When everyone heard the fierce crack that echoed throughout the silent forest, they were all shocked.
Orochimaru's head was bent at an unnatural angle, creating a jarring image when he turned around to face the boy who had snapped his neck.
"…Since when?" the Sannin couldn't help but ask. His tone bordered on incredulity.
For Suguru to have simply vanished and reappeared to snap his neck in the way he did — melting out of reality and moving before the world even realized he moved — was nonsensical.
Unless… everyone had long been placed under an illusion.
…However, to the onlookers, what was more incredulous was Orochimaru himself, still speaking despite a snapped spine. In the brief moment he spoke, his neck mended itself as if nothing had happened.
So, Suguru just laughed, his hand flipping over to reveal a spherical white glow — a terrifying mass of fire. He lobbed it over like tossing a grenade.
'Plasma Rasengan!' He grinned, making no indication that he was going to run.
Orochimaru's eyes flashed with malevolence, noting the high likelihood that the Suguru in front of him was but a mere clone.
'Oh, this one's bad,' He thought to himself, reminded of Hiruzen's newest Fire Release jutsus.
Thus, his instincts flared for the first time today — warning him of true danger. He acted fast.
—Bite.
A bleeding thumb fell upon the earth.
'Summoning: Rashomon!'
The Plasma Rasengan collided with the massive demonic gate that erupted from the ground. The Rashomon's doors, adorned with frightening faces, stood firm against the miniature star in Suguru's hand.
—Flash.
For a brief moment, the two techniques seemed to be at a stalemate—raw destructive power against Orochimaru's ultimate defense.
Then came the explosion.
—BOOOM!
White light flooded the forest, blinding everyone present. The genin shielded their eyes, feeling the intense heat wash over them. Even Anko, who had seen many battles, was forced to look away from the brilliant flash.
The clone that lobbed the Plasma Rasengan was engulfed in its bombardment, forced to explode in a cloud of smoke.
Most importantly…
The Rashomon gate cracked but held, absorbing most of the Plasma Rasengan's power. Yet the light still permeated everything, casting no shadows as it bathed the forest in its glow.
In that moment of universal blindness, Suguru's hands formed seals.
[Snake » Rat » Boar » Tiger » Horse » Rat]
'Genjutsu: Infernal Mirage,'
The flames from the explosion twisted unnaturally, bending to Suguru's will.
They danced around Orochimaru, and the Sannin's eyes narrowed as he sensed the chakra manipulation occurring around him.
"Another layer of illusion," Orochimaru murmured, taking in the sensation. "Using the environment as a means to use Genjutsu? That's foul, isn't it?"
He laughed, but even as he spoke, the flames began to affect his senses. Sounds grew warped, distorted, and robotic. Smells intensified like concentrated perfume. The surrounding heat seemed to press against his skin from impossible angles.
Most dangerously, his vision began to fragment, showing him multiple versions of reality layered on top of one another.
Naruto and Gaara felt it too—a subtle invasion of their chakra networks through the flames surrounding them. Tatsuya's Sharingan spun wildly as he tried to process what was happening.
The layers of illusion were meticulously crafted. Like cake.
…Deadly cake.
"Everyone, disrupt your chakra now!" Anko shouted, recognizing the signs of a wide-area Genjutsu.
Meanwhile, Suguru stood calmly at the center of the chaos, his silver eyes reflecting the dancing flames. The genin around him were desperately trying to follow Anko's instructions, disrupting their chakra to break free from the illusion.
Naruto formed a seal, his face scrunched in concentration.
"Kai!" he shouted, a burst of the Nine-Tails' chakra pulsing through his system.
The illusion wavered around him but didn't break completely.
Gaara remained motionless, his sand shield automatically protecting him from the worst effects of the Genjutsu. Within him, Shukaku stirred uneasily, finally recognizing the signature of the technique.
"This chakra! Oi Gaara! Is it that Suguru?" Shukaku cackled within Gaara's mind. "His power has grown, hasn't it? Quick, let me have a chat with the little bastard…"
Tatsuya's Sharingan spun frantically, analyzing the layers of the illusion.
