"Naruto, what did you do to Ino?"
Sakura stopped her water-treading practice and turned to look at Ino with a peculiar expression on her face.
At that moment, Ino was standing alone, shouting with a strange look on her face.
A mix of curiosity and embarrassment, anger and madness.
It was an expression Sakura had never seen before on her.
Naruto felt a sense of satisfaction but maintained an innocent facade. "I just cast an illusion on her. I'm not sure exactly what she saw. To be honest, I'm quite curious too."
This statement was true.
Illusions can only control the general direction, while the specific images are formed by the individual's own cognition.
Naruto could guess what Ino might have seen. It was unfortunate that he couldn't witness it, as it would have been quite entertaining.
"Okay, let's not worry about Ino's issues. Staying unaffected by the outside world is also a part of spiritual training," Naruto advised Sakura.
"Hey!" Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes. Despite her curiosity, she turned back to her practice.
During the illusion, Ino, who had been screaming for a while, noticed that her actions had no effect on Naruto or Sakura, and there was no movement outside the hot spring pool.
She began to suspect something was amiss.
"Could this be an illusion?"
Ino's heart raced. It would make sense if it were.
But what kind of illusion is this? It showed content unsuitable for children.
"Release!"
With her hands in a seal, Ino disrupted her Chakra flow, attempting to break the genjutsu.
Sure enough, the surrounding scene shattered like Tsukuyomi's mirror.
Naruto was standing before her, looking at her oddly, and Sakura was nearby, continuing her practice.
Ahh!
Ino screamed internally.
Her reactions in the illusion must have been seen by Naruto.
And she was certain Sakura was secretly laughing at her.
How embarrassing!
Ino wanted to cover her face or hide in a crack in the ground.
"Naruto, what kind of technique is this? It's terrible!" she exclaimed angrily.
"It's just a regular illusion. It makes the environment seem exactly like reality, making it hard for you to notice at first," Naruto explained calmly. "What you saw is based on your own thoughts. I can't control it."
Ino knew he was right. Coming from a prestigious clan, she understood that only bloodline limits like Sharingan, or five-sense control, could manipulate illusions to that extent.
Naruto's illusions merely enhanced their effects.
Her anger had nowhere to go, and she felt utterly ashamed.
Naruto, seeing her distress, offered comfort. "If you can't handle it right now, we can stop or try a different practice method."
Ino, though still embarrassed, agreed. "Fine, let's talk for a bit."
Naruto suggested, "I'm quite curious about what you saw in the illusion."
Ino felt a mix of emotions but agreed to rest.
"What should we talk about?" she asked.
"How about the illusion you just experienced?" Naruto replied with a smile.
Ino felt her cheeks redden again but decided to go along with it.
"How could it be?" she exclaimed.
But before she could react, Naruto gently kissed her forehead, whispering, "Actually, I don't like Sakura. I did that to be closer to you."
Ino was stunned, her mind racing.
But Naruto didn't wait for her response, and instead, kissed her tenderly on the lips.
Ino was shocked and wanted to resist, but his gentleness was overwhelming.
This was her first kiss, and it felt surprisingly good.
Wait!
no's eyes widened momentarily, filled with disbelief as she stared at the close proximity of Naruto.
When did it happen?
Beforehand, she had made up her mind that whenever something peculiar occurred, she would instantly deploy the illusion dispelling technique.
But since there was no indication at the onset, she never questioned whether this environment was authentic or an illusion.
It must be admitted that Naruto's illusion skills are indeed quite proficient, leaving no discernible trace.
Even with mental preparation, Ino still found herself ensnared in the trap.
Upon recovering from her astonishment, Ino sighed in amazement at Naruto's illusory prowess.
The genuine sensation left Ino feeling bewildered once more.
Just like before, it was so alluring that she almost couldn't bring herself to resist.
Nevertheless, Ino felt a bit embarrassed, so she clenched her teeth and employed the illusion dispelling method with determination.
Kai! !
As the flow of Chakra was disrupted, the scene before her fragmented again, resembling shattered mirror-like reflections.
Naruto remained stationary, unmoved from his spot. Meanwhile, Sakura was poised nearby, prepared to start treading water with her legs.
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