CH_4.34 (134)

CH_4.34 (134)

Takuma sat in the same tatami room he had when he first visited the family home of arguably the most important Uchiha in the village. A cool breeze flew into the room from the wide-open sliding doors beyond which a picturesque garden presented a stunning scenery.

Takuma retrieved a brand-new notebook and pen from his bag and placed them in front of him. He wiggled his toes, recalling the basics of genjutsu he had read in preparation for the first lesson. His debut in the ninjutsu category had taken priority, rendering him unable to devote enough time to the pre-read, making him nervous; he didn't want to appear as a fool.

The door to the room slid open, and Uchiha Mikoto entered with a plate of refreshments. She flashed him a smile as she sat in front of him. Takuma stared at the green tea steaming in beautifully hand-crafted ceramic cups.

"You may sit with your legs crossed if you're uncomfortable," she said.

He was sitting with his legs tucked beneath him, and indeed, it wasn't a position he was comfortable with as he always sat on chairs or crossed his legs on the floor.

Takuma felt a heat come up to his face. "Thank you for your concern, ma'am," he said but didn't change his position from the seiza. It was better if he got used to it.

"Suit yourself," said Mikoto and picked up an alarm clock from the plate and placed it to the side but not before starting the 45-minute timer. "Let's start with the easiest and most difficult question regarding the topic. What is genjutsu? I have had discussions with many regarding the definition— some think it's not important. In contrast, others believe that if you don't understand the basic definition, how would you practice it properly."

Takuma gave the question a thought. He was of the mind that a definition of such a broad topic wasn't important as a few lines couldn't encompass the entire meaning, but he gave it a try nevertheless. "Genjutsu is a classification of jutsu, which allows a user to influence a target's mind through their senses," he said, keeping it short.

"I was expecting more, but that is a valid definition," Mikoto elegantly picked up her teacup to take a sip. "If I had to add something, I would elaborate a little more. As you said, genjutsu influences the mind— and 'mind' is the correct word over the brain— as genjutsu doesn't change the physical structure of the brain, but it does influence the electric and chemical processes which are happening in your brain..."

'So, like influencing the software instead of the hardware,' said Takuma internally. He had once read about the difference between the brain and the mind on "ELI5." Brain was the hardware, while the mind was the operating system software which the hardware ran on. Of course, he didn't say any of it out loud.

"Additionally, I would specify how genjutsu influences the mind. Genjutsu alters the target's ability to perceive reality. Have you ever been under a genjutsu that showed you the impossible?" she asked. Takuma nodded, recalling the time during the basic training final tournament when he had been shown building-height stone golems by someone from the Yuhi clan. "Then you will know that deception of the senses isn't an apt description when put in the larger context, which is why altering reality perception is a better descriptor."

Takuma thought back to his experiences and offered an example. "Like Genjutsu: Binding. The user binds the opponent in a genjutsu, rendering them incapable of movement. They truly believe that there's a restriction that they can't break."

Nenro used Genjutsu: Binding liberally during their spars. He had stopped using it on Takuma because it never worked, but in the past, Takuma felt like there was a jute rope around him. Masaaki, however, saw iron chains instead of rope— but eventually, Masaaki stopped seeing anything physical and felt like he had been paralyzed. It told Takuma that genjutsu could change depending on the target.

"A good observation," said Mikoto. "Have some tea before it gets cold."

Takuma looked down at the ceramic cups before him. He looked up at Mikoto. "You'll need a stronger genjutsu to trap me, ma'am." Takuma raised his hand and casted a kai to break the genjutsu. The steaming tea disappeared from the two ceramic cups.

Mikoto looked surprised.

"There's a reason why I asked to be taught genjutsu, ma'am," said Takuma. "I'm well aware that not everyone has the mental capacity to use genjutsu. I have the aptitude. D-rank genjutsu doesn't work properly on me; I can see right through them."

"Fair enough, I shall follow your lead," Takuma bowed a little.

"Every genjutsu, no exceptions, works by disrupting the normal working of the mind and twisting it into something desirable for the user. The question arises: how does one disrupt the mind? It's not like the body where you break a bone and call it a day," said Mikoto.

"Through chakra," said Takuma.

"Correct." Mikoto continued, "Due to the presence of the chakra pathway network, which is laid in every corner of the body, it's the perfect target for a genjutsu user to get their hooks in a person. Chakra is an essential part of everyone, even for those who go without using it in their lives, because it's the life force at the core of every living being. By influencing chakra, you can control the mind, and once you get the mind, you get the entire person.

"A question for you: how does one go about influencing another person's charka flow?" she asked.

Takuma knew the answer. "Through the sensory organs. The chakra pathway network is enmeshed within the body, transporting the chakra through the body and each organ as the circulatory system does blood. The density of chakra pathways increases near the sensory organs, making them the optimal entry point as they are the most easily influenced by external forces. By controlling the chakra in pathways around the sensory organs, one could have that exploited chakra circulated to the brain, where it could spread along the entire cerebral nervous system. The senses are our connections to the world around us; we need them to perceive our environment and interact with our surroundings. Our brain receives the signals from our sensory organs and converts them into what we actually perceive. There's a direct connection between them, and once we can get a hold of the chakra flow in the cerebral nervous system, we can feed the brain fake sensory inputs, which the mind will interpret as the reality."

"You did some studying on your own; very well done," Mikoto sounded happy. "Everything you said is correct. If you wish to cast a genjutsu, you may use any of the five senses. Every sense has its advantages and disadvantages.

"Sight as an entry point is the fastest option, and research done on vision-based genjutsu outstrips everything else combined— Hearing allows the user to cast genjutsu from incredible distances, many consider it the most dangerous— Smell creates the strongest connection due to how our brain store memories, and can be the hardest to break— Taste as an entry point is surprisingly the most balanced option, but it's also the most restrictive— and finally, Touch is the least conspicuous and allows the user to take their time to create a strong connection."

Takuma wrote everything down before his eyes went to Mikoto's eyes which had returned to their onyx color. He mused—

"The genjutsu cast using the Sharingan is all vision based," said Mikoto.

Takuma was startled. He bowed his head and apologized.

"You don't need to apologize for simple curiosity, Takuma," she said. "And it's not like that fact a secret. No one else has contributed more to the research on vision-based genjutsu than any other entity not only in the Hidden Leaf but in the entire Elemental Nations. Your position in the Police Force will give you access to a lot of that research. I would advise you to make thorough use of those resources."

It was decided what Takuma was going to be reading for the next several months.

Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to Patreón []. Link here and in signature.

Note: All the chapters will eventually be posted on public forums.