Seeing the two about to clash over such a trivial matter, Kurenai and the others quickly tried to intervene, mainly to calm Asuma down.
No one was particularly worried about Gen.
Everyone knew that if it came to a fight, Asuma would be the one at a disadvantage. Even Ebisu, his loyal follower, nervously urged him to back down.
But Asuma was stubborn. No matter how much they tried to dissuade him, he refused to listen.
Left with no other choice, the group shifted their persuasion to Gen, asking him not to lower himself to Asuma's provocation.
Gen only chuckled. "Don't worry, it's just a spar. Isn't it normal for shinobi to test themselves, expose weaknesses, and learn from each other so we can all grow stronger?"
With both sides unwilling to back down, the others had no choice but to give up.
The five of them left Kurenai's house and headed to a nearby training ground.
Even in autumn, the evergreens there kept the field covered in vibrant green. The sun was bright, the breeze cool—an oddly perfect day for a duel.
Gen and Asuma faced off in the open grass, while Kurenai, Yugao, and Ebisu stood together beneath the shade of a tree to watch.
"Hm, Kurenai… how long do you think Asuma can last?" Yugao whispered, lightly holding onto Kurenai's arm.
"I'm not sure." Kurenai shook her head.
"You've been with the captain since the Mist battlefield," Yugao pressed. "You should have some idea of his strength, right?"
"I do, but…" Kurenai's eyes softened. "Gen's strength is… hidden. In every battle I've seen, he handles things with effortless ease. His power is unfathomable."
Ebisu, overhearing, silently grumbled.
Was it really that exaggerated? She made it sound like Gen was stronger than the Hokage himself…
Back on the field, Asuma drew his chakra blades and slipped into a stance.
Gen, meanwhile, calmly unsheathed the Kusanagi sword from his hip. His Sharingan spun open as three tomoe gleaming and he sighed inwardly.
So, no one in the Sarutobi clan had ever warned Asuma? Not even to avoid looking directly into a Uchiha's eyes during battle?
If he wasn't going to be cautious, Gen would be insulting himself not to use genjutsu.
A gust of wind swept through the field. A single green leaf fluttered between them. The moment it passed, Gen cast his illusion.
Genjutsu: One Leaf Blindness!
This wasn't a standard Konoha or Uchiha genjutsu. It was one Gen had devised himself, inspired by a "one-leaf-blindness" spell from his past life, and a certain trick from a character named Shi Lan in Qin's Moon.
Within the illusion, a single leaf could blot out an entire mountain. To the victim, Gen's figure remained before them, fighting at full strength. But in reality, Gen vanished, slipping away with a body flicker to the tree line.
From Asuma's perspective, however, the duel had begun.
"Not fighting anymore?" Ebisu blinked as Gen casually leaned against the tree beside him, sheathing his blade.
"It's already over," Gen said lightly.
Clang.
The sword slid back into its scabbard, and Gen crossed his arms, leaning lazily against the trunk.
Ebisu: "???"
Meanwhile, Asuma charged forward, striking furiously at the illusionary Gen. From the outside, however, he was simply attacking empty air, twisting his body into dramatic, exhausting motions.
Yugao's lips twitched. "…He's fighting the air."
"Asuma's caught in genjutsu," Kurenai said softly. "If this keeps up, he'll collapse from sheer exhaustion."
She had expected this outcome as the gap between a jonin and a newly promoted chunin was vast, but seeing Asuma ensnared in a single instant was still shocking.
"What kind of illusion is this? Amazing…" Ebisu muttered.
"A little B-rank genjutsu I created," Gen replied calmly.
Yugao's eyes glimmered with admiration.
Gen glanced at Asuma flailing against the phantom. "By the way… didn't the Sarutobi clan teach him how to fight Uchiha? Who told him to stare straight into my Sharingan?"
"…Wait, you're not supposed to?" Ebisu asked blankly.
"It's not impossible," Gen explained. "If you run into one who isn't skilled with genjutsu, you might be fine. But if you face someone who is…" He tilted his head toward Asuma. "…well, this happens."
Ebisu frowned. "Then how do you tell if an Uchiha with their eyes open is a genjutsu specialist?"
Gen smirked. "You try it yourself."
Ebisu: "…"
"And even if they're not, the Sharingan still reads movements, copies ninjutsu and taijutsu. With equal strength, other shinobi don't stand a chance."
"I… really envy your clan's bloodline." Ebisu muttered, both jealous and frustrated. Kurenai and Yugao, despite themselves, felt a flicker of envy as well.
"If you're jealous, work harder," Gen said with a shrug.
"Can I catch up just by working hard?"
"No. But if you try hard enough, maybe you'll marry into the Uchiha clan. Your kid might awaken the Sharingan."
Ebisu's mouth twitched. You want me to train for the sake of marrying into your clan?
And yet… Uchiha women, Uchiha children… the thought was strangely tempting.
"Hmph. Should I change my life goals…?"
Gen cut his musing short. "Kurenai, Yugao come by my place for dinner tonight. Been a while since we ate together. I'll cook something good."
The two women exchanged a look, immediately recalling the hotpot from before. Their mouths watered at the memory, and they nodded almost in unison.
A man who was strong, charming, and could cook; what woman wouldn't be tempted?
"Ebisu, go pull Asuma out of it," Gen added lazily. "If he keeps this up, he'll burn through his stamina and chakra."
Indeed, Asuma had realized he was trapped, but conventional genjutsu-breaking methods weren't enough. Against such a wide gulf in strength, escape was nearly impossible.
Ebisu hurried over, placed his hands on Asuma, and injected his chakra, forcibly disrupting his flow. Two wrongs made a right, and Asuma finally staggered free.
He glanced around, pale and sweating. His cheeks burned crimson. Without a word, he turned and stormed off—too ashamed even to offer the customary sign of reconciliation.
After a moment's hesitation, Ebisu sighed and chased after him.
The fire had been stoked for so long, it'd be a shame to waste it now.