Chapter 30: Psycho Mind Transmission: Disgust
"Don't look down on me, you bastard!"
Asuma was thoroughly enraged by Tonbo Tobitake's dismissive behavior, especially his "battlefield commentary" style of lecturing.
Backing up slightly, he pulled a Fuma Shuriken from his tool pouch. The moment he threw it, his hands blurred into seals.
Swish, swish, swish!
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A sky-obscuring barrage of giant shuriken rained down toward Tonbo like a dark cloud. However, the instant he released the jutsu, Asuma felt a pang of regret. Tonbo was a fellow villager, not an enemy; this was going a bit too far.
Just as he was hoping Tonbo wouldn't be too incompetent—lest he actually end up dead—something strange happened.
He saw Tonbo flash him a small smile.
Asuma was stunned. In the face of an attack like this, you actually have the heart to smile? He grew even angrier. How could the Old Man let a guy like this lead a team?
Bang!
Just as he was doubting the Third's judgment, a massive pangolin burst out from the earth. Using its entire body as a shield, it stood in front of Tonbo and blocked the incoming Fuma Shuriken.
Thud, thud, thud!
Whirr!
The pangolin was pierced by the shuriken, yet the follow-up blades continued their assault.
"Asuma, as expected of the Lord Third's son. It seems you're not just rude—you actually have a bit of skill!"
Tonbo's laughter rang out as he rose into the air, riding a giant dragonfly from behind the pangolin. He easily evaded the attack.
"Tch, a summoning beast? No, wait..."
Asuma's pupils shrank. He realized there was no corpse for the pangolin. With his sharp eyes, he spotted a small pangolin figurine falling to the ground.
"Is this... a Secret Technique?"
"Don't daze out during a fight. I'm coming!" Tonbo shouted.
Asuma looked up, and the last thing he saw was a watch swinging rhythmically back and forth in Tonbo's hand.
In an instant.
He felt the world spin. He suddenly found himself in a world filled with nothing but asparagus. And he was uncontrollably stuffing it into his mouth.
"Disgusting!"
Asuma immediately realized he was in a Genjutsu. He wanted to retch.
"Release!"
He instantly cut off his chakra flow, and at the exact moment it stopped, he erupted with a burst of chakra, flushing out the foreign interference.
When he opened his eyes, he was already being held in the air by the giant dragonfly's grip. Tonbo stood there smiling. For two people at the Special Jonin level, the current Asuma was still far behind! It was an easy victory, though Tonbo did have the advantage of knowing Asuma's profile beforehand.
"Iruka, Tetusen, Shinobu, remember this: an enemy will never warn you before they attack. When you encounter a situation like this, you must quickly analyze what type of ninja the enemy is and make a judgment on how to respond."
He continued to lecture the three little ones. Asuma looked indignant. Had he only been away from Konoha for a few days just to be dragged back like this?
Suddenly, he felt the grip loosen. He fell to the ground.
Urgh!
The moment he landed, the taste of asparagus flooded his mouth again, making him want to vomit.
"Dammit, didn't I break the Genjutsu?"
He hated the taste of asparagus more than anything. And why did this guy let him go? Doubt rose in Asuma's heart.
"How was it? My Psycho Mind Transmission: Disgust. It makes the enemy taste the food they hate most. Unlike the original version which guides the victim toward terrifying visions, this new version targets the sense of taste."
Tonbo released the secret technique on the dragonfly, tucked the figurine away, and looked at Asuma. "While the application is a bit narrower, it's quite effective."
"So cool, Captain!"
Iruka and the others rushed to his side, their eyes filled with even more reverence. This was the first time they had seen their Captain truly fight. His opponent was a senior like Asuma, yet he had won with total dominance.
Asuma's gaze was complicated. This guy had graduated later than him, so how could he have lost so easily?
"Why did you let me go? Aren't you afraid I'll run? You might be strong, but if I really want to leave, you can't keep me here."
Chiriku moved quietly to Asuma's side. If Asuma didn't want to go with the Konoha team, he was prepared to stall for time. Considering they were both affiliated with the Land of Fire, he figured Tonbo wouldn't make things too difficult for him.
Hearing this, Tonbo laughed. "Haha! Who do you think you are? Just a rebellious teenager. What good would it do to drag you back to Konoha by force? My mission was only to collect intel on you. The Lord Third didn't say I had to bring you back; he said it would be best if I could convince you."
Asuma was first annoyed, then silent, and finally, his gaze turned resolute.
"Fine, fine. I won't try to convince you anymore," Tonbo continued. "I can tell by your eyes it's impossible. But I will report your status to the Hokage exactly as I found it."
Asuma froze, looking deeply at Tonbo.
"I see. Then it seems there's no need for us to fight," Chiriku added, trying to smooth things over.
Gag!
Asuma retched again. He glared at Tonbo. "Hurry up and undo this Genjutsu!" That taste was unbearable.
Tonbo spread his hands. "Sorry, that's just the 'afterglow' of the illusion. Once you're hit, even for a second, the flavor lingers in your mouth for a long time. This jutsu is like being forced to eat the world's worst food; breaking the illusion is just like swallowing it. The taste stays in your mouth until your 'spirit' digests it."
He chuckled. He genuinely couldn't undo it; the only way would be to suppress or remove Asuma's sense of taste entirely.
Asuma's eyes went wide. He... can't... undo it? How long was he going to have to live with this taste? He suddenly felt like dying.
"You're something else. I'll remember you. Next time we meet, I'll make things ugly for you," Asuma said, burning every detail of the fight into his memory, waiting for a chance to pay him back.
"Hmph. Are you planning to go with this master from the Fire Temple? Then let me help you out one last time."
Tonbo walked over to the corpses of the assassins and wove hand signs, pressing his fingers against the neural centers of their temples.
Asuma and Chiriku watched, confused. They looked at the three Genin. "What is he doing?"
Iruka replied proudly, "The Captain is an elite of the Analysis Team. He's performing the Mind Reading Technique."
Tetusen added, "The Captain said a qualified ninja keeps all intel hidden whenever possible. You just leaked his specialty; you're in for it later."
Mibu Shinobu speculated, "The jutsu the Captain just developed doesn't seem to be for enemies, but for his own people. Maybe he'll use it on you, Iruka."
"..."
Iruka thought of the Genjutsu that makes you eat your least favorite thing. Cold sweat dripped from his brow. Surely... not? He looked at Asuma's nauseated expression—the terrible taste was clearly still there. He definitely didn't want to experience the Captain's "abilities" firsthand.
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