I'd like to give a big apology to Anko fans, I'm dismissing her whole time with Orochimaru as I can't figure out how to properly and effectively write it in. Perhaps sometime I'll go back and visit that time in another fic, as I really enjoy Anko and find her past interesting as well.

And a mad THANK YOU to all who review, i love you guys! Those of you who post, you know how much reviews mean, and those of you who don't they mean a ton and are the main driving force that keep me writing. So thanks again.

And i still don't own Naruto... boo.

Chapter 7: The Aftermath

Kurenai always only had just enough money. When the three genins visited her apartment they noticed she didn't own anything really unnecessary. A bed, a couch, a dresser, a table. Nothing extravagant, nothing particularly nice. When Kiba asked about her style of living on one such visit she just smiled and said she liked to live simply. She used her money for rent and food, and if she happened upon a surplus she would treat her students to dinner, or buy a chew toy for Akamaru, or some new clothes if she needed them.

It seemed quite obvious that their sensei didn't like having extra money around, or even the product of extra money. They could deal with that. They respected her for her simplistic ways. They never thought to wonder why she avoided luxuries like the plague. That it wasn't just a want for uncomplicated living, but a need for her sanity.

- -

"In accordance with your parent's will, you receive their estate and everything within it, capital revenues, businesses they owned, pretty much everything." The attendant said as Kurenai sat in front of his large, meticulously organized desk. Everything was at a right angle, there was no dust to speak of, and each cabinet, drawer, and basket was carefully labeled. Kurenai cast her red eyes up from the desk to the man with a heavy load of documents in his hands.

"I don't want it."

"Well, regardless of your personal feelings, it's all yours," he said, handing her the stack of official papers. "My deepest sympathies to you, Kanemochi Kurenai." The attendant bowed deeply to her before exiting the room, allowing her some time alone with her newfound fortune. She looked down at the deeds and forms in her small hands and resisted the urge to shred them. Because of all this she had no parents, no husband, no loving family to speak of.

But I still have my life, she thought, and resolved what she would do.

The grounds she gave to her clan, telling them to do with it what they will. The businesses were signed over to whoever was running them at the time. She gave a fourth of the substantial amount of money she had inherited to the Kanemochis, to assist in the healing of the loss of their son, and denied all rights she had on their money and property due to her husband's demise. There was no doubt in her mind that they were as much to blame as Henso in his own death, and if her money was what they desired so badly, she would give it to them, if only so they would never attempt to contact her again.

The rest of the money she took to the Hokage.

"I'm sorry Kurenai-san, I can't take this money. Your parents left it to take care of you."

"This money has already taken care of me, more than I would have liked, Hokage-sama. Please, it only burdens me with regret and sadness. I would like to see it put to good use, for once. Please."

Being both kindly and wise the Hokage did accept the donation, but made Kurenai keep enough to get herself settled in an apartment, as he knew she had been living with Anko for the past week, and although they were best friends the two women would not be able to coexist much longer without one of them going insane. He also placed a portion of the money into a safety fund, in case she ever ran into trouble and needed some financial support.

"The Village of Konoha thanks you for your more than generous support."

"It's my pleasure, Hokage-sama." She said, bowing deeply as the older man smiled. "I also have a request."

"Of course, what is it you would like, Kurenai-san?" He asked, although he had a fairly good idea of what it was she wanted.

"I was hoping I could be reinstated as a chuunin, and after some proper training be able to participate in missions again." The Hokage smiled and nodded, proud of her decision.

"I have a feeling your fellow shinobi will be more than happy to welcome you back."

- -

"Welcome back, Kurenai-san!"

"It hasn't been the same without you."

"We missed you!"

"I missed you the most."

"Back on up offa her!" Anko barked, giving the kunoichi some breathing room as they walked through the large office to obtain their missions for the week. She knew the last thing her friend wanted or needed right now was a man in her life, and took it upon herself to let the men know that if they bothered her, she'd be bothering them, and unless they were sadists, it wouldn't be pleasant.

Even though she was no longer considered an Untouchable Yuuhi, she became known as the Unapproachable Kurenai. She simply did not allow people to get too close. She didn't date, she didn't hang out unless Anko was somehow able to convince her to go to the bar after a mission, which was very rare. All she did was train, go on missions, teach at the academy from time to time, and go home to her humble apartment. She was content, perhaps not happy, but content, with her life. If it weren't for the constant prodding and nudging of Anko she might have just stayed a chuunin forever. But her friend refused to allow talent to be wasted, so after many years of the missions and solitude Kurenai applied herself to become a jounin.

