Naruto rebirth! Xenoverse!

Chapter 59: Genjutsu and Desperation!

The forest path had been winding steadily upward for the past hour in a desperate attempt to outdistance their pursuers, climbing through increasingly rocky terrain until it emerged onto a narrow road carved into the cliff face. To their left rose a sheer wall of stone, whilst to their right lay a breathtaking view of the river valley below—a drop of at least two hundred metres to the rocky riverbed that wound like a silver ribbon through the landscape.

"They're still gaining on us," Kōzaru said grimly, his enhanced senses tracking the approaching chakra signatures that had been steadily closing the distance despite their best efforts to escape. "Whatever route we take, they seem to know exactly where we're going."

"The cliff road was our best option for speed," Minato replied, though his voice carried frustration at their limited choices. The road stretched for nearly a kilometre along the cliff face, with precious little cover save for the occasional boulder or stunted tree that had somehow found purchase in the rocky soil.

"But now we're completely exposed," Tatsuma said, glancing nervously at the sheer drop beside them. "If they catch us out here..."

"They will catch us," Minato said bluntly, his sensory abilities confirming what they all feared. "They're moving too fast, and the survivors can't maintain this pace much longer. We're going to have to make our stand."

Kōzaru's enhanced senses were working overtime, his nose twitching as he tried to separate the natural scents of stone and wind from anything that might indicate danger. Yuki and Riku flanked him, their own alertness evident in the way their ears constantly swivelled and their muscles remained tensed for action.

"The sooner we cross this section, the better," Tatsuma said, glancing nervously at the sheer drop beside them. "If enemies catch us out here..."

"They'll have every tactical advantage," Minato finished grimly. "Stay close together and move quickly. If we encounter hostiles, our priority is getting the survivors to cover."

They had made it perhaps halfway across the exposed cliff road when Kōzaru's blood suddenly ran cold. His enhanced senses detected familiar scents on the wind—metal, leather, and the distinctive chakra signatures that marked the approach of the shinobi who had been tracking them.

"Sensei," he said urgently, his voice carrying a note of warning that immediately put everyone on high alert. "Multiple contacts approaching fast. Four signatures, all strong."

"How strong?" Minato asked, though his expression suggested he already suspected the answer.

Kōzaru closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the chakra signatures that were rapidly approaching their position as he stiffed the air with his nose. What he sensed made his stomach drop with dread.

"Jōnin level," he said quietly.

The survivors faces went pale at this pronouncement, whilst Team 15 exchanged grim looks. They had faced jōnin-level opponents before, but never whilst protecting wounded civilians on such exposed terrain.

"There's nowhere to run," Hiroshi whispered, his eyes darting between the cliff wall and the deadly drop beside them.

"Then we make our stand here," Minato said, his voice carrying absolute calm despite the dire circumstances. "Team 15, defensive formation around the survivors. Whatever happens, your priority is keeping them alive."

Four figures emerged from the forest behind them, landing on the cliff road with the fluid grace of master shinobi. All wore the distinctive headbands of the Hidden Stone Village, and their gear spoke to serious combat experience. The way they moved, the confidence in their posture, the casual display of chakra everything about them screamed danger.

"Well, well," the apparent leader said, a tall man with short grey hair and cold blue eyes. "If it isn't the famous Yellow Flash himself."

His companions spread out slightly, their positioning automatically cutting off any retreat whilst maintaining optimal spacing for combat, all of them on edge having heard the stories of the yellow flash.

One was a massive man with arms like tree trunks and a hammer strapped to his back. Another was lean and quick-looking, with multiple blade hilts visible on his person. The fourth was a woman with long black hair and piercing green eyes that seemed to look right through them.

"It would be a privilege to kill you, Yellow Flash," the leader continued, his voice carrying genuine respect mixed with deadly intent. "The whole Stone Village knows your reputation. To be the ones who bring down the legendary speedster... well, that would be quite the honour."

"Four against one," Minato replied calmly, drawing a kunai as he assessed his opponents. "Hardly sporting odds."

"We prefer to call it being thorough," the lean shinobi said with a cruel smile. "Can't take any chances with someone of your calibre."

The woman with the green eyes hadn't spoken yet, but her gaze had shifted to Team 15 and the three survivors huddled behind them. There was something predatory in her expression, like a cat studying mice before deciding which one to play with first.

