Chapter 39: Illusion Confrontation
Training Ground 98.
"Using Genjutsu on a fellow village comrade at a whim... that's a bit of a stain on the Uchiha reputation. It seems the Uchiha have truly fallen," Tonbo Tobitake said plainly.
He wasn't afraid of the Uchiha anymore. Shisui wouldn't use Kotoamatsukami on him for a minor scuffle, and even if he did, Tonbo had backup plans. He had studied Mayuri Kurotsuchi's method of backing up memories from Bleach; if even Tsukishima's history-rewriting could be countered, Tonbo believed he could replicate that logic in the Naruto world. With his professional-grade Mind Reading skills, implanting or restoring memories was well within his talent.
"You—what did you do to him? Hey, Mura, wake up!" The lean Uchiha was shocked to see Tonbo unharmed while his teammate stood like a statue.
The chubby Uchiha remained motionless.
"He's caught in an illusion," Shisui noted. He reached out to disrupt the man's chakra flow. Only then did the chubby Uchiha's eyes gradually regain focus.
"Careful... he can reflect Genjutsu," the man rasped the moment he woke up, immediately alerting his teammates. The fact that his ocular jutsu was broken and turned against him in an instant was terrifying.
The two subordinates gripped their blades tightly.
"Attacking the Police Force... are you trying to become a rogue ninja?" Shisui asked, staring at Tonbo. While he was annoyed by his subordinate's impulsive attack, Tonbo's effortless retaliation angered him more.
"Whoa, don't go pinning labels on me. I'm an heir to the Will of Fire," Tonbo replied, his tone sharpening. "That was just a reflex. You're being quite unreasonable."
"Come with me to see Lord Hokage," Shisui said. He wove a single-handed sign and vanished instantly. He reappeared behind Tonbo, his blade sweeping toward Tonbo's neck.
Clang!
"Ayame, go watch from the sidelines. Watch your husband show his might against the Uchiha who 'protect' our village."
Tonbo blocked the longsword with a kunai. With his free hand, he wove a sign; a bird beneath Ayame's feet expanded in size, lifting her into the sky to a safe distance before he turned his full attention back to Shisui.
"Come then, Shisui of the Body Flicker. I've heard of your fame for a long time. Let's see if you live up to it!"
The owner of Kotoamatsukami... this was a fight worth getting excited about!
Clang! Clang!
In an instant, the two figures engaged in a high-speed blur. Kunai clashed with steel, sending showers of sparks flying.
"Impossible! Someone can keep up with Shisui's Body Flicker?" The chubby Uchiha watched with wide eyes. Even with the dynamic vision of the Sharingan, he could only just barely follow the exchange.
The stranger's speed wasn't inferior to their captain's; in fact, he seemed to be holding a slight edge. How was he tracking and reacting like this without a Sharingan?
The lean Uchiha also activated his Sharingan to watch, staying back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. High above, Ayame gripped the back of the giant eagle, looking down with worry. She couldn't see the details—only hearing the rhythmic clashing of metal and seeing the afterimages left behind by their sheer velocity.
Shisui retreated after another trade of Taijutsu, his brow furrowed. His Body Flicker is equal to mine. He has a specialized ability to counter Genjutsu, and his Taijutsu is top-tier. I can't hold back anymore.
Shisui wove a set of signs. Suddenly, multiple versions of Shisui appeared.
"Mirage Body Flicker."
A crowd of Shisui clones surged toward Tonbo.
"Naïve. You might be the future number one of the Uchiha, but allow me to teach you a lesson." Tonbo smiled mockingly. Using mirages in front of a sensory ninja was a joke.
Tiger — Rat — Earth—
Psycho Mind Transmission: Fear
He released the illusion at the exact moment Shisui's focus was at its peak. The Uchiha relied too much on their eyes; a visual-trigger illusion was almost guaranteed to land.
"You know I'm an Uchiha, yet you use Genjutsu against me?" Shisui frowned, but didn't stop. With the Sharingan, he felt a natural suppression over other illusionists. His three-tomoe spun rapidly, using ocular power to shield his mind.
Poof!
Suddenly, the scene before him changed. He saw Fugaku Uchiha leading a bloody coup against Konoha. The village was in ruins, and citizens were weeping. Foreign villages were taking advantage of the chaos to invade.
"Release!"
Shisui snapped out of it. Tonbo was right in front of him, surrounded by clones.
Poof!
The scene returned instantly. Ruined walls, a dying Konoha. Every time he broke the illusion, it reformed in less than a heartbeat.
He only cast the jutsu once. But every time I think it's dispelled, I'm back in. This isn't a normal illusion; there's a recursive mechanism involved, Shisui realized. He stopped his assault and retreated, staring warily at Tonbo.
The illusion continued to assault his mind. Tonbo merely stood there with his arms crossed, not taking advantage of Shisui's disorientation to strike.
Should I use 'that'? Shisui felt the pressure mounting. No, an illusion can't just reform like that. I'm missing a key point...
He closed his eyes. Inside, his Sharingan shifted, no longer mere tomoe. He focused entirely on the flow of chakra.
A moment later, he noticed a tiny, abnormal fluctuation in his own chakra every time he "broke" the spell.
"I see... a terrifying technique. It uses the enemy's own chakra to re-cast the illusion on themselves. Without a Sharingan, breaking this would be nearly impossible."
Shisui marveled at the man's mastery. Outside, Tonbo watched with a smile. It was about time Shisui broke through. This technique was a puzzle; once you found the "thread," even someone like Shimon could break it. He didn't believe the Uchiha's greatest genius would fail given enough time.
Tonbo was very satisfied with this jutsu. In his years of combat, this was his most-used "staple." While he had developed many new techniques, he usually only used them once for experimentation. In real fights, this illusion paired with a well-timed shuriken solved most problems.
His squad members jokingly called it his "One-Trick Wonder." He didn't mind the nickname one bit.
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