Hoshita Shūichi's opening victory earned him 100,000 ryō—but the celebration was short-lived.
The black-robed youth had barely returned to his team when Gu Jianyi slit his throat without hesitation.
"He just..." Kurama Sanyō gaped, speechless.
Namikaze Minato's voice turned grave. "Shisui, Sanyō—be extra cautious. Their leader's ruthlessness means the others will fight desperately."
Uchiha Shisui and Kurama Sanyō nodded sharply. "Understood!"
The goateed middle-aged man stepped forward next.
"Shisui, you're up," Namikaze Minato ordered.
"Yes, Minato-sensei!"
Uchiha Shisui sprinted toward his opponent, accelerating with each step.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The goateed man launched probing shuriken, but Uchiha Shisui deflected or dodged them effortlessly—without even activating his Sharingan.
Their kunai clashed in a flurry of sparks as they darted across the battlefield.
Hoshita Shūichi and the others tracked their movements intently.
Despite holding back his Sharingan and short sword, Uchiha Shisui matched the older shinobi blow for blow.
Suddenly, the goateed man disengaged with a backflip, hands flying through seals. He stomped the ground.
Crack!
The earth split radially from his position, two fissures boxing Uchiha Shisui in. Jagged stone pillars erupted from the cracks, spearing toward him.
But Uchiha Shisui had recognized the Earth Release seals. He leaped skyward just in time—only for the pillars to grow mid-air, denying him footing.
As gravity reclaimed him, his hands completed a seal.
Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!
Boom!
The explosion shattered several pillars. Uchiha Shisui landed, Sharingan now blazing, short sword drawn.
The goateed man smirked. "Not done yet!"
Smaller spikes sprouted from the existing pillars, lancing at Uchiha Shisui.
The Uchiha's eyes darted, his body a blur as he sliced through the stone spears. He danced across the deadly forest like a leaf on the wind.
Even Hoshita Shūichi held his breath.
This guy's an Earth Release specialist—at least elite chūnin level, maybe even tokubetsu jōnin.
Uchiha Shisui finally broke free of the stone maze, but not unscathed. Cuts littered his body, blood trickling down his arms.
Yet he sheathed his sword and formed a new seal.
Shunshin no Jutsu!
His figure split into two, then four, then dozens as they circled the battlefield at blinding speeds.
Hoshita Shūichi's pulse spiked. Is this the technique that earned him the title "Shunshin Shisui"? Developed already?!
Kurama Sanyō gasped. "Shadow Clones? No—illusions!"
Namikaze Minato's eyes narrowed. "Illusionary Clones. Remarkable—they emit actual chakra signatures."
Even Kurama Sanyō, raised in a genjutsu-specialized clan, was baffled. Illusions were supposed to be intangible projections.
Hoshita Shūichi frowned. "Minato-sensei, you mean those clones have detectable chakra?"
"Precisely," Namikaze Minato confirmed. As the only sensor present, he could verify it.
This defied both standard illusions and basic clone techniques.
On the stone pillars, the goateed man hurled shuriken through the swarm of Uchiha Shisuis. The weapons passed harmlessly through—yet the clones persisted.
"Not Shadow Clones. Genjutsu, then?" the man scoffed.
Dozens of Uchiha Shisuis charged into the stone forest.
The goateed man clasped his hands. "Fine—if I can't spot the real one, I'll crush them all!"
The pillars morphed into lances, impaling clone after clone—but each strike found only air.
Sweat dripped down the man's forehead. "How?!"
"Every one's a fake?"
"Am I trapped in his genjutsu? Is this a chakra-draining ploy?"
Three Uchiha Shisuis reached him simultaneously. Their blades flashed.
Clang!
The first strike—solid—forced the man to block with his kunai.
Clang!
The second, from another angle, was equally real.
The third blade pressed against his throat. The icy steel made his hairs stand on end.
"Impossible!" he croaked. "Illusions can't—"
Uchiha Shisui sighed. "If you insist..."
Slice!
The man clutched his gushing neck as his kunai clattered to the ground. "R-real... after all?"
Kurama Sanyō's jaw dropped. "How?! Can he materialize genjutsu attacks like my clan manipulates senses?"
Namikaze Minato had no answer. Even he couldn't fully decipher Uchiha Shisui's Shunshin.
A fusion of genjutsu, clones, and body flicker?
Hoshita Shūichi lacked Minato's knowledge, but the clues pointed to genjutsu playing a core role.
Regardless, Uchiha Shisui had secured victory.
As Hoshita Shūichi treated his wounds, Kurama Sanyō stepped forward for the third match—facing a swordsman who looked more samurai than shinobi.
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