Genjutsu or something else entirely

As the corrupted noble lay unconscious on the ground, Alex, Kuwasa, and Kazu quickly searched the room for any information regarding the coup. They found several documents and letters that revealed the names of other nobles who were involved in the plot.

As they left the building Alex's thoughts were erratic 'Something that I've noticed since coming into this world was my lack of empathy, surely I would feel some amount of emotion killing someone but nothing it's almost as if there was a void in place of my emotions'.

As the days passed, Alex couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal. He had always believed that the people of Kirigakure were loyal to him and the village, but now he couldn't be sure. He spent most of his time in his office, going through the evidence and trying to make sense of what had happened.

The ANBU worked tirelessly to gather as much information as they could about the other nobles involved in the plot. Alex knew they needed to move quickly before any further damage could be done to the village.

Alex knew that he couldn't let his guard down. He had to remain vigilant and ensure that nothing like this ever happened again. He called for a meeting with his advisors to discuss the security of the village and what steps they could take to prevent another coup from happening.

The meeting was intense, and Alex listened carefully as his advisors made suggestions. They discussed increasing the number of ANBU and hunter-nin, as well as implementing stricter background checks for anyone seeking a position of power in the village.

Alex agreed with their suggestions, but he also knew that they needed to be careful. They couldn't let fear and paranoia take over. Maybe this was due to the power vacuum in the hidden mist with the war ending tons of people were now homeless due to the economy nosediving straight to the ground

After the meeting, Alex spent the next few days implementing the changes. He ordered the ANBU to increase their patrols, and he made sure that every new hire was thoroughly vetted before being given a position of power.

Alex leaned back in his chair, staring at the piles of paperwork in front of him. "Being the Mizukage is kinda boring, isn't it?" he muttered to himself.

Kazu, who was sitting across from him, looked up "Boring?" he repeated, surprised. "You're the leader of an entire village How can that be boring?"

Alex shrugged. "It's just a lot of paperwork and meetings. Sometimes I wish I could just go out and explore, get some action y'know."

Kuwasa, who had just entered the room, overheard Alex's words. "If that's what you want, why don't you take a break from your duties and explore the neighboring village? It's a small village on the outskirts of the Hidden Mist, but it might offer a change of scenery."

Alex perked up at the idea. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll go do that, oh, and before I leave ill just leave a shadow clone to do my duties for me."

"huh, I guess learning Fūinjutsu really came in handy," I say sticking a sealing paper on my shadow clone, with this it should last for a few weeks give or take you can think of it as a battery keeping the clone well-fed with chakra.

The next day, Alex set out for the neighboring town. As he arrived, he couldn't help but notice that the village was eerily quiet

Suddenly, Alex's attention was drawn to a small, desolate village. The village was eerily quiet and empty, with no signs of life. Alex felt a shiver run down his spine as he walked down the deserted streets. The silence was unnerving, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him.

As he explored the village, he noticed strange markings on the walls of some of the houses. The symbols were unfamiliar to him, but they gave off an ominous feeling. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he sensed that they were related to some kind of dark magic.

The deeper he went into the village, the more intense the feeling of dread became. The air grew thick and heavy, and he could feel his heart racing. He knew that he needed to be cautious, but he couldn't help but be drawn to the source of the dark energy that permeated the village.

As he turned a corner, he saw a shadowy figure dart across the street. He followed it, his hand hovering over his sword, ready for whatever may come. The figure led him to a large, dilapidated mansion at the edge of the village. It was overgrown with vines, and the windows were shattered.

Alex slowly approached the mansion, his senses on high alert. As he entered, he felt a cold breeze wash over him, sending chills down his spine. The inside of the mansion was dark and musty, with cobwebs covering every surface. He could hear the faint sound of something moving in the shadows.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness. It was a child, dressed in tattered clothing, with wild, unkempt hair. She had a crazed look in her eyes as she approached him, singing a tune as she approached.

Alex drew his sword, ready to defend himself. The child continued to advance, her movements becoming more erratic. He could sense the dark energy emanating from her, and he knew that he was facing a dangerous foe.

The child let out a bloodcurdling scream as she lunged at Alex with incredible speed. He dodged her attack and retaliated with a swift strike of his sword. But to his surprise, the sword passed right through her, as if she was made of mist.

Suddenly, Alex felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned around to see another figure standing behind him, wielding a large, jagged knife. He managed to dodge the second attack, but he knew that he was outnumbered and outmatched. Alex quickly realized that he wasn't under a genjutsu as the wound on his back was still bleeding

He quickly formulated a plan, using his water-style jutsu to create a thick mist that obscured his attackers' vision. He used the opportunity to escape from the mansion and head to the village center, The silence was deafening, and the once bustling marketplace was now deserted, with only a few rotten vegetables and fruits left on the stands. The houses looked abandoned, and cobwebs could be seen on every corner.

The wind howled, and Alex heard strange noises coming from the nearby forest. He unsheathed his sword and walked cautiously, his senses on high alert. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched.

As he turned a corner, he saw a figure standing in front of him. It was a woman, dressed in tattered clothing, with long, unkempt hair covering her face. She didn't move, but Alex could feel her piercing gaze.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The woman didn't answer, and instead, she started walking towards him, her movements slow and deliberate. Alex backed away, his hand gripping his sword tightly. As the woman got closer, Alex realized that something was not right. Her skin was pale and looked like it was decomposing. Her eyes were empty sockets, and her mouth was stretched into a grotesque grin.

