*Chapter 5: Uchiha Shisui*

At the moment the Sharingan came into view, a fierce clash erupted between the chakra within Yoru and his spiritual energy.

There wasn’t even a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. In an instant, he vanished with a burst of Shunpo, his form disappearing completely.

"How is that possible?!"

Uchiha Shisui’s Sharingan narrowed abruptly upon witnessing this scene.

To break free from his Sharingan genjutsu in an instant, even Shinzuke or Fugaku in the camp wouldn’t necessarily be able to achieve that.

Who on earth is this guy...?

"Don’t think you can escape!"

Shisui’s shock quickly flashed across his eyes, and his body vanished in an instant, closely pursuing Yoru’s presence.

Meanwhile, a few miles outside of Futamura, Yuyuri Ameyuri and the others had also noticed the disturbance within the village. The sounds of explosions and the commotion of ninjas were clearly discernible, even from a dozen miles away.

"It’s completely chaotic now!"

"As expected of Lord Yoru. Hey, Mangetsu, get ready to move!"

Ameyuri’s hand rested on the long sword at her waist, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she charged toward the village ahead.

Hōzuki Mangetsu formed a hand seal, and the surrounding mist thickened even more, engulfing his figure entirely.

With the two squad leaders already on the move, the remaining Mist Anbu followed suit without hesitation, activating Shunshin and quickly catching up to Ameyuri and Mangetsu.

Meanwhile, the teams led by Tōna Yukiko and Uzumaki Hiromi stayed behind to plan a retreat route...

...

"Bang!"

"Don’t think you can run!"

Yoru’s speed was undeniable. In just the blink of an eye, he had already arrived outside Futamura.

But in the next moment, a shadow suddenly appeared, almost merging with the wind, a blade in hand swinging toward Yoru’s neck at a deadly angle just as he landed.

Yoru raised his hand, blocking the strike with precision using his Zanpakutō, stabilizing his landing.

[Detected: A-rank target 'Uchiha Shisui,' side mission triggered:]

[Mission 1: Successfully recruit Uchiha Shisui – Reward: 10,000 points.]

[Mission 2: Successfully defeat Uchiha Shisui – Reward: 5,000 points.]

[Mission 3: Successfully kill Uchiha Shisui – Reward: 50,000 points.]

"So, you're the Uchiha clan's genius, Uchiha Shisui. No wonder you're so young yet possess a Sharingan with three tomoe, along with such remarkable Shunshin skills."

As the system notification echoed in his mind, Yoru briefly paused, observing the blood-red eyes and the resolute face of his opponent, who was around his age.

The voice from behind Yoru's Mist Anbu mask was youthful, causing Shisui to frown deeply.

Even though the war between Konoha and the Mist hadn’t escalated into full-scale conflict, the frequent skirmishes at the front lines indicated what was to come. As a result, they had gathered substantial intelligence on Mist's major powerhouses, but there was no information on the individual standing before him.

This guy infiltrated the village without being detected by the Byakugan or the security team, caused such a disturbance, instantly broke his genjutsu, and even matched him in Shunshin...

"Is there really such a hidden powerhouse within the Mist?"

Shisui gripped the handle of his Anbu-issue ninja sword.

He had to stop this person. Letting him go would be like releasing a tiger back into the wild!

"Whoosh!"

"Hiss!"

Shisui's form disappeared once again, his short sword glinting with a chilling light as it slashed toward Yoru’s face.

Yoru raised his sword to block the attack, but in that brief moment of blade contact, the Uchiha genius had already formed a hand seal with one hand, bringing it to his mouth in the shape of the "tiger" seal.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Using the recoil from the sword clash, Shisui leapt back, sending a scorching fireball hurtling toward Yoru, aiming to engulf him completely.

Unfazed, Yoru’s hand, gripping his Zanpakutō, suddenly formed a circular shield, blocking the roaring fireball head-on.

With a swift strike, he sliced through the fireball with his sword.

Yoru’s free hand clenched in the air, and his spiritual energy surged once more.

"Bakudō #39: Enkōsen!"

"Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen!"

Three large, beak-like beams of light appeared out of thin air, pinning Shisui’s hands and waist against the wall.

"What?!"

Shisui was shocked and instinctively looked at Yoru.

But the Yoru in his line of sight suddenly vanished.

Such speed!

It was so fast that even his Sharingan with three tomoe couldn’t keep up or track it.

When Yoru’s figure reappeared in Shisui’s pupils, the cold light of the Zanpakutō refracted in the sunlight, making his skin crawl.

"Slash!"

In an instant, Yoru’s blade pierced Shisui’s throat, severing his head from his body.

However, there was no gushing blood. The headless Shisui pinned by Shitotsu Sansen suddenly dissipated into a phantom.

A sound of blades cutting through the air came from behind Yoru, but in the next moment, the circular shield appeared again, blocking three kunai aimed at his neck, back, and waist.

"A shadow clone?"

Yoru turned to face the three Shisui standing before him, his brow furrowing. "No... It’s that technique, the Phantom Shunshin."

Phantom Shunshin was a unique eye technique of Uchiha Shisui.

By using a special hand sign and the power of the Sharingan, Shisui could create multiple phantoms that attacked alongside his real body. These phantoms wouldn’t disappear even if struck, making it an extremely unusual and powerful eye technique clone jutsu.

Impressive—truly worthy of being called the Uchiha clan’s most talented youth.

The only question is whether his eyes have reached that stage yet...

Beneath the pale mask, Yoru’s eyes narrowed.

If Shisui had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, then facing him carelessly would be dangerous.

Normal genjutsu could be dispelled by the clash of chakra and spiritual energy within Yoru.

But when it came to Kotoamatsukami, the strongest genjutsu, Yoru didn’t have a reliable countermeasure yet.

However, if Shisui hadn’t awakened his Mangekyō...

As Yoru scrutinized Shisui, the Uchiha genius also examined Yoru with a serious expression.

"The techniques this guy uses are strange. Those sealing and barrier methods... Are they some kind of secret jutsu?"

"I’ve never seen such techniques before. It seems the Mist has made considerable preparations for this war!"

Their gazes locked as if they were staring directly at each other through their masks.

Both had the same thought.

I have to take him down!

They moved simultaneously, their speed beyond the reach of ordinary humans, leaving afterimages in the air.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of their swords clashing echoed continuously as sparks flew.

But soon, in the midst of the intense fight, Shisui began to feel his hands go numb from holding his sword. He was having trouble keeping up.

This guy’s swordsmanship and close combat abilities are ridiculously strong!

After a heavy clash, Shisui was forced to retreat, switching to one-handed sword grip as his other hand formed seals. His cheeks puffed out as a fire dragon roared toward Yoru.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Hadō #54: Haien!"

(End of Chapter)