Naruto: I Draw Power Into Reality

If you stick your neck out, it's a blade. If you tuck it in, it's still a blade. Whatever comes will come eventually.

But these people were wasting his time. He'd definitely make sure they got some *special attention* later.

Akaba thought silently to himself.

"The results are impressive. I'm starting to believe that if I were gone someday, Root could be left in your hands."

Danzō said this indifferently.

"Don't. Keep that thing for yourself!"

Akaba replied softly.

What exactly was Root?

Whenever anything shady happened in Konoha, Root was probably behind it. Moreover, regardless of whether Root was actually responsible, they may have instigated international conflicts behind the scenes.

Taking control of Root would essentially mean taking over a pot full of trouble.

More and more ninja villages are getting involved in the Land of Whirlpools. Many wish to see the Uzumaki clan wiped out completely. Konoha cannot openly intervene, so Anbu and Root must act secretly.

Danzō looked upon the harshly trained ninjas with rare emotion.

"Are you leaving last words?"

Akaba responded casually.

After hearing this, Danzō paused briefly before scoffing coldly: "No. How could I possibly die on such a battlefield?"

"They're about to collapse, aren't they? If they faint, I'll be very troubled."

Akaba glanced upward.

Several had already fallen to the ground. At this rate, all of them would likely end up unconscious.

"Don't worry—they're the best among the best."

Danzō remained confident.

"Do whatever makes you happy, sensei."

Akaba had nothing else to say, so he simply let him continue manipulating those Root members.

Anyway, since he had waited this long, he didn't mind waiting longer.

After a long while—

"Alright, everyone rest now."

Yet everyone had already collapsed onto the ground—only conscious because they hadn't passed out fully, but otherwise not much different.

Akaba scanned around briefly before calmly forming two hand seals.

[Genjutsu: Narakami no Jutsu!]

No psychological lead-in was necessary since these members had already accumulated enough exhaustion and fear; additional stimulation would instead trigger their fighting spirit.

"Done."

Akaba sat down relaxedly and continued sketching.

Danzō gave him a glance before returning his gaze toward the ninja trapped in illusions.

"Ahh!"

Pained cries erupted, followed by simultaneous awakenings across the field.

Panting... panting...

Gasping, terrified, everyone exchanged glances, shocked at what they had experienced.

"Just now…"

"They all died! Everyone died!"

Coughing… Damn, this hurts!

Danzō frowned slightly. The Root members' reactions unsettled him. These were elite shinobi—though they couldn't totally ignore pain from death, they shouldn't act this disturbed either.

Why did things turn out like this?

Having not entered the illusion himself, he didn't understand its nature, so he turned his eyes toward Akaba.

"I pulled them all into the same illusionary realm."

Akaba stated calmly.

"What?"

Danzō showed deep shock.

Narakami no Jutsu didn't possess such ability normally—was this an altered form of genjutsu?

Furthermore, a technique of this kind required significantly increased chakra consumption and difficulty!

"You brat…"

Regaining composure after initial surprise, Danzō took a deep breath.

"Your chakra reserves have grown immensely!"

"Hmm."

Akaba simply muttered in response.

Before, casting a genjutsu on this many people at once would instantly make him feel sick to his stomach.

Now, after doing it once, it barely cost him any effort.

He was well aware this wasn't just because of increased chakra reserves. His vitality, endurance, and ability to recover physical energy had all improved dramatically.

"How is it? Want to try again?"

Akaba scanned the room.

"Of course!"

Unlike before, this time everyone gritted their teeth and stood back up.

"Count me in for this round too. Is that okay?"

Danzo asked as he sat down.

"No problem. But sensei, you can't resist or else I'll suffer backlash damage."

Akaba formed Hand Seals and activated his chakra.

Instantly, the genjutsu was unleashed.

Within the illusion...

Danzo looked around. Behind him stood the Hokage Tower and Hokage Monument. This place... was Konoha?

[Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu]!

[Water Release]!

The chaotic noise, the disordered chakra fluctuations—even the sensation of wind blowing felt incredibly real.

[Five Senses Manipulation]!

Walking forward from the building, blood flowed across the streets as countless mutilated corpses lay scattered about.

Danzo mused.

No wonder they feared it yet resolutely entered the illusion.

Because within the illusion, it was war-torn Konoha.

Before long, Danzo spotted Root members.

They fought hard, but were hopelessly outnumbered. Gradually, they sustained injuries, their strength failing to keep pace.

Due to the sensory manipulation, this battle felt real—utterly genuine.

"This isn't [Narakami no Jutsu] anymore."

Truly terrifying!

He couldn't help but marvel at how much the apprentice the Third had forcefully assigned to him had grown.

Boom!

A deafening explosion sounded—the gates of Konoha were brought down.

"The endless waves of enemies... truly terrifying!"

A Root member cried out in horror.

"We mustn't let them breach our defenses! Kill them!"

Yet

The attackers coming from three directions left them struggling to defend themselves everywhere.

"A very practical illusion."

Danzo formed Hand Seals, attempting to dispel the genjutsu. When he opened his eyes, he saw Akaba drawing.

The scene depicted in the painting closely resembled what was shown in the illusion, though the illusion itself had been far more complex and realistic.

"I see, it's a guided-genjutsu."

Danzo exhaled in relief.

"There are still major flaws—it's only a preliminary test."

Akaba explained.

If there'd been real danger, he wouldn't have dared to use these people as test subjects.

"So its final form will directly guide the illusion using mental energy?"

Danzo asked.

Among Anbu, there were numerous interrogation applications requiring genjutsu techniques. Combined with Yamanaka clan research on mental energy within Root, Danzo possessed extensive understanding of both mental energy and genjutsu.

"Yes, but my mental energy isn't strong enough yet."

Akaba had experimented with direct guidance before, but the required mental energy consumption had been massive—he'd nearly exhausted most of his chakra and spiritual power during initial attempts.

Even now, successfully utilizing this imperfect prototype had been made possible largely thanks to his enhanced vitality.

"This illusion is fascinating, although probably only you could use it effectively. Otherwise, it'd definitely deserve widespread adoption."

Danzo sighed softly, "What's its name?"

[Entering this kind of illusion lets you experience the full horror of a battlefield. It also enhances teamwork and coordination.]

It can be said that this is the most ideal testing ground.

Unfortunately, only the Sakuma clan can achieve such realism. Once the effect of realistic five senses is lost, the illusion becomes significantly less effective.

Akaba gave an odd chuckle before finally answering, "Protecting Konoha Village or Hokage's Bond—I haven't decided on the name yet."

"Just call it Protect Konoha Village."

After some thought, Danzo chose the former because "Hokage's Bond" sounded awkward.

"I bit the dust again!"

"Just a little more—we almost made it through that nightmare wave!"

A group of people exited the illusion once more, looking even more exhausted than before. However, although everyone felt pain this time, not a single person lost their composure out of fear.

They were gradually overcoming it!

Danzo mused inwardly.

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