He could see the intricate weaving of chakra, how it manipulated the senses through the medium of the flames. It was brilliant and terrifying all at once.
Mitsuko and Sakura had managed to break free, their combined effort disrupting each other's chakra flow effectively. They huddled near Sasuke's unconscious form, protecting him from the chaos unfolding around them.
Finally, Anko circled the perimeter, kunai in hand, trying to locate Orochimaru through the shifting visions.
The Sannin seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once, his laughter echoing through the forest. Against the Ghost that was his student, Orochimaru had grown wary.
"I see you've been busy during your time away," Orochimaru called out, his voice coming from multiple directions. "Creating such a unique Genjutsu..."
Suguru didn't respond. Instead, he raised his hand, and the flames intensified, their color shifting from orange to a deep, unnatural crimson. The air itself bent and distorted around him.
"I'm pleased that you can recognize the artistry in this, Orochimaru-sama~" Suguru finally said, his voice cutting through the illusion like a blade. "However, you've marked Sasuke. Your work here is done, is not?"
The flames suddenly contracted, condensing into a tight sphere around Orochimaru's position. For a moment, the Sannin's true form was visible through the fire — his eyes wide with surprise at the sudden shift in the Genjutsu's nature.
Red dust had long begun to circulate amidst the flames.
Another illusion piled on.
'Genjutsu: Shinrakugan,'
The red dust swirled through the flames. The third… or was it fourth? Either way, another Genjutsu fell upon the battlefield, interfering further with everyone's senses.
As it settled around Orochimaru, it began to interfere with his ability to even recognize the Genjutsu itself.
Orochimaru felt it immediately — a strange disruption in his vision, as if someone had placed a filter over his eyes. His ability to sense the illusions around him dissipated.
"What is this?" he hissed, genuine surprise coloring his voice. "This… something's wrong…"
But he was losing his grasp on what exactly that was.
Seeing this, Suguru smiled, his expression never reaching his eyes.
The red particles danced around Orochimaru, clinging to his chakra pathways to interfere with his sensory abilities and hide reality behind a veil.
Meanwhile, Naruto had finally broken through the initial layers of the Genjutsu, his determination and the Nine-Tails' chakra providing the necessary disruption. Only for yet another Genjutsu to befall him.
Without Kurama's help in breaking Suguru's fine control, Naruto had to struggle once more.
Gaara remained still, and through narrowed eyes, he opted for observation. The red dust had been naturally repelled by his own sand. The two clouds of particles seemed to respect each other for some reason.
Lastly.
Tatsuya's Sharingan had begun to falter under the influence of Suguru's Shinrakugan. The superior gaze at the moment was one honed in deception.
The tomoe spun slower, struggling against the interference. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.
However, it would be for naught. There was too much information flooding his senses.
In comparison to the struggling genin, Orochimaru paused to look around.
"Ho~" Orochimaru couldn't help but marvel, his tongue flicking out to taste the air. Fighting all these youths had given him miles upon miles of inspiration.
"You've also created a technique specifically designed to counter Dojutsu. Not even my dear Sasuke-kun's Sharingan would be immune to this. You've truly surpassed my expectations, Suguru-kun."
Just then.
Anko circled closer, her own eyes narrowed against the effects of the dust. She felt danger emanating from the young shinobi.
She didn't trust Suguru as much as she did the other jounin in Konoha.
"Suguru," she called out, her voice tense. "Stand down. We need to get these genin to safety."
But Suguru left her with a mere glance. His stare was blank yet questioning, giving her a weird sense of dissonance.
As if to ask,
Why would I hurt the examinees?
"Hmm..?" Suguru paused, further clouding the senses of everyone else but Orochimaru.
"…Right," Suguru remembered something important.
Everyone who could see his smile, aside from Orochimaru and Gaara, would most certainly feel a chill. It was eerie and scheming.
Unfortunately for them, their senses had long been thrown into disarray.
"Before you go, Orochimaru-sensei, may I ask you about the Kinjutsu, Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation?"
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