[Nōhime Ouritsu]

bleed it out

Another day, another young one that needed training. Ouritsu had believed, or experienced rather, that it was up to sensei and Jounin to do the bulk of training as they had more requisite knowledge for these kinds of things, but the Nohime had found himself on the mentor end quite a few times as of late. He had never thought himself the teacher type but was willing to help out if it meant that those he'd be working with in the near future were more prepared for missions and the such. Besides, it wasn't everyday that someone came by asking for help with genjutsu --or in this case how to get out of one-- so the chunin was definitely relishing the opportunity.

The man sat atop a wooden stump in the Iwa training grounds waiting for his trainee to arrive, a genin by the name of Akari who Ouritsu wasn't really familiar with but would help nonetheless. Mentally going over how he wanted to approach today's lesson one final time led to the interesting revelation that Ouritsu had maybe only once before given tips on breaking out of genjutsu: to that one Okada who seemed to hate the entire ninja art, but he'd make a believer out of her one day. Hopefully this kid didn't share such negative views.

words - Minamoto no Akari - notes

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Minamoto no Akari]

Akari had finally arrived at the designated training location with nothing but focus and determination on his mind. He saw the Nōhime Ouritsu a well-respected chunnin of the village was already there waiting for his arrival while perched on a wooden stump. Though Akari didn't know much of Ouritsu, he has heard bits and pieces of information about him. It was said that Ouritsu was practically a prodigy in the arts on genjutsu and that perhaps his skill could even match some of the most prominent doujutsu users of the world. This was great for Akari who's biggest weakness was in fact the use of genjutsu and how to combat against it.

Ouritsu senpai. Akari approached and stood at attention before the chunnin. A bling man could tell that the young Minamoto was eager gain wisdom. It's a pleasure to finally meet someone of regard such as yourself. I've been told that I'm learning this genjutsu training from none other than the best. Akari rubs the back of his head. Honestly, genjutsu has been a struggle for me ever since I've decided to take up the role as a militant in Iwagakure's military. I just can't seem to combat well against it but I'm all willing to learn from the best.

[Nōhime Ouritsu]

bleed it out

"Just Ouritsu is fine, senpai makes me feel old." The chunin spoke trying to lessen the formality between them. It was true that there was a teacher/student dynamic but they weren't super far apart in age and only a single rank separated them so there wasn't any need in his eyes to be a stickler for pomp and circumstance. One thing the Nohime noticed as he listened to Akari speak was that the genin was incredibly formal in his speech. Whether that was a family thing or something he had picked up from his various sensei over the years was unknown, but Ouritsu hoped that the kid wasn't so rigid all the time.

"Truth be told you are far from the only one who struggles with combating genjutsu. Most people are too concerned with learning how to shoot a fireball or whatever and sometimes a simple illusion is enough to trip up a whole jounin. But I've always been a big proponent on even if you don't want to learn how to use genjutsu, you at least need to learn how to recognize and break out of them, which is what we'll be doing today." Ouritsu replied with a nod.

"Now I'm sure you remember from your time in the academy that genjutsu can affect all five senses and the triggers mirror such, so it can be tricky to spot when someone is trying to put you under one, and sometimes they can look like the other ninja arts so that fireball coming towards you may not actually be real but your brain is making you feel the heat coming from it so you'll think its real." He'd pause for a moment deciding on if covering the other way to break out of a genjutsu was pertinent to the conversation or if he should have just stuck to kai.

"While we'll be focusing on kai today you can also break free from genjutsu via pain, but the amount requires depends on the strength of the genjutsu versus how well versed you are in the field, so sometimes you'll only need to bite your lip while other times you might need to do something more drastic. But! Hopefully you never run into that situation. For kai it's essentially just a couple elements to the technique: the handseal and focusing your chakra inward before releasing it to rid yourself of the foreign chakra in your system."

