Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Shortcut to Improving Haki
Chapter 12: The Shortcut to Improving Haki
The dungeon, where the Uchiha clan members were imprisoned, was heavily guarded. However, Chu Yang had the privilege to enter freely.
The news that Chu Yang had become the direct disciple of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had already spread throughout the Senju clan.
Chu Yang's status had drastically changed.
As he entered the dungeon, the guards routinely asked a few questions.
They even arranged elite members of the clan to protect Chu Yang.
However, before entering, the guard specifically reminded him, "You must not harm these prisoners. Some of them are bargaining chips for exchanging Senju clan members."
As the war continued, both sides captured prisoners, and eventually, a negotiation would be inevitable.
The experiment Chu Yang planned wouldn't endanger these prisoners. In fact, it was he who might be in danger.
Chu Yang nodded and entered the dungeon.
Hearing movement, the Uchiha prisoners turned their heads toward him.
Only then did Chu Yang see that their eyes were bound by sealing techniques.
This method of restraining Uchiha prisoners was a hard-learned lesson for the Senju clan.
Additionally, sealing techniques on the prisoners prevented them from using chakra.
To make them perform genjutsu on Chu Yang, he needed to first remove these seals.
Chu Yang turned to the guard beside him and said, "Bring out the most severely injured one with the least amount of chakra."
The guard hesitated, clearly troubled.
Chu Yang smiled and explained, "I just want to experience the Uchiha clan's Sharingan genjutsu."
The guard relaxed and smiled back. "No problem."
Soon after, the guard brought out a boy even younger than Chu Yang from his cell.
The boy was pale and emaciated, a picture of long-term malnutrition. Even Chu Yang doubted whether he could muster any chakra.
Chu Yang thought that during his time in the dungeon, the boy must have gone through severe deprivation.
The boy was limp, like a pile of mush.
At first, Chu Yang considered asking for a different prisoner, but on second thought, he chose caution. Who knew if the boy was faking it?
Without dōjutsu, it was difficult for ordinary shinobi to accurately gauge their opponent's chakra levels unless there was a huge difference in power.
"Be careful. I'm going to remove his seal," the guard warned Chu Yang before tearing off the seal covering the boy's eyelids.
Without needing any further prodding, the boy opened his eyes and stared directly at Chu Yang with his Sharingan.
One eye had a single tomoe, while the other had two.
As soon as their eyes met, the boy's gaze, full of hatred, pulled Chu Yang into a genjutsu.
Chu Yang's expression became blank and dazed.
This made the guard next to him panic, instinctively wanting to knock out the Uchiha boy who was casting the genjutsu.
"Wait."
A deep, mature voice came from outside, halting the guard's movements.
The guard turned, immediately shocked and bowed in respect.
It was Senju Tobirama.
He stood to the side, watching with interest, then chuckled, "This kid is cautious. He won't have any problems surviving on the battlefield. My brother told me not to be too harsh on him, but now I see that's unnecessary."
Tobirama's words clearly indicated that he regarded Chu Yang as a future successor, causing the guard to reconsider Chu Yang's status.
Just as the guard was about to say something, the Uchiha boy suddenly groaned and passed out, while Chu Yang snapped out of the genjutsu.
Chu Yang's eyes regained clarity, but there was a trace of lingering fear. Despite being prepared, the Sharingan genjutsu was more terrifying than he had anticipated.
"You're awake? How do you feel?" Tobirama asked.
"I'm fine..." Chu Yang quickly bowed and greeted him, "Good morning, teacher!"
Tobirama, still cold, replied, "So you remember I'm your teacher? Without telling anyone, you came to the dungeon to do something this dangerous! Do you even know how frightening the Sharingan's genjutsu is?"
Chu Yang hurriedly explained, "In past missions, I only encountered Uchiha members who hadn't awakened their Sharingan. So, I wanted to experience the real thing. Better to prepare now than pay the price later on the battlefield."
"It's better to be prepared early than to scramble last minute!"
Hearing this, Tobirama's initial anger dissipated, and a slight smile crept onto his face. Chu Yang's thinking aligned with his own. Tobirama was someone who preferred to plan ahead.
What annoyed Tobirama most was his brother Hashirama's naive belief that "things will work out in the end."
At this point, Tobirama no longer intended to scold Chu Yang for his recklessness.
Instead, he asked, "What did it feel like to experience the Sharingan's genjutsu for the first time?"
"It's terrifying!" Chu Yang replied seriously, recalling the experience, "It's faster than regular genjutsu, making it hard to defend against. Even though I reminded myself to be careful beforehand, I still got caught instantly."
"The most despairing part is that the Sharingan's genjutsu can't be broken by regular means. You can only endure it with sheer willpower."
Tobirama nodded, "You're right. So far, when we've fought Uchiha genjutsu masters, the only reliable method is to avoid looking into their eyes. There's no other way to prevent being caught by the Sharingan."
"The only upside is that genjutsu has limited utility in warfare since the chaos of the battlefield tends to disrupt its effects."
Chu Yang suddenly understood, "So, aside from small-scale battles and one-on-one fights, genjutsu has limited effectiveness."
"Exactly." Tobirama reminded him, "So, you only need to understand the Sharingan's genjutsu characteristics. Don't delve too deeply into it and waste your time."
Chu Yang respectfully nodded, "I understand, teacher."
In fact, Tobirama didn't expect Chu Yang to stop just because of his advice. He saw Chu Yang as a strong-willed young man.
Therefore, Tobirama didn't linger on the topic, offering a few words of caution before leaving the dungeon.
After Tobirama left, Chu Yang quietly focused on sensing his own Haki.
As expected, under the pressure of the genjutsu, it had indeed grown stronger.
The negative emotions and scenes in the genjutsu had stimulated Chu Yang's spirit, causing his aura—his willpower—to surge, thus strengthening his Haki.
This hypothesis was now confirmed.
In addition, Chu Yang noticed that as his Wood Release techniques continued to enhance his cellular activity, his physical strength improved, which also gradually boosted his Haki, though not as dramatically as under the genjutsu's stimulus.
Excited, Chu Yang exhaled, glancing at the unconscious Uchiha boy with a blank expression and said, "Next!"
And so, after undergoing the trial of the Sharingan's genjutsu three more times, Chu Yang's Haki broke through.
Not only did his Armament Haki reach a new level, but he also incidentally awakened Observation Haki!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone