As everyone knew, the Uchiha clan had more than its fair share of lunatics.
The genius youth, Uchiha Shisui, wasn't one of them—but his methods were rather abstract.
He was always obsessed with the idea of resolving the deepening rift between the Uchiha and Konoha through his own strength alone.
Perhaps that was why, when Uchiha Ruri once casually mentioned the Will of Fire upheld by the village, it struck a chord with Uchiha Shisui.
From that day on, he would often come to discuss it with Uchiha Ruri. Over time, the two formed a rare friendship—one built not just on ideals, but on trust.
Ever since the Uchiha clan had essentially "released" Uchiha Ruri to roam free, Uchiha Shisui became one of the few people who regularly sought him out for sparring matches.
Of course, Uchiha Ruri usually lost. And he lost badly.
"Shisui, not bad today," Uchiha Ruri said with a rare smile. "You took down your opponent with just one Fire Style jutsu."
Uchiha Shisui gave a modest nod, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I'm still far from good enough, Ruri-nii."
Shisui once shared his views with Uchiha Ruri about the relationship between the Uchiha clan and Konoha.
He believed that if he could become the greatest genius in the village, he would attract the attention of the higher-ups in Konoha.
Then, using himself as a link, he could ease or even resolve the tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village.
Of course, as for Uchiha Shisui's thoughts, Uchiha Kiri chose to smile and say nothing.
"You're wholeheartedly dedicated to Konoha and the Uchiha clan, but there are bad people among the masses," Ruri responded.
"I think there's no need to rush graduation. Maybe you should wait a few more years before deciding," Ruri suggested.
"I'll consider it," Shisui replied.
As they walked and talked, they unknowingly arrived at the Uchiha clan's training ground.
Shisui stopped and said, "Ruri-nii, it's been a long time since we last sparred, hasn't it?"
Ruri was taken aback. In the past, it was always he who asked Shisui for a spar, hoping to learn something from the experience.
To his surprise, today, Shisui had taken the initiative to propose the match.
"Well, that's fine. Maybe I can gain something from Shisui this time," Ruri thought.
"Alright," Ruri agreed.
Shisui hesitated for a moment before seriously saying, "Ruri-nii, this time, I want you to use your full strength."
"Hmm?" Ruri was slightly surprised but then smiled and said, "Alright."
On the training ground, the two Uchiha youths stood facing each other.
Shisui stood in the center of the field, surrounded by falling leaves, his fingers brushing over the clan emblem on his ninja tool pouch.
He watched Ruri, who was casually playing with a vine opposite him, and for a moment, he felt slightly unsettled.
For some reason, he felt that Ruri-nii was a little different today.
Shisui Uchiha exhaled slowly, steadying his breath.
"'Ruri-nii,, I'm going in!'
Shisui hurled a few shuriken, but with just a flick of his finger, Ruri summoned vines from the ground that easily swatted them down.
But that was merely a feint.
Before the afterimage of Shisui's Body Flicker Technique had even vanished, the cold gleam of a kunai was already at Ruri's back.
Without hesitation, he drove the kunai toward Ruri's back—holding nothing back.
"Ruri-nii, show me your true strength."
Based on what he had seen today, Shisui was convinced that Ruri had been hiding his true power all along.
Though for some reason, a part of it had slipped out today.
But Shisui believed Ruri's strength went far beyond what he had shown.
Only by launching a full-force attack could he draw out Ruri's true power.
Sure enough, the kunai stabbed deep into Ruri's back—but the familiar resistance never came.
"That sensation… it felt like stabbing into a block of wood."
"It's a Wood Clone."
Uchiha Ruri emerged from some unseen corner. "This is a jutsu used by the First Hokage himself."
A faint smile formed on Shisui's face. As expected, Ruri-nii was no ordinary opponent.
Ruri clapped his hands together. "Wood Style: Silent Binding Jutsu."
A thick tree branch shot toward Shisui, wrapping around him tightly in an instant.
Poof—smoke burst forth and cleared.
Ruri realized that what he had bound was just a wooden log.
"Substitution Jutsu, huh..."
Ruri turned his head toward Shisui—who suddenly began to smile.
Using ninjutsu without even forming hand signs… Ruri-nii really is full of surprises.
Using ninjutsu without even forming hand signs… Ruri-nii really is full of surprises.
A single tomoe slowly surfaced in Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan.
With the activation of his Sharingan, Shisui Uchiha's presence surged dramatically.
"Ruri-nii, looks like I'm the winner this time."
The Sharingan had always been the pride and symbol of the Uchiha clan.
Not only could it read an opponent's every move, it could also cast powerful illusions to completely dominate the enemy.
And once the Mangekyō Sharingan was awakened, its power became nearly unfathomable.
It was no wonder countless shinobi dreamed of obtaining the Uchiha's eyes—like that old bastard Danzo Shimura, who literally hoarded a whole armful of them.
That alone spoke volumes about how tempting the Sharingan truly was.
Ruri scratched his head. Shisui really lived up to the title of the clan's most gifted genius in recent years.
If it weren't for his "cheat code," Ruri wouldn't stand a chance.
Meanwhile, Senju Hashirama—secretly observing from the shadows—was visibly impressed.
"Ruri, this kid Shisui awakened his Sharingan even younger than Madara did."
"In a one-on-one, not having a Sharingan is definitely a disadvantage. When Madara awakened his eyes… during our first battle..."
Ruri curled his lip. Honestly, it made sense why Hashirama and Madara had spent a lifetime in that strange dance of love and war.
No matter the situation, he always had to compare others to Madara.
Those two… were really something else.
On the other side of the field, Shisui formed hand seals with lightning speed and took a deep breath, gathering his strength.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive ball of fire erupted from his mouth, its searing heat making it hard to even breathe.
Blinding crimson light bathed the entire training ground in a fiery hue.
Hashirama Senju's pupils contracted—could a student from the Academy really perform such a high-level Fire Style jutsu?
When Madara was this age—wait, damn it, why was everything always compared to Madara?
How would Ruri Uchiha respond?
Ruri remained perfectly composed. As his hands came together in a seal, gnarled wooden pillars surged from the ground.
"Wood Style: Domed Wall of Wood."
A row of thick wooden columns burst forth, bending and locking into an arch that shielded Ruri completely.
The blazing fire engulfed the dome in an instant, crackling and snapping with intensity.
But as time passed, the flames steadily diminished.
Had this been Yamato's Wood Style, it might not have held up against such an intense blaze.
But Ruri wielded none other than the true Wood Style of Hashirama Senju himself!
Even if it was incomplete, it was more than enough to handle a young, non-Mangekyō Shisui.
Moments later, Ruri calmly stepped out from within the dying flames.
Shisui stared wide-eyed at the unscathed Ruri Uchiha.
"Are you serious? Not even a speck of ash on your clothes?"
So this… this was the First Hokage's legendary technique...
[From: Shisui Uchiha — You have successfully awakened your Single Tomoe Sharingan.]
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