Genjutsu is a ninja's art at using chakra to alter another's perception of reality by changing the data relayed by the person's senses to their brain. Some of the strongest genjutsu can even kill a person. Because altering someone's reality without them noticing in time requires a deft touch, chakra control, subtlety, and creativity are fairly essential to doing well with this art.
Table of Contents
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Defining Genjutsu
Genjutsu is, in the simplest terms, the art of illusions. Most Genjutsu targets another person or group of people, and Genjutsu that doesn't fit that criteria is often considered to be Ninjutsu instead. The Mesai Gakure no Jutsu (Camoflague Concealment) is Genjutsu, but many consider it Ninjutsu instead because it's not obvious how the illusion works. The Henge (Transformation), however, is not a Genjutsu based on the fact that it is an actual transformation rather than the illusion of transformation.
If it's illusion, it's genjutsu.
Types
Categories |
Sensory | ||
Single Sense | ||
Multiple Sense | ||
Suggestion | ||
Simple | ||
Complex |
The primary categories of Genjutsu are based on the effect the jutsu provides. The first is "Sensory," and it handles all Genjutsu that affects the senses, altering the target's perceived reality. Within Sensory Genjutsu, jutsu are divided by whether they affect one sense or multiple senses. The second is "Suggestion," and it consists of the Genjutsu that modifies thoughts - generally by stimulating the area of the brain responsible for certain things, such as sleep. Suggestion Genjutsu are sub-divided into simple suggestions or (mostly theoretical) complex suggestions.
Specifics of Use
Landing a GenjutsuThere are two methods to landing a Genjutsu and successfully anchoring it to a target. The first way is to directly attach it to the target's nervous system and thus to the brain. The second way is to provide some sensory path - feathers falling from the sky, for instance - that a genjutsu can use to connect into the target's nervous system. The first way is tougher and more chakra intensive but the second way is easier, both to land and to be spotted as genjutsu - particularly by a Sharingan. The first way also tends to be harder to remove than the second way because it usually requires the user to concentrate on the illusion and keep the people under it "tagged." The Kokuangyou no Jutsu is an example of the first way and can only be dispelled by breaking the concentration of the user. |
Escaping a GenjutsuMost Genjutsu can be released through one of the Dispel methods (Suppresion or Expression), and most Genjutsu under A-rank can be dispelled by inflicting pain on yourself. Some genjutsu, however cannot be dispelled by those methods and can only be dispelled by breaking the concentration of the user - the Kokuangyou no Jutsu (Journey into Black Darkness) is an example of this type of Genjutsu. |