"Uchiha..."
"So it was the Uchiha."
"No—rather, it had to be the Uchiha."
Murmurs erupted all around.
Ironically, Hane Genma's offhand remark made the Toshi show a knowing expression, as if having an epiphany—like the fallen shinobi, impaled by earth spikes, should have been saved by a member of the Uchiha clan.
But what connection could that shinobi possibly have with the Uchiha? Judging from the forehead protector, he clearly wasn't one of them.
Besides, weren't the Uchiha supposed to be universally despised in the shinobi world?
And yet, based on the reactions of the surrounding ninja, Genma's comment seemed to have hit the mark—albeit accidentally.
It was a convenient misunderstanding, and knowing that saying more would only invite trouble, Genma kept his mouth shut.
With precise aim, Genma tossed the ring of keys into the cage—landing perfectly in one prisoner's hand. Apparently unwilling to waste time freeing each person individually, he simply pointed at the Toshi collapsed in the water and said coolly:
"He's yours."
That stiff, aloof attitude—wasn't it just the kind of awkward coolness the Uchiha clan was known for?
But Genma had no interest in playing the role any longer. He flung the Toshi onto the ground and turned to leave.
He'd achieved what he came for—rescued his own, and as a bonus, freed the other prisoners too. Whatever happened next—whatever those people decided to do—was no longer his concern.
Right now, something else demanded his attention: when exactly had he fallen under genjutsu?
Once back on the surface, Genma quickly climbed to the tallest building in the town and began to carefully examine the town below.
The strange layout of the buildings, road signs that subtly directed foot traffic, the mechanical movements of certain contraptions, and the steady rhythm of a sound from somewhere...
Sure enough, the entire town itself was a genjutsu mechanism. From the very moment he arrived, Genma had already been affected.
There hadn't been many real people in this town to begin with.
Using the environment to cast genjutsu wasn't just clever—it was cunning. It meant the caster lacked the power to project large-scale illusions on their own, yet had the technical skill to achieve it through indirect means.
Genma had to admit, the Toshi was more capable than he'd given him credit for.
The genjutsu had wide coverage, but at the end of the day, it was still a basic illusion. Its impact was shallow. A shinobi with the right awareness and technique could easily break free.
The true danger lay in confusing the senses—tricking a ninja's perception of reality, then draining their chakra quietly, without resistance. No direct confrontation, just slow disarmament. Turn them into helpless prey.
It was a clever setup.
Too bad it didn't work on Genma.
Once he'd figured out when the genjutsu had taken hold, all doubts vanished. Genma turned and left the town.
He hadn't gone far when he suddenly stopped and looked back.
The entire town was now engulfed in flames.
"..."
No doubt—the freed shinobi were wreaking havoc.
Given Hane Genma's background and experience, genjutsu was arguably his greatest weakness.
His resistance to illusionary techniques was laughable—on par with "cast a genjutsu at him and he'll fall for it instantly."
The fact that he hadn't noticed anything upon entering the town made that painfully obvious.
In short, falling into an enemy's genjutsu was to be expected. The real mystery was that he managed to break free at all.
Behind him, the town burned fiercely—but Genma's thoughts were elsewhere.
The illusion had lifted the instant he underwent partial White Zetsu transformation. Meaning: he hadn't broken free on his own. The escape came from something inherent to White Zetsu.
There were two plausible explanations.
One: After his White Zetsu transformation, the altered part of his body forcibly realigned his chakra flow, which had been disrupted by the illusion. This was a standard method of breaking genjutsu.
Two: the more complex possibility.
It's common knowledge—if a genjutsu fails to take effect, it could be because the target is already under the control of a stronger genjutsu.
When it comes to White Zetsu... they were once humans caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. But not everyone trapped by the Divine Tree was transformed. In fact, most of them were released after the Ten Tails was sealed.
Those who weren't freed became White Zetsu.
So, were the White Zetsu merely previously controlled by the Infinite Tsukuyomi, or are they still under its effects to this day?
In a way, this illusion might function as a self-protection mechanism for them.
It's simple: if White Zetsu were easily controlled by genjutsu, then Kaguya's resurrection plan would always be at risk of exposure—something Kaguya and Black Zetsu would never allow.
Think about it. Black Zetsu and White Zetsu moved openly around Uchiha Madara, even manipulating him like a puppet. Doesn't that suggest they had no fear of his genjutsu?
After all, no one could guarantee that the cunning, suspicious Madara wouldn't suddenly use genjutsu on his own "creation." Even if he believed Zetsu to be his invention, who could say he wouldn't get curious?
No matter how you look at it, the secrecy of Black Zetsu and White Zetsu has always been rock-solid. For thousands of years, no one's managed to extract a single useful piece of information from them.
So, as a pseudo–White Zetsu, does that mean Genma now has partial immunity to genjutsu?
Illusions involving mental control or psychic intrusion likely won't work on a White Zetsu body. Meaning: once Genma has partially transformed, the most dangerous type of genjutsu becomes ineffective against him.
If that's true, then the "White Zetsu Shinobi" just got a huge buff. Not being vulnerable to genjutsu could massively increase his survival rate in battle.
From now on, Genma might need to watch out for two specific types of illusions instead.
The first: genjutsu that disables or removes the five senses. Since these don't involve mental control, the White Zetsu body might not be immune.
The second: Kotoamatsukami.
That jutsu is... strange. Even though it's a mental control technique, it operates silently and invisibly. Who's to say its effects wouldn't work on someone under the Infinite Tsukuyomi?
That said, Genma wasn't too worried about Kotoamatsukami.
As he often said: "By the time Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan resurfaces, the grass on my grave will already be two meters tall."
Rather than worry about Kotoamatsukami, he figured it was more realistic to worry about being resurrected by Edo Tensei.
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