And so, Yorin and Shisui arrived at the clan's large training ground.
After the Forest's Senju were gone, the Uchiha became Konoha's largest shinobi clan.
Although, thanks to diplomatic failure, this biggest clan in Konoha was disliked by people and dogs alike, the foundation of the top clan was still there. The Uchiha training grounds were of course first-rate in Konoha. In both scale and equipment, they were excellent. Every day large numbers of Uchiha trained here, either killing with their eyes or flinging Fire Style wildly.
Because of that, word that Uchiha Yorin and Uchiha Shisui were going to have a friendly spar spread through the clan in an instant.
The elders and youngsters all perked up, one after another wishing they could step on Flying Thunder God to rush back and watch Shisui beat up Yorin.
"Do your best, Shisui!"
"Teach him a good lesson!"
"Hmph, it's not like I rushed back just to see Shisui pummel Yorin!"
Obviously, a moment's calm thought would tell you everything Uchiha Yorin had done was for the Uchiha.
But right now the elders and youngsters, and the old and young ladies too, didn't want calm thought. They just wanted to smash Uchiha Yorin's dog head. If they couldn't, then seeing Shisui smash it would do.
"What a mindset. He still hasn't awakened the Mangekyō."
At this moment Shisui admired big brother Yorin even more.
If it were him being accused and resented by the clan like this, his mindset would probably have collapsed already.
Caught in the hell between village and clan, Uchiha Shisui would choose suicide to prove his resolve, rather than stubbornly live on like Uchiha Yorin.
"In this, I'm not as good as big brother Yorin," he couldn't help thinking. Then he heard a whoosh as a kunai skimmed through his bangs. At the same time Yorin's voice came from across the way:
"Don't drift off, Shisui. It's a duel. Focus."
"Yes!"
The next instant, Uchiha Shisui vanished from where he stood.
Body Flicker.
In a sense, the most broken and most practical technique in the shinobi world. To outsiders it made a shinobi's speed look like instant transmission.
Of course, Uchiha Yorin was no outsider.
"Left—? No, right."
Appearing on the left was only the afterimage Shisui left behind. The real Shisui was on the right.
With Yorin's correct read came a metallic clang to his right.
Then a string of clanging steel without pause.
Both kept using Body Flicker, constantly adjusting position, stance, and attack angles to ensure they blocked and slipped the other's strikes while targeting unguarded lines.
That's how fights between taijutsu experts are—monotonous yet tense.
Monotonous because the pattern is the pattern. Tense because the slightest hint of "slow" means death.
If your speed lags even a hair, you die. If your reaction lags even a hair, you die. Even if speed and reaction are enough, if your power and technique aren't, you still die.
Simple, efficient, lethal.
Powerful genjutsu can be broken. Powerful ninjutsu can be evaded. But this kind of simple mowing—when it's already at your side—you can't dodge, can't break free, only die.
Because of that, masters of Body Flicker and taijutsu are the most terrifying mowing machines in the shinobi world.
In an instant, before the enemy can even react, your throat is cut, and in the next instant the killer is gone. Such flicker masters kill even faster than ninjutsu specialists.
Like the late White Fang of Konoha.
Like the Golden Flash now.
And like the Konoha Flame Claw and Shisui of the Body Flicker now.
Watching light and shadow whirl on the field, steel rings merging into one long note, most Uchiha spectators felt a chill on their necks.
They couldn't help but wonder: if it were them against Shisui or Yorin, could they stop such attacks?
The answer was no. The power of blade work plus Body Flicker lies in this: no matter how invincible you think you are, if your reaction is a touch slower, if your speed is a touch lower, then before your invincible move ever comes out, you're already dead.
Some thought: my taijutsu may be lacking, my reactions may not keep up, but I've got Sharingan. Can't I hard-control with genjutsu to buy time and a win?
You can.
Provided you're still fast and reactive enough—only a little slower at most. Otherwise you won't have time to cast genjutsu or even use your eyes.
Worse, Yorin and Shisui are both Uchiha. Ordinary genjutsu won't work on them.
"Terrifying. But reassuring, too."
Sensing the clan's mood slipping, Uchiha Fugaku spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but the right ears heard.
Hearing the clan head, the Uchiha relaxed at once.
Yes. Whether Yorin or Shisui, they're our own. The stronger they are, the stronger the Uchiha.
We're comrades, clanmates, family.
Who would cut down family? That would make you worse than a beast, a piece of scum, a bastard.
Thinking that, even the most suspicious Uchiha settled. Back to the field: the two new stars of the Uchiha had, as if by agreement, come to a halt.
Three minutes of high-intensity fighting. Not much chakra spent, just a light sheen of sweat.
Yorin: "That'll do for probing."
Shisui: "Right."
Other Uchiha: "What?! That speed and reaction, that Body Flicker honed to a miracle—was only probing?"
"You're an Uchiha, I'm an Uchiha. How can the gap between Uchiha and Uchiha be bigger than between an Uchiha and a bottom-tier scrub?"
They didn't care about the clan's muttering and shock. Round two began in an instant.
Shisui's trump card was even more speed than before—so fast it brushed the limit of time itself—even Namikaze Minato believed that at short range his speed was inferior to Uchiha Shisui's.
At full tilt, Shisui could casually kill a normal jōnin. The opponent wouldn't even see him before being finished.
Yorin judged Shisui's Speed easily exceeded 10, at least 12, maybe higher.
Seeing that "sparring-level" speed couldn't do anything to Yorin, Uchiha Shisui decided to get serious.
Afterimages? Phantoms? Or something else?
What had just flashed by?
In a single instant, the result was decided.
Serious Shisui sprinted full force at Yorin. In that split second his Body Flicker produced an almost illusory effect—like he appeared at several, even dozens of vectors around Yorin at once.
In the very next split second the illusions vanished. Shisui stood before Yorin, breathing hard, staring in disbelief.
"What on earth just happened?!"
To see clearly, the Uchiha spectators all opened their Sharingan. But even with those dynamic eyes, they couldn't fully track the fight.
So the ones who couldn't see turned to those jōnin with three tomoe.
Maybe only they knew what had happened.
Of course, seeing as bystanders didn't mean they could block Yorin or Shisui themselves.
"In a single instant, Shisui used at least twenty Body Flickers, striking at Yorin's vital points from each line.
In that span he threw sixteen kunai and seventy shuriken… but…"
"But Yorin blocked them all."
Uchiha Fugaku spoke in a low voice:
"Not at least twenty. In that instant Shisui used twenty-seven Body Flickers. Yorin used sixteen.
In speed, Yorin is a shade below Shisui. But his mind is more flexible, his technique more seasoned, and his strength a touch higher.
He blocked all of Shisui's attacks and, at the end, landed one hit on Shisui. With the flat of the blade."
"…So this round goes to Yorin?!"
"He actually beat Shisui? The Konoha Flame Claw is stronger than Shisui of the Body Flicker?"
"It wasn't a real fight, just a spar. One moment's win doesn't mean everything, right?!"
"Sure, but…"
The clan's chatter didn't touch the two on the field.
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Shisui threw his head back and sighed. "I lost."
At the same time, the system's chime arrived.
[Sudden Quest · Overawe the Uchiha · Complete. Reward: Yang-nature chakra transformation, large chakra increase (Spirit +2)]