The illusion technique lasted for two hours, with the first ten minutes being the easiest.
Whether it was Guy, Kurenai, or Genma, they were all extremely excited.
Learning new techniques under their teacher's one-on-one guidance, improving their weaknesses, and rapidly increasing their strength—how many genin could enjoy such treatment? However, after an hour of the illusion, which felt like a whole month inside the illusionary realm, Kurenai started to wilt, and even Genma couldn't hold on any longer.
Only Guy barely maintained his enthusiasm for training.
After one and a half months inside the illusion, Kurenai had lost all will to live, Genma was questioning his life choices, and Guy looked utterly exhausted.
Inside the illusion, there was no concept of day or night.
A pure white space devoid of any other colors—only them and their teacher. There was no need to eat, drink, use the restroom, recover stamina, pick up ninja tools, or replenish chakra.
Aside from brief breaks when their mental state reached its limit, the rest of the time was entirely spent on training! And because their teacher was constantly watching them, they didn't even have the chance to slack off!
Even prisoners in jail get some time outdoors each day.
But they…
---
Two hours later, when the three of them finally woke up from the genjutsu, Kurenai's eyes were red-rimmed, almost crying on the spot.
Genma stared blankly, looking like a walking corpse.
Even Guy, usually full of energy, was slumped over, forcing a signature smile that looked worse than crying.
Too miserable! They were truly too miserable!
They had thought it was just an illusion for training, but the duration was so long it nearly drove them to despair! That sense of emptiness and loneliness was even more terrifying than physical torture.
Was their teacher really not some kind of demon in disguise?
Clap, clap, clap—
"Not bad, not bad. Once you fully integrate what you've gained from this illusion, your strength should reach another level. I'll recommend you for the Chunin Exams next time."
Kei smiled as he applauded them. Seeing their exhausted expressions and complete lack of enthusiasm, he decided to throw them a motivational bone.
"Chunin! The footsteps of youth cannot be halted by mere hardships. This time, I must surpass Kakashi!" Guy's eyes lit up. Hearing that he would be recommended for the Chunin Exams instantly reignited his fighting spirit.
"Thank you, sensei!" Kurenai and Genma, though still exhausted, at least found some hope and mustered the strength to thank their teacher.
Noticing it was nearly noon, the three of them politely declined Kushina's invitation to lunch and hurriedly said their goodbyes to Kei and Tsunade before vanishing in an instant.
After being tormented one-on-one for two months, they just wanted to run free in Konoha.
Kei watched them leave with a thoughtful gaze.
Since becoming their teacher, the three had made tremendous progress over the past few months, with significant improvements in their strength. At first, Kurenai only had [Strong Mental Power (Blue)] and [Illusion Enhancement (Green)].
Now, [Illusion Enhancement] had upgraded to [Illusion Witch (Blue)], and she had also gained [Legacy of a Master (Green)] and [Quirky Genius].
Genma initially only had [Influenced by Greatness (Blue)]. Now, in addition to also gaining [Legacy of a Master (Green)], he had acquired [Ninja Tool Mastery (Green)].
As for Guy, the most talented and hardworking of the three, [Burning Youth (Blue)] and [Extreme Recovery (Blue)], remained unchanged. However, [Thick-Browed Kappa (White)] had upgraded to [Green Beast (Green)]. Additionally, he had gained [Resilient Body (Green)], [Taijutsu Expertise (Green)], and [Legacy of a Master (Green)].
The only concern was that he had also developed [Shaken Belief (Gray)].
[Shaken Belief]… Is it because of Duy? Kei closed the door, rubbing his chin in thought.
In the original story, Guy had a period of confusion and doubt after witnessing his father being looked down upon by other ninjas, humbling himself and pleading for missions but still being rejected.
A father holds an irreplaceable place in a child's heart.
Duy was not only Guy's father but also the foundation of his beliefs and the guiding force in his life.
In the original story, it was only after seeing his father uphold his beliefs—opening all Eight Gates and kicking the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into oblivion—that Guy completely overcame his doubts. He inherited his father's will and pressed forward without hesitation.
Do I really have to let the kid's dad die…? Kei scratched his head. He wasn't like Danzō, someone who would go to any lengths to achieve his goals. This wasn't something he could bring himself to do.
But... Was there another way to restore Duy's image as a great father in his son's heart? For him, that didn't seem too difficult.
After all, Duy wasn't entirely hopeless.
As a transmigrator, Kei had already reviewed the EiEight Gates Released Formation's scroll through his own merits and family connections. But back then, his taijutsu talent was mediocre, and training in the technique was too grueling and exhausting.
The effort required far exceeded the reward. With better options available, who would willingly put themselves through such hardship?
Not to mention the strict requirements of the Eight Gates.
Duy, who forcefully opened the formation, already possessed a physical foundation far superior to most jonin in Konoha. Even if he only specialized in taijutsu, he should have been more than capable of becoming a special jonin.
The fact that he remained a genin for so many years was likely due to a combination of factors: his overly passionate and impulsive personality, his narrow focus on taijutsu that made him unsuited for the diverse nature of ninja missions, his lack of reliable teammates to cover his weaknesses, his low mission success rate, his slow growth which led to a fixed perception of him, and his poor written exam skills that prevented him from passing the Chunin Exam.
"Maybe he couldn't even find someone to recommend him for the Chunin Exams…" Kei muttered to himself.
A man who couldn't even find teammates—how could he expect a jonin to recommend him for the exam?
Jonin weren't just handing out recommendations like candy. If the person they endorsed couldn't even pass the written test and got eliminated, it would be embarrassing for them too!
I should find an opportunity to meet him and assess his situation myself.
If there weren't any major issues, he could arrange a suitable position for him to contribute to Konoha. That way, he'd gain a capable fighter, and Guy's psychological issues would be resolved in the process.
Perfect!
"Muttering at the door for so long—come eat! Damn it! Why do I have to give such an otoshidama for your disciples?" Tsunade's annoyed voice rang out from the dining table.
She had just suffered a financial blow!
Kei and Kushina had each given the three disciples an envelope of ten thousand ryō. As their senpai, she couldn't just sit there empty-handed.
Thirty thousand ryō! That was enough to play the slot machines all afternoon!
"Coming, coming." Kei snapped out of his thoughts and walked toward the table, pretending not to hear the latter half of Tsunade's complaint.
Heh~ She thinks she can recover her losses from me? Dream on!