Chapter 68: Kurenai’s Shock! Konoha’s Distinguished Guest!
Chapter 68: Kurenai's Shock! Konoha's Distinguished Guest!
Ishihara processed the information in his mind and smiled with satisfaction.
Although his Kyōka Suigetsu could only slightly interfere with an enemy's five senses, far from the complete hypnosis that Aizen could achieve, it was still useful. Given his level of genjutsu, as long as he could cause minor disturbances in his enemy's senses—like making their attacks miss by a few centimeters—it would give him a huge advantage.
In short, this genjutsu was extremely useful for him, and its potential was vast.
More importantly, Ishihara now had a vague direction for his training in the Sage Body technique.
"Not bad at all. Just today's gains have made this trip to Konoha worthwhile!"
Ishihara was in a good mood, smiling as he took out a blank scroll and wrote down the Visual Interference Technique.
He then stopped and handed the scroll to Kurenai Yuhi behind him.
"Here, this is the ninjutsu you wanted. Remember, don't tell anyone about it without my permission."
To him, the Visual Interference Technique was trivial, and there was no need to apply any sealing techniques to restrict its use. It was perfect for testing both of them.
Kurenai Yuhi and Anko Mitarashi stared at him in shock, their mouths agape.
Anko was skeptical. "You're not tricking us, are you? How could you finish it so quickly?"
"See for yourself."
Ishihara, unbothered by the doubt, tossed the scroll to Kurenai and continued his train of thought.
The next step for mastering the Sage Body might involve visiting Ryūchi Cave or witnessing the Shinigami in the Reaper Death Seal.
Kurenai hastily caught the scroll, eagerly opening it, and was immediately stunned by what she saw.
Anko anxiously asked, "Well, how is it?"
Kurenai took a deep breath, her heart trembling as she stared at Ishihara's back.
"This technique is incredibly strong, even stronger than I expected. It's perfectly in line with what I wanted!"
She felt that words couldn't fully express her shock at that moment. In such a short amount of time, he had combined so many genjutsu elements and developed a technique that was practically a genjutsu masterpiece.
His talent was absolutely terrifying!
For a moment, Kurenai looked at Ishihara's back with admiration and awe.
Anko's expression also changed upon hearing this. She felt both proud and a little disheartened.
Proud because this man was her junior, but disheartened because she feared Orochimaru might completely forget about her now that he had Ishihara.
The group fell silent as they continued their journey.
The ANBU trailing behind silently observed and took notes on their actions.
Without further conversation, they quickly entered Konoha.
Kurenai and Anko led Ishihara to a quiet, clean courtyard, not too remote, but certainly peaceful.
"This is the place Lord Hokage arranged for you. If you need anything, Ishihara-san, feel free to let me know."
Kurenai introduced the courtyard's layout, occasionally stealing glances at Ishihara. Afterward, she and Anko reluctantly said their goodbyes.
Standing in the courtyard, Ishihara surveyed the surroundings.
The courtyard wasn't large, but it had its own training area and all necessary facilities. Its location was a bit secluded, with no neighbors, and within a hundred-meter radius, there were no other residences.
More importantly, there was no ANBU surveillance, which satisfied Ishihara.
He figured he could treat this as a little vacation.
Relaxed, he sat in the courtyard, brewed some tea, and waited to see who would visit him first.
...
After leaving, Kurenai and Anko headed straight for the Hokage's office.
Along the way, Anko teasingly eyed her close friend.
"Just now, someone's eyes were practically glued to Ishihara. Come on, admit it, you've got a crush on him."
Kurenai's face turned slightly red as she quickened her pace. "I do not! Stop making things up."
Anko, relentless, moved closer and tickled her. "Oh really? Your face is red though. And who could blame you? My junior is both handsome and talented. If you like him, I wouldn't hold it against you."
"Tch, your junior? Weren't you just saying earlier that you're no longer Orochimaru's disciple? I think it's you who has a crush on him." Kurenai retorted, refusing to be outdone.