She trained harder and more intently than she had in years, knowing this was her one shot at advancing her life. If she didn't pass this round, and if she happened to survive without passing, she would probably stay a chuunin for the rest of her life. And the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to become a jounin, to excel in the one area of life that held any meaning for her now. And honestly, she had nothing else to live for really but the advancement of her ninja way.

The day of the awaited exam came, and Kurenai made her way to the examination grounds, nervous and scared and happy to be able to feel anything other than regret and numbness for the first time in years.

"Kurenai!" She looked back to see Anko running after her, trench coat flying in the dust her swift feet kicked up behind her. "I know we're supposed to wait until after you pass to give you presents, but I wanted to give mine to you early so when you pass everything will be documented right."

"Documented right? What are you talking about Anko?"

"Your Jounin present! Now close your eyes and hold out your hands!" After giving a confused and slightly doubting look she complied with the jounin's orders. She was technically her superior after all. She felt a piece of paper waft onto her open palms, lighting gently on her fingertips. She opened her eyes and looked down to see an official form to change one's name. Everything was filled out but the two signatures needed, of the old name and the new name.

"You're too good to be 'Kanemochi' anymore," Anko explained the odd but suiting gift, "I just wanted to make sure it was official for all your Jounin status forms and everything when you pass." Kurenai smiled, consistently grateful that the purple-haired kunoichi had barged her way into her life.

"Got a pen?"

And so, after the long, drawn-out examination, Yuuhi Kurenai emerged as a full fledged Jounin of Konoha.

- -

Just a couple months after passing the exam the Hokage approached her, wondering if she would be interested in training a 3-man team of genins. She remembered back to when she had been truly happy, when she would go on team missions as a genin, then as a young chuunin, and thinking how much she would have liked to take on a team of her own if she could have ever had the chance. Well, due to an unusually large graduating class of academy students and a shortage of jounin senseis, here it was.

Only 9 of the 30 some academy graduates would actually make it to the genin rank this year. There was actually little hope for Team 8, being lead by a brand new jounin and consisting of a brash Inuzuka, a timid Hyuuga, and a silent Aburame. Few believed they would actually move onto the next step of becoming true ninjas, and then Kurenai could go back to normal missions and get the "full jounin experience" as some called it.

But as fate would have it she was the perfect sensei for this particular trio, and all three of her students were able to move onto the next stage of becoming strong ninjas of Konoha under her supervision. This enabled a new emotion she hadn't been able to feel in years; pride.

Through her students she was being brought back into the world of feeling. She'd laugh at Kiba and Akamaru's antics, she'd worry for Hinata, she'd feel at peace around Shino. And even through her best efforts of guarding her deep, inner emotions, she felt herself beginning to love them. She had come to fear love much more than her inevitable death. Death was honest and true, love was full of deceit and betrayal. Nevertheless, she grew to love each of them deeply, even the dog, and they became her unofficial family, and, more importantly, they became her "something to live for."

She had a tendancy tostand out at meetings, being the only female sensei of a genin team, and wearing a white shift rather than the common green vest. Her choice of clothing went deeper than just 'fashion sense' though. The vest had become too much of a crutch for her. She had began to lean on its stability too much for her taste, and decided to forego the customary and well-known ninja accessory in an effort to develop her own feelings of self-worth, and let people know she was a jounin through her actions, not what she wore.

At a glance one might think she had gotten lost and somehow ended up there, or that she had accompanied her boyfriend to his meeting. No such luck to the men in the room though, as she made it abundantly clear that she wasn't open to advances and wasn't interested in relationships by turning down every offer or pick-up line that came her way.

But, as much as she tried to shut the rest of the world, out someone managed to work his way into her life. He moved incredibly slowly, starting off by just being polite, then out-of-his-way polite, to somewhat friendly, to downright friendly. They would walk together, sit together, talk together, stand together. Simple things that meant a lot more when Yuuhi Kurenai was involved.

Soon enough his presence was as comforting as Anko's. She felt her guard dropping little by little, allowing her to smile and laugh around him, and feel more than just 'content' with life. With Asuma by her side, she actually began to feel happy again.

Soooo, what do you think so far? Please tell me your thoughts, good or bad, on this fic. It's like my baby now, and I want to raise it right.