Chapter 43

Title: Reality Manipulation

...

"How interesting..." I said as I watched Neji acknowledge Naruto. In this timeline, Naruto didn't call him a genius or something similar, so I look forward to how this would affect the Hyūga.

"What's the matter?" Karin asked and I shook my head. "Nothing."

"Oh... Look, the next participants are entering the arena." She said excitedly.

"You seem excited."

"Of course, those guys are my age mates and they're already this strong, why won't I be excited?"

"Oh..." I muttered not expecting this attitude. I was kinda expecting her to be sulky about missing out on her golden times.

"I won't feel sulky about this. I believe I can reach this level of strength and even surpass it soon." She said,

"Oh? But that soon may be too far away. Especially for Naruto."

"How far would that take?" She asked with hope in her eyes and not wanting to give her unnecessary hopes, I said.

"Very far away."

"How far away?"

"A distance that you can't even imagine."

"How far away is that?"

"..."

"I already said you can't imagine it!"

"Then you tell me!"

"..."

"They're starting..." I said. 'This brat... for the first time, I feel like I've lost an argument.' I thought sulkily.

...

The next battle happened to be between Temari and Shikamaru.

'Seems like they're Union is still even supported in this new reality. Not bad.' I mused as I prepared myself for a few hours of nothing but boredom.

In truth, Temari, with the exception of Gaara and Yakumo, and probably Sasuke, would no doubt win the Chunin exams.

She boasted a good amount of chakra that would put most Chunin to shame, and to top it off, her Mastery over Wind Release was also top notch.

It stands to reason she would become the strongest wind release user in the world after Naruto.

What? I'm not putting myself Into that equation and despite Yasuno-nee Mastery over Ice (Wind + Water), Yasuno wasn't that adept in the Manipulation of Wind.

As for Shikamaru, I was kinda disappointed he didn't give it his all.

With his IQ that scaled well above 200 I expected the boy to be able to come up with something more ingenious, or atleast, a more ingenious way to manipulate his shadow.

I turned to my left to see Karin already fast asleep while resting on my shoulder.

Two hours had already passed and they were still at it.

If this was a form of mental pressure from Shikamaru to Temari, then it would've been understandable, but the boy was just waiting for the sun to peak so as to provide more Shadow for him to manipulate.

'Sigh.' I shook my head before losing interest.

Minutes later, his plan finally came to fruition as he managed to capture her, however, he still gave up with the excuse of his chakra being depleted.

Well, his chakra really was depleted and considering the amount Temari still possessed he was really bound to lose should he drag the battle on.

...

The next battle was between Shino and Kankuro to which Kankuro gave up, allowing to qualify for the next round.

The next round quickly followed with Masaru having to battle Sakura.

I was honestly quite impressed by Sakura's showing and not only me. Karin and Ino behind me were all awed by the fine Taijutsu she executed.

Unfortunately, Masaru was also quite adept in Taijutsu, and coupled with his Metal Release, she was unable to deal damage to him.

She however, was able to garner a lot of favoritism from the audience, me included. Guess she really does have potential.

Pairing her potential brute strength with adequate control could make her as deadly, if not deadlier than Tsunade in the coming battle.

I also couldn't resist telling someone "I told you so as I created a clone that flashed behind Ino.

"Yo, Ino-chan, Choji-kun." I greeted the girl and chubby boy sitting together a couple seats behind me.

Ino exclaimed in fright while Choji wasn't even bothered, however, he strongly clutched the bag of chips in his hands tightly.

Ignoring their reaction, I pointed to the arena and asked. "She's impressive right?"

Choji nodded while Ino subconsciously also nodded before realizing what she did and shook her head with a snort.

"I remember you two being besties." I said.

"Humph. Who's besties with that Girl?"

"Oh... I thought you were. I only felt like I should tell a certain blond that if she doesn't buckle up, she'll be left behind as her friends get stronger."

"Which blonde are we talking about here?" She asked while looking at me dangerously.

"If you look around, you'd see an impressive amount of blonds, no?" I said with a chuckle before dispelling.

I felt Ino's emotions stir for a moment before they calmed down again.

"Who's that girl?" Karin asked curiously.

"One of the strongest of her era." I answered only for Karin to snort.

"Everyone is the strongest in your eyes."

"But of course. You don't know the potential humans possess if they put their minds to it." I said before ignoring the girl and watched as Sakura left the arena with a smile on her face despite her defeat.

