Chapter 23: Foggy with A Chance of Genjutsu

I stood beside team eight and Guy as he told Hinata that the shinobi sleeping probably would be out for hours and not a threat. Turning my head, I saw Kurenai walking out with Sakura beside her seeing her team run over clearly relieved.

"I need to get her to the village to be treated, Yakumo should come too." Sakura said as Guy replied, "Well in that case you should all head back I can deal with these guys when they wake up plus, we'll need to find the three that were responsible for watching Yakumo."

"Are you sure you can handle them alone Guy they are Genjutsu masters." Kurenai said clearly concerned while Guy put his thumb up saying, "I can handle the jutsu wait-and-see."

I snorted a laugh but quickly put my hand in front of my face to cover it as he looked towards everyone else saying, "Get it… jutsu wait, and see?"

I turned away feeling my cheeks turn red, I couldn't let them know I found his joke more than funny.

"Kiba why don't you guys escort Kurenai back to the village while I look after Yakumo until she wakes up." Sakura asked him as Kiba turned his attention to Kurenai saying, "Before I do I want the truth… all this business with Yakumo is that why you left our squad, we want to know the whole story?"

Kurenai closed her eyes nodding somberly, "Long ago the Kurama clan was a mighty force in the village. For generations they were known and well respected throughout the leaf village as masters in the art of Genjutsu. Sadly, some years ago their powers began to wane, they produced fewer and fewer Chunin and Jonin. They were a clan in decline until a bright star full of promise was born."

"That must have been Yakumo." I said as she nodded continuing, "Unfortunately it was also seen early on that she was sick and didn't have the strength to go into the academy. She wanted so badly to live up to her parent's expectation since she was the daughter of the clan leader. So, her parents went to the third Hokage and pleaded with him on her behalf. The third Hokage recognized there was great power lying dormant inside of Yakumo, so he agreed to put her under my supervision."

"You never told Ren-sensei about any of this?" I questioned seeing her frown replying, "It was requested that it be kept a secret at least until we knew the full potential of her powers besides, he was in the process of getting you and your team as Genin."

"What happened between you two?" Hinata asked cautiously seeing Kurenai begin to shake slightly saying, "Yakumo wasn't ready to be in the academy or a shinobi with her medical condition and so I sealed away her powers."

We all gasped surprised hearing Kiba said, "But why would you do that?"

My eyes noticed her hands stop shaking as she said, "I don't know, maybe myself being a Genjutsu user I was jealous of someone becoming greater than me."

"You were jealous?" Kiba questioned making me narrow my eyes, something about this wasn't adding up.

"One Genjutsu user is enough in a village I think." Kurenai said seeing her eyes hardened looking towards us saying, "Now you know why I quit, someone capable of that shouldn't deserve to be your squad leader."

I saw Kiba turn away and sit on the ground while Sakura grabbed Kurenai to check on her wounds hearing him say, "I'm just not buying all this..."

"Yes, I feel like she's hiding something from us." Hinata said fearfully while Shino replied, "You're both right… I was watching her."

Kiba and Hinata both looked towards him as I replied, "Her hand it was shaking when she started talking about Yakumo and what she did to her."

Shino looked towards me as I looked away saying quietly, "Alright you finish..."

"When she talked about why she did it, her hand stopped shaking with no emotions coming from it." Shino said as Kiba stood up, "Meaning what?"

"Meaning that part of the story was a lie." Shino said looking towards him as Kiba looked down, "So it wasn't because she was jealous."

"I think she's protecting someone… and I think that someone could be Yakumo, there may be more to the story she doesn't wish to share." I said seeing Shino stuff his hands in his pockets looking at his team.

"Maybe we don't really know it's all been kept so under the rug." Kiba said as Hinata nodded in agreement while I looked at Kurenai, what on earth is she hiding so deeply she'd lie to her own team?

We all began walking through the forest except for Guy who stayed behind to look for the three tasked with watching Yakumo. Looking around a thick fog began to roll through making it hard to see Naruto and Yakumo up front.

"So, what do you guys think, who is she really covering for?" Kiba asked hearing Hinata say, "Well it was the third Hokage who had her look after Yakumo."

"So, what was her actual mission?" Shino questioned hearing up front Naruto say, "What the hell?"

We ran ahead staring down as Kiba said, "Do you see what I'm seeing?"

"But how?" Hinata said as I stared down at our village, and it appeared to look destroyed and deserted.

"It looks like the aftermath of a giant war or something." Naruto said in shock as Kurenai turned towards Hinata saying, "Use you're Byakugan see if you can see anything."

She nodded as we all watched her hoping what we were seeing wasn't real as she said softly, "There isn't anyone in the village..."

"This isn't good." Kurenai said as I began walking down looking around worried, Hayner, Reno and Ren were here they couldn't have just vanished.

Both Hinata's eyes and Kiba's nose couldn't detect any enemies or sight of people hearing Sakura tell us the best course of action was to get Kurenai and Yakumo to the hospital. Walking into the building we found a room and laid them both down as I peeked outside the room hoping to get a glimpse of anything.

Sakura and Naruto walked by as he said, "We are going to find some medicine, Yakumo's health is fading."

