"Genjutsu, simply put, is a technique that uses chakra to disrupt the opponent's five senses, thereby trapping them in illusions."
Kurenai Yuhi spoke solemnly as she began the explanation.
The five senses refer to sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
In most genjutsu, the sense of sight is the primary target.
The most iconic visual-based genjutsu is undoubtedly the Sharingan.
In the shinobi world, there's a saying: "When fighting a member of the Uchiha clan, never look them in the eyes."
Because just one glance and—boom! Wait, no—that's wrong. Just one glance and you'll fall under genjutsu.
"If two genjutsu users go head-to-head, the outcome depends on their Yin Release—or in other words, their spiritual strength."
Kurenai turned to Yukawa and said, "You have an innately strong spiritual force, which makes you well-suited for genjutsu."
"What about me?" asked Yūhi Kurenai (the younger version).
Kurenai smiled and replied, "Yours is also stronger than most your age."
She paused and didn't say the rest aloud.
If Kurenai's talent for genjutsu was a six thousand, Yukawa's would be at least ten thousand.
But that wasn't to say Kurenai lacked talent.
In fact, before meeting Yukawa, she was the most naturally gifted genjutsu user he had ever seen...
Excluding the Uchiha clan, of course.
They don't rely on talent in genjutsu—once they awaken their Sharingan, genjutsu is almost instinctual.
"Alright, enough talking. Let's get started."Kurenai clapped her hands. "We'll begin with a basic genjutsu technique: Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique."
This D-rank jutsu conjures a terrifying black shadow figure to frighten the enemy.
The shadow moves slowly and deals no real damage, but its main strength lies in the fact that when struck, it splits—somewhat like a special kind of Shadow Clone Technique.
"Watch closely and learn carefully."
Kurenai deliberately slowed her hand signs.
Soon, a humanoid black figure emerged from behind the couch.
Its entire body was pitch-black, radiating an eerie chill.
Prepared as they were, neither Yukawa nor Kurenai flinched.
This jutsu only works as a surprise attack.
"Your turn," Kurenai said, dispelling the genjutsu and looking at them with anticipation.
It had taken her a whole day to learn this technique back when she was training. But with Yukawa and young Kurenai's talents, maybe they'd master it in half that time.
Kurenai blinked—and then froze.
Right before Yukawa, a black humanoid shadow suddenly appeared.
She almost thought she'd fallen into a genjutsu herself.
That was way faster than expected.
"Damn it!"Kurenai (the younger) looked at the empty space in front of her with a touch of frustration.
It was clear—her talent still didn't match Yukawa's.
But she quickly brushed aside the sting of defeat. After a few more tries, she finally managed to cast the False Surroundings Technique.
The only problem: the shadow she summoned didn't resemble a human at all—it looked like some kind of bizarre creature.
"Red, your talent is still amazing," Kurenai said kindly.
But younger Kurenai didn't feel comforted at all.
Talent hurts most in comparison. Against Yukawa, she still lagged behind.
"Uncle Kurenai, can you teach me the next genjutsu?" Yukawa asked, eyeing a newly emerged system entry.
"You've learned the False Surroundings Technique, but you're not proficient yet."Kurenai's tone turned serious. "Practice for two more days. Don't rush."
"Uncle Kurenai, look," Yukawa said as he clapped his hands—and instantly, a humanoid shadow appeared.
"This… how is this possible?"Kurenai's eyes widened in disbelief.
"..."Kurenai (the younger) was at a loss for words.
Not only had he learned the technique in record time—he had completely mastered it.
Proficiency in a jutsu is measured by speed and potency.
Yukawa's second cast was significantly faster than the first—already near the theoretical limit of the technique.
The reason? He had a cheat code.
[E-Rank Jutsu Entry: Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique]Trigger Condition: Successfully cast the jutsuEffect: Instantly becomes proficientNote: Can be synthesized—three E-rank genjutsu entries can be combined into one D-rank entry: Genjutsu: Genin.
As soon as the entry was obtained, a wealth of experience flooded Yukawa's mind—it felt like he had practiced the jutsu thousands of times.
"Your talent is even greater than I imagined!"Kurenai was now visibly excited.
It had been ages since a true genjutsu specialist had emerged in the shinobi world—all the glory had long been claimed by the Uchiha and their Sharingan.
But now, Yukawa gave him hope.Maybe one day, it would happen…
As his student, perhaps the Yūhi clan could finally rise to true prominence—maybe even become the Yūhi Clan in name and stature.
"..."
Yukawa looked at his face in silence.
What was he supposed to say?'I will bring glory to the Yūhi Clan'?
"I'll teach you the second genjutsu now."Kurenai took a deep breath. "Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."
Yukawa's eyes lit up.
This was a well-known genjutsu in the original series—used by both Orochimaru and Kakashi Hatake.
Though it's still a D-rank jutsu, it far surpasses the False Surroundings Technique in effectiveness.
It forces the opponent to see their worst fear, attacking their psyche directly.
After successfully casting it, a new system entry appeared:
[E-Rank Jutsu Entry: Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique]Trigger Condition: Successfully cast the jutsuEffect: Instantly becomes proficientNote: Can be synthesized—three E-rank genjutsu entries can be combined into one D-rank entry: Genjutsu: Genin.
Yukawa exhaled deeply.
With his current chakra reserves, casting three genjutsu in a row had already drained him significantly.
Which explained why the Ninja Academy started with only the Three Basic Jutsu—chakra efficiency.
But Yukawa didn't stop.He pressed on and asked Kurenai to teach him a third genjutsu.
He was close to synthesizing a new entry—stopping now would be like pausing a fight scene in the middle. If he gave up here, it would ruin the momentum.
Seeing Yukawa still had energy left, Kurenai, now fully convinced of his talent, agreed.
[E-Rank Jutsu Entry: Genjutsu: Triple Illusion Sakura]Trigger Condition: Successfully cast the jutsuEffect: Instantly becomes proficientNote: Can be synthesized—three E-rank genjutsu entries can be combined into one D-rank entry: Genjutsu: Genin.
Genjutsu: Triple Illusion Sakura makes enemies see dancing petals that obscure their vision—less powerful than Hell Viewing Technique, but useful for distraction.
Yukawa was now nearly out of chakra and sat down to rest.
He'd learned so quickly thanks not only to talent but also to the low difficulty of these techniques.
Young Kurenai had just witnessed a performance that defied reason.
After a moment of silence, she chuckled quietly.
This guy... the man among men. A genius among geniuses.
How could she even compete?
Turns out—she was just an ordinary person.