Rising Fame

Thanks to an outstanding counter-encirclement battle, Uchiha Daiki gradually established a respectable standing in the hearts of most Uchiha clansmen.

Labels like "genius," "powerful," and "calm and decisive" naturally came to be attached to Uchiha Daiki.

No one now called Uchiha Daiki "the descendant of that 'Strongest Three Tomoe.'"

When his name was mentioned, the clansmen would say, "The man who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Body Flicker Shisui."

Uchiha Daiki did not intervene in the gradual change in his clansmen's impression of him, instead allowing it to happen naturally.

He understood the principle of not yielding when righteousness demanded action.

Besides, earning the respect of his own clansmen was also a fine beginning to his plan to rewrite the Uchiha's fate.

After that, Uchiha Daiki led those clansmen, who should originally have become cannon fodder on the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War, in successful raids that wiped out multiple Kirigakure forces active on the battlefield.

From the fact that during the Fourth Great Ninja War, the total number of the Allied Shinobi Forces from across the ninja world, together with the samurai of the Land of Iron, was only eighty thousand, one could see—

Even powerful nations such as the Five Great Shinobi Nations—whether it was Konoha, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, or Iwagakure—

The total fighting strength they could directly commit to the battlefield was actually very limited.

Under present circumstances, it was already quite impressive for a single ninja village to field more than ten thousand combatants in total.

Under such circumstances, Kirigakure had successively lost several surprise-attack units, amounting to several hundred men.

That was already enough to make them feel the painful loss.

Information from the battlefield naturally made its way to the ears of Kirigakure's higher-ups.

The name that had brought fear to countless Kirigakure ninja—the man known as the "Man Who Surpassed the Body Flicker Shisui"—gradually spread across the entire battlefield as well.

At that moment, in a concealed corner at the edge of the battlefield near the eastern border of the Land of Fire.

Uchiha Shisui was observing the situation outside from his hiding spot.

His mission that day was to ambush an elite unit from Kirigakure.

According to the intelligence, the opponents would be troublesome as well.

Several Konoha combat squads had already fallen prey to them in succession.

The enemy had also sabotaged Konoha's supplies.

That was why the higher-ups had directly dispatched this Uchiha genius to deal with those enemies, hoping to turn the situation around.

Before long, Uchiha Shisui detected movement in the forest.

Without revealing anything, he continued observing from concealment.

Soon, he saw eight ninja rapidly approaching from directly ahead.

Although the distance between them was still over two hundred meters.

For Uchiha Shisui, whose Sharingan possessed exceptional perception, clearly seeing the opponents' numbers and appearances was no difficult task.

He noticed that the man in the lead looked only to be in his twenties, yet his face was full of authority. At a glance, he was clearly no good man.

Moreover, every Kirigakure ninja following at his side possessed at least jonin-level strength.

But that was not all Uchiha Shisui noticed.

He also saw that the man leading them wore a black eyepatch over his right eye.

It looked as though he had lost his left eye.

Yet Uchiha Shisui's gaze sharpened slightly at that moment.

Because through his Sharingan, he had already detected that the path of Chakra flowing inside the enemy's body was unusual.

What is going on with that eye?

Even as Uchiha Shisui felt surprised inwardly, the enemy stopped around fifty or sixty meters away from him.

The Kirigakure Jonin in the lead directly gestured for the others to halt, his piercing gaze fixed on the spot where Uchiha Shisui was hiding.

Clearly, he had already discovered Uchiha Shisui lying in wait there.

"What is it, Captain Ao?"

A confused team member asked.

"My right eye was lost on the battlefield, but by a fortunate coincidence, it was replaced. This new eye of mine is unlike an ordinary eye."

The man called Ao was answering his teammate's question. As he spoke, he pulled out a Kunai and hurled it directly toward Uchiha Shisui's position.

The sharp Kunai sliced through the air, striking Uchiha Shisui's location with lightning speed and perfect accuracy.

However, the Kunai vanished as though it had sunk into the sea.

Ao then raised his head and looked toward the upper part of the large tree ahead.

His eyes instantly narrowed.

The other team members followed his gaze upward, and their expressions changed slightly as well.

A young man had appeared in the spot that had clearly been empty just moments ago.

He looked only around ten years old, still just a boy.

Yet his resolute gaze, and that brilliant crimson gleam in his eyes that sent chills through their hearts, told every Kirigakure Ninja present that this boy was not someone to be trifled with.

"Body Flicker Shisui..."

Ao, the squad leader, grew solemn as he slowly uttered those four words.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Shisui curiously yet coldly assessed the enemies below, showing no fear despite their numbers being several times greater than his own side's.

"So he's Body Flicker Shisui?"

"There's no mistake. There are far too many rumors about him on the battlefield, and we've gathered plenty of intelligence on him as well!"

"It seems our mission must be called off."

Ao spoke in a low voice.

He knew his own limits.

He knew that even with his squad's strength, along with the assistance of the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan they had only recently seized, even if they could contend with Uchiha Shisui, both sides would inevitably pay a terrible price.

Such a battle simply wasn't worth it.

Thus, Ao immediately decided to retreat.

Fortunately, Uchiha Shisui showed no intention of intercepting them.

Clearly, he had reached the same conclusion as Ao.

Even if he could defeat eight Jonin by himself, it would only be a pyrrhic victory. The reason was simple: his opponent's right eye possessed the Kekkei Genkai of Konoha's Hyuga Clan—the Byakugan.

A dojutsu said to possess the greatest powers of perception.

"Your Uchiha Clan truly is an exceptional ninja clan, to have produced two unbelievable geniuses at once."

"Before you leave, could you tell me what your relationship with Uchiha Daiki is?"

Ao watched Uchiha Shisui warily. The Byakugan in his right eye had long since been activated, and the flow of Chakra within his opponent's body was clearly displayed before him.

On one hand, he asked out of personal curiosity. More importantly, he hoped to use the opportunity to gather intelligence on the Uchiha Clan.

After all, one of the reasons he had personally led a team onto the battlefield this time was to investigate information about that man.

The Man Who Surpassed the Body Flicker Shisui—Uchiha Daiki.