As Yuzuki approached the training grounds, she spotted Itachi standing alone, his back turned as he practiced precise kunai throws
She didn't hesitate
"Teach me your clone jutsu"
Indra let out a quiet hum in her mindscape
{So you actually did it
I'm almost impressed}
Itachi caught his last kunai midair, glancing over his shoulder at her
"That's a dangerous technique, Yuzuki"
"I know"
She crossed her arms
"I still want to learn it
It would let me be in two places at once
Train while I study
Observe while I act
It's efficient"
Itachi studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable
He considered lying, telling her she wasn't ready, that she didn't have the reserves for it
But he knew Yuzuki too well
She would see through it immediately, and that would only push her to find another way without guidance
So he chose the truth
"It's not as simple as it looks"
He said, turning to face her fully
"Unlike regular clones, Shadow Clones divide your chakra evenly
The more you create, the more you weaken yourself
If you're not careful, you'll burn through your reserves and collapse
And the mental feedback-every experience they have returns to you instantly
Even skilled shinobi struggle to handle the strain"
Yuzuki's expression didn't change, but Itachi caught the slight curl of her fingers
"You think I can't handle it"
"That's not what I said"
"But it's what you mean"
She countered, her tone flat
"You don't think I'm strong enough
You underestimate me"
Itachi met her gaze without flinching
"Strength isn't just about power"
He said calmly
"It's about knowing when to take risks and when to avoid them"
Yuzuki exhaled sharply, turning on her heel
"Fine
I won't ask again"
But they both knew that was a lie
Itachi watched her go, his expression unreadable
Then, as if in afterthought, he spoke
"It's in the clan library"
Yuzuki halted mid-step
"When you're allowed in, you'll find it there"
She didn't turn around, but she didn't have to
The message was clear
As she walked away, Indra's voice echoed in her mindscape
{Hnn
This jutsu is far more useful than I first thought
Instant memory transfer, perfect replication of knowledge and experience...
This isn't just a combat technique, it's espionage, information gathering, training, learning...
It's a dangerous tool in the right hands}
Yuzuki hummed in agreement
"It's too good"
She muttered under her breath
"A technique like this must have serious downsides"
{You still want it}
"Of course I do"
Indra chuckled
{You realize, don't you?
He told you the name of the jutsu on purpose
He made sure you'd know where to look}
"Tch
He was just careless"
Yuzuki scoffed, picking up her pace
{If that helps you sleep at night}
She ignored him, but a smirk played at the edges of her lips
-=-
Yuzuki stepped into her mindscape, where Indra was already waiting
His gaze lingered on her, unreadable as ever
"Why did you seek power in your past life?"
he asked
The question caught her off guard
Not because she didn't have an answer, but because she had never thought to put it into words
She scoffed, crossing her arms
"You make it sound like I had a choice"
Indra raised an eyebrow
"People always wanted what was mine"
She continued, a smirk playing at her lips
"My blood, my strength, my beauty, every little piece of me had a price, and if I didn't pay it in power, someone else would"
She tilted her head slightly, amusement flickering in her crimson eyes
"Just being alive meant I had to fight to stay that way
So, I got stronger
Simple as that"
Indra said nothing, letting the weight of her words settle
Yuzuki's smirk widened
"The price of power is high
The price of being powerless is higher"
A beat of silence passed before Indra exhaled softly
"That was an unfair question
I apologize"
Yuzuki blinked before chuckling
"Hah
You're getting all polite on me now?"
Indra didn't respond, but his eyes remained thoughtful
Her gaze sharpened
"Well, now I'm curious
What about you, oh great ancestor of mine?"
She leaned forward slightly, smirking
"Why did you seek power?"
Indra's expression remained still, but something shifted in the air between them
Indra was quiet for a long moment after Yuzuki threw his own question back at him
His gaze remained steady, unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes, something far away, rooted in a time long past
"I sought power because I was right"
He finally said, his tone calm but firm
Yuzuki raised an eyebrow
"Right about what?"
"That peace is not built on ideals
It is built on strength
Those with power dictate the course of the world, and those without it are swept away
My father chose my brother not because he was stronger, but because he clung to sentimentality
And what did that bring? War, suffering, endless conflict"
His fists clenched at his sides
"Had I been the one chosen, I would have forced peace into existence
True peace, one that could never be questioned"
Yuzuki stared at him for a long moment before letting out a sharp laugh
"Wow
You were really on your 'I know best' arc, huh?"
