A Training Cheat, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique / The Third Hokage and Tsunade

"But I lacked talent and had limited ability. I could only master a few low-level Genjutsu!"

"And your father, Chiya Kawasuke, had no talent for Genjutsu. He made considerable achievements in Medical Ninjutsu instead!"

"So I kept this scroll sealed away until now. I didn't give it to you before because you were still young and worked so hard at studying Medical Ninjutsu. I was afraid it would distract you..."

"You're more outstanding than your grandmother imagined... Now it's time to pass it on to you!"

Chapter 22: A Training Cheat, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique

Evening.

Rikuto finished dinner with Kurenai Yuhi and Chiya Nao.

After keeping the old woman company for a while, Kurenai Yuhi said goodbye and went home.

Chiya Rikuto didn't keep pestering Kurenai Yuhi.

Once the old woman had gone to sleep, he returned straight to his room.

He eagerly opened the Genjutsu scroll Chiya Nao had given him.

[D-rank Genjutsu: Mist Servant Technique, Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique...]

[C-rank Genjutsu: Fox Mind Technique, Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique, Falling Cherry Blossom Viewing Technique...]

[B-rank Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change, Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death, Genjutsu: Absolute Lotus...]

[A-rank Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique, Bringer-of-Darkness Technique...]

The long list of Genjutsu

left Rikuto dazzled.

There were also quite a few high-level Genjutsu among them.

Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change, for instance, could break a Genjutsu cast on the user and completely reflect its effects back at the enemy. It was one of the rarer types of reflection Genjutsu.

When used with a Dōjutsu such as the Sharingan, however, it could see through an enemy's Genjutsu in an instant, breaking the Genjutsu cast on the user in a flash and completely reflecting its effects back at the opponent.

As for the A-rank Bringer-of-Darkness Technique,

it was a Genjutsu that induced visual hallucinations and stole away all light.

Clearly, it was a technique the Senju Clan had developed specifically to counter the Uchiha Clan.

It sealed off an opponent's vision, undermined their Dōjutsu advantage, and allowed the user to seize the initiative.

"Tsk, tsk. As expected of a Genjutsu master of the Senju Clan. There are even sound-based Genjutsu..."

What truly amazed Rikuto was that there were two sound-based Genjutsu.

The B-rank Demonic Illusion: Thunderclap Technique and the A-rank Demonic Illusion: Demonic Sound Illusory Realm were both fairly difficult sound-based Genjutsu. But if he could master them and use them properly in battle, they would be difficult to guard against.

Most importantly,

they required no musical instruments as a medium.

They could be activated quietly using the voice alone.

Rikuto couldn't help smiling.

Although there were no S-rank Genjutsu or any other Ninjutsu of the Senju Clan inside,

to him, it was already an extraordinary treasure.

Especially if he used them with the Sharingan.

That would make them difficult to guard against.

And with these Genjutsu, as well as the insights into Genjutsu left behind by his great-grandmother Senju Toka, whom he had never met, to draw upon,

he might well be able to create his own high-level Genjutsu in the future.

"Rustle... rustle..."

The scroll didn't look very big, but when fully unrolled, it was over ten meters long.

It stretched all the way around the room.

"Wood Clone Technique!" Rikuto immediately formed hand seals.

As though he were a towering tree, numerous branches grew directly from his body.

They took human form before his eyes.

There were at least ten of them altogether, filling the small room.

If not for the lack of space,

Rikuto, with his ample Chakra,

could have made even more Wood Clones.

"Well then, I'm counting on you!"

Rikuto instructed them, "Each of you take one Genjutsu. Once you've got it down, move on to the next!"

Nothing was better suited to training than Wood Clones, which possessed some of the original's abilities, could even use his Kekkei Genkai, and returned their memories and experience when released.

What was more, the Wood Clone Technique allowed the user to freely control the proportion of Chakra allocated to each clone.

In that respect, the Shadow Clone Technique, which had to divide the user's Chakra equally, was no match for it.

As long as there was enough Chakra, a Wood Clone would not easily disappear unless it suffered fatal damage.

For Rikuto, who had been born with an astonishing amount of Chakra, Wood Clones could not have been better suited to assisting his training.

