Early the next morning, Uchiha Shisui woke up well before dawn.
Yesterday, through conversations with his clansmen, he had learned about Ryōsuke's current situation. He knew that Ryōsuke went to the nearby small forest every day to rigorously train in taijutsu. So, he decided to take this opportunity to meet him properly.
After a simple wash-up, he went straight out, heading toward the surrounding woods to look for traces of his target.
It didn't take long to find him.
Ryōsuke was currently running. When Shisui saw his current appearance, he was greatly surprised.
Although Ryōsuke's body didn't possess overly bulky muscles, his entire frame radiated a sense of robustness, as if that body contained some kind of terrifying energy.
'How did this guy undergo such a freakish transformation?' Shisui thought. 'It's truly baffling.'
Ryōsuke, naturally, sensed someone approaching and watching him openly. He stopped his running training.
The visitor turned out to be Uchiha Shisui.
This made him slightly happy, but also a bit worried.
The worry stemmed from the fact that Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and specifically his unique ocular technique, Kotoamatsukami.
It was known as the strongest genjutsu in the ninja world, capable of altering a person's thoughts without them ever noticing. If Shisui had been brainwashed into becoming a puppet of the Leaf Village higher-ups, that would be a true disgrace for a transmigrator like himself.
So, he had to be cautious.
The joy came from the fact that Shisui's strength was formidable, possibly even greater than Uchiha Itachi, who had also awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Shisui was a man capable of manifesting Susanoo with a single eye.
If such a person could stand firmly on the side of the clan, the combat power of the Uchiha Clan would soar.
And if he could change Shisui's ending and prevent his death, then that traitor Uchiha Itachi wouldn't awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan either.
Even if Itachi wanted to harm the clan, there would be nothing to worry about—he would merely have a three-tomoe Sharingan. Ryōsuke wondered what Shisui's attitude actually was.
If he tried to persuade him, could he pull Shisui over to the Uchiha Clan's side? He felt a bit tempted to try.
Seeing that Ryōsuke had noticed him, Shisui walked over, a smile on his face.
"Ryōsuke, long time no see. I didn't expect you to change so much. You've become a taijutsu ninja and even mastered the Eight Inner Gates."
He certainly had reason enough to be surprised. The Uchiha Clan had always specialized in the Sharingan; there had never been a clansman with such powerful taijutsu before.
Ryōsuke smiled back.
"I just suddenly discovered that I was particularly suited for cultivating taijutsu, so I practiced it a bit. But you, Shisui—in the war against the Mist Village, you truly made the Uchiha name famous."
He did admire Shisui.
After all, this guy hadn't been twisted enough to raise his hand against his own family.
Unlike that psychopath Itachi, who knew the village higher-ups were hostile toward Shisui and even forced Shisui to commit suicide, yet that turncoat still went to help those so-called higher-ups. Ryōsuke seriously doubted whether Uchiha Itachi had ever truly considered Shisui a close friend.
Shouldn't one be angry when their best friend is killed?
If he felt no anger, then perhaps they were just casual acquaintances after all.
Shisui didn't feel particularly arrogant due to Ryōsuke's praise; instead, he spoke humbly.
"Just ordinary achievements. How could they compare to you, Ryōsuke? You led members of two clans to a great victory against the ninja army of the Cloud Village. Even the Fourth Raikage, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki were defeated by your hands. You are much more amazing than I am."
Ryōsuke smiled. Perhaps if he didn't know about Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan ocular technique, he might have felt a bit proud. But knowing the truth, he felt no arrogance at all—only a heart full of defensiveness.
At the same time, he wanted to win Shisui over, so he decided to let him witness his strength first.
"Shisui, do you want to spar with me? I want to know how formidable the legendary Shisui of the Body Flicker really is."
Uchiha Shisui froze for a moment. 'He wants to fight me?'
In that case, he also wanted to know exactly how tough Ryōsuke was. He could only learn this through combat, as he had never witnessed Ryōsuke in action with his own eyes.
"Alright."
Seeing Shisui agree, Ryōsuke immediately activated his Sharingan. Three tomoe appeared in his eye sockets.
The crimson pupils made Shisui feel a slight sense of oppression.
He couldn't help but activate his own three-tomoe Sharingan, yet the opponent's eyes still posed a threat to him.
Without a doubt, the pupil power of Ryōsuke's three-tomoe Sharingan was intense.
Because these eyes had actually awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, their pupil power had been enhanced.
If these eyes were pitted against an ordinary clansman—even Itachi—they probably wouldn't be able to resist the genjutsu.
No wonder a genius like Itachi had been defeated by him.
It was likely that Itachi was at a disadvantage not just in genjutsu, but even more so in taijutsu.
Looking at Ryōsuke's vigorous physique made that clear. Shisui knew he had to pay full attention, otherwise, he might be defeated in a single encounter.
Seeing that Shisui was ready, Ryōsuke charged directly at him.
"Then let's begin."
Shisui was startled by his opponent's speed.
'So fast!' He reached out to block the attack, but the moment they made contact, he felt a massive force coming from Ryōsuke's hand, causing immense pain in his own arms.
'This is too terrifying. Such pressure from just one contact.'
If they exchanged a few more blows, he would likely be heavily injured just by blocking.
He immediately found an opportunity to pull back and create distance. His hands formed seals instantly, and four puffs of smoke appeared on his sides, transforming into four clones.
He decisively activated his clone technique because he did not want to clash head-on with Ryōsuke anymore.
He could only hope to defeat him using his signature clone technique.
It was his turn to attack.
The four clones and the main body separated, attacking Ryōsuke from three different directions.
Ryōsuke watched Shisui unleash his technique.
The crimson of his Sharingan deepened as he tried to use his eyes to discern which of the five rushing figures was the main body, but he couldn't distinguish them at all.
He couldn't help but marvel inwardly. 'As expected of Shisui. Even my eyes can't tell which is real and which is fake.'
Thinking about it differently, if it were that easy to distinguish the real one, Shisui wouldn't have awed the Mist Village with this technique.
By now, the five figures had rushed in front of him, launching their offensive.
His Sharingan did its utmost to track the attacks. Since he couldn't tell the real body apart, he had to dodge every single attack.
During the exchange, he found an opening and punched fiercely at one of the clones. However, his attack passed right through the phantom. The phantom didn't vanish, and meanwhile, the other four seized the opportunity to attack him.
He dodged these attacks by a hair's breadth and was forced to pull back again.
He frowned slightly. Dealing with five opponents alone was indeed a bit strenuous. The most critical issue, of course, was his inability to identify the main body.
He also knew that Shisui could teleport instantly to any of the clones—meaning the clones could swap positions with the main body. One second it might be the main body, but the next it was a clone. This was truly difficult to handle.
Having created some distance, Ryōsuke spoke seriously.
"Shisui, I'm going to get serious now. Be careful."
All five Shisuis narrowed their eyes. Even though Shisui had held a slight advantage in the previous exchange, he hadn't been able to do anything to Ryōsuke.
He didn't think Ryōsuke was bluffing. If he was truly going to show his real strength, Shisui had to be extremely cautious.
"Come on then. Let me witness your greatness."