Chapter 26: The Duel Begins
The next day, a formal letter of challenge from Shisui was delivered directly into Yusuke's hands. The moment it arrived, the entire Hidden Leaf Village was thrown into an uproar.
Even during this period of political tension and increasing alienation, the Uchiha clan remained the most prominent family in the village—arguably even the most renowned clan in the entire shinobi world. Thus, when news broke that the "Uchiha's Greatest Prodigy" had challenged the "Uchiha's Strongest Shinobi," it instantly captured everyone's attention. With the Third Hokage quietly fueling the publicity behind the scenes, the duel became the talk of the village.
Ninjas and civilians alike waited eagerly for the appointed day of the duel, all curious to see who would come out on top in this clash between two Uchiha elites.
"I'm never playing with Shisui again! I thought he was a good guy, but turns out he's a bad guy!" In the training field, Izumi pouted, looking as if she were dragging a heavy burden.
To the innocent Izumi, people could still be simply judged as either 'good' or 'bad'.
Itachi, brows furrowed, muttered, "I didn't think Shisui would actually go through with challenging sensei. I don't know what his true intentions are, but I trust he's not so shallow as to do it just for the title of 'Uchiha's Strongest'."
"Still," he continued, "knowing Shisui, once he's issued a challenge, he won't take it back."
"Hmph! Fine by me. All the better—my brother should teach him a lesson!" Izumi snapped, still fuming.
Itachi shook his head. "Shisui's strength is no joke. I don't mean to doubt sensei, but if I'm being honest, I think the outcome of this match is hard to predict."
Kabuto, who had been silently observing, adjusted his glasses. "Is Uchiha Shisui really that strong?"
"Yes," Itachi replied with a serious expression. "His Body Flicker Technique is nearly impossible to counter, at least from what I've seen."
Having trained alongside Shisui during late-night sessions, Itachi had a deep understanding of his capabilities.
At that moment, Guy, who had just been helping them with taijutsu practice, chimed in, "That's right. I've also heard about the special version of the Body Flicker that Shisui created—he can split into eight afterimages during combat."
"These afterimages are crafted through his unique technique, blending high-speed movement with illusion. Only one of them is the real Shisui, but all of them can attack simultaneously!"
"So it's like fighting eight enemies at once, but with only one weak point?" Kabuto frowned. "Unless you hit the real one, you're stuck dealing with all eight."
Itachi nodded. "Exactly—and I know for a fact that Shisui can now create more than just eight afterimages."
Izumi's adorable face scrunched up in confusion. "Huh?"
To someone like Izumi, whose talent was relatively average, the details flew far over her head.
"Wow, seems like you guys have no faith in your teacher," a calm voice cut in. A flicker of flame burst from the ground and materialized into a composed young ninja—Yusuke had arrived at the training grounds.
Everyone immediately rushed over to ask how confident he felt about the upcoming match.
"Don't worry," Yusuke said with a smile. "Shisui isn't on my level yet."
Before obtaining the Yin Chakra from the Nine-Tails, Yusuke might've hesitated to say such a thing. But now, with his Sharingan awakened and new ways to draw out Ryūjin Jakka's true power, he was confident—victory was within reach.
"I knew it! My brother is the best!" Izumi cheered, then added with a pout, "But… maybe don't beat him up too badly. He used to be nice, after all."
Yusuke chuckled softly and patted her on the head.
Guy grinned, flashing his dazzling white teeth. "Since you're so confident, why don't we test that confidence with a battle between men!"
"I refuse," Yusuke said flatly.
Boom!
To the others' surprise, Guy struck without warning. His leg came to a halt just beside Yusuke's head—but Yusuke had already raised his arm and blocked it with ease.
The impact was loud and powerful, a testament to Guy's raw strength.
"There's no backing out of this one!" Guy laughed heartily.
Before anyone could react, Guy's figure blurred into motion—four identical copies of him emerged and lunged at Yusuke. Two struck with punches, two with kicks, all perfectly synchronized!
Yusuke's lips curled into a smirk. So that's what this was—Guy was helping him experience Shisui's technique in advance.
As Yusuke dodged and parried the onslaught, he quickly realized how ineffective ordinary taijutsu was against this style. Despite his own impressive physical prowess, he found himself overwhelmed. Even when he counterattacked, his strikes hit only afterimages.
