Body Flicker Shadow Clone

At the same time, Itachi Uchiha accepted a mission.

During this mission, Itachi Uchiha encountered the Masked Man.

Obito killed two of Itachi Uchiha's companions.

Overcome with grief, Itachi Uchiha awakened his two-tomoe Mangekyō Sharingan.

After returning home.

Itachi Uchiha remained silent the entire way, but once Fugaku Uchiha learned that Itachi Uchiha had awakened the two-tomoe Mangekyō, he happily praised him: "Itachi, well done!"

Itachi Uchiha's heart fluctuated violently.

He said to his father: "But father, my companions are dead!"

Fugaku Uchiha said coldly: "So what? As a ninja, you must be prepared to die at any moment. Furthermore, their deaths helped you awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan; that is the value of their lives!"

Itachi Uchiha's chest heaved violently.

He felt that his heart was very tired.

He was only ten years old, so why did he have to face so much?

His father's expectations.

The clan's ambitions.

All of this made Itachi Uchiha feel exhausted.

Especially the two friends he had just made while performing missions, who had died right before his eyes.

Yet, his father did not care about their deaths, only about the two-tomoe eyes he had awakened.

He was only ten years old, yet he had awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan. His companions had died, and his father only cared about these eyes.

Is this what it means to be a ninja?

Is this the clan?

Under these circumstances, Itachi Uchiha felt incomparable disappointment toward such a father, such ninjas, and such a clan.

In his eyes, the two tomoe rotated and split, transforming into three.

However, Itachi Uchiha did not tell Fugaku Uchiha about this, because he felt there was no need.

Returning to his room.

Itachi Uchiha squeezed out a forced smile for Sasuke Uchiha.

He said to Sasuke Uchiha: "Sasuke, brother is tired, I won't play with you for now."

Sasuke Uchiha asked: "Did brother's companions die?"

Itachi Uchiha stood frozen in place and said: "Their deaths allowed me to awaken the three-tomoe Sharingan. Their deaths were valuable."

Sasuke Uchiha replied: "That's not right. They were your friends, brother. When they died, they must have been very scared and in a lot of pain."

Sasuke Uchiha's words left Itachi Uchiha stunned where he stood.

He had always harbored a question: what was the point of him gaining power?

His father said it was to bring the Uchiha Clan back to the center of the village and reclaim the Uchiha's political power.

Shisui said that power was to protect the village's peace.

But Itachi Uchiha had never known why he himself gained power.

Yes, when they were dying, they must have been scared; they must have been terrified.

Their lives had only just begun. They had hoped to become great ninjas, yet they had died.

Wasn't the reason I gained power supposed to be to protect them? Those who have died are already gone; those who are alive should be cherished.

I must become stronger, strong enough to defeat the Masked Man so that my friends will not die.

I must be strong enough to protect my younger brother...

Itachi Uchiha suddenly saw the light.

He said to Sasuke Uchiha: "Let's go, Sasuke. Brother will take you to find Shisui. He said he would teach you the Body Flicker Technique."

The Body Flicker Technique was Shisui's signature move.

During the Third and Second Great Ninja Wars, the Leaf had three ninjas so powerful that they struck fear into enemy villages.

White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake.

Body Flicker Shisui.

And the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze.

Among them, the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, died after sealing the Nine-Tails and was a hero of the Leaf.

However, Sakumo Hatake died in a rather suffocating manner.

He died under the pressure of the village's public opinion...

At the Uchiha Training Ground.

Shisui had been waiting there for a long time.

Seeing Itachi Uchiha bring Sasuke Uchiha, Shisui smiled and said: "Itachi, you're here. And Sasuke, long time no see. You've grown so tall."

Itachi Uchiha said: "Sasuke, Shisui's talent is even higher than mine. The Body Flicker Shadow Clone technique is a forbidden technique of the Uchiha Clan; even I haven't learned it."

"Moreover, Shisui is someone who possessed a Mangekyō at this age."

Shisui laughed and said: "Hahaha, come on, I'll teach you the Body Flicker Technique."

"Any ninjutsu or taijutsu that can achieve instantaneous movement can be called a Body Flicker Technique."

"But the Body Flicker Technique of our Uchiha Clan is different. It is called the Body Flicker Shadow Clone; it is a space-time ninjutsu that combines the Body Flicker Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique."

Shisui formed hand seals, and three tomoe appeared in his eyes.

Then, four or five clones appeared beside Shisui. Shisui said: "The Body Flicker Shadow Clone technique allows you to summon several shadow clones to attack the enemy with you. Furthermore, the quality of the shadow clones is very high; they won't be shattered instantly, and you can swap positions between your original body and the shadow clones."

After finishing, he spoke.

One of Shisui's shadow clones left and ran ten meters away.

Then, the four shadow clones in front of Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha instantly turned into smoke and dissipated.

Shisui's original body appeared ten meters away.

Shisui said: "This is the Body Flicker Shadow Clone. Although shadow clones can launch attacks, their power is far inferior to the original body."

"Sasuke, did you understand?"

Two tomoe appeared in Sasuke Uchiha's eyes.

An electronic sound emerged in his mind: [Ding, detected that the host is practicing the Body Flicker Shadow Clone technique.]

[Simplifying...]

[Simplification successful. Body Flicker Shadow Clone technique, training method: walking.]

Sasuke Uchiha: ...

Walking is enough to train the Body Flicker Shadow Clone?

How does this training method make me look like a fool?

Breathing increases chakra.

Walking trains the Body Flicker Shadow Clone...

Sasuke Uchiha walked a few steps, followed the pattern, and began to form hand seals rapidly.

Then, a shadow clone appeared beside Sasuke Uchiha. With a thought, Sasuke Uchiha swapped positions with the shadow clone.

However, while his original body arrived, the shadow clone collapsed during the position-swapping process.

Seeing this, Shisui was greatly shocked: "Sasuke is a true genius. It took me a week to learn the Body Flicker Shadow Clone technique."

"Sasuke learned it after seeing it once!"

"It's just that the strength of the shadow clone isn't enough, which is why it collapsed. Sasuke, just keep practicing hard."

After Itachi Uchiha took Sasuke Uchiha home, he returned to the training ground.

However, this time, both of their faces were filled with worry.

Shisui said: "Four years ago, the clan head proposed the [Project to Cultivate a Second Madara Uchiha]. Everyone in the clan treats Sasuke as the hope for their rise, but... now some people in the clan can't wait anymore."

Itachi Uchiha also said: "Indeed, the village has already begun to guard against the Uchiha."