The class spent the next hour practicing the False Surroundings Technique, each student struggling to control their chakra with varying success.
Many distorted the wrong parts of the classroom, and one boy even made the ceiling appear lower, causing a few classmates to duck instinctively.
Murakami ignored them and focused on refining his execution of the technique, adjusting his chakra output with each attempt.
Though his technique wasn't perfect, the subtle improvements were clear the more he practiced. Genjutsu demanded far more precision than Ninjutsu, and he found the challenge invigorating.
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 came into existence with the subtle shift in the placement of the windows. Then, with an exaggerated groan, he slumped onto his desk, arms dangling over the sides like a puppet with its strings cut.
"This…" he muttered. "Took too much effort… I think I'm dying."
Katsuro muttered, "This… took too much effort… I think I'm dying."
Murakami snorted disdainfully. "You pulled off a simple Genjutsu and now you're on your deathbed?"
Katsuro peeked up at him 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."
Murakami smirked. "Sounds to me like you've just been slacking on your chakra control training."
Katsuro 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?"
Murakami didn't answer, and Katsuro sighed even louder knowing he was right.
"See? Overachiever."
Murakami rolled his eyes. "You're just lazy."
"It's called efficiency," Katsuro countered. "Why waste energy when I can do the bare minimum and still pass?"
Murakami inwardly agreed with his ideology but still shook his 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."
Murakami couldn't help but admit, "That's… honestly impressive in its own way."
And he wasn't mincing words. The two clicked well because they bonded over their outward laziness and sharp mind.
Where Katsuro was strategically intelligent, Murakami was methodically precise. They both noticed patterns and calculated outcomes.
While Katsuro relied on clever shortcuts and cunning improvisation, Murakami relied on deliberate control and careful observation.
Together, their differences complemented each other, forming an unspoken understanding: both respected intellect, but expressed it in entirely different ways.
Before Katsuro could respond, Tetsuo-sensei clapped his hands, cutting the conversation short.
"Alright, that's enough for today." His gaze swept the classroom, lingering on the few students who had managed to perform the technique successfully. "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 to the board, underlining 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."
A few students groaned, Katsuro in particular letting out a weak whimper.
"You have your orders," Tetsuo-sensei continued. "Class dismissed."
As the students began packing up, Murakami leaned back in his chair and stretched slightly, reflecting on the lesson.
Today had proven more interesting than expected.
'Genjutsu,' he thought as he came to a realisation. 'This could be a valuable skill to master'
It had a precision and subtlety that offered a depth that went beyond brute strength or flashy techniques.
…
Leaving the academy, Murakami exhaled sharply, his fingers absently tapping against his thigh as he walked.
Genjutsu.
Of all the disciplines of a shinobi, this was the one he found most fascinating after Fuinjutsu, and most underestimated.
Not much was mentioned about it in the series since Itachi set a high bar of comparison. The Uchihas in his class made him understand why that is.
The class had ended with most of his peers still struggling with the illusion. Yet Katsuro, along with the Yamanaka boy and Uchihas completed theirs in one try.
It was amusing, but it also sparked a thought.
''Fucking bloodlines,'' Murakami muttered under his breath.
Most of his classmates had no real understanding of how Genjutsu functioned beyond the surface-level explanation Tetsuo-sensei had provided, but he had some idea.
"'Genjutsu manipulates the five senses, controlling what the target perceives,'" he murmured, echoing the academy's definition. 'True, but painfully simplistic.'
He paused mid-step, glancing at the evening sky, his mind replaying a quote from the series.
'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 level most shinobi could only dream of…
'Reality is only as strong as the mind that perceives it,' Murakami reflected as he recalled a school of thought that stated that Reality isn't what happens to us, but what manifests through our perception.
This meant that Genjutsu wasn't an illusionary trick, but psychological warfare. It wasn't just about showing someone an image; it was about hijacking their senses and forcing them to accept it as truth.
He resumed walking, rubbing his palm against his fingers thoughtfully.
'The human brain is lazy. Extremely so. It takes shortcuts, filling in gaps in perception without conscious thought. A shinobi's mind, no matter how trained, is still bound by these fundamental rules.'
'That's why Genjutsu is terrifying.'
'If you understand how people process information, you can manipulate their reality with surgical precision.'
A Genjutsu user wasn't just a trickster or illusionist.
'They are engineers of perception. Architects of false realities.'
And that, Murakami knew, was a form of power.
'This is something I need to master.'
The ability to disrupt, confuse, and even control opponents without lifting a finger. There was undeniable strength in that.
…
By the time Murakami returned home, he had already broken Genjutsu down into a functional framework in his mind:
1. Sensory Manipulation – The core of Genjutsu. Alter sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell, and you alter reality.
2. Cognitive Overload – Too much conflicting information forces the brain to pick the easiest reality to believe.
3. Chakra Disruption – The nervous system runs on electrical signals; chakra can override them, making the body feel what isn't there.
4. Perception Anchors – People expect patterns. Illusions that follow a logical sequence go unquestioned.
5. Pain vs. Belief – Pain can break Genjutsu, but belief in the illusion can override it.
He smirked. 'If I can understand this at a deeper level, I can make Genjutsu even more effective.'
