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Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: A Detailed Explanation of Genjutsu

Chapter 69: A Detailed Explanation of Genjutsu

Coming out of the Konoha Hospital, Genichi's thoughts were in turmoil.

He had never expected to encounter a situation similar to Kakashi's, receiving a Sharingan from Namiichi Uchiha. It was completely unexpected, and he couldn't say it was a joyous occasion.

The Sharingan was undoubtedly powerful, especially the Mangekyō and the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Their unique visual prowess was not necessarily inferior to that of the Rinnegan.

But for Genichi, it was still unknown whether the pros of this Sharingan outweighed the cons. Kakashi was a prime cautionary tale. For a non-Uchiha to use the Sharingan, it was impossible to deactivate it, which meant a continuous drain of chakra. Although Genichi was not as lacking in chakra as he used to be, it was still a considerable burden.

And what were the benefits of a two-tomoe Sharingan? Dynamic vision and enhanced genjutsu ability. As for the future, whether it could continue to evolve was hard to say.

Previously, Genichi had considered the possibility of transplanting Hashirama Cells, considered human body modification, and considered becoming a jinchuriki, but he had never thought about the Sharingan. Yet, sometimes you plant a willow and it doesn't grow, but you throw a seed carelessly and it flourishes.

His thoughts churning, Genichi mused, "Since I've obtained it, I must think carefully about how to use it to maximize its benefits."

As for voluntarily returning the eye to the Uchiha clan, Genichi had never considered it. This was what Namiichi had left for him; he could not fail him. Secondly, from Hiruzen's attitude, it was unlikely he would be allowed to return it anyway.

"After the transplant, I need to test whether I can cast genjutsu like Bringer-of-Darkness with the Sharingan. If I can, I can skip the step of forming hand seals."

"The Sharingan's dynamic vision, plus the speed boost from the Art of Pyo, my Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu) should also be greatly enhanced."

"As for the evolution of the Sharingan..." Genichi frowned secretly. From what he remembered of the original story, the evolution of the Sharingan required immense spiritual stimulation. If you counted a certain non-flammable material, it could be stimulated by negative emotions, or by love. However, Genichi felt that an emotion like love was often too gentle; it wouldn't be so intense and violent all at once, so it would probably be difficult.

Negative emotions... Genichi didn't want to become a psychopath, nor did he want to go around killing people.

"This seems to be a matter for long-term planning..."

Genichi reined in his thoughts, began to purchase some things, and then returned to the Konoha Hospital.

In the hospital room, Sakumo had already woken up.

"Sensei, Kakashi hasn't returned yet. I will take care of you for the next few days," Genichi said, putting down the large and small bags in his hands. There were daily necessities for Sakumo's hospital stay, fruits, and meat congee.

Sakumo couldn't help but smile. "Don't go to so much trouble. It's just an injury to one arm."

Genichi put the things away, brought the congee to Sakumo's side, and smiled. "Sensei, you don't have to be so polite with me. It's not convenient to eat with one hand!"

"When Kakashi gets back, he can take over for me."

"Besides, I don't have any missions for the next few days, and I can have my shadow clone handle my training for now."

Sakumo smiled and said no more, opening his mouth to eat the congee.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, February 25, Konoha Year 45, the weather was overcast.

Namiichi Uchiha was buried, and his name was carved on the Memorial Stone.

Besides Genichi, Sakumo, and En, the funeral was also attended by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi; Uchiha Fugaku, representing the Uchiha clan; and Namiichi's mother, Uchiha Misen.

After the funeral, Hiruzen, Fugaku, and Sakumo left first. Uchiha Misen, nearly forty years old, had a sorrowful expression. She turned to look at Genichi. "Genichi-kun, since Namiichi has already made his choice, then from now on, I'll be counting on you!"

Genichi's expression was solemn. He bowed. "Yes, madam. I will not fail Namiichi."

Uchiha Misen looked at Genichi with a loving gaze, then turned and left.

Watching this poor woman, who had first lost her husband and now her only son, Genichi sighed in his heart. The pain of losing a child was difficult to console. The only thing he could do was to take Namiichi's place in the future and see her through her old age.

The funeral was over.

Genichi and En also parted ways. He went alone to the river, sat cross-legged on its surface, and continued the development of the genjutsu he had not yet completed.

For the vast majority of genjutsu, a very important point was to make the enemy not realize they had been caught in one. The Sharingan had an advantage in this aspect, as it could cast genjutsu silently through eye contact.

Another aspect of genjutsu was that those cast by the Sharingan often required an outsider to break. Of course, this was not absolute. For example, when Senju Tobirama faced Uchiha Izuna's genjutsu, although he was affected, he was able to break free on his own. Another example was when the Fourth Raikage was taken down by Madara's genjutsu during the Fourth Great Ninja War; he could only rely on the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, to release him. And at that time, the Fourth Raikage knew very well that he had been caught in a genjutsu.

And then there were strong-control genjutsu like Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death (Magen: Jubaku Satsu), the Temporary Paralysis Technique (Kanashibari no Jutsu), and the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique (Genjutsu: Kokuangyō no Jutsu). With these, the victim knew very well they were caught; they didn't rely on stealth. But knowing and being able to break free were two different things. For example, Hiruzen was unable to break Tobirama's Bringer-of-Darkness and could only break the genjutsu by defeating the caster.

