"What's the matter?" Kakashi asked with a hint of confusion in his tone.
"That's right. Kurenai has been practicing genjutsu recently. I was hoping you could offer some guidance," Asuma said, sounding slightly embarrassed. After all, his relationship with Kakashi wasn't particularly close, and making such a request felt a bit awkward.
Still, for Kurenai's sake, Asuma swallowed his pride.
There weren't many genjutsu specialists left in Konoha. Kurenai Yuhi's father, Yuhi Shinku, had been one of the most accomplished in the field, but he had perished during the Nine-Tails' attack a few years ago. Since then, Kurenai had no one to properly guide her.
Asuma came to Kakashi precisely because of his Sharingan. Though not a genjutsu specialist, the Sharingan granted Kakashi considerable insight into illusions. The Uchiha clan, known for their dōjutsu, naturally had a strong affinity for genjutsu.
It was simply the power of a bloodline limit—envy served no purpose.
Why didn't they go directly to the Uchiha clan then? The answer was obvious.
The Uchiha, with their usual arrogance and aloof demeanor, were unlikely to help. Even if approached, it was more likely they'd ridicule the request than offer assistance.
Neither Asuma nor Kurenai were fools. They understood that clearly.
"Asuma, you…" Kurenai looked at Asuma with genuine emotion. She had mentioned her struggles with genjutsu to him before, but she hadn't expected him to remember, let alone take action. Her heart was moved.
Kakashi glanced between the two, noting their anxious expressions. Clearly, they were worried he might reject them, which would be quite humiliating.
Their impression of Kakashi was still from before the Nine-Tails' attack, so their hesitation made sense.
But Kakashi's eyes curved gently into crescents as he smiled and said, "Sure. My genjutsu ability is average, though, so I can't promise anything—but I'll try."
Hearing Kakashi's agreement, Asuma and Kurenai both lit up.
"It's fine, even if it doesn't help," Kurenai quickly replied.
"In that case, let's head to Training Ground Seven," Kakashi said.
"Alright."
"Yosh! For the flames of youth! Let's go!" Gai suddenly chimed in energetically.
And so, the four of them made their way quickly to Training Ground Seven.
---
Training Ground Seven
"Kurenai, go ahead and cast your genjutsu on me. Let me see where the issue lies."
"Okay."
Kurenai nodded, formed the necessary hand seals, and softly intoned: "Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!"
The moment her voice fell, a massive tree appeared behind Kakashi. Its vines extended rapidly, binding Kakashi to the trunk. Kurenai's image shimmered like a bubble and vanished.
In the next second, Kurenai emerged from the trunk itself, appearing above Kakashi's head.
"Alright, Kurenai, I understand," came Kakashi's calm voice.
He activated his chakra, and with a surge, shattered the illusion instantly.
Kurenai, still standing where she had cast the jutsu, looked stunned. She hadn't fully mastered that technique, but Kakashi had dispelled it instantly. His perception was terrifying.
"Kakashi, what did you see?" Asuma asked before Kurenai could speak.
Kakashi gave a small smile and said, "Kurenai's genjutsu relies on visual triggers. The target has to look directly at her movements. That alone is a big limitation. But that's just one part."
"Also, the jutsu uses a tree to physically bind the target first, followed by an attack. It's a solid concept, but the vines extend too slowly. A perceptive opponent would easily react and break free."
"Moreover, when the tree manifests, most opponents will immediately realize it's a genjutsu. No one in Konoha uses wood-style jutsu aside from the First Hokage's legacy. It's far more logical to assume it's an illusion than some secret Mokuton technique."
"And the key issue—Kurenai, your spiritual power isn't strong enough. Genjutsu belongs to the Yin Release category. You need strong mental energy to wield it effectively. Without sufficient spiritual strength, the illusion won't hold."
Kakashi laid out his thoughts clearly and patiently. The essence of the problem was simple: Kurenai didn't yet have the mental strength to support this high-level illusion.
Generally, unless enhanced through special methods, a shinobi's spiritual energy only grows with age and experience.
After a moment of silence, Kurenai bowed her head thoughtfully. "So that's why… No wonder my father warned me not to use that technique until I became stronger."
"Exactly. Your current priority shouldn't be mastering new illusions, but cultivating your mental strength. I imagine your father, Yuhi Shinku, left behind some form of spiritual training technique?"
Methods to train spiritual power were usually kept within clans, passed down through secret scrolls. While similar in principle, their effectiveness varied.
To Kakashi's knowledge, the Yamanaka clan's mental training was especially advanced—they could even project their consciousness into others. Their spiritual prowess was truly formidable.
Kakashi himself was interested in this field. After all, spiritual development could also enhance chakra control.
Kurenai looked a bit hesitant, then said, "Kakashi, my father did leave a scroll with spiritual training methods, but…"
"But what?" Kakashi asked, intrigued.
"But… I can't understand it," Kurenai admitted with embarrassment.
"Huh?" Kakashi was stunned. How could that be? Why would Yuhi Shinku leave behind a scroll his own daughter couldn't decipher?
"That scroll is strange. Kurenai showed it to me once, and I couldn't make sense of it either," Asuma added.
"Well… If it's not too much to ask, could I take a look?" Kakashi offered.
"Of course."
Kurenai didn't hesitate and handed the scroll to Kakashi.
Since she couldn't read it anyway, if Kakashi could decipher it, she might finally be able to train properly.
She didn't mind sharing the technique. To her, the people of Konoha were like family, and besides, she was the last of the Yuhi line. What use was a secret if it couldn't be used?
Kakashi accepted the scroll with curiosity and excitement.
He had never trained his spiritual power deliberately. Though his current mental strength was unusually high—thanks to the merging of two souls—further growth could only be beneficial.
To Kakashi, this was a rare opportunity.
The scroll's cover was ancient, worn from time. It clearly hadn't been written by Yuhi Shinku—it looked at least a hundred years old.
With deep interest, Kakashi opened the scroll.
"This is…"
His lone visible eye widened in shock.
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