A Shortcut to Improving Haki

As the dungeon where Uchiha clansmen were imprisoned, it was heavily guarded. However, Chu Yang still had the authority to enter and leave freely.

The news that he had become the Direct Disciple of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju had long spread throughout the Senju clan.

Chu Yang's status was no longer what it had once been.

Thus, when he entered the dungeon, the guards merely questioned him as a formality.

They even assigned elite clansmen to protect him.

However, before Chu Yang entered the dungeon, a guard specifically warned him, "You must not endanger these prisoners' lives. Some of them are bargaining chips for exchanging Senju clansmen."

As the war continued, both sides had taken prisoners. By the end, negotiations would be unavoidable.

The experiment Chu Yang intended to conduct would not endanger their safety. If anything, he himself would be in greater danger.

Chu Yang agreed and entered the dungeon.

Upon hearing the disturbance, the Uchiha clansmen turned their heads toward Chu Yang.

Only then did Chu Yang see that their eyes were wrapped in sealing-jutsu talismans.

Managing Uchiha clansmen this way was a lesson the Senju clan had paid for in blood.

Furthermore, the sealing jutsu on the Uchiha clansmen prevented them from extracting Chakra.

If he wanted them to use Genjutsu on Chu Yang, he first had to remove those talismans.

Chu Yang turned to the guard beside him and said, "Bring out the one with the worst injuries and the least Chakra."

The guard immediately looked troubled.

Chu Yang smiled and explained, "I merely want to witness the Uchiha clan's Sharingan Genjutsu."

The guard relaxed and smiled as well. "That won't be a problem."

Not long afterward, the guard carried a boy even younger than Chu Yang out of a cell.

The boy was sallow and emaciated, utterly listless, clearly suffering from prolonged malnutrition. Even Chu Yang doubted he could squeeze out any Chakra.

Chu Yang thought the boy must have gone hungry often during his time in the dungeon.

He was limp as a pile of mud.

Chu Yang had originally planned to ask the guard to choose someone else, but after reconsidering, he decided it was better to be cautious. Who knew whether the boy was pretending?

Without ocular jutsu, it was difficult for ordinary ninja to see through an opponent's Chakra reserves unless there was a vast difference in strength.

"Be careful. I'm removing his talismans now," the guard warned Chu Yang before reaching out and tearing off the talismans covering the boy's eyelids.

Before Chu Yang even needed to say anything, the boy opened his eyes and fixed Chu Yang with his Sharingan.

One Single Tomoe and one Double Tomoe.

The instant their gazes met, the boy's hate-filled eyes dragged Chu Yang into Genjutsu.

Chu Yang's expression suddenly became blank and dull.

The guard beside him began breathing heavily and instinctively wanted to knock out the Uchiha boy casting the Genjutsu.

"Wait."

A deep, mature voice came from outside, stopping the guard.

The guard turned around, and his face immediately changed. He hurriedly bowed in greeting.

The newcomer was Tobirama Senju.

He stood to one side and watched with interest before smiling. "This kid is fairly cautious. He won't have trouble preserving his life on the battlefield in the future. Big Brother told me not to be too harsh on him, but it seems that won't be necessary."

Tobirama Senju's words made it clear that he intended to cultivate Chu Yang as an heir, startling the guard. He realized he had underestimated Chu Yang's status.

Just as the guard was about to say something, the Uchiha boy in his grip suddenly let out a muffled groan and fainted. At the same time, Chu Yang woke from the Genjutsu.

Chu Yang's eyes regained their liveliness, though a trace of lingering fear remained. He had been prepared, but Sharingan Genjutsu was even more terrifying than he had expected.

"You're awake? How do you feel?"

"I'm fine..." Hearing the familiar voice, Chu Yang quickly greeted Tobirama Senju respectfully. "Good morning, Teacher!"

Tobirama Senju said coldly, "So you still remember I'm your teacher? You entered the dungeon without saying a word and did something so dangerous! Do you know how terrifying Sharingan Genjutsu is?"

Chu Yang hurriedly explained, "The Uchiha clansmen I encountered on previous missions had never awakened their eyes, so I wanted to experience a real Sharingan firsthand. That way, I won't have to learn the hard way on the battlefield."

"It's always better to prepare in advance than scramble at the last moment!"

Tobirama Senju had been somewhat angry, but after hearing this, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Chu Yang's way of thinking suited him well; he had always preferred planning ahead.

What gave Tobirama Senju the greatest headache was his brother Hashirama's naive belief that everything would work itself out when the time came.

With that thought, Tobirama Senju no longer intended to blame Chu Yang for being reckless.

Instead, he asked, "How did it feel to experience Sharingan Genjutsu for the first time?"

"It was terrifying!" Chu Yang looked solemn as he recalled it carefully. "It was faster than ordinary Genjutsu and hard for the target to guard against. Before it began, I had already reminded myself to be careful, yet I was still caught in it instantly."

"What truly makes it despairing is that Sharingan Genjutsu cannot be dispelled through conventional methods. You can only endure it through sheer willpower."

Tobirama Senju nodded. "You're right. So far, when fighting Genjutsu experts from the Uchiha clan, aside from not looking into their eyes, we have basically found no other way to avoid Sharingan Genjutsu."

"The only fortunate thing is that Genjutsu does not have an obvious advantage in war. After all, the battlefield is the place most likely to disrupt a Genjutsu's effects."

Chu Yang suddenly understood. "In other words, aside from small-scale battles and one-on-one fights, Genjutsu has limited usefulness."

"That's right." Tobirama Senju reminded Chu Yang, "So you only need to understand the characteristics of Sharingan Genjutsu. Don't delve too deeply into it and waste your time and energy."

Chu Yang nodded respectfully. "Teacher, I understand."

In truth, Tobirama Senju did not think Chu Yang would stop merely because of his warning. In his eyes, Chu Yang was a young man with strong convictions.

Thus, Tobirama Senju only offered a few brief words of advice before leaving the dungeon.

After Tobirama Senju left, Chu Yang silently sensed his own Haki.

Sure enough, it had grown under the stimulation of the Genjutsu.

After the negative emotions and scenes within the Genjutsu stimulated Chu Yang's mind, his aura—or rather, his will—would erupt to a certain extent, which in turn affected his Haki.

This theory had now been proven.

Moreover, Chu Yang discovered that as Wood Release continuously strengthened his cellular vitality and made his body stronger, his Haki also slowly improved. The effect simply was not as obvious as the stimulation from Genjutsu.

Excited, Chu Yang let out a long breath, lowered his head to glance at the unconscious Uchiha boy, and said expressionlessly, "Next!"

Just like that, after experiencing the cleansing of Sharingan Genjutsu three times, Chu Yang's Haki made a breakthrough.

Not only had his Armament Haki risen to another level, but he had also gained insight into Observation Haki!