I nodded biting my lip as I said quietly, "Hayner… Reno… Ren-sensei… where are you?"

I heard more footsteps as Hinata said, "We are going to look around the village you should come… maybe your team is around here someplace."

I nodded knowingly walking with them out into the foggy remains of the Leaf Village knowing I couldn't give up hope on them. We walked all the way to the academy not seeing anyone alive or dead as Shino stopped walking looking up at the building. Suddenly we felt a rumble as smoke began to pour out of the building watching Shino's bugs start to crawl out from under his hood.

"Kiba muzzle Akamaru and Hinata stop using your Byakugan." Shino said urgently as I looked towards him saying, "Why what's going on?"

"We are all in one big Genjutsu." he said making me tense up as Kiba said, "The whole village, the ground we're standing on even the sky is Genjutsu?"

"Heightened senses can occasionally be a weakness. No matter how superior one sight or smell may be, it's ultimately the human brain that receives and interprets information." he began looking towards his teammates finishing, "The mind is a vastly intricate network of electrical impulses, there is a lot of room for error. However, the senses of an insect are minimal and unlike the human brain the insect mind utilizes the barest amount of information necessary."

"Meaning?" Kiba said as he held his hand up showing the insects making me quiver while he said, "Look my insects are still under control, they can't be deceived."

Kiba covered his and Akamaru's nose feeling the ground kept shaking as Hinata said, "So these tremors are all Genjutsu too."

"Just wait." Shino said calmly seeing the academy crumble and, in its place, a giant snake making me take a step back against my better judgement.

"In theory it shouldn't be able to harm us." Shino said as I replied, "Well how about not in theory."

He looked towards me as the snake came down while we all braced ourselves from the impact feeling it move around us at a quick pace. I saw the snake go for Shino and illusion or not my body acted on instinct jumping in front of it ready to fight. The snake opened its mouth wide ready to eat me as I glared at it holding my kunai up unafraid.

"Yuna… wake up." I heard suddenly seeing the world go black before I realized I was laying on the ground.

Looking up I saw the others around me standing as Naruto went over to Sakura ushering her over to an old man. Naruto explained it was the man who got us out of the Genjutsu but at the price of almost burning himself alive.

"That's not true… we were all driven out by Yakumo she only cares about getting Kurenai Yuhi." the man said as Kiba replied, "So where is she now then?"

The man looked down for a moment before saying, "I think I may know."

We all raced back to the villa as the man said Kurenai was probably being kept their trapped in the Genjutsu. Passing Guy and the three that must have overseen Yakumo I saw the determination on Kurenai's team. Sakura stayed behind with the man to make sure he got the medical attention he needed as Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"They are together in the center room of the building." she said confidently as Kiba ran ahead seeing him become engulfed in flames.

Naruto jumped in front of us taking his coat off putting out the fire while Shino said, "None of us even Akamaru are safe against Yakumo's Genjutsu. Her power attacks complex nervous system, anything within a cerebrum."

"Stand back." Shino said as his bugs began to swarm around him watching them go through the fire as Naruto stepped in next.

"Shadow clone jutsu." he said seeing a few of him appear watching one hit his head and use him as a battle ram to go through the fire.

"Kiba, go back to Guy and see if that man has more information on how to break through her Genjutsu." Shino said as Kiba nodded wearily seeing him run off.

Hinata kept her Byakugan on the door seeing her suddenly get pushed back as I went over to her, "What happened?"

"I don't know something is strange in there, it somehow seemed different from the way if felt before." she said fearfully hearing buzzing as Shino's insects came back to him.

I heard footsteps seeing Sakura and Kiba running towards her as Kiba said, "What's going on in the other room, are they okay have you heard anything?"

Hinata quickly turned to the door saying, "I'm detecting something new on the other side, an incredibly powerful chakra."

Could it be Naruto tapping into his Nine-Tailed Fox chakra or worse… Yakumo unleashing an even more powerful Genjutsu. Sakura and Kiba began telling us what the man said about Yakumo's hidden monster inside of her seeing fear pass over their faces.

I heard movement in the room as we all looked seeing the flame begin to die down as Kiba burst through the door, "Kurenai-sensei!"

We all walked in after him seeing Kurenai on the ground hugging Yakumo seeing both and Naruto were okay.

"So, are you going to go back to being their sensei?" Naruto asked seeing Kurenai smile saying, "I sure am, that was my last mission given to me by the third Hokage."

Hinata, Kiba and Shino ran over to her excited as I crossed my arms leaning against the wall smiling at all of them.

"Hey Yuna!" I heard behind me turning to see Reno, Hayner and Ren running over to me excitedly.

"Jeeze what took you all so long?" I asked seeing Reno rub the back of his head replying, "Ren-sensei was afraid of facing his big sister plus we got lost in some fog."

"It was a Genjutsu nothing we couldn't handle." Hayner said crossing his arms while I hugged them both saying, "I'm just glad you guys are safe… now go see your sister Ren-sensei."

He nodded patting my head before kneeling with team eight seeing them all except Shino laugh making me frown.

"Hey Reno… Hayner?" I said quietly watching them both look towards me as I grimaced saying, "I need your help with something."

Next few chapters will delve into Yuna's backstory, hope you're all enjoying the story so far!