Chapter 17
*Cough, cough...*
Haneda coughed a few times and smiled at Fugaku:
"Kakashi is also very skilled in ninjutsu. Brother Fugaku, aren't you good at genjutsu and fire style? How about teaching us a move or two?"
Seeing Haneda's smile, Fugaku remembered his father's words and helplessly nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I am indeed good at genjutsu and fire style, but I know many techniques. Give me a moment to think."
After a brief pause, Fugaku spoke:
"How about the Phoenix Fire Jutsu and the Fox Mind Jutsu? Both are C-rank techniques, quite suitable for you two to learn."
Hearing this, Haneda glanced at Kakashi, and seeing him nod slightly, he smiled and responded:
"Sure, Brother Fugaku."
Fugaku ignored Haneda's enthusiasm and led the two of them to a nearby lake.
The lake wasn't large, and there were few people around.
"Watch closely, I'll demonstrate first."
As Fugaku spoke, he began forming hand seals.
Because it was a demonstration, he deliberately slowed down, forming one seal every half-second.
"Fire Style—Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
Several small fireballs were expelled from Fugaku's mouth.
The fireballs seemed to move with consciousness, flying through the air as if controlled.
After a few seconds, the fireballs landed in the center of the lake, causing ripples to spread out.
"This is a basic Uchiha technique. Pay attention, the hand seals are..."
Before Fugaku could finish speaking, Kakashi had already started forming the seals.
Rat—Tiger—Dog—Ox—Hare—Tiger!
"Fire Style—Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
After three seconds, several fireballs shot from Kakashi's mouth.
The fireballs circled the lake before finally landing in the center, splashing water everywhere.
"What the..."
Fugaku stood there, dumbfounded. A genius who can learn a technique after seeing it once? That's absurd!
You have to understand, the Phoenix Fire Jutsu requires a certain level of control, even more difficult than the Great Fireball Jutsu.
And Kakashi mastered it just by watching once!
This was truly extraordinary!!
After performing the technique, Kakashi silently stepped back, leaving the stage for Haneda.
"Uh... me?"
Haneda was stunned. You mastered it after watching it once, but I can't do that!
You're putting me in an awkward position here.
*Cough* "Brother Fugaku, I was injured yesterday, not feeling well. I'll just watch from the side, observe and learn."
Haneda turned to Fugaku, awkwardly explaining.
He didn't want to be compared like that, the way Sasuke was often compared, making Sasuke seem less talented.
After all, his own abilities, like Sasuke's, were more of a late bloomer, and couldn't be compared to true geniuses.
"I see, Haneda," Fugaku didn't mind and smiled, adding, "Then watch closely and learn."
As he spoke, Fugaku suddenly gave a mysterious smile.
He looked at Haneda and Kakashi and said:
"Next, I'll teach you genjutsu."
"Of course, the process will include both casting and breaking the illusion. Follow me!"
With a leap, Fugaku landed on a nearby tree, glancing back at Haneda and Kakashi.
In the blink of an eye, Fugaku's figure disappeared, moving through the forest like a ghost.
"Let's go, Kakashi."
Haneda leaped after him.
Seeing this, Kakashi followed, though he frowned.
"Genjutsu... I wonder when Fugaku-senpai will cast it."
As they moved swiftly, trees flashed by, and the lake gradually disappeared from view.
Suddenly, Kakashi stopped.
"Haneda, don't you think something's off?"
Hearing this, Haneda also stopped, looking at Kakashi with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Kakashi, hurry up, or Brother Fugaku will leave us behind." Haneda urged.
Kakashi frowned, leaping in front of Haneda to stop him.
"I suspect we're already caught in a genjutsu, Haneda."
"Didn't you notice the trees around us haven't changed at all as we've been moving?"
"And every once in a while, we end up back where we started."
Kakashi analyzed calmly, but Haneda dismissed it, saying:
"The Forest of Death is like this. Maybe Brother Fugaku is deliberately leading us in circles."
"You're not Haneda!"
As soon as he said it, Kakashi gathered chakra in his hand and struck Haneda's chest without hesitation.
"Why, Kakashi? Aren't we friends...?"
The fallen Haneda clutched his chest, looking at Kakashi in disbelief.
"The real Haneda would have noticed the genjutsu faster than me, Fugaku-senpai," Kakashi replied softly.
Upon hearing this, Haneda's face slowly changed, morphing into Fugaku's appearance.
"You're impressive, Kakashi."
"But now that you're separated from Haneda, how will you break the genjutsu alone?"
Kakashi furrowed his brow, gathering chakra in his hand and striking his own body forcefully.
"Genjutsu—Release!"
The scene before him didn't change at all. Kakashi shot Fugaku a deep look.
"Damn it!"
The most advanced genjutsu is one where you know you're trapped but still can't break free.
As a ninja in training, Kakashi understood the principles of genjutsu well and knew how to dispel it.
In simple terms, genjutsu creates illusions by manipulating the five senses.
To break it, the victim must disrupt their own chakra flow.
Alternatively, one could break it through sheer willpower.
But Fugaku's genjutsu was far from simple.
When Fugaku casts his genjutsu, is the chakra flowing within the victim even their own anymore?
Are the jutsus the victim performs even real?
As this realization hit, sweat beaded on Kakashi's forehead.
If Fugaku had been an enemy, or if this were a battlefield, Kakashi would already be dead.
"Take your time, Kakashi. We have plenty of it."
Fugaku said coldly before his figure faded away, leaving no trace.
...
On the other side.
Facing the lake, Haneda said softly:
"Brother Fugaku, playing like this isn't fun."
"You noticed from the very beginning?"
A flock of crows flew past, eventually forming into Fugaku's figure.
"These are eyes that can see through illusions, Brother Fugaku. You should know that."
As he spoke, Haneda's pupils began spinning, revealing a single tomoe Sharingan.
"You can try to escape, but there's a gap even among Sharingan users."
Fugaku opened his three-tomoe Sharingan, expressionless as he spoke.
Listening, Haneda didn't act immediately.
He closed his eyes, standing still as though sensing something.
"Got it!"
Haneda opened his eyes again, gathering chakra in his hand and striking his own body.
"Fox Mind Jutsu—Release!"
In an instant, his chakra flow was disrupted, and the scene before him shifted, bringing him back to the lakeside.
Haneda turned around, seeing a faint smile on Fugaku's otherwise stoic face.
He glanced at Kakashi.
At that moment, Kakashi was walking in place, clearly trapped deep in the genjutsu world.
***
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