"She's happy."

"Hmm. She did give it her all after all." I said.

This Konoha nine really had the potential to be great. The problem lay in how great they'd become.

In the original, they were all powerful, that's true, but in this timeline, they need to be more than that.

I had previously laid the groundwork in their various clans but the various wars and merging to become a village made them classify my high level techniques as Kinjutsu.

Forbidden Techniques.

An apt description given to technique one deems dangerous.

How foolish.

Look at Ino for example. Yes, she's got a very powerful soul, she doesn't know it yet but the various pains she'd go through would make her bloom.

The deaths of her Teacher and Father would trigger that change...Sigh.

That's why I feel like allowing Asuma to die in a few year's time, however, my emotions wouldn't let me as I kinda like the guy.

If only she could delve into her clan's techniques while ignoring the 'Kinjustu'.

The Yamanaka clan are a very dangerous clan if they really want to be, but as of now, they're relegated to being psychologists and interrogation experts in the village.

What a stupid way to put them to use.

With their Soul power, they could probably create a Net of sorts over the village and monitor each and every single person in the village.

An Internet of sorts. Yes, it's very possible. Afterall, Ino could do it.

In the Boruto series, she could single handedly use the Seal covering the entire village to search for anybody, and she was the only one capable of doing it.

Inoichi has the same potential, unfortunately he died in the fourth Ninja war.

Well, I just have to make sure these guys grow stronger while not dying or experiencing monumental amounts of pain.

...

The Chunin Exams arena buzzed with anticipation as Dosu Kinuta, a skilled Sound ninja with his unique and modified Arm, faced off against Yakumo Kurama, a Genjutsu user he wasn't quite able to comprehend how she cast her illusions.

The crowd's murmurs hushed as the two shinobi prepared for battle.

Dosu, with his distinct sound-emitting prosthetic arm, exuded an air of confidence. On the other side of the arena stood Yakumo, her expression calm yet anyone who had a sensory Jutsu could tell she was by far, the most dangerous person in this competition.

The proctor signaled the start of the match, and Dosu wasted no time. He swiftly activated his Arm, producing resonating waves of sound that echoed through the arena.

The dissonant melody filled the air.

Yakumo, unfazed by the sound assault, maintained her composure. She focused her chakra, preparing for the clash of techniques that was about to unfold.

Dosu's soundwaves reverberated, aiming to disorient and disturb his opponent's concentration.

In response, Yakumo, with a wave of her brush, unleashed her genjutsu prowess. Illusory tendrils of chakra snaked through the air, weaving a captivating dance. The genjutsu sought to entwine Dosu's senses, creating illusions that twisted reality itself.

Dosu, despite his acute sense of hearing, found himself ensnared in Yakumo's illusion.

The arena transformed, bending to Yakumo's will as she manipulated Dosu's perception.

The dissonant sound waves of Dosu's Melody Arm merged with the surreal visions crafted by Yakumo's genjutsu.

As Dosu navigated the distorted reality, he relied on his honed instincts. The clash of sound and illusion intensified, creating a sensory overload that tested Dosu's resilience.

Yakumo, a puppeteer of perception, continued to manipulate the battleground. Illusory echoes reverberated with Dosu's soundwaves, creating a surreal symphony that played out in the minds of both the audience and the trapped Sound ninja.

Dosu, recognizing the intricate dance between reality and illusion, focused his chakra with unwavering determination. With a burst of willpower, he shattered Yakumo's genjutsu, dispelling the illusions that had ensnared him.

"Seems like she's going easy on him." I said

"Eh? Really?"

I looked at the Uzumaki beside me and nodded. "I'm her teacher so I know. She hasn't even begun taking him seriously."

Karin looked doubtful but decided to settle for observing the battle.

The crowd erupted into gasps, witnessing Dosu's resilience against Yakumo's formidable genjutsu.

Despite not knowing what was going on, they felt it was quite the clash, afterall, Dosu had just raised his hands and immediately stood still. Several seconds later, he finally fired a burst of soundwave before jumping backwards.

Inexperienced eyes wouldn't be able to tell, but the brief exchange in her illusion-scape was clear to me.

Yakumo, though momentarily caught off guard, responded with swift grace.

Taking the space in front of her as a canvas, she wove a new layer of genjutsu, blending illusion with reality to confound Dosu once again.

The arena immediately came to a pin drop silence as the two suddenly paused once again.

