Where you going Kenji?

I'm going to meet a Kirigakure shinobi; he's been asking around for someone who can teach him Genjutsu and he was referred to me.

A Kirigakure shinobi? Why not find a teacher in Kiri?

Kenji shrugged his shoulders, I'm sure he has his reasons.

What if this is some covert operation by Kirigakure; they could be planning to assassinate you.

...

It's a possibility, but I don't sense it.

?!You haven't even met the guy yet!

Enough with the worrying, if he's a hostile I can defend myself. I'm going now.

Kenji arrived at battle plateau where the two shinobi agreed to meet. The blue haired shinobi was fully armed but his body language was casual. He stood but a few meters away from the Kirigakure shinobi, Hello, I was told you have an interest in learning Genjutsu. My name is Kenji, and I hope I can make this lesson as painless as possible. Kenji spoke amicably.


168

It was nearing his time limit, the amount of time he had set for seeking out a person that could teach him the art of Genjutsu before he would make his inevitable trip back to Kirigakure. Sure, he could extend it by a day or two, but there were other things he needed to take care of, and dealing with his original purpose took priority at the moment. The other could be held off for a short period of time. If it hadn't been for his reasoning to learn genjutsu, something he could incorporate in to his fighting style, he surely have wouldn't have come to Kumogakure. He could have easily found a teacher for another specialization, closer to home and less tedious to travel, though it would have never let him explore the outside world, nor have experienced what he did in Kumogakure.

Maybe this new character that he was told about would be able to help him out? Word had reached his ear, though it had taken quiet some time, about this Kenji Chikara character who had agreed to teach him the art, without any real need to convince him. The designated location, the battle plateau, that they had agreed upon that would be suitable to their needs, though with Yuudai mainly needing to know more about the art of implementing it, in minor applications for the moment, any location could fit their needs. He supposed if they wanted to get a bit more extravagant, they'd be able to deal with it. Suichi, whom Yuudai had decided to take with him, was waddling a little ways behind Yuudai, though his steps were purposely slow as Yuudai was in no rush to get the to plateau, he'd be there on time. Kirigakure clearly lacked such open locations, though he always did prefer the atmosphere of his home village, after all, he had spent the last twenty-two years of his life there. With both of his blades on his person, along with being dressed in his western clothes, Yuudai wasn't sure what they would need, but he'd rather keep his more precious belongings with him than leave them unattended at the hotel.

As he approached the designated location, Yuudai noticed a figure standing in the distance, the noticeable blue hair would probably be a dead giveaway to Yuudai for who the man was. While he hadn't met him previously, Yuudai was informed of the distinct feature, allowing Yuudai to be able to recognize the individual he had never met before. Once he was closer to the opposing shinobi, he heard him speak, greeting the Kirigakure-nin. "Hello, I was told you have an interest in learning Genjutsu. My name is Kenji, and I hope I can make this lesson as painless as possible." One thing was for sure, he seemed willing to teach. He let the painless comment slide, though let it linger in his mind momentarily. Though, there was aspects that made him weary as well, knowing that not everyone could possibly be as nice as they seemed. Deception was a key aspect of being a shinobi, and that of those specializing in genjutsu, making Yuudai more cautious of this individual. While he would remain aware, Yuudai wasn't worried about anything. An attack on his person wouldn't do good for relations between villages. Calmly, Yuudai would introduce himself, formality reasons and all. "It's nice to... meet you Kenji. I'm Aisu Yuudai." He knew his name still wouldn't draw to much attention to himself, only his village truly knew of his rise to becoming a Sannin of the village. It was the same with his knowledge of other Sannin from different villages - lacking. "I do hope we can get this done as soon as possible. Its close to the time I want to return to Kirigakure." It was better to be bluntly honest with the pacing he wanted to go at. He really just needed to learn on the basics, as he felt he'd be able to improve over time on his own.

