Kotoamatsukami is a very special technique.
It's a genjutsu that silently alters a person's thoughts without their knowledge.
With normal genjutsu—even those cast via the Sharingan—you can detect changes in the victim's chakra flow. Someone hit by typical Sharingan genjutsu can be discovered immediately if someone with a Sharingan or Byakugan takes a look. But Kotoamatsukami is unique: it does not affect the target's chakra flow.
Judging from how Danzō used Kotoamatsukami in the manga, the thoughts it imposes are not some kind of ironclad "mental stamp." Instead, the altered idea is accepted as the target's own. If someone else points out the discrepancy, the target can quickly abandon their previous thought. To keep Kotoamatsukami in effect, you specifically need to use Shisui's chakra.
Even the Kotoamatsukami that remained in a Uchiha's possession could not permanently change someone. The user himself, after being hit by a "Protect Konoha" version of Kotoamatsukami, could still leave instructions to Sasuke like "No matter what you become, I will always love you," regarding destroying Konoha.
Hence, Kotoamatsukami is not a hard-control skill.
That doesn't mean it's weak. Its strength lies in the fact that, despite being a visual genjutsu, it doesn't require eye contact. The effect is triggered simply by "the caster seeing the target."
Upon release, as long as the genjutsu keeps interfering with the victim's mindset—even if the opponent knows about Kotoamatsukami—they can still get stuck in "Which of these thoughts are really mine?" and end up losing without even realizing it.
If the opponent has no idea Kotoamatsukami exists, they'll silently fall under its influence, only to be defeated without understanding what happened.
Outside of combat, Kotoamatsukami can brainwash someone so discreetly that no one notices. The target ends up with ideas in their head that are actually someone else's thoughts—there's no way to prevent yourself from being brainwashed into a fool.
Moreover, even after Kotoamatsukami's release, if the target was never told about it, they'd never know they had been under its control. Most would just assume they'd acted stupid or gone crazy.
Link strongly suspected that even after Danzō lost power, he was still able to retain a group of loyal subordinates because of Kotoamatsukami's lingering influence.
Given the underhanded nature of this extremely powerful genjutsu, Link was already prepared to let his own body turn to "mush" if needed—having his shadows hold his head while he fought from tens of meters away, out of Danzō's line of sight.
After all, judging from the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kotoamatsukami's maximum range for release seemed to be only twenty or thirty meters, especially in the instance where it was used on Uchiha Itachi.
[Maybe I should just strike first, using the Five-Element Seal?]
He began gathering his chakra.
Danzō, unaware that the "kid" before him had just mentally raced through all these possibilities—and was seconds away from attacking—simply threw out a scroll from his robes. With an air of seniority, he said,
"I heard you've been working on your Wind Release nature transformation lately. Coincidentally, I have some insights about Wind Release myself."
His manner was that of an elder advising a junior. "No need to be nervous. I won't attack you."
"As for giving away your intel to Orochimaru, it was because of his research results—which you've seen for yourself. If that power could be harnessed…"
He shot a glance toward the distant Anbu keeping watch on him, his voice turning cold. "Whatever you may think, I bear you no ill will. It's all for the sake of the village."
At that, Danzō paused. Judging by his expression, he seemed to genuinely believe his own words.
Then, under the Anbu's watchful eyes, he left.
…
"Phew…" Link exhaled, loosening his tense muscles. If it had been Sasori or Orochimaru, who tended to start fighting the moment things got tense, he wouldn't have minded.
But Kotoamatsukami is just too sinister—he had no desire to be brainwashed into a fool.
[Damn you, Danzō!]
For a moment, he worried he'd already been hit by Kotoamatsukami. He swore a few times in his head, then carefully reconsidered all his recent decisions.
After a mental comparison, nothing had changed. Only then did he relax.
He handed Danzō's scroll to the Anbu and lay back down, silently reflecting that he needed to speed up his plan to "custom-create a Sharingan." As he rose through the ranks, more and more enemies with twisted, otherworldly abilities would start appearing around him.
If he couldn't protect his own weak points, he'd end up as cannon fodder. Genjutsu, space-time ninjutsu… sigh.
As for Root—or rather, what remained of it—things were far from finished. In truth, it was only just beginning.
After the near-explosion incident, none of the militant faction came out to defend their leader, Shimura Danzō. They left it to the Third Hokage and the two Advisors to dispatch the Anbu and arrest all the hidden Root members in the village, sending them en masse to the Interrogation Corps.
Whatever they discovered or how they'd handle it was not made public.
Even Link, though he was a Special Jōnin, wasn't informed or invited to any related meetings. He was effectively stuck in that gutted building for three days to ensure Kimimaro posed no danger and to finish sealing him.
Since at the moment, Link was the only one who could reliably prevent an explosion, all other measures were either too uncertain or too complicated.
During that time, his subordinates, friends, and various seniors dropped by for visits—it almost felt like he was in prison.
Plenty of people came, including most of the "Konoha 12." Except for Naruto Uzumaki, who was out of the village, everyone else showed up here and there.
Surprisingly, the person who came by most often wasn't Iris, Ami, or Uchiha Sasuke—it was Sakura Haruno.
She brought flowers and meals, often coming just to chat. Only after a few visits did she sheepishly admit she wanted to meet Uchiha Mikoto.
In the end, it boiled down to her pitiful "love-struck teenage girl" mentality, huh…
Meanwhile, Danzō seemed not to resist. He calmly accepted being under 24/7 Anbu surveillance. What would become of him remained unclear.
He simply knew too much, and even the Third Hokage and the two Advisors had differing opinions. As the "Darkness of the Shinobi World," many matters were confined to his head alone, never to be revealed. Not even the Interrogation Corps should learn them.
Kimimaro regained consciousness on the second day after the failed explosion, cooperating well with their in-depth experiments.
By the time Link was allowed to leave, that unlucky kid had also been taken away—facing either an indefinite period of being studied or watched. The village certainly wouldn't let a potential "living bomb" wander freely, especially one who worshipped Orochimaru.
Many veteran shinobi suspected it was yet another scheme by Orochimaru to destroy Konoha. The person who first voiced that guess was, unsurprisingly, Anko Mitarashi. It turned out that Ibiki Morino and others who had dealt with Orochimaru also believed it.
Once free, Link didn't get to rest. He brought gifts and visited his teacher, Nara Shikaku, as well as his mentor Nara Ensui. Then, on their recommendation, he dropped by the Yamanaka and Akimichi Clans, and also got invited to dinner by the Inuzuka and Hyūga households.
The Inuzuka women—Kiba's sister and mother—were extremely welcoming, while Hiashi Hyūga was polite and said they should maintain closer ties. After a single day, Link's cheeks were sore from smiling.
Thankfully, the Aburame Clan was more direct—they just sent over a thick envelope of cash.
Do the bug-raisers really have this much money?
~~~
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