A New Shuriken Technique

In Uchiha Yuan's impression, Kurama Shion had always been a quiet, demure girl.

A prank like this was simply not something that could happen through the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai Genjutsu.

Yet what had happened before his eyes was real.

After this mission, the substitute teacher's genjutsu techniques seemed to have become even more refined. Her gaze was pure and innocent, and not even the violet glow that usually appeared when she used her Kekkei Genkai had shown itself.

"Big Brother Yuan, that genjutsu was incredible. Was it the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai?"

Shisui's Sharingan faded, his tone full of envy.

"Even my Tomoe Sharingan nearly couldn't see through it. It really is exquisite."

Shisui was envious, and Uchiha Yuan was equally intrigued.

Originally, he had intended to use this Gene Fusion opportunity to awaken his Sharingan.

But after seeing the substitute teacher's performance, Uchiha Yuan was beginning to look down on the Tomoe Sharingan.

He decided that if awakening the Sharingan failed, he would try fusing with the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai genes.

After all, his activities in the village would become more frequent from now on. He needed powerful genjutsu for cover.

By the time they left Konoha Hospital, dusk was already approaching.

Having been passed around and teased by three female ninja, Sasuke had worn himself out and was snoring soundly.

With the setting sun behind them, the four Uchiha boys walked through the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Itachi said longingly, "Big Brother Yuan, come home and eat with us! Father and Mother have really missed you."

Uchiha Yuan rubbed Itachi's head and glanced at Sasuke's rumpled clothes.

"Didn't you want to practice shuriken techniques? If we eat with Uncle Fugaku and Mikoto Aunt, we probably won't be able to sneak out tonight."

Itachi's face immediately filled with conflict. He wanted Big Brother Yuan to come home for dinner, but he also wanted to practice shuriken techniques.

If only he had not brought Sasuke along.

But Father and Mother were both busy, so he could only look after his little brother himself.

"Take Sasuke home first. It'll be easy for you to sneak out alone."

Itachi's eyes lit up. Hugging Sasuke, he ran off toward the clan grounds with a patter of footsteps.

That was how a six-year-old child ought to be.

"Alright, Shisui. Let's fill our stomachs first. You brought your ninja tools, right? We'll head to the training ground afterward."

"Alright!"

After a delicious bowl of Ichiraku Ramen, their taste buds—deprived for nearly a month away from the village—were finally satisfied.

Uchiha Yuan brought Shisui to a training ground at the edge of the village.

The Nine-Tails Attack had not reached this place, and the facilities remained fairly intact.

He planted lit torches into the surrounding tree trunks, illuminating the entire field.

Uchiha Yuan pinched five shuriken in his right hand. With a flick of his wrist, the shuriken shot out.

Using the collision during the throw, the five shuriken successfully changed direction in midair and struck five separate bullseyes.

"Big Brother Yuan, I'm already very proficient with this move."

Shisui also took out five shuriken and threw them using the same method.

Clangs rang through the air. The five shuriken hit their targets, but they were nowhere near as precise as Uchiha Yuan's.

"Why is it like this? So I really can't do it without the Sharingan?"

Shisui slumped in disappointment, while Uchiha Yuan merely smiled without speaking.

After transmigrating here, he had considered how to increase his strength quickly.

Compared to ninjutsu and taijutsu, shuriken techniques produced results faster, making them his best option.

"Shisui, you still need to practice more. If you can't even learn this, how will you master the new shuriken technique I came up with?"

With that, Uchiha Yuan grabbed a handful of kunai.

He casually flung them out, using no throwing technique at all.

After several sharp whistles through the air, the kunai each struck a bullseye, including the targets hidden behind trees.

Shisui's Three-Tomoe Sharingan widened. Those kunai seemed alive, their flight paths controlled by Uchiha Yuan.

"Big Brother Yuan, how did you do that? Did you inject Chakra into the ninja tools to control them?"

