Throne Of The Uchiha

Illusion Invasion

In the dense forest behind the Uchiha clan's compound, the wind rustled through the trees, scattering leaves across the mossy floor. Two figures stood motionless, their Sharingan activated, eyes locked in a silent battle of Genjutsu prowess.

Uchiha Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan spun slowly, releasing waves of subtle Genjutsu toward Uchiha Jin. Simultaneously, Jin's own Sharingan countered, canceling out the illusions in an instant. A direct Genjutsu clash between two fully matured Sharingan was rare—and rarely decisive.

Both shinobi excelled in illusion control and dispelling. At their level, it was nearly impossible to trap the other with a standard technique.

Without warning, the two darted into motion, flinging hidden weapons in midair. Shuriken and kunai curved at impossible angles, each trajectory tracked and altered in real time.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Steel collided with steel, showering sparks as dozens of weapons clashed in the air. A few slipped past but were intercepted mid-flight. The heightened perception of the Sharingan made dodging even erratic projectiles a simple task for them.

For ordinary shinobi, these throws would have been deadly. But for two Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan, they were warm-up drills.

The two leapt forward again, kunai clashing in a sharp flash of metal. Fugaku gritted his teeth—his strength was clearly inferior. At only fourteen, he lacked Jin's physical maturity and experience. But through his superior insight and quick adaptation, he stayed in the fight.

Still, Fugaku knew he wouldn't last long in a drawn-out exchange.

The battle intensified, their taijutsu swift and unrelenting. Sparks flew as blades clashed. Jin pressed his advantage with a steady rhythm of feints and forceful strikes. Fugaku blocked each attack, but he was being slowly pushed back.

Jin could sense it. The older Uchiha adjusted his style, launching increasingly aggressive combinations. Each movement was measured and deadly.

But Fugaku had already begun weaving something far more dangerous than steel.

Amid the chaos, he subtly cast an advanced Genjutsu—not to control Jin's senses directly, but to alter his perception of reality over time, a refined application of the Sharingan's illusion capabilities. This was no ordinary illusion—it was a "layered Genjutsu", designed to infiltrate Jin's expectations and assumptions without triggering his mental alarms.

Leaves were falling from above, disturbed by their battle. Among them, several were illusions—perfect replicas planted into Jin's visual field with pinpoint timing. But because leaves were already falling naturally, Jin failed to detect the subtle anomaly.

Fugaku was exploiting a key rule of Genjutsu used by masters like Itachi and Shisui: planting falsehoods in truth to go unnoticed.

Even insects scurrying around were a mix of reality and illusion, some fleeing from the battle, others projected by Fugaku's Sharingan. Jin's focus on Fugaku's movements made these background changes unimportant—precisely what Fugaku intended.

"You've grown stronger," Jin acknowledged between clashes. "I thought your growth would plateau after awakening the third tomoe. But you've far surpassed what I expected... and what the village expected."

"You overestimate me," Fugaku replied calmly, parrying a strike. "Konoha hides many talents. They simply haven't been given the stage yet."

In truth, this was the era before the Sannin had earned their legendary titles. Before Sakumo Hatake would become feared as the "White Fang." Power was hidden in shadows, waiting for war to reveal it.

Their blades clashed again, but Fugaku's plan continued to unfold.

He had already crafted illusions that altered the battlefield itself—minor terrain features inserted into Jin's memory and perception. Fallen branches, divots in the ground, displaced soil—all slightly adjusted.

Jin noticed a pit behind Fugaku's leg. He hadn't seen it earlier, but it now seemed completely natural. If he could push Fugaku back just one step…

Clang, clang—!

Jin pressed forward, increasing the force of his attacks. His Sharingan locked onto that pit. He was certain it was real. He remembered seeing Fugaku step near it just moments ago. If he could force Fugaku into it…

But it was all a lie.

The pit was an illusion.

The moment Jin struck hard, hoping to destabilize Fugaku, the younger Uchiha pivoted to the side with expert timing.

Two kunai flew: one struck Jin's leg just as it bent, the other aimed for his ribs.

Jin twisted, deflecting one, but it was too late to avoid the leg wound.

Pain flared. In a real battle, that injury would've sealed his fate.

"…I lost," Jin muttered. His voice held no bitterness—only realization.

He stepped back and surveyed the battlefield, now seeing the full picture through hindsight.

"You started casting Genjutsu from the beginning," he said. "Little details. The falling leaves, the insects, the fake footprints… the illusion pits. You never attacked me head-on with Genjutsu—you wove it in quietly, letting my own Sharingan confirm falsehoods."

Fugaku nodded. "You never thought I could win. That was your mistake. I built everything on that belief."

Jin gave a short laugh and shook his head.

"I just wanted to push you. I didn't expect to be the one taught a lesson."