The young man had a companion, a small penquin. Kenji didn't pay much attention, during his career as a shinobi he had seen many combat pets or simple companions; Gorillas, wolves, foxes, and more. 
"It's nice to... meet you Kenji. I'm Aisu Yuudai. I do hope we can get this done as soon as possible. Its close to the time I want to return to Kirigakure." Yes, Kenji thought, he was glad the two of them were on the same page and not fond of wasting time; Kenji would reciprocate the man's eagerness and get straight to what they were both here for. 




Splendid, I will be frank and hopefully thorough. Alright, let’s begin. Genjutsu is a basic utilization of Yin or spiritual energy. I’m sure you are knowledgeable of the composition of normal chakra. Kenji begins to pace back and forth gesticulating as he speaks. Chakra is composed of an equal amount Yin and Yang, or spiritual and physical energy. When you mold chakra you balance theses energies, once you have balanced the two, you can use chakra. When using Genjutsu, your chakra composition will have more Yin than Yang, the excess of spiritual energy allows one to extend their chakra outside of their body to the opponent’s brain, then manipulate the chakra flow in the brain, effectively disrupting their senses; once you’ve mastered molding a greater amount of spiritual energy you will find the releasing of chakra to inflict Genjutsu is identical to how you would release your normal chakra, requiring hand seals and such. The difficult part is the unbelievable chakra control necessary; I will discuss that in more detail later. Allow me to clear one thing up, you are not using just Yin, you’re still using chakra, but your chakra when initiating a Genjutsu has more Yin than Yang in its mixture. Now, the effect of a Genjutsu varies greatly and there are many variables that play a factor. How much chakra you expel, what part of the brain is targeted, and so on; but mostly, Genjutsu is limited only by your imagination. This is the premise behind the most basic of illusory techniques; you extend your chakra to your opponent’s brain and bam, they’re putty in your hands. However, more… sophisticated Genjutsu require triggers. A trigger is something that facilitates the manipulation of the opponent’s chakra flow, in their brain that is. If you affect a person’s vision, by having them look at a target, usually your eyes, it makes it easier to infiltrate the chakra network and enables greater control when manipulating the opposing chakra, most Genjutsu require a trigger. In some cases, the only way to successively invade another’s chakra is through a trigger. Triggers include affecting hearing, touch, smell, or even taste; there have indeed been Genjutsu that have taken advantage of taste; I’ve seen someone eat a pill, and in that pill was a Genjutsu. I digress; now that you know the mechanism to ensnare an opponent with Genjutsu I’ll give you the basic uses of Genjutsu. Kenji continues his lecture.

This type of specialty, as you already know is not like Ninjutsu or Taijutsu; Genjutsu does not under any circumstance physically harm the target, but makes them believe they are being physically harmed, causing mental pain by way of trauma. A Genjutsu is used to disrupt the 5 basic senses, which are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. This control over the chakra flow in the brain allows the Genjutsu user to create false images, making the opponent think you are somewhere you’re not allowing you to attack undetected. It can also be used to create false sounds, startling the opponent, giving them the impression there is another enemy in the vicinity. Genjutsu is also used to manipulate the sense of space and time. There is also a special subset of Genjutsu called Binding Genjutsu, this type of Genjutsu prohibits the target from moving, effectively immobilizing them, needless to say making them vulnerable. Now, Genjutsu has to be used with tact, my teacher a long time ago told me ‘if you use more than one Genjutsu in combat, you’re doing something wrong.’ Initially I didn’t understand, I love Genjutsu and I love to use it, but what my teacher was trying to convey to me was, Genjutsu in itself is a very delicate and to some a mysterious tool. Just wielding Genjutsu makes you a dangerous enemy, but only because of its inherent baffling nature. The delicacy of the skill is tarnished if it is overused because it essentially loses what makes it so dangerous. A Genjutsu user must plan out thoroughly when and how they want to use their Genjutsu so that when the trap is set, you are ready to pounce and take full advantage. With all that being said, you will find just having Genjutsu in your repertoire will make you a feared opponent, due to the foe not knowing what to expect; they must always be ready for a trap, and a master in this art is deadlier than the sharpest blade.

