A Mere Ordinary Chunin

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

To be honest, when he first heard the news, he felt a bit disappointed.

Because not long ago, right after Yūno Ryōma died, he had clearly handed the Uchiha clan a blade through Shisui's words.

But from Shisui's description, it seemed that even up until a few days ago, when Iwagakure declared war on Konoha, Clan Head Fugaku still hadn't truly wielded that blade!

If someone had stepped forward to publicly impeach Danzo in the village before this, Root's position in Konoha should have been far worse off than it was now.

What a shame, though—Fugaku ended up doing nothing at all...

These people really couldn't make use of the opportunities he gave them!

Shiba Seika sighed inwardly, reflecting that he shouldn't have held such high expectations for someone like Fugaku Uchiha.

But he quickly adjusted his mindset.

After all, he wasn't a god; he couldn't truly plan for every contingency.

So-called strategists were nothing more than people who did their best and left the rest to fate.

He had already been favored by fate enough; he really shouldn't complain about this one miscalculation.

Then he asked Shisui the reason for his visit and got an answer he hadn't expected at all.

"Aizen-kun, I know your strength is formidable—far beyond that of a mere chunin.

I'm about to head to the battlefield soon. Before that, could I ask you to spar with me once? I want to test my own capacity."

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

But he gladly accepted the request.

For one, he had just developed a new jutsu himself and needed a worthy sparring partner to test it in real combat.

For another, after recognizing Fugaku Uchiha's true nature as mud that couldn't be plastered on a wall, Shiba Seika's interest in Shisui naturally soared!

He had already harbored thoughts of luring Uchiha Shisui, and now that desire only burned hotter, like a wildfire spreading across the plains.

If he wanted to use the Uchiha clan to stir up trouble, he had to rely on Shisui. Fugaku? What a useless fool—he didn't even know him.

"Great, Aizen-kun, let's head to the training ground now!"

Uchiha Shisui seemed eager as well.

Shiba Seika smiled warmly, but a deep glint flickered unconsciously in his eyes.

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

An opportunity to exploit his vulnerability—wasn't this it?

At that moment, Shiba Seika silently decided: even if it meant taking a risk, he would have to show some real skill this time, even if it meant slightly breaking the persona he had carefully built!

The Uchiha clan were all battle maniacs. To earn their recognition and make them listen, showing appropriate strength was a must.

"Aizen-kun, my main abilities are the Body Flicker Technique, Genjutsu, and clones. I've also awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, so be careful when we spar."

Shisui, true to being one of the rare well-behaved kids in the Uchiha clan, voluntarily revealed his specialties before the match.

"Alright, my main abilities are Kenjutsu and Wind Release. You be careful too, Shisui-kun." Shiba Seika returned the courtesy.

But he still held back, not mentioning that he was also skilled in Genjutsu.

"Aizen-kun, let's form the opposing seals first. Uh, does the Land of Rain have this custom?"

"It's fine, I know the rules."

The two of them nodded to each other and formed the seals in the simple training ground of Cat Country.

Then, both agilely leaped backward at the same time!

As they created distance, their hands flew through hand signs!

"Shadow Clone!"

"Wind Release: Wind Breath Three Strikes!"

Since Wind Breath Three Strikes was his own original jutsu that no one had seen before, Shiba Seika didn't mind the opponent hearing its name.

Sure enough, Uchiha Shisui paused slightly in confusion at the sound.

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

With no time to think further, after completing the Shadow Clone, Shisui formed another seal, then hooked a kunai, and the battle formula was set in motion!

Shiba Seika clearly saw that last seal—it was, as expected: the Body Flicker Technique!

At this point in time, Uchiha Shisui hadn't yet earned the title "Shunshin" from the battlefield, but that didn't stop his Body Flicker Technique from reaching perfection!

In the blink of an eye, including the original and three Shadow Clones, all four Shisuis vanished from their spots instantly!

If this had been a month ago, Shiba Seika's heart would have definitely started racing.

But fortunately, after taking down Yūno Ryōma, the reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance insights the system gave him happened to include some experience in perception and listening to the wind to detect positions.

This gave him a bit more confidence to stay calm in the face of change.

Wind from the right!

He immediately slashed out with his blade!

But as the edge passed through, he felt not a hint of resistance!

Not even a clone—he had no sensation of striking a solid body, more like a—residual image?

Another Body Flicker?

His feet didn't stop moving. Shiba Seika used a cross-step to pivot, letting his perception of the wind guide him as he swiftly thrust his blade toward where his back had been.

This thrust was so impossibly fast that even Uchiha Shisui was startled.

But then—

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

Still not the real body!

And at that very moment, wind sounds came from all four directions—front, back, left, and right!

At the start of the battle, Shiba Seika had clearly seen Shisui only create three clones. Now that one clone was destroyed, why were there still four simultaneous strikes rushing in?

Could the Body Flicker really achieve this level?

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

Like a single droplet falling into the lake of his heart!

He heard the true secret hidden within the wind!

The next moment, he sheathed his blade at his waist and took a swift step in one direction.

As he slid forward, his body rotated clockwise, and the longsword swung horizontally, carving an elegant, deadly circle in the air!

Blade out, wind rises!

This was Shiba Seika's third slash—a whirlwind, summoned by his call!

And because this third strike was no longer an upward sweep but a circular cut around his body, the whirlwind erupted and spread in a ring centered on him!

Who said a pre-set ninjutsu had to follow a single pattern?

Death is like the wind, always by my side. The blade's flow is unpredictable, and so is the wind's!

"Wha—"

This time, Uchiha Shisui was genuinely shocked.

The whirlwind came without warning, leaving him no time to react.

A series of muffled sounds exploded—"Bang! Bang! Clang!"

The first two marked the shattering of Shisui's Shadow Clones, while the last was the sound of the longsword striking a Kunai!

The sharp wind blades mixed in the gale also tore through Uchiha Shisui's ninja vest, forcing him to retreat in disarray.

He kept backflipping, widening the distance, while stowing his Kunai and starting a second round of hand seals.

But by now, Shiba Seika had fully grasped Shisui's secret, pursuing with overwhelming aggression and resolve!

"I see now. Your Body Flicker isn't truly unbeatable—you've mixed Genjutsu and sensory deception into it, haven't you?"

In that moment, hearing Shiba Seika lay bare his secret in a single phrase, Uchiha Shisui's expression finally shifted.

How was this possible?!

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

He had seen through his proudest technique this quickly?!

Aizen-san, is this what you meant when you introduced yourself as "just an ordinary Chunin"?!