The Genjutsu Devil of Konoha

Seijuro knew that he had to show off, so he got into position. Running at Genin-level speed should do it.

He listened as the instructor counted down.

When the man reached zero—

In a burst of speed, he vanished from the line of sight of every other participant.

Using Shunshin, he easily managed to clear the obstacle—which, mind you, wasn't that easy. It had high wooden beams placed like stepping stones, and he needed pinpoint footwork not to fall.

Then came a rope swing over a mud pit. Did he mention it was over mud? There was also some wall climbing alongside the rope swinging.

There was even a tunnel rigged with mild Genjutsu to test perception, plus chakra-sensitive traps that would activate if one didn't suppress their chakra properly while dashing through.

All in all, it was a hard-ass obstacle.

Hard for kids. But not for him.

He didn't even look behind him. He just dashed through it, finishing the course at exactly the 3-minute mark. Hm. If he had gone all out, he could've finished in less than half that time, but oh well.

Still had to show a believable number. And yes, he was still debating on the Uzumaki Village thing.

Unfortunately, from what one of his bug clones found out, the Uzumaki Clan was wiped out a couple of weeks ago. Hm. So the entire clan was just gone. Hm. The Hokage must be the only person who knows that.

Was the Hokage planning on telling Mito this after the competition in order not to incur her wrath?

Hm. Well, there goes his plan.

While he was in deep thought, Nawaki finally finished the race—4 minutes and 10 seconds. Yes, Seijuro was a whole minute ahead.

Nawaki looked a bit out of breath, as if he had used everything to get that speed. Hm. That was approaching Genin-level speed. He wondered how much training the boy had done to grow so much in so little time.

Hm. Well, he did have an elite Jōnin for a sister... nepotism at its finest.

Meanwhile, in the stands...

Jiraiya leaned so far over the railing he nearly fell. "Oi, wait a second! That an Academy student?!" Since when the hell did kids like him move like that?

He could understand it if it was Nawaki... but come on.

Tsunade blinked. "...That's Seijuro?"

Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed. "He's fast... No wasted movements. Everything was calculated." The scientist's eye glinted once more.

Somewhere behind them, Hiruzen could be seen smiling from his pipe—just a tiny bit. He did put it away; he only took one puff, though.

His eyes narrowed just slightly as he glanced at Renjirō Kurama in the clan section. The man was smiling—just faintly.

'So... this was no accident. You gave the boy permission to show his fangs.' That was the Hokage's thought as he looked toward the Kurama Clan's leader.

The Hokage's gaze lingered on Seijuro.

The boy was above his expectations. Hm. Maybe he would graduate early and join Konoha's ranks soon.

Konoha had produced another wonderful genius, it seemed.

Mito narrowed her eyes.

Her gaze fell on the boy. She still felt like he was holding back. Her senses were telling her as much, but she did notice the way he almost slipped—so maybe he wasn't used to his full strength himself.

Back to the field

"Next test! Accuracy assessment!" the instructor shouted.

Ten targets. Random spread. Some moving. Some concealed behind walls with only partial openings.

Seijuro picked up the kunai and shuriken casually, flicked his wrist—

Clink—Clank—Clang!

They ricocheted off each other mid-air, redirected, and every single one struck dead center in their respective targets.

A few students gasped.

Even the instructor did a double take.

Nawaki was halfway through throwing his own when he stopped, blinking. His eyes seemingly got bigger. The fuck—kunai could do that shit?

Seijuro just looked back at him, straight-faced. "You said you wanted to beat me, right?"

Nawaki grinned, lit up like a firecracker. "I will." The boy seemed to have gotten pumped up, as if ready to defeat his friend.

He tossed his own—clean shots, all hits—but none with the same impossible ricochet trickery Seijuro used. Still, Nawaki earned a loud applause from the stands.

And then came the murmurs.

"As expected of the First Hokage's grandson."

"He hit them all dead center."

"Still not as impressive as earlier... What clan was he from again?"

"Kurama, I think."

And in the clan stands, Renjirō crossed his arms.

"Good." His voice was low, almost smug. "Make sure they all know the Kurama are not just Genjutsu experts... we're shinobi first." Was the man smug? Maybe. Was he perhaps bossing around the sound of...

Well, no bother.

It was time for the next test.

The instructor stepped forward, clipboard in hand, and declared, "It's time for the jutsu showcase. Step forward when your name is called."

"Nawaki Senju!"

The boy entered the arena with a pep in his step. He was ready to show the world this super cool jutsu he had learned—and may or may not have used Seijuro to master.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

POOF—POOF—POOF—POOF—POOF!

The crowd roared as thirty perfect clones popped into existence—all in sync, all grinning with that Senju flair. They struck synchronized poses, like it was some grand performance. And for a moment, the cheers swelled as the audience soaked in the talent of the First Hokage's grandson.

"Excellent control!" the instructor praised, eyes gleaming. "To maintain that many clones at your age—impressive!"

Nawaki gave a sheepish grin, scratching his head. "Heh..." The boy was proud of himself. He made thirty clones and could probably make three hundred more. Yes, he had the chakra for that—all thanks to the Uzumaki-Senju lineage.

