awkward pause before she continued, her hands gripping her pants. “My g-goal in life is to be s-smarter than my father and g-grandfather,” she murmured.

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. *Smarter, not stronger?* That was an unexpected statement. Kurenai didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that something deeper was at play. But she kept her thoughts to herself, focusing on the task at hand.

“As you know, I specialize in genjutsu. Some of our training will focus on that. However, my main goal is to make you three the best tracking squad Konoha has ever seen. For your first task, I want you three to—”

“Woof!” Akamaru interrupted excitedly, before Kurenai could finish.

She smiled. "Sorry, I meant I want you four to track me down. You have thirty minutes, starting now.”

Before they could react, she vanished in a blur of speed.

“So we’ve been under a genjutsu this whole time,” Shino deduced, his voice calm, as always.

“Leave it to us! Akamaru and I will track her scent in no time!” Kiba declared, scooping up Akamaru and preparing to run.

“Kiba, wait!” Shino stopped him, his voice calm but insistent. “Are you familiar with her scent? We’ve just met, and we’ve been under a genjutsu this whole time. How do we know the scent is accurate? We only have 30 minutes, so we need to make a plan.”

Shino quickly took the lead. “Hinata, can you see her with your Byakugan?”

Hinata, looking like a deer caught in headlights, nodded and activated her Byakugan. She scanned the area. After a few moments, she spoke up. “I see sensei. She’s in the woods with—”

But when Hinata turned to her teammates, she realized they weren’t moving. Not even Akamaru. They were frozen, trapped in the genjutsu.

Her breath caught in her throat. *How?* She glanced down at her own hands, realizing that she was the only one not affected by the genjutsu. She had broken free the moment she activated her Byakugan, but she wasn’t sure how to free the others.

A sudden resolve filled her chest, and she gently placed her teammates under the shade of a tree, making a quiet promise to return. With Akamaru safely in her arms, she hurried off across the training grounds to find Kurenai.

---

The scene unfolds as Kurenai and Asuma Sarutobi enjoy a quiet moment, only to be interrupted by Hinata’s arrival. The delicate balance of the situation continues to shift, revealing layers of growth and understanding between the characters.

Kurenai was sitting on a blanket in the middle of a picnic with Asuma Sarutobi when she suddenly stiffened.

“What’s wrong, Rei?” Asuma asked.

Kurenai chuckled, sitting up and smoothing her clothes. “Seems like we’ll have company sooner than expected.”

In less than two minutes, Hinata arrived, holding Akamaru. “S-sensei, I’m glad I found you. I don’t know how to free Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru…”

Asuma watched, amusement dancing in his eyes. Kurenai stifled a smile. “How did you break out of my genjutsu so quickly, Hinata?”

Hinata fidgeted with her hands, looking embarrassed. “I’m not sure… I just activated my Byakugan and found you here… unless this is another genjutsu?”

Kurenai shook her head. “No, this isn’t another genjutsu. You really did break out of it. Let me show you how to free them.”

Asuma chuckled. “Humor me, Hyuuga. Your clan has trained you since you could walk. Why bring Akamaru? Why not one of your teammates? I’m sure you could carry both of them, especially if adrenaline’s involved!”

Hinata’s cheeks flushed as she avoided eye contact. “W-well, Akamaru is just a puppy” she murmured, her tone filled with conviction. “He deserved to be f-first because he never did anything wrong in his entire life.”

"How do you know that? You barely know him?" Kurenai humoured her

"B-Because he's just soo cute" she murmured

Asuma laughed heartily, while Kurenai shot him a stern look. “What? She’s not wrong, Rei. Akamaru is pretty cute,” he said, winking at Hinata.

Kurenai rolled her eyes but smiled as she showed Hinata how to free her teammates from the genjutsu.

“Well, let’s go free the rest of your teammates, shall we?”