Yet Genjutsu was only one piece of the puzzle. Murakami's training regimen was already ruthless, and slowing down was not an option.
There were only so many hours in a day, and no jutsu existed to extend them, at least, not one he was aware of.
As such, his grind was structured as follows:
1. Taijutsu & Physical Conditioning.
The academy's Taijutsu training was adequate as a foundation, but Murakami took it further.
Strength Training – Muscles weren't just for show; a strong body made for a deadlier shinobi. He preferred to remain slender, letting the restriction seals prevent excessive bulk.
Agility & Reflex Training – He focused on micro-movements, minimizing wasted motion. He practiced dodging multiple attacks in rapid succession.
With his sensory abilities, he could anticipate openings in his own movements and adjust mid-action, refining both reaction time and precision.
2. Bukijutsu (Weapon Arts)
Bo-jutsu Katas – A week of intensive practice was beginning to integrate staff combat into his muscle memory. Arata-sensei's sparring session had shown that fluidity and technique trumped brute force.
Each movement had to flow into the next and Murakami's focus was on speed, control, and adaptability. A weapon is only as strong as the mind wielding it.
3. Fūinjutsu (Sealing Arts)
This was still one of the most intricate disciplines he practiced.
At present, he could draw a wide array of seals. Storage Seals which allowed him to store and retrieve objects instantly from scrolls or hidden containers.
Chakra Suppression Seals used to restrict chakra flow,
Strengthening Seals which temporarily infused weapons with chakra, enhancing their durability, cutting power, or impact.
Explosive Tags which detonations could be timed, chained, or strategically placed for maximum effect.
Trap Seals which are hidden and triggered when disturbed.
Binding Seals which restricted the movement of a target, either by tying them to a spot or slowing their motions.
Sensor Seals allowed him to detect chakra fluctuations within a certain area, useful for surveillance or anticipating attacks.
Transformation Seals could temporarily alter the appearance of objects or weapons, blending them with the environment or disguising them as innocuous items.
Murakami had become proficient in drawing these seals quickly and accurately.
Though combining them into more complex, layered techniques was still a challenge that demanded intense focus, knowledge and practice.
The true challenge for Murakami lay in understanding the mechanics behind high-level seals.
Unlike simpler seals that required the careful writing of kanji with brushes and ink, advanced seals could be activated directly with chakra.
He had already been pushing his limits with the seals he could perform. Attempting something more complex without mastering the basics would be reckless, even suicidal.
'What happens when I fuse Fūinjutsu with Genjutsu?' A thought struck and lingered in his mind, refusing to let go.
Murakami mused as he walked.
While studying Fūinjutsu, he began to see parallels with the martial arts worlds he had read about.
Martial arts and cultivation shared some similarities, both relied on internal energy, discipline, and structured techniques, but there were fundamental differences.
Cultivation was about endlessly absorbing external energy to evolve beyond human limits. Martial arts, however, focused on refining the power that already existed within.
Chakra aligned with the latter, while senjutsu aligned with the former.
Chakra wasn't gathered from the world, it grew from within, a manifestation of one's life force.
Martial arts dealt with internal energy in a similar way. Fūinjutsu, likewise, shared characteristics with array arts, though with a key divergence.
Array arts were perception-based; even a basic formation could manipulate the senses and the mind. Fūinjutsu, by itself, did not.
But if Genjutsu and Fūinjutsu were combined, Genjutsu manipulating perception while Fūinjutsu stored and released chakra-based effects, a hybrid Seal-Genjutsu technique could be as devastating as the most complex array.
It was a theory, nothing more for now. Murakami knew he needed more data and experimentation, before he could attempt anything like that.
4. Chakra Theory & Ninjutsu Fundamentals
The academy hadn't officially begun Ninjutsu training, but Murakami had never been the type to wait for permission.
He had already started dissecting the Shockwave Jutsu they were introduced to, a simple chakra-expulsion technique where the force depended entirely on pressure control.
If he could manipulate chakra flow and release more efficiently, the technique's power would naturally increase. Improving that control wouldn't just refine this single jutsu, it would elevate every technique he encountered later.
That led him to a lingering question.
The academy often spoke about jutsu levels as if they represented pure power, but Murakami saw it differently.
Complexity, stability, chakra cost, that was what separated a simple technique from an advanced one.
And then the real thought struck him: could a perfectly mastered simple technique rival a poorly executed advanced technique?
He didn't know yet.
The Shockwave Jutsu was the only technique he truly had access to, and information on higher-level jutsu was highly protected.
Balancing physical conditioning, Ninjutsu fundamentals, Bukijutsu practice, Genjutsu study, Fūinjutsu theory, and his growing business responsibilities was anything but easy.
But Murakami had never wanted easy.
The shinobi world wasn't forgiving, and survival demanded a constant edge.
…
Later that night, lying in bed, his mind wandered, as it always did, to the threads that tied his disciplines together.
Genjutsu.
Fūinjutsu.
Ninjutsu
Illusion.
Itachi's famous words echoed in his mind, a whisper from a future legend:
Reality is just an illusion.
A faint smirk curved Murakami's lips.
'If that's true… then I'll learn to shape reality however I please.'