Indra shot her a look, but there was no real malice in it
She shrugged, smirking
"Don't get me wrong
I get it
Power means control
Without it, you're just waiting for the next person stronger than you to decide what your life is worth"
Indra's expression didn't change, but there was an unmistakable flicker of approval in his gaze
"Then allow me to give you something else to think about"
He said smoothly
"Power alone isn't always enough
You've realized this, haven't you? Your movements are restricted
Your access to knowledge is limited
The problem isn't just power, it's control over how and when you can act"
Yuzuki narrowed her eyes slightly
"Go on"
Indra smirked
"Genjutsu is more than a weapon, it is a tool
The ability to shape perception itself
You need a way to bypass these restrictions, to move unseen when you wish
You know the Uchiha have archives, a place where knowledge is stored
And you also know your father would never let you in freely"
Understanding flickered in Yuzuki's gaze, but so did intrigue
"You're suggesting I use genjutsu to get inside"
"It would solve more than one of your problems"
Indra confirmed
"But whether you take that path is up to you"
Yuzuki exhaled slowly, rolling the thought around in her head
Lies had always been the only words worth trusting
Spoken lies could move people, but illusions... illusions were lies given form
Now that was something interesting
Indra stood before Yuzuki, arms crossed, his expression as composed as ever
"Genjutsu is the art of manipulating the senses through chakra"
He began
Yuzuki hummed, tilting her head
"So, mind tricks, then?"
Indra gave a slight nod
"In a way
It works by disrupting the target's perception, making them see, hear, or feel things that aren't real
The Sharingan enhances this, allowing illusions to be cast through direct eye contact"
Yuzuki frowned slightly
"So it's all about vision?"
"Not necessarily"
Indra corrected
"The Uchiha primarily use visual genjutsu because the Sharingan excels at it, but illusions can target any sense
Sound-based genjutsu exists, and in rare cases, some can even manipulate touch or induce pain
However, those are significantly harder to master"
Yuzuki tapped a finger against her arm, thoughtful
"Why? Wouldn't targeting multiple senses make genjutsu way harder to break?"
"It would"
Indra acknowledged
"But genjutsu is a battle of control
The caster and the target are locked in a struggle, a tug-of-war of chakra flow
The more complex the illusion, the more precise the control required
Most lack the patience to refine it to that degree"
Yuzuki let out a low whistle
"So you're saying most people just... suck at it?"
Indra exhaled sharply, something between a sigh and an amused huff
"I'm saying they lack the discipline"
Yuzuki's lips curled into a grin
"Same thing"
He studied her for a moment before asking
"Why? Are you thinking of testing it?"
Yuzuki smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Yuzuki's mind spun with possibilities
If genjutsu was about controlling perception, then how far could it really go?
Could she manipulate someone's entire reality?
Could she warp not just what they saw, but how they thought and reacted?
The idea was intriguing, but before she could dive into the complexities, she needed to start with the basics
"I want to try something"
She said, her Sharingan spinning to life
Indra folded his arms, watching with mild curiosity
"Go ahead"
Focusing, Yuzuki pushed her chakra outward, directing it through her gaze
The Sharingan made it effortless, like an extension of herself
The illusion took hold immediately, bending reality in an instant
She grinned
"Hah, that was almost too easy"
Then, she deactivated her eyes
Immediately, the difference was apparent
Without the Sharingan's natural advantage, controlling the illusion took more effort, more focus
She had to actively push her chakra into her target, carefully molding the deception rather than simply enforcing it through her gaze
Her brow furrowed
"Tch
No wonder the Uchiha get lazy
This damn thing does half the work for you"
Indra raised an eyebrow
"Excuse me?"
Yuzuki smirked
"Oh? Did you feel called out?"
Indra scoffed
"I mastered genjutsu before the Sharingan ever awakened in me"
"Uh huh
And then you never had to work for it again"
Yuzuki teased
Indra's eye twitched
"I take back every compliment I've ever given you"
She laughed, stretching her arms behind her head
"Too late! You already admitted I'm a genius"
Despite himself, Indra found his irritation fading
She was impossible, but at least, she was interesting
Yuzuki exhaled, stretching her fingers before forming a seal
She didn't bother announcing what she was doing, Indra would figure it out soon enough
She released her chakra
The shift was subtle, so subtle that Indra barely noticed the difference in the air
Then, the mindscape flickered
Indra blinked
The world around him had not changed, and yet... something was off
"Wait-"
A sharp laugh rang out, and he turned, eyes narrowing
Yuzuki stood before him, arms crossed, a triumphant smirk on her lips
"You didn't even notice"
She mused, tilting her head
"And here I thought you were some legendary prodigy"
Indra's Sharingan spun instantly, attempting to break the illusion, only to realize there was nothing to break
Yuzuki grinned
"Figured it out yet?"
