Chapter 67: Anko, Kurenai! [Kyōka Suigetsu]
Chapter 67: Anko, Kurenai! [Kyōka Suigetsu]
"Are you Orochimaru's disciple?"
Anko looked at Ishihara with a complicated expression. She was the only disciple Orochimaru had ever taken in and admired him deeply. Even though Orochimaru had defected from Konoha, a part of her still yearned for him, even feeling resentful that he hadn't taken her along when he left, abandoning her instead. So when she learned that Ishihara was also a disciple of Orochimaru, Anko couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
"You must be Senior Sister Anko."
Ishihara raised an eyebrow and smiled. He had little attachment to most people in this world, but Orochimaru was the exception, so meeting Anko made him genuinely happy.
"I'm no longer the disciple of that traitor, Orochimaru," Anko huffed angrily, glaring at him with her large eyes. Ishihara could tell she didn't really mean it, and he couldn't help but find it amusing. How old was she to still act like a child?
With a slight smile, he said, "Sensei has recently made significant improvements to the Cursed Seal. He even mentioned wanting to help you refine it further when he gets the chance."
"Really?" Anko asked eagerly, but then, realizing what she was doing, she quickly played it off, "Not like I care, anyway."
"You'll likely see Sensei soon enough," Ishihara said with a smile. Anko's expression immediately shifted, showing a bit of concern. After all, Orochimaru was still a rogue ninja from Konoha. Ishihara said no more. He understood that everyone in Konoha conveniently overlooked this fact when speaking with him, but it was an undeniable reality. However, Ishihara knew that Orochimaru's power was growing rapidly, and it wouldn't be long before he no longer feared Konoha. When the time came, Orochimaru would definitely return to Konoha.
"So, why exactly did you come looking for me?" Ishihara turned his gaze to Kurenai Yuhi, who stood nearby with a gentle smile.
"Lord Hokage sent us to invite you to live in Konoha. He said this gesture was a sign of Konoha's sincerity," Kurenai quickly explained. Her gaze lingered on Ishihara, filled with curiosity and astonishment. Especially after hearing the intel provided by the Third Hokage, it was hard for her to reconcile those reports with the charming and gentle young man before her.
They weren't alone, either—two squads of Anbu trailed behind them. As Kurenai spoke, these operatives kept their eyes fixed on Ishihara, constantly observing him.
Ishihara smiled faintly upon hearing this. "Alright, let's go." He started walking out as he spoke. Kurenai and Anko were both momentarily stunned by his response before hastily catching up to him.
Anko walked beside him, frequently glancing his way, her expression revealing a mix of worry and urgency. Seeing this, Ishihara shook his head internally. This senior sister of his was really too naïve, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you so worried about? Sensei was confident enough to let me come here alone. Do you really think I'd be in any danger?"
Seeing how self-assured he was, Anko immediately relaxed. Since even Orochimaru trusted him, there couldn't be a problem. However, she still pouted and said, "Who's worried about you?"
Anko was straightforward and a bit unrestrained. After only a short period of silence, she couldn't hold back anymore. She moved to walk backward in front of Ishihara and asked curiously, "The Hokage said your talents are terrifying, that you can improve secret techniques. Is that true?"
Ishihara laughed. "If you need it, I can help you for free."
Anko's eyes darted around mischievously. "I don't need anything right now, but my friend does. Isn't that right, Kurenai?" She ran over to Kurenai and playfully nudged her shoulder.
"Huh?" Kurenai, caught off guard, glanced at Anko, then looked over at Ishihara.
Ishihara raised an eyebrow. "Sure, I can do that." He figured that the Third Hokage had likely sent Anko in the hopes of leveraging their connection to accomplish something. It seemed like they wanted to test his ability to develop secret techniques. He didn't mind and, in fact, found it interesting. Konoha had a vast array of ninjutsu, secret techniques, and forbidden jutsu—this could turn out to be a huge harvest for him.
Before Kurenai could say anything, Anko eagerly urged, "Come on, show Ishihara some of your jutsu."
After a brief hesitation, Kurenai listed a few techniques.
"Genjutsu: False Surroundings Technique."
"Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Fox Heart Technique."
"Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."
"Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death."
Kurenai rattled off several genjutsu, most of which Ishihara already knew. He casually asked, "What kind of genjutsu would you like?"
Although he possessed the ability to wield all types of genjutsu through his illusion space, he couldn't simply hand that over to Kurenai.
Stunned, Kurenai asked in disbelief, "I can choose?"
Seeing Ishihara nod, she thought for a moment and then said, "I'd like a genjutsu that interferes with the five senses, something subtle and hard to detect."
Ishihara looked at her and replied calmly, "Got it. Don't disturb me." With that, he continued walking ahead.
Kurenai and Anko followed behind, quietly discussing.
"How long do you think it'll take?" Anko whispered.
"Even if his talent is as remarkable as the Hokage says, it will probably take a long time," Kurenai replied.
Anko seemed surprised. "But your request didn't sound that difficult."
Kurenai shook her head. "Though it may seem simple, my request is actually one of the hardest."
Her gaze fell on Ishihara's back, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
The purpose of genjutsu was to disrupt the five senses. The ideal genjutsu either went undetected or became impossible to dispel—two extremes. But most genjutsu, once cast, were immediately noticed by the target. If a genjutsu could go unnoticed, that meant the enemy would be under its influence continuously, with disastrous consequences. Such a technique would rank among the top genjutsu in the ninja world, and its difficulty was evident.
Hearing Kurenai's explanation, Anko grinned mischievously, seemingly taking pleasure in Kurenai's challenge, which left Kurenai speechless. After all, their mission was to assess Ishihara's development skills—wasn't Anko afraid of failure?
Ahead of them, Ishihara walked while deep in thought. As one of the top genjutsu users in the ninja world, he instantly understood the difficulty of Kurenai's request. However, it was precisely this challenge that intrigued him.
"Kurenai's techniques are primarily visual. I've also mastered a few auditory-based illusions. If I optimize them a bit..."
As he pondered and refined the idea, countless sparks of inspiration collided in his mind.
[You have attempted to improve numerous genjutsu, enhancing their power.]
[You have simulated the abilities of Shinji Hirako's Zanpakutō from Bleach. Combining various genjutsu, you have created a secret technique: Visual Interference Technique.]
[Visual Interference Technique: A genjutsu that subtly distorts the enemy's vision, making it difficult to detect.]
[You have simulated the abilities of Aizen's Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu. By combining multiple genjutsu with the essence of your genjutsu space, you have achieved enlightenment and created a secret technique: Kyōka Suigetsu.]
[Kyōka Suigetsu: A genjutsu that interferes with all five senses—sight, hearing, taste, etc.—creating an illusion so realistic that it's almost impossible to tell what's real and what isn't.]