Akihiro found himself in a sparse room, illuminated only by a hanging mp that cast long shadows on the bare walls. Before him stood his Sensei’s former squadmate, someone Akihiro had met before his first mission outside the Vilge. His name was Kazuo, and he had been a squad leader when Miyuki was on his team. They had separated upon reaching Chunin, which wasn’t unusual.

  —Now I will teach you Genjutsu,— Kazuo said in a low tone, as he took out an aged scroll and unrolled it in front of Akihiro. The paper crackled as it spread open, revealing a series of unfamiliar symbols and seals. —First, we’ll test your levels of Yin energy.—

  Kazuo gestured for Akihiro to pce his hand on the scroll. As he did, the scroll reacted immediately: the seals shifted and rearranged into complex patterns, softly glowing. Kazuo watched with a mix of surprise and admiration.

  —You have an extraordinary amount for someone your age,— he murmured, not taking his eyes off the scroll.

  Akihiro looked at him, intrigued and slightly uncertain. —Is that… unusual?— he asked. He wasn’t sure if having a lot of Yin energy was good or bad, but since he’d never had issues before, he doubted it was a problem.

  Kazuo offered a barely perceptible smile. —Not at all. But putting aside those born into cns with a natural affinity for Yin energy, you would be at a high level, at the peak of your generation.—

  With a precise movement, Kazuo rolled the scroll back up. —With this amount of Yin energy, Genjutsu could be a formidable weapon in your hands, but it could also be dangerous if you don’t master it properly. You must learn to control it completely, or it will end up controlling you.—

  Before Akihiro could process those words, he felt a strange sensation that made him shiver for a second.

  —Here, have some tea,— Kazuo said, handing him a cup.

  Akihiro looked at him, a bit puzzled, thinking, *Where did the teapot come from?* He took the cup, thanked him, and was about to take a sip when he noticed an eye floating in the tea.

  —What the hell?!— he yelled, dropping the cup.

  Kazuo started ughing, and in an instant, both the cup and the liquid disappeared.

  —A Genjutsu?— Akihiro asked quietly, realizing what had happened.

  —Exactly, a Genjutsu,— replied Kazuo, as Akihiro felt that strange sensation again. He looked around but didn’t notice anything unusual.

  —Do you know why Genjutsu is dangerous?— Kazuo asked.

  —Why is it dangerous?— Akihiro repeated, still feeling unsettled by the sensation of having been unknowingly maniputed.

  Kazuo narrowed his eyes, and his voice took on a serious tone befitting the weight of the topic. —Genjutsu doesn’t attack your body; it attacks your mind.— He stepped closer, and Akihiro felt the intensity of his presence grow, enveloping the room completely. —It pys with your senses and your thoughts. Unlike a physical technique, there are no outward signs that you’re in danger. You can be trapped in a Genjutsu without realizing it until it’s too te.—

  Akihiro swallowed hard. He knew the dangers of facing a Genjutsu user but had underestimated them due to the limited usage he had seen, and because he had grown used to rge-scale threats like Perfect Jinchurikis or Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan users.

  —But isn’t it easy to break free from it in the end?— Akihiro asked. After all, there were conventional methods for escaping a Genjutsu.

  Kazuo nodded. —Yes, once you realize you’re trapped, it’s retively easy to break free,— he said. —But what if you don’t realize it?—

  Kazuo snapped his fingers, and the entire room began to distort.

  Akihiro blinked, disoriented, as his surroundings changed in seconds. First, he found himself in the middle of a battlefield; the sound of cshing swords and war cries surrounded him. The smell of smoke and iron was so real that his breathing quickened. But suddenly, everything changed again. Now he was in a peaceful field of flowers, a gentle breeze caressing his face, and the song of birds filling the air.

  —What’s going on?— he murmured, looking at his hands, his mind unable to grasp what was happening.

  Kazuo appeared next to him in the field of flowers, looking calm. —This is the power of Genjutsu, Akihiro. It confuses you, distorts your perception, and tangles your mind, preventing you from thinking clearly.— Kazuo continued, —If I were your enemy, I could take advantage of this confusion to attack you, and you wouldn’t have time to defend yourself. It’s not that Genjutsu cks power, but those who underestimate it are destined to fall into its traps.—

  Akihiro bit his lip, feeling the underlying threat in those words. The illusion was so real that he struggled to remember the sparse room he’d been in just a moment ago. For an instant, he almost believed that the field was real and that the room was the illusion.

  Kazuo gnced at him sideways, assessing his reaction. —The true danger of Genjutsu is that, while it affects your mind, it also influences your emotions and decisions,— Kazuo expined as the field of flowers slowly began to transform into a rocky mountain, with an abyss just steps away from Akihiro. —People under a strong Genjutsu might see enemies where there are none or friends where there are threats. They might step off a cliff, believing they’re stepping toward salvation.—

  Akihiro felt his body waver. He stepped back, away from the edge, but suddenly the ground vanished beneath his feet, and he felt himself falling into the void. However, before he could scream, the sensation of falling faded, and he was back in the same room.

  He dropped to the floor, panting.

  —So… how can I defend myself?— he asked, catching his breath as Kazuo watched him calmly.

  —First, you must learn to distinguish the real from the illusory. This requires a strong and steady mind.— Kazuo touched Akihiro’s forehead gently. —But that’s not all. You also need absolute control of your chakra. The key is to stop the chakra flow in your body and then release it in a sudden burst. This is how the Genjutsu bond is broken.—

  Kazuo watched Akihiro, giving him a moment to process his words before continuing. —I will train you in chakra control and Genjutsu release techniques. But first… you need to get used to the effects of a Genjutsu.—

  Akihiro felt a sense of foreboding, and the room once again became the rocky mountain, a field of flowers appearing behind the cliff where the abyss had been before. The rocky mountain began to crumble, crushing the field of flowers, and Akihiro felt the ground tremble beneath his feet as if the earth were about to split. The roar of the rocks fell into silence, and the mountain, the cliff, and the field of flowers vanished in an instant. He opened his eyes, relieved to find himself back in the sparse room, with Kazuo smiling faintly in front of him.

  —Well, that’s all for today,— Kazuo said, nodding with satisfaction. —This is just the first step, but I see you have potential. For now, rest. We’ll continue when you’ve recovered.—

  Akihiro gave a slight smile, relieved that the experience had ended.

  —A bit of tea?— Kazuo asked, extending a cup.

  Akihiro felt a shiver and simply replied, —No, thanks.—