A top-secret meeting was underway in Konoha, with Kaji as the lead presenter.
"All this time at war has made me see and experience many things. I may not be a veteran like all of you here, but I'm certainly not blind. Despite being a 'lazy Nara,' I think deeply about the future."
He paused.
"So I created The Anti-Genjutsu."
The room fell silent.
No one dared to breathe.
Let's not be hypocrites—there was always unease regarding the Uchiha, especially their powerful Genjutsu and Susano'o.
Yet, an unbreakable Genjutsu could erode even the strongest will.
Danzo and Hiruzen clenched their fists. The fear of Uchiha Madara still haunted them.
"In simple terms, it uses Yin Release. In complicated terms? It took me four years to structure."
A neural network of shadows manifested in the air.
"This is what I call the 'Mind Palace.'"
"It emulates your mind, spiritual connection, and soul—creating, in essence, a secondary network."
"As we all know, Genjutsu affects the spirit and soul due to its Yin coercion."
"In theory, someone with unshakable will can resist—but that's not reliable. This is the final product."
"The downside? Only I can cast it for now. The upside? It can be studied and scientifically applied."
"Obviously, I'm no scientist, so don't look at me." He chuckled.
"It's been tested and verified by the Ino-Shika-Chō alliance, as well as the Kurama and Yūhi clans."
"Key personnel are already using it. Now, it's your turn."
Questions flew, and in the end, Kaji was authorized to deploy it across Konoha's elite.
Danzo smirked darkly. "Now that we can resist Uchiha Genjutsu… combat power against a Susano'o is no issue."
Hiruzen nodded. "With this step, the Uchiha will eventually understand their position."
Training Asuma – The Next Generation
"Father, I'll start training Asuma today."
Kaji then turned to Danzo. "Uncle Danzo, though you have no descendants, I assume you have potential candidates in your clan. If you wish to select a prodigy around Asuma's age, I have no issue training them together."
Danzo considered it. Sending a young genius under Kaji's tutelage wasn't a problem—it was a gift.
Outsiders might not know, but Kaji was the survival combat instructor for ROOT and ANBU, with unmatched results. Danzo often requested Kaji to train entire squads.
"I'll send Mido Shimura tomorrow. He's four years old and has three natural elements."
Kaji agreed and bid his superiors farewell.
Before leaving, Hiruzen added: "Kaji, later, deal with the Nine-Tails using the Mind Palace."
Kaji paused—then nodded.
----
Asuma sweated heavily, pushing through his first physical training session. He refused to disappoint his big brother.
Next came taijutsu, then chakra control.
Kaji handed Asuma five small metal rods inside a protective case.
"This is my own creation. These metals are the most chakra-resistant in the world—meaning it's extremely difficult to channel chakra into them."
Kaji demonstrated, levitating one rod per finger.
"Your current chakra control training is to make one rod float. Once you master it, store them carefully at home."
Asuma nodded eagerly. He spent the rest of the afternoon trying to connect with the rods. His brother had said it was incredibly hard—even among Konoha's elite, only the eldest had achieved it.
"Tomorrow, Mido Shimura, a genius boy, will be your training partner. Treat him well—understood, Asuma-chan?"
Asuma nodded.
Kaji took him home, where Biwako whisked him away for a bath and meal.
"I have official business. I'll be back late."
----
Kaji arrived at the Uzumaki compound—neglected, but functional.
Knock. Knock.
Kushina opened the door.
"Ah! Kaji-kun! You should've warned me—I'd have prepared something, dattebane!"
Kaji raised a bag of premium ramen, smiling. "I thought ahead."
Kushina's eyes sparkled.
They ate and talked—Kushina rambling about Minato's antics, sighing about him being sent to war.
"Kushina, as much as I enjoyed this, I came for official business."
He explained the Mind Palace and the Hokage's order.
Kushina listened intently—being a Yin-Yang master, she grasped the theory instantly.
"But Kushina… the problem isn't just casting it on you." He sighed.
She understood immediately.
After casting the Mind Palace on her and letting her adjust, Kaji nodded.
They sat facing each other, hands clasped.
Poof.
Kaji found himself in a vast green field—where a gigantic fox lounged freely. No cage. No chains.
"Oy, Kurama-chan. Ready for an arm-wrestle?"
Confused, Kurama suddenly found herself tangled with her arch-nemesis—the Shadow Fox.
A massive, elegant dark vixen, Kaji's summon and Kurama's self-proclaimed rival.
Kurama, despite her power, had no courage to fight this 'beautiful lady.'
Now, the mighty Nine-Tails was flattened, tongue lolling like a fool, utterly dominated by her 'beloved.'
Kaji smirked.
"Kurama, I came to settle your issues with the Uchiha. Look at this."
After an explanation, Kurama—a millennia-old being—understood better than most.
She approved. "A creation without precedent."
The Mind Palace enveloped her.
"I'll leave Kura with you for a while. She's been lonely lately—take good care of her."
Kurama's tails wagged happily as she shooed Kaji away.
Kaji opened his eyes, grinning. "All done. Left Kura with that old fox. I'll fetch her another day."
Kushina smiled gratefully. "Thanks for the honest visit, dattebane!"
They parted ways.
Later night.
Exhausted, Kaji collapsed onto his bed and slept like a baby—home at last.
Nawaki Senju, heir to a legendary bloodline and self-proclaimed future Hokage-in-the-making, dragged his exhausted body back to his room after another grueling training session with his clansmen. His limbs ached, his pride was bruised, and all he wanted was to collapse onto his bed and dream of glory.
But fate—or rather, a certain Nara's twisted sense of humor—had other plans.
As he stepped forward, his sandal met something… unusual. The ground felt soft, yet firm. There was a strange squish, followed by a creeping sense of déjà vu.
"Oh no—"
BOOM.
Not an explosion of fire or lightning, but something far more humiliating.
A poop bomb.
Nawaki knelt in the wreckage of his dignity, covered in foul-smelling mockery, shaking his fist at the heavens.
"I SWEAR ON MY ANCESTORS, I WILL NEVER FALL FOR THIS AGAIN!"
Around him, the Senju clansmen howled with laughter, clutching their stomachs. A few patted his shoulder in mock sympathy.
"Ah, young master… you'll learn."
"A true shinobi must always be vigilant!"
"Especially when Kaji-sama is around!"
Nawaki pouted, scrubbing himself furiously. Under his breath, he muttered:
"Kaji-kun never lets me off easy… No matter what, I have to pretend this didn't happen."
He straightened up, forcing his face into an expression of dignified confusion.
"Stepped in a poop bomb? Hm? When? Who?"**
His mind raced, constructing an elaborate lie. Maybe he'd slipped on mud. Maybe it was a rogue animal's doing. Maybe—just maybe—if he denied it hard enough, history would rewrite itself.
After all, he was Nawaki the Great, destined for legendary deeds!
…Even if, at this very moment, his sandals were still suspiciously sticky.