Persuading Shisui

"Capacity, you say!" Yu shook his head. "I have simply seen the light. A battle between the Uchiha and the Konoha Elder Council is inevitable, Shisui. It is something that cannot be stopped."

"However, the outcome of that battle will determine the path of both the village and the clan. If the village elders win, the clan will be wiped out, reduced to nothing more than experimental tools for our enemies."

"But if the Uchiha win, Konoha will truly inherit the Will of Fire and sprout new, tender shoots! Shoots unlike any this world has ever seen!"

"Once these shoots absorb enough of the old nutrients, they will inevitably grow into a tree that supports the heavens. That is the true Will of Fire!"

"And we are those new shoots, shoots that hold the entire world in our hearts!"

Yu looked at a visibly shaken Shisui with an unwavering gaze.

"Shisui, what are you still hesitating for? Do you not want to see such a towering tree grow? Are you going to wither away alongside this old, dying tree? Is your Will of Fire really limited to this?"

Yu's three consecutive questions backed Shisui into a corner. He had never imagined that the Will of Fire could be interpreted in such a way.

"Yu, is it really necessary to go this far?" Shisui asked, his voice laced with pain.

"Yes! It is absolutely necessary!" Yu answered without a moment's hesitation.

Upon hearing Yu's reply, Shisui's shoulders slumped, as if all the strength had been drained from his body.

"Yu, can I really see a new tree grow to maturity?"

Watching Shisui bow his head, Yu felt a sense of relief; it seemed he was close to succeeding.

"Naturally. As long as you can break free from that narrow-minded thinking, you will realize that new shoots are always growing—they are simply destroyed time and time again. The White Fang of Konoha was one, and the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was another!"

"Yet, it is laughable that the Third Hokage and the Konoha Elder Council, who speak so loudly of the Will of Fire, are the very culprits who destroy these shoots."

"On this withered tree, all I see is generation after generation of shoots being crushed. It is never the older generation that burns; it is the children who hold dreams in their hearts!"

"How can there be any hope in a Will of Fire like that?"

At this moment, Uchiha Lieyang, Itachi, and Shisui all stared blankly at Yu as he sighed toward the sky.

"Yu! Can you break through this darkness?" Shisui asked, stunned.

"I am willing to try. What about you, Shisui?" Yu asked calmly.

"I want to try as well, but right now, I want to test the strength of Yu even more!" Shisui seemed to have made up his mind, his eyes fixed firmly on Yu.

"Naturally. I also want to see how strong you have become, Shisui. Let's go and finish this quickly; otherwise, my father will come looking for me. A six-year-old has no human rights—I can't be home late!" Yu said helplessly.

Shisui smiled. "Let's go to the Training Ground where Itachi secretly practices! It's far enough from the village that we can fight without holding back."

"Good!" Yu replied firmly.

Instantly, Uchiha Lieyang and Itachi grew excited.

"Finally, I get to see the Young Clan Head make a move. We must teach this cocky guy a lesson."

"Is my brother going to duel with Shisui?" Itachi's eyes flashed with intensity.

The three prepared to leave, but Yu suddenly called out to them.

"Wait a moment. Running is too slow—let's fly!"

The three stopped in their tracks, their excitement momentarily replaced by confusion as they turned to look at Yu.

Yu smiled slightly and, with a mysterious air, extended his right hand. "Sword, come!"

In an instant, a long sword shimmering with cyan light flew rapidly from the distance, landing gently in Yu's outstretched palm.

Yu gripped the Wind Sword, performed a graceful flourish in front of their bewildered eyes, and then executed a simple hand seal. The sword flew from his hand, transforming into a massive blade that hovered before the three of them.

Yu hopped lightly onto the sword and waved at the stunned trio. "Get on! What are you standing there for?"

Shisui stepped onto the giant sword, which was large enough to carry four people, feeling completely baffled.

How could a normal long sword suddenly become so massive? Even a weapon made of Chakra Metal couldn't do that!

He reached out to touch the blade; it felt perfectly real, cold and smooth, and a refreshing breeze seemed to swirl between his fingers as he made contact.

Shisui suddenly imagined what it would be like if Yu used this sword against an enemy—the opponent would expect a normal strike, only for the blade to suddenly expand. What a terrifying prospect.

Shisui felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked at the smiling Yu with a strange expression, realizing he understood this cousin, who was six years his junior, less and less.

Amidst their shock, surprise, and confusion, Yu raised two fingers slightly, channeling spiritual energy into the Wind Sword. A gust of wind swept past them.

"We're taking off. Hold on tight," Yu kindly reminded them.

The three felt a slight sway, followed by a powerful surge of momentum as the giant sword shot into the sky at incredible speed.

The speed was so great that the buildings of Konoha below shrank rapidly, and in an instant, the entire layout of the village was laid out before their eyes.

This was the first time they had looked down upon Konoha from such a height; even the full moon in the sky seemed several times larger.

"Yu, what kind of ninjutsu is this?" Shisui asked, unable to believe his eyes.

"Haha, Shisui, that! That's a secret!" Yu replied with a light laugh.

Shisui realized he had been intrusive; a ninja's techniques were not something to be easily shared. He quietly looked down at the village, no longer pressing Yu for his secrets.

However, he no longer felt as confident about the upcoming duel as he had moments before.

Itachi stared blankly at his brother, suddenly realizing that he knew far too little about him.

Uchiha Lieyang went without saying; at this moment, his eyes were filled with nothing but worship. Only now did he realize how serious it had been for the Young Clan Head to go easy on him during their duel back then.

If the Young Clan Head had utilized this technique of his now—flying in the sky while employing his ability to control longswords—he would have been completely helpless against his own Young Clan Head. After all, he knew the Young Clan Head possessed hundreds of such longswords!

In a scenario like this, any ninja who did not possess flight ninjutsu would find it an unsolvable situation, and given the speed at which these longswords flew, even escaping would be difficult.

In just a few minutes, the group felt as if they had only blinked before Yu arrived at the forest where Itachi usually trained in secret. One had to realize that at a ninja's top speed, even for a Jonin, reaching this deserted forest from the center of Konoha in under twenty minutes would be nothing but a pipe dream.

At this moment, the group remained speechless for a long time.

"Alright, Brother Shisui, let's begin! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can head home."

Shisui gave a wry smile. It was clear that Yu was incredibly confident in his own strength, but Shisui was no ordinary ninja; he wouldn't feel inferior just because of one flight ninjutsu from Yu.

Shisui looked at Yu earnestly. "Yu, let me see just how strong you are! Only then can I have faith in the future you speak of!"

"Brother Shisui! I won't let you down. I'm prepared to go all out as well!" Yu smiled.

In the end, strength is what speaks for the Uchiha! Yu thought indifferently.