Not on the Same Wavelength

The falling leaves stirred the deep emotions within them, and their eyes met unexpectedly, a glint of light flashing in each other's eyes.

Swish! The two moved almost simultaneously!

Koki was as fast as the Hayate, and his punches were as cold as ice, like long arrows piercing the air, aimed straight at Shisui's chest.

However, Shisui was no pushover. He nimbly dodged Koki's attack and then, with lightning speed, his iron fist, like a heavy hammer, smashed straight at Koki's face.

Their attacks intertwined like lightning, each punch landing with brutal force.

Each of their collisions was as awe-inspiring as thunder; the clash of forces intertwined to create a magnificent spectacle.

Their figures traced elegant arcs in the air, each clash precise and powerful, as if narrating a hymn of strength.

Their figures moved rapidly through the air, each impact producing a deafening sound.

Swish! Swish! Bang!

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than a dozen moves, each one revealing their true skill!

In this contest, although Koki's Taijutsu were not as refined as Shisui's, he managed to withstand Shisui's relentless attacks with his extraordinary courage and perseverance.

Shisui didn't go all out at first, and was caught off guard by Koki's fierce attack, finding it difficult to defend himself.

First, in the initial stage of the battle, he did not have the same firm belief in victory as Koki. Although he had promised Koki, he was reluctant to hurt her, so he showed obvious hesitation in the continuity of his moves.

Furthermore, he hadn't fought Koki for some time and hadn't expected Koki strength to have improved so significantly.

Sensing that Shisui was still hesitant, a fighting spirit ignited in Koki's eyes. He decided to hold back and launch a fierce attack on Shisui with all his might.

His fighting spirit surged like flames from his body, and every punch he threw was unstoppable, as if it could destroy all obstacles.

In a ninja duel, any hesitation can become a fatal flaw, let alone Taijutsu combat like that between Koki and Shisui, where Shisui's hesitation would only be magnified infinitely.

The two tumbled through the air, unleashing a barrage of punches, elbows, knees... a fierce and evenly matched battle.

Koki's eyes were as firm as iron; he did not hesitate for a moment when facing Shisui as his opponent.

He keenly caught a slight pause in Shisui's movements, the instant after he kicked out, which was also the best opportunity for him to launch an attack.

In an instant, Koki executed a difficult handstand, skillfully dodging Shisui's attack with his legs. His feet landed firmly on the ground, and then he launched a fierce counterattack.

His fist, accompanied by a piercing whoosh, hurtled straight towards Shisui's chest.

Koki's Taijutsu moves were not up to standard, which surprised Shisui. His original target suddenly disappeared, while Koki's fist was already within reach.

Shisui's heart tightened. "This is bad!"

He tried to back away, preparing to extend his hands and leap away the instant he landed, but it seemed too late.

Amidst the intense interplay of light and shadow, Koki's fist strikes were as fierce as thunder and lightning, almost tearing apart the tranquil air as it aimed straight for Shisui's chest.

However, at the critical moment, Shisui firmly crossed his arms, as solid as a city wall, and with his last bit of strength, he managed to block the fatal blow.

Bang!

Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar ripped through the sky. Shisui's figure was caught off guard by the force and, like a leaf caught in a gale, crashed heavily to the ground, being violently thrown several meters away.

Koki had no intention of giving Shisui. He followed closely behind, unleashing a Shisui of rapid attacks like a torrential downpour.

Shisui quickly steadied himself amidst the dust, trying his best to maintain his balance in the midst of the storm of attacks, but Koki's attacks came one after another like waves, leaving him overwhelmed.

One wrong step, and the whole game is lost.

There was no other way! Helpless, Shisui could only retreat step by step in the face of Koki's onslaught, trying to find an opportunity to counterattack. Suddenly, several Shuriken flew out of his palm, piercing towards Koki like lightning.

Koki was caught off guard by Shisui's sudden attack. He hurriedly dodged, and several Shuriken grazed his cheek before finally embedding themselves deeply into the tall tree trunk behind him.

"Father!" From afar, Itachi, seeing the fierce battle, called out to Fugaku, his voice filled with anxiety, hoping he could end the fight.

"It's alright." Fugaku's gaze never left the battlefield; he remained calm and responded casually.

Seeing that Fugaku had no intention of stopping, Itachi clenched his small fists and chose to remain silent, though his heart was in turmoil.

Koki's fierce offensive was ruthlessly interrupted by a sudden Shuriken. He did not persist, but stood still, staring intently at the slightly disheveled Shisui, a smug smile appearing on his lips.

Shisui was feeling the pain of his injury; the arm he had used to block was slightly red and swollen, and some areas had even lost sensation.

He casually waved his arm, seemingly unable to recover anytime soon.

At that moment, he didn't notice Koki's provocative smile, nor did he seem to care about his own pain and disheveled state. His gaze was fixed on Koki's cheek, where the bloodstains were clearly visible. His eyes revealed a hint of heartache and apology as he softly said, "I'm sorry."

Huh? Koki was a little confused by Shisui's sudden apology. He was a bit bewildered and asked Shisui in a puzzled tone, "What's wrong?"

Shisui never took his gaze off Koki's face. Seeing Koki's confused expression, he pointed to his own face, looking as if he was in pain, and asked in a low voice, "This injury... I'm sorry, does it hurt?"

hurt?

Koki touched his cheek in confusion, and there was indeed still a faint pain there. He looked at Shisui, who was full of guilt, and instantly understood what he meant.

The marks from Koki's shuriken still lingered on Shisui's Shuriken —a shallow wound—but in his excitement and exhilaration, these minor pains seemed to evaporate and dissipate.

He was so engrossed in his surprise at being able to subdue Shisui that he didn't notice the pain that brushed against his cheek.

Besides, what's so serious about this injury? Why does Shisui look so guilty?!

Koki realized that the two of them seemed to be on completely different wavelengths!