The three of them moved deeper into the training grounds, Renji and Shisui both preparing themselves for combat. At Itachi's signal, the spar began.
Renji was the first to act—his hands flicked, releasing three shuriken at once. They shot out from different angles, closing in on Shisui from three directions.
Shisui nodded in approval at the clever setup. With a graceful leap, he slipped past the incoming blades.
But Renji's lips curled into a sly grin. A fine, gleaming wire appeared between his fingers. With a sharp tug, he altered the shuriken's trajectory midair. What had looked like a successful dodge now turned into a trap—Shisui was falling right into it.
Shisui reacted instantly. He flicked a single shuriken, striking Renji's trio mid-flight. The steel rang out as the weapons deflected off one another, not only breaking Renji's setup but also sending the rebound straight back toward Renji himself.
That was Shisui—effortlessly turning defense into offense. But Renji was not so easy to corner.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
In just a heartbeat, Renji completed the hand seals. A massive sphere of flame erupted from his mouth, swallowing Shisui's returning shuriken and continuing its path toward him.
But Shisui was faster. Where Renji had needed two seals per second, Shisui's hands blurred—four seals in a single second. Less than two seconds later, an even greater fireball roared forth, larger and hotter than Renji's.
The two infernos collided with an explosive boom. Dust and smoke billowed across the training ground. And when it cleared—Renji had vanished.
Shisui narrowed his eyes. He didn't activate his Sharingan; to do so would end the fight in an instant, and he had no desire to crush Renji so ruthlessly. Instead, he waited, calm and patient.
Minutes ticked by. Renji didn't show himself. Shisui remained composed, standing in the silence.
Then—just as the fifteenth minute neared—a kunai shot from the shadows. Shisui noticed immediately that a paper tag trailed behind it. An explosive tag.
His brow twitched. This brat… obsessed with explosions already? At this age?
He dodged lightly, extinguishing the burning tag midair. Even in a training field, it was better to minimize unnecessary destruction.
But the instant he finished, Renji burst out of hiding. Two more kunai flew from his hands—each tied with another paper tag.
Even after throwing, Renji still gripped two more kunai. He was about to release them when, of all things, his foot slipped. He crashed to the ground, and his remaining kunai clattered in front of him—tags already igniting, ready to blow.
Shisui's heart lurched. With a flash, he used his Body Flicker, appearing before Renji in an instant to smother the tags.
"Renji! Are you hurt?"
He reached down to pull Renji up—when suddenly, a tongue of flame burst from Renji's mouth. Shisui, caught off guard, barely managed to twist aside, the fireball grazing his shoulder and scorching the fabric of his cloak.
"You little brat…" Shisui exhaled, dropping to the ground with a sigh. He hadn't expected such a trick.
"Heh-heh." Renji sat awkwardly on the dirt, flashing an embarrassed smile. He knew full well that in a straight fight, even without Sharingan, he had no chance of injuring Shisui. This had been his only hope to complete the system's mission—and it had worked.
"You weren't afraid you'd mistime it and blow yourself up?" Shisui asked, half scolding, half amused.
"Of course not, Shisui-nii. Those last two explosive tags were ones I drew myself—they weren't real. They could never explode. The flames just came from me lighting the paper early."