"The children look frightened," she said finally, her voice carrying a musical quality that was somehow more unsettling than if she had simply sounded threatening. "How adorable. Don't worry, little ones—I'll make sure to give you my full attention once we're finished with your sensei."

Minato's expression hardened. "Saki Ishikawa," he said, recognition evident in his voice. "The Crimson Mirage of Stone. I should have known they'd send their one of their best genjutsu specialists."

The woman, Saki smiled at the recognition, her green eyes seeming to shimmer with an inner light. "Oh, you know me! How flattering. Yes, I do so enjoy working with children. They have such... vivid imaginations."

"Team 15," Minato said quietly, never taking his eyes off the enemy shinobi. "You're on your own with her. I'll handle the other three."

"Sensei, that's—" Tatsuma began to protest.

"An order," Minato finished firmly. "Protect the survivors and trust in your training. You've grown strong, its time to see how strong."

Without another word, Minato exploded into motion, three kunai leaving his hands in rapid succession as he engaged the other three Stone jōnin. The leader barely managed to deflect the first projectile before Minato was among them, moving with the supernatural speed that had made him legendary.

"Well then," Saki said pleasantly, as the sounds of desperate combat echoed from where Minato fought for his life against overwhelming odds. "Shall we begin?"

Kōzaru's senses screamed danger as he tried to lock onto the woman's exact position, but something was wrong. Her chakra signature seemed to shimmer and shift, making it difficult to pin down her precise location.

"Stay together," he warned his teammates. "Something's not right about her chakra."

"Of course something's not right," Saki laughed, her voice seeming to come from multiple directions at once. "I'm a genjutsu specialist, dear boy. Reality is whatever I decide it should be."

Aotaka drew his sword, lightning crackling along its edge as he prepared for combat. "We've faced genjutsu before," he said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence.

"Academy-level parlour tricks," Saki replied dismissively. "What I'm about to show you is true artistry."

The world seemed to shimmer around them, and suddenly Aotaka found himself standing alone on the cliff road. His teammates had vanished, the survivors were gone, and even the sounds of Minato's battle had faded to nothing. Only Saki remained, standing just a few metres away with that same hungry smile.

"Where are—" Aotaka began, but his words were cut short as pain exploded across his chest.

He looked down in shock to see a kunai buried to the hilt between his ribs, blood spreading rapidly across his shirt. But that was impossible, Saki was still standing metres away, her hands empty and her expression one of mild curiosity.

"Genjutsu is fascinating, isn't it?" she said conversationally as Aotaka's legs began to give way. "The mind can't tell the difference between reality and illusion. Pain is pain, regardless of its source."

Aotaka tried to channel lightning into his blade, tried to use the electrical energy to disrupt whatever technique was affecting him, but his chakra felt sluggish and unresponsive. The kunai in his chest sent waves of agony through his body with each heartbeat, and his vision was beginning to blur at the edges.

"Poor child," Saki continued, taking a step closer. "Did you really think you could protect yourself from the power of the mind? Your strength means nothing when your brain believes you're dying."

She was right. Aotaka could feel his life ebbing away, could feel the phantom blade cutting deeper with each passing second. His enhanced healing couldn't function against wounds that existed only in his mind, and his chakra system was being overwhelmed by his brain's belief that he was fatally injured.

"Goodbye, little warrior," Saki said softly, raising her hand as if to deliver a finishing blow.

But before she could complete whatever technique would end Aotaka's life, a spinning projectile whistled through the air between them. Saki twisted aside with fluid grace, but the distraction was enough to crack her concentration.

"Aotaka!" Kōzaru's voice cut through the illusion like a blade, and suddenly the world snapped back into focus.

Aotaka found himself standing exactly where he had been before, his chest unmarked and his breathing ragged from the phantom pain. Kōzaru stood beside him, having thrown a kunai at Saki's position the moment his enhanced senses detected the genjutsu taking hold.

"Clever little dog," Saki said, her tone carrying genuine approval. "Your senses allowed you to see through my illusion. But can you do it again?"

Yuki and Riku flanked Kōzaru, their hackles raised and their lips pulled back in feral snarls. Something about Saki set off every predatory instinct they possessed, and their loyalty to their pack was absolute.

