Genjutsu Rebound

Minato carefully examined the Grass Ninja, and upon confirming they were indeed dead, he nodded immediately and said, "The commotion we caused during the attack was far too loud. Many people will likely be rushing toward our position."

"We cannot stay here. While we don't fear them, now is not the time to invite trouble." The Qingyun Squad departed the area at once.

Not long after Qingyun had left, a squad of men tracked their way to the spot where the Grass Ninja had fallen.

"Three corpses. Judging by the traces of the battle, it must be that guy. Do not forget our mission this time."

"He must be killed!" The speaker wore a cat-faced mask and addressed the surrounding Anbu members.

Meanwhile, Qingyun, who was on the move, suddenly let out a sneeze.

"Strange. Logically speaking, I shouldn't be catching a cold." Qingyun activated his Byakugan to scout the surrounding environment.

The observational power of the Byakugan surpassed that of the Sharingan, and combined with Qingyun's own sensory abilities, he could perceive danger within a radius of several kilometers.

"It seems someone is pursuing us from behind, and their speed is not weak. How interesting. Let's pick up our pace!" Qingyun said immediately.

Minato and Yoshihime both agreed with Qingyun's words; they trusted him unconditionally.

"I will go set up some Explosive Tags to slightly hinder their advance." Minato volunteered, catching up with them shortly after without delay.

However, this time, Qingyun did not give the "Minato" before him a pleasant look. With a burst of Chakra Enhanced Strength, he sent Minato flying with a single punch.

"Qingyun, why did you do that?" Yoshihime was somewhat incredulous, never expecting Qingyun to strike his own companion.

"This guy is not Minato," Qingyun stated.

Possessing sensory abilities, Qingyun could naturally detect subtle differences between the Minato before him and the real one.

Such differences might not be significant to those unfamiliar with Minato, but to Qingyun, they were glaringly obvious.

"How did you discover me?" the enemy asked directly, no longer intending to hide.

Qingyun replied, "The real Minato wouldn't be that weak."

Qingyun spoke the truth, for he had once taught Minato Armament Haki. If he had attacked the real Minato, Minato would have directly used Armament Haki or the Body Flicker Technique to evade.

The person before him, faced with Qingyun's sudden attack, had barely reacted; his first instinct was to use his hands to defend, which was not Minato's style.

"Even using the Transformation Technique, it is difficult to truly disguise oneself as someone else. Everyone's habits are hard to imitate," Qingyun said with calm, seasoned composure.

"I imagine that while Minato was setting traps, he must have been intercepted. So, are you the vanguard of your squad?" Qingyun asked, looking at the person before him.

"Ha! As expected of the man valued by the Third Hokage! To be so meticulous—your punch is also quite powerful, but you are destined to die here today," the ninja said.

"Poof!" The ninja before him directly dispelled the Transformation Technique.

The man wore a standard ninja uniform, had black hair, and wore an Anbu mask, but his entire aura was unlike that of an ordinary ninja.

The person before him seemed like a killing machine—a machine devoid of any emotion.

"I see. You are from Root? Did Danzo send you to kill me?" Qingyun asked.

"You talk too much. You will die here today."

"I know your taijutsu is strong, and your ninjutsu was learned from the Third Hokage, but you seem to have no accomplishments in the field of genjutsu."

"How unfortunate, for my genjutsu is considered top-tier even within Root! I possess the ability to invade others' brains and use your own mind to kill you!"

"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"

Qingyun had expected the opponent to unleash some powerful genjutsu, but he never imagined it would be the Hell Viewing Technique.

This move was a basic genjutsu; what each person saw after being caught was different, as it manifested the fears within one's own heart.

However, one must not forget that Qingyun's mental strength was immense. He possessed the Triple Tomoe Sharingan and a lifelong buff: Genjutsu Rebound.

Qingyun feigned great agony and immediately collapsed to the ground, while Yoshihime also appeared to be caught in the genjutsu.

"Is this Qingyun? The genius of Konoha and even the entire ninja world? How laughable. Under my genjutsu, he couldn't even last a minute!" The Root ninja sneered, clearly holding Qingyun in contempt.

Yet, the next second, he was shocked, for he saw himself being subjected to a brutal interrogation, and the one doing the interrogating was none other than Danzo.

Yes, the Root ninja's greatest fear was naturally Danzo, and he could not believe he was being tortured by him over and over again.

"What is happening!?"

"Is this reality or a dream!?"

"Could it be that I have been caught in a genjutsu? But that's impossible! It was I who caught that Qingyun brat in a genjutsu!? Could it be that he rebounded my genjutsu back at me!?"

The Root ninja screamed in agony, while Yoshihime also broke free from the genjutsu.

"What is wrong with this guy?" Yoshihime asked.

"He has been caught in his own genjutsu and is currently being tortured by his own fears. I doubt it will be long before he suffers a mental breakdown. He is no longer a threat to us."

"Let's go! We need to see how Minato is doing!"

Qingyun and Yoshihime immediately set out to find Minato.

With his Byakugan and sensory abilities, Qingyun located Minato in an instant. At that moment, Minato was indeed surrounded by several ninjas.

"There are more than two enemies, which means at least one squad has joined forces with the genjutsu-using ninja from earlier," Qingyun said. "We may be facing five ninjas."

Furthermore, since Qingyun now knew the genjutsu ninja was from Root, it naturally meant the other five ninjas were also from Root.

"They all come from Root, and it is highly likely their strength has reached the level of Jonin. Yoshihime, you must be careful," Qingyun warned.

"Rest assured, no matter what, I am still a successor of Wood Release." Through her training, Yoshihime had also grown significantly stronger, possessing at least the strength of a Jonin.

Soon, Qingyun approached Minato, who had already fallen into a bitter struggle. However, by utilizing Armament Haki and the Body Flicker Technique, Minato was currently locked in a life-or-death confrontation with the enemies.

"Minato! Get out of the way!"

Qingyun appeared at the most critical moment, immediately forming hand seals and shouting: "Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

This technique possessed immense power and covered a vast area, sending scorching flames directly toward the enemies.

Minato utilized the Body Flicker Technique to quickly close the distance to Qingyun.

"Sorry, Qingyun. I intended to set a trap, but I didn't expect to be caught up to anyway." Minato apologized sheepishly from the start, but Qingyun did not take it to heart.