Ch.272 Realization After the Fact

Watching the vines' reach grow wider and their speed quicken, Sasuke, dodging relentlessly, couldn't help but shout, "Yakumo, have you lost it? Using a ninjutsu of this scale at school—aren't you afraid of hurting someone else?" 

As soon as the words left his mouth, he froze. 

Then, glancing around, he realized the area was completely empty. The entire field held only him—no one else. 

"Genjutsu!?" 

Realizing he'd been caught in an illusion, Sasuke was both shocked and furious, his face flushing red. 

He'd never imagined that he, with his awakened three-tomoe Sharingan, could fall to genjutsu—especially during a sparring match against a fellow academy student. 

He bit his lip hard, using the sharp pain to break free of Yakumo's genjutsu. 

As the illusion faded, everything returned to normal—the lively field, the watching classmates, and Yakumo sitting on the ground, panting, not far off—all reentered his vision. 

"Damn it!" 

Sasuke's frustration boiled over into embarrassment. 

Losing to ninjutsu or taijutsu wouldn't have stung this much. But being defeated by genjutsu—the Uchiha clan's forte—made it hard for him to swallow his pride. 

Not far away. 

"As expected of Sasuke!" 

Kakashi nodded slightly. 

Asuma chuckled in agreement: "He's definitely a sharp kid!" 

Since Naruto had been taken by Jiraiya and Tsunade for special training, the two of them no longer had to split their focus on him. They could now concentrate solely on monitoring Sasuke. 

Thus, they'd witnessed everything that just unfolded on the field. 

Sasuke falling to Yakumo's genjutsu had surprised them a bit. But on second thought, the Kurama clan was a renowned genjutsu lineage too. Plus, they vaguely knew Yakumo was highly gifted, harboring a monster unintentionally born within her inner world. So it wasn't unreasonable for Sasuke to slip up and get caught in her genjutsu. 

Still, his ability to quickly recognize the problem and break free earned the approval of these two jonin. 

Kakashi's gaze shifted to Yakumo, standing across from Sasuke: "This batch of academy students is really something else!" 

Asuma sighed in agreement: "Yeah, no kidding!" 

Under normal circumstances, Sasuke's strength should've let him sweep through the academy without issue. Yet he kept hitting walls in various assessments. 

It wasn't because Sasuke wasn't strong enough. 

It was because this generation of students was a den of hidden talents—Shinji, Neji, and Kimimaro were already standout examples, and now Yakumo of the Kurama clan had stepped up! 

On the field. 

Shinji, also focused on the fight, kept his eyes locked on Yakumo. 

He didn't care about the outcome of this assessment. 

He just wanted to use this chance to see if Yakumo could control her impulses, rein in the Koryugan, and keep Ido in check! 

If Yakumo passed this test, he'd schedule her next step—the White Zetsu cell fusion surgery. 

But if she actively exposed the Koryugan during the assessment or failed to restrain Ido, letting her break free, then Shinji would have no choice but to abandon her and reclaim the Koryugan. 

Shinji's eyes burned with intensity as he silently asked himself, "Can I trust you, Yakumo?" 

As the center of everyone's attention, Yakumo's heart pounded wildly in her chest. 

She was a bit dazed at the moment. 

She'd clearly been hit by Sasuke's genjutsu, but somehow, inexplicably, she'd broken free and regained her senses. 

"Was it the Koryugan? Did it manipulate my blood just now, stimulating my body to snap me out of Sasuke's genjutsu?" 

Coming from a clan renowned for genjutsu, it didn't take her long to piece it together. She marveled inwardly. 

Just then, Ido shouted from her inner world: "Yakumo, what are you spacing out for? Activate the Koryugan already! With its power, beating Uchiha Sasuke would be no problem!" 

Yakumo immediately responded inwardly: "Don't act rashly! The Leader ordered us not to expose the Koryugan carelessly!" 

At the mention of "Leader," a flicker of awe flashed in Ido's eyes, and she fell silent. 

"Yakumo, go for it!" 

"Great job, Yakumo!" 

"Take Sasuke down!" 

After a brief silence on the field, the classmates who'd snapped out of their shock erupted into cheers. 

Having been crushed by Sasuke, they now pinned their hopes on Yakumo to salvage some dignity. After all, if their entire class ganged up on Sasuke and still lost, it'd be utterly humiliating. 

Sasuke closed in on Yakumo: "Yakumo, I admit I underestimated you earlier and got careless, falling for your genjutsu! But it won't happen again!" 

Before his words fully landed, he vanished with a *whoosh*. 

"Behind you, behind you!" 

Ido yelled from Yakumo's inner world. 

Yakumo, already perceptive enough, didn't need Ido's warning. The moment Sasuke disappeared, she began turning to defend herself. 

But her taijutsu was leagues behind Sasuke's. Even with the Koryugan tracking his movements, she couldn't keep up with his speed. Before she could fully turn and guard herself, Sasuke's kick sent her flying. 

Sasuke smirked: "I told you, that was just a fluke!" 

Yakumo struggled to her feet. 

Ido shouted from her inner world: "Use the Koryugan! Or let me handle it—I can definitely beat him!" 

Yakumo ignored Ido, forcing herself up from the ground. 

Ido roared: "Without the Koryugan or me, you're no match for him! What are you hesitating for? Do you want to see the Kurama clan's pride trampled?!" 

"Shut up!" 

Yakumo snapped at Ido. 

Driven to a frenzy, Ido declared: "If you won't do it, I will! I'll show that Uchiha Sasuke the true power of the Kurama clan!" 

"You're not going anywhere!" 

Yakumo focused her will, sealing Ido within her inner world. 

Ido instantly realized she'd lost her connection to the Koryugan—and her ability to freely enter or exit Yakumo's mental realm. 

Having had her body nourished by Yang Release chakra and receiving the Koryugan transplant, she'd thought she'd grown strong enough to override Yakumo's will. 

But it was only now that she realized the truth. 

Yakumo, with her physical weaknesses temporarily patched and the Koryugan in her possession, had gained far more power than she had! 

No! 

More precisely, the power Ido had gained was merely what slipped through the cracks of Yakumo's grasp. 

As the true host, Yakumo was the one who'd benefitted the most from Shinji's series of actions, acquiring the greatest strength. 

And now, Yakumo was starting to adapt and learn how to wield that power! 

Once Yakumo got serious, Ido discovered she couldn't resist her at all.