I would like to expound on the chakra control aspect of Genjutsu, because it is truly the most important part of successfully wielding Genjutsu. Near flawless chakra control is necessary for every step of using Genjutsu. First, when molding an excess of Yin your new chakra composition is wild and wispy, this is why the chakra extended to enact Genjutsu is USUALLY not visible. There are some people whose Genjutsu prowess is so strong to the point where they can’t control it. There is a clan where a Genjutsu user will come around occasionally who is so dangerous they can’t control their illusions, and anyone at anytime who is near the person is at risk of being hurt by the untamed Yin-heavy chakra. Once the chakra is released, you must manage how much chakra. I said earlier that releasing the chakra is easy, but controlling the chakra released… not so much. The stronger the Genjutsu the more chakra needed to afflict the intended apparition or manifestation; the more chakra used the harder it becomes to control the Yin-heavy chakra. For example, if you are attempting a basic Genjutsu, the Yin Yang ratio will not be that much different from your usual Yin Yang ratio, allowing you to control the chakra rather easily, since the composition is not that much different than your normal composition. However, the stronger the Genjutsu the greater the ratio or the difference between your chakra’s Yin Yang mixture, making it extremely difficult to manage properly, as a result much training and concentration is required to reach advanced levels of Genjutsu. If sufficient training has not been done, advanced Genjutsu will not work.

 Next, when you’ve managed to extend your chakra to the opponent, you have the necessary chakra but now you must aim and continue to exercise precise chakra control. Once you extend your chakra to the opponent’s brain, you use the control to manipulate the chakra flow in the central nervous system; this will disrupt the senses; at this point you determine the effect of the Genjutsu. Manipulating the chakra flow in the brain is actually a lot easier than most assume. You think of the hyperactivity of the brain, and you think that’s going to be extremely difficult to control. However, once your chakra is aimed properly and you’ve succeeded in extending your chakra to the opponent, the manipulation is quite natural and is very similar to controlling your own chakra flow.

Naturally, Genjutsu requires a sufficient knowledge of the chakra network and nervous system. You seem like an intelligent guy, so if you are not already well versed in the physiology of the body, I’m sure you can pick that knowledge up quickly enough independently. Heck, you can see any medic and they’ll give you a crash course on what part of the brain affects what, and how disturbances in one’s chakra flow affects the person. In summary, it takes impeccable concentration and chakra control to execute Genjutsu. It takes tact to successfully employ Genjutsu in combat. Lastly, a substantial knowledge of the nervous system and the body in general is required in order to use Genjutsu at its full potential.

I know that’s a lot at one time, and Genjutsu can get a bit confusing, so I apologize if all that was indeed too much. What I’ve just explained to you is the main reason why few shinobi practice Genjutsu; no one can deny its utility but it can be difficult to grasp. Also, the fact that Genjutsu doesn’t physically harm the opponent is why many stray away from the skill as well. Alright, do you have any questions or need me to clarify something before we move on to a short exercise.


