The forest was unnaturally quiet. The breeze that had whispered through the leaves minutes ago seemed to have vanished entirely. Satoru stood rooted where he was, yet his eyes were fixed on only one thing.
Sayuri.
The rogue shinobi were statues; their final positions locked into place as though time itself had seized them. But Satoru barely noticed them anymore.
His attention was devoured by his sensei.
Sayuri's face had shifted in a way he had never seen. Gone was the faintly playful serenity that she usually wore; gone was the gentle, almost whimsical smile that hovered at the edge of her expressions.
In its place was a seriousness so sharp it felt carved from steel. Her brows were faintly drawn inward; her gaze sharpened to a scalpel-like focus; every line of her face set with precise intent.
And then he saw her eyes.
Her irises were red.
Not the crimson swirl of the Uchiha; not the spinning tomoe that marked his clan's legacy; but a deeper, velvet shade reminiscent of Kurenai Yuhi's. Except Sayuri's eyes were not merely colored red; they shimmered.
The light caught in them strangely; bending around the edges as if her pupils drew in the world and refracted it through a lens he could not comprehend.
Her chakra flared again.
Satoru felt the hairs on his arms rise. Ren and Mariko felt it too; he saw them stiffen at the corner of his vision; their faces paling slightly.
Sayuri didn't look at them. Not yet.
She didn't need to.
Satoru swallowed. His Sharingan had been active earlier; a desperate reaction in the chaotic illusion that he had thought was battle. Now he let it fade; the need gone, replaced by awe. The world was already too sharp without it.
'Now this… this is power I need to have.'
"This is ridiculous…" Ren whispered behind him. "I didn't see a thing."
"Of course you didn't," Mariko muttered; though her voice trembled slightly. "None of us did."
Satoru barely heard them. His mind was spiraling in a different direction entirely.
This genjutsu… its magnitude was terrifying.
Even during his first experience under genjutsu, when Itachi placed him in that brief, suffocating illusion during one of their earliest interactions, Satoru had sensed something.
A disturbance; the faint ripple of chakra; the unnatural sharpness that preceded being ensnared. Shisui's genjutsu, too, had a recognizable texture; it wrapped around the mind like silk; deceptively soft but undeniably potent.
But Sayuri's genjutsu… this felt entirely different.
He hadn't sensed even a flicker.
Not a shifting of intent. Not a chakra spike. Not a single warning before an entire squad of trained rogue shinobi was consumed without resistance.
'Granted, comparing kids to an adult in her prime isn't fair…' he conceded inwardly; though the thought tasted weak even to him.
Then the true scale of what he witnessed hit him full force and he almost laughed.
'No. This isn't about fairness. This is like comparing a hydrogen bomb to a coughing child.'
A pause.
Then, dryly; the smallest curl of amusement at the corner of his mouth:
'Though give Shisui and Itachi enough time… and eventually Sayuri will be the coughing child.
The thought was arrogant; dangerous; and borderline delusional for someone his age. But it felt right. Since he was painfully aware of the potential of those two Uchiha boys.
Sayuri finally turned her head; the red shimmer in her irises softening to something calmer; though not fading. Her gaze landed on Noboru first; the trembling merchant still clutching the small, ornate case of chakra crystals to his chest.
The man had barely survived the illusion; his breath coming out in sharp gasps; sweat rolling down his temples.
Sayuri stepped toward him; her presence smoothing as if someone had wiped the sharp edge from a blade.
"We will complete the escort mission as agreed," she said.
Her voice had returned to its warm, steady timbre; though a faint undercurrent of command remained hidden beneath.
Noboru swallowed; his Adam's apple bobbing as he bowed deeply. "Y-yes, Sayuri-sama."
Sayuri's eyes drifted down to the case he held.
"And," she added; her tone deceptively soft; "the compensation must match the risks of transporting chakra crystals."
A subtle thrum of meaning; a political weight that even Mariko and Ren caught. Noboru stiffened immediately.
"Konoha expects full and proper payment." Sayuri's expression didn't change. "And I trust you will ensure that happens."
Noboru nodded so quickly it looked painful.
"Of course. Absolutely. Full compensation; as promised."
Satisfied, Sayuri's attention shifted.
She reached out; grasped Noboru by the back of his collar with one smooth motion; and in the blink of an eye appeared in front of her three genin.
Ren stumbled back. "Woah! Sensei!"
Sayuri ignored the exclamation; her face impassive as she glanced upwards. Through the canopy; the shafts of golden afternoon light had shifted; lengthened; deepened in colour.
It was already well past noon.
"We must complete the mission before sunset," Sayuri said calmly.
Satoru felt his stomach drop.
She didn't wait for acknowledgment.
"Keep up."
She vanished; her Body Flicker so fast it barely left a ripple in the air.
Ren blinked. "Did she–"
"Yes," Satoru cut in; already forming the hand seal. "Don't waste time speaking."
"Right!" Mariko barked before flickering away.
The three genin shot forward; their bodies blurring as they pushed themselves into the high-speed pursuit of their sensei. The world streaked past in rapid motion; branches whipping overhead; leaves rustling in startled bursts; the ground vibrating faintly beneath the speed of their movements.
Keeping up with Sayuri was always difficult. Today, it felt suicidal.
They chased her for hours.
She never slowed.
The sun sank deeper into the horizon; painting the forest gold; then amber; then a deepening ocher as the shadows stretched longer. Sayuri remained a barely perceptible figure ahead of them; a ghost slipping between trees; her steps so light she seemed to skim the forest floor.
Satoru's lungs burned. Mariko's arms trembled each time she flared chakra to stabilise her balance mid-flicker. Ren had long stopped trying to speak; all his energy devoted to not collapsing.
Finally; after what felt like an eternity, Sayuri came to a gentle stop.
They emerged into a clearing; a small trade post nestled at the base of rolling hills. A few lanterns flickered in the dimming light; casting pale halos across weathered wooden stalls. The air smelled faintly of travel dust and drying herbs.
Sayuri stood quietly at the front; perfectly composed; her breathing steady; her clothes unruffled.
Noboru bowed deeply to her; thanked her profusely; then hurried off toward a waiting caravan. Sayuri watched him go; then raised her voice just enough for him to hear:
"Konoha expects proper compensation."
Noboru tripped on his own foot in panic; scrambled upright; and fled.
Behind her, Satoru, Ren, and Mariko collapsed almost simultaneously.
Satoru braced his hands on his knees; gasping. Ren fell onto his back; chest heaving; arms sprawled. Mariko simply crouched; head hanging; sweat dripping onto the dirt.
They were drenched. Exhausted. Muscles trembling violently.
Sayuri turned around; her expression faintly curious.
"Why are you all so tired?" she asked. "The mission is not even over."
Satoru lifted his head with visible effort; sweat dripping down his jaw.
"Noboru-sama has already reached his destination… so the mission is over."
Sayuri blinked once.
Then gestured absently with her hand.
"Escorting Noboru was a B-rank mission; far above what genins typically handle. So I completed the B-rank portion myself."
Ren's head jerked up.
Mariko groaned.
Satoru's eye twitched.
Sayuri continued; utterly unfazed.
"Now we will begin your missions."
Silence.
Ren collapsed backward again with a sigh.
Mariko muttered a curse that was very not academy appropriate.
Satoru inhaled sharply.
'Shit.'
He didn't dare say it out loud.
There was no escape.
The real training had only just begun.
=====
Your Reviews, Comments and Powerstones about my work are welcome
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/P4lindrome
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon.