With a new approach in mind, Shinji and Mumei promptly exited the 'Jikibi Space.'
Mumei then activated 'Yachihoko,' summoning the glimmerstone most precious to her—the one tied solely to her and Shinji.
Staring at the crystal glowing with a faint aura, Shinji marveled, "Even though it's not my first time seeing it, it's still incredible!"
Mumei nodded emphatically. "It really is!"
To her, meeting Shinji felt like a dream, making the existence of this glimmerstone all the more miraculous.
Shinji asked, "Can I enter?"
"Of course!"
Smiling, Mumei tossed the glimmerstone into the air.
Instantly, a dazzling light illuminated the underground training area. When it faded, Shinji found himself back in the small grove where he'd first unearthed Mumei.
Looking around, he had a moment of realization.
"The world inside the glimmerstone…"
With his current perception, as long as he was in top condition, he could distinguish reality from illusion almost instantly, immune to genjutsu.
Of course, escaping it was another matter.
Mumei appeared at his side. "Yup, we're now inside our glimmerstone!"
Shinji glanced down at himself, puzzled. "Uh, why am I glowing?"
Mumei froze, quickly turning her face away. "I-I don't know!"
Undoubtedly, in her heart, Shinji shone with light, and entering their shared glimmerstone had exposed her true feelings.
"It's probably because we're in spiritual form. This place feels somewhat like my 'Jikibi Space'…" Shinji, oblivious, analyzed seriously.
Mumei nodded quickly. "Maybe!"
Shinji continued scanning the surroundings. "It's a pity only those marked by your 'Yachihoko' can generate corresponding glimmerstones. Otherwise, we could use glimmerstones and 'Tsukuyomi' to create the genjutsu space directly."
The purpose of Shinji's 'large-scale immersive genjutsu combat training space' was to enable Mumei to mark Hidden Leaf shinobi on a large scale with 'Yachihoko.' Using glimmerstones to build the space would reverse cause and effect.
At that moment, a figure entered the forest.
Shinji turned and saw himself attempting to unseal Mumei, his mouth slightly agape. "That's…"
Mumei nodded. "Yup, this is the moment you saved me."
Shinji was astonished. "It's recorded that clearly?"
Mumei explained, "Not every detail is captured perfectly, but I made sure to record this moment vividly!"
Then, scenes of their shared experiences replayed before them.
There was Mumei recklessly transferring dojutsu to Shinji, Shinji meticulously performing surgery on her, and even the chaos at the barbecue restaurant earlier that night—all recorded in the glimmerstone, vividly recreated.
After watching for a while, Shinji said, "This is great!"
Mumei smiled. "Yeah!"
Shinji continued, "Alright, let's try it! I'll activate 'Jikibi,' you activate 'Tsukuyomi,' and we'll see if we can fuse them here!"
"Okay."
Mumei nodded.
Soon, they each unleashed their dojutsu.
Using dojutsu within the glimmerstone—or rather, within 'Yachihoko'—was different from reality. Fortunately, both 'Jikibi' and 'Tsukuyomi' were mental-domain dojutsu. After expending significant dojutsu power, the 'Jikibi Space' reappeared.
Back in the 'Jikibi Space,' Shinji sensed his surroundings.
Unlike before, since 'Jikibi' was activated within 'Yachihoko,' he could feel that his 'Jikibi Space' was no longer suspended in an unknown dimension but enveloped by a warm energy.
Crack!
Suddenly, a shattering sound came from above.
No doubt, this was Mumei attempting to invade the 'Jikibi Space' with 'Tsukuyomi.'
The space began collapsing again, but because it was wrapped in 'Yachihoko,' the disturbance was much milder. The stone table and chairs remained intact.
"This could work!"
Shinji's spirits lifted.
Soon, a streak of red light pierced the dome of the 'Jikibi Space.'
Shinji's 'Jikibi Space' was typically a gray, misty world, its dome shrouded in dark clouds. That red light was like a sharp dagger, slicing through the fog!
Shinji looked up. "Is that… 'Tsukuyomi'?"
As time passed, more red light streamed in, and soon, the entire 'Jikibi Space' was bathed in crimson.
Mumei appeared beside Shinji.
She hadn't been brought in by Shinji but had entered through 'Tsukuyomi's' invasion, evident from the scarlet glow in her eyes.
Mumei surveyed the space. "Shinji, I think we did it!"
Shinji asked, "Can you control this place?"
"I'll try!"
Mumei raised her hands.
Rumble!
Instantly, around the stone platform, identical platforms rose from the once-empty void.
Looking at the endless array of platforms, Shinji couldn't hide his awe. "This is 'Tsukuyomi's' control? A dojutsu that can weave illusions to trap someone for a lifetime is no small feat!"
Only now did he truly grasp 'Tsukuyomi's' terrifying power and understand why Black Zetsu chose it for the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' plan.
Shinji turned to ask, "Can we move to the other platforms?"
"Yup!"
Mumei nodded.
The next moment, they appeared on another platform.
Shinji lightly stomped his foot, feeling a tangible sensation. The platform was identical to his original one, save for the lack of a table and chairs. In this illusion, everything beneath his feet felt utterly real.
After testing it several times, Shinji grew increasingly satisfied.
Surveying the surroundings, he saw the countless independent platforms as perfect arenas for combat training, aligning perfectly with his vision for the 'large-scale immersive genjutsu combat training space.'
More importantly, the platforms stretched endlessly, capable of accommodating thousands of Hidden Leaf shinobi, no matter how many entered.