On the training ground, Ryuto shook out his hands, and the faint golden glow around his head slowly receded into his skin.
"How does it feel?" Rena Uzumaki came over and asked.
"Much better." Ryuto let out a long breath. "Like you said, I compressed my ki and focused the protection on a few key areas, leaving a thin outer layer for sensing. It cut the consumption by at least half. And my head no longer feels like it's going to explode after just a few minutes."
Rena smiled. "Right! Your old defense was like putting an airtight iron bucket over your whole head-heavy and exhausting. Now it's like wearing leather armor with a breastplate. You protect the vital spots and keep the rest flexible. It saves a lot of effort."
Ryuto nodded. The comparison was quite apt.
Rena had just helped him analyze it, saying his previous ki barrier had been too "uniform," like splashing out a bowl of water and leaving a thin layer everywhere. Against "nails" like genjutsu chakra, which bored into a single point, he needed to concentrate his "iron plates" in front of a few vital spots.
He had tried it, compressing his ki as hard as he could around several key areas of his cerebral cortex to form a few dense "little shields." He covered the rest with a thin membrane of ki, mainly for sensing and cushioning.
The results were immediate. His defensive strength had not dropped, but the consumption had fallen dramatically.
"But this is only a structural improvement." Rena's smile faded. "If you really want to withstand genjutsu attacks on the Uchiha's level, those 'little shields' of yours need to be thicker and compressed more tightly. And..."
She paused. "You need to practice forming them faster, ideally until it becomes instinctive. Otherwise, if someone shoots you a look and you're still thinking, 'Where should I concentrate my ki?' it'll already be too late."
"Got it." Ryuto rolled his neck. "Keep practicing?"
"Yes, I'll..."
Before Rena could finish, footsteps came from the entrance to the training ground.
Mito Uzumaki walked over, her red hair striking in the afternoon sunlight. Her expression was somewhat more serious than usual.
"Mito?" Rena greeted her.
Mito nodded to Rena, then rested her gaze on Ryuto. "How's the training going?"
"I've made progress. The consumption's dropped a lot," Ryuto answered.
"Good." Mito took a few steps closer and lowered her voice. "We just received the latest consolidated intelligence from the border patrols. Something's off about the Uchiha Clan's recent activity patterns near the boundary between our territory and the Senju-controlled area."
Ryuto's gaze sharpened. "How so?"
"Their squads have been deploying more frequently, but the intensity of the clashes has actually decreased," Mito said. "It's as though they're... feeling things out, or collecting something. Several reports mentioned that they seem to be deliberately approaching noncombatants, such as traveling merchants and elders from small villages. Their questions vary widely, but they all vaguely point in the same direction-asking for information about anyone who 'uses an unusual golden energy,' 'has extremely fast taijutsu,' or 'can resist genjutsu.'"
Rena drew a sharp breath. "They're looking for Mr. Ryuto?"
"Most likely." Mito looked at Ryuto. "They must have received word that you blocked Sharingan Genjutsu and defeated 'Gen' last time. For the Uchiha, who are renowned for genjutsu, that's no small matter. They're collecting every scrap of information about you, including the characteristics of your abilities, your weaknesses, and your movement patterns."
Ryuto frowned. "Trying to come up with ways to target me?"
"Definitely." Mito's tone was firm. "The Uchiha Clan is proud, but they're certainly not stupid. Once they discover that conventional genjutsu isn't very effective against you, they'll adjust their strategy. They might look for gaps in your defenses, develop new techniques specifically to counter you, or... use other methods, such as traps, coordinated attacks, or exploiting things you care about."
She paused. "If you leave the clan grounds on missions anytime soon, be especially careful. They may not confront you head-on, but they'll do everything they can to test your limits."
Ryuto fell silent for a few seconds, then asked, "What are they likely to do?"
"Hard to say." Mito shook her head. "But changing their activity patterns and gathering intelligence on a broad scale is the first step. Next, they may send shinobi specializing in reconnaissance or analysis to observe you up close. They might also devise specific battlefield tactics, such as using genjutsu as a feint while striking with other ninjutsu. In short, you're already on their list of people who 'require special attention.'"
The training ground fell quiet for a moment.
Rena looked at Ryuto with some concern.
Yet Ryuto suddenly gave a small smile. "All right. Understood."
Mito and Rena both looked at him.
"They want to gather intelligence and test me," Ryuto said. "Then I'll let them watch. But whether they can see clearly or find anything out will depend on their own abilities."
Mito raised an eyebrow. "You have an idea?"
"Rena just helped me improve my defensive structure and save quite a bit of effort," Ryuto said. "I was thinking, since the consumption has dropped, could I... spare some attention for something else?"
"Such as?"
"Such as doing more than defending passively." Ryuto looked at Rena. "Rena, try attacking me with genjutsu again. The basic kind, like before. But this time, besides defending, I want to see whether I can sense something before you launch it."
Rena blinked. "Sense it in advance? Genjutsu chakra fluctuations are very subtle. Unless you're a shinobi who's specifically trained in sensory techniques, or someone particularly sensitive to chakra, like our Uzumaki Clan..."
"My ki sensing is pretty sensitive to energy fluctuations too," Ryuto said. "I've never specifically trained it in this direction before. Now I want to try using ki to imitate and 'touch' that unique 'frequency' or 'flavor' of genjutsu chakra, and see whether I can recognize it in advance."
A trace of surprise flashed through Mito's eyes. "You want to develop an early-warning ability?"
"It's better than standing there like an idiot, waiting for genjutsu to hit me in the face before trying to tank it, right?" Ryuto said. "Even if I can't become completely immune, knowing 'it's coming' a fraction of a second beforehand and reinforcing the defenses in the corresponding area would improve my chances of survival."
Rena grew excited. "That could work! Mr. Ryuto, let's try it!"
Mito nodded as well. "Go ahead. I'll watch."
Ryuto took his stance again, closed his eyes, and slowly spread out his ki perception. This time, he no longer merely sensed the "quantity" and "location" of life and chakra. Instead, he deliberately tried to pick out the finer "textures" within those flows of energy.
Rena waited a few seconds to let him adjust. Then she began forming hand seals, moving very slowly and deliberately making the process of gathering chakra more obvious.
"Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"
At the instant Rena completed the final seal, just as her chakra was about to surge into her eyes and be released-
Ryuto's eyes snapped open, and the ki membrane diagonally in front of his head instantly thickened!
Almost simultaneously, that familiar chakra fluctuation, carrying a slight mental suggestion, struck and was firmly blocked by the thickened ki shield.
No illusions appeared before Ryuto's eyes.
"Did it work?" Rena stopped the technique and asked in delighted surprise.
"It... seems so." Ryuto carefully recalled the sensation. "The moment you finished your seals and your chakra surged toward your eyes, I sensed a very distinctive 'chill.' It felt different from the ordinary gathering of chakra to release ninjutsu. I instinctively thought it might be genjutsu and concentrated a little ki in that direction."
Mito stepped forward and examined Ryuto carefully. "No signs of being affected by the technique. You really did anticipate it."
The surprise in her gaze deepened as she looked at him. "That ability to distinguish such subtle differences in energy fluctuations... talent alone can't explain it. Just how did you train before?"
Ryuto could not explain that "ki" from the Dragon Ball world was inherently extremely sensitive to energy, so he could only answer vaguely, "Maybe I've just practiced a lot and developed a finer sense for it."
Mito did not press him further, but her estimation of Ryuto rose another notch.
This guy not only learns quickly, but can also apply what he learns to new situations, actively turning his weaknesses into strengths.
"This early-warning ability is still very rudimentary," Mito reminded him. "Rena was cooperating with you. She deliberately slowed down, and her chakra fluctuations were obvious. In real combat, the Uchiha launch their genjutsu faster and more subtly, without even needing hand seals. You're still a long way from relying on this to avoid it completely."
"I know." Ryuto nodded. "But at least I have a direction now. From now on, besides strengthening my defenses, I'll also practice this 'recognizing the flavor.'"
Rena nodded emphatically. "Yes! I'll help you! We can simulate genjutsu attacks of different strengths and in different forms so you can gradually get familiar with them!"
Watching the two return to discussing their training, Mito felt some of the tension brought on by the Uchiha's movements ease.
This Ryuto really is growing faster than expected.
The Uchiha may have made him their target, but succeeding probably won't be so easy.
Still...
Mito recalled the frequent and unusual Uchiha activity mentioned in the intelligence reports.
Just what are they planning?
Is it only to gather intelligence on Ryuto?
Or do they have something deeper in mind?
She needed to bring Hashirama up to speed on the situation here as soon as possible.
On the training ground, Ryuto and Rena continued practicing.
Ryuto focused, striving to catch that fleeting, distinctive fluctuation before each genjutsu was launched.
He knew the Uchiha's eyes were already fixed on him.
The next time they met on the battlefield, things probably would not be as "simple" as last time.
I have to get stronger, faster. Faster still.
Before you continue