"Hehe, someone's getting jealous~" Anko giggled.
The two playfully bickered as the Hokage's office came into view.
Anko suddenly grew serious. "When we meet the Hokage later, if he asks you to hand over Ishihara's secret technique, don't do it."
Kurenai frowned. "Why not?"
Anko shook her head and solemnly explained, "You don't understand how people like him think. Ishihara is... very much like Orochimaru."
"Even though he only mentioned in passing that you shouldn't show the technique to anyone without his permission, if you were to disobey him, he'd definitely be furious."
"Whatever you do, don't anger him!"
Having witnessed Ishihara's terrifying talent, Anko didn't want her best friend to offend him.
After a moment of thought, Kurenai took out the scroll Ishihara gave her and burned it.
"This should solve the problem."
The two exchanged a knowing smile and entered the Hokage's office.
Inside, the Third Hokage, Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado were already waiting for them.
The two quickly reported every detail of their mission.
"In just a few minutes, he developed a genjutsu technique at the level of a secret art. What terrifying talent," the Third Hokage remarked.
He had already learned from Itachi that Ishihara's genjutsu was formidable, but even this exceeded his expectations.
He then turned to Kurenai. "Kurenai, can you show us the secret technique Ishihara gave you?"
This was a technique created by Ishihara, and it didn't seem to be anything less than S-rank.
From what Kurenai described, it was an ultimate genjutsu!
Even if he couldn't use it himself, he could pass it on to trusted subordinates or even his clan.
Not only the Third Hokage, but Danzo and the others also looked at Kurenai with eager eyes.
Kurenai's heart skipped a beat, and she was grateful for her foresight. With a troubled expression, she replied, "Lord Hokage, Ishihara specifically said I couldn't show this genjutsu to anyone without his permission. If I do, won't that anger him?"
The Third Hokage furrowed his brows. He opened his mouth but couldn't find a convincing reason to force her.
He sighed inwardly and gave up.
"Then at least demonstrate the technique. Show us its power!"
"Of course! But the requirements for this genjutsu are very high. I've only just grasped it, so the effect may not be perfect. Please bear with me," Kurenai quickly responded, relieved.
This genjutsu had been custom-tailored to her abilities, and given her natural talent and foundation in genjutsu, she had learned it quickly.
She formed a series of hand seals, and a subtle wave of energy rippled out.
The Third Hokage, Danzo, and the others narrowed their eyes in alert, then exchanged puzzled looks.
Kurenai took a soft breath, shocked internally.
This genjutsu's effect might be even stronger than she had anticipated.
"Lord Hokage, the genjutsu is already in effect."
The Third Hokage and Danzo exchanged glances, frowning. "We can feel it, but where's the effect?"
Kurenai walked forward, picked up a pen from the desk, and lightly flicked it.
It landed next to a document in front of the Third Hokage.
His face suddenly changed, years of battle experience alerting him that something was off. He quickly dispelled the genjutsu.
"Release!"
Buzz—
Looking at the desk, the Third Hokage's pupils shrank.
The pen hadn't landed beside the document; it had pierced straight through it.
Kurenai explained, "This genjutsu subtly distorts perception in a small range, making it very hard to detect."
The Third Hokage took a deep breath.
His combat instincts immediately understood the genjutsu's terrifying potential.
In the heat of battle, if an attack or a dodge was off by just a few centimeters, it could lead to fatal mistakes!
Though the effect seemed minor, it was actually incredibly dangerous.
"As expected from Ishihara."
Danzo and the others were equally impressed. They clearly understood the implications of such a technique.
Excitement sparked in their hearts.
If Ishihara could develop more secret techniques, Konoha would surely rise to new heights!
"If I can control Ishihara, who can stop me from becoming Hokage?"
Danzo's eyes burned with ambition.
If he had been hesitant before, now he was eager to use Kotoamatsukami on Ishihara.