Clang!
A crisp metallic collision rang out as Shisui and Itachi appeared midair.
Shisui's blade was stopped by Itachi's kunai. Sparks burst between steel and steel.
The next instant, they separated, landing lightly on opposite sides of the clearing.
Shisui looked at Itachi and smiled.
"Itachi, your growth has exceeded my expectations. Next… I'll be going all out."
Itachi stood on a tree branch, one hand holding his kunai horizontally before his chest.
"Shisui… I also want to know whether I've caught up to you. Whether I can stand at your side now."
They moved at the same time.
Phantom Body Flicker Technique.
Shisui formed hand seals. In a blink, he split into seven figures.
These were not clones.
They were afterimages created by extreme speed—yet Shisui seamlessly wove his true body among them. Each silhouette shifted between illusion and reality, impossible to distinguish at a glance.
In an instant, seven Shisuis surrounded Itachi.
Itachi dodged two nearly simultaneous slashes, then flicked a kunai outward.
The blade passed cleanly through one Shisui.
At the same time, another appeared behind him and expelled a stream of flame.
Itachi leapt upward, evading the fire. Midair, he scattered multiple kunai like falling blossoms toward the seven figures.
Metal rang sharply as all seven slashed the projectiles aside.
So this is Shisui's speed…
Itachi's expression tightened.
Suddenly, one figure vanished.
His heart jolted.
A subtle shift in the air behind him—
Shisui appeared in a flash and swept out a powerful kick.
Bang!
Itachi's body burst apart in a flurry of cawing crows, scattering in every direction.
The flock gathered elsewhere and reformed into Itachi.
Shisui watched with admiration.
"I'm impressed, Itachi. Your Crow Clone Technique is already this refined."
He understood how difficult that technique was—an advanced fusion of Substitution, Shadow Clone, and Summoning principles.
A kunai slid into Itachi's hand from his sleeve.
"Shisui. Let's continue."
His eyes turned crimson.
Three tomoe formed instantly.
Shisui's own eyes ignited in response—three tomoe spinning.
They vanished.
The forest filled with rapid flashes and metallic clashes.
Their bodies flickered across the clearing, steel ringing without pause. Gusts of wind tore through the trees; fallen leaves were shredded as if sliced by invisible blades.
Then—
Silence.
A breeze passed softly.
A few leaves drifted down beside a sword embedded at an angle in the ground, its polished surface reflecting the two figures nearby.
"Your improvement is astonishing, Itachi," Shisui said quietly, gazing toward the distant Hokage Rock.
Behind him, Itachi lay on the grass, breathing heavily. Several kunai were scattered near him.
"But I'm still not strong enough," Itachi murmured.
"No," Shisui replied gently. "You're already very strong. Even I cannot defeat you while holding back."
He turned.
"In that exchange, you located my true body eight times within the Phantom Body Flicker. Your eyes… may hold even greater potential than mine. I look forward to the day you discover their true power."
"My eyes… true power?"
Shisui met his gaze.
His three tomoe spun—
Merged—
And transformed into a four-pointed shuriken-like pattern.
Itachi's expression changed instantly.
"Shisui… your eyes!"
From them radiated a depth of ocular power like an endless abyss.
Shisui smiled faintly, though bitterness lingered within it.
"This is the true power of our clan. The Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Mangekyō… So the three-tomoe is not the limit."
Itachi fell silent for a moment before asking quietly,
"Does Father know?"
Shisui shook his head as his eyes returned to normal.
"You are the first to know."
A trace of worry surfaced on his face.
"Only the clan's secret archives mention it. The last to possess the Mangekyō was Uchiha Madara—the co-founder of Konoha alongside the First Hokage. If the clan learns I have awakened it… the hardliners advocating for seizing power from the village will grow far bolder."
Itachi nodded, understanding the danger.
Shisui sighed.
"The relationship between the clan and the village is already on the brink. Even the Third Hokage can barely restrain the dissatisfaction of the other elders."
"It's because of Uchiha Yuan, isn't it?" Itachi said coldly. "Father met with the elders last night. I overheard them. Though Father disapproved of Yuan's recklessness, he did not reprimand him. The elders even praised him for restoring the clan's prestige."
Shisui's eyes dimmed slightly.
"I've always watched Yuan closely. His talent does not fall short of yours. But I never expected… he would become someone who intensifies the conflict between clan and village."
Itachi was quiet for a long moment.
"How strong is he?"
Shisui looked into the distance.
"…I don't know. When I fought him yesterday, I could tell—he still wasn't using his full strength."
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