"I don't understand?"
For a moment, Obito didn't know how to answer.
He could only blame Qingyu's good looks.
Damn it!
So what if he was handsome!
Obito felt a growing sense of crisis, as though a childhood friend couldn't compete with someone who'd just arrived.
They'd only known each other for a few days, and Rin was already so close to Qingyu!
This was bad!
Qingyu ignored Obito's hostile gaze and took some shuriken from his ninja tool pouch.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish.
All five shuriken struck the very center of the target almost simultaneously.
Next came five kunai, which also struck the bull's-eye.
All ten ninja tools hit the center. Not one landed outside the bull's-eye.
"Perfect score."
The Chunin instructor wrote down the score on his clipboard, then looked up at Qingyu.
Another perfect score.
This year's students seemed to be an unusually talented bunch.
He used to love telling his students, "You're the worst class I've ever taught."
Now, there was some debate over which class had really been the worst.
But Qingyu and Kakashi's class might just be the best one he'd ever taught.
Qingyu gave a slight nod and returned to the line.
Obito stood where he was, watching Qingyu's back as his sense of foreboding grew stronger.
First there was Kakashi, and now Qingyu had appeared.
Both of them had earned perfect scores with ease.
Wouldn't that make him look completely useless?
Obito lowered his head and stared at his hands, silently yelling at them in frustration.
Come on, you useless hands! Get it together!
Why did you always let him down at the crucial moment?
"Hey, Kurenai, what are you looking at?"
Sarutobi Asuma wore a jacket and looked noticeably more fashionable than his classmates.
With his hands in his pockets, he deliberately lowered his voice and spoke to Yūhi Kurenai in what he thought was a charming, breathy tone.
Yūhi Kurenai looked away and shook her head.
"They're really impressive."
Yūhi Kurenai's gaze shifted between Qingyu and Kakashi as she spoke.
She'd done well too. All five of her shuriken had hit the target, and three had struck the bull's-eye.
Her kunai aim had been a little less accurate, but her overall score still ranked near the top of the class.
But she was still a ways off from a perfect score.
"You did great, Kurenai."
Sarutobi Asuma hurried to reassure her.
"Besides, have you checked the schedule? This afternoon's class is one of your best."
Yūhi Kurenai nodded.
The afternoon class was Genjutsu.
That really was her specialty.
Her father was Yūhi Shinku, and under his tutelage, Yūhi Kurenai had naturally developed a foundation in Genjutsu far beyond that of her peers.
That afternoon.
Yokoyama Tomoya, the Chunin instructor in charge of teaching Genjutsu, stepped up to the lectern.
He cleared his throat and wrote the word "Genjutsu" on the blackboard.
"Today's lesson is on Genjutsu, one of the three categories of ninja techniques: ninjutsu, taijutsu, and Genjutsu."
Yokoyama Tomoya turned to face the class.
"Genjutsu is a technique that uses chakra to interfere with an opponent's five senses and trap them in an illusion. It doesn't attack the enemy's body, but their mind."
Yokoyama Tomoya continued:
"Genjutsu is usually performed through one of the five senses. The most common type is visual Genjutsu, which uses the enemy's eyes to send chakra into their body. There are also advanced Genjutsu that use hearing, smell, touch, or even taste as a medium."
"The most basic way to defend against Genjutsu is to shut off the corresponding sense. For example, against visual Genjutsu, don't look into your opponent's eyes."
"To break out of a Genjutsu that has already taken hold, you need to disrupt the flow of chakra in your own body."
At this point, Yokoyama Tomoya changed tack.
"However, those methods only work against ordinary Genjutsu."
"Dojutsu-based Genjutsu are an entirely different matter."
Genma Shiranui raised his hand, a white stick from a lollipop he'd finished still in his mouth.
"Sensei, are dojustu-based Genjutsu really impossible to break? What if you're alone on the battlefield and get caught in one?"
Yokoyama Tomoya glanced at him, his tone turning serious.
"There's no way."
He shook his head.
"Once you're caught in a dojustu-based Genjutsu, you can't break it on your own. Someone else has to disrupt it from the outside with their chakra. Only then is there a chance of escaping—unless you have the Byakugan."
"So when facing dojustu-based Genjutsu, the only answer is prevention. Never let your gaze meet your opponent's eyes."
As he spoke, Yokoyama Tomoya glanced at the students in class who possessed dojutsu.
The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan and the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan were both difficult to deal with.
Although the Byakugan couldn't cast Genjutsu, it could see through and dispel it.
Uchiha Tekka noticed the teacher's gaze and immediately puffed out his chest, pride written all over his face.
He had every reason to be proud.
The Sharingan was the most representative example of dojustu-based Genjutsu.
Obito straightened up too, sharing in Tekka's pride.
"See, Rin!"
Obito leaned toward Rin Nohara and grinned.
"I told you I'd be amazing once I awakened my Sharingan!"
Rin Nohara was busy taking notes. She gave a soft "Mm" without even looking up.
Obito's smile froze.
But it was fine.
Once he awakened his Sharingan, Rin would definitely see him in a new light!
"Sensei."
Yūhi Kurenai raised her hand.
"If a ninja doesn't have a Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan, can they really never reach the pinnacle of Genjutsu?"
The question caught Yokoyama Tomoya off guard.
Yūhi Kurenai's father, Yūhi Shinku, was one of Konoha's foremost Genjutsu specialists. They said he could even reflect Genjutsu cast by a Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"In theory... yes."
Yokoyama Tomoya chose his words carefully.
Qingyu listened from the back.
It felt a bit like asking, "Can you really not cultivate immortality without a spiritual root?"
Qingyu wasn't sure how things worked elsewhere.
But in the Shinobi World, even civilian ninja who specialized in Genjutsu couldn't reach the heights of the world's most powerful illusions.
"Kotoamatsukami," "Tsukuyomi," and "Infinite Tsukuyomi"—they all came from bloodline powers!
Yūhi Kurenai looked a little disappointed at Yokoyama Tomoya's answer.
Seeing this, Yokoyama Tomoya continued:
"The Sharingan is just a weapon. No matter how powerful the weapon is, it still depends on the person wielding it. By the same token, a Genjutsu specialist without a Sharingan can still reach heights beyond the average person through dedicated training. Lord Yūhi Shinku is the best proof of that."
Yūhi Kurenai lifted her head again, some of her confidence restored.
After class, Qingyu caught sight of someone walking toward him.
It was Yūhi Kurenai.
"Qingyu."
Yūhi Kurenai stopped in front of him. She seemed hesitant, but she spoke up all the same.
"Do you know much about Genjutsu?"
After thinking it over, she'd decided Qingyu was probably the only person in class she could get along with.
The other Uchiha were all arrogant, and Tekka and his friends didn't even deign to speak with people from other clans.
As for Obito, Yūhi Kurenai had already written him off as a dead-last student.
Qingyu was different.
Although he was half Uchiha, he didn't give off the same air of looking down on everyone.
And considering his connection to the Senju Clan, perhaps he had some unique insights into Genjutsu as well.
Before you continue