Chapter 20: The Power of Illusion
"W-what did you say, sensei?! We passed?"
Whether it was Kiba, Shino, or Hinata, their faces were a picture of astonishment, a daze of disbelief mixed with surprise.
"Passed? Really?" Hinata's small face flushed, her smooth, delicate skin tinged with a light pink from excitement, making her look utterly adorable.
Even Aizen was taken aback. He hadn't expected Kurenai to change her mind and allow all four of them to pass.
"Do you know what the most important quality for a ninja is?" Kurenai looked at their stunned faces with a relieved smile. "A ninja must be calm and cautious to complete their missions. But the most important element of all is their comrades!"
The four genin stared intently at Kurenai, feeling the profound weight of the word "comrade" in her earnest gaze.
"A ninja must never turn their back on the enemy, but they must be able to entrust their back to their comrades. This is the essence of teamwork."
Kurenai's eyes were firm, her stern expression giving her a heroic air.
"Originally, you had failed the assessment. However, you quickly realized the meaning of teamwork. Therefore, you have earned the right to become ninja."
Hearing these words, bright smiles of relief and joy broke out on all their faces. The earlier gloom was completely swept away, their fighting spirit restored. After all their hard work at the Academy, they had finally become Genin.
"From today onward, I will lead you on missions. Our team will be known as Konoha's Team 8!" Kurenai gave them a thumbs-up, her beautiful face graced with a warm, charming smile. Her unique temperament—a blend of rigor and gentleness—made her impossible not to like.
"Awesome! We're finally ninja!" Kiba cheered, practically shouting with joy. Aizen stood beside him, a slight, seemingly ecstatic smile on his own face. His handsome features maintained their usual gentle, humble expression.
"Don't celebrate too soon," Kurenai cautioned. "Before we start taking missions, there's one more thing we must do. As your instructor, I will be teaching you ninjutsu to help you grow."
She continued proudly, "While I am not a master of all ninjutsu, I am one of Konoha's foremost experts in one area. Therefore, my primary instruction will focus on Genjutsu."
"Genjutsu?!"
Hinata, Kiba, and Shino nodded in understanding. They had learned at the Academy that ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu were the three core combat skills of a shinobi. Iruka had taught them the most basic Lightning Release ninjutsu, but not every student could learn it, as it required a specific chakra nature. Genjutsu was different; it had no elemental requirement, relying solely on talent and skill.
"Perhaps you have no real concept of true genjutsu. Watch closely. This is one of my signature techniques."
Kurenai smiled slightly, her hands flying through a series of seals. In just a few seconds, her figure began to distort and warp before their eyes, vanishing completely from their sight.
"Impossible! Where did she go?" The three genin were dumbfounded. Kurenai had disappeared without a trace right in front of them. Aizen's expression was equally one of surprise, though a trace of imperceptible disdain was hidden deep within his pupils.
"Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death."
Kurenai's sweet voice seemed to come from nowhere. The four genin tensed, about to turn and look, when they were shocked to find thick, gnarled tree roots erupting from the ground at their feet. The roots rapidly twisted and grew, forming into the trunk and branches of a large tree. The wooden limbs wrapped around them tightly, binding them completely and rendering them immobile.
"Dammit! What kind of technique is this?!" Kiba struggled desperately, but he couldn't move an inch. The branches constricted around his body, making it difficult to breathe.
"It's over, kids."
Suddenly, Kiba felt a cold sensation against his neck. He looked down to find Kurenai pressing the sharp edge of a kunai against his throat.
Kurenai's figure had reappeared behind the four of them, a sharp kunai held at each of their necks. With the slightest pressure, she could easily end their lives.
"This is genjutsu," she explained calmly. "It can take an enemy's life before they even know what's happening. Once caught in my Tree Binding, you are tightly bound and unable to move. The only way to break free is to dispel the illusion. However, that is, of course, impossible for someone of your current level... unless you are a true, heaven-defying genius."
Kurenai's unhurried explanation drove home the power of genjutsu. In her view, it was only natural that the four genin had been caught. After all, they were just rookies. Only a prodigious genius specializing in genjutsu could see through her technique, and unfortunately, none of the four seemed to be that.
'Only a genius can break it?' Aizen mused inwardly. A faint blue light, invisible to others, flickered deep within his pupils as he called upon the power of Kyōka Suigetsu.
Suddenly, the branches binding him loosened. His hand shot up, grabbing the kunai at his neck and moving it away.
"This... how is this possible?!"
Kurenai stared, her mouth agape, as Aizen performed this simple action. A storm of disbelief raged in her heart.
Because Aizen had just shattered her illusion.