1669

This Kenji character sure knew what he was talking about in regards to the art of genjutsu with the way he spoke. Soaking in all the information that Kenji had provided, all of it being somewhat familiar yet brand new at the same time. Suichi had decided to wander around the plateau for a while instead of bothering to listen to Kenji, Yuudai knew that the creature would do something along those lines, nor could he blame him, as Suichi wasn't the one learning genjutsu. "Splendid, I will be frank and hopefully thorough. Alright, let’s begin. Genjutsu is a basic utilization of Yin or spiritual energy. I’m sure you are knowledgeable of the composition of normal chakra." Yuudai recalled learning the basics of genjutsu from the academy, though the reminder was welcomed due to him being out of the academy for so many years that some information seemed to escape him. Genjutsu was never his area of expertise, but he hoped he'd be able to get the most out of the art itself. He knew he'd have to pay attention to the lesson, even if it seemed redundant to listen to things he could recall, though it would take him a bit to remember. "When using Genjutsu, your chakra composition will have more Yin than Yang, the excess of spiritual energy allows one to extend their chakra outside of their body to the opponent’s brain, then manipulate the chakra flow in the brain, effectively disrupting their senses; once you’ve mastered molding a greater amount of spiritual energy you will find the releasing of chakra to inflict Genjutsu is identical to how you would release your normal chakra, requiring hand seals and such. The difficult part is the unbelievable chakra control necessary; I will discuss that in more detail later." The provided information regard the use of genjutsu and the chakra behind it seemed to fit in theory, concerning the use of Yin over Yang in terms of the chakra used for the form. Genjutsu, being the art of deception, was something Yuudai knew on a basic level, though didn't study it much in terms of detail and the prowess behind it, nor in a practical sense either. He supposed that the more detailed and difficult concepts would be discussed in detain later once Kenji deemed it appropriate. All Yuudai really had to do has keep note of the important details and be able to use genjutsu in a practical sense. He'd be able to develop his own understanding of it later once he could utilize the art in battle. "Now, the effect of a Genjutsu varies greatly and there are many variables that play a factor. How much chakra you expel, what part of the brain is targeted, and so on; but mostly, Genjutsu is limited only by your imagination. This is the premise behind the most basic of illusory techniques; you extend your chakra to your opponent’s brain and bam, they’re putty in your hands." The bit of knowledge he could recall, mainly when he had convinced himself to learn genjutsu, he knew that genjutsu relied upon playing with the opponents senses, causing them to believe things to exist that weren't there. To alter there senses to believe things to be true, or void things completely. Illusions could be simple or complex, anything that one could possibly think of, thus the only limitation being that of one's own imagination, the barrier one places upon them self. That was one of the reasons why he sought out to learn genjutsu, but also for reasons that would aid him in battle, possibly for less violent solutions. "However, more… sophisticated Genjutsu require triggers. A trigger is something that facilitates the manipulation of the opponent’s chakra flow, in their brain that is. If you affect a person’s vision, by having them look at a target, usually your eyes, it makes it easier to infiltrate the chakra network and enables greater control when manipulating the opposing chakra, most Genjutsu require a trigger. In some cases, the only way to successively invade another’s chakra is through a trigger. Triggers include affecting hearing, touch, smell, or even taste; there have indeed been Genjutsu that have taken advantage of taste; I’ve seen someone eat a pill, and in that pill was a Genjutsu." While it was true that he knew about the various methods that one could trigger a genjutsu, he wasn't quiet aware of the portion that involved a pill, as he had never seen nor heard of it being used in a practical sense. He supposed that it would mainly be used for interrogating prisoners or even civilians, though getting a shinobi to consume something would arose suspicion, or at least from his perception. Sight, hearing, and touch seemed to be the ones Yuudai was familiar with from the old explanation he received when he was younger, though with good reason.

He continued to soak in the blue-haired mans explanation of genjutsu, not showing any emotions or signs on his face, except for the acknowledgement that he was taking this information to heart. Playing around with the senses, allowing people to see, feel and hear things that aren't actually there was one of the many reasons why Yuudai became interested in the art of genjutsu, the art of deceiving. Though it contradicted his person, as he would not be one for deceiving, the aspect of being able to end a battle without having to deal a killing blow, or even make it painless, was something that suited his character, and he knew that. In that sense, he knew it would be a good fit to go along with his skills in ninjutsu and bukijutsu. "Now, Genjutsu has to be used with tact, my teacher a long time ago told me ‘if you use more than one Genjutsu in combat, you’re doing something wrong.’" While Yuudai did believe Kenji to a certain extent in that portion of his explanation, Yuudai had a feeling that stringing multiple genjutsus, causing the opponent to become overwhelmed, would also be beneficial in certain circumstances, mainly when there would be a single opponent we didn't want to deal with, as long as they were susceptible to genjutsu, it would work in theory. With Kenji going on to state his personal experience, along with the how he view genjutsu, Yuudai would take that in to account for his future experiences when he used genjutsu, though he believed that it was best for him to learn through experience, to find out where he went wrong. Something that spars would be able to help him greatly in. He was still owed a spar from years ago that he could use eventually. Kenji stating that the art of illusions being deadlier than a blade wasn't necessarily a shock, due to believing that to a degree, but rather came off as something he could use to his personal advantage. As he'd be wielding both a blade and having access to genjutsu, a combination he thought would aid him in his protection of Kirigakure.

