"Interesting! But I've heard about this already—your swordsmanship relies on vision too, doesn't it? If I stop using my eyes to observe you, will you become completely powerless?"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Orochimaru shut his eyes—yet his movements were precise as ever, charging straight toward Uchiha Ran.
At the same time, his hands formed seals. As he exhaled, chakra gathered in his mouth and was expelled like bullets, tearing through the air as multiple crescent-shaped wind blasts that shot straight at Ran!
Another technique acquired.
Ran activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, calmly recording every detail of Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet.
Vacuum Bullet was somewhat similar to the Phoenix Flower Jutsu—compressing chakra inside the mouth, then firing it outward in short, explosive bursts like projectiles.
Orochimaru continued to spit out rapid, clipped breaths, firing again and again like a machine gun, as though he intended to turn Ran's body into a hive of holes.
Feeling the terrifying pressure carried by the Vacuum Bullets, Ran instantly went on full alert. His Sharingan's keen perception allowed him to clearly predict their trajectories and destructive power.
The instant the wind bullets screamed toward him, Ran reacted—his body twisting midair as he evaded!
His movements were elegant yet explosive. Even while airborne—where dodging was notoriously difficult—he adjusted his posture with feline agility, slipping past the relentless pursuit of the Vacuum Bullets like a mountain lynx dancing through death.
But Ran didn't stop there.
Using the momentum of his body in midair, he forcibly twisted his frame, performing a maneuver that defied common sense. His figure became a distorted flash of lightning, carving a beautiful arc across the sky.
At the same time, Ran flicked his wrist again and again, sending shuriken flying from his hands in rapid succession!
With his exquisite technique—and by deliberately causing shuriken to collide with one another mid-flight—the resulting trajectories became erratic and impossible to predict. Each blade streaked forward like a bolt of lightning, all aimed directly at Orochimaru!
The shuriken precisely sealed off Orochimaru's hand movements, disrupting his seals and preventing him from continuing the Vacuum Bullet technique.
Forced to halt his assault, Orochimaru found himself trapped within the net Ran had laid.
Seeing the threads hidden behind the shuriken tightening around him, Orochimaru paused slightly—surprised by the sheer precision. He had been confined to a fixed position with no room to maneuver.
"Remarkable," Orochimaru praised calmly. "Very much in the Uchiha style. Such delicate, meticulous control."
Despite being sealed in place, Orochimaru showed no trace of panic.
"Relax. Next, I'll apply a bit more force and leave you paralyzed."
"Ninjutsu: Ten—"
Before Orochimaru could complete the seal, Ran suddenly drew his sword.
"Shing!"
A soft, ringing sound echoed through the air.
"Open the way… Floating Life, Like a Dream."
"It's useless, Ran," Orochimaru said, stopping his movements entirely. "If I don't look at your blade or your Sharingan, you can't control me with genjutsu."
He deliberately paused, clearly curious to see what Ran intended to do.
"Orochimaru-sensei," Ran replied calmly, "people grow. In every sense of the word. Genjutsu doesn't rely solely on vision."
"…Hm?"
Orochimaru's expression shifted.
"What's going on… I can't move?"
"My chakra flow—my limbs aren't responding!"
The moment he sensed the disturbance in his chakra circulation, Orochimaru immediately adjusted the flow paths within his body, restoring control with astonishing speed.
"Alright, alright," he said with a faint chuckle. "Let's end it here. That was truly eye-opening, Ran-kun."
As he spoke, Orochimaru opened his eyes.
In that instant, all he saw was Ran calmly rotating the hilt of his sword, then slowly sliding the blade back into its scabbard. A faint, lingering aura still clung to the steel, like mist refusing to disperse.
"Elegant," Orochimaru praised sincerely. "To think your genjutsu can be triggered through sound. Auditory-based genjutsu is incredibly rare—I never expected to witness it in you."
"You flatter me, Orochimaru-sensei," Ran replied. "Humans have five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. In theory, all of them can serve as sources for genjutsu, for activation and control alike."
Just as Ran said, all five senses could indeed act as gateways for genjutsu.
Among them, visual genjutsu was by far the most common—nearly all genjutsu in the shinobi world relied on sight.
Next came auditory genjutsu. What Ran had just used was precisely that: the sound of his blade leaving the scabbard interfered with Orochimaru's chakra flow, creating a genjutsu-like paralysis effect.
As Orochimaru reflected on this, a spark ignited in his mind.
Perhaps… I could develop a new kind of genjutsu.
One that manipulated emotions and sensory perception.
Gentle, flowing music could induce calm and serenity. Harsh, jarring sounds could evoke fear and tension.
By stirring emotional fluctuations, chakra itself would become unstable—achieving the effect of genjutsu.
"Ran-kun," Orochimaru asked thoughtfully, "can you use other senses to cast genjutsu as well?"
"No," Ran answered honestly. "You overestimate me, Orochimaru-sensei. For tactile genjutsu, I still have Kurenai-sensei's techniques to reference. As for taste and smell… those are practically impossible."
And that was the truth—no matter the world.
Genjutsu based on smell or taste was notoriously difficult to execute.
Compared to sight, sound, and touch, smell and taste were deeply personal and subjective senses.
Different people perceived the same scent or flavor in wildly different ways. What one person found foul, another might find pleasant.
That made it impossible to ensure that a target would experience a scent or taste exactly as the caster intended. If Ran perceived a smell as nauseating, but Orochimaru found it fragrant, then it would fail to disrupt chakra flow.
Moreover, smell and taste were instantaneous sensations. If they lingered too long, the target would grow alert and resistant.
In contrast, sight and sound could be manipulated continuously through light and auditory effects—creating sustained illusions.
Most critically of all, smell and taste were easily influenced by external factors, making them unreliable foundations for genjutsu.
Orochimaru pondered for a long while before finally speaking.
"Ran-kun… I acknowledge your talent." His golden eyes gleamed. "But if you wish to become my disciple, there is still one final trial you must pass."
"Come with me."
As he spoke, Orochimaru turned and led Ran deeper into the forest.
"Have you ever conducted experiments, Ran-kun?" Orochimaru asked casually. "Aren't you curious about the human body? Chakra? Kekkei Genkai? The relationships between them?"
As he said this, Orochimaru glanced back—his gaze lingering pointedly on Ran's eyes.
"I haven't conducted experiments myself," Ran replied, following behind him, "but the clan archives do record that chakra originated from the Sage of Six Paths."
Watching Orochimaru walk farther and farther ahead, Ran understood.
We're heading to one of his laboratories…
"Come," Orochimaru said lightly. "If you can witness all of this—and still choose to become my disciple—then I will accept you."
He stopped before a mountain.
And there, standing at its base, Uchiha Ran felt the boundary between curiosity and taboo finally blur.