Chapter 177: Asuma's Insecurity, and One-on-One Guidance
"What about you, Raidō?" Genichi asked. "Do you have any ideas?"
With Genma having set an example, Raidō Namiashi was much bolder. "Instructor, I have a water affinity. Can I learn Water Release from you?"
"Water Release? Sure," Genichi nodded and then created a clone. "Come over here."
The clone led Raidō to the side. Genichi planned to teach him corrosive water-style jutsu. As a member of the Fourth Hokage's guard, he couldn't be unimpressive. Moreover, as their instructor, the ninja he taught would naturally become his supporters in the future. He might not need them, but it was good to have them.
After Raidō left, Genichi looked at Kurenai Yūhi. "Kurenai, you're a genjutsu-type. Hmm, I won't waste time on your taijutsu; you can practice that with Genma and the others. As for your genjutsu, your timing was good."
"But it had no effect on you at all," she said helplessly.
"It's normal for it not to work on me," he smiled. "Even genjutsu from a three-tomoe Sharingan is basically useless against me."
"Why?" Obito couldn't help but ask curiously. "Is it because you also have a Sharingan? But wait, when did your eyes become like that?"
Genichi glanced at Obito, who then fell to the ground with a thud.
Heaven and Earth Seal!
His five senses and his consciousness were all sealed. He couldn't even speak. It was more terrifying than being locked in a dark room.
Kurenai and Aoba Yamashiro were startled.
"I've sealed his five senses and immobilized his consciousness," Genichi said with a grin. "I call this 'solitary confinement.' Just a little punishment. Kurenai, do you have any ideas of your own? Don't waste my time asking about the ordinary genjutsu from the village. Shinku-senpai is more than enough to teach you those."
"I want to learn a genjutsu that can quickly subdue an enemy," she said after a moment's thought.
"Quickly subdue an enemy? A hard-control genjutsu like Tree Binding Death?" Genichi nodded. "The village has the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, created by the Second Hokage. It's a genjutsu that seals the enemy's vision. Has Shinku-senpai mastered it?"
"I've heard my father talk about it," she shook her head. "It's an A-rank, super-advanced genjutsu. It's very difficult to learn and requires a lot of chakra."
Chakra reserves… Genichi looked at her. Her chakra was indeed low, at least compared to someone like Kakashi.
"Your chakra reserves are indeed a problem. Hard-control genjutsu always has a high chakra requirement. I can teach you the Bringer-of-Darkness. As for your chakra, for now, you can only make up for it with nutritional supplements. The village is already expanding production."
"In that case, I'm not so worried," she said, delighted.
"Besides the Bringer-of-Darkness," Genichi nodded, "I also have genjutsu that can seal hearing, smell, taste, touch, and even consciousness. Do you want to learn them, Kurenai?"
Her eyes widened, and she subconsciously swallowed. "Is that… the one you just used on Obito?"
Genichi nodded, then released Obito from the genjutsu.
"Hah… hah…" Obito gasped for breath. He looked up at Genichi, his eyes filled with terror. That situation just now was too horrible. It was indescribable. He had been completely cut off from the world. He couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel, couldn't control his body… When did this guy Genichi become so terrifying?
"Obito, you need to change your habit of asking random questions," Genichi said coolly.
Obito nodded. He wanted to get up but stumbled. With his six senses sealed, his perceptual system was in disarray and hadn't fully recovered yet.
Aoba quickly went to help him up, his heart pounding. This guy Genichi is… terrifying. It feels like we're not even in the same dimension. He had felt terror from Orochimaru before, but the feeling he got from Genichi now was even more frightening. Of course, the two were different. Orochimaru had felt inhuman, like a terrible monster wearing human skin. But Genichi… was just inhumanly strong. In front of him, Aoba felt no different from a child.
"Something like that. But the jutsu I just used on Obito sealed all six senses at the same time," Genichi said with a smile. "You can learn it too, Kurenai, but you'll have to master all six A-rank genjutsu that seal the senses first."
Six… A-rank? Kurenai and Aoba both swallowed hard. Was he even human?
"Oh, I forgot. You can't learn the one that seals consciousness, Kurenai, because it requires the Sharingan," he said. "You can learn the Five Senses Seal I created."
Can I even learn that? Kurenai was a little unconfident, but thinking of Obito's state just now, and looking at Genichi's ice-blue eyes that were like the deep sea, she couldn't help but grit her teeth and muster her courage. "Instructor, I want to learn the Five Senses Seal!"
Genichi nodded slightly, then turned to Obito. "What about you, Obito?"
He had already recovered. "In… Instructor," he said quickly, "I want to learn the Five Senses Seal too! No, wait, I want to learn the one you just used on me. I have the Sharingan, so I should be able to, right?"
Genichi smiled, very satisfied with this "Instructor." "No problem. You and Kurenai go to the side." He then created another clone and had it take the two of them away.
