The sun had already set in the west, and its pale red glow spread a thin crimson carpet across the ground.
"You're going to the Land of Waterfalls?"
In the quiet Training Ground, after hearing Sasuke explain the mission, Shisui furrowed his brow as he leaned against a tree and asked.
"Have you been to the Land of Waterfalls, Shisui?"
Sasuke blinked and asked in return.
"No, but I've heard from people in the intelligence division that the Land of Waterfalls has many waterfalls. They rely on massive waterfalls to stop invasions from other countries. One of the largest even conceals the Waterfall Hidden Village, which has some excellent ninja."
Shisui shook his head, then explained.
"What a mysterious country. I'll make sure to see it for myself on this mission."
Sasuke smiled faintly.
"Completing the mission will take a few days, but traveling and gaining experience will help you a lot. You don't need to train today. Head home early and get ready."
After a brief silence, Shisui suddenly said to Sasuke.
"I've trained enough for now. Before I leave the village, let's spar one more time!"
Sasuke's lips curled into a grin. He scratched his head, a hint of mischief flashing in his dark eyes.
Sasuke loved fighting skilled opponents like Itachi, Shisui, and Kakashi. He could learn a lot in battle, things that couldn't be gained from theory alone.
"All right!"
Looking at Sasuke's half-smile, Shisui could only shrug helplessly.
"It's a little cramped here. Let's go over there."
Sasuke gave Shisui a faint smile and headed toward the middle of the Training Ground.
Shisui nodded and hurried after him.
"Let's begin!"
When Shisui took out a kunai, Sasuke drew one of his own and called out.
As soon as Sasuke's voice fell, he and Shisui moved almost simultaneously. They pushed off the ground and shot toward each other.
"Clang!"
Sasuke and Shisui clashed kunai, and a rapid string of metallic clinks rang out as sparks flew.
In just a few breaths, Shisui swung his kunai nearly thirty or forty times. Yet Sasuke blocked every one of his thunderous attacks!
After an intense exchange, Shisui and Sasuke both took a few steps back.
"Sasuke, you've improved a lot!"
Looking at Sasuke, who was drenched in sweat, Shisui couldn't help but exclaim.
With his incredible speed and attack rate, Shisui could force any opponent he faced onto the defensive. But Sasuke had managed to keep up with him.
"As expected of Shisui. That speed is terrifying..."
Sasuke's arms were numb, and he murmured to himself. If he hadn't gritted his teeth and held on, he would have lost badly in that exchange.
"If I want to beat Shisui, I can't hold anything back!"
After thinking it over calmly, Sasuke tossed his kunai at Shisui and quickly formed hand seals. A moment later, he tipped his head back slightly, puffed out his cheeks, then opened his mouth and spat out a succession of fireballs.
"Phoenix Sage Fire Technique?"
After deflecting the incoming kunai, Shisui saw the fireballs Sasuke spat out follow a trajectory like the seeds of a phoenix flower. He immediately realized Sasuke had used the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
It was a basic technique commonly used by the Uchiha Clan. Shisui knew it too, and was very familiar with it.
"This level of attack won't hurt me!"
As several fireballs hurtled toward him, Shisui smiled confidently, then vanished from where he stood and reappeared in midair.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Shisui's nickname, Body Flicker Shisui, was well deserved. Sasuke's fireballs couldn't keep up with his speed and ended up smashing harmlessly into the ground.
"Shisui, don't forget—I can use Body Flicker Technique too!"
Sasuke lifted his face and smiled brightly at Shisui in the air. With a sharp shout, he stomped down hard and shot toward him in an instant, then swung a punch.
A flash of surprise crossed Shisui's eyes, but Sasuke moved so quickly that he couldn't react in time.
Sasuke's fist came crashing down, and his strength poured into Shisui. But then something unexpected happened: the Shisui who'd been hit turned out to be a log.
"Substitution Technique?"
Muttering to himself, Sasuke knew his attack had failed again.
"Heh... Sasuke, didn't I teach you that a ninja can't let his guard down in battle?"
Shisui reappeared on the ground and chuckled.
"I haven't forgotten, Shisui!"
Sasuke smiled down at him from the air.
As soon as Sasuke finished speaking, his airborne form suddenly turned into a cloud of white smoke and vanished.
"Shadow Clone Technique? This is bad..."
Shisui's expression changed at once, and a trace of wariness flashed through his eyes.
"Chidori!"
Just as Shisui sensed trouble, brilliant lightning suddenly flashed from behind a nearby tree. Sasuke charged out right after it.
"Could that be Kakashi's Lightning Blade?"
Seeing countless thin bolts of lightning coiling around Sasuke's right hand, Shisui could hardly believe his eyes.
Just two months ago, Sasuke had still been training in Chakra Nature Transformation. He couldn't believe Sasuke had mastered such a powerful S-rank Lightning Release Ninjutsu in such a short time.
"Crackle!"
Sasuke charged forward at high speed. The lightning streaming from his right hand snaked across the ground, setting off a series of small explosions. Even some of the loose stones were blasted into dust.
Shisui was warm and easygoing, and even in a fight he usually held back. But when he faced a strong opponent, the thrill of battle could make him give it his all.
Sasuke wanted to defeat Shisui with Chidori, but Shisui had no intention of giving up.
Shisui closed his eyes, then opened them again. His eyes had changed dramatically: his pupils, once black, had turned bloodred, and three evenly spaced tomoe appeared in each.
There was no doubt that Shisui had activated his Sharingan.
As the Sharingan spun, Shisui immediately saw the path of Sasuke's attack. He used a Body Flicker Technique to slip around him.
Shisui suddenly flashed into view, a sharp kunai stopping at Sasuke's back.
"You lose, Sasuke..."
With the kunai pointed at him, Shisui spoke softly with a smile.
"Ah! I guess I'll have to be more careful next time!"
Sasuke let the lightning in his hand fade and couldn't help sighing.
Once Shisui activated his Sharingan, Sasuke knew he would lose. Kakashi had told him about Chidori's weakness: if an opponent could see through its attack path, the user wouldn't be able to see the opponent's counterattack.
Of course, Sasuke didn't complain about Shisui using his Sharingan. In Sasuke's eyes, he would have been even less happy if Shisui had deliberately let him win.
If they were sparring, they should fight with all their strength. That was the only way to show respect for their opponent.