They returned to the Vilge Hidden in the Grass a few days ter. Fortunately, the journey went without incident.

  Upon arrival, Miyuki had to report directly to the Kusakage's office with Kōsetsu to expin the situation. Once the Kusakage was fully briefed and a thorough investigation was conducted, the traitors were identified and promptly eliminated by Kusa’s Anbu. This incident left the Ryumei Cn in a severely disadvantaged position. Not only were members of their own cn willing to sell out one of their own to other vilges, but they also failed to detect the betrayal until it was too te.

  The immediate consequence was that the cn lost the small amount of influence they had managed to accumute over the years, leaving them nearly back at square one. Naturally, this matter was confined to the higher-ups; the general public had no knowledge of the Ryumei Cn. Even if people saw them in the streets, without a distinctive symbol and with their family name hidden, they were just another of the countless nameless, uninfluential families in Kusa.

  Akihiro learned about these developments through Miyuki, who, due to her accomplishments in both recovering Kōsetsu and exposing the traitors within the vilge, was recommended for promotion directly to the rank of Jōnin.

  Although Miyuki already had the strength of a Jōnin, she had previously cked the significant achievements required to justify her promotion. She had completed numerous missions and had a solid reputation, but it wasn’t enough to support her elevation to full Jōnin rank. At best, her prior record qualified her as a Tokubetsu Jōnin.

  However, thanks to her recent accomplishments, Miyuki earned the title of Jōnin with all its privileges.

  That evening, a celebration was held at Miyuki’s home to honor her promotion. Akihiro, Aiko, and Hiroshi had the chance to meet Miyuki’s friends and colleagues, who were numerous. Most were Chūnins, but there were also some Jōnins and Tokubetsu Jōnins among them.

  During the celebration, the guests congratuted Miyuki and shared anecdotes about her. Her former teammates recalled moments from when they worked together, telling stories filled with nostalgia and ughter.

  Akihiro, meanwhile, crossed paths with his Genjutsu mentor, Kazuo. He had attended the party to celebrate his former teammate and friend’s promotion, showing the deep appreciation and camaraderie they had shared for years.

  —Sensei, I have something to ask you, —Akihiro said to Kazuo once he had finished speaking with Miyuki.

  Kazuo nodded at him and gestured for them to move to a more private spot.—Trouble with Genjutsu? —he asked, getting straight to the point.—Yes, —Akihiro replied with a slight nod. —It wasn’t as useful as I expected. Against bandits or people with little chakra, it was easy to trap them in a Genjutsu, but against the Anbu... it was practically useless.—That’s normal, —Kazuo responded calmly, as if he had already anticipated the issue. —No matter how weak an Anbu might be, falling into the Genjutsu of a Genin would be pathetic, even for them.

  He paused, looking at Akihiro seriously, though his tone remained understanding.—I know what’s troubling you, and I understand. But you can’t try to run before you’ve learned to walk. Strength is built gradually; no one is born invincible, and I assure you, no one truly is. You’re just beginning to master Genjutsu. You’ve managed to execute them, yes, but for now, they’re nothing more than the most basic techniques. —Kazuo’s gaze was calm yet firm as he continued, —When the time comes, with your talent, even the Uchiha will fall under your Genjutsu.

  —The Uchiha? —Akihiro asked incredulously. —But they have the Sharingan. It’s impossible to trap them in a Genjutsu.—Impossible? Who told you that? —Kazuo countered, raising an eyebrow. —It’s true that the Sharingan gives them some resistance to Genjutsu, especially visual types. But if we set aside Genjutsu that affect sight, they’re still vulnerable to other kinds, particurly auditory Genjutsu.

  As he spoke, Kazuo pointed to his ear for emphasis.—After all, the Sharingan is a Dōjutsu, an ocur technique, which means it only affects things reted to vision. But hearing, and other senses, are beyond its reach. That’s why Genjutsu that manipute senses other than sight aren’t countered by the Sharingan.

  Hearing this, Akihiro couldn’t help but nod. After all, no matter how impressive the Sharingan might be, it still had obvious limitations as a Dōjutsu. Its focus was solely on visual perception, leaving vulnerabilities in other senses.

  Even the Mangekyō Sharingan and its higher levels would likely still be affected by non-visual Genjutsu. In the end, all of them were Dōjutsu, and their power was confined to the eyes; they had no influence over the other senses.

  —For now, take this, —said Kazuo as he handed Akihiro a small box.—What’s this? —Akihiro asked, and Kazuo motioned for him to open it.

  When he opened it, Akihiro found a small ocarina inside.—What’s this? —he asked again, looking a bit confused.—It’s an ocarina, —Kazuo replied. —I used it back when I was learning Genjutsu a long time ago. I don’t need it anymore, and since you’re my only Genjutsu student, I thought it might be useful to you.

  Kazuo continued with a serious yet confident expression.—With this, you’ll be able to perform auditory Genjutsu. It’ll take practice to get used to it, and it might be tricky at first, but knowing you, I’m confident it’ll become a great asset.

  —I’ll resume your training soon, but I have a mission to handle, so it’ll have to wait until I return. In the meantime, get accustomed to pying the ocarina. Ask Miyuki—she probably knows someone who can teach you.

  Akihiro nodded, grateful for his teacher’s words.—Thank you, sensei.

  Kazuo gave a faint smile and nodded in return.—Alright, let’s head back. I want to enjoy the party before I have to leave. Promotions don’t happen every day, and there’ll be time to focus on training ter.

  Both of them returned to the party. The rest of the evening passed pleasantly; although a few embarrassing moments arose along the way, everything ended well in the end.