The rest of the class spent the next hour attempting to perform False Surroundings Technique, with varying levels of success. Most students struggled to get their chakra flow just right, and many ended up distorting the wrong parts of the classroom.
One unfortunate soul even made it seem like the ceiling had lowered slightly, causing a few people to duck on instinct.
I continued refining my execution, adjusting the chakra output each time I cast the technique. While it wasn't perfect, I could tell I was improving. It was a delicate process, more precise than Ninjutsu, but I enjoyed the challenge.
Eventually, a few students managed to pull it off. One of them was Katsuro Nara.
Unlike others, who had been frowning in concentration, Katsuro barely looked like he was trying. He idly formed the hand seals, let out a small sigh, and released the technique. The illusion wavered into existence—a subtle shift in the placement of the windows.
Then, with a dramatic groan, he slumped forward onto his desk, arms hanging over the sides like a puppet with cut strings.
"Ugh…" he muttered. "Too much effort… I think I'm dying."
I snorted. "You pulled off a simple Genjutsu and now you're on your deathbed?"
Katsuro peeked up at me through half-lidded eyes. "You don't get it, Murakami. I just used up my entire life force. I can feel my body wasting away."
I smirked. "Sounds to me like you've just been slacking on your chakra control training."
He let out an exaggerated sigh. "And why would I do something so tiring? You, on the other hand, are a perfectionist. I bet you've already done the technique multiple times, huh?"
I didn't answer, which made him sigh even louder.
"See? Overachiever."
I rolled my eyes. "You're just lazy."
"It's called efficiency," he countered. "Why waste energy when I can do the bare minimum and still pass?"
I shook my head. "So, you're telling me you planned to barely scrape by in class and then pretend to pass out from exhaustion for extra effect?"
Katsuro gave a slow, lazy nod. "Now you're getting it."
"That's… honestly impressive in its own way," I admitted.
Before Katsuro could respond, Tetsuo-sensei clapped his hands.
"Alright, that's enough for today." His gaze swept over the room, lingering on the handful of students who had successfully performed the technique. "Some of you made decent progress, but don't get too comfortable. A single Genjutsu won't make you a master. The real challenge comes in using it in combat."
He turned toward the board and underlined the three key points he had written earlier.
"For your assignment, I expect all of you to practice False Surroundings Technique before our next class. I will be testing your progress. Those who cannot perform it will be required to stay after class for additional training."
That was enough to make a few students groan. Katsuro, in particular, let out a weak whimper.
"You have your orders," Tetsuo-sensei continued. "Class dismissed."
As everyone started packing up their things, I leaned back in my chair, stretching slightly. Today had been more interesting than expected.
Genjutsu… I thought to myself. This could be a valuable skill to master.
…
Leaving the academy, I let out a breath, my fingers absently tapping against my thigh as I walked.
Genjutsu.
Of all the disciplines of a shinobi, this was the one I found the most fascinating—and the most underestimated.
The class had ended with most of my peers still struggling with the most basic illusion.
Katsuro, after succeeding once, had promptly collapsed onto his desk like he had just fought a war, complaining about how Genjutsu should just "apply itself" like his clan's Shadow Possession Jutsu.
It was hilarious, but it also made me realize something.
Fucking Bloodlines. I tell ya.
Anyways, most of my classmates had no real concept of how Genjutsu functioned beyond the surface-level explanation Tetsuo-sensei had given.
"Genjutsu manipulates the five senses, controlling what the target perceives."
That was the standard academy definition. True, but painfully simplistic.
The real question was: why did it work?
I paused on my walk, glancing up at the afternoon sky. My mind wandered back to a certain quote—one that had lingered with me since the lesson.
"People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That is how they define reality. But what does it mean to be correct or true? Merely vague concepts... their reality may all be an illusion."
>Itachi Uchiha.<
A man who had weaponized perception to a degree most shinobi could only dream of.
A Genjutsu master who understood the fundamental truth of illusions.
Reality is only as strong as the mind that perceives it.
That's why Genjutsu wasn't just an illusionary trick—it was psychological warfare. It wasn't about simply showing someone an image; it was about hijacking their senses and forcing them to accept it as truth.
I resumed walking, my fingers rubbing against my palm as I thought.
The human brain is lazy. Extremely so. It takes shortcuts, filling in gaps in perception without conscious thought. A shinobi's mind, despite its training, is still bound to these fundamental rules.
That's why Genjutsu is terrifying.
If you understood how people process information, you could manipulate their reality with surgical precision.
A Genjutsu user wasn't just a trickster or illusionist.
They were engineers of perception. Architects of false realities.
And that… was powerful.
This was something I needed to master.
The ability to disrupt, confuse, and even control opponents without lifting a finger—there was power in that.
…
By the time I got home, I had already broken Genjutsu down into a functional framework in my head.
1. Sensory Manipulation – The core of Genjutsu. Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell—alter one, alter reality.
2. Cognitive Overload – Too much conflicting information? The brain fills in gaps and picks the easiest reality to believe.
3. Chakra Disruption – The nervous system runs on electrical signals. Chakra can override that, tricking the body into feeling what isn't there.