Bringing up a hand Ouritsu would perform the very simple seal required for the jutsu allowing Akari to replicate it himself a few times. "For the latter part that will take some practice, so let's first start with you focusing chakra to your core and we'll go from there."

words - Minamoto no Akari - notes

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Minamoto no Akari]

Akari waited patiently while Ouritsu explained the premises of genjutsu. He would make sure to nod his head assuring that he was following along and taking in all of the information presented to him. What stood out the most was that genjutsu has the ability to distort all five of the bodily senses and that even some of the most skill shinobi are still prone to be tricked by their effects. For this reason, it was important that Yusaku learn to recognize when captured in this technique due to the fact that the lasting effects could be scary.

So Kai is the key hmm. The thought of it gave Akari mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety. The time had come for the first trial. Ouritsu had shown him the proper seal to used and Akari was to replicate. Lifting up his two fingers, Akari could feel the chakra swirling within at his core. Just a little more. He thought to himself as he tried not to break focus. Calming himself down with a deep breath, he closed his eyed and started to visualize the chakra building. Alright I got this.

Akari was determined to get this right and so began to visualize as if he was in a real fight. He could see a giant fireball heading in his direction and the heat from scorched everything in its path. KAI!!! He got carried away and shouted as if he was really in a genjutsu. Opening his eyes the young Minamoto felt quite the embarrassment but nonetheless he would let the mishap bother him. Instead of shying away, Akari set up once more to make sure held fix any flaw he may have.

[Nōhime Ouritsu]

bleed it out

The chunin wasn't a sensor by any means but at this distance it wouldn't be hard to tell if Akari was having any trouble focusing his chakra. Well, that actually wasn't the tough part instead it was releasing it almost like a shockwave through his system that tripped most people up. The foundation for most jutsu was controlling where you wanted your chakra to be and more often than not it was to a single point in the body or at most a localized region, but trying to spread a decent amount of chakra everywhere could be tough.

Hearing the genin shout almost made Ouritsu laugh and if anything it was clear that the genin was taking this lesson seriously and was giving it an honest effort. Without actually being under an illusion it would be impossible to tell if the technique actually worked but all things considered the boy's chakra felt like it was doing the right things which was a good sign. "No need to look embarrassed, it's always going to look funny when people can't see what you're experiencing." He'd speak. Genjutsu could be silly at times, and dealing with it doubly so.

"Looks like you've got the hang of the motions, now how about we put that into practice?" Ouritsu would ask rhetorically. Taking a strong step as if he were heading towards the genin, a flurry of afterimages would begin to appear around Akari looking as if the chunin were not some genjutsu specialist but instead a Gates user.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Ichimokusan [As Fast As One Can Go]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: To Use: Very Low | To Maintain: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Genjutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
TRIGGER: Visual
DESCRIPTION:
After stamping one's foot, the user will cast a Genjutsu upon their opponent where it will appear as if they can move at speeds that match those who use the Eight Gates. Countless after images will begin to move about them, the user seemingly moving about in such a fashion that the opponents eyes simply cannot keep up, when in truth the user is completely unseen. It can be seen through by those who use Doujutsu.

words - Minamoto no Akari - notes

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Minamoto no Akari]

Alright Akari you need to calm down and remain focused. He had to remind himself that this was just the act of a genjustu placed onto him by Ouritsu. No need to look embarrassed, it's always going to look funny when people can't see what you're experiencing. A small bit of insurance was given to Akari. Looks like you've got the hang of the motions, now how about we put that into practice? Though still a bit nervous, Akari watched as Ouritsu stepped forward. The chunnin would then perform an actual jutsu in which proceeded to summon many clones of himself that would dart all around seemingly to cause some type of diversion or confusion.

Calm down and focus Akari, you need to focus and concentrate. The many Ouritsu I'm seeing aren't just mere shadow clones. He had to remind himself that this was just the act of a genjustu placed onto him by Ouritsu. At this point Akari knew that what he was seeing were afterimage. The only problem he had now was to solve how to get rid of them permanently. The young genin sucked air into his lungs and upon release made sure he was in control of his nerves and the many doubtful thoughts in his mind.

Alright now I what is it that he's told me about breaking out of these tricks? With that thought, Akari began to visualize his chakra swirling within his center mass slowing warming up his core. Enclosing his two hands together signaling the desired hand sign he would yell. Kai!!! Unlike before this time was meant with intentions to releasing himself from the genjutsu.

