Mind's Eye, Mind Transmission Technique

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Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique was one of the Genjutsu Shunren had newly learned over the past year. By interfering with a target's spiritual energy, it could bring forth things that the target feared.

Shunren threw a sword in front of the young bandit.

The boy's eyes rolled back and foam spilled from his mouth as he reached out and grabbed the sword-

"Pfft!" The blade pierced his own heart.

Unable to bear the fear, the young bandit ended his own life.

"With that, the mission to subjugate the bandits has ended in complete success." Shunren dispelled his Projection and looked up. Not far away, Kurenai and Shizune, whose sight had been restored with Inoichi's help, were staring at him in shock. They seemed unable to believe that Shunren, usually so amiable and gentle, could have such a savage side.

Shunren looked at the corpses sprawled all around him, the blood that had dyed the ground scarlet, the severed limbs and the heads that had rolled to one side.

"Urgh!" Kurenai and Shizune both doubled over and vomited uncontrollably.

Shunren was not unmoved either. Although he had an adult's capacity to accept it, this was the first time he had carried out such slaughter, in either his past or present life. He did not vomit like Kurenai and Shizune, but his brow was still tightly furrowed.

Inoichi did not come over to comfort them. He simply said with utmost gravity, "This is a necessary baptism for becoming a ninja. You must overcome it!"

Inoichi then turned his gaze to Shunren and continued, "Shunren, you did very well. Don't let it weigh on your mind. Those bandits you killed deserved their fate. Killing them will only save more innocent people."

"I understand." Shunren closed his eyes. He understood all the reasons, and it was not that he felt pity for the bandits; he simply was not used to killing. But he also knew very well that if he did not cast aside this naïveté, he would have a hard time surviving in these chaotic times, when human life was worth so little.

When Shunren opened his eyes again, the uncertainty in them was gone, and he had regained his usual composure.

Seeing this, Inoichi could not help nodding to himself. He overcame his fear of blood so quickly. Given enough opportunities, this boy will surely achieve great things someday!

"All right, Team 9's first C-rank mission is hereby declared complete! Kurenai, Shizune, you two clean up the battlefield and take care of the bodies." Inoichi deliberately assigned Kurenai and Shizune to handle the bodies. This was the strict training a Jonin instructor needed to provide!

Kurenai and Shizune both turned pale at his words. They had just emptied their stomachs, and one look at the pile of corpses sent them retching again.

Shunren glanced at them, knowing how miserable they felt, but he had no intention of going over to help. He knew full well that what they needed most right now was not gentleness, but discipline.

"Shunren, come with me."

"Yes, Inoichi-sensei."

Inoichi and Shunren went to a clearing on a hill.

Inoichi found a place and sat down. "Relax for a while first."

"Phew." Shunren took a deep breath. There was no sickening stench of blood in the air, and the breeze brushing his cheeks could bring peace to one's mind.

Shunren stood there quietly with his eyes closed.

Inoichi did not disturb him, waiting quietly.

A full half hour and more passed before Shunren opened his eyes and said, "I'm all right now, Inoichi-sensei."

"I'm planning to teach you a few techniques," Inoichi said calmly. That was why he had told Shunren to compose himself first.

Shunren looked slightly startled, though not particularly surprised. He bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, sensei."

"No need to thank me. Isn't it only natural for a teacher to instruct his student?" Inoichi smiled faintly. "It seems you already guessed.

"Yes, just as you thought, we both practice Yin Release. We're kindred spirits." Shunren's heart stirred. Ever since his first meeting with Inoichi, he had thought that he might be able to learn quite a bit from him.

"Shunren, you're a clever child." Inoichi paused before continuing, "The Yamanaka Clan possesses secret Yin Release techniques passed down through the family. Of course, the Mind Body Switch Technique is our clan's most closely guarded secret, so forgive us for not teaching it to outsiders. But I can teach you something like the Mind Body Disturbance Technique."

"The Mind Body Disturbance Technique?" Shunren's eyes flickered, and he said, "Is that the technique you used to force me to change my slash that day?"

"Oh? It seems you know quite a bit about our Yamanaka Clan," Inoichi said in surprise.

"The Yamanaka Clan is one of Konoha's first-rate families."

"That's only the world's undeserved praise." Though he said that, Inoichi was pleased by Shunren's flattery. In fact, it was true: in the field of Yin Release, the Yamanaka Clan could stand comparison with the Uchiha, and in some respects even surpassed them.

Of course, the Yamanaka Clan had its shortcomings too, but there was no need to go into them here.

"Let's set the Mind Body Disturbance Technique aside for now. It's still too early for you to learn it," Inoichi said seriously. "Disrupting an enemy's body with one's own spirit takes a certain degree of control. A moment's carelessness can easily lead to a backlash. What I want to teach you today is our Yamanaka Clan's unique sensory technique, the Mind's Eye."

"The Mind's Eye?" Shunren looked startled. He really had never heard of this technique.

"First, let me briefly explain how it works. By releasing your own spiritual energy, you search your surroundings and can directly see the spiritual movements of ninja. It is a kind of clairvoyance formed by expanding perception beyond the physical dimension. Any ninja will leave spiritual traces as they move, and the Mind's Eye can distinguish individual spiritual energies, locate a target and aim directly at them. Unless they're dead, they can't escape the Mind's Eye's perception, even if they conceal their Chakra!"

Shunren was utterly bewildered. Spiritual movements, spiritual traces... The original work had not said much about sensory techniques, so he could not draw on it for knowledge of them.

"Just keep listening. I'll give you a practical explanation later." Inoichi continued, "I'm also going to teach you another technique, the Mind Transmission Technique. It links the spiritual energy of two people to construct a circuit for exchanging information. Put simply, I can transmit words directly into your brain from a distance."

Shunren's eyes lit up. If the Mind's Eye is a radio radar, then this Mind Transmission Technique is the Hokage version of a cell phone!