As Kenji reached the chakra control portion of his lecture, which he assumed would be followed by practical practices, as he'd need some experience with it to actual be able to know more about it, his attention started to peak. Chakra control would be a key aspect of genjutsu, one he'd have to keep note of and use in practice. The note he truly took in to account, storing it in his mind, was of controlling the chakra released, something he wasn't familiar with in the degree he needed. Control would be needed at all levels, whether it ranged from simple jutsus of lower ranks to more complex, deadly jutsus of higher ranks. The control would also be needed to make a smooth transition for the person sensors, to alter their senses gradually. The rest just flew in, things he could put together regarding the process of when his chakra would affect his opponent, the process of controlling the chakra, molding it into an illusion and ultimately disrupting the senses of his opponent. It would be a new feeling, allowing his chakra to affect an individual, but he knew it'd be like another nature to him, one that would come naturally over the flow of time, like his skills with kenjutsu. The slight comment Kenji had made, along with the information he provided to succeed in genjutsu, relating to the physiology of the human body, he'd be able to pick up pretty quickly. Kiri had quiet a few medics, some of which he knew of, who would more than likely help. If not, he knew he'd indulge himself in to seeking it out himself.

It certainly was quiet a bit to take in at once, especially when diving in to a brand new field, one he had limited experiences with. He was thankful for Kenji's input about the different ways to utilize genjutsu, though he knew there was a lot more that he'd find out through personal experiences, as that was the best way to improve. "That was quiet..... informative. A lot to take in at once, but I suppose its better than nothing, with the limited amount of time I have remaining here. I don't necessarily have any questions at the moment, just simple curiosity that will be eased over time. I find that experience is the best way for me to learn more, and to answer questions that would come up. Maybe after the exercise a few questions may arise, maybe not." He was speaking honestly, though he clearly sure what he'd want answered, as it may just confuse him further. The result, him wanting to go through trial and error on his own.

"That was quite..... informative. A lot to take in at once, but I suppose its better than nothing, with the limited amount of time I have remaining here. I don't necessarily have any questions at the moment, just simple curiosity that will be eased over time. I find that experience is the best way for me to learn more, and to answer questions that would come up. Maybe after the exercise a few questions may arise, maybe not."

Okay then, the first thing we’re going to do is mold chakra with a tad bit more Yin than Yang. This composition will almost be identical to your normal composition, so if you concentrate you will be able to control it. To simplify, Genjutsu is the extension of your chakra to your opponent’s brain. So just release the chakra and extend it to me. Simple enough right, if you lose control though you won’t be able to aim it and it will bypass me; so don’t forget to concentrate.

Kenji knew it was dangerous to let an inexperienced shinobi infiltrate his chakra system, so Kenji activated his kekkai genkai. Also, he didn’t actually know this guy, so for all he knew he could be even more skilled in Genjutsu than him. Kenji chose the “better safe than sorry” method, for the purpose of the training his kekkai genkai would still allow him to know if a Genjutsu was present and that was all that mattered.

One last thing, usually once your chakra is extended to another’s you will feel their chakra somewhat become yours, allowing you to further manipulate it, some think this is a unique property of Yin or spiritual energy, I eluded to this earlier. Anyway, you will not be able to manipulate my chakra due to reasons I cannot disclose. However, the purpose of this training is extension, not manipulation. If your chakra reaches mine you will feel it be rejected, and if you feel this rejection that means you’ve succeeded in extending your chakra to mine, and that is Genjutsu. Go for it.


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255/270:

So he'd have to concentrate his chakra, causing it to extend towards Kenji and ultimately see if that worked, or rather if he had a grasp on the control needed for genjutsu. Glancing from the corner of his eye, Yuudai noticed Suichi sitting on the ground, watching the two of them, though it was clear that he had nothing else to do at the current time. Shifting his attention back to Kenji, Yuudai felt it was best to start off slow, just gain a grasp of what he was going to do before he went ahead and attempted to use genjutsu, or a variety of, for the first time. The slightest shift in his hands, a little bit of anxiousness on his part, for his very first attempt was present. He knew it'd stay around for the first few times he would attempt genjutsu, and he didn't expect it to disappear any time soon either, not until he was proficient in the art.

