It's uncommon for ninjas to use ninjutsu at public gatherings like this. Just like how they generally avoid using chakra and techniques for civilian purposes, ninja are, after all, a combat profession dealing with killing. Displaying power too frequently in front of civilians isn't considered appropriate behavior. Even when ninjas fight each other, they usually try not to involve civilians. Of course, not everyone strictly follows these unwritten rules—wandering ninjas and rogue ninjas wouldn't care about such conventions.
So technically, Mizuki flaunting his ninja powers so blatantly wasn't exactly appropriate either. Being a ninja requires considerable talent; as part of society's exceptional minority, displaying extraordinary feats too readily would only create rifts between civilians and ninjas.
Therefore, this time, Mizuki had indeed stirred things up directly in the village. While he wouldn't face any major trouble after today, some minor complications were unavoidable.
At the wedding venue, as the event setup took effect, clusters of soft radiance began spreading outward, enveloping everyone present.
"This seems like nothing more than a simple illusion—an ordinary light show. Surely it's nothing more than that?"
Something this basic could be recreated even by someone who wasn't proficient in sealing techniques or barriers, given enough time and effort.
The real surprise didn't take long to show itself. In the empty center of the vast hall—where a statue or idol of the Goddess of the Rabbit Hour should have been placed—a faint figure slowly emerged. Long-haired and dressed in white robes, it seemed to resemble the Goddess of the Rabbit Hour. However, what struck everyone as odd was that this depiction differed slightly from the usual images of the Goddess seen at weddings. This version seemed much colder—not like a kind messenger bringing blessings, nor full of mercy and compassion. It felt more like something truly alien to humanity.
Kakashi subtly pulled down his forehead protector and examined this unusual version of the Goddess of the Rabbit Hour with his Sharingan before turning to Hiashi Hyuga, who was observing the scene through his Byakugan. "Senior," Kakashi asked, "what do you think?"
Although Mizuki's created image appeared more realistic—resembling more a god looking down on mortals rather than people's traditional mental image of the Goddess—it wasn't overtly obvious. The Byakugan-like eyes and the third eye on its forehead were distinctly visible, yet its facial features always remained obscured under a thin layer of glowing mist, making them difficult to discern clearly.
After observing carefully for a while, Hiashi shook his head slightly disappointedly, "There's not much to see—it must be similar for your Sharingan?"
Nodding, Kakashi replied, "There's something deeply unsettling about this depiction… I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right about her."
"Almost like... could this actually be the real thing?"
When you go back to the very root of belief, that strange feeling often comes over you.
Kakashi nodded in agreement and pulled down his forehead protector to cover his eye.
"Sensei feels it too? Then I guess there's no mistake. I didn't expect Mizuki to have such experience..."
"Just keep watching..."
Actually, Mizuki hadn't intentionally created the image of the Goddess of the Rabbit Hour either. Originally, he had simply wanted to replace the clumsy clay statue with something different—a virtual projection capable of interacting with both Mizuki and Tsubaki, as well as the guests and environment. However, the image that formed in his mind ended up quite different from the "Goddess of the Rabbit Hour" passed down through legend. Still, nobody said anything during the ceremony, and visually, the differences weren't obvious unless one looked carefully.
When Mizuki and Tsubaki walked out together, they did sense something unusual, but since nobody else voiced a complaint, Mizuki dismissed it from his mind. After all, the main focus of today wasn't that solemn-looking illusion of the Goddess of the Rabbit Hour—it was Mizuki himself, and his fiancée Chiharu Tsubaki.
Being a ninja who mastered genjutsu and barriers had its perks—like how effortlessly he could conjure up stunning, dreamlike scenery. The path that Mizuki and Tsubaki walked seemed to glow more vividly than anywhere else. Walking slowly along a path lined with blooming flowers and gently falling illusory petals, the couple received blessings and applause from everyone, gradually approaching the ethereal goddess hovering in midair.
"Mizuki," Tsubaki whispered softly while walking, "if I didn't know better, I'd think this was the [Temple of Nirvana Technique]!"
"You thought so?" Mizuki replied with a mischievous smile. "But basically, it is the same thing—just swapping feathers for flower petals."
"Huh? Why didn't anyone else react then? Just to make things slightly prettier, you went through all this effort? What if civilians suffered mental trauma?"
"Don't worry," Mizuki answered. "Adjusting this level of genjutsu isn't hard for me. Nothing serious will happen."
There was still a slight psychological effect, though the mental strain was minimal—roughly like having lost an hour of sleep.
...
Mizuki was more than capable of creating even more dazzling visual effects. Truthfully speaking, even constructing a massive barrier covering the entire Konoha village, using the sky itself as a screen to project breathtakingly beautiful scenes wouldn't have been impossible. However, doing so would inevitably interfere with Konoha's existing barriers, which couldn't be allowed in these not-yet-fully-peaceful times. Reluctantly, Mizuki only set up several devices near busy areas—similar to reverse telescope techniques—allowing passersby to catch glimpses of the ceremony from different angles. Soon, many curious onlookers who'd heard about the event came just to witness the dazzling scenes and discover why Mizuki, Konoha's latest sensation, had drawn so much attention.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Mizuki and Tsubaki linked arms and walked toward the "Goddess of the Rabbit Hour."
Then, the lifelike vision of the Goddess of the Rabbit Hour spread her arms and swept them outward. A bright golden glow poured down on the two people below. As the ethereal goddess's presence loomed over them, both figures reached out a hand to touch the gently falling light. The instant their hands met the glow, it suddenly [Exploded] outward in a burst of brilliance, wrapping both of them inside—it felt like they'd been lifted into a divine world.
The glowing light slowly spread outward, as though pulling everyone present into a dreamlike illusion filled with surreal beauty.
"Impressive, Mizuki. Didn't expect him to pull off fake miracles so well either. Next time, I should get him to set something like this up for me too."
"The one speaking just now… wasn't that Anko Mitarashi?"
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