"Interesting," Orochimaru said with a faint smile. "But I've heard about this already—your sword techniques rely heavily on visual cues, don't they? If I don't use my eyes at all… will you be helpless then?"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Orochimaru closed his eyes.
Yet he still charged straight toward Uchiha Ran with uncanny precision.
At the same time, his hands flew through seals. As he exhaled, compressed chakra burst from his mouth like bullets, firing multiple blades of wind that tore through the air toward Ran.
Another jutsu acquired.
Ran's three-tomoe Sharingan spun as he carefully recorded the technique—Vacuum Bullets.
This Wind Release was somewhat similar to Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire. By compressing chakra in the mouth and releasing it in short bursts, the user could fire it continuously, like a machine gun.
Orochimaru's breaths came in rapid succession, each exhale launching another invisible projectile, as if he intended to turn Ran into a living sieve.
Ran immediately sensed the danger.
The pressure carried by the Vacuum Bullets was immense, but with the Sharingan's insight, he could clearly see their trajectories and destructive potential.
The moment the wind blades reached him, Ran reacted.
He twisted aside with fluid motion, narrowly slipping past each attack. Even when airborne—normally the most dangerous state—he adjusted his posture midair like a nimble wildcat, evading the wind with breathtaking precision.
But he didn't stop there.
Using momentum in midair, Ran forcibly contorted his body, performing movements that bordered on the impossible. His form flashed like a crooked bolt of lightning, carving a graceful arc through the air.
At the same time, shuriken flew from his hands in rapid succession.
Through exquisite control and deliberate deflections—shuriken striking shuriken and altering their paths—each blade streaked toward Orochimaru like a flash of cold light.
They precisely sealed off Orochimaru's hand movements.
His seals were interrupted.
The Wind Release barrage ceased.
Orochimaru was forced to halt, momentarily trapped within the web Ran had laid out.
Noticing the thin wires intertwined behind the shuriken, Orochimaru paused, genuinely surprised.
"So precise," he murmured. "You've pinned me to a fixed position… impressive."
"Truly commendable," Orochimaru continued calmly. "Very Uchiha—such meticulous control."
Despite being restrained, he showed no trace of panic.
"Don't worry. Next, I'll put in a little more strength. I'll numb you properly."
"Ninjutsu—Ten—"
Before he could finish forming the seals—
Ran drew his blade.
Shing.
A soft, clear sound rang out.
"Open the path—Fleeting Life, Like a Dream."
"It's useless, Ran," Orochimaru said, halting his movements on purpose. "If I don't look at the blade or your Sharingan, you won't be able to control me with genjutsu."
He wanted to see what Ran would do next.
"Orochimaru-sensei," Ran replied calmly, "people improve. From every angle. Genjutsu doesn't rely solely on vision."
"…Hm?"
"What—why can't I move?"
"My chakra flow… it's interfering with my body's movement!"
The instant he sensed the disruption in his chakra circulation, Orochimaru forcibly altered its flow, regaining control of his body.
"…All right. All right," he said with a low laugh. "We'll end it here. You've truly broadened my horizons, Ran-kun."
As he spoke, Orochimaru opened his eyes.
At that exact moment, he saw Ran casually rotating the hilt of his blade, slowly sliding it back into its sheath. A faint, hazy aura still lingered along the steel.
"Elegant," Orochimaru said sincerely. "Very elegant. To think your genjutsu can be triggered through sound. Auditory genjutsu is exceedingly rare—I never expected to see it in you."
"You flatter me, sensei," Ran replied. "Humans have five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. In theory, all of them can serve as origins for genjutsu."
As Ran said, all five senses could be used as entry points for illusion.
Visual genjutsu was by far the most common—nearly all genjutsu in the shinobi world relied on sight.
Next came auditory genjutsu.
What Ran had just used was precisely that—by drawing his blade, the sound itself disrupted Orochimaru's chakra flow, creating a genjutsu-like effect.
As Orochimaru reflected on this, a new idea surfaced in his mind.
Sound… emotions… sensory manipulation…
Music—soft or strange—could calm the mind.
Violent, jarring sounds could induce fear and tension.
If emotions fluctuated, chakra would follow.
Interesting… very interesting.
"Ran-kun," Orochimaru asked after a moment, "can you already create genjutsu through other senses as well?"
"No," Ran answered honestly. "You overestimate me, Orochimaru-sensei. I can reference Kurenai-sensei for tactile genjutsu, but taste- and smell-based illusions… those are nearly impossible for now."
And that was the truth.
In any world, taste and smell were the hardest senses to manipulate with illusion.
They were deeply personal and subjective.
The same scent could be foul to one person and pleasant to another. The same flavor could evoke completely different reactions.
That made it nearly impossible to reliably disturb chakra through those senses alone.
Worse still, taste and smell were fleeting—once prolonged, the target would immediately grow wary.
Unlike sight and sound, which could be sustained and layered to create continuous illusions, smell and taste were easily disrupted by the environment.
Orochimaru pondered this for a long while before finally speaking.
"Ran-kun, I acknowledge your talent," he said. "But if you wish to truly become my disciple… there is still one more trial you must pass."
"Come with me."
With that, Orochimaru turned and headed deeper into the forest.
"Ran-kun," he said as they walked, "have you ever conducted experiments? Aren't you curious about the relationship between the human body, chakra, and kekkei genkai?"
As he spoke, Orochimaru glanced back—his gaze lingering briefly on Ran's eyes.
"I haven't conducted experiments myself," Ran replied calmly, "but clan records do mention that chakra originates from the Sage of Six Paths."
As Orochimaru continued onward, Ran already understood.
This isn't just deeper into the forest…
We're heading to his laboratory.
"Come," Orochimaru said, stopping before a mountain.
"If you can still choose to become my disciple after seeing what lies within—"
"Then I'll accept you."
He stood before the rock face.
And waited.
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