The battlefield was still, the air thick with the residue of chakra and the lingering tension of the exchange. Renjiro stood motionless, his left eye contracted, his gaze locked onto Minato's face. The Mark had fully completed; the three-second visual tether had done its work, and the invisible seal had embedded itself in the Hokage's chakra network. Before Minato could teleport away, Mirror of the Branded activated; no flashy attack, no explosion, just instant eye contact.
Time seemed to slow from Renjiro's EMS perspective; he watched as the genjutsu took hold, as Minato's awareness shifted from the present to the depths of his own memories. The Hokage's eyes unfocused, his body going still, his chakra beginning to fluctuate in irregular patterns. Renjiro observed everything with clinical precision; the pulse increasing, the breathing changing, the subtle twitches that indicated the struggle between consciousness and illusion. Exactly like Orochimaru, exactly like the Iwa spy, except Minato's chakra control was absurd; his body unconsciously resisted, fighting against the foreign influence that had invaded his mind. Still, he could not wake. The genjutsu was too deep, too complete, too perfectly tailored to the Hokage's psyche.
Renjiro watched the fluctuations with analytical detachment; he could see Minato's chakra attempting to stabilise, trying to find a rhythm that would allow him to break free. But the Mirror of Regret was relentless; it fed on the victim's own memories, using their deepest traumas as weapons against them. Minato's body was fighting, but his mind was trapped in an endless loop of regret and failure. The Hokage was experiencing every mistake he had ever made, every moment of weakness, every loss that had shaped him into the leader he had become. It was a brutal assault, but it was also a revelation; Renjiro was seeing the man behind the legend, the vulnerabilities that Minato kept hidden from the world.
While Minato was unconscious, Renjiro studied everything. He could feel the Hokage's chakra reserves slowly depleting, not violently, but steadily, like water seeping through a crack. He concluded that the barrier had not been enough; Minato had still broken it, and the Flying Thunder God remained the bigger issue. The barrier had delayed him, but nothing more. Renjiro was not frustrated; he was disappointed. He had expected more from his countermeasure.
The barrier delayed him, he thought, his internal voice carrying the weight of his analysis, but it didn't stop him. I need something stronger. Something that can actually prevent the teleportation. The Flying Thunder God is too fast, too precise, too adaptable. I need to understand it before I can hope to counter it.
He deactivated the Susanoo; the emerald armor dissolved, the skeleton disappearing, the pressure vanishing. He saw no point in keeping it active; if Minato could still reach him, then this was not the answer. The Susanoo was a fortress, but it was not impenetrable; it was a weapon, but it was not invincible.
He began breaking down the Flying Thunder God in his mind. What were its limits? Range, chakra cost, multiple marks, momentum, and the ability to bypass barriers? Could barriers interfere with the technique? Could seals erase marks? Could marks overwrite each other? Could marks be detected? Could marks be redirected?
He realised that he had been trying to counter something he did not fully understand; that was very unlike himself. He had always been a strategist, a planner, someone who prepared for every contingency. But the Flying Thunder God was so complex, so multifaceted, that he had not even known where to begin.
Knowledge first, he concluded, his internal voice firm. Counters later. I need to study the Flying Thunder God before I can hope to defeat it. I need to understand its principles, its mechanics, its limitations. Only then can I develop a countermeasure that will actually work.
He thought about the possibilities; if he could learn the Flying Thunder God, he could use it to enhance his own abilities, to create new techniques, to revolutionise the way he fought. But that was a distant goal; for now, he needed to focus on the immediate challenge.
He sensed a pulse; Minato's chakra shifted, and the Mirror of Regret was still active. Renjiro realised that he had left Minato inside long enough. He sighed, his left eye relaxing, and the illusion collapsed.
Reality returned to Minato with violent intensity. He was not simply opening his eyes; he was being dragged out of drowning, his body gasping for air that had not been lacking. His eyes widened, his body tensed, and his immediate combat posture snapped into place. He looked around, brief disorientation clouding his features, and then he realised that Renjiro was standing there smiling. The Hokage's chest heaved as he drew in deep breaths, his hands still raised in a defensive position, his eyes still searching for threats that were no longer there.
"Who doesn't learn now?" Renjiro said, his voice smug, relaxed, carrying the particular warmth of someone who had just turned the tables.
Minato demanded answers, his voice carrying the weight of genuine curiosity. He had been caught off guard, and he wanted to understand how.
"What… was that?"
Renjiro deactivated his EMS and looked confused, as if the answer were obvious.
"Have you forgotten?"
He referenced their earlier spar, when Kushina had accidentally become the first witness to his genjutsu. He explained that it was not entirely new, just stronger. The Mark of Dominion had evolved, and the Mirror of Regret had become more potent, more complete, more immersive.
Minato remembered; the difference was clear. Previously, he had noticed the eye contact. Now, he had never even sensed the casting. The genjutsu had been seamless, invisible, utterly undetectable until it was already too late.
"I didn't even sense you casting it," he said, his voice carrying the weight of his realisation.
Renjiro smiled.
"You're not the only one placing marks anymore."
He did not elaborate. Silence followed. The implication hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
Minato had prepared for this spar, had watched Renjiro's eyes, had known that genjutsu was possible, and he had still lost. Questions flooded his mind; could it be stopped? Could it be sealed? Could it be removed? He had no answers. For probably the first time in years, Minato felt genuinely uncertain.
Renjiro noticed Minato thinking and asked, his voice carrying the weight of genuine concern.
"Are you alright?"
Minato confirmed that the left eye ability was what Renjiro had used. Renjiro nodded, stating that it had evolved with the EMS and was far stronger than before. Minato connected the dots; he realized why this version felt different. Compared to the Kushina spar, it was deeper, harder to resist, more complete, and more immersive. He openly acknowledged it.
"What does the right eye do?" Minato asked, his voice carrying the weight of simple curiosity.
Renjiro narrowed his eyes, his mood shifting.
"If I didn't know you better," he said, his voice carrying the weight of suspicion, "…I'd think this spar was simply to investigate my new eyes."
Minato smiled, no deception in his expression.
"If you're ever curious about anything I can do," he said, his voice open and trusting, "…ask."
Renjiro sighed.
"Not everyone enjoys being an open book."
Minato was not sure if that was praise or criticism; he genuinely could not tell.
Renjiro made a proposal, his voice carrying the weight of his determination.
"I want another round."
Minato blinked.
"We haven't even decided a winner."
"I can't have you walking away believing you beat me in speed," Renjiro replied, his voice carrying the weight of professional pride. This was not ego; it was a desire to test himself, to push his limits, to understand the extent of his new abilities. He wanted to see if he could counter the Flying Thunder God, if he could adapt to the Hokage's speed, if he could find a way to turn the tables.
Minato laughed, then stopped, looking carefully at Renjiro.
"Ooh… you're serious."
Renjiro said nothing. Instead, his eyes slowly reopened, and his EMS activated.
=====
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