Finally, only Aoba Yamashiro was left. This guy was from a minor ninja clan in Konoha and had his own legacy, such as sensory ninjutsu and a mind-invasion secret technique similar to the Yamanaka clan's. He also knew Fire Release. In terms of potential, he seemed stronger than the others.
"Aoba, what are your plans?" Genichi asked.
He had been thinking about this and already had an answer. "Instructor, I also choose genjutsu."
"Not choosing to broaden your abilities?" Genichi smiled. "Besides genjutsu and Water Release, I'm also proficient in Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and medical ninjutsu."
The corner of Aoba's eye twitched behind his sunglasses. Is he showing off? No, he's probably just stating facts. It's just that such facts are a bit hard to accept.
He pushed up his sunglasses and said firmly, "Instructor, I've already thought it over. Although broadening my abilities is very tempting, I feel that given my current situation, strengthening one aspect is the better choice." He had his family's legacy for Fire Release, sensing, and mind-invasion. His clan had no such accumulation in genjutsu. Most importantly, Genichi's reputation in this field was too great. And the scene of Obito being controlled just now had left too deep an impression on him.
"Alright. You can go with them too," Genichi said. It was better to have one's own plan than to be lost.
Of the five members of the guard, only he and Kurenai had a clear plan for their training and future goals. This was the benefit of having parents and a clan to guide you, and also the biggest difference between clan ninja and commoners. Genma and Raidō, it wasn't that they lacked talent, but that they lacked cognition. With no one to guide them, they didn't have the foundation to develop ninjutsu. Genma hadn't even had a place to learn Wind Release.
Kurenai's father was a genjutsu-type jonin. It could be said that he had walked a path to the jonin level. For her, if she avoided the detours her father had taken, had enough talent, and worked hard, she could easily become a jonin. And that was indeed the case. But Genma and Raidō were stuck at the Special Jōnin level. And Aoba was a support-type ninja.
For them, they just lacked an opportunity. In the original timeline, they had also been the Fourth Hokage's guard and had even been taught the Flying Thunder God. A pity the Fourth had died too early, only being Hokage for a year or two.
His gaze fell on Genma, who was struggling with a leaf. Genichi felt a sense of anticipation. If he could master Wind Release well, he wouldn't mind cultivating a "Danzō."
And Kurenai. Being instantly defeated by Itachi was a disgrace to the jonin rank. And now, she was his student. She had to be brutally tortured and trained.
As for Obito… This guy will probably be the fastest to improve… Genichi secretly guessed. He had never underestimated Obito's talent; it was just his personality that was too… that.
But how will he awaken his Mangekyō in the future? He looked at the clone training Obito, and a thought suddenly appeared in his mind. Could I use a hyper-realistic genjutsu to awaken it? A real illusion… at least on the level of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Perhaps the 'Brain in a Vat' could work.
He retracted his gaze and returned home to continue his training.
The Land of Rivers.
The shirtless Kakuzu strangled a ninja and casually tossed him to the ground. "Hmph, overestimating your own abilities." With just that little strength, they dared to hunt him. He wouldn't even deign to take their hearts.
"Hmm?" Just as he was about to leave, he sensed something, slowly turned around, and saw two people had appeared behind him at some point. "Are you with them?"
"No, quite the opposite," the emotionless Tendo Pain said. Beside him was Konan. "It's not a good feeling to be hunted by several ninja villages. And once you're locked onto, it should be very difficult to escape Konoha's pursuit, right?"
"So?" Kakuzu frowned slightly. "Do you have a better suggestion?"
"It's simple," Konan said. "Join our Akatsuki organization. We can offer you protection. And in return, you just have to complete the missions we give you."
"For free?" Kakuzu frowned.
Konan didn't react for a moment.
"It depends on the situation," Pain said. "But this won't stop you from earning money and collecting bounties. And the organization's funds can be managed by you."
Kakuzu was satisfied. But looking at the two of them, he said, "Then let me see if you have the strength to protect me." He formed a hand seal and spat out a fireball that crashed into the ground and instantly became a tsunami of flames.
Fire Release: Searing Migraine!
Pain raised his hand, and the next moment, the tsunami of flames was sent rolling back by an invisible force. Kakuzu's face changed. He retreated while forming another hand seal.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
A curtain of water condensed and collided with the returning flames, sending up a hissing cloud of steam.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Black tendrils were released. Just as Kakuzu was about to release his heart-clones, a flurry of paper sheets whistled toward him and wrapped around him. But the next moment, they were pierced by the tendrils. However, just as he broke through the paper, he saw that he was surrounded by explosive tags.
"Alright," he said quickly.
"Very good," Pain was satisfied. He turned and left. "Let's go."
Kakuzu put on his cloak and followed.
Sunagakure, Kazekage's Office.
