The effects of the first large-scale trial of Takamagahara spread rapidly through the village. On every street and alley, even civilians who weren't shinobi were talking about Takamagahara.
In less than half a day, Takamagahara had become the hottest topic in the village, bar none.
"It was so realistic, I couldn't even tell it was a genjutsu…"
"The ability to freely choose your opponent is just perfect for me. I haven't fought that freely in ages!"
"It's ultimately just a genjutsu, so its real value lies in practicing dangerous ninjutsu and secret techniques. What, using it for combat training? Tsk, using such a rare opportunity for sparring is practically a waste!"
In the tavern, shinobi shared their opinions freely, each with their own take.
Different people saw different uses for Takamagahara.
Some sought the ultimate combat experience, as it sharpened their split-second decision-making and honed their battle instincts.
Others believed the true value of Takamagahara lay in its safe environment, perfect for testing ninjutsu or secret techniques too risky or costly to attempt in reality.
Amid the lively discussions, in a corner of the tavern, an unassuming figure sipped their drink.
If anyone had paid attention to their expression, they'd have noticed their mind wasn't on the drink but on the conversations around them.
But that wasn't surprising. Who wouldn't be curious about such a remarkable Mangekyo dojutsu?
After a while, the figure stood, left the tavern, and vanished into the streets.
…
The next day.
The Hidden Leaf shinobi selected by the village leadership arrived early at the massive assembly hall.
Having heard their peers' accounts of experiencing Takamagahara the previous day, this new batch of shinobi was itching to try it themselves.
Shinji's peers also arrived at the hall ahead of time.
Unlike yesterday, even more people showed up today.
For instance, Neji and Kimimaro, who hadn't come yesterday, couldn't resist after hearing about Takamagahara's wonders and showed up at the hall.
Looking at the bustling crowd, Neji remarked, "I didn't expect so many people to come experience Shinji's Takamagahara."
Shikamaru replied, "Of course. A customizable combat training platform? What shinobi wouldn't love that?"
Neji asked, "I heard you all tried it yesterday. How was it?"
Shikamaru thought for a moment but gave up trying to explain. "I can't describe it. You'll understand after you try it today!"
On the other side, Kimimaro stood silently, not speaking to anyone.
He trusted only himself, so he had no need to consult or converse with others.
…
On the platform.
Shinji stood in the same spot as yesterday, one hand on the railing, overlooking the hall below.
The number of people today was roughly the same as yesterday, but the proportion of jonin was noticeably higher. This suggested that after yesterday's buzz, many jonin who had been on the fence had come to try Takamagahara.
Shinji even spotted the Third Hokage in the crowd.
Heh.
He gave a faint smile.
The village leadership thought they were taking advantage of him, using Takamagahara to train their forces while draining his dojutsu power and weakening him.
Little did they know, the village was actually paving the way for his Infinite Tsukuyomi plan, providing him with batch after batch of human chakra batteries.
"At this rate, I might be able to mark every shinobi in Hidden Leaf within a week or two without anyone noticing!"
With that thought, Shinji began considering the other villages.
If he could open Takamagahara to all shinobi from the five great shinobi villages, he could mark even more.
However, while the five villages were united against the Akatsuki, they weren't exactly a monolith. Hidden Leaf was unlikely to share Takamagahara with others.
And as the caster, he couldn't openly propose sharing it either—no one would be foolish enough to voluntarily burn through their own dojutsu power.
When the time came to activate the technique, Shinji didn't hesitate. He immediately launched Takamagahara, pulling everyone in the massive hall into its world.
As he did yesterday, he split into countless phantoms, asking each Hidden Leaf shinobi what environment and opponent they desired.
Mumei, Haku, and Karin stuck with the same opponents as yesterday.
Sasuke hesitated but ultimately chose to challenge Uchiha Itachi again.
Neji and Kimimaro, entering Takamagahara for the first time, were still on guard. Their dormant Tenseigan showed no reaction since Shinji's Takamagahara displayed no malice.
Interestingly, both Neji and Kimimaro chose Yakumo as their imaginary opponent.
Finally, the Third Hokage's choice was none other than Orochimaru, who had nearly killed him during the Chunin Exams battle.
Clearly, the Third still held a grudge over that arm-severing fight.
After handling everyone's requests, Shinji moved to an empty platform and snapped his fingers, conjuring a drunken Rock Lee.
Yesterday, I adapted to Drunken Fist Lee in the sixth Gate of View state. Today, let's try him in the seventh Gate of Shock!
With a thought, Shinji slightly adjusted Lee's strength.
Even for someone of his caliber, the combat training in Takamagahara still yielded significant benefits. For example, his recent battles with Drunken Fist Lee had been immensely rewarding, shifting his taijutsu style from ferocious and aggressive to more calculated.
In Shinji's view, the stronger one became, the less impactful ordinary ninjutsu was.
Thus, taijutsu, adaptability, and the more elusive battle instincts were the skills that held lasting value!
And no one could ever have too much of those!
…
Outside the massive assembly hall.
The crowd of onlookers grew larger, including not just ordinary shinobi but also villagers pointing and gesturing toward the hall.
Darui from Hidden Cloud, Ringo Ameyuri from Hidden Mist, Kurotsuchi from Hidden Rock, and others stood atop a tall building, gazing at the hall as they had yesterday.
Ringo Ameyuri was frustrated. "Damn it, why hasn't my village responded yet? Missing out on this is such a shame!"
Darui, however, said, "It won't be that quick. Even if all our villages pressure Hidden Leaf together, they probably won't budge easily!"
Kurotsuchi suddenly had an idea. "Instead of waiting for our villages, why not go straight to Shinji? Appeal to his sense of camaraderie. Maybe he'll agree! Hundreds have already tried it—what's a few more?"
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