CHAPTER 18

Fugaku walked over, resting his right hand on Haneda's shoulder.

"It seems you have quite the talent for genjutsu."

Haneda gave a calm smile.

"It must be thanks to the Sharingan."

"Is that really the case?"

Fugaku's lips curved into a faint smile as his eyes bled crimson. Three tomoe spun lazily within his Sharingan.

"Among the Uchiha, an illusion contest is a test of ocular power. One tomoe against three… even two against three would be hopeless."

His gaze deepened.

"But you managed to break free, Haneda. That's no small feat."

Haneda thought back to the moment he dispelled the illusion. He had sensed the genjutsu taking hold but couldn't stop it in time.

At that moment, I had two choices, he mused.

One: physical pain—self-inflicted shock to jolt his senses awake.

Two: the common shinobi method—disrupt the flow of his own chakra.

For training purposes, self-harm was pointless, so he focused on the second option. The problem was that high-level illusions tampered with perception and sometimes even controlled chakra flow. Everything he saw was what Fugaku wanted him to see.

The only way out was to find his real chakra—the one hidden beneath layers of deception.

And somehow… Haneda found it almost instantly. With hardly any effort at all.

So that's it, he realized. His mental strength was far above average—thanks to living two lives. Add in the Sharingan, and genjutsu had fewer places to hide.

He smiled faintly.

"Seems I do have a knack for illusions, Brother Fugaku."

Fugaku's expression didn't change, but his eyes sharpened.

"Then I have a mission for you."

His right hand slipped from his kimono sleeve as his tone turned instructive.

"Watch closely. This is the Demonic Illusion: Fox Heart Technique."

The world blurred.

Colors melted like ink in water, shapes twisting as time itself slowed. Haneda felt everything shift—and this time, he paid attention.

He traced the source: Fugaku's chakra flooding from his eyes, invading his senses, spreading like invisible threads through his brain and body.

So that's how it works, Haneda thought. Control the enemy's perception by hijacking their chakra flow.

Fugaku's voice drifted through the haze like a distant echo.

"An Uchiha with Sharingan doesn't need hand seals. Eye contact alone is enough to bind the target in illusion. A fraction of a second can decide the outcome."

The world fractured again—Fugaku's silhouette crumbling into a murder of crows.

"And your task is this: bring Kakashi back to reality."

The crows scattered, leaving Haneda standing in a dense forest. Ahead, Kakashi appeared, tension etched across his face.

"…How did you get in here?" Kakashi asked, eyes narrowing beneath his silver bangs.

"Brother Fugaku sent me," Haneda replied lightly, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

He closed the distance slowly, stopping two meters away. Kakashi's posture remained guarded.

"You've realized this is an illusion, haven't you?" Haneda asked softly, his tone shifting serious.

Before Kakashi could answer, Haneda continued:

"Then look at me, Kakashi."

Crimson flared in Haneda's eyes—a single tomoe spinning to life. He locked eyes with Kakashi—only to feel a sharp jolt lance through his mind.

"…Ah—!" Haneda staggered, clutching his left eye in pain.

When he looked again, Kakashi's pupils glimmered—three tomoe swirling calmly in the scarlet pool.

"It's not that simple, Haneda," Kakashi said evenly. "You're still under genjutsu. Until you dispel yours, you can't disrupt mine."

Haneda gritted his teeth, breathing ragged. One tomoe against three… it really is absurd.

"What now?" he muttered hoarsely. "I barely scratched the surface of Fox Heart Technique. Breaking this head-on is impossible…"

"You can still move your chakra, can't you?" Kakashi asked suddenly.

"…Yeah."

"Good." Kakashi stepped forward and raised his left fist.

Haneda blinked.

"You mean… this is still an illusion, Kakashi. Physical contact doesn't exist here."

Kakashi's lips curved faintly.

"The illusion disorients the mind. But your body here is still your real body. And chakra—"

"—is real too," Haneda finished, realization dawning.

He raised his right fist and bumped it against Kakashi's.

In that instant, their chakra networks connected like threads sparking in the dark. Haneda sensed two distinct flows in Kakashi—one pure, one dark and twisted by illusion.

"It's now!" Kakashi barked.

"I know!" Haneda's Sharingan spun violently as his mind linked to Kakashi's. The principles of the Fox Heart Technique—everything he'd just learned—poured from his thoughts into Kakashi's.

Their chakras clashed, merged, then shattered the false threads binding them.

"Genjutsu Release!"

The illusion fractured—like glass breaking underwater.

When Haneda opened his eyes, the lake stretched before him once more. Kakashi stood nearby, calm and collected—though sweat beaded his temple.

Fugaku approached slowly, arms crossed, his face as impassive as ever. But in his eyes, approval glimmered faintly.

"You two exceeded expectations. Most students struggle for hours with this exercise. Instead, you combined insight and cooperation to break free."

His gaze lingered briefly on Kakashi.

"Hatake Kakashi… truly a genius, not only in ninjutsu but in strategy."

Then his eyes shifted to Haneda.

"And you, Haneda—you didn't hesitate to do what needed to be done. That instinct will keep you alive on the battlefield."

Haneda gave a small grin.

"Sounds like we pass, then?"

"Hardly." Fugaku's tone was cool, but a hint of amusement brushed the edge of his words.

"You've taken the first step. True mastery will take years."

He turned, the Sharingan fading from his eyes.

"Haneda, your affinity for illusion is promising. Come to me if you wish to learn more about the Sharingan's deeper arts."

Haneda's lips curled upward.

"Understood, Brother Fugaku."

As the Uchiha clan head walked away, a flicker of ambition sparked in Haneda's heart.

One tomoe won't cut it. I need more. More power… and more time.