Next up was:

"Mikoto Uchiha!"

She came up next. She took in a deep breath. She could do this. She was Mikoto Uchiha. She wouldn't fold like this.

Going through the hand seals:

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

She exhaled, and a massive roaring sphere of flame tore through the sky, hissing and crackling like a comet, exploding into a controlled detonation at the target range.

Applause again. Clean, powerful, elegant. She gave a quiet bow and stepped back.

Seijuro could hear the crowd praising her and all that jazz. The Uchiha Clan looked proud. Neat.

Next was Hiashi. He did the Gale Palm Jutsu. Hm. The Hyūga Clan naturally had an affinity for water and air, so maybe they had air jutsu.

Seijuro wasn't in the mood for water jutsu.

After the Hyūga twins, it was Minato's turn.

The boy performed an Earth Style jutsu that made the ground shake a bit. Nice. He was learning. That was good to know.

Then, Seijuro heard it—

"Seijuro Kurama!"

The field quieted. The future leaned forward. Renjirō watched without blinking.

Seijuro walked calmly, slowly—blade in hand.

He took a long, quiet breath.

Then, he drew his blade.

CRRRSSHHHH—

As he released his blade from the Shift.

"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu." He would say... and as those words left his mouth, what seemed to be glass shattering around the blade could be seen, the sound echoing through the field.

Once that was done—

He moved through a short sequence of hand signs—Tiger → Horse → Ram → Snake → Tiger.

"Fire Style: Crimson Phoenix Waltz."

A stream of flames erupted from his mouth, but this wasn't a normal flame—it was art. The fire twisted mid-air, blooming into wings, talons, and a long, trailing tail. A great phoenix, sculpted from glowing heat and golden cinders, flared into existence.

It circled the stands once, giving off a warm, almost ethereal glow.

The audience gasped—not from fear, but awe.

The phoenix flapped its wings slowly, raining down harmless embers that shimmered like fireflies. Then, it dipped in a bow mid-air and exploded—into a thousand blooming flowers of flame, each petal dancing like origami on wind.

The scene froze in time, beautiful and impossible.

Until Seijuro slowly sheathed his sword.

CLACK.

The moment the blade clicked into the scabbard—

Everything vanished.

No flowers. No phoenix. No flames. Just... a boy standing alone on the training field.

He turned his head slightly, voice calm. "That... was my Genjutsu. I hope you enjoyed it."

A beat of silence followed, alongside one heavy breath.

This Jutsu seemed to have drained him.

Then—

Thunderous applause.

Not just from the instructors, but even some of the parents and clan elders. Jiraiya's brow would furrow; he, an elite Jounin, had allowed himself to be caught in a Genjutsu.

Orochimaru stared, eyes narrow. "A Genjutsu that synchronized with a Fire Style cast... that level of realism requires chakra control and timing far beyond Academy standards."

Hiruzen blew on his cigarette. The boy was showing a lot of progress, a lot of progress indeed.

Hiashi Hyuga, watching from the students' row, clenched his fists. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.

"Is the gap... really that wide?"

Seijuro walked back to his line, casting Nawaki a side glance.

"I won't be holding back, Nawaki. You better bring your A-game... or you'll lose."

Nawaki's eyes widened—then he grinned.

"Damn right I will!"

As Seijuro returned to his spot, he exhaled slowly. One bead of sweat slid down his temple—faked—he used his clan Kekkei Genkai to make his chakra appear much lower than it was. And since everyone here had looked at his blade, he had them all under his illusion, and right now the illusion was still active.

He closed his eyes.

Hm, to everyone, his reserves had just dropped to Genin level. The instructor would offer him a military pill. He would graciously take it, with a small illusion of him eating it. He placed the medicine beneath his tongue, in case he needed it later.

Up in the stands, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, chin resting on the back of his hand. His tongue flicked against the corner of his lips in thought.

"So... the sword acts as a focal point. The moment he unsheathed it, he diverted all sensory attention toward it. Clever... everyone looked at the blade, meaning everyone saw what he wanted them to see." Orochimaru was liking this kid the more he watched.

His brow furrowed deeper.

He wasn't the only one to reach that conclusion.

In the VIP row, Mito Uzumaki's lips curled slightly. Renjirō Kurama sat stone-faced, but his hand tightened around his armrest. Even Hiruzen gave a quiet nod, murmuring,

"He understands misdirection better than most Chunin."

Then, the exam proctor raised a clipboard.

"Next portion: Close combat bracket. No lethal blows. First to yield, immobilize, or ring-out is the victor."

🔥 Chuunin Exam Showcase – Combat Bracket 🔥

[Round One Matchups]

Seijuro Kurama vs. Kaito Uchiha

Hiashi Hyuga vs. Choza Akimichi

Minato Namikaze vs. Inoiji Yamanaka

Mikoto Uchiha vs. Hizashi Hyuga

Takeshi Uchiha vs. Shikaku Nara

Nawaki Senju vs. Ryo Sarutobi

Hm. Seijuro would not be losing this. He would not lose anytime soon.