Genjutsu: Eternal Dreamscape – The Prey is Caught
The rogue ninja who had just attacked froze mid-air, his body locked in place, eyes wide with terror.
He had fallen into Satoru's Genjutsu.
Inside his mind—
A dark, endless void stretched out before him, no exits in sight.
He ran. And ran. And kept running.
But no matter how far he went, he couldn't escape.
The whispers started.
Low at first, then growing louder.
A creeping panic overtook him. Then—
Click!
Suddenly, he found himself in a dead-end alley.
A massive shadow slithered out from the darkness, its eyes glowing red, mouth twisted into a nightmarish grin.
"If you don't escape now… you'll be trapped here forever."
He opened his mouth to scream—
But everything vanished.
His body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut—completely unconscious.
The Cost of a Successful Genjutsu
The remaining enemy ninja staggered back, faces pale with shock.
"What the hell just happened!?"
"Genjutsu!? But he's just an intern teacher—how can he use such a powerful illusion!?"
Satoru kept his face calm and collected, but internally, his body was screaming.
Eternal Dreamscape was a chakra-intensive technique, and his chakra control was still at a basic level.
His reserves were draining fast, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Damn it… First time using a jutsu, and I pick the most chakra-draining one!?
But there was no time to regret.
Because—
One of the remaining ninja vanished from sight.
Killing Intent!
Satoru's instincts flared, but before he could react—
SHNK!
A searing pain exploded through his left shoulder.
A blade had pierced straight through.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
Satoru gritted his teeth and snapped his head back—
A shadowy figure stood behind him, a cold smirk on his face.
"You're too slow."
The First True Pain – And The Rage That Followed
The sensation of cold steel sinking into his flesh, warm blood trickling down his arm—
This wasn't a game.
This wasn't a training exercise.
This was a real battle.
Satoru took a deep breath, his blood boiling.
He had never experienced a life-or-death fight before.
So this is what real pain felt like?
But… what shocked him most wasn't the pain.
It was how his body reacted to it.
He could feel his muscles shifting, his flesh contracting as if adapting to the wound.
The sharp, burning pain began to dull, not disappearing entirely, but—
his body was already healing.
One Piece Physique—True Combat Recovery
Right on cue, the system's voice rang in his head.
["Super Recovery" from One Piece Physique activated.] [External wounds heal 5x faster than normal.] [Deep wounds restrict bleeding, forming protective scabs quickly.]
No Need to Dodge—Just Take the Hit and Keep Fighting!
The ninja behind him flinched, eyes widening as he realized—
Satoru was still standing.
"You…?"
Satoru smirked coldly.
Then—
He grabbed the knife lodged in his shoulder and ripped it out without hesitation.
Blood splattered—but he didn't even flinch.
The rogue ninja's breath hitched, but before he could react—
BAM!
Satoru's fist slammed into his gut.
The enemy ninja was sent flying, crashing into a nearby wall.
No chakra enhancement. No special jutsu.
Just pure, raw physical strength.
The two remaining enemies immediately assumed defensive stances, realizing—
This wasn't just some random intern teacher.
But before they could attack—
A rain of shuriken came hurtling from above!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Satoru looked up.
A team of Konoha Chunin had arrived—
Led by a masked ANBU ninja.
"Konoha does not tolerate intruders."
The enemy ninja gritted his teeth, signaling a retreat.
"Fall back!"
In an instant, they vanished in a cloud of smoke.
Aftermath – The Price of Battle
As the dust settled, Satoru finally felt the full extent of his injuries.
Blood was still dripping from his shoulder, but…
His body was already patching itself up.
A Chunin rushed over, concern in his eyes.
"Hoshino! Are you alright!?"
Satoru wiped the sweat from his brow, forcing a confident grin.
"I'm fine… just a scratch."
But as he turned his head—
He saw them.
His students.
Standing at a distance, eyes wide with shock.
The Students' Reactions
Obito swallowed hard.
"...Sensei got stabbed, and he's still standing…?"
Gai's eyes burned with admiration.
"YOSH! This is the true spirit of a warrior!!!"
Ebisu adjusted his glasses, voice shaky.
"No… this isn't normal at all…"
But the most shocked of them all—
Was Kakashi.
His eyes flickered between Satoru's wound and the unshaken stance of his teacher.
There was no doubt about it.
Hoshino Satoru… was not normal.
Satoru exhaled slowly.
He could feel it.
The veil of secrecy around him was starting to fall apart.
The System's Rewards
Later that night, as Satoru limped back home, the system's voice rang again.
[First battle completed!] [Combat Rating: B+ (Needs improvement in defense).] [Earned 400 points.]
[Condition Met: Unlocked Skill – Enhanced Taijutsu (Level 2).]
Satoru smirked as he felt his body growing stronger.
But deep down—
He knew.
This was only the beginning.
The days ahead…
Would be far from peaceful.
(To be continued in Chapter 8 – The Fallout and the Next Trial.)