Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 144: Once an Illusion is Discovered, Its Value Plummets

Tsukuyomi, one of the illusion-based techniques of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Due to the deep impression left by Kakashi's experience, where he endured seventy-two hours of being slashed thousands of times within the illusion, Hagoromo Gengetsu initially thought that being caught in Tsukuyomi would result in a black-and-white scene under a blood-red sky.

However, he had overlooked one point: the essence of an illusion is its ability to change infinitely.

Just like now, Hagoromo Gengetsu was certain that he had fallen under an illusion.

And the only illusion that could trap him, despite his own Mangekyō Sharingan, was Uchiha Itachi's Tsukuyomi.

The first time he questioned the reality of what was happening was when Uchiha Itachi transformed into a crow clone after being hit.

Considering the intensity of their battle, Itachi shouldn't have had the time to form hand seals.

His second doubt arose when he suddenly found himself unable to keep up with Itachi, being knocked down several times.

The greatest danger of an illusion lies in being unaware of it.

After doubting the situation, Hagoromo Gengetsu faced Itachi's attempt to gouge out his eye and kill him with a calm heart.

"Did you figure it out?" Uchiha Itachi slowly released his grip on Hagoromo Gengetsu's neck.

Human perception can influence bodily functions.

Just like in a certain experiment in a past life, where someone, after hearing the sound of dripping water all night, believed their wound was bleeding continuously. Although their body was intact, they still died the next day.

Under Tsukuyomi, if the person under the illusion genuinely believes they have died, they would also die in the real world.

Uchiha Itachi didn't treat Hagoromo Gengetsu like he did Kakashi because the latter was more challenging to deal with, and he also considered the possibility of the other using Kotoamatsukami.

If the illusion had been detected from the start, a battle between Tsukuyomi and Kotoamatsukami might have ensued, and Itachi couldn't predict the outcome.

However, up until now, Hagoromo Gengetsu's Mangekyō Sharingan hadn't shown any signs of activating.

Most likely, Kotoamatsukami was indeed in cooldown.

Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan spun.

In the next moment, everything around them began to lose color.

An ominous blood-red covered the entire sky.

When Hagoromo Gengetsu looked again, he found himself bound to a cross.

All around him, multiple Itachis were walking toward him with expressionless faces, holding ninja tools.

"Although the result is the same, you chose prolonged torture over instant death," Itachi said calmly.

"In the world of Tsukuyomi, I control time, space, and matter. Cherish these next seventy-two hours."

With that, the countless Itachis raised their ninja tools.

Facing the same treatment as Kakashi, Hagoromo Gengetsu remained calm, looking around as if he didn't see the impending danger.

"The greatest effect of an illusion lies in its concealment. Once discovered, its value plummets," he said softly.

"Is that so? Someone once thought like you," Itachi responded calmly. "But don't underestimate this move just because it's an illusion. The pain you're about to experience isn't an illusion. It will be as real as in the physical world."

"Let's see how long you can last."

Itachi was about to plunge the ninja tools into Hagoromo Gengetsu's body when suddenly, he froze, unable to move forward.

"What...?"

For the first time, a look of astonishment appeared on Itachi's face.

Meanwhile, still bound to the cross, Hagoromo Gengetsu calmly declared, "As I said before, once discovered, the illusion ends."

With those words, everything around him began to solidify.

"This is..."

Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan narrowed.

He sensed a violent energy inside Hagoromo Gengetsu, not belonging to him.

Before he could probe further, it was too late.

In an instant, the entire Tsukuyomi world solidified, turning into an immense mirror.

Crackling noises echoed as countless cracks spread across the mirror's surface.

In the next moment, the entire Tsukuyomi world shattered into countless pieces, including Itachi and Hagoromo Gengetsu, dissolving into fragments and thus, destroying the illusion.

Mangekyō Sharingan technique - Tsukuyomi, successfully broken!

When Hagoromo Gengetsu's vision cleared, he found Uchiha Itachi right in front of him.

Both of them were in the same position, with Gengetsu grabbing Itachi's fist and Itachi clutching Gengetsu's hand.

Everything had returned to the moment during their taijutsu clash.

It was clear that Itachi had cast Tsukuyomi the moment their eyes met.

A drop of sweat trickled down Itachi's forehead.

Releasing the Mangekyō Sharingan technique was always a burden for him.

Moreover, having his illusion broken just now...

Itachi didn't continue the fight. He quickly retreated.

Unexpectedly, Gengetsu didn't pursue him.

Instead, he focused on controlling the natural energy he had just absorbed.

During his time in the Land of Fire, Gengetsu had made significant progress in Sage Mode. Although it was still early, and he hadn't perfected the fusion of chakra and natural energy, he had grasped the basics of absorption.

The reason he could break Itachi's illusion was due to his body actively absorbing natural energy.

Using the violent properties of natural energy to disrupt his chakra flow, he managed to break Tsukuyomi.

That's why he had said that once an illusion is seen through, its value decreases.

In the original story, although Itachi held back during his fight with Sasuke, Sasuke's use of the Curse Mark to absorb natural energy to break Tsukuyomi was correct.

However, absorbing natural energy was easy; controlling it was difficult.

After attempting and failing to control the energy, Gengetsu decisively expelled it.

Boom!

Due to his lack of proficiency, the process wasn't perfect.

Gengetsu's clone's left shoulder exploded, causing blood to gush out.

Fortunately, he managed to expel all the natural energy.

Observing from a distance, Itachi analyzed the situation with his Mangekyō Sharingan:

"A different kind of energy than chakra, but it's still uncontrolled."

Despite this, Tsukuyomi was no longer the best option.

Itachi touched his right eye.

In this eye lay his most destructive technique.

Although using it would further strain his vision...

But now, he had no choice.