Analysing Kurenai's Genjutsu

[Icelerate]

Genjutsu has always been an iffy subject for me and finding out how it works can be difficult due to the lack of focus on non sharingan related genjutsu in the manga. But after doing some readings on it, I've analysed it and hope I can break it down to anyone who's confused on how it works and how effective it is.

Here is the

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.

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We only see this genjutsu used once in the Naruto manga and it was used against Itachi and Kisame. First, Kurenai weaves her handseals and

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. Itachi realizes it's a genjutsu at first glance because he has a sharingan and is a master of genjutsu himself.

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On the other hand, Kisame is unaware that he's trapped in a genjutsu although this could be because he's

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.

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Right when

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, the genjutsu

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.

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Furthermore, once the victim has been bound, they can be

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considering Kurenai stated it would be Itachi's end. This is further emphasized by the databook in the caption. In case you think she just meant that she'll kill them in the real world as opposed to the genjutsu killing them, think again. First of all, in the real world,

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. Secondly, there was no need for her to emerge from the tree in the illusion with a kunai if the only point of the illusion was to paralyse the victim.

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Itachi was able to counter the genjutsu by

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.

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According to the databook entry of the genjutsu reversal technique, the the countered genjutsu has identical effects to the original genjutsu.

KEKKEI GENKAI; Genjutsu; Magen: Kyou Tenchi Ten (Genjutsu; Demonic Illusion: Universe-Mirroring Reversal)
User: Uchiha Itachi
Supplementary; Close range; Rank: none

Main text

One decrypts a genjutsu that has been applied onto them, and casts back a jutsu with identical effects onto the opponent!! It's a form of illusion reversal, but in order to instantly read through a jutsu and cast it in return, the Sharingan's power is necessary. As genjutsu is initially used to confuse the enemy, this technique which sends it right back to its caster deals a high amount of mental damage, more than anything else. Every half-baked genjutsu will fall prey to the mirror that is Sharingan!!

Caption

-The mechanics of a false image is duplicated by these eyes, its effects largely turned back onto the enemy!!

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-Conditions such as the presence or not of a Kekkei Genkai and the relative strength of both casters play a great part when operating this jutsu.

-Thanks to the Sharingan's power, Itachi uses a similar technique.

There's a misconception that anyone can break out of this hold just by biting the lip just because

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. However, this ignores the fact she initially struggled to bite her lip in the first place.

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Furthermore, as stated in a caption from

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, the fact that she was capable of breaking Itachi's genjutsu reversal is commended which implies you must have a lot of skill in the genjutsu arts in the first place or else why commend her for doing something that any genin can do, bite their lip.

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To hammer this point even further, in the real world,

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which implies she bit her lips within the genjutsu so this is an internal struggle against the genjutsu which most certainly isn't trivial.

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If you still aren't convinced, why would the databook entry of this genjutsu state this technique is effective at interogation when simple lip biting will break it?

Also, the fact Kurenai used this against a sharingan user implies that even some sharingan users can't counter this technique and that Itachi being able to do so is not just because of his sharingan, but because of his prowess in genjutsu being at least on par with Kurenai's, if not even higher. After all, the databook entry for the genjutsu reversal technique implies that the skill level of both the sharingan user and the caster matters in whether it gets reflected or not.

 

[salamander uchiha]

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Unfortunately I cant see all of your images but no the genjutsu can't kill. The user kills the opponent and that Kunai you missed it right here.

The only genjutsu that can legitimately kill are Tsuki and Itachi's in general. He can deceive you so you kill yourself like he did to Deidara before stopping him.

 

[Ansatsuken]

Wow this is professor X level thing with Kurenai.

 

[Nattana]

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Unfortunately I cant see all of your images but no the genjutsu can't kill. The user kills the opponent and that Kunai you missed it right here.

The only genjutsu that can legitimately kill are Tsuki and Itachi's in general. He can deceive you so you kill yourself like he did to Deidara before stopping him.