"Are none of them compatible?" Pakura frowned, looking at the documents in her hand.
"None of them," Chiyo sighed. "They can't even withstand a little of the One-Tail's chakra." The Fourth Kazekage's daughter, Temari, and his son, Kankuro, had both been eliminated.
"If there's no suitable candidate," she said in a deep voice, "then I'll have to do it myself."
"This…" Chiyo's expression changed.
"The Fourth Mizukage has also become the Three-Tails' jinchuriki," Pakura said.
Chiyo looked at her with a complicated expression, then hesitated for a moment. "Actually, there is one other candidate."
"It's the Fourth's posthumous child," she said wearily.
"That child," Pakura frowned. "There's still some time before he's born, isn't there? Won't he be too young?"
"Actually, an infant is the most suitable," Chiyo said. "Because they have no sense of good and evil, they won't be afraid of the Tailed Beast and let its power in. And if the child adapts to the Tailed Beast's power from infancy, it will be easier for them to master it later."
"Then we will perform the ceremony immediately after the child is born," Pakura decided at once.
Chiyo nodded. She had actually wanted to suggest sealing it while the child was still in the womb. But in that case, the Fourth's wife, Karura, probably wouldn't have survived. For the sake of Pakura's reputation, she had given up on the idea. Sigh, I'm getting old and weak, she sighed to herself as she left the office.
Time flew by, and Konoha Year 48 was also coming to an end.
On a bustling street in Konoha, Kurenai was suddenly called out to. She turned and saw Asuma Sarutobi, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. "Asuma, just back from a mission?" she smiled.
"Yeah," he said, walking over with his hands in his pockets. "Those guys from the Cloud are a bit of a problem. By the way, where are you headed?"
"I'm going to find Genichi to ask for advice on genjutsu," she smiled. "He's our instructor now."
Asuma raised an eyebrow. This was the first he had heard of it.
"Want to come along?" she asked. "I'll treat you to dango."
"No, thanks," he quickly waved his hands. "How about we have dinner together tonight instead?"
She frowned slightly, then said helplessly, "I'm afraid I can't. My training schedule is too tight. Those guys, like Obito, are improving very quickly. I can't let them surpass me." Her eyes were filled with determination. She waved to him. "Maybe next time. See you later."
Watching her leave, Asuma sighed, a little frustrated. He turned and strolled home, and found that his older brother was there. On a whim, he asked, "Big Brother, did Genichi join Root?"
"Genichi?" Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was reading a book, looked up. "He's the captain of Root, responsible for training personnel for the Anbu. What's wrong?"
"I just ran into Kurenai," he said.
"She's a member of the Fourth's guard now," Shinnosuke smiled. "But she's still in the special training period. Genichi is very strict."
"Do you want to go too?"
Asuma quickly shook his head.
"If you don't seize the opportunity, it's very easy for someone else to win her over," Shinnosuke smiled. He knew his younger brother all too well. "Especially when you meet someone as excellent as Genichi. If it were me, I would probably be moved too."
Hearing this, Asuma's heart grew restless. He stammered for a while before asking, "How do I get into Root?"
"Root is different from before," Shinnosuke looked at his brother. "It's just a training department under the Anbu. So it's impossible for you to join it now. You can apply to join the Anbu, and then be assigned to Root for special training. But not everyone has the opportunity to be personally instructed by Genichi."
Asuma was at a loss for a moment. He thought for a while and said, "Then forget it. That guy Genichi already has Shizune." With that, he turned and left.
Shinnosuke watched him go and shook his head to himself. This brother of his underestimated the appeal of an excellent man to a woman, especially for those who had not yet grown up, both men and women. He knew that both Ina and Shizune's hearts were set on Genichi.
How many can resist that guy's charm? he sighed to himself. He hadn't said those things to target Genichi, but to remind his brother to be mentally prepared. If he couldn't confirm his relationship with Kurenai now, he wouldn't be surprised at all if she fell for Genichi in the future. Putting aside his great strength, just the fact that he was willing to unreservedly guide and teach ninjutsu… Shinnosuke felt that if he were a woman, he definitely wouldn't be able to resist that damn charm.
But that guy has such good luck with women. Maybe there will be a good show to watch in the future, he smiled. As for his brother possibly getting his heart broken, it was nothing. Jiraiya still liked the Fourth, and that was common knowledge. And Asuma hadn't even confessed to Kurenai yet. At most, it was a secret crush.
"Uncle Yaji, Aunt Minako, sorry to bother you again."
Upstairs, Genichi had already heard Kurenai's voice. She had been coming for advice very frequently these days, probably feeling the pressure from Obito. After all, back at the academy, he had been the dead-last. And now, the speed of his progress in genjutsu left her in the dust. She had to work harder.
Genichi was happy to see this. But he couldn't let it delay his own training. So he just created a clone to give her one-on-one guidance.
(End of Chapter)
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