Naruto : Konoha Light

Night time Training by the Riverside

The cool night breeze drifted gently across the riverside, where two figures—one big, one small—sat facing each other on the grassy bank.

"The so-called illusion technique, or Genjutsu, is essentially a Yin-release technique," the older figure explained. "By manipulating spiritual energy and disrupting the target's five senses with chakra, one can trap them in an illusion."

Shimizu, though somewhat uncomfortable sitting still for so long, listened attentively. Despite his occasional restlessness, Yūhi Shinku still did his best to explain everything thoroughly.

"In other words, Genjutsu can generally be categorized based on the senses it affects: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch?" Shimizu asked, tilting his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm? That's an interesting way to put it," Shinku responded, his eyes lighting up.

The academic standards at the academy were low—roughly equivalent to elementary school level—so even basic analytical skills like this were rare.

"Indeed, most illusions interfere with sight, hearing, and touch," Shinku continued. "Techniques targeting taste and smell are almost nonexistent. But if we could develop such techniques, the other villages would stand no chance in the next war..."

"Shinku-senpai! Shinku-senpai!" Shimizu's voice snapped him out of his daydreams.

"Hm?" Shinku blinked, suddenly realizing how carried away he had gotten. Seeing Shimizu's bemused expression, he coughed lightly to maintain his dignity. "Ahem. See? A true Genjutsu master must have a vivid imagination—like me."

Shimizu didn't argue and instead nodded in agreement.

Genjutsu did, after all, require imagination. Without it, no illusion could be truly effective.

"Before you formally start practicing Genjutsu, I'll first teach you how to break free from it," Shinku said seriously. "Knowing Genjutsu's weaknesses is crucial; otherwise, you'll be an easy target in battle."

"There are two main ways to break free from Genjutsu. The first is to disrupt your own chakra flow. The second is to have someone else disrupt it for you. However, against Dojutsu-based illusions, only the second method works. That's why, when facing a powerful Dojutsu user, you should never fight alone."

Shinku's tone carried a hint of melancholy.

Even though he was Konoha's strongest Genjutsu user, he could never match the legendary Dojutsu users of history. That was why, when he discovered Kurenai's natural talent for illusions, he had been overjoyed. He wanted to prove that mastery of Genjutsu wasn't dictated by bloodline alone.

Shimizu wasn't particularly concerned with Shinku's frustrations. Instead, he pondered aloud, "Disrupting chakra flow… isn't that just a form of body control? If someone can perfectly control their chakra circulation, wouldn't that make them immune to basic Genjutsu?"

Shinku was briefly taken aback before chuckling. "That's not entirely wrong, but… the only person known to achieve such perfect control was the First Hokage himself."

Shimizu didn't comment, but a thought crossed his mind: Perfect chakra control… the Eight Gates?

Unlike some others, Shimizu wasn't obsessed with mastering the Eight Gates. He knew his strengths lay in talent, intellect, and adaptability—qualities that weren't particularly useful in a technique that relied purely on physical conditioning.

Spending 20 years training for a brief moment of glory wasn't worth it—not to him, at least. He had other ways of reaching that level of power.

That didn't mean he disregarded the Eight Gates entirely, though.

Instead of pushing for all eight gates, he considered a different approach—keeping two or three gates open at all times, or perhaps combining the Yin Seal with the Eight Gates for controlled bursts of chakra.

Unaware of Shimizu's internal calculations, Shinku continued explaining, "The strength of a Genjutsu depends on two factors. First, the user's willpower. Second, the realism of the illusion."

"You know what gives Dojutsu users an advantage over regular Genjutsu users?" Shinku asked.

Shimizu immediately replied, "Dojutsu users don't need hand seals, making their illusions harder to detect."

Shinku nodded approvingly. "Anything else?"

Shimizu hesitated for a moment before offering another guess. "The eye itself acts as an amplifier, enhancing the power of the illusion?"

"Amplifier? That's an interesting way to put it," Shinku mused. He sighed. "We Genjutsu users carefully craft intricate illusions, yet in the end, they can't compare to the crude yet overwhelming illusions of Dojutsu users. Their spiritual energy is simply on another level."

Shimizu nodded slightly. Raw power could sometimes override skill and technique.

Take Tsukuyomi, for example—Uchiha Itachi's infamous Genjutsu. It didn't bother with realism or logic. The victim knew they were trapped in an illusion, but their spiritual energy simply wasn't strong enough to break free.

From what Shimizu understood, this was similar to the "absolute strength" often described in immortal hero novels—no matter how well-constructed an illusion was, if the opponent lacked the raw power to resist it, they would be completely helpless.

That said, illusion authenticity still mattered. The best proof? Infinite Tsukuyomi. By constructing an ideal illusion, it managed to entrap nearly the entire world.

Thinking along these lines, Shimizu asked, "Shinku-senpai, is there any way to strengthen spiritual energy?"

"Strengthen it?" Shinku shook his head. "I've never heard of such a method, but..." He hesitated. "There is a legend. Some say the Sage of Six Paths could influence reality itself with his willpower alone. But in his youth, he wasn't born with such power. If we consider his origins during the Warring States era, it's possible that his strength came from experiencing countless battles—life and death struggles that forged his will into something unbreakable."

Shimizu nodded thoughtfully.

Shinku likely placed great emphasis on spiritual growth, believing that by refining one's will, their chakra would evolve. This made sense—after all, even the Sage of Six Paths, after death, was able to manifest his soul and influence the world.

That level of spiritual power was beyond comprehension.

"Chakra… spirit… soul… perhaps I need a technique that allows me to tap into the essence of the soul itself."

Seeing Shimizu lost in thought, Shinku assumed he was feeling disheartened by Genjutsu's limitations. "Don't be discouraged," he said reassuringly. "Talent alone isn't enough. True strength comes from perseverance. Otherwise, why do you think I am Konoha's strongest Genjutsu user, instead of some Dojutsu wielder?"

Shimizu wasn't particularly moved by this "motivational speech," but he pretended to be inspired nonetheless. "I understand, Shinku-senpai."

"Good. Now, let's start with the basics. Your first technique will be a D-rank Genjutsu—Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique. The hand seals are Hare → Serpent → Ram…"

And so, beneath the moonlit sky, Shimizu's journey into the world of illusions truly began.