The first thing he was instructed to do was to mold his chakra, using more Yin than Yang, something that he never truly attempted. It was weird, trying to tilt the balance in the favor of one aspect of chakra than the other. Kenji did state that he'd need to concentrate, though he believed it would eventually become of second nature to him later on; as he would become more accustomed to it in the future, his focus shifted to the chakra he would release. Release then extend it towards Kenji. The exercise wouldn't be exhausting on his chakra reserves, but rather his mentality depending how long it would take and how much concentration it would truly take.

As the rest of Kenji's words began to register, mainly the words of him not being able to manipulate Kenji's chakra brought about a round of questions; questions that wouldn't be asked. Maybe it was a special ability he possessed. A kekkei genkai? Possibly. Though there could be other reasons for him to say as such. It didn't particularly matter to Yuudai at this moment, as the exercise mainly needed for him to extend his chakra, the manipulation would probably come fairly easily afterwards. The Sannin of Kirigakure no Sato didn't have much to worry about, he knew if something was attempted, Suichi could easily intervene, and the creature possessed his own unique skill set. He had to make so that when his chakra was extended that he'd be sensitive to the message it would send back to him, rejection. It was odd, but he supposed Kenji was also weary of his own capabilities, just like Yuudai was of Kenji's.

He started off by basing it off of normal ninjutsu, the one he was most used to at this point in time. That was normal chakra. He needed to tip the scale in favor of the Yin, to allow this exercise to be executed properly. While he never truly did this before, being used to the perfectly fine balance beforehand, he supposed that the only difficulty would be altering the balance. Being so accustomed to the ways of regular chakra, that took on physical forms, Yuudai took a while for his chakra to mold differently, for the Yin to tip the balance. It was difficult to measure how much more he needed, but he supposed just a decent, noticeable amount would do. Nothing too far out, just a slight tip of the scale. Like pouring glasses of water, though allowing one to have a fair amount more. Not too significant, yet still noticeable. With the chakra balanced, well not balanced, but rather shifted, he began to extend it. Sure it wouldn't have a physical form or appearance, but he could still feel where his chakra would be extending to; towards Kenji. It'd be a matter of moments before he'd feel something, or nothing. He just hoped he was doing it right for the time being.

Kenji watched as the shinobi from Kirigakure concentrated and made his attempt to convert his normal chakra into a more spiritual form. He seemed to have the hang of it thus far. Kenji's sensitivity to Yin was greatly increased due to his special ability which would allow him to detect the presence of Yin in contact with him. The chakra grabbed a hold of Kenji's chakra flow and was immediately repelled by a sudden eruption in his chakra flow. Kenji could feel a chill run throughout his entire body. "Whoever this guy is, his chakra is strong." Kenji had a look of worry on his face, and then gave a slight smile. "Well, I must say I'm impressed. You've just used Genjutsu. Like you said earlier experience is the best teacher, you will improve in the art with practice and time. That is all I have to teach you, I hope you've found the lesson informative and helpful. I wish you safe travels back to your village." With that, Kenji nodded and made his way off the Plateau.

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250/270:

So, he had managed to do it correctly. While he hadn't been able to get a word out to the man who just taught him the art of genjutsu, though he still let out his acknowledgement, muttering out a quiet 'thank you' that would be lost in the vastness of the distance between them. He had managed to accomplish the task he set out to do, albeit later than anticipated, though there was a bright side to it all. He'd be going home. Not alone, but knowing he'd be returning to the village he grew up in, with the people he wanted to protect, it could almost be classified as antsy, though his visual cues never seemed to show it. Turning around, with a gentle grace, Yuudai motioned for Suichi to follow, who did not hesitate. There were just a few things he needed to wrap up in Kumogakure, though most of it revolved around his departure of the village.