"Tatsuma, shadow clones now!" Kōzaru shouted, not taking his eyes off the genjutsu specialist. "Multiple targets—make it harder for her to focus!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Tatsuma called out, pouring chakra into the technique with desperate intensity.

[Chakra: 222/222 → 122/222]

Four shadow clones materialized around him, each one immediately spreading out to create a wider formation. But Saki merely laughed at the display.

"Oh, how adorable," she said, raising her hand dismissively. "Do you really think chakra constructs will help you here?"

With a casual gesture, she launched a barrage of kunai at the clones. Their solid forms meant they couldn't simply be dispelled by genjutsu, but they were still just copies and Saki was a jōnin. Her precision was absolute, and within seconds all four clones had been eliminated by perfectly placed strikes.

"Shadow clones can't be fooled by illusions, little boy," Saki explained with mock patience. "But they're still just pale imitations of the real thing. Against a jōnin, they're little more than target practice."

Behind them, the survivors huddled against the cliff wall, their eyes wide with terror as they watched Team 15 struggle against an opponent whose very nature seemed to defy conventional combat.

"We can't fight what we can't trust our senses to perceive," Aotaka said grimly, his hand shaking slightly from the aftereffects of the genjutsu.

"Then don't trust your senses," Kōzaru replied, closing his eyes and relying entirely on smell and sound. "Trust mine. Yuki, Riku, guide them."

Both ninken barked in acknowledgment, their enhanced senses allowing them to track Saki's real position despite her illusions. But the genjutsu specialist was far from finished with her demonstration.

"Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!" Kōzaru called out, his body transforming as he prepared for close-quarters combat.

[Chakra: 167/167 → 137/167]

"Fang over Fang!" He launched himself forward in a spinning attack, following Yuki and Riku's guidance toward where Saki actually stood.

But instead of striking his target, Kōzaru found his claws raking across empty air. Saki had moved at the last second, her speed impressive allowing her to dodge his attack.

"Too slow, little puppy," she taunted, appearing behind him with a kunai raised to strike at his exposed back.

"Lightning Style: Static Force!" Aotaka shouted, electricity erupting from his body in all directions.

[Chakra: 156/156 → 136/156]

The technique forced Saki to abandon her attack and leap away, but she landed gracefully and immediately began weaving hand seals for another genjutsu.

"You're all so energetic," she said with that same unsettling smile. "But energy without direction is just wasted motion. Let me show you what real jutsu looks like."

The world around them began to shift and warp, reality becoming fluid as Saki's most powerful technique took hold. Suddenly, each member of Team 15 found themselves facing their worst fears made manifest—personal nightmares drawn from the depths of their subconscious minds.

Tatsuma saw his teammates lying dead around him, their bodies broken and bloody whilst he stood powerless to help them. Aotaka faced his uncle's disappointed gaze, hearing words of condemnation for his weakness and failure. Kōzaru found himself alone, abandoned by Yuki and Riku, their trust in him finally broken by his inadequacy as their partner.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Saki's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "This is the power of the mind unleashed. Your fears, your guilt, your deepest shames—all of it made real."

But whilst Team 15 struggled against their inner demons, Saki's attention turned to the three survivors who cowered against the cliff wall. Her smile became predatory as she approached them, her movements slow and deliberate.

"Now then," she said pleasantly, "which of you shall I start with?"

Ayame tried to shield Kenji and Hiroshi with her good arm, but what protection could a wounded medic provide against a jōnin-level killer? The genjutsu specialist raised her kunai, savouring the moment before she would begin her true work.

"Please," Hiroshi whispered, his voice broken with terror. "We're not soldiers. We're just..."

"Just what?" Saki asked with mock curiosity. "Just innocent civilians? Just people trying to help others? Just lives that matter less than those of trained killers?"

She leaned closer, her green eyes reflecting the afternoon light like chips of emerald ice. "There's no such thing as innocent in war, old man. Everyone is complicit. Everyone has value. And everyone can be made to suffer."

The kunai in her hand gleamed as she prepared to demonstrate exactly what she meant, whilst behind her, Team 15 fought desperately against illusions that felt more real than reality itself.

The cliff road had become a stage for nightmare, and Saki Ishikawa was the undisputed star of the show.