The intention hardly mattered as when he opened his eyes you could sense the disappointment. His heart raced because he thought that he had broken out of the trance, however, there were still vivid afterimages surrounding him, each reminding him of his failed effort to escape. The barrage of sights was too much for him, and for a brief instant, his resolve cracked, as he wilted.

Nearly mentally broke, Akari questioned himself. What is seriously wrong with me? The anger inside him began to boil. He felt the heat of humiliation as he was aware that Ouritsu was in the presence of a failure.Come on, Akari, you can do this! He pressed his eyelids shut tightly in attempts to try to block out the distractions.

[Nōhime Ouritsu]

bleed it out

Even a low ranking genjutsu could present problems for someone who didn't know how to get out of them and it was best that Akari get their failed attempts out of the way in the presence of allies instead of when lives were on the line. Ouritsu watched on as the genin concentrated his chakra and tried to break free of the illusion, unfortunately the swirling mass of energy was nowhere near focused enough to achieve the desired results; if anything he was just haphazardly throwing out chakra left, right, and center.

"You have the right idea but you need to focus more on making sure your chakra reaches every part of your network to get rid of the foreign chakra in your system. Start at your core and work outwards, hit every part of your body." The chunin spoke still holding up the illusion. While Akari wouldn't be able to see the true Ouritsu his voice would still come in loud and clear. Outside of the afterimages there wasn't much about this technique that fell into the disorienting category so there wasn't really a risk of intense mental strain or anything of the sort, unless Akari used up all his chakra trying to break free from the genjutsu then they may have had a problem, but for now they would continue in the meat and potatoes of the training.

words - Minamoto no Akari - notes

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Minamoto no Akari]

Akari took a deep breath as he repeated in his head what Ortitsu said to him over and over again. The trick was to start at the core and work his way outward focusing on the entirety of his chakra system. At the point Akari was visibly frustrated, he was clenching his first to try and maintain his cool. The first time trying to break free of the jutsu didn't go over as he expected, but this time things were going to be different. This time he wouldn't accept failure as an option.

He focused intently on the chakra swirling in his core, as if it were a steady, controlled force. Slowly, slowly, he told himself. Stretch through my arms, legs, and head. The afterimages of Ouritsu continued to dance around him, reminding him just how much of a failure he was. He didn't want to think of it as failure, in fact he didn't want to think at all, he just wanted to push through and break the jutsu. He knew he had it in him, but success was eluding just when he needed it most.

Kai! he shouted, thrusting his hands forward as if to give that sticky situation a good shove. He opened his eyes, his heart racing with the thrill of anticipation mixed with the hope that this time, maybe, just maybe, he would win the right to see through his opponent's trick. And yet, the clones bobbed around as before, as if nothing had happened.

Kai! he shouted, as he thrusted his hands forward in hopes that would somehow help pushing the chakra out. He opened his eyes, his heart racing, mixed anticipation and hope that this time maybe, just maybe, he would dispel this illusion. To no avail, the clones were still all around as before, as if nothing had happened.

[Nōhime Ouritsu]

bleed it out

Learning a new technique was never easy and this one was unique in that it dealt with countering an entire field of jutsu and it's success was tied to knowledge in said field, so for a young shinobi who didn't have much experience with genjutsu trying to break out of one was understandably frustrating. Ouritsu watched as the genin tried again and again to pulse his chakra to force the chunin's out to less than stellar results and after a few moments it hit him that perhaps the odds were a bit too stacked against Akari through no fault of his own.

Even a low ranking jutsu like the one Ouritsu had decided to use was going to be a problem to deal with given his skill in genjutsu versus the genin's base understanding of it and it became clear that he should have chosen something more simple. With a thought the chunin would end the illusion on his end as the myriad of after images would shimmer out of existence around Akari. "You're on the right path, I can feel the chakra you're focusing and no doubt you'd be seeing some success if I had picked a different technique, so my bad on that. What helps me sometimes is focusing on the sense that's being affected and guiding my chakra to that point of my body to try and get control back. So say someone is messing with my sense of hearing I'll focus on my ears, same for sight and so on."

