Clang—clang—!
Along the forest path, several kunai collided midair, rebounded at bizarre angles, and pierced straight through a massive tree trunk.
Shhk—!
A tearing sound brushed past Shisui's ear. He tilted his head just in time. A kunai sliced off a strand of hair and slammed violently into another tree behind him.
His pupils shrank.
On the kunai's handle—
An explosive tag.
Boom!!!
The forest erupted in an explosion.
Shisui flickered away with the Body Flicker Technique, reappearing at a distance. A bead of cold sweat slid down his temple.
"Hey, hey… this is just sparring! There's no need for explosive tags!"
"And that kind of force—if I hadn't dodged, that would've gone straight through my skull!"
"Are you trying to kill me, Sora?!"
…
Perched on another branch, Uchiha Sora held several kunai between his fingers.
"You're stronger than me. Of course I have to go all out."
"You're Shisui of the Body Flicker. That won't kill you."
Even so—
Shisui was deeply unsettled by Sora's rapid progress.
…
During their journey toward the Land of Rice Fields, Sora challenged Shisui whenever he had time.
Shisui had battlefield experience and was a prodigy Uchiha whose overall abilities were near maxed. There was much to learn from him.
Over these days, Sora had mastered Shisui's kunai-throwing technique.
It required not only the Sharingan's visual acuity, but also exceptional reaction speed and trajectory calculation.
In typical shinobi combat, tools and taijutsu dominated the early exchange. After gathering enough information, one would strike decisively with ninjutsu.
No one opened with their ultimate move.
…
Beneath Sora's torn sleeves, well-defined muscle lines were visible.
Scars layered over scars. Some had long faded. Others were still fresh, recently scabbed.
Most bore the marks of blades.
Shisui's expression darkened.
"Sora… you must have endured a great deal…"
…
Shisui rarely saw Sora train in the clan grounds.
From the age of three, Sora had trained at Cat Paradise.
He had no master. His parents had left behind no advanced techniques.
The most valuable scroll he inherited was a summoning contract with a ninja cat.
His father's cat.
The same cat who had died alongside him.
Garo was that cat's offspring.
For one boy and one cat to reach this point—
The effort and pain behind it were unimaginable.
Yet Sora had never pitied himself.
Compared to his previous life, this one was already a blessing.
He was sincerely grateful for the chance to live again.
Whatever hardships awaited—
Whatever price he had to pay—
It did not matter.
As long as he lived vividly and freely.
Sora grinned.
"I don't need sympathy."
"Feeling yourself grow stronger is a very satisfying thing."
…
Shisui lowered his blade across his body.
"In raw power, you surpass me."
"But in speed and ninjutsu…"
"I surpass you."
Shisui was serious now.
More than a dozen Shisui figures materialized—half real, half illusion.
This was the technique that earned him the title Shisui of the Body Flicker—
The Phantom Body Flicker Technique.
…
The Body Flicker Technique encompassed a broad category of high-speed movement methods.
Strictly speaking, even the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique was a form of advanced Body Flicker.
But Shisui's variant fused genjutsu into movement, forming an extraordinarily complex hybrid technique.
Unlike Shadow Clones, his phantom images did not dissipate when struck.
They would phase through attacks—only solidifying when delivering their own.
Even with the Sharingan active, Sora could not discern which was the original.
No flaw.
No gap.
In terms of genjutsu talent, even Itachi Uchiha had once admitted inferiority.
Sora was not a genjutsu prodigy.
His defeat of Danzō had relied on Rayquaza's overwhelming energy.
If categorized—
He resembled Madara Uchiha or Sasuke Uchiha.
An Uchiha inclined toward ninjutsu and taijutsu.
…
The instant he recognized he could not see through it, Sora closed his eyes and rapidly formed hand seals.
He exhaled a torrent of superheated flame mixed with scorching ash.
Fire Release: Hiding in Ash Technique!
Boom!!
The fire ignited the ash cloud in a violent blast, obscuring the battlefield.
—
—
Half an hour later.
Shisui, breathing heavily, scanned the surroundings.
No sign of Sora.
Crack.
The earth beneath his feet split open.
A fist burst from the ground, driving toward his face.
Flash—
Shisui's wrist turned. His blade angled downward.
…
The tip of the sword touched Sora's forehead.
Sora's fist hovered two inches from Shisui's face.
Loose soil fell from Sora's shoulders as he shook it off.
"You win."
Shisui exhaled deeply and sheathed his blade.
"Your training intensity is insane. I don't enjoy sparring with you. Training with Itachi is far more relaxing."
"Is that so…"
Sora smiled faintly.
"Then next time we travel, let's bring Itachi along."
Shisui's eyes lit up.
"Deal."
After cleaning up, they resumed their journey.
From the Land of Whirlpools to the Land of Rice Fields, the shortest route cut through the Land of Fire.
Instead, they traveled along its borders, passing through smaller nations.
Subjugating the Fūma clan was only one objective.
More importantly—
They needed to open trade routes.
The Uchiha had no true specialty product.
If forced to name one—
It was their overwhelming individual strength.
Sora intended to follow Orochimaru's model in founding Otogakure—first securing the support of a minor nation's daimyō.
Though in that respect…
He might emulate Obito's manipulation of the Land of Water.
Negotiation? Intimidation? Persuasion?
Unnecessary.
That was what talentless people like Orochimaru resorted to.
They had the Sharingan.
One genjutsu—
And the daimyō would be under control.
Manipulating the Kage of a Great Nation was unrealistic for now.
But a minor country's daimyō?
With Shisui's abilities—
Trivial.
Sora had always wondered why, during the Warring States Period, the Uchiha had chosen to serve as blades for pig-like nobles despite possessing genjutsu capable of controlling minds.
In modern terms—
That was ruler-tier ability.
Perhaps it was cultural limitation.
Or perhaps—
The Uchiha were simply too mentally stable back then.
…
As they emerged from the forest, the road grew busier.
Travelers noticed their shinobi attire and instinctively kept their distance.
Compared to the vast civilian population, shinobi were rare.
Consider this—
A few tens of thousands of shinobi could defend a Great Nation.
That alone revealed their scarcity.
Their first destination among the smaller nations—
The Land of Hot Water.
Its name derived from its many hot springs.
Rich geothermal resources fueled a thriving hot spring industry, attracting countless visitors.
Including certain suspicious white-haired individuals.
If memory served—
The "holy land" that inspired Icha Icha Paradise was modeled after somewhere here.
The Land of Hot Water was ruled by a daimyō.
Its military strength was weak.
Caught between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, its aristocrats often commissioned missions from those two Great Nations, rendering Yugakure nearly irrelevant.
Looking down at the hot spring inns nestled among the valleys—
At the bustling merchant caravans—
Sora's eyes gleamed.
He was not looking at scenery.
He was looking at future funding.
No—
A slab of fresh meat waiting to be carved.