On the way to the training grounds, Ye Zi walked at a slow pace, which was unusual for his normally brisk manner. He was contemplating how to effectively train Kurenai. As the Third Hokage had mentioned, he did indeed possess outstanding genjutsu talent. However, being someone who believed in physical power, he had never considered investing extra effort into genjutsu, thus wasting his inherent talent and not developing a strong proficiency in it.
Over the years, he had engaged in countless battles and faced many skilled genjutsu users. Yet, he had never suffered in the realm of genjutsu, leading him to undervalue it more and more. In fact, even the Third Hokage was unaware of Ye Zi's strong resistance to genjutsu; probably only Yamanaka Haru, who had once used genjutsu on Ye Zi, knew this fact in Konoha.
Having never encountered a formidable genjutsu user, Ye Zi had subconsciously started to underestimate genjutsu. Nonetheless, due to the various genjutsu users he had encountered who employed unique methods, he had unintentionally memorized many genjutsu hand-seals.
Although his experience with genjutsu was not deep, it was more than sufficient to teach a fresh graduate from the ninja academy.
He had no intention of correcting Kurenai's focus on genjutsu because it would be a waste of time. So he decided to let her continue down this path.
Kurenai, following Ye Zi, had no idea about his thoughts. If she did, she would definitely want to change instructors, even if it meant waiting another year!
Arriving at a remote training ground near the forest, Ye Zi stopped and turned to the slightly apprehensive Kurenai. "Try using genjutsu on me."
"What?" Kurenai looked up at Ye Zi, her face filled with surprise.
Ye Zi's brow furrowed slightly, and he said coldly, "Did I not make myself clear?"
"But…" Kurenai's pretty brows furrowed. She had absolute confidence in her genjutsu skills. Even Ye Zi, in a situation where he was unprepared, might not be able to resist it. Given this, she was hesitant about using her best technique on Ye Zi, who had requested it.
Ye Zi, not understanding Kurenai's hesitation, wondered if she thought using genjutsu on him would actually hurt him. Although he wasn't someone who liked to control others, he disliked his instructions being disregarded, especially by his own student.
Thus, his gaze grew colder.
Feeling the chill in Ye Zi's eyes, Kurenai shivered and stopped hesitating. She declared loudly, "This is what you asked for, so don't blame me later."
Ye Zi's cold gaze then showed a hint of undisguised disdain.
Kurenai clearly saw the disdain and felt a surge of anger. Determined to make Ye Zi suffer, she decided to use her strongest genjutsu.
"Hmph, don't hold a grudge against me later."
Kurenai silently resolved to use the Naraka Sight Technique taught by her father. Despite her lack of formal combat experience and understanding of ninja battles, including how genjutsu works in situations where there is a significant difference in strength and chakra, she was confident. Her confidence came from consistently successful use of genjutsu on classmates and her father's reputation as a skilled genjutsu specialist. Over time, she had developed absolute confidence in genjutsu.
In essence, she was a girl living in a dream without real experience.
"Naraka Sight Technique!"
Kurenai chanted, her hands forming seals with a speed that indicated her high mastery of this technique.
Ye Zi focused intently on Kurenai's hand seals. The speed of the seals suggested she had a solid grasp of the technique. However, he was somewhat surprised because the name of the technique was not recorded in any of the available materials and had not been shown in the ninja academy.
The Naraka Sight Technique was a genjutsu that could make the victim see the most terrifying scene they didn't want to see. It was a high-level genjutsu, and Kurenai would not use it on her classmates unless her father, a renowned genjutsu expert, had taught it to her.
Genjutsu, a form of mental attack, involves using powerful mental intent and seemingly random but subtle actions, sounds, or objects to induce hallucinations and a state of mental confusion in the target. Skilled practitioners can often make the victim see the hand seals or hear the sounds that trigger the illusion.
As Ye Zi observed Kurenai's focused hand seals, Kurenai began to secretly delight in the thought of seeing Ye Zi's normally icy expression change to one of fear.
Seals complete, the technique is activated.
Ye Zi's normally steady chakra began to show slight turbulence. Before him, a scene suddenly appeared—a row of low houses struggling amid a roaring fire, surrounded by the maddened cries of people filled with resentment, growing hoarse and eventually fading into despair.
Without wind or gasoline, the area around the low houses was filled with countless flammable materials. Unless a heavy rain fell, the fire would never be extinguished.
Watching from a distance as what was once called home was consumed by flames, a group of ragged people knelt on the ground, their eyes glazed over. The cries illuminated by the fire slowly became hoarse and silent.
The flames grew increasingly blinding, as if they were burning away all hope and turning it into despair.
Before Kurenai used her genjutsu, Ye Zi had not expected such a scene. Thus, from the very first second the image appeared, he chose not to break the genjutsu but to immerse himself in it.
He silently watched the scene deeply rooted in his heart, focusing on a specific spot within the roaring flames—a small, dilapidated wooden house that let in cold winds in winter and leaked water during heavy rain. It couldn't shield from the wind or block the rain, but it was enough for survival.
In this tragic scene, he no longer felt the heart-wrenching fear but instead showed a faint smile, feeling a mix of nostalgia and regret. He noticed that, despite the surrounding devastation, he didn't see the person he had hoped to see. That night, he had lost a loved one.
"Burning to ashes isn't so bad; it saves a lot of trouble. You would think so too, wouldn't you?"
Ultimately, it was only the past, ultimately just a genjutsu…
As Kurenai watched Ye Zi under the effect of the Naraka Sight Technique, she initially felt excited. However, as time passed, she did not see the fear she had expected. Instead, Ye Zi showed an expression of nostalgia and regret, even smiling slightly.
"My technique… is the Naraka Sight Technique, right?"
Kurenai's expression became stiff. Despite making Ye Zi see the most terrifying scene he didn't want to, he was smiling and seemed to be nostalgic, even feeling regret.
Although the genjutsu had succeeded, and the target was the famed Konoha's Little White Fang, Kurenai felt no pride at this moment. She only found the person before her terrifying.
"Naraka Sight Technique, huh…" Ye Zi broke the illusion.
Suddenly hearing Ye Zi's voice, Kurenai couldn't help but scream and step back repeatedly, her face full of fear.
Ye Zi, puzzled by Kurenai's reaction, wondered why she was so scared.
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