4. Perception Anchors – People expect patterns. If an illusion follows a logical sequence, they won't even question it.
5. Pain vs. Belief – Pain can break Genjutsu, but belief in the illusion can override the pain.
I smirked to myself.
"If I can understand this at a deeper level, I can make Genjutsu even more effective."
All that's left is balancing the grind
Of course, Genjutsu was just one piece of the puzzle. My training regimen was already ruthlessly efficient, and I had no plans to slow down.
There were only so many hours in a day after all and there was no jutsu to extend it…even if there were, I wasn't capable of that just yet.
So my grind was as such:
1. Taijutsu & Physical Conditioning
The academy's Taijutsu training was adequate at best as a foundation. And I took it several steps further.
Strength Training – My muscles weren't just for show. A strong body made for a deadlier shinobi, but I wasn't aiming for a macho Shinobi. I liked my body slender and the restriction seals saw that I didn't grow too robust.
Agility & Reflex Training – I wasn't just dodging. I was learning micro-movements, minimizing wasted motion. With my sensory abilities I was able to train my reaction time.
2. Bukijutsu (Weapon Arts)
Bo-jutsu Katas – A week in, and I was seamlessly integrating staff combat into my muscle memory.
Arata-sensei's sparring session had been an eye-opener. The Bo-staff required fluidity, not brute force. Every movement had to flow into the next.
I had memorized the beginner's manual he had given me, and now, my practice revolved around speed, control, and adaptability.
A weapon is only as strong as the mind wielding it.
3. Fuinjutsu (Sealing Arts)
Still one of the most complex arts I was studying.
I had already perfected C-Rank seals. Like the Weapon Storage Seals (Buki Fūinjutsu) which allows shinobi to store larger weapons inside scrolls for quick deployment.
Chakra Suppression Seal used to limit or suppress a person's chakra flow, useful in capturing enemies. This works on Genin and Chunin most especially.
Only the B-Rank Advanced Chakra Suppression Seal could affect Jonin and Kage level Shinobi. Now, I wasn't at that level yet, but soon…
There was the Strengthening Seal (Kyōka Fūin) that temporarily enhances weapons when infusing them with chakra.
The Intermediate Explosive Tags, a more advanced version of the D-Rank basic explosive seals with delayed detonations or chained explosions effect.
B-Rank seals were slowly making sense, but I needed more time.
The true challenge? Understanding the mechanics behind high-level seals. B-Rank seals and above didn't need the usual writing of Kanji with brushes and ink, rather, it is activated with chakra directly.
I was already overdrawing my chakra with C-Rank seals. Trying to create B-Rank seals would be suicidal.
"What happens when I fuse Fuinjutsu with Genjutsu?"
The idea had been floating in my mind for a while now.
While learning about Fuinjutsu, I had a thought, that maybe, just maybe, this world isn't so different from those martial arts world.
Martial Arts and not Cultivation. There was a fundamental difference.
Chakra is not something that you acquire. It's something that grows from within you. It's basically your life force or internal energy.
Martial Arts deals with Internal Energy which shares a lot of similarities with Chakra. The same went for Fuinjutsu and it's likeness for Array Arts.
But that's where it diverges. Array art were more perception inclined than Fuinjutsu. A basic array already has the effect of altering one's perception, but Fuinjutsu didn't.
But then again, if Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu are Fused with Genjutsu altering perception, and Fuinjutsu storing and releasing chakra-based effects, then a Seal-Genjutsu Hybrid Technique would be as devastating as an array.
This was a theory though. I needed more data before I could experiment.
4. Chakra Theory & Ninjutsu Fundamentals
The academy hadn't officially started teaching Ninjutsu yet, but I wasn't waiting around for permission to learn. I had already begun analyzing the Shockwave Jutsu we were introduced to.
It was a chakra-expulsion-based technique, meaning that pressure control determined its effectiveness.
The more efficiently I could manipulate the chakra flow and release, the stronger the force of impact. Refining my chakra control wouldn't just improve this jutsu—it would enhance every technique I learned in the future.
That got me thinking.
The difference between D-Rank, C-Rank, B-Rank, A-Rank, and S-Rank jutsu wasn't just raw power—it was complexity, control, and chakra cost.
But what if a lower-ranked jutsu was mastered to perfection? Could it compete with a poorly executed higher-ranked jutsu?
I wouldn't know. Other than the D-Rank Shockwave no Jutsu I had in my arsenal, I had little to no information on other techniques.
And so, I was pushing my limits every single day.
Balancing physical training, Ninjutsu Bukijutsu, Genjutsu, Fuinjutsu, and my business affairs wasn't easy.
But I wasn't looking for easy.
The shinobi world wasn't kind. If I wanted to thrive, I needed to be a step ahead.
That night, lying in bed, I let my mind wander.
Genjutsu.
Fuinjutsu.
Perception.
Illusion.
Itachi's words echoed once more in my head.
"Reality is just a illusion."
A smirk tugged at my lips.
"If that's true… then I'll learn to shape reality however I please."