Not true. The kunai in the screen you posted is the 'genjutsu kunai'. She never had it equipped in the real world. What is also worth noting is the fact that if she was going to kill Itachi outside of Genjutsu, she should be right behind him when he reversed it. But she wasn't, so it clearly shows that she was never there physically there AND since she was really about to kill him (hence the words 'This is the end'), this is a final proof that she can kill with her Genjutsu alone.

 

[salamander uchiha]

Not true. The kunai in the screen you posted is the 'genjutsu kunai'. She never had it equipped in the real world. What is also worth noting is the fact that if she was going to kill Itachi outside of Genjutsu, she should be right behind him when he reversed it. But she wasn't, so it clearly shows that she was never there physically there AND since she was really about to kill him (hence the words 'This is the end'), this is a final proof that she can kill with her Genjutsu alone.

Not true at all, Itachi saw through it and reversed the genjutsu then the genjutsu was removed. In other words real Kurenai wouldn't be holding the Kunai in the Genjutsu, especially in a reversed genjutsu. As for the one in the tree it was a fake Kurenai which was to distract Itachi so she could come in from the front and slice him up.

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It's the same thing Itachi was about to do here had Kurenai not broken free and ducked she would lost her neck. It was Itachi's kindness to her that he didn't really want to kill her.

 

[Ansatsuken]

Not true at all, Itachi saw through it and reversed the genjutsu then the genjutsu was removed. In other words real Kurenai wouldn't be holding the Kunai in the Genjutsu, especially in a reversed genjutsu. As for the one in the tree it was a fake Kurenai which was to distract Itachi so she could come in from the front and slice him up.

Nattana thought Illusion Kurenai can kill living being using an unknown method. I dont know how, maybe brain freeze attack or soul fuckery haha... But I dont think Kurenai's genjutsu can control person brain function ala Prof Xavier of X-Men. He is using real brain attack aka telepathy but Kurenai just using an illusion.

 

[salamander uchiha]

Nattana thought Illusion Kurenai can kill living being using an unknown method. I dont know how, maybe brain freeze attack or soul fuckery haha... But I dont think Kurenai's genjutsu can control person brain function ala Prof Xavier of X-Men. He is using real brain attack aka telepathy but Kurenai just using an illusion.

Yeah it's not possible the genjutsu Kurenai wad the distraction the real Kurenai was coming in from ahead to slit Itachi's throat. She didn't move from behind Asuma to go in front of Itachi to get a better look of him. Itachi was going to do the same with his Kunai had she not dodged it by his grace.


The professor X style brain attack is overhyping genjutsu in my opinion :lol They do create false sensations in a person's mind and affect the senses but not at a level necessary to kill the opponent unless they're Itachi's genjutsu. Tsuki for brain overload burn out/death and the ones he casts on people like Deidara to kill themselves. The only other one that could legitimately kill you is KA.

OT: it's underated but you're certainly overrating it.

 

[Tauren Chieftain]

In Boruto anime Sarada with her 1 tomoe Sharingan couldn't break from this same genjutsu used by Kurenai daughter Mirai.

So you need really great genjutsu skills to counter it .

 

[Jinrou]

Actually makes sense. Shame genjutsu wasn't really touched upon in the series except when it came to Uchiha. A bit surprising though that for a genjutsu that can actually kill someone, its ranked as B. Makes one wonder what higher level genjutsu techs Kurenai could have had.

 

[FlyingRaijinLVL2]

Very interesting thread, good job highlighting a slept on genjutsu and debunking the "its fodder" claims.

 

[Uverdore9]

Actually makes sense. Shame genjutsu wasn't really touched upon in the series except when it came to Uchiha. A bit surprising though that for a genjutsu that can actually kill someone, its ranked as B. Makes one wonder what higher level genjutsu techs Kurenai could have had.

She's known as the best in Konoha(for Genjutsu). Which could mean better than Hiruzen, who mastered Thousand Illusions, likely.Technique Rank is based on acquisition difficulty. The Mountain Kitsuchi used VS Jūūbi, is listed as B-Rank.

OT: Excellent thread. I never thought of it, this way.

