I Have a Bunch of Relatives Who Want to Be Hokage Chapter 10

Uchiha Shisui might appear easygoing on the surface, but he lacked none of the traits an Uchiha should have. Whenever he encountered an opponent or enemy to his liking, he would get fired up as if pumped full of stimulants.

Still, the kid had good judgment. He did not think he had victory in the bag just because Shisui had chosen a nontraditional path.

Tomorrow, he would go a little easy on him. He would take the precautions he needed to take and show the courtesy he ought to show.

After returning home, he ate properly, chatted with his parents, and went to bed on time.

Then, early the next morning, he headed to the training grounds as instructed by the clan.

For the convenience of clan members sparring, the training grounds had an indoor arena. Its layout resembled a basketball court on Blue Star, with spectators able to watch from the second floor so as not to interfere with the sparring fighters.

That way, even if the building got smashed apart, it would not matter. There were windows behind the spectators; for a ninja, jumping out a window was no big deal. Safety MAX.

By the time Uchiha Shingen arrived at the venue, many clan members had already gathered there.

Chapter 17: The Strongest of the New Generation

Outsiders generally believed that the Uchiha Clan, like the Hyuga Clan, cared greatly about appearances.

But the Uchiha were not quite as extreme as the Hyuga. Once they were back on their own turf, they were fairly casual.

According to the clan notice, all clan members who possessed the Sharingan were required to attend this public match, and everyone was very interested.

Other than those away on long-term missions who truly could not get back, most of the ninjas with Sharingan had returned.

Since everyone had been frequently running around outside lately, their sudden reunion within the clan grounds had even sparked a renewed appreciation for everyday life there. On the day of the match, before dawn had even broken, the entrance to the hall used for sparring was already bustling.

When Uchiha Shingen arrived, he even saw clan members selling buns at the entrance.

Feeling hungry, he went over and bought one, munching on it as he walked inside.

As soon as he entered the hall, he saw the four-man pervert group waiting for him.

"Hm? Didn't you eat breakfast, Shingen?" Uchiha Yakumi handed him a carton of milk. "Eating like that is too dry. Here, have this."

"Brother Shingen, can you win?" Uchiha Tekka looked a little excited. "I opened a betting pool. You've got a ten percent cut, so you have to win."

"Fifty-fifty, or I'll lie down outside your house." Uchiha Shingen refused without hesitation, though he knew the guy was actually trying to comfort him.

Uchiha Shingen did not know what Uchiha Shisui had been like at this age in the original timeline, but in this timeline, Uchiha Shisui was publicly acknowledged as the strongest of the clan's new generation.

At that moment, Uchiha Shingen sensed a familiar gaze and turned around.

Behind him stood Uchiha Shisui, also dressed in combat gear, walking over alongside an elder.

Uchiha Setsuna, one of the Uchiha Clan's heavyweight elders.

"Shingen, you're already here." Uchiha Setsuna looked at the boy before him.

Uchiha Shisui was certainly a dazzling rising star among the younger generation, but Uchiha Shingen was also well known. His strength had surged dramatically over the past few years, prompting clan members to discuss this path.

Today's match was meant to put an end to that pointless debate.

Which was better? One match would make it clear.

"You are both indispensable strengths of the Uchiha Clan. Spar if you must, but don't get carried away."

Of course they should get fired up. Otherwise, was he here to watch them embroider?

After saying something completely contrary to his thoughts, Uchiha Setsuna went upstairs. His posture perfectly embodied the phrase, "Though old, still vigorous."

Several jonin who had come with him greeted the two of them before heading upstairs as well.

The clan members who had originally gathered on the first floor followed suit and went upstairs to take their seats.

After a while, Uchiha Fugaku arrived with his son—the great filial son from the original timeline.

Five-year-old Uchiha Itachi still had a baby face and looked like a little philosopher. But the philosopher mode instantly shattered when he saw Uchiha Shisui, and he happily waved at him.

Uchiha Fugaku did not say much. He simply took his little cub upstairs.

