Skillful and Superior!

He had passed the Chunin Exams just that day.

No.

It wasn't a simple pass; he had successfully dragged the proctoring Special Jonin into a war of attrition by leveraging the advantages of his Sharingan and Body Flicker Technique.

This could only mean that Shisui's strength already surpassed that of an ordinary Chunin!

This strike was a sure thing!

Yet, in the very next instant, Shisui's body stiffened abruptly as an inexplicable sense of crisis washed over him.

Not good!

The thought had barely flashed through Shisui's mind when his wrist was seized.

"Couldn't hold back anymore?!"

"Little mouse!"

Uchiha Shingen's voice rang in Shisui's ear, breaking him out in a cold sweat.

Immediately, Shisui felt a tremendous force erupt from the hand gripping his forearm, swinging his body violently toward the ground.

It was like wielding a sword!

This was the boost provided by his Level 3 Taijutsu; his strength, flexibility, and durability had all undergone a qualitative change.

At this moment, even in terms of pure physical fitness, Uchiha Shingen was no weaker than an adult Chunin specializing in taijutsu.

In this regard, the not-yet-eight-year-old Shisui was at a massive disadvantage. If he were to take this blow head-on with his current physique, the fight would end in an instant!

Shisui had originally thought he had overestimated Uchiha Shingen, but he hadn't expected the gap in their physical capabilities to be this extreme!

Captain Shingen specializes in taijutsu?!

I've never heard of any Uchiha clansman known for their taijutsu!

Despite his inner confusion, Shisui's reaction was not slow.

The moment before Uchiha Shingen's strike could hit the ground, Shisui switched the kunai in his hand to the other.

He twisted his waist, launching a fierce slash toward Uchiha Shingen's chest, flames erupting from the blade of the kunai and illuminating the surroundings!

"Hmm?!"

The lazy expression on Uchiha Shingen's face vanished, replaced by a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Sword Leap Flame?"

"Which clansman is trying to sabotage me?!"

"Forget it, I'll just beat him into submission first!"

With that thought.

Uchiha Shingen's gaze turned dangerous.

He released his grip on Shisui and activated the Body Flicker Technique to evade the slash.

Having barely escaped, Shisui looked up at Uchiha Shingen, only to see three scarlet tomoe slowly rotating within his eyes!

"Three-Tomoe Sharingan?!"

"Captain Shingen's ocular power has already reached this level!"

Shisui's pupils constricted, and the hair on his body stood on end.

Shisui had considered that Uchiha Shingen might be strong, but he assumed the gap would be minimal at most.

After all, the difference in talent displayed by Uchiha Shingen compared to Shisui was simply too vast.

Even though he was a few years older, Shisui had been confident in his ability to win.

But the moment they actually clashed, Shisui realized just how exaggerated the gap between himself and the man before him truly was.

The number of tomoe represented the level of ocular power; even a difference of a single tomoe meant a crushing disparity in power, and Shisui was currently on the receiving end of that suppression.

What was even more troublesome was the powerful taijutsu that had suppressed him in a single exchange!

Realizing this, Shisui's eyes grew grave. He quickly formed hand seals, preparing to unleash a Great Fireball, but he didn't expect his movements to have already been seen through by Uchiha Shingen.

Before he could even complete the technique, a fireball occupied his entire field of vision, expanding to an exaggerated size of nearly ten meters in a split second!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Shisui felt his scalp tingle.

He had only ever seen a Great Fireball of this magnitude used by the veteran Jonin of the Police Force.

Achieving this level required an immense amount of chakra and masterful control.

In other words.

In terms of chakra volume and manipulation alone, Uchiha Shingen was already on par with the veteran Jonin of the clan.

Add in the taijutsu he had just displayed, along with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan... did Captain Shingen already possess Jonin-level combat strength?

As this thought crossed his mind, Shisui couldn't help but feel a sense of shock.

A thirteen-year-old Chunin might not be much, but a thirteen-year-old Jonin carries an entirely different significance.

It nearly tied the previous historical record of Konoha!

Big Brother Shingen... is also a genius?!

Oh no, if that fireball hits, it'll really kill someone!

At the very last split second.

The Great Fireball that Shisui had already finished weaving signs for erupted from his own mouth as well.

In just an instant, Shisui's Great Fireball was swallowed by Uchiha Shingen's, a result of the massive gap in chakra volume and control.

However.

Buying a single moment was enough for Shisui.

What he was truly confident in was neither his swordsmanship nor his genjutsu, but the simplest of all: the Body Flicker Technique!

The signs for the Body Flicker Technique were completed in an instant, and Shisui almost saw the image of himself escaping, but the very next second, his body stiffened violently, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

"Isn't this too reckless?"

He watched as the massive fireball in mid-air collapsed, like a bursting bubble, turning into specks of sparks that flew in all directions before being quickly swallowed by the night.

Uchiha Shingen's figure emerged from within, reaching Shisui in a flash, pressing a hand onto Shisui's mask and slamming him hard into the ground!

Bang--!

The exaggerated force brought by Level 3 Taijutsu shattered the floorboards directly; Shisui felt his back go numb, and a metallic, fishy taste immediately welled up in his throat!

His ribs were broken, his internal organs were damaged to varying degrees—if this continued, he would die!

"It's me!"

"Captain Shingen!"

The familiar voice made Uchiha Shingen pause. He removed the mask from Shisui's face, his body slightly stunned:

"It's you?!"

"Don't do such dangerous things next time, it's easy to get yourself killed!"

Shisui smiled bitterly, unable to voice his grievances.

The beating he didn't receive during the Chunin exams had been fully made up for by Uchiha Shingen tonight.

"I didn't expect Captain Shingen's strength to have reached this level!"

"Cough, cough--!"

Shisui couldn't help but cough up a few mouthfuls of blood, a lingering fear rising in his heart.

Although the exchange was brief, it was extremely perilous.

From the start of the fight to the end, he had been suppressed by Uchiha Shingen in every aspect.

This unassuming little captain of the Police Force already possessed combat power no less than that of a Jonin.

This was no longer just a genius; this was a monster through and through.

If one were to combine such combat power with his methods of handling affairs...

"The Uchiha have produced quite the remarkable figure."

In the dark of night.

A hoarse voice rang out, and then several figures wearing various animal masks emerged from the shadows, surrounding Uchiha Shingen and the other.

"This is..."

Uchiha Shingen scanned the circle, his brows furrowed tightly:

"Did you arrange this too?!"

Shisui shook his head in confusion, a bad premonition rising in his heart:

"This attire... it should be the Root organization!"

Uchiha Shingen's just-relaxed mood tightened instantly once more.

Although he had never heard of such an organization in Konoha, to arrive here in the dead of night and be able to infiltrate the heart of the Uchiha territory...

Uchiha Shingen's pupils constricted violently as he suddenly realized what he had overlooked.

With the commotion of his fight with Shisui being so loud, logically, the ninjas within the clan should have noticed long ago, yet there hadn't been a single sound until now!

Something was wrong!