Beneath the overcast sky, the dense woods were oppressively quiet. Only the occasional gust of wind stirred the leaves with a soft rustle.
Uchiha Shisui held both hands tightly over his face, the Sharingan in one eye flickering with an eerie red light between his fingers.
He shot out of the woods like a phantom, moving swiftly and warily.
Behind him, Kakashi's brows were knitted in concentration, determination shining in his eyes as he kept pace without slowing.
"Is the Valley of the End up ahead?" Shisui murmured, his voice flat. "I'll finish you off right here."
With that, he spun around and flung several shuriken behind him, their blades flashing as they flew straight at Kakashi.
Kakashi reacted quickly, dodging to the side while drawing a kunai to deflect them. The sharp clang of metal rang out, forcing him to halt for a moment.
Taking advantage of the opening, Shisui swiftly changed direction and dashed away like an arrow loosed from its bow.
Before long, Shisui burst through a thicket. Before him, two enormous stone statues stood majestically on opposite banks of the river, their faces stern and their presence imposing.
They were the protagonists of the legendary battle of years past—Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. Though the years had passed, the statues still radiated an awe-inspiring presence.
Without hesitation, Uchiha Shisui leaped from the high cliff and plummeted toward the river.
The wind howled past his ears, his clothes snapping in the gale. The instant he landed, the tremendous impact sent water surging several yards into the air before it slowly fell back down.
Kakashi reached the cliff's edge and saw that Shisui had already jumped. A flash of resolve crossed his eyes, and he immediately leaped after him, his agile form plunging toward the river.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
Just as Kakashi's toes touched the river's surface, sending up a spray of water, Uchiha Shisui's low voice suddenly rang out over the water.
In an instant, several shuriken wrapped in blazing flames shot toward Kakashi at tremendous speed, like meteors trailing fiery tails across the night sky.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" Kakashi reacted with extraordinary speed. Almost the instant Uchiha Shisui began his jutsu, his hands flashed through Hand Seals as he let out a sharp shout.
The surrounding river surged as if driven by some mysterious, powerful force. In the blink of an eye, the water rose and gathered into a wall, standing firmly before Kakashi.
The flaming shuriken slammed into the water wall with a series of muffled thuds.
Fire and water clashed fiercely. Steam filled the air, accompanied by a sizzling hiss. The water gradually smothered the flames, and one by one, the shuriken were deflected into the river, splashing up glittering droplets.
Though he had successfully blocked the fierce attack, the impact violently churned the river's surface. Water splashed everywhere, severely obstructing Kakashi's vision and making Shisui disappear from sight.
As Kakashi scanned his surroundings warily, his expression grim as he tried to locate Uchiha Shisui again, a blade flashed without warning from behind him.
Uchiha Shisui had somehow appeared behind him like a phantom. The kunai in his hand spun deftly between his fingers twice,
its sharp tip gleaming with a frigid light before he thrust it straight at Kakashi with blinding speed.
The keen kunai sliced through the air with a chilling hiss.
Kakashi's pupils contracted sharply. At this life-or-death moment, he had no time to think. The instant the attack struck, his body transformed into a dazzling bolt of lightning, surging toward Uchiha Shisui with a powerful current.
Watching the lightning travel through the kunai, Uchiha Shisui's lips curled into a knowing smile. "A Lightning Clone? You're still relying on such petty tricks."
As soon as he finished speaking, a muffled bang rang out. The lightning-struck Uchiha Shisui turned into wisps of white smoke and vanished into the air.
Clearly, the one who had just rushed at Kakashi was only his Shadow Clone.
"Why? Why did you defect?"
As the smoke cleared, Kakashi spotted Uchiha Shisui standing a short distance away and demanded an answer.
"The reason doesn't matter. But if I had to give one, I'd say it's probably for the sake of peace."
Uchiha Shisui spread his hands and spoke calmly.
At Shisui's idealistic words, memories of the horrors of war flashed through Kakashi's mind. He cried out angrily,
"Peace is impossible! Shisui, come back with me! Don't make any more mistakes!"
Uchiha Shisui shook his head and replied slowly,
"Kakashi, how can you know whether it's possible if you've never tried? If you came to stop me, you should turn back."
Kakashi fell silent for a moment, then pushed up his Forehead Protector, revealing a blood-red Sharingan. As if he had made up his mind, he said, "If you won't come back willingly, I'll have to take you back by force!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kakashi unleashed Chidori. Amid the mingled lightning and birdsong, he seemed to see Rin, and the Chidori dissipated the next instant.
"Looks like you're still drowning in your pain. There's no point fighting, then!"
Seeing Kakashi begin to tremble after unleashing Chidori, Uchiha Shisui lost all interest. He turned to leave.
"Wait!" Kakashi's voice rang out just as Uchiha Shisui was about to turn away.
He took a deep breath, and the chakra around him surged once more. "Once I've made up my mind, I have to see it through. Chidori!"
His eyes were filled with resolve. He forced down all his pain and confusion, replacing them with unwavering conviction.
Lightning gathered in his right palm again, brighter and more powerful than before. Its light illuminated the entire river as it roared toward Uchiha Shisui.
Just as the Chidori, brimming with destructive force, was about to touch Uchiha Shisui, he calmly turned his neck and tilted his head. The ferocious attack grazed his clothes.
Almost at the same instant, Uchiha Shisui's left hand shot out like lightning and caught Kakashi by the wrist.
Kakashi felt an immense force clamp down on his wrist like an iron vise, leaving him unable to move.
Then a blood-red Sharingan appeared in Uchiha Shisui's eyes, its Three-Tomoe spinning rapidly as an eerie light swirled within them.
An invisible force surged from his gaze straight into the depths of Kakashi's consciousness.
Before Kakashi could react, a sharp pain struck his head. The world before his eyes twisted and warped.
The scenery around him shifted constantly, and one illusory scene after another flashed through his mind like images from a revolving lantern. In an instant, the power of the genjutsu overwhelmed him, and he lost consciousness, his mind becoming hazy.
Seeing that Kakashi had fallen under his genjutsu, Uchiha Shisui's eyes flashed coldly. He raised his right leg and kicked Kakashi hard in the stomach.
The kick had tremendous force. Kakashi flew backward like a kite with its string cut, unable to control himself.
He traced an arc through the air and crashed onto the riverbank, kicking up a cloud of dust.
At that moment, dozens of figures appeared on the cliff's edge—all of them Anbu.
"Sorry for the trouble, Kakashi. Buy me some time."
With that, Uchiha Shisui gave the unconscious Kakashi one last look, then vanished in a flash, leaving behind the river, its surface calm once more.