Chapter 7 - A Perfect Genjutsu?

"Alright now, let's get started. First I'll explain to you what genjutsu techniques are and we'll go from there, sounds good?"

Mikumo nodded firmly.

"Mhm, sounds good."

"The basis of genjutsu is yin style jutsu that affects the opponent's spirit, making them see illusions. Powerful illusions can trick victims into thinking that the illusion is real, which is needed for binding style genjutsu. You have the Kurama clan's bloodline in your body, if you unlock your kekkei genkai, your genjutsu can become so powerful that it'll affect your opponent's five senses, causing physical injuries to occur in the real world. The basis of all genjutsu techniques uses yin style, so the more talented you are in it, the more real your illusions will feel, and the hardest it'll be for your opponents to free themselves even if they know they are in a genjutsu. Do you have any questions thus far?"

Mikumo thought for a moment and then raised her head.

"Sensei, how do people know if they are trapped in a genjutsu?"

"Good question, well the simplest answer is instinct. Most well-trained ninjas guard their minds against genjutsu as it can be very deadly to fall for illusions, they'll constantly keep track of their surroundings in their minds and make note of any changes."

Mikumo nodded at the explanation.

'Okay, that makes sense, but then...what if...'

"Sensei, so what happens if my enemy doesn't free themselves from the genjutsu, would they be trapped forever?"

"No, the genjutsu is maintained by you, the caster. It depends heavily on your imagination and your ability to utilize yin nature chakra. Creating a convincing illusion against alert enemies is hard enough, without you trying to maintain it."

"Okay, so if I use an illusion to make myself invisible, would I be able to approach my enemies without them noticing?"

"To a certain extent, this is what most genjutsu start with, the point of using an illusion is to hide from your enemies and sneak attack them. However, hiding discrepancies, in reality, can be hard. Such as smell, sound, light reflection, footsteps, and the wind that's blocked by your body, everything must be carefully accounted for if you want to fool an experienced ninja. This is impossible for most people, which is why most genjutsu is not purely for invisibility but involve summoning illusionary clones or other things to attack the opponent and keep them distracted from finding your real body."

Mikumo paid close attention to every word spoken by Sakumo and carved them into her mind.

"I got it, so what if I really can recreate every sensation accurately to hide my presence, would I be truly invisible?"

Sakumo held his chin for a moment and thought about it.

"Well, in theory, yes, but there is one more issue. This type of powerful genjutsu would take a lot of mental power, never mind spiritual energy to do perfectly. You might be able to trap one person at most, and ninjas usually work in teams. If you only trap one person their teammates will be able to free them. It's important to note that if you want to trap more than one person, it's not as simple as doing the same thing, just with another person. The second person is in a different position, they have a different perspective that must be warped by your illusion. This is true for as many people as you want to affect, so you can see how unfeasible it is to try to trap multiple people in such a perfect genjutsu, it would take way too much chakra and mental energy. Remember, shinobi are a naturally suspicious bunch, the closer to perfection a genjutsu is, the harder it is to actually pull off."

"I see, okay then, what if I create an illusionary clone to distract my enemies? They would be focused on the clone and might not notice small discrepancies in my illusion to hide my main body."

Sakumo then nodded happily.

"Yes, now you understand why genjutsu involves more than just hiding. This would work, however, at the end of the day your illusion clones are just illusions, they can't hurt the enemy and they would notice that and realize they are in a genjutsu."

At this time, Mikumo then had a smug smile on her face.

"Well, what if I can trick my opponent into thinking the illusion clone is real? For example, with the Kurama clan kekkei genkai."

"Then..."

Sakumo paused and thought deeply, running through numerous scenarios from his battle experience memories.

"Then...you would truly be one of the most dangerous shinobi to have ever existed, haha."

Mikumo beamed with delight.

"Really!? It's possible?"

Sakumo laughed harder and nodded.

"Yes, truly. However, a perfect genjutsu like this would definitely be S-rank. Oh, jutsu are ranked by their difficulty to learn and their overall ability. S-rank would be the hardest and most powerful. Not to mention, if you plan to make base it off a clone, the illusion clone can't exceed your normal combat capacity, so your clone will only be as strong as you are, even if it's an illusion. But this downside is not necessarily a negative, the more perfect your clone is to your own ability, the harder it'll be for your opponents to realize they're in a genjutsu."

"Okay got it, I guess my final question would be, what happens if my opponent does find out they are in a genjutsu?"

"Well, no jutsu can be perfect. If they discover they are in a genjutsu, they can free themselves by disrupting their chakra. With a high-level genjutsu such as this, it might take them some more effort and chakra compared to normal, but it's not impossible. Almost any Jounin and above would probably be able to escape with enough effort."

Mikumo frowned a little and thought some more.

'Oh, but what about the Second Mizukage's genjutsu with his clam? That couldn't be broken without finding the jutsu caster, but how do I bring it up...'

"Is there any type of genjutsu that can't be broken unless you find the jutsu caster?"

Sakumo rubbed his hair and then closed his eyes to think for a moment. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes as if he remembered something.

"Yes, there is, but I don't know how it works. I've heard tales about how the Second Mizukage of the Kirigakure used a combination jutsu with his giant clam summoned beast to achieve such a feat. However, I don't know how it works so I couldn't tell you."

Mikumo was a little disappointed upon hearing that.

'Damn, how am I gonna find a giant clam? Never mind the fact that I don't even want something like that as my summon anyway.'

Seeing Mikumo's disappointed face, Sakumo thought for a while longer before speaking.

"Well, I'm not a genjutsu expert anyway, I can introduce you to a friend, his name is Shinku Yuhi, and he might be able to help you."

Mikumo's frown turned into a smile as that name triggered a memory in her mind.

'Kurenai's father? He didn't really get much mention in the anime or manga but Kurenai was considered a genius in genjutsu, so it makes sense that her father would be good with genjutsu as well.'

"Okay! Awesome! Thank you, sensei!"

Sakumo smiled and scratched his cheek.

"Haha, this is the least I can do for my student. Alright now, I'm going to teach you an easy C-Rank genjutsu. Pay attention to the hand signs."

"Yes, sensei!"