Barely ten seconds in, Yusuke had no choice but to unleash Crow Flame Illusion, summoning a storm of fiery illusion crows to force some distance.
It wasn't that Yusuke lacked counters to this kind of technique—he did. But using Ryūjin Jakka's Shikai could seriously injure Guy, and that wasn't an option.
"So? Got any strategies for dealing with illusion-style clones created via Body Flicker?" One of the four Guys—now the only one left, bent over and panting—asked between breaths. The other afterimages slowly dissipated.
Guy's taijutsu surpassed even Shisui's, and his pure speed rivaled Shisui's Body Flicker. However, lacking Shisui's secret arts, Guy could only simulate afterimages with raw movement—draining a massive amount of stamina. Even he could only sustain four clones for a brief period.
Yusuke nodded. "Definitely tricky… but not beyond me."
"Thanks, Guy," he added sincerely.
Guy stood up and laughed heartily. "It's nothing—I just don't want a worthy opponent to lose to someone else before I get the chance to beat him myself!"
Three days passed quickly. Now, the arena specially built for shinobi duels in Konoha was packed with spectators. Both civilians and shinobi had gathered to witness the much-anticipated battle between two top Uchiha elites.
In the stands, members from all the major shinobi clans were present. Even the Third Hokage and Danzo had arrived early and were already seated in their special viewing area, quietly awaiting the start of the match.
"Who do you think will win today?"
"Probably 'Shunshin Shisui.' I heard he can split into a thousand clones and take down his enemy with a thousand blades at once!"
"Where'd you hear that urban legend? It's not that exaggerated. I'm more inclined to bet on the 'Blazing Blade.' He was a prodigy during the Third Shinobi War and made quite the name for himself."
Whispers of debate buzzed through the crowd as spectators speculated on the outcome of the clash.
Closer to the arena, Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, Genma Shiranui, and Guy had grouped together.
"Kakashi, who do you think has the better chance of winning?" Asuma asked. "I saw Uchiha Yusuke take on several of his own clan members at that teahouse last time. Based on that, I'd say he's the stronger one."
Genma nodded. "I agree with Asuma. Yusuke's strength is no joke—he's an elite among jonin."
Kakashi didn't respond, simply watching silently as the match was about to begin. Even he couldn't predict the outcome. Battles between shinobi of this caliber weren't easily decided on paper.
While others leaned toward Yusuke, Kakashi—being one of the Third Hokage's trusted confidants—had crossed paths with Shisui during Anbu missions. He knew just how terrifying "Shunshin Shisui" truly was.
Elsewhere in a shadowed corner, Orochimaru licked his lips with a snake-like tongue, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "This is going to be a delightful spectacle."
"It's about time. I, Uchiha Fugaku, will be officiating this match. Will the two combatants please step into the center of the arena," Fugaku announced, his face stern as he walked into the arena.
After Shisui formally delivered the challenge letter to Yusuke, Fugaku had met with him twice, trying to dissuade him from going through with it—but to no avail.
To Fugaku, this was just giving the other clans more reasons to laugh at the Uchiha. Yet as the clan head, he was still the most appropriate person to serve as referee.
Yusuke and Shisui walked to the center of the arena, stopping about five meters apart, locking eyes.
"Barrier Corps, activate the barrier! Let the match begin!" Fugaku declared loudly after giving each of them a complicated look. He then exited the field.
If only these two geniuses could cooperate instead of clash… If they stood together and supported me, the Uchiha could truly reclaim its rightful place in Konoha, Fugaku sighed internally.
Though Yusuke had once warned him about Shisui's political stance, Fugaku still trusted him. In his view, Shisui was merely one of the more diplomatic voices in the clan—someone who hoped to resolve tensions between the Uchiha and the village, a bridge between them and the leadership. Fugaku didn't believe Shisui would ever betray the clan's interests or submit entirely to the Hokage's authority.
In the arena, Shisui activated his Sharingan, eyes sharp and unwavering.
"Yusuke-senpai," he declared, "I will win this match. You're strong, but you cannot defeat my resolve and my ninja way!"
Yusuke's expression remained calm as he replied, "My ninja way? It's not time for you to know it yet."
Shisui narrowed his eyes, his aura turning fierce.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
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