From the feedback of the chakra, Kurenai clearly sensed that Hyuga Kagami had broken through her genjutsu.
And this result shocked her!
Normally speaking, even if an opponent could break through a genjutsu, there would still be a process to it.
That process might involve forming hand seals to manipulate chakra and stimulate oneself, or inflicting pain to snap out of the illusion. In any case, dispelling genjutsu typically required some deliberate action.
But Hyuga Kagami had done nothing, and yet dispelled her illusion. That completely overturned her understanding of how genjutsu worked.
Standing on the training ground, Hyuga Kagami was also having a moment of realization.
Undoubtedly, the Tenseigan possessed powerful resistance to genjutsu. For most standard illusions, it seemed the Tenseigan could passively clear their effects without any conscious effort.
And the process happened in just an instant!
The sparring match continued, and Hyuga Kagami suppressed the joy in his heart as he spoke to Kurenai: "Here's a piece of advice: when facing someone with dojutsu, don't rely on genjutsu lightly."
Kurenai stared hard at him. "Why did my genjutsu fail? How did you do it?"
Her loud questioning drew considerable attention. Many of the chunin who hadn't yet taken the stage turned their eyes toward the battle between Hyuga Kagami and Kurenai.
Seeing the growing audience, Hyuga Kagami thought to himself that this was a good chance to build up his reputation as a powerful ninja, so he calmly said, "To someone with powerful dojutsu, ordinary genjutsu is meaningless. That's why I said you were unlucky—your illusions don't work on me at all."
Kurenai wasn't someone to admit defeat easily. She scoffed and quickly formed another set of hand seals: "Genjutsu: Triple Sakura Illusion!"
Whoosh...
A gentle breeze seemed to pass over Training Ground No. 9.
Kurenai's lips curled slightly. "Got you!"
She then lunged at the seemingly motionless Hyuga Kagami, who appeared trapped within the illusion.
But just as the observing chunin thought she had the upper hand, Hyuga Kagami unexpectedly raised his right arm and precisely blocked her attack.
"You!?"
Shocked by the sudden counter, Kurenai froze.
Without even turning his head, Hyuga Kagami pivoted and delivered a clean kick, sending her flying.
"It seems you still don't understand. Disruptive-type illusions also don't work on me."
His tone was slow and calm, as if he were simply stating an obvious fact.
A dazed Kurenai climbed back up, disheartened. "How... how can this be?"
Genjutsu was the pride of the Yuuhi clan and something Kurenai had always held dear. But today, that pride was shattered.
Not only her—the watching chunin were all either stunned or deeply intrigued. Even Uchiha Shisui, who had just defeated his opponent, turned his gaze in their direction.
Hyuga Kagami knew Kurenai had recently lost her father during the Nine-Tails incident. He hadn't intended to embarrass her, but upon reflection, realized it was better for her to experience this sooner rather than later.
The reality that illusion-based ninja were at a disadvantage against dojutsu users was undeniable.
"It's something you were going to learn eventually," he said coldly. "Better I tell you than the enemy."
Kurenai looked up at him. "Can your eyes really see through everything?"
Hyuga Kagami just shrugged, offering no reply.
Then, recalling how she would one day be easily overpowered by Itachi, he kindly added, "If you ever face a truly skilled genjutsu-type dojutsu user, don't rely too much on illusions. The consequences could be severe."
Kurenai nodded solemnly, then decisively admitted defeat.
Although she had lost, the match wasn't without value. On the contrary, it revealed her weakness and taught her which types of opponents were her natural counters.
On the distant observation platform...
The Third Hokage observed the scene thoughtfully. After pondering for a moment, he turned to the ANBU beside him and instructed, "For the final round, pair Hyuga Kagami with Uchiha Shisui."
The ANBU nodded with clear anticipation. "Yes, I'll arrange it right away."
As expected, Hyuga Kagami won two more rounds in a row, qualifying for the final test.
At this point, only thirty chunin remained.
Among those, the only familiar faces to Hyuga Kagami were Might Guy, Asuma, and Uchiha Shisui. All their other classmates had been eliminated in earlier matches.
Asuma had predicted Hyuga Kagami and Shisui would make it this far, but he was surprised to see Guy, usually the underdog, win three consecutive matches. "Guy, you've improved a lot!"
Guy struck his signature pose, flashing a bright smile. "Wahaha! I am the Blue Beast of the Leaf!"
As the other winners turned to look, Asuma awkwardly waved his hands. "Don't look at me like that. I don't know him. I really don't know him!"
At that moment, the Third Hokage walked over, pipe in hand.
The group quickly bowed in respect.
The Third smiled. "You are the village's finest chunin. As Hokage, I'm proud of you. But since the number of special jonin spots is limited, one final test remains."
Hearing this, the group exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious.
Making it this far meant they were the elite among chunin. No one dared claim they could easily defeat another. This final round was bound to be fierce.
"Ahem..."
The Third coughed twice and then announced, "Let's begin the final draw."
The results were quickly revealed: the first match of the final round would be Hyuga Kagami vs. Uchiha Shisui!
Hyuga Kagami wasn't surprised. He had never believed in "random" draws. In his view, manipulating the outcome was a standard skill for those in power.
Shisui only paused briefly before regaining composure.
Unlike the two calm competitors, the rest of the crowd grew visibly excited.
As the village's two greatest dojutsu clans, the rivalry between the Sharingan and Byakugan was a hot topic. A direct clash between Hyuga Kagami and Shisui was bound to stir discussion.
Without waiting for a prompt, Hyuga Kagami leapt lightly onto Practice Ground No. 1.
As Shisui approached the arena, Hyuga Kagami said, "I'm really curious how strong the latest Uchiha prodigy is. Don't disappoint me."