Suguru watched as an old man walked to the front of the room and began speaking.
However, Suguru couldn't focus on his words. Ever since first devouring the foreign chakra, he had grown hungrier. Now that the chakra was staying in his body for a much longer time, his desires grew.
He wanted to consume the chakra that invaded him. A large slab of steak was dangling in front of him while he was a starving lost child in the desert.
It was just too difficult to resist.
Thus—
His Dark Release was activated. The invading chakra disappeared into his system.
The world returned to normal, and Suguru felt a vague sense of satisfaction from consuming the chakra. Just like before, it tasted like bread.
That was when Suguru noticed that Hyuga Kyou was looking at him.
Suguru stared back.
With the Byakugan being reflected in his eyes, another pang of hunger began to creep through his mind.
He wanted that Byakugan. Not because of greed... But because of his starving gaze.
However, to steal it for himself in front of so many people would be tantamount to suicide. Moreover, Suguru didn't know how the Caged Bird Seal would react.
Feeling Suguru's complicated gaze, Kyou looked away, startled by the myriad emotions he had perceived in that fleeting moment. His curiosity as to how the boy had broken every Genjutsu thus far with apparent ease had resulted in an uncomfortable feeling, settling in his heart.
Suguru took this opportunity to look around as well.
***
Even after five minutes passed, more than half the genin were still trapped in the Genjutsu. They began walking out on their own, just like the ones before.
Seeing this made the jounins from each village frown.
The drop-out rate was surprisingly high, even in the first round itself.
Twelve genins remained. The number was abysmal since they started with over seventy genins when they arrived within Sunagakure.
The jounins couldn't help but glance at the officiators. Baki and other Suna-nins were beaming with pride. Half of the genins who still had their wits about them were from Sunagakure.
Only two from Konoha, two from Iwa, one from Kusa, and one from Ame were left.
Suguru was one of those from Konoha. As for the other one...
Suguru glanced at a teenage girl with dark hair and beautiful white eyes. Another Hyuga.
It only made sense that she would be able to resist all the Genjutsus placed upon her. It seemed like Konoha's jounin had a bit of pride leaking out from his expression.
"It seems like we have a room of elites," Baki said, putting stress on the word, elites. "Since we have so few remaining, we can skip the second part of the exam and move on to our one-on-one battles. We will give everyone a week to prepare."
Baki took a moment to pause, "Of course, throughout this time, please enjoy Sunagakure to your heart's content. The Wind Daimyo will be looking forward to everyone's performance in the upcoming duels."
Suddenly, one of the genin raised their hands.
"Can I ask what created those weird Genjutsus?"
As if expecting such a question, the smile on the Suna-nins' faces grew.
"It's a prototype Fuinjutsu formation called the Real Mirage Formation." A Suna jounin answered with pride. "Though it is a work in progress, we can assure you of its performance and ability to keep the peace."
'Real Mirage Formation?' Suguru heard this name and drew a blank. He had never heard of this formation before, nor of Sunagakure having such a thing.
Furthermore, its effects were unique. Had it been in the original, Suguru would've been able to see it.
Baffled, Suguru pondered on which of his actions caused such a change. Was the Butterfly Effect really that powerful?
Furthermore, which action caused such a distant and impactful change? Were there similar changes in the other villages as well?
Suguru felt a sense of thrill.
If the world were changing to this degree, then his memories of the original would no longer be prophetic. Instead, his only leverage would be secret jutsus and mysterious concepts that the shinobi world had yet to uncover fully.
'Oh well,' So he says. His eyes flashed in greed.
While he was in Sunagakure, he planned on studying the Real Mirage Formation and researching its characteristics.
Perhaps he could make it his own, soon enough.
***
Upon exiting the supposed waiting-turned-exam room, Suguru followed two Hyugas to Konohagakure's temporary residence.
One was their jounin guardian, and the other was his fellow genin. Given that the other genin had instantly failed the exams, they were still trapped in a Genjutsu. Kyou planned on letting this be a punishment for their carelessness.
Otherwise, how would they learn?
When they arrived, Suguru and the Hyuga genin were given their privacy. However, Suguru could instinctively feel that he was still being monitored despite such privacy. Sunagakure was careful.
Furthermore, their formations seemed much more advanced than what Suguru had remembered.
Perhaps this feeling was also the cause of some other mysterious formation. Suguru would know soon.
'Let's see them try and keep track of my Kaisugan,' Suguru smiled, burying his face in a pillow upon reaching his assigned room.
Then, his irises shattered into pieces.
The world in his view shifted.
Suddenly, the details of the world revealed themselves to him. Suguru activated his Sharingan, and those details were further enhanced.
The chakra flux in the area was subtle but immense. The sand particles in the air were all pieces that served as a way for Sunagakure to monitor its surroundings.
Even the breeze that blew through the village was a tactical source of information. Much like Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Jutsu for Amegakure, though a lot inferior.
Maintaining a constant and strong enough wind would interrupt civilian life. Thus, it was clear that Sunagakure was looking for ways to circumvent that by using the natural particles in the air.
They could also cast a Genjutsu through these particles by sending chakra to them through an interwoven web of chakra.
'It's not that far off from their Puppet Jutsu,' Suguru thought as his eyes widened.
There was much knowledge to steal from this beautiful formation.
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