Chapter 58: The New Generation's Dream Fulfillment Master (Temporary)
Ino stood up, still maintaining the hand seals for the Mind Body Switch Technique.
"That's enough, Ino. Put it down. I already said it, there's no point in us genin thinking we can subdue him with force. What a drag."
Shikamaru said helplessly.
"Ino, you keep going. I'll stay right here…"
"Little girl, can you not understand human language? You don't seriously think your Mind Body Switch has any real deterrent effect, do you?"
As Shiromo spoke, he walked toward Ino.
"Y-you… don't come any closer!"
Ino kept her hand seals, her expression clearly panicked.
Behind Shiromo, the completely ignored Shikamaru was already breaking out in sweat.
He was hesitating over whether to use Shadow Possession. (Shadow Paralysis Jutsu/ Shadow Imitation Technique)
On the surface, Shiromo had his back turned, full of openings. But judging from the pressure he radiated and the confidence he displayed, if Shikamaru really used it and it failed, that would be bad enough. Worse still, it might anger the other party, making everything even harder to resolve afterward.
After a round of internal struggle, Shikamaru ultimately gave up.
He couldn't, and didn't need to, make a move.
Besides, according to his calculations, Ino's mental endurance was already close to its limit. As long as the other side moved a little closer, Ino would definitely use the Mind Body Switch Technique.
He could use that attack to gauge the other party's strength…
"Mind Body Switch Technique!"
Just as Shikamaru had expected, when Ino saw Shiromo continue to approach, she couldn't hold back and activated the Mind Body Switch Technique.
The mental energy condensed at her fingertips, strengthened and carried her soul consciousness, shot toward Shiromo and invaded his mind.
The Mind Body Switch Technique was a strategic secret technique. Its effectiveness in direct combat was actually very poor.
Its extremely long preparation time, exaggerated startup motion, and the requirement to hit with a "mental energy projection" meant that any ninja with even a bit of experience and strength could defend against it.
However, once it hit, the effect was excellent.
For example, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, there was someone standing motionless on top of the Ten-Tails with pipes stuck into him, a living target for the Mind Body Switch. As a result, War-era Ino managed to control him twice with the technique.
Even though each control lasted only a few seconds, it was still Ino's highlight moment, and a highlight moment for the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques.
Oh, right, and there was also the Impure World Reincarnation Kinkaku in Nine-Tails State, who was easily hit by Ino's Mind Body Switch with teammates providing crowd control, and then sealed.
So why is the Mind Body Switch said to only be a strategic technique?
Because it has a special characteristic: after controlling the target, everything the target feels, the caster feels as well.
If the target is injured, the caster is injured too.
It's practically a reverse version of Death Controlling Possessed Blood.
In other words, once you've controlled the opponent, your teammates cannot attack them.
Unless your teammates coordinate perfectly, and you can cancel the Mind Body Switch and leave the target's body at the exact instant your teammate's attack lands.
—
"Ino!"
Seeing Ino activate the Mind Body Switch, Shikamaru stepped forward and shouted.
Ino's body went limp and collapsed onto the seat.
"…Did it succeed?"
Shikamaru stared at the scene in disbelief.
If the Mind Body Switch failed, her soul should have been repelled back to her body and she would have woken up. But Ino was unconscious now, meaning her soul was still inside the other person. That meant success!
After all the confidence and pressure the other party had displayed just now, it ended like this?
Shikamaru found it hard to believe.
"Succeed at what?"
Shiromo turned around and, under Shikamaru's stunned gaze, walked back to him. "Shall we continue talking?"
"…Ino? What did you do to her?"
Shikamaru glanced at the unconscious Ino, his expression extremely serious.
"Just letting her calm down for a bit. Once we're done talking, she'll naturally be returned."
Shiromo smiled faintly.
At this moment, inside Shiromo's consciousness space, Ino was being pressed flat against the ground by one of his hands, unable to move.
After struggling to no avail, Ino could only lie there helplessly.
This was something she had never encountered before, not even her father or the clan elders had experienced such a situation.
When facing a ninja with strong mental power, at most she would be repelled, consuming a large amount of chakra and mental energy.
But this situation…
Unless the other party not only crushed her in mental strength, but also surpassed her in chakra control, so overwhelmingly that they could completely ignore the mental reinforcement of the Mind Body Switch, it would be impossible to reach this level.
Huh?
After giving up resistance, Ino lay quietly in the consciousness space. She raised an arm and waved it in the air, then suddenly froze.
"Huh?"
She looked closely at her arm. Why was it so long?
Extremely confused, Ino struggled to prop herself up and looked down at her body.
Shiromo's hand was pressing on her abdomen, so her upper body could still move a little.
But one look left her completely dumbfounded.
When did her legs become so long? And why was her chest so… full? Had she stuffed some super-sized soldier pills in there or something?
After spacing out for a while, Ino suddenly recalled several special cases her father had mentioned when explaining the ninja mental world to her.
In the mental world, a person's appearance is determined by themselves.
For example, her father, Yamanaka Inoichi, once encountered a ninja who had accidentally killed his closest friend in his youth. When Inoichi used the Mind Body Switch on him, the image he saw was the man's younger self.
That meant the man was still haunted by and immersed in that past.
Ino was absolutely certain that she herself had never imagined her current appearance.
So there was only one possibility.
This person, who completely overwhelmed her in both mental strength and control, saw her in this form.
Because his powerful mental control dominated everything in the mental space, including her appearance, this situation had occurred.
But… Why?
She hadn't even known him before.
This appearance, even the style of clothing, perfectly matched her own preferences.
It was like… what she might look like after growing up.
How strange.
—
Outside the mental world.
Shiromo was talking with Shikamaru.
"Actually, I'm the new generation's 'Dream Fulfillment Master.' I uphold the ideals of the previous generation and help Hanabi realize her dream."
"She wants to protect her sister Hinata and the people she cares about. She wants to become stronger, so I gave her a choice."
"In other words, I didn't force her."
"Do you think I'd believe that? And I already mentioned it, when it comes to developing the Byakugan, could you really surpass the Hyūga clan's own elders?"
Shikamaru shook his head.
"Whether you believe it or not has nothing to do with me."
"Shikamaru, you've got a good brain, but I don't approve of your convictions."
"Actually, at this point, I could just leave."
"But I just had an idea and wanted to run a small experiment."
"So I'm prepared to help you 'fulfill your dream' as well, try to realize it for you."
"Don't joke around. Do you even know what my dream is?"
Shikamaru snorted.
He just wanted to muddle through life day by day. What dreams could he possibly have…
"To become an ordinary ninja. (Eighth Hokage)
Make some money casually. (Inherit the family business)
Marry an ordinary woman who's neither pretty nor ugly. (The village beauty next door)
Have two children. (Not achieved yet)
The first child is a girl. (Failed)"
"…"
After Shiromo finished speaking, Shikamaru stood there, stunned.
What was going on?
Even mind-reading shouldn't be able to reveal things like this, right?
Why did it feel like the other guy understood him better than he understood himself?
(End of this chapter)