This was no ordinary spar.
If Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi failed to demonstrate overwhelming strength, the crowd of elite shinobi before them would never yield. In the shinobi world, respect was not earned by words, but by sheer, undeniable power.
From the stands above, Hatake Kakashi raised his voice, his lone Sharingan eye narrowed as he addressed the gathered ninja.
"Everyone, I understand your intentions. You wish to test the strength of Shisui and Itachi. That's fine. But let's make this clear—this is not an all-out battle to the death, but a trial by combat. If Shisui and Itachi win, then you will stop pressing the issue and acknowledge them. Do we have an agreement?"
As soon as Kakashi finished, one voice rose above the crowd.
"No problem!" shouted Yamanaka Nokaze, stepping forward.
Shisui turned his head, his sharp eyes briefly meeting Nokaze's. The Yamanaka gave him a faint, knowing smile.
In that instant, Shisui understood. Nokaze still held faith in him, despite everything. From the moment he stood up to face his captain, he was acknowledging his leadership. After all, Nokaze had once served under Shisui directly and had his life saved by him. Bonds forged on the battlefield were not easily broken.
Nokaze entered a fighting stance and called out:
"Everyone, focus! The opponents before us are not easy to deal with. You've all heard of Shisui's Teleportation Technique—his Body Flicker so fast it's been feared in every shinobi village. Do not underestimate him. If Captain Shisui commands us to abandon a mission, then you already know his judgment is absolute!"
A Hyūga Jōnin stepped forward, his white eyes sharp with determination.
"Ah, yes… I'd heard his name back when I was still just a Chūnin. But today I am no longer that person. My Byakugan sees all! I won't lose so easily."
His voice hardened into a cold shout:
"Byakugan!!!"
His eyes bulged with the power of his clan's dōjutsu.
The three clan heads of the Ino–Shika–Chō formation stepped forward as well. Born and bred as a team, their cooperation had been refined since childhood. In this generation, their heirs—Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chōji—were already carrying the will of their clans. To them, teamwork was second nature, as natural as breathing.
"Let's try to capture Shisui the Teleporter!" one of them shouted.
Nokaze nodded. "Good. Your team will be the vanguard! Remember—never make direct eye contact with Shisui or Itachi. Both are masters of Genjutsu, and Shisui especially is said to cast illusions with but a glance!"
"Understood!"
One after another, the shinobi nodded, tightening their formations, awaiting orders.
Shisui gave a small smile. "Nokaze… you really do know me well."
The Yamanaka chuckled back. "I followed you once, Captain. Your reputation has spread across the shinobi world. Of course I understand you."
"Then enough talk," Shisui said, adjusting his headband. "Come on."
He was just about to surge forward when Itachi extended a hand to stop him.
"Shisui," Itachi said calmly, stepping past him. "You observe for now. I'll test their formation first."
Without hesitation, Itachi blurred forward, his speed astonishing.
"Everyone! Stay sharp—keep your positions as trained!" Nokaze ordered, and the unit snapped into place.
"Shadow Strangle Technique!"
The Nara clan's Jōnin launched first, his shadow stretching like tendrils across the ground. The black hands lunged toward Itachi.
Itachi's eyes flickered, and he leapt gracefully upward.
A thin smile tugged at the Nara Jōnin's lips. "Got you."
From above, Itachi was exposed.
"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
A Yamanaka Jōnin targeted him instantly. A buzzing sensation echoed—and for a split second, Itachi's body froze midair, his movements dulled.
"Now! Expansion Jutsu!"
An Akimichi Jōnin's fist swelled to monstrous size. With a booming strike, he smashed Itachi from the sky, sending him crashing into the dirt below.
The Nara's shadow lashed out again, binding the fallen Itachi tightly.
"Pathetic," the Nara Jōnin sneered. "So this is the infamous Itachi Uchiha? Nothing more than rumor."
He began weaving signs for the Shadow Neck Bind, intent on making Itachi scream in agony.
But before he could finish, Nokaze's voice rang out, sharp and urgent:
"Stop, Nara! Look again—you've been tricked!"
The Nara Jōnin frowned, annoyed. "I know. I won't kill him, just restrain—"
"Look closer!" Nokaze barked.
And then the Nara froze.
The Itachi bound in his shadows dissolved into a storm of crows, scattering into the sky. His eyes widened in horror—he realized his shadow was constricting not Itachi, but the Akimichi Jōnin!
The one struck by the giant fist? A Yamanaka Jōnin.
And the one whose mind was supposedly taken? An Akimichi.
"What—what is this?!" the Nara stammered, sweat breaking across his brow.
Above them, Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan swirled ominously.