While it was true that genjutsu mainly dealt with tricking the brain being able to hone in on a certain part of the body felt like better advice than just telling Akari to keep pushing chakra out. "Alright I'm going to use something a little different this time, shouldn't be nearly as frustrating to deal with." Ouritsu spoke as he performed a single seal and slowly the genin would see their vision begin to double as if they had their eyes crossed permanently. It was perhaps the most simple genjutsu that the Nohime knew and weak enough that a solid attempt from Akari to break free would probably work.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Fukushi no Jutsu [Double Vision Technique]
RANK: E
CHAKRA USAGE: To Use: Very Low | To Maintain: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Genjutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 1
TRIGGER: Visual
DESCRIPTION:
A fairly simple technique used widely by starting shinobi. This technique tricks the mind into doubling its vision. While this is a very low rank technique and one that even children can use, its usefulness in combat should not be underestimated. Using this technique the user could suddenly cause a weapon or taijutsu user to have their combat effectiveness drastically reduced. The technique is activated upon seeing a single handseal.

words - Minamoto no Akari - notes

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE

[Minamoto no Akari]

Akari was visibly frustrated but still made the effort to shake off the frustration of his many failures. This time, he would get it right. In his head, he could hear Ouritsu's voice: Don't think of your chakra network; think of that specific sense that's affected.

After taking a deep breath, Akari closed his eyes, dropping his shoulders, and began to relax. The new genjutsu placed on Akari had doubled his vision causing everything to become blurry and confusing. Focus on my eyes, Akari thought to himself. This isn't about breaking the whole thing at once but more so breaking the part that holds me here.

Chakra flowed up from his core through to his eyes, and he imagined himself pushing at the eyes against Ouritsu's chakra. It still looked fuzzy, but something was different this time, almost like he had a grain of control. It was working...I think. His focus tightened, blocking out the urge to rush things.

Kai, he whispered, pushing his chakra at his eyes, forcing his chakra out with more precision. His tone was calming as he spoke with definite intent.

As Akari opened his eyes, half-expecting the blurred vision to clear but it was still there yet a bit more faint. Akari's heart was racing now with a spark of hope, he could sense he was making progress, even if not fully breaking the jutsu.

Time and time the genin would take a deep breath and repeat the process over and over. Almost there. His chakra spiked along with his will with break the genjutsu. Each passing attempt peeled away at the hold on his sight. This time, he isn't just forcing his chakra, but he is properly learning how to channel it.

Akari understood that it may take a few more tires, but the difference he felt was real. Failure was no longer the enemy. He was learning, and even if success took a few more tries, he was finally on the correct path to success.

[Nōhime Ouritsu]

bleed it out

Prolonged exposure to genjutsu could do nasty things to the mind though such a low level one would have to be up for a ridiculously long period of time for that to happen, but that didn't mean it couldn't induce annoyance and frustration after repeated attempts to break out of it, which Akari was experiencing at the moment. Each effort was getting better, more fine tuned in his approach to channel chakra in the correct spot, and provided the genin didn't run out of said chakra he'd be able to break free from the technique soon enough.

With each pulse of chakra the chunin could feel the hold of his genjutsu chipping piece by piece and for just a moment Ouritsu contemplated throwing a curveball into their lesson by layering a second technique but at this point it would have been cruel to essentially reset Akari's progress; that could be an advanced lesson for another day. "You've almost got it. Imagine yourself needing one final push to repel an enemy, that's what your chakra is trying to do. Dig deep, focus, and let the chakra surge." The Nohime instructed, encouraging the boy to put his full might into expelling the foreign chakra that was in his system.

For the most part breaking out of genjutsu was the victim using their chakra to flush out what had been sent by the caster though that became increasingly difficult to do as the level of the illusion increased --assuming the person even knew they were in a genjutsu to begin with-- at which point either an outside force or varying amounts of pain were needed, but for today learning 'Kai' would suffice and be a valuable tool for Akari to use in the years ahead.

words - Minamoto no Akari - notes

(C) ELLIE @ GANGNAM STYLE