Chapter 12: Multiple Genjutsu Spy Elimination
Notes:
Scrolls have many uses in ninjutsu. Besides storing information and assisting in battle with various jutsu, they can also serve as compact storage for items or even bodies.
The instant the sound was heard, Inoue Shinoda's body vanished into a shadow as he lunged at the closet with his tanto.
Shik!
The tanto's blade pierced straight through the closet door — but no muffled grunt came.
"What the—?" doubt flickered across Shinoda's eyes. His target should have been inside the closet, but the silence could mean Tonan's endurance and willpower were strong enough to bear the pain without reacting.
Yet the feel of the blade hitting the surface didn't seem right either.
Suddenly, the room brightened, and a gentle voice floated from behind Shinoda.
"A guest. Would you like some tea before you leave?"
Spinning sharply, Shinoda saw Tonan sitting calmly at the living room table, dressed in a white shirt and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He met Shinoda's gaze steadily.
A light aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the air, wisps of steam curling up from two cups on the table.
Stunned, Shinoda's eyes flicked toward the kitchen sink where he again heard the sound of dripping water.
But the faucet wasn't dripping.
Raising a brow, Shinoda formed a hand seal and snarled, "You brat! Did you really think a low-level genjutsu like that would fool me? Go practice some more in hell!"
Chakra surged through his body.
"Genjutsu—release!"
In the next instant, the illusion shattered. Shinoda realized he had already opened the closet door, his tanto pressed at Tonan's neck, who trembled, clutching his bleeding three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Did the genjutsu backfire on you? Pathetic kid," Shinoda sneered.
Though furious at himself for falling into a genjutsu trap, seeing Tonan writhing in pain lifted his spirits.
What a genius, he thought. He managed to trap me in a genjutsu—but his skills are still lacking.
Shinoda thrust the blade through Tonan's neck; blood splattered everywhere. Mission complete, he pulled out the tanto and prepared to leave.
But then the lights flickered on again, repeating the scene.
"A guest. Would you like some tea before you leave?"
"Impossible…I already broke your genjutsu!" Shinoda stepped back instinctively.
Drip… drip…
He glanced at the faucet once more—no water flowed.
"Damn kid! He actually endured the backlash and trapped me in his genjutsu again."
"And he did it just as I was about to kill him. That will to live must be strong. But it's meaningless now."
Shinoda quickly masked his panic, formed another seal. "Genjutsu—release!"
Darkness swallowed the room again.
Before he could even catch his breath, the lights snapped on—this time, it wasn't Tonan sitting at the table.
It was an Uchiha jonin.
Shinoda recognized him—one of the commanders of the Konoha Military Police Force.
The jonin's lips curled in a slight smile, the three tomoe in his eyes spinning ominously, radiating immense pressure.
"You broke my genjutsu? Not bad."
How could there be no one protecting Tonan? Shinoda thought grimly.
"Who are you?" the jonin asked, standing and looking down on Shinoda with arrogant disdain, as if he were nothing.
Cold sweat trickled down Shinoda's forehead; his right leg twitched uncontrollably.
"How is this possible? No wonder everything felt off. Was I trapped in a genjutsu as soon as I entered the house?"
"That's probably it. After all, this is an Uchiha jonin's genjutsu—it's a miracle you broke it once."
"No…what if…this is just another illusion?"
Grasping at hope, Shinoda's eyes darted to the kitchen faucet. It was dripping.
Drip… drip…
This time, it was real.
Tightening his grip on the tanto, his eyes searched desperately for an escape route.
The jonin slowly raised a hand, then lowered it again.
Raising an eyebrow, he said, "Looks like I won't have to lift a finger. Someone else is here for you."
Stunned, Shinoda's mind raced with one terrifying thought.
"No…Could it be the Anbu?"
Suddenly, several masked Anbu operatives appeared beside him.
"Inoue Shinoda. Kiri spy. Your partner assigned to assassinate Kakashi has already been eliminated by the Anbu. Do you want to die here, or will you cooperate and come with us for questioning?"
"Failed, huh? Figures…"
Despair shadowed Shinoda's eyes.
He was only a chunin, surrounded by multiple jonin-level ninjas.
Unable to bear the pressure, his hands dropped, and his blade clattered to the ground.
His vision went black.
"What's going on? Why are the lights going off?"
Shwick!
A kunai pierced his chest; blood sprayed as he collapsed, confusion etched in his fading eyes.
In his last moments, in the darkness, he faintly saw the blazing three tomoe of the Sharingan.
Shwick! Shwick! Shwick!
Tonan stabbed repeatedly, making sure the spy was dead before flipping the lights back on.
His genjutsu was so potent because he inherited the abilities of his parents and clan. With such chakra reserves, he could create this illusion in seconds.
It wasn't that Shinoda couldn't break the genjutsu—in fact, as soon as he began to dispel it, Tonan struck, creating the illusion that he'd escaped, throwing Shinoda off balance.
The dripping water sound was just a mental trick—the faucet had never dripped.
At the very end, Tonan used the Hell Viewing Technique to dig into Shinoda's deepest fears.
When Shinoda saw the dripping faucet last time, he thought he was free.
Tonan returned to his bedroom, retrieved the single scroll in the house, and sealed the corpse inside.
He turned on the kitchen faucet and used a wet rag to clean the blood from the floor.
After washing his hands and kunai thoroughly with soap to remove any scent, he tossed his bloodied clothes into the washing machine and changed into a fresh white shirt.
There was no need to destroy the body.
Being allied with Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tonan had nothing to fear as long as he stayed loyal to Konoha's laws.
Besides, this was an enemy spy. Killing him might even bring a reward.
It wasn't unbelievable to take down a chunin alone using genjutsu combined with his three-tomoe Sharingan.
There was nothing to hide here—especially since the spy had a partner. Once the interrogation department accessed Shinoda's memories, everything would come to light.
Grabbing the scroll, Tonan headed toward the Hokage Residence.