3 Chapter Three: Mastering Genjutsu – The Right Approach (Part 2)

Genjutsu worked by manipulating the five senses of the opponent. Most genjutsu relied heavily on visual cues; theoretically, closing one's eyes could nullify most genjutsu's effects.

"I see," Might Guy said, as if he had found a straightforward solution to dealing with genjutsu-type ninjas.

"You fool! How can you fight with your eyes closed? You won't be able to see your opponent's movements. That's like inviting your own death!" Obito sarcastically retorted. It was a rare moment for him to find a reason to feel superior over another underachiever like himself.

Had Kurenai known a bit more about Kenji, she might have realized that he had a talent for provoking his opponents, especially when it came to genjutsu specialists.

"Stick to your strategy then, but don't regret losing afterward," Kurenai Yūhi muttered with frustration. Without any hesitation, she threw two shuriken towards Kenji.

While she was a genjutsu ninja, it didn't mean she was limited to illusions. She was proficient with shuriken and kunai as well.

Kenji raised an eyebrow, then opened his eyes. This time, he faced a more aggressive attack from Kurenai. He dodged her shuriken deftly, revealing his keen reflexes.

Shuriken attacks, in general, were difficult to land on an opponent head-on. Kenji, in turn, swiftly pulled out a kunai from his pouch and deflected the shuriken.

"Clang!" The shuriken ricocheted off Kenji's kunai and fell to the ground.

"You were supposed to fight with your eyes closed, right?" Kurenai taunted Kenji, observing that he had opened his eyes during the fight.

Such verbal exchanges were typically allowed in battles as they could be part of psychological warfare.

Kurenai Yūhi was skilled at disturbing her opponents' mental state, but her intent in this instance was different; she just liked to trash talk for the sake of it.

"I did say that I'd close my eyes to counter your genjutsu. Did you use genjutsu just now?" Kenji asked with a deliberately ignorant expression, curious about her techniques.

The trio who knew Kenji well all thought in unison, "Ah, Kenji and his terrible personality."

This interaction only fueled Kurenai's anger. She felt played by Kenji, and in her frustration, she launched three shuriken at him once more.

Kenji deflected the shuriken again with his kunai, then continued, "Let's forget about shuriken for now. Don't you use genjutsu? If not, you'll lose. I'm much better at shurikenjutsu than you are."

Kurenai noticed that one shuriken had taken an unusual trajectory, circling around towards her.

"When did—"

She hadn't perceived any movement from Kenji, yet suddenly, a shuriken was flying towards her from an unexpected angle. Due to the shuriken's path avoiding her direct line of sight and rising at the last moment, its force weakened as it reached her. She quickly blocked it with her kunai.

"Clang!"

Kenji's attack seemed ineffective.

Kurenai was about to mock Kenji for his failed shurikenjutsu when someone yelled anxiously, "Watch out, it's Shadow Shuriken!"

"What?"

Kurenai Yūhi saw two shuriken approaching her—one above and one below, both following synchronized trajectories. The bottom shuriken hid in the shadow of the top one, skimming just ten centimeters above the ground. When the lower shuriken was about a meter away from Kurenai, it suddenly rose with incredible speed, aiming directly for her chest.

Alerted by the warning, Kurenai quickly realized the danger and dodged, barely avoiding the shuriken. It grazed her sleeve, leaving a shallow scratch on her arm.

Had she not been warned, that shuriken would have incapacitated her and caused injuries that would take weeks to heal.

"Genin Sarutobi, this is a one-on-one match. No one is allowed to interfere. If you disrupt the battle again, Kurenai Yūhi will immediately fail. Do you understand, Asuma?" Azezawa-sensei's voice carried a strong note of annoyance, disregarding Asuma's status as the Hokage's son. What could have been a decisive move had turned into an inconsequential attack due to Asuma's interference.

"Yes, sensei," Asuma Sarutobi replied, lowering his head in acknowledgment. He knew he had made a mistake. In that moment of seeing Kurenai in danger, he had shouted without thinking.

It was Asuma's responsibility that what could have been a game-changing move had turned into a minor injury.

The two shuriken's perfectly synchronized paths were indeed a remarkable feat, involving precise calculations related to magnetism, magnetic declination, and inclination correction. Kenji's explanation sounded more like gibberish to Kurenai, who hadn't heard these terms before.

"To simplify, a magnetic field is essentially an electric field; electricity and magnetism are inseparable. Thunder Release, at its core, is just an application of electricity," Kenji continued.

Kurenai Yūhi: ...

Teachers: ...

Classmates: ...

Everyone was mentally shouting, "What on earth are you talking about? We didn't understand a single word!"

They then looked at each other's reactions; some were nodding along, pretending they understood.

"Obito, do you understand what Kenji meant?"

Obito hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Oh, of course, I understand. Do you need me to explain it to you?"

Though Guy wasn't the quickest thinker, he wasn't about to be treated as a fool either.

After a meaningful glance at Kenji, Guy said, "No, no need. I think I understand."