Chapter 12: The Shortcut to Enhancing Presence

As the dungeon was a heavily guarded stronghold for imprisoning members of the Uchiha clan, security was extremely tight. Yet, Chu Yang still had the privilege to come and go freely. News that he had become the direct disciple of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had long since spread throughout the Senju clan. At this moment, Chu Yang’s status was vastly different from before.

Therefore, when he entered the dungeon, the guards merely conducted a routine inquiry. They even assigned elite clan members to protect him. However, before Chu Yang entered, the guards specifically reminded him, “Under no circumstances harm the lives of these captives. Among them are bargaining chips for exchanges involving the Senju clan.”

As the war dragged on, both sides had prisoners, and negotiations were inevitable in the end. The experiments Chu Yang intended to conduct would not endanger these individuals; in fact, he himself might be the one at greater risk. Chu Yang nodded in agreement and stepped into the dungeon.

Hearing the movement, the Uchiha captives turned their heads toward Chu Yang. Only then did he notice their eyes were bound by sealing jutsu inscriptions. This method of managing the Uchiha clan was a hard-earned lesson paid for in blood by the Senju clan. Beyond that, these seals also prevented the Uchiha from extracting chakra.

To have them cast genjutsu on Chu Yang, these seals would have to be removed first. Chu Yang turned to the guard beside him and said, “Bring out the one with the most severe injuries and the least chakra.” The guard immediately showed a troubled expression.

Chu Yang smiled and explained, “I just want to see the Uchiha clan’s Sharingan genjutsu.” The guard breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back, “That’s no problem.”

Soon enough, the guard brought out a young boy from the cell, younger even than Chu Yang. The boy was pale and gaunt, listless, showing signs of prolonged malnutrition. Even Chu Yang doubted whether he could muster any chakra at all. He thought to himself that the boy must have endured considerable hunger during his time in the dungeon, lying limp like a puddle of mud.

Originally, Chu Yang considered asking for another, but on second thought, he decided to be cautious—who could say if this boy was feigning weakness? Without ocular techniques, it was difficult for ordinary shinobi to discern an opponent’s chakra level unless there was a vast disparity in strength.

“Be careful, I’m about to remove his seals,” the guard warned before reaching out to tear away the inscriptions covering the boy’s eyelids.

There was no need for Chu Yang to say more. The boy opened his eyes, glaring at Chu Yang with his Sharingan activated—one eye with a single tomoe, the other with two. As their gazes met, the boy’s eyes full of hatred pulled Chu Yang into a genjutsu.

Suddenly, Chu Yang’s expression became vacant and dazed. The guard beside him started breathing rapidly, instinctively reaching out to strike the Uchiha boy unconscious.

“Wait!” a deep, mature voice called from outside, halting the guard’s action. The guard turned to see Senju Tobirama, immediately bowing in astonishment.

Tobirama watched with interest for a moment, then laughed, “This kid is cautious enough. He’ll survive on the battlefield without trouble. My brother even told me not to be too harsh on him, but it seems that won’t be necessary.”

Tobirama’s words made it clear he regarded Chu Yang as a successor, causing the guard to be taken aback, realizing he had underestimated Chu Yang’s standing.

Before the guard could say anything, the Uchiha boy moaned softly, then fainted. Chu Yang snapped out of the genjutsu, his eyes regaining their clarity but carrying a trace of lingering fear. Despite being prepared, the Sharingan’s genjutsu was far more terrifying than he had anticipated.

“You’re awake? How do you feel?” Tobirama asked.

“Fine…” Chu Yang heard the familiar voice and respectfully greeted Tobirama, “Teacher, good morning!”

Tobirama replied coldly, “You still remember I’m your teacher? Entering the dungeon without a word to do such a dangerous thing! Do you know how frightening Sharingan genjutsu is?”

Chu Yang quickly explained, “In past missions, I only encountered Uchiha without their eyes activated, so I wanted to experience the real Sharingan myself, to avoid paying the tuition on the battlefield later.”

“Better to prepare in advance than to cram at the last minute!” Tobirama’s lips twitched in a slight smile. Chu Yang’s attitude pleased him; he had always favored planning ahead.

What troubled Tobirama most was his brother Hashirama’s naive “cross the bridge when we get there” attitude. Thinking of this, Tobirama no longer intended to scold Chu Yang for recklessness.

Instead, he asked, “What was it like to experience Sharingan genjutsu for the first time?”

“Terrifying!” Chu Yang replied seriously, recalling the moment. “It’s faster than ordinary genjutsu, making it hard for the target to defend. Even though I warned myself beforehand, I was still caught instantly.”

“The truly despairing part is that Sharingan genjutsu can’t be dispelled by conventional means; it can only be endured through sheer willpower.”

Tobirama nodded. “You’re right. So far, when we fight Uchiha genjutsu experts, there’s basically no way to avoid their Sharingan genjutsu except by not looking into their eyes.”

“The only consolation is that genjutsu’s advantage in warfare is limited—battlefields are the easiest places to disrupt genjutsu’s effects.”

Chu Yang suddenly understood. “In other words, except for small-scale or one-on-one battles, genjutsu’s effectiveness is quite limited.”

“Exactly,” Tobirama reminded him. “So you just need to understand the characteristics of Sharingan genjutsu. Don’t delve too deeply; don’t waste your time and energy.”

Chu Yang respectfully nodded. “Understood, Teacher.”

In truth, Tobirama did not expect Chu Yang to stop pursuing it after his advice. To him, Chu Yang was a young man with strong independence. So Tobirama merely touched on the topic briefly before leaving the dungeon.

After Tobirama’s departure, Chu Yang quietly sensed his own aura. Indeed, it had grown stronger under the stimulation of the genjutsu. The negative emotions and scenes within the illusion had provoked his spirit, causing an outburst of willpower that influenced his aura.

This theory had been confirmed. Moreover, Chu Yang realized that as his Wood Release technique continued to enhance his cellular vitality and strengthen his constitution, his aura also slowly increased, though not as markedly as with genjutsu stimulation.

Excited, Chu Yang exhaled deeply, glanced down at the unconscious Uchiha boy, and said expressionlessly, “Next!”

Thus, after enduring three Sharingan genjutsu sessions, Chu Yang’s aura achieved a breakthrough. His Armored Aura advanced to a higher level, and he even grasped the fundamentals of Observation Aura!