Ascension Island, underground training room.
Kurenai Yuhi kept her eyes tightly shut, her hands rapidly forming hand seals.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"
With her soft cry, countless illusory branches surged from the ground and instantly entwined the wooden post in the center of the training grounds.
Yet Tagitsuhime, standing opposite her, merely raised her eyelids slightly, a glimmer of blue-green light flashing through her serpentine pupils.
She said with a lilting laugh:
"Your genjutsu forms at an acceptable speed, but its mental impact is too weak."
"A ninja with a strong will or special ocular techniques could easily break free of genjutsu at this level."
Before she even finished speaking, without any visible movement from her, the illusory branches around the post shattered inch by inch as though crushed by an invisible force, dissipating into the air.
Kurenai Yuhi gave a muffled grunt and swayed.
Nonō watched from the side with concern in her eyes, but she also knew this was a process Kurenai had to endure to grow stronger.
Just then, Tagitsuhime abruptly stopped in the middle of instructing Kurenai!
Her serpentine pupils suddenly constricted, and she whipped her head toward the ceiling of the training room.
"What's wrong, Sister Tagitsuhime?"
Noticing something unusual about her, Kurenai Yuhi asked.
Nonō also gave her a questioning look.
The languor on Tagitsuhime's face was instantly replaced by a trace of gravity and... killing intent.
"There are snakes... the presence of snakes, probing around the island's perimeter."
"And a presence I find very unpleasant is approaching."
She tilted her head slightly, sensing the cold, sinister chakra growing ever clearer, and her lips curved into an icy smile.
"It's Ichikishimahime... another Snake Princess serving the White Snake Sage."
Nonō's expression shifted slightly.
"Ryūchi Cave has found us? Should we inform Lin Ze?"