Genichi was also gradually improving the precision of his Bringer-of-Darkness. When cast on a single target, it could be used for strong control, which was very good for both fighting on his own and supporting his comrades. Although losing one's sight didn't mean they were completely powerless, their combat strength would still be weakened. There was also Orochimaru facing Itachi's Shackling Stakes Technique (Kasegui no Jutsu); he knew he was in a genjutsu, but he couldn't break free.

The reason Genichi wanted to create a genjutsu of his own was, one, to explore his own talent in the field, and two, to have a powerful genjutsu that was perfectly suited to him. This genjutsu would ideally have both stealth and strong control properties.

Besides, as a genius, if he didn't create a second ninjutsu besides the Rasengan and the Water Release Rasengan, how could that be? And deep down, Genichi didn't even consider the original Rasengan to be his own creation. Before, it was to prove to the outside world that he was a genius. Now, developing a genjutsu was to prove to himself that he was a genjutsu genius, to strengthen and firm his own heart.

The more he delved into the research of genjutsu, the more Genichi understood that it was different from other ninjutsu.

The power of a ninjutsu had three aspects: first, nature transformation; second, shape transformation; and third, chakra volume.

And the strength of a genjutsu could also be said to have three aspects: first, Yin Release nature transformation; second, spiritual will and strength; and third, chakra volume.

The Uchiha clan's genjutsu was astonishing because the Sharingan itself was a kekkei genkai with powerful Yin Release, in a league of its own. The more tomoe the Sharingan had, the stronger the Yin Release.

Then, the key to resisting genjutsu lay in two points. First, spiritual will and strength; second, chakra volume.

The essence of genjutsu is to invade another person's body with one's own chakra, interfere with the circulation of their chakra, and thereby create illusions targeting the five senses. This is the most basic definition of genjutsu.

So, is genjutsu ineffective against ordinary people? After all, ordinary people don't have chakra. But that was obviously not the case.

The disruption of chakra circulation was just one manifestation of being caught in a genjutsu. Because chakra is essentially the fusion of spiritual and physical energy, and the circulation of chakra itself depends on a person's mental control.

First, a person's mind and consciousness are affected by the genjutsu. A problem occurs in one of the five senses, or all of them, or even a terrifying genjutsu like Tsukuyomi that directly targets a person's mind and consciousness, causing them to lose control over themselves entirely. Thus, the flow of chakra loses its control and becomes chaotic.

It's not that the chakra becomes chaotic and so you fall into a genjutsu, but that you fall into a genjutsu, which then causes your chakra to become chaotic.

Similarly, the reason one can break a genjutsu by correcting their chakra circulation is also related to the fact that chakra is essentially formed from spiritual and physical energy. Chakra itself carries a person's mind and consciousness. Various clone techniques are based on this point.

Why is chakra volume key to resisting genjutsu? It's because if your chakra volume is strong enough, you can rely on your own ability to easily correct your chakra circulation system. Spiritual will is even easier to understand. With a sufficiently strong will, a genjutsu is nothing but a passing cloud.

In the previous battle with the Cloud ninja, the Lava Release user, Dodai, had used his powerful chakra to forcefully correct his own chakra circulation and break free from the Tree Binding Death genjutsu.

Madara Uchiha was also a genjutsu powerhouse, but he almost never used it against Hashirama Senju. This was because Hashirama himself was "thick-skinned," meaning his spiritual will was tough, and his chakra was terrifyingly strong. A genjutsu that wasn't extremely powerful had no effect on him at all.

And why were those revived by Edo Tensei completely unaffected by the Infinite Tsukuyomi? The key was that the bodies of the reincarnated were fake, or not one with their soul and consciousness. The Infinite Tsukuyomi was, in the end, still a genjutsu that manipulated the five senses to create a realistic illusion. Sorry, but the reincarnated don't have five senses.

This was also why Kotoamatsukami could be called the strongest genjutsu. Because it directly targeted the mind and consciousness, or you could say, it targeted the soul. So much so that not even Edo Tensei could grant immunity to it.

Unfortunately, genjutsu that directly manipulated the mind and consciousness were too rare. And the genjutsu in the shinobi world basically all targeted the five senses. For example, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, Thunder Light Pillar, Fox-Minding Technique, and False Surroundings Technique were all visual genjutsu. Tree Binding Death belonged to the tactile category. And paralysis-type genjutsu like the Temporary Paralysis Technique were also basically tactile. The Shackling Stakes Technique (Kasegui no Jutsu) that Itachi used to instantly defeat Orochimaru was a type of Temporary Paralysis Technique.

Right now, the only thing Genichi could work on was genjutsu that targeted the five senses. Perhaps after obtaining the Sharingan, he could get a glimpse into the realm of genjutsu that directly targeted the mind and consciousness.

...

Before lunch, Sakumo appeared by the river.

Genichi stood up. "Sensei."

Sakumo said, "Genichi, the Uchiha clan has no objection to you transplanting the Sharingan."

"In addition, Lord Third has also approved your request for a leave of absence."

Genichi quickly thanked him.

Now, he could focus all his efforts on training.

When March arrived, Genichi believed that a huge harvest was waiting for him.

(End of Chapter)

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