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"Every strike lands, every attack connects—yet the target turns out to be false. Is this the same illusion technique that Shisui used for his Body Flicker Style?"
"But from the information I've gathered on Shisui, he never once allowed all his clones and his real body to be struck at the same time."
"I don't know if this will work… but at this point, I can only try."
Across from him, Uchiha Shion curved his lips in a faint smile.
"Do you really have to take this so seriously?"
Once again, Kakashi's right hand burst with crackling lightning, while his shadow clone mirrored the motion.
Lightning Release: Lightning Transmission!
In an instant, the lightning chakra stretched and linked into a chain. Both Kakashi and his clone split to either side, closing in at high speed.
Swish!
The chain of lightning formed by the dual Chidori encircled all five of Uchiha Shion's figures. Kakashi and his clone pulled tight.
Boom!
The ground scorched black from the surge, and all five Shions vanished at once—dispersed as if vaporized by the lightning.
"Did I… succeed?"
Kakashi muttered to himself as he turned toward the empty space behind him. But the next moment—
Puff!
His shadow clone dissolved into smoke, while a long blade came slashing down from behind him.
Swish!
The blade cut across his shoulder—only to split a wooden log in half.
A substitution?!
"Since Lightning Transmission ended, you already laid down a Replacement Technique? Looks like you weren't so sure of your guess after all."
Shion's voice echoed, while Kakashi's form disappeared from the field. Silence briefly fell over the training ground.
On a tall tree overlooking the field, Minato glanced at Shisui and asked:
"Not one of them was real? Every strike came from the true body, but through illusion it looked like each clone was solid?"
Shisui gave a small nod.
"Exactly. Every attack resets the Sharingan's genjutsu. Once Kakashi faltered against the initial feints, he was trapped. From then on, every swing he faced felt real."
Minato frowned slightly.
"Even with that eye of his? Not even a MangekyĹŤ could break it?"
Shisui shook his head.
"There are too many factors. Kakashi isn't an Uchiha, that's one. He only has a single Sharingan, that's another. And besides… he hasn't awakened the Mangekyō at all."
Minato exhaled.
"Sometimes I can't help but envy the Uchiha. Once they awaken their Sharingan to three tomoe, the weakest among them can reach the level of an elite jĹŤnin."
"Meanwhile, for an ordinary civilian-born ninja, graduation from the academy only grants the Three Basic Techniques. At that stage, the jōnin instructors become vital—but in truth, even most instructors don't know that many jutsu."
"Kakashi's an exception. And the Hatake clan has never lacked for techniques since Sakumo. Add the Sharingan's ability to copy ninjutsu, and he's… unique."
Shisui nodded in agreement.
"In fact, from the chūnin rank onward, having even one or two secret techniques already makes a shinobi formidable. Most genin and chūnin barely master one or two C-rank or B-rank jutsu."
He turned to Minato.
"Lord Fourth, the Uchiha are no longer stingy with Fire Release techniques. And besides… both Jiraiya-sama and you yourself are geniuses born of civilian bloodlines."
Minato paused, then smiled faintly.
"True civilians would be Jiraiya-sensei and Orochimaru of the Sannin. As for me… I did inherit the Namikaze name."
He chuckled softly.
"As for the Uchiha taking on instructor roles, we'll start from next year. I'll still need to discuss with Lord Third—whether it's the Ino-Shika-Chō trio or the other clans of the reconnaissance teams."
Hearing this, Shisui's heart eased. This was the task entrusted to him by Shion: to ensure that among the village's jĹŤnin instructors, the Uchiha had a presence.
Only then could bonds form with Konoha's next generation, and eventually… grow into a true power.
Meanwhile, back at the training field, Kakashi crouched behind a tree, forcing his ragged breaths down.
None of them were the real body?
Genjutsu, Release!
No good. The Sharingan's illusions weren't so easily dispelled.
This was the foundation of Shisui's fame during the Third Great Ninja War—a fusion of genjutsu and body flicker. In both the Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud, the name Uchiha Shisui was feared.
And now, that same power was wielded by a boy of only nine—Uchiha Shion.
Obito… truly, your clan breeds geniuses.
"But I'm not someone who can be taken down so easily."
If I'm already caught in genjutsu, then…
Shadow Clone Technique!
Summoning: Earth Release – Tracking Fang Jutsu!
Since only Shion and I were inside the training field, the summoned hounds would find him. If there was a second chakra scent, it had to be Shion's true body.
"Got you!"
As the summoning smoke spread, Shion simultaneously locked onto Kakashi's position.
Swish!
His long blade sliced downward—but Kakashi's real body was already gone, leaving only a clone to be cut apart.
From the ground nearby, several massive ninja hounds burst up at Shion's feet, snarling and baring sharp fangs.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Shion smashed them away with his fists, sending the summoned dogs sprawling.
"Argh, that hurts!"
The Eight Ninken rolled before charging again. Shion frowned. It was just a test—he couldn't exactly butcher them and serve up dog stew.
But with Kakashi cutting off his senses and focusing only on the hounds' signals, he had already pinpointed Shion's real body.
Zzzzt!
The sharp cry of a thousand birds filled the air. Kakashi's speed surged as lightning gathered in both hands.
Lightning Release: Twin Lightning Fang!
S-rank ninjutsu—Chidori in both hands. Kakashi charged straight at the Shion pinned by the ninja hounds.
Bam!
Shion blasted the dogs away with a kick, sending several flying. He cursed:
"Charge at me one more time and I'll turn you into tonight's dinner!"
From above, Pakkun twisted midair, bounding back into the fray.
"Kakashi says you won't kill us—it's just a test!"
"The hell—?!"
Shion's eyes widened as Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of him, both hands blazing with lightning. Shion flickered into the air with Shunshin.
"You call this fair? That's cheating!"
The ninken followed Shion's movements relentlessly, Pakkun leading the pack while Kakashi adjusted his angle below.
"This is ridiculous!"
Shion's voice rang out in frustration. His Sharingan spun rapidly, three tomoe whirling. This time, he had to get serious.
Too many techniques were off-limits for him right now, throwing off his rhythm. Still, he had to admit—it was Kakashi. A true genius, nothing like ordinary opponents.
But then—
Chirp! Chirp!
The lightning chirps abruptly sputtered out. The radiance in Kakashi's hands flickered and died before he could even close in on Shion.
Thud!
Kakashi collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"I… I give up. The cost of Twin Lightning Fang… it's… too much…"