The arena remained eerily silent as Dosu and Yakumo stood frozen, each seemingly locked in a momentary pause. The spectators held their breath, anticipation hanging thick in the air.

Yakumo, with her brush poised in the air, gazed at Dosu with an enigmatic calmness. She had woven a new tapestry of Illusions.

Dosu, ever vigilant, sensed the shift in the atmosphere. He remained poised, his Arm ready to unleash its sonic onslaught once again.

Suddenly, with a subtle flick of her brush, Yakumo broke the silence. The arena erupted into a symphony of illusory echoes and resonating soundwaves.

She was fighting his sounds with her own sounds.

Dosu, caught within the intricacies of Yakumo's genjutsu, found himself entangled in a surreal realm.

I watched as Dosu navigated the labyrinth of Yakumo's illusions. Each step he took seemed to echo through the illusory landscape, creating a visual harmony that mirrored the clash of their techniques.

Dosu's Arm unleashed waves of dissonance, attempting to pierce through the layers of Yakumo's genjutsu.

However, the illusions persisted, morphing and shifting in response to Dosu's attempts to unravel them.

Yakumo, the puppeteer of this ethereal performance, manipulated Dosu's perception with finesse.

The arena transformed into a surreal dreamscape, a canvas upon which Yakumo painted illusions that danced to the rhythm of Dosu's soundwaves.

Dosu, though valiant in his efforts, struggled against the immersive illusions.

Each strike of his sound waves seemed to meet an illusory barrier, the echoes of impact resonating through the otherworldly landscape.

As Dosu pressed on, determined to find a crack in Yakumo's illusionary tapestry, Yakumo herself remained composed.

Her gaze, focused and unwavering, followed Dosu's every move within the intricate dance of perception and reality.

Finally, in a moment of profound realization, Dosu ceased his assault. He stood still, his Melody Arm lowered, acknowledging the depth of Yakumo's genjutsu prowess.

The illusions subsided, revealing the Chunin Exams arena in its true form.

Yakumo stood alone in the center, a serene aura surrounding her. The crowd's applause gradually faded into a hushed anticipation, unsure of what to expect next.

With a subtle yet deliberate motion, Yakumo raised her brush once more.

Chakra flowed through her, and the air around her shimmered with an otherworldly energy. It was a technique few had witnessed, a perfect execution of illusion over reality.

Basically… Minor Reality Manipulation.

In a breathtaking display, Yakumo's chakra materialized into a translucent blade, its form resembling that of an elegant katana.

"Is she going to do what I think she's gonna do?" I said with a little bit of excitement.

"What's going on Shun-san?"

"She's about to use one of the most overpowered sword techniques I taught her." I said with expectations at how this was going to go.

The spectators watched in awe as the ethereal sword took shape, its edges glistening with an otherworldly glow.

If any OTAKU was in the crowd right now, they would immediately recognise this technique. This was a semblance of a technique from a distant Universe—Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura, a signature ability from the Bleach anime.

Yakumo, her eyes gleaming with an enigmatic light, swung the spectral blade with graceful precision. The air itself seemed to part before the ethereal katana, leaving a trail of shimmering petals in its wake.

Dosu, having witnessed the unfolding spectacle from the sidelines, couldn't help but feel a sense of awe mixed with trepidation.

The illusions he had faced earlier paled in comparison to the profound display of power before him.

The petals of Yakumo's Byakuya's Senbozakura cascaded gracefully, filling the arena with an otherworldly beauty. Dosu, though defeated, stood there in silent acknowledgment of the formidable force that Yakumo had unleashed.

With a final flourish, Yakumo swung the hilt towards Dosu, its edge cutting through the illusions that surrounded him.

The moment the petals made contact, a burst of chakra erupted, dispersing the remnants of Dosu's resistance.

The arena fell into a stunned silence as the remnants of Yakumo's genjutsu dissipated.

Dosu, now released from the illusory realm, stood there with a mix of awe and humility. His body was ridden with cuts as blood oozed out of them

The ethereal katana faded away, returning to the chakra from which it had been conjured.

The proctor, momentarily taken aback by the unprecedented display, stepped forward and declared, "Yakumo Kurama is the winner of this match!"

The audience, still processing the surreal spectacle they had witnessed, erupted into applause, their cheers echoing through the Chunin Exams arena. Yakumo bowed gracefully, her expression unchanged, as she acknowledged the acknowledgment of her triumph.

"What. Was. That?"

****