With all the spectators seated, Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui exchanged a glance, then leaped onto the arena and took their places on opposite sides.

They wore identical outfits, and even their weapons were the same: short swords.

In the stands, the voices of the clan members gradually dwindled until the arena fell silent.

"Begin," Uchiha Setsuna's voice rang out.

The two figures vanished at the same instant. From time to time, the sound of clashing blades rang through the air, but neither of them could be seen.

One by one, the clan members in the stands activated their Sharingan. Uchiha Setsuna rested his chin on one hand, his three-tomoe Sharingan open as he watched with great interest.

"They're quite capable," the old man muttered.

At that moment, dozens of scarlet eyes watched the arena.

Both fighters' figures were nearly accompanied by afterimages. To have brought the Body Flicker Technique to such a level could only be called masterful.

It was only natural for Shisui of the Body Flicker to possess such mastery over the Body Flicker Technique, but the other person had not earned a title on the battlefield because of it.

The next moment, everyone saw the two of them activate those scarlet Yin Release eyes at the same time.

Like ink spreading through clear water, their afterimages filled the entire arena.

Satisfaction deepened in Uchiha Setsuna's eyes, while Uchiha Fugaku remained silent.

After another clash, Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui simultaneously used the recoil to spring backward in opposite directions.

While still in midair, several shuriken flew from Shisui's sleeve. In just over a second, he completed eight hand seals, ending in the "Tiger" seal.

The shuriken split from one into two, then two into three in midair. In the blink of an eye, they filled the sky, streaming endlessly toward Uchiha Shingen.

This technique, created by the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen based on the Shadow Clone Technique, was an exceptionally practical battlefield ninjutsu.

But Uchiha Shingen merely raised his hand and swung his blade. Wind swept across the arena, sending every shuriken flying back to counterattack Uchiha Shisui.

Uchiha Shisui's expression did not change. He formed hand seals again, and the shuriken shadow clones still suspended in the air exploded one after another, their smoke instantly blanketing the arena.

The next instant, a massive fireball large enough to occupy half the arena burst through the smoke, illuminating Uchiha Shingen's figure.

By the light of the flames, everyone saw that Uchiha Shingen had formed only a single seal.

The scorching air in the arena suddenly plunged in temperature.

White waves churned like blooming silver flowers.

The surging mist brought a wave of coolness to the clansmen in the stands.

White replaced red.

A wall of water like ocean waves blocked the flames ahead. Pressing its advantage, it continued expanding, forming a violently spinning vortex that protected its caster completely from every angle, without a single blind spot.

"Senju Tobirama's Water Style?" Uchiha Setsuna raised a brow.

Hearing about it before was one thing; seeing it now was another.

If this was not Senju Tobirama's technique, he would stand on his head and spin in circles on the spot.

"According to Shingen, he learned it," Uchiha Fugaku added from the side.

"Then he should learn Wood Style. That one's stronger." Uchiha Setsuna snorted and continued watching.

Uchiha Shisui's Great Fireball had completely vanished. As the layers of white waves gradually dispersed, Uchiha Shingen's figure emerged.

The clansmen in the stands were already discussing it animatedly.

Effortlessly casting Water Style on such a scale in an environment this dry made them raise their estimation of Uchiha Shingen yet again.

They had all known his Water Style was incredible, but only now, against an opponent like Uchiha Shisui, did they realize that this clansman's Water Style was on an entirely different level.

That masterful Body Flicker Technique, and this outrageous Water Style.

The Uchiha present no longer cared that the big shots were sitting beside them. They all began talking at once.

This match was going to be worth watching.

Watching the water ahead slowly disperse, Uchiha Shisui finally understood why every single one of those predecessors in history had hated Water Style.

On the Mist Ninja battlefield, the Uchiha generally shared the same impression—Water Style was really nothing special.

Uchiha Shisui, in particular, had trained only Fire Style among the five elemental transformations. Because of that focus, his Fire Style was exceptionally refined: immense in scale and high in temperature. It was common enough for him to turn around and evaporate the Mist Ninja's Water Style.