He exhaled sharply, his gaze leveling with hers
"You didn't put me under a genjutsu
You just manipulated your own chakra... while it was still connected to mine"
"Exactly"
She said, tapping her temple
"We share the same space
Same flow of energy
Which means putting you into an illusion is about as hard as moving my own arm"
Indra frowned, rubbing his chin
"That's... an unusual loophole
Effective, but limited
It wouldn't work on anyone outside of this mindscape"
Yuzuki shrugged
"Sure, but it proves something"
"And what's that?"
Her grin widened
"I'm a genius"
Indra scoffed
"You're insufferable"
"Say it
Say I'm a genius"
She teased, stepping closer
Indra sighed, rubbing his temple
"You have... an innate talent for deception"
Yuzuki gasped dramatically
"Was that praise?"
"Don't get used to it"
She chuckled before letting her mind wander
"But still... If controlling someone else's chakra is the key to genjutsu, wouldn't direct touch help force an illusion onto someone?"
Indra gave a slow nod
"In theory, yes
If your chakra directly invades theirs, it could make breaking the illusion harder
But it's not foolproof, strong enough chakra control can still resist it"
Yuzuki hummed
"And since Sharingan based genjutsu is so well known, anyone fighting an Uchiha would try to avoid eye contact
That means..."
Indra finished her thought
"A skilled genjutsu user could use that expectation against them"
"Feints, distractions, misdirection... I like it"
Yuzuki's grin returned
"Deception is my specialty, after all"
Indra watched her for a moment before deciding to push her curiosity further
"You're thinking about new ways to apply it, aren't you?"
"Of course I am"
She admitted easily
"But you know, you once told me the Sharingan is just a downgrade of your father's eyes"
Indra's expression darkened slightly
"So"
She continued
"What exactly was the original? And why is it so much better?"
Indra was silent for a moment before shaking his head
"I don't know much about it
I only saw it once, and by then, I had already abandoned my father's teachings"
Yuzuki's gaze sharpened, but she didn't press further
"Hnn...
Guess I'll just have to find out myself"
Indra exhaled
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me"
Yuzuki simply smirked
"It shouldn't"
-=-
Fugaku sat in his study, fingers steepled as he regarded Itachi from across the room
His eldest son stood in his usual composed stance, but Fugaku's focus was elsewhere, on his daughter
A quiet sigh left him before he spoke
"Itachi"
Itachi inclined his head slightly, waiting
"Yuzuki's genjutsu has improved far too quickly"
Fugaku's tone was measured, but there was an edge of unease beneath it
"A few weeks ago, she barely showed interest in illusions
Now, she is casting techniques that even trained Uchiha struggle to counter
Have you noticed anything unusual?"
A pause
Subtle, but there
"She is talented"
Itachi said simply
"That much is undeniable"
Fugaku exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening slightly against each other
"Talent alone does not explain this"
His mind replayed the reports from earlier that day
A seasoned Uchiha had fallen victim to her genjutsu, an illusion so seamless that he hadn't even realized he was trapped until Yuzuki revealed it herself
A mere prank, but the execution had been flawless
Too flawless
Someone had taken notice of her
Perhaps even approached her
Itachi's gaze flickered slightly, but his expression remained impassive
"Yuzuki does not seem the type to be easily swayed"
"That is precisely what concerns me"
Fugaku countered
"She is headstrong, but she is still a child
A child with an awakened Sharingan and an unnatural grasp of jutsu far beyond her years"
He leaned forward, his voice lowering
"You mentioned before that she knew of the Shadow Clone Jutsu despite never being taught it
That alone should have raised alarms
Now, combined with her sudden mastery of genjutsu, the situation has changed
Someone, whether from within the clan or outside it, has their eyes on her"
Another pause
A flicker of something unreadable in Itachi's stance
Fugaku could tell he was piecing together possibilities, evaluating, calculating
He was the same way
But this wasn't a puzzle to be solved with mere analysis
It was a threat to be contained
"I will not allow her to be taken advantage of"
Fugaku said firmly
"Until I know who is behind this, she will not leave the house unsupervised"
Itachi's brow furrowed slightly, though he said nothing
His silence spoke louder than words
Fugaku leaned back slightly, letting the weight of his words settle
"I will be arranging for additional oversight"
His eyes narrowed
"Starting today, she will be watched, at all times
You and Shisui will alternate keeping an eye on her movements
If there is anything, or anyone, out of place, I want to know immediately"
For the first time, Itachi's lips pressed into a faint line
Fugaku knew his son well
He wasn't questioning the need for protection, he was questioning how Yuzuki would react to it
And the answer was obvious
She would hate it
Fugaku turned his gaze toward the window, watching the fading sunlight cast long shadows over the village
Whoever had taken interest in his daughter would soon learn that she was not so easily claimed
-=Chapter End=-
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