After a brief moment of thought, Shisui said happily, "I understand now!"

Uchiha Yuan handed him a kunai.

"Shisui, give it a try."

Taking a deep breath, Shisui infused Chakra into the kunai and casually threw it.

To his surprise, the kunai's handle bounced off a tree trunk and ricocheted back, nearly smashing his toes.

Shisui knew that Uchiha Yuan had yet to awaken his Sharingan, so why could he, who had already awakened his, not do the same?

Immersed in thought over shuriken techniques, Shisui kept taking out ninja tools, infusing them with Chakra, and throwing them.

During the uninterrupted throwing practice, Shisui either stopped to think or attempted new throwing methods.

Yet no matter how he changed things, he could not achieve Uchiha Yuan's effortless grace.

Suddenly, Shisui seemed to realize something. He picked up a shuriken, and by the firelight, he finally saw ant-sized runes flash across it.

"Big Brother Yuan! This is..."

Before Shisui could finish, the torch used for lighting was extinguished by a shuriken.

Uchiha Yuan raised his head.

The moonlight was dim tonight. And the people he had sent Itachi away for, the people he had brought Shisui here to deal with, had finally arrived.

"Big Brother Yuan, it's not one of Itachi's pranks!"

Within Shisui's Sharingan vision, seven humanoid Chakra signatures moved at the edge of the training ground.

From dozens of meters away, the seven figures used the Body Flicker Technique and arrived in an instant.

Shisui reacted quickly, leaping up and forming Hand Seals.

Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson!

Kunai wrapped in flames forced the seven men back while illuminating the entire training ground.

The seven ninja wearing evil spirit masks looked exactly like the Land of Woods Hannya Group.

The seven stood spread out, their hands continuously forming seals, but before they could cast their ninjutsu, they instantly leaped away.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The kunai shooting from the darkness followed them like shadows. After knocking them down with ninja tools, the seven had already formed an encirclement around Uchiha Yuan and Shisui.

In silence, the seven communicated rapidly through hand signals.

The tallest ninja charged at Shisui, who had just landed, while the other six split into two groups and closed in on Uchiha Yuan.

At that moment, Uchiha Yuan felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, his heart pounded with excitement, and his blood raced faster.

As three men rushed toward him, the other three formed Hand Seals and began casting ninjutsu.

Uchiha Yuan held two fingers together like a blade and slashed forward.

Training kunai and shuriken shot out from blind spots in the darkness.

The six immediately halted their movements and threw ninja tools to intercept them one by one.

Steel collided and crashed to the ground.

The six exchanged glances and pulled farther apart.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

After witnessing Uchiha Yuan's bizarre methods, the six chose to wear him down with shuriken techniques as well.

Uchiha Yuan held a kunai in reverse grip in his right hand, blocking the incoming ninja tools.

Sparks danced around him like stardust falling to earth.

The clanging collisions sounded like a murder of crows roaring. Uchiha Yuan moved so fast that afterimages trailed behind him.

After the Demonic Statue Fragment devoured tailed beast Chakra, Uchiha Yuan's physical abilities had likewise increased tremendously.

With his current reflexes and physical condition, even without the Sharingan, he could react to every thrown ninja tool.

In the blink of an eye, he even used his left hand, condensed with water-nature Chakra, to crush an Exploding Tag mixed among them.

Such a risky move placed extremely harsh demands on both the amount of Chakra and the control over it.

The cold clash of steel continued for a full five minutes. Shisui was locked in an even battle with an enemy ninja and had already moved far from Uchiha Yuan's fight.

Around him, the throwing movements of the six Evil Spirit Ninja had also slowed. Their stored ninja tools were limited.

Although they had failed to kill their target, their feint to exhaust him had already succeeded.

Uchiha Yuan pretended to be panting heavily, looking utterly disheveled.

At the instant the six ninja stopped throwing and retreated.

The corner of Uchiha Yuan's mouth curled upward.