Soon, Shinji ended this session of "Takamagahara."
As the dojutsu concluded, the jounin pulled into "Takamagahara" returned to the small training ground. Except for Guy, who seemed slightly excited, the others were either lost in thought or silent, creating a peculiar atmosphere.
Shinji stifled a laugh.
As the one activating "Takamagahara," he had observed every moment of the jounin's combat training inside.
Aside from Guy, nearly all of them were swiftly defeated, including Kakashi.
After a moment, someone broke the silence. Asuma stared at Shinji and spoke first: "The imaginary enemies you created in your dojutsu—are their strengths accurate? I mean, how close are they to the real Akatsuki members?"
Shinji replied: "I can't confirm that."
Asuma let out a slight sigh of relief: "So, the imaginary enemies you created are probably stronger than the real Akatsuki members, right?"
Shinji shook his head: "Since it was just combat training and a one-against-two scenario, I weakened their strength a bit."
"What!?" Asuma's face changed.
In "Takamagahara," he had been thoroughly defeated. If the enemies were weakened, it meant he'd have almost no chance against the real Kakuzu and Hidan.
The truth was exactly that.
In the original timeline, Kakuzu alone could easily overpower Kakashi, Choji, and Ino, marking him as a Kage-level fighter.
Add Hidan, with his "Death Possession Blood" technique, and Asuma's margin for error in combat was minimal—he couldn't afford to get injured. If Asuma faced Kakuzu and Hidan alone in reality, he'd either need to retreat immediately or face certain death.
Asuma fell silent, and Kurenai stepped forward: "Even if Uchiha Itachi is strong, he couldn't possibly reflect my genjutsu instantly! Shinji, did you tamper with the imaginary enemy?"
Shinji sighed: "Your imaginary enemy's dojutsu power was reduced by about thirty percent, based on my Mangekyo Sharingan's standard. The real Uchiha Itachi would only be stronger!"
Kurenai looked skeptical: "How is that possible!?"
Then Shizune spoke up: "Shinji, why did you choose that imaginary enemy for me? He's just a spy—how could he be that strong? I wasn't even close to being his match!"
Shinji explained: "Shizune-senpai, regarding your imaginary enemy, I can only say I didn't weaken him further."
Shizune was stunned: "What do you mean? Are you saying Kabuto Yakushi is really that strong?"
Shinji nodded slightly: "Even stronger!"
Compared to Asuma, Kurenai, and Shizune, who voiced their doubts, Kakashi, Anko, and Hayate remained silent.
Kakashi seemed to be replaying the battle in his mind, his brows furrowing at times, his eyes flickering at others.
Anko looked lost, almost soulless.
In "Takamagahara," she had been completely dominated by Orochimaru, with no chance to fight back.
Hayate's situation was similar, but his fight was brief—defeated by the fake Ranmaru in just a few breaths, leaving him with little to reflect on.
After a while, Kakashi snapped out of it.
He glanced at the jounin, taking in their expressions, then said to Shinji: "Shinji, thank you!"
"No need," Shinji waved it off.
After parting with Shinji, the jounin headed to the Hokage's office.
Seeing their strange expressions and hesitance to speak, Tsunade frowned: "You've all experienced Shinji's 'Takamagahara,' right? Share your thoughts!"
Guy stepped forward: "My imaginary enemy was Kakashi. Based on my knowledge of him, the fake Kakashi in 'Takamagahara' was incredibly close to the real one!"
Tsunade's interest piqued: "Oh? How close?"
Guy thought for a moment: "At least ninety-five percent!"
Tsunade's gaze sharpened.
Not just her, the other jounin turned to look at Guy. Everyone knew Guy and Kakashi's close relationship and frequent sparring, making Guy the best judge of Kakashi among them.
Kakashi asked gravely: "That close?"
Ninety-five percent was practically identical, as even the same person's condition fluctuated over time.
Guy insisted: "I know you'll doubt it, but that's my honest feeling!"
Tsunade's gaze swept over the others who had entered "Takamagahara": "And you? Any findings?"
Surprisingly, everyone fell silent.
Tsunade frowned: "Shizune, you first!"
Shizune sighed helplessly: "I didn't find much. Shinji chose Kabuto Yakushi, who was recently put on our wanted list, as my imaginary enemy. I'm not familiar with him."
Tsunade asked casually: "Oh? And the outcome?"
Shizune lowered her head.
Seeing Shizune's expression of a terrible experience, Tsunade guessed the result and moved on to Asuma: "What about you?"
Asuma said: "Very realistic!"
Tsunade gave him a look: "That's it?"
"Uh, yes," Asuma lowered his head.
Kurenai was preoccupied, Anko looked lost, and Hayate seemed embarrassed. Tsunade glanced at them but didn't bother asking.
Clearly, this first batch of jounin had suffered greatly at the hands of Shinji's imaginary enemies.
"By tomorrow, everyone must submit a detailed report on their 'Takamagahara' experience to the Hokage's office. Dismissed!"
Tsunade issued the order, keeping only Kakashi and waving the others away.
Once they left, Tsunade asked Kakashi: "What's your take on the imaginary enemies Shinji created in 'Takamagahara'?"
Kakashi replied: "I asked Shinji about this privately. He said the realism of the imaginary enemies depends on how familiar he is with them. The better he knows someone, the closer the 'Takamagahara' version is to the real thing."
Tsunade said: "So, having Shinji simulate the entire Akatsuki roster in 'Takamagahara' is impossible?"
Kakashi answered: "According to Shinji, even with just written intel, he can create corresponding imaginary enemies in 'Takamagahara,' but he can't guarantee how close they'll be to the real ones. The most accurate Akatsuki members he can simulate are those he's fought, like Hiruko, Ranmaru, and Shinno."