 

[Icelerate]

Yeah it's not possible the genjutsu Kurenai wad the distraction the real Kurenai was coming in from ahead to slit Itachi's throat. She didn't move from behind Asuma to go in front of Itachi to get a better look of him. Itachi was going to do the same with his Kunai had she not dodged it by his grace.

Why would Kurenai coming from the tree be a distraction when Itachi is completely bound? No distraction was needed. Itachi was going to use a kunai in the real world as shown in the manga, not Kurenai. If she were to get to move towards Itachi, she wouldn't move in front of him, she'd move behind him. Furthermore, no proof Kurenai even travelled to Itachi's location, that was most likely Itachi who moved towards Kurenai because Itachi was the one who was going to finish her off with a kunai in the real world.

 

[salamander uchiha]

Why would Kurenai coming from the tree be a distraction when Itachi is completely bound? No distraction was needed. Itachi was going to use a kunai in the real world as shown in the manga, not Kurenai. If she were to get to move towards Itachi, she wouldn't move in front of him, she'd move behind him. Furthermore, no proof Kurenai even travelled to Itachi's location, that was most likely Itachi who moved towards Kurenai because Itachi was the one who was going to finish her off with a kunai in the real world.

You know you're mistaken right?

Kurenai's location

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Kurenai was behind Asuma.

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Kurenai is no longer being Asuma.

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Itachi's looks up and then straight in front of himself.

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Kurenai is under her own genjutsu and by the way the real Kurenai's holding a Kunai and in front of Itachi. So she was planning on killing Itachi herself. By the way the most important detail of all of this is Itachi's still in the same pose he was in from the 2nd scan. In otherwords he hasn't moved his body once in those scans. Kurenai is not she's the only one who's moved and changed position from her initial position.

 

[FemmeFatale]

She’s better than itachi in the sense that she doesn’t need a conduit to channel her genjutsu, eyes, finger , flute (Tayuya) and also she can enter people’s mind and read them , so she is pretty powerful. Though I doubt she’s is a true talent like Sarada will be

 

[Icelerate]

You know you're mistaken right?

Kurenai's location

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Kurenai was behind Asuma.

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Kurenai is no longer being Asuma.

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Itachi's looks up and then straight in front of himself.

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Kurenai is under her own genjutsu and by the way the real Kurenai's holding a Kunai and in front of Itachi. So she was planning on killing Itachi herself. By the way the most important detail of all of this is Itachi's still in the same pose he was in from the 2nd scan. In otherwords he hasn't moved his body once in those scans. Kurenai is not she's the only one who's moved and changed position from her initial position.

You do realize all those scans you posted are in the genjutsu world?

 

[salamander uchiha]

You do realize all those scans you posted are in the genjutsu world?

No all those scans are in the real world and the genjutsu starts after the first scan. Anyway an individual is under the effects of genjutsu that doesn't chance their real world actions.

 

[Icelerate]

No all those scans are in the real world and the genjutsu starts after the first scan. Anyway an individual is under the effects of genjutsu that doesn't chance their real world actions.

Those actions are in the genjutsu, not the real world.

 

[HowDidIGetPrem]

As expected of Kurenai-Sensei.... Nut..... This is it. For you.

 

[salamander uchiha]

Those actions are in the genjutsu, not the real world.

They're real actions happening in the real world. Itachi was in the same place, Asuma was given a shaving by Samehada, real Kurenai had a Kunai and was in front of Itachi she intended to use it. Real Itachi also pulled out a kunai and intended to use it after reflecting the genjutsu back onto her all ot did was bind her. She obviously moved from behind Asuma to get where she did(in front of Itachi). The genjutsu part was the binding and attempted deception.

 

[Icelerate]

There real actions happening in the real world. Itachi was in the same place, Asuma was given a shaving by Samehada, real Kurenai had a Kunai and was in front of Itachi she intended to use it. Real Itachi also pulled out a kunai and intended to use it after reflecting the genjutsuback onto her. She obviously moved from behind Asuma to get where she did(in front of Itachi). The genjutsu part was the binding and attempted deception.

That was genjutsu Kurenai with a kunai. Show me where real Kurenai holds a kunai.