Chapter 56: A Gentle Cruelty
"How… how is this possible?"
The thin Root agent stared in shock at his partner, who was still writhing and laughing uncontrollably on the forest floor, utterly trapped in the illusion.
The essence of genjutsu was to disrupt an enemy's chakra, luring their consciousness into a fabricated dreamscape where the caster held absolute control.
When the black-haired man's illusion was seen through and shattered by Liumu, the Celestial Fox's Heart ability activated instantly, protecting Liumu's mind. Then, Liumu had turned the tables using the Celestial Fox's Eyes, casting his own, far more potent illusion back upon the caster.
Tickling the soles of the feet might be a childish prank, but in another context, it was a recognized form of gentle torture—a cruelty masked by laughter.
"Kai!" The thin man tried again, desperation creeping into his voice.
"Give it up," Liumu said with a sigh, sounding almost bored. "You can't break it. Just hurry up and fight me. Beat me, and I'll release him."
Understanding his own powerlessness, the thin man abandoned his attempts to dispel the genjutsu. His figure blurred as he lunged, a substitution log taking his place where he'd stood a moment before, a few dead leaves fluttering in his wake.
Liumu felt a sharp gust of air by his ear. A kunai shot toward the back of his head from an unseen angle.
Thwack!
It struck Liumu's skull directly. But as the small puff of smoke cleared, the spot where Liumu had been was now occupied by a charred, severed log.
"???" Confusion flickered in the thin man's mind, now hidden amidst the tree canopy. A substitution jutsu? When?
"See anything interesting up there? Care to share?" Liumu's voice suddenly came from right behind him.
The thin man's blood ran cold. He whipped his head around, but saw nothing below. The voice had come from right beside him in the tree.
His hands flew into seals behind his back. BOOM! The branch he stood on exploded.
The thin man's specialty was a chameleon-like ability, allowing him to blend perfectly with his surroundings, masking both his form and his chakra signature—ideal for infiltration and assassination. But he hadn't anticipated Liumu's speed. He hadn't even seen the substitution.
This ability was useless in direct combat.
Seeing Liumu had already vacated the explosion zone, the thin man, now exposed on another branch, felt a wave of panic.
Liumu chuckled, glancing at Danzō before returning his gaze to the agent. In a flash of light, he was in front of the man. The Celestial Fox's pupils in his eyes contracted. A strange, mesmerizing light lanced directly into the Root agent's wide, terrified eyes.
"All done."
Liumu dusted off his hands and walked back to Haku's side, making to leave.
"Are you… planning to leave just like that?" Danzō's voice finally broke its long silence, low and dangerous.
"Tch." Liumu stopped, turning back with a look of exaggerated impatience. "I thought you'd decided against dirtying your own hands. Hurry up, then. It'll be dark soon."
As Liumu suspected, Danzō had initially been reluctant to personally engage a six-year-old, even a prodigious chunin. Chunin were a dime a dozen in Konoha. As an elder of the same generation as the Third Hokage, Danzō considered it beneath him.
But the display he'd just witnessed had forcibly revised that opinion.
"I wished to witness your 'Light Release' firsthand. I did not expect you to defeat them using only genjutsu."
The power of the Celestial Fox's Eyes wasn't technically ninjutsu genjutsu, but a unique racial ability. In this world, however, the distinction was academic.
Liumu had no desire for a long debate. Old men tended to get verbose.
"Fine. I'll use Light Release against you, then."
He stated his intent plainly, but a mischievous idea suddenly sparked in his mind.
"Oh, and one more thing," he added, a sly grin spreading. "I will finish you off with genjutsu. You might want to… prepare yourself mentally."
Danzo: "…?"
Seeing Danzo's momentary confusion, Liumu's grin widened. "The genjutsu I have in mind is… quite captivating. After you come out of it… do remember to take care of your health."
Compared to the Third, Danzo at this age wasn't yet a wizened ascetic. Liumu doubted his willpower was that of a monk.
I should try this one on Jiraiya later, Liumu mused. Might give him some 'creative inspiration.'
Most of Danzo's known techniques were Wind Release. He'd fought the Second Tsuchikage and… well, let's just say he'd helped the other party look impressive. Facing him now held no fear for Liumu.
Danzo threw his cane aside. His hands formed a familiar series of seals. He took a deep breath.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
A screaming blade of compressed air shot toward Liumu, sharp enough to slice stone.
Seeing this, Liumu gently pushed Haku to a safer position. Then, facing the vacuum wave head-on, he simply… walked into it.
Danzo: "…?!"
Is this child suicidal?
Before Danzo's shocked eyes, the vacuum wave cleaved straight through Liumu's torso, cutting him in two.
This kid… is he trying to frame me? By killing himself?!
Danzo was utterly dumbfounded.
But then, Liumu's bisected body erupted into a dazzling glow. Countless beams of light converged at his severed waist. In two breaths, he stood whole and unharmed once more.
"Enough games," Liumu's voice was cold. His entire form dissolved into a stream of light that shot directly at Danzo's position.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Danzo, now understanding one facet of "Light Release"—regeneration—unleashed a continuous barrage, trying to keep the approaching stream of light at bay.
But the particles of light were immune. Countless vacuum waves passed harmlessly through them, shredding the surrounding trees and even the roadside marker stones instead.
Suddenly, Liumu's face—now solid—materialized directly in front of Danzo's. A command, laced with irresistible mental guidance, echoed in his ears.
"Look into my… beautiful, big eyes~"
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, Liumu walked hand-in-hand with Haku back along the village embankment.
Recalling the… unusual scene they'd left behind in the forest, Haku could no longer contain her curiosity.
"Liumu… that old man… why did he end up… like that?"
Liumu scratched his bald head, a somewhat sheepish, sly smile on his face.
"What he experienced was an… alluring genjutsu. A man in his forties… faced with so many… enthusiastic young ladies…" He chuckled. "Well, let's just say it'd be hard for anyone to keep their composure."
(End of Chapter)
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