A Mere Ordinary Chunin

Not long afterward, Shiba Seika heard from Uchiha Shisui in Cat Country that the Uchiha Clan was about to head to the battlefield.

To be honest, he had been a little disappointed when he first heard the news.

Not long before, right after Yūno Ryōma had died, he had clearly handed the Uchiha Clan a weapon through Shisui.

But from Shisui's description, it seemed that even up until a few days ago, when Iwagakure entered the fray and declared war on Konoha, Clan Head Fugaku still hadn't used that weapon!

If someone had stood up and publicly impeached Danzo in the village before then, Root's position in Konoha should have been even worse than it was now.

It was a shame Fugaku still hadn't done anything...

These people were useless even when he handed them an opportunity!

Shiba Seika sighed inwardly, reflecting that he shouldn't have expected too much from someone like Fugaku Uchiha.

Still, he quickly adjusted his mindset.

After all, he wasn't a god. It was impossible for him to account for every contingency.

Strategists were all people who did everything they could, then left the rest to fate.

He had already been blessed by fate more than enough; he really shouldn't complain about this one little miscalculation.

Then he asked Shisui what had brought him here, and received an answer he hadn't expected.

"Aizen, I know you're incredibly strong. You're definitely more than just an ordinary chūnin."

"I'm about to head to the battlefield. Before I go, could I ask you to spar with me once? I want to test my mettle."

You Uchiha really do love throwing the word "mettle" around all the time, Shiba Seika grumbled inwardly.

Still, he readily agreed.

First, he had just developed a new jutsu and needed a worthy sparring partner to test it in actual combat.

Second, after realizing that Fugaku Uchiha was hopeless, Shiba Seika's hopes for Shisui naturally soared!

He had already been thinking about manipulating Uchiha Shisui. Now, that desire would only grow stronger, like wildfire spreading across a plain.

If he wanted to use the Uchiha Clan to stir things up, he'd have to rely on Shisui. Fugaku was just a useless fool—he barely knew the guy...

"That's great, Aizen. Let's head to the training ground now!"

Uchiha Shisui seemed just as eager.

Shiba Seika smiled warmly, though a profound glint flickered in his eyes.

From Shisui's impatience, he could read anxiety, loneliness, and confusion.

The chance to take advantage of the situation had finally arrived!

At that moment, Shiba Seika secretly resolved that he would show some real skill, even if it meant taking a risk. He didn't care if he had to stray a little from the persona he had carefully built!

Every member of the Uchiha Clan was a battle maniac. If he wanted them to acknowledge him and listen to what he had to say, he had to show them what he could do.

"Aizen, my main strengths are Body Flicker Technique, Genjutsu, and clones. I've also awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, so be careful."

Shisui really was one of the few well-behaved Uchiha. He even volunteered what he specialized in before their spar.

"Sure. My specialties are Kenjutsu and Wind Release, so you should be careful too, Shisui." Shiba Seika returned the courtesy.

Still, he kept one thing to himself: he didn't mention his skill with Genjutsu.

"Aizen, let's start with the Seal of Confrontation. Uh, is that a custom in the Land of Rain?"

"It's fine. I know the custom."

The two faced each other, nodded, and formed the seal in the only training ground in Cat Country, a simple, makeshift place.

Then they both sprang back with agile leaps!

As they widened the distance between them, their hands swiftly formed Hand Seals!

"Shadow Clone!"

"Wind Release: Wind Rest Three Flash!"

Since Wind Rest Three Flash was a jutsu he had created himself and no one else had seen it, Shiba Seika didn't mind his opponent hearing its name.

Sure enough, Uchiha Shisui paused when he heard it.

What kind of jutsu was that? He'd never heard of it.

There was no time to think. Once the Shadow Clones were ready, Shisui formed another seal, then flicked a Kunai into his hand. The battle's sequence of moves was officially underway!

Shiba Seika saw the last seal clearly—it was exactly what he had expected: the Body Flicker Technique!

At this point in time, Uchiha Shisui hadn't yet earned the title "Shisui the Body Flicker" on the battlefield, but that didn't mean his Body Flicker Technique wasn't already at its peak!

In the blink of an eye, all four Shisuis—the original and his three Shadow Clones—vanished from where they stood!

If this had happened a month earlier, Shiba Seika's heart would surely have started racing.

Fortunately, after killing Yūno Ryōma, he had gained some knowledge of sensing and counter-surveillance from the system. It included tips on feeling the air currents and locating opponents by sound.

That gave him the confidence to stay calm under pressure.

A breeze from the right!

He immediately slashed in that direction!

But his blade passed through without the slightest resistance.

It wasn't even a clone; he felt no contact with a solid body at all. It was more like a... afterimage?

Another Body Flicker?

Without stopping his footwork, Shiba Seika pivoted with a crossover step. Guided by his sense of the air currents, he swiftly thrust behind him again.

The strike was unbelievably fast, startling even Uchiha Shisui.

But then—

With a "poof," the Uchiha Shisui struck by the blade burst into a cloud of white smoke.

That still wasn't the real one!

And right then, wind rushed in from all four directions!

Shiba Seika had clearly watched Uchiha Shisui create only three clones at the start of the fight. Now one clone had been struck, so why were there still four simultaneous sounds of something cutting through the air?

Could the Body Flicker Technique really achieve this?

At that moment, Shiba Seika's mind was as still as water. He even closed his eyes.

Like a drop of water falling into a quiet lake!

He heard the real secret hidden in the wind!

The next moment, he drew his sword back to his waist and swiftly stepped in one direction.

As he slid forward, his body turned clockwise. His katana followed with a horizontal slash, tracing an elegant, deadly circle through the air!

The blade flashed, and the wind rose!

That was Shiba Seika's third slash. A whirlwind answered his call!

And because this time his third slash wasn't an upward cut but a sweeping circle around his body, the whirlwind burst outward in a ring around him!

Who said a prepared jutsu had to follow just one pattern?

Death was like the wind, always at his side. The blade's path was unpredictable—and so was the wind's!

"Wh—"

Now Uchiha Shisui was truly startled.

The whirlwind had come so suddenly that he had no time to react.

Three muffled impacts rang out in quick succession: "Poof! Poof! Clang!"

The first two marked the destruction of Shisui's Shadow Clones, while the last was the sound of the katana striking his Kunai!

The sharp blades of wind also sliced through Uchiha Shisui's flak jacket, forcing him to retreat in disarray.

He kept leaping back to widen the distance, put away his Kunai, and quickly began forming Hand Seals for a second round.

But by then, Shiba Seika had completely figured out Shisui's secret. His pursuit was especially forceful and relentless.

"I see. Your Body Flicker isn't really impossible to counter. You're using Genjutsu and sensory deception to make it seem that way, right?"

Hearing Shiba Seika expose his secret in a single sentence, Uchiha Shisui's expression finally changed.

How could this be?!

How long had they been fighting? One second? Two?

How had his opponent seen through the technique he was so proud of so quickly?

Aizen, was this what you meant when you introduced yourself as "a mere ordinary Chunin"?!