They were a downright training cheat.

Even without a Tailed Beast's Chakra,

Rikuto, as a Woods-Woods Fruit user who also possessed the power of the Senju Clan, effectively had the power of perfect Yang Release. His incredible recovery was in no way inferior to that of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

It might even have surpassed it.

He didn't have to worry about exhaustion at all.

At worst, he could get some sleep after daybreak.

"Okay!"

"No problem!"

"Leave it to us!"

Pair after pair of scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared.

The figures identical to Rikuto each sat down before the scroll spread around the room.

They began to study and practice the Genjutsu recorded on it.

"Then I'll take care of an A-rank Genjutsu too..."

Rikuto looked at the A-rank Genjutsu written in black and white on the scroll before him.

He chuckled. "A Genjutsu that plunges everything into an abyss of darkness, where there's no resisting the merciless dark... the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique?"

With his Sharingan,

and his own comprehension,

he believed he would have little trouble learning the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.

"This is a good technique. It's well suited for Sister Kurenai to learn, since she's a Genjutsu ninja with considerable talent in that field!" He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again,

three black tomoe formed a triangular pattern in each of his scarlet eyes.

He devoted himself to studying the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.

Chapter 23: The Third Hokage and Tsunade

Meanwhile-

Lights glimmered across Konoha in the evening.

The bustle of the day gradually gave way to quiet.

In a tavern, Tsunade was drinking to drown her sorrows.

Shizune, holding Tonton beside her, couldn't help trying to dissuade her. "Lady Tsunade, you really mustn't drink too much..."

"Quit nagging, Shizune..."

Tsunade, who had already drunk quite a bit, waved her hand, her pretty face slightly flushed. "If you won't come drink with me, go back and get some rest!"

"Even if coming back to Konoha has made you a little unhappy..."

Shizune could only do her best to persuade her, her face full of worry. "You've gained another exceptionally talented disciple, and I've gained an adorable junior brother. Shouldn't we be happy?"

"Mm, I know..."

Tsunade looked melancholy.

She drank cup after cup, still glum. "That kid Rikuto really was a big surprise. He made the trip back worthwhile, but that has nothing to do with him. They're two separate things..."

Taking in an exceptionally talented disciple was indeed something to be happy about.

But after being away from Konoha for so long, she couldn't help recalling painful memories at the sight of familiar places, thinking of her younger brother, who had died so young.

As for Dan Katō?

Others might not have known, but Tsunade herself did.

Strictly speaking, the two of them had never really gotten that far.

She had only regarded him as a friend.

But his death had undoubtedly dealt Tsunade another blow.

Tsunade had still not fully emerged from the shadow of her brother Nawaki's death. She was strong on the outside, but vulnerable and sensitive deep down.

She was also a master medical ninja who had saved lives and grown accustomed to blood and death.

Yet his death had shaken and hurt her so badly all over again that she had developed a rare fear of blood.

Whenever she saw blood, she couldn't stop trembling all over.

Sometimes she could barely move, leaving her worse off than an ordinary person.

It was a serious psychological condition.

Even she could do nothing about it.

During the years since she had left Konoha,

she had often drowned her sorrows in drink, numbing herself.

It worried Shizune, who accompanied her, but she couldn't stop her.

"Let me have a few drinks and get properly drunk..."

Tsunade was already a little tipsy. Narrowing her eyes, she said quietly, "I won't drink tomorrow!"

"If you don't mind, then let this old man have a few drinks with you..." An old man wearing a conical hat and a long robe entered the tavern.

"Huh? Lord Third!"

Shizune's eyes narrowed sharply when she saw who it was.

Though they hadn't seen each other for years, she still recognized him.

She hurriedly bowed to him.

"Old man, why aren't you attending to your duties as Hokage instead of coming here to meddle in my business?" Tsunade glanced at him, showing little reaction.

Or rather,

after everything she had been through,

and all the darkness she had witnessed firsthand,

she had been hurt so deeply that she had long since given up on the Third Hokage.

As for the Konoha High Command, who constantly claimed to have inherited the will of her grandfather, the First Hokage, and her great-uncle, the Second Hokage, but had in truth been corrupted by power and become nothing but shameless politicians.