Although Kei had Might Guy as a mentor, he knew that taijutsu alone wouldn't carry him forever. Guy was excellent in body and spirit, but his focus was narrow.
Kei wanted to walk a wider path.
He wanted ninjutsu. Genjutsu. Clan knowledge. Tactics. If he was going to build a power that could shake the world, he needed more than fists.
And now, with his newly-evolved companion Koen and the [Innate Talent: Fire Style Affinity] granted by her bond, it was time to expand into a new elemental path.
Fire.
And there was no better source than the Uchiha.
"If it's not too much trouble," Kei said after their previous discussion, "I'd like to learn from both of you. Fire Style techniques, clan battle tactics, anything you'd be willing to teach."
Shisui and Itachi glanced at one another, then both nodded without hesitation.
"No problem," Shisui said. "The Uchiha library is rich. We can get you what you need."
Itachi smiled gently. "I just finished a mission and have some downtime. If you like, we can start right away."
Shisui let out a breath through his nose and raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I think Sasuke might have something to say about that."
Itachi blinked, then looked away, sheepish.
"You're right. I'll help prep materials. You take the lead today."
Kei watched them with quiet interest. This bond between them—deep, built on respect and shared burden—was rare.
He respected power, yes. But what impressed him more was clarity of purpose. That despite the chaos surrounding the Uchiha, these two held to a vision.
Maybe that's what made them dangerous to the elders. And precious to Kei.
"Since you're free," Shisui said, turning to Kei, "let's start with a spar. I want to see how you fight."
"Alright," Kei said, calm and focused.
They moved to the clearing behind the cabin. Itachi took to a nearby tree branch, observing from above with silent curiosity.
Shisui's stance shifted ever so slightly. Not threatening, but focused.
"You can start."
Kei didn't waste time. Without hand seals, he launched his opening move:
"Wind Style: Thousand Faces Wind."
From his palm burst a fan of micro-wind blades—hundreds in number, dancing in jagged spirals. Shisui's eyes widened. No hand seals. Speed and control that rivaled Chunin.
But Kei's opponent was Shisui.
The man hailed as a teleporter, a genius of Uchiha.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
In a flash of motion and chakra, he inhaled and released a twisting stream of flame, the fire dragon howling into the sky. The techniques collided midair.
Wind sharpened flame. Fire devoured wind.
The clearing filled with steam and sparks.
Then, Shisui vanished.
A hundred figures erupted around Kei, clone after clone blurring into a circle of flickering movement.
Clone Technique.
Body Flicker.
Kei turned slowly, breathing even. Then:
"Wind Style: Swirling Great Breakthrough."
From both palms, he released controlled gusts of wind, rotating his arms in opposing spirals. The winds formed a mini-tornado around him, bursting outward.
The clones shattered, dispersing in waves of wind and smoke.
Shisui reappeared behind a tree, one hand braced against the trunk.
"Not bad," he said, voice warm. "You've been busy."
Up above, Itachi's eyes were locked on Kei.
Kei let out a slow breath, lowering his arms. His muscles ached slightly—not from fatigue, but from restraint. He hadn't gone all out.
That was the difference between a fight and a lesson. One honed the edge; the other tempered the blade.
But in that moment, as the air settled and his chakra returned to balance, Kei understood something clearly:
This was the technique that gave Shisui his legend.
The infamous Body Flicker wasn't about speed alone—it was presence and absence. Illusion and misdirection. The sheer unpredictability of Shisui's afterimages made it feel like battling smoke with a sword.
And for the first time, Kei truly understood how terrifying that must feel to an enemy.
No one moved for a moment. Then, Shisui grinned. "Let's try something more advanced. Ready?"
Kei exhaled, settling into stance again.
He wasn't trying to win.
He was here to learn.
And as he exhaled, his figure became one with the wind, a tornado blasting towards Shisui at full speed.