Alex knew he had to defend himself, and he launched himself forward, his sword ready to strike. But as his sword passed through the woman, he realized that she was nothing but an apparition.

Alex continued walking, and the village started to transform around him. The once-empty marketplace was now bustling with life, but the people were not normal. They had twisted and contorted features, and their eyes glowed with an otherworldly light.

As he passed by one of the houses, he heard a scream coming from inside. He burst in, his sword at the ready, but what he saw made him freeze. The room was empty, except for a large mirror on the wall. In the reflection, he saw a horde of twisted creatures approaching him from behind.

Alex quickly spun around to face the creatures, but to his surprise, they weren't there. Confused, he turned back to the mirror, and the creatures were still there, but now they seemed to be taunting him, urging him to step closer.

As he cautiously approached the mirror, the creatures grew in number and ferocity. They clawed at the glass, trying to break through and get to him. Alex could feel his heart racing as he realized he was trapped in some kind of twisted illusion.

As he turned to leave, he saw a figure standing outside the window. It was a woman with long black hair and a pale complexion. She wore a long white dress that was stained with blood. Alex couldn't see her face, but he felt like she was staring right at him.

He opened the window and called out to her, but she didn't respond. She just stood there, motionless. Alex felt a chill run down his spine. He had a bad feeling about this village, and he knew he had to get out of there as soon as possible.

Alex was starting to feel a growing sense of unease. His strikes were having no effect on this strange woman, and the creatures in the mirror were closing in on him. He needed to think of something quickly.

without any warning the woman lunged at him, her eyes gleaming with malice. Alex dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding her attack. He knew he had to try a different tactic, and fast.

He slashed with his sword at the woman. To his surprise, the blade seemed to pass right through her as if she wasn't even there.

"What is this?" he muttered to himself.

He charged forward, sword slashing upward the blade phasing through the women. The woman smirked and disappeared, only to reappear behind him a moment later. Alex spun around, but he was too slow. The woman's hand connected with his back, sending him flying across the room. He crashed into the wall and slumped to the ground, dazed.

Alex quickly stood up and continued to fight the woman, but her ability to phase through his attacks made it nearly impossible for him to land a hit. He knew he needed to think of a new strategy and quickly.

As the woman went in for another attack, Alex noticed a small crack in the mirror behind her. It was barely noticeable, but it gave him an idea. He quickly dodged the attack and ran towards the mirror, grabbing a nearby chair and smashing it against the glass.

The mirror shattered into a million pieces, and the woman let out a blood-curdling scream as she vanished into thin air. Alex stood there, breathing heavily, as he looked at his reflection in the remaining shards of the mirror.

As Alex looked at his reflection in the broken pieces of the mirror, he muttered to himself, "Ghosts? Really? it couldn't have been anything else besides ghost."

He chuckled to himself, trying to shake off the eerie feeling that still lingered in the air. "I mean, who even believes in ghosts these days?" he said out loud.

Just then, he heard a rustling noise from the corner of the room. He turned around, sword at the ready, but saw nothing. "Okay, maybe I spoke too soon," he muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, a vase flew across the room, smashing against the wall. Alex jumped back in surprise. "Okay, okay, I get it, ghosts are real," he said, half-jokingly.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "Alright, if there are any ghosts here, show yourself," he said, looking around the room.

Silence.

"See, that's what I thought," he said as he slowly stepped outside before a ghost suddenly appears

Alex couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off even as he left the village behind. He had encountered strange occurrences before, but this one was different. It felt like something was following him, watching his every move.

He stopped in his tracks being blocked by a barrier appearing in front of him blocking his exit outside of the village, he turned around, scanning his surroundings for any signs of danger. The wind picked up, sending chills down his spine. "Who's there?" he called out, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.

No one answered, but he could feel a presence closing in on him. He spun around, ready to face his attacker, but found nothing. "This is getting ridiculous," he muttered to himself. "I must be going crazy."

Just then, a cold gust of wind blew past him, and he heard a faint whisper in his ear. "You're not crazy," the voice said. "I am real."

Alex froze, unsure if what he heard was real or just his imagination. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "Alright, if you're real, then show yourself," he said

The wind died down, and a figure materialized in front of him. It was a ghostly apparition, with a pale complexion and long, flowing hair. It wore tattered clothing and had a sad expression on its face.

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're a ghost!" he exclaimed.

The ghost nodded. "Yup, I've been following you since you entered the village"

"Why and how?" Alex asked, still in shock.

"I need your help," the ghost replied. "My name is Sayuri, and I have been cursed to roam this world as a spirit. I cannot rest until my killer is brought to light."

Alex frowned. "And what makes you think I can help you?"

"I have been watching you," Sayuri said. "You are a powerful ninja, and you're the only competent person to traverse this place

Alex sighed. "Alright, I'll help you not like I have a choice. But first, we need to figure out who killed you and what these things are."

Sayuri smiled, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Thank you, Alex."

-----------------END----------------------

A/N: so I kinda realized that my pacing sucks so I'm going to try and fix that next chapter the pace will be slower than the last chapters cause I read through my novel and realized that I was just blitzing through everything and not giving breathing room etc

the conversation will be more natural hopefully, I've been having problems with dialogue not having a more natural flow so I'm hoping I can fix that next week

I hope that you can write a review and give me criticism, I don't care if you clown on me or whatever ill take any form of criticism, since I'm a new writer and I believe failure is a path to success as one would say

Cheers!! I'll see you next week hopefully