"All of your movements…" Itachi's cold voice cut through the air. "…have already been seen through by these eyes."
The trio of Ino–Shika–Chō Jōnin gasped in horror.
What terrifying power was this? In the chaos of battle, to be forced to turn your own techniques on your allies… it was unthinkable.
"When… when was the Genjutsu cast?!" the Nara Jōnin demanded.
From behind, Shisui's voice answered with a wry smile:
"From the very moment you looked at us."
The Ino–Shika–Chō froze, panic flickering in their eyes.
"How do you fight against this?!"
"Damn it," Nokaze muttered through gritted teeth. "Their Genjutsu is monstrous."
Indeed, this was Itachi's most dangerous trait. The moment you thought you had him cornered, you had already fallen into his illusions.
"Dispel their Genjutsu!" a Hyūga Jōnin barked. "Kai!"
At once, seals were formed across the crowd. Chakra surged, and illusions shattered as the shinobi regained clarity.
"Don't meet their eyes directly!" the Hyūga shouted, his Byakugan veins bulging. "Everyone, fight as one! I will be your eyes. Nokaze, guard me—we move together!"
"Understood!" Nokaze answered.
The Hyūga's gaze sharpened. Through the Byakugan, he caught sight of Shisui's chakra, the strange green glow radiating from his Sharingan.
"What… terrifying chakra," he muttered.
Suddenly, Itachi surged forward, weaving signs.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A massive wall of flame roared across the battlefield, forcing Water Style users to counter. Steam engulfed the area, blanketing everything in a choking fog.
And then—Shisui moved.
In an instant, he was among them.
"Watch out!" the Hyūga Jōnin shouted. "He's in the formation!"
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Strikes exploded from the Hyūga's hands, palm winds slicing the air. At the same time, kunai, shuriken, and elemental jutsu converged from all sides, temporarily surrounding both Shisui and Itachi.
But Shisui only grinned. "How incredible… to stand against so many of Konoha's finest. Then allow me to demonstrate the true meaning of my title—Shisui of the Body Flicker!"
He formed a seal, and in the blink of an eye, more than twenty figures burst outward.
"Shadow Clone?!" one ninja gasped.
"No!" Nokaze shouted in alarm. "Not Shadow Clones—every single one of Captain Shisui's duplicates is real!"
"What?!"
The crowd faltered. This wasn't standard Bunshin or Shadow Clone Technique. Each copy radiated real chakra, each one moving independently like a fully tangible shinobi.
"How is this possible?!"
"It's all real… what kind of monster is this man?"
Nokaze's fists trembled. "This is why he was feared across the shinobi world… Shisui the Teleporter!"
"Enough," Shisui declared, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Let's bring this to an end!"
His form blurred, vanishing. In that same heartbeat, Itachi moved as well.
Together, the two Uchiha unleashed a storm of flash attacks, teleporting between enemies, striking with devastating precision. The battlefield erupted in chaos—then silence.
In mere moments, thirty elite Konoha shinobi lay defeated, groaning on the ground.
Nokaze panted, sweat dripping down his brow, before looking up to see Shisui standing above him, extending a hand.
For a heartbeat, Nokaze was no longer here, but back in the past—on missions where Captain Shisui had led him, where that same hand had pulled him from death.
"…Captain…" he whispered.
With trembling fingers, Nokaze grasped Shisui's hand. Shisui pulled him up, smiling gently.
Then Shisui turned to the rest of the assembled ninja. His voice carried, firm and passionate:
"Everyone, I am Uchiha Shisui. Since I was a child, I have wanted nothing more than to protect Konoha. Later, I met someone who shared that same ideal—Itachi.
I know well the sins of the Uchiha clan, and the shadow of distrust that lingers. But Itachi already bore that burden and ended it with his own hands. I know many of you still hold doubts about us. But hear me now: no matter what you think of me, I remain Shisui—the man who will protect Konoha at any cost!"
He raised his voice, ringing with conviction.
"So now, as your captain, I will train with you, fight alongside you, and safeguard the future of our world! Will you accept me?"
Silence followed, thick and heavy.
Then, Kakashi descended from the stands, his expression solemn. "You've all seen it with your own eyes. Shisui and Itachi have bled for this village. They protect Konoha not for themselves, but for all of us. That makes them our comrades."
Nokaze stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. Slowly, he extended his hand, forming the Seal of Reconciliation.
"…Welcome back, Captain."
Shisui smiled and clasped his hand.
One by one, voices rose from the crowd.
"Captain, welcome back!"
"Welcome back, Shisui!"
At that moment, the barrier between them was broken.
Shisui and Itachi had been accepted—completely, undeniably—by the shinobi of Konoha.
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