"I saw you on the training field," Shisui replied, leaning against the tree trunk.
"Did you follow us just to challenge me, Might Guy?" Kakashi asked as he put his Kunai away in his ninja tool pouch.
"Of... of course! Dad told me to challenge you, Kakashi. You're a genius, so you must be really strong. I might not be able to beat you now, but I'll use this as my punishment! It'll keep me in line! When I get stronger, I'll challenge you!" The more Might Guy spoke, the more confident he became. Somehow, even his fear miraculously faded away.
"Guy! Well done! That's youth!" His father's words suddenly rang in Might Guy's mind, and tears began streaming down his face uncontrollably.
While Might Guy was busy moving himself, Kakashi and Shisui had already walked far away. As the class dead last, Guy simply couldn't hold their interest.
"Kakashi, what are you going to do next? Keep wasting your time at the Ninja Academy, or graduate early and become a ninja?" Shisui sat on the grass at the training ground and looked over at Kakashi, who was practicing with Shuriken.
Thwack, thwack, thwack. All three Shuriken hit the bullseye. Kakashi turned to look at the sky and said slowly, "The Ninja Academy only teaches the Three Basic Jutsu and some theory. I've already mastered it all. Maybe I'll apply for early graduation in a few days. What about you, Shisui? Will you apply for early graduation too?"
"I've already applied." Shisui smiled.
"You! When did you do that?"
"Right after the Third's speech. I told Teacher Onizuka."
Shisui spread his hands innocently.
"I'm going to see Teacher Onizuka now." Kakashi naturally didn't want to wait too long. If Shisui had already applied for early graduation, he couldn't afford to fall behind.
With that, Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique and left the training ground.
Shisui watched Kakashi's retreating figure, then turned and called toward the woods behind him. "Are you still not coming out?"
As soon as Uchiha Shisui's words fell, three masked ninjas leaped out of the woods.
"Uchiha Shisui, come with us."
"You don't look like Anbu. If I'm not mistaken, you're from Root." Uchiha Shisui bluntly identified the three.
"Kid, you know too much." The ninja wearing a Fox Mask drew his long blade and took a fighting stance.
"Captain, that person said—" The ninja beside him hurriedly tried to remind him.
"Don't worry. I'm just going to teach this ignorant brat a lesson."
"Then let's see you try." Uchiha Shisui's black eyes instantly turned scarlet, and two Tomoe began to slowly revolve within them.
"Two Tomoe!" The three were shocked. The Tomoe also showed that his strength had reached Chunin level.
"Lord Danzo was right. A genius we can't control is better off dead," the ninja in the Fox Mask muttered.
"Kid, you should be grateful to die by my blade." Fox let out a sinister laugh, then used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Uchiha Shisui. His blade gleamed coldly as he slashed diagonally at Shisui, who hadn't yet reacted.
Uchiha Shisui coughed up blood, unable to make a sound. He had been cut in half at the waist.
"Tsk. What an arrogant brat. Pathetic." Fox put away his Ninja Blade and wiped the blood from his vest, but for some reason, the more he wiped, the more blood there seemed to be.
"Looks like you're the most arrogant one here."
At that moment, Uchiha Shisui's voice came from behind Fox, and a sharp Kunai pierced through his chest.
"You... cough... when..." Fox's throat felt as though countless tiny needles were stabbing into it. Every breath dragged out unbearable pain.
He tried to speak, but it felt as if something had sealed his throat shut. When he opened his mouth, a sickly-sweet liquid rose up. He coughed, and drops of bright red blood fell to the ground.
"Captain!" The two ninjas in the distance stared in disbelief. They hadn't expected a child attending the Ninja Academy to be able to kill their Chunin-level captain.
"Damn it! Stop standing there and fight back! Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" The ninja in the Bird Mask rapidly formed Hand Seals, and a huge spiral of wind spread out across the field.
"Bird, I'll help you. Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The ninja in the Dog Mask immediately spat out a burst of flame, adding it to the Wind Release.
The flames rode the wind and swiftly erupted into a fiery tornado.
"With a compound technique on this scale, that kid's probably already been reduced to ashes." The ninja in the Bird Mask looked smug.
"Your jutsu are too small-scale to compete with mine. Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Just as the fiery tornado was about to collide with Uchiha Shisui, he suddenly threw his head back. His chest heaved as he took a deep breath, his cheeks swelling. With a deafening roar, scorching flames surged from his mouth like raging magma, forming a gigantic fire dragon that roared toward its target.
Everything in its path was swallowed in an instant. The blazing heat scorched the earth until it cracked, and billowing smoke blotted out the sky. It was as if nothing remained between heaven and earth but the world-devouring flames.
"What? This... this is a B-rank jutsu?"
"Damn it, stop gawking and defend yourselves! Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Hiss—The Water Formation Wall might as well have been a joke. It turned to steam in an instant, followed by screams as the flames consumed them.
"It's over." Uchiha Shisui took a deep breath, exhaustion spreading through his body. "Releasing all my power is still too much. I've nearly run out of chakra."
Feeling someone approach from behind, Uchiha Shisui could no longer afford to dwell on his exhaustion. He used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.
Whoosh, whoosh. Two figures rushed over from a distance. The training ground had been left in ruins by the flames, with hardly any visible signs of a fight.
"This was at least an S-rank jutsu. Hurry and report it to Lord Hokage."
One of the Anbu said to his companion.
"Yes, Captain."
The Hokage Building was still busy at dusk. Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully examined the scroll in his hands. A moment later, he murmured, "An S-rank jutsu? Could it have been an enemy spy?"
"Danzo, we lost several of my men during a mission. I need replacements. Approve the people on this scroll."
Just then, Danzo barged into the Hokage's office with a scroll in hand.
"Danzo, what has Root been doing in the village?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, looking up from the scroll.
"Hmph. An enemy spy tried to infiltrate the village. I merely took some measures." Faced with the question, Danzo gave the excuse he'd prepared in advance.
He couldn't possibly admit that the ninjas trained by Root had been beaten by a kid from the Ninja Academy.
"The Daimyo's pressure is mounting. If anything else happens to Konoha, then..." At that, the two fell into a knowing silence.
"I'll take care of Sakumo's situation." Danzo handed the scroll to Hiruzen Sarutobi, his expression dark.
"All it'll take is creating some public pressure. He won't be able to keep that position. And Root needs to keep a low profile for a while. Don't cause any more trouble in the village," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, taking a puff from his pipe.