Though he had not used his full strength with that Great Fireball just now, having it so effortlessly neutralized by Uchiha Shingen still left Uchiha Shisui dissatisfied.

He decided to evaporate his cousin's Water Style and prove to everyone that he was not all about the Body Flicker Technique and genjutsu.

In the Uchiha clan, strength was the only passport to realizing one's ideals.

"Hm?" Uchiha Shisui suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

Once Water Style: Water Wall had completed its defensive purpose, the water barrier should have immediately collapsed.

Yet ahead of him, while the layers of water barrier were indeed peeling away one by one, the barrier itself remained in a solid state.

Had he switched techniques?

As he pondered it, Uchiha Shingen's figure finally emerged from the gradually parting water barrier.

His hand seal had already changed.

The layers of water, which had begun to look spent like withering petals, paused for an instant as though time itself had stopped.

The next second, the water surged back at tremendous speed. Its volume swelled sharply, layer upon layer, as ten dragon heads emerged.

The dragon heads were lifelike, appearing and vanishing amid the waves. They stretched out their bodies and began to swim like living creatures.

It was said that the Tailed Beasts had an extremely lazy way of fighting: they would simply straighten their tails and spin in place, flattening everything within range.

In Uchiha Shingen's view, blindly copying the techniques of one's predecessors was simply boring.

"Water Style: Ten Flood Dragons Surge."

He spoke the technique's name.

Like a colossal beast spreading its tail, the ten flood dragons drove the surging waves beneath them as they revolved counterclockwise around Uchiha Shingen at high speed, stirring up violent wind and towering waves.

Everything on the arena, including Uchiha Shisui, was helplessly swept into the raging torrent.

The rapidly spinning, high-pressure waves instantly made the martial arts hall groan as though it were on the verge of collapse.

Though they felt the building could hold on a little longer, everyone still opened the windows in unison, ready to jump out if necessary.

Yet whether it was the massive water vortex covering the arena or the great plumes of water vapor continuously surging upward before them, it was all an eye-opening sight.

Water Release could be used like this?

Everyone knew that neither Uchiha Shisui nor Uchiha Shingen was truly fighting seriously. This was a spar, not a fight to the death. Both of them were holding back tremendously.

That water vortex before them was clearly the kind of move meant to be unleashed on a battlefield.

Whenever Uchiha Shingen used Water Release to kill, he never left an intact corpse behind.

And what the Uchiha excelled at most was genjutsu—killing without spilling blood.

The jonin watched without blinking, seeing everything clearly.

Any objects swept up and drawn toward Uchiha Shingen would be shredded the moment they got even slightly close.

Those surging waves served as both the caster's shield and spear, integrating offense and defense. And when the caster also possessed the Sharingan's perceptive abilities, there was no way to counter it except by forcibly breaking through with greater power.

The only thing puzzling the jonin was that the Sharingan was not the Byakugan. Its blind spots were no different from an ordinary person's, yet Uchiha Shingen seemed to display no such weakness. His body made no adjustments whatsoever, yet he precisely shredded every bit of debris that might threaten where he stood.

Even when it approached from behind.

Was he using the water wall as a mirror? But the water around Uchiha Shingen maintained a high-speed flow at all times, making it unsuitable for use as a mirror.

The jonin were deeply puzzled.

Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Fugaku were also guessing.

They vaguely felt that perhaps the least likely answer was the truth.

"I remember that when I was young, there was a saying in the shinobi world concerning the Hyuga Clan." Uchiha Setsuna looked at Uchiha Fugaku. "There was once a time when, like us, not most clan members could awaken their eyes, and they also used ninjutsu in battle."

"There was once such a saying?" Uchiha Fugaku replied calmly.

When Uchiha Setsuna was young, it had still been the final years of the Warring States era. In that age, when shinobi clans and shinobi were virtually synonymous, every shinobi clan had a heap of dubious "unofficial histories."