At the border of the Uchiha district, along the banks of the Naka River…
Chiyu was quietly waiting.
This showdown with Uchiha Shisui had already been delayed long enough.
Not only was Sarutobi Hiruzen running out of patience—so was he.
It was time to settle the matter once and for all.
Below the riverbank's abrupt edge, the waters of the Naka River flowed ceaselessly.
Chiyu's mind was calm, free of distractions. Even while waiting, he did not neglect his training.
Until…
Two figures gradually appeared along the riverbank.
Besides Uchiha Shisui—there was also Uchiha Itachi?
Chiyu paid it little heed.
As they drew closer, the murderous intent radiating from Shisui steadily intensified.
That man…like a counterpart or mirror image to himself, an opposite extreme.
By now, it was time to cut ties.
Shisui gathered his chakra and strength to the limit.
A fierce killing intent of an all-out battle to the death welled up around him.
"Uchiha Chiyu."
He called out in a low voice.
Chiyu lifted his gaze.
"You've come."
Shisui said curtly, "No more talking. It's time to end this."
Chiyu curled his lips in a mocking smile.
"Alright."
In an instant, on the Naka River bank, both men's chakra and power burst forth wildly. An oppressive aura crashed between them in a frenzied clash.
On the side, Uchiha Itachi's face turned pale with shock.
Though he considered himself a prodigy, facing these two top-tier fighters' auras, Itachi felt suffocated, hardly daring to breathe. Moreover, as a fellow Uchiha, his bones carried an inherent dread for the mightier Mangekyō power.
"Shisui-senpai is one thing, but I never imagined Uchiha Chiyu had become this strong…"
Itachi couldn't help worrying for Shisui again.
"He'll win, right…
"Shisui?"
Tensions soared, poised to ignite.
It no longer needed words: it was truly a duel to the death.
And far away on the riverbank…
At least three factions were covertly observing this fight:
Shimura Danzō and his Root operatives.
The forces under Koharu and Homura, the two elder advisors.
Sarutobi Hiruzen himself with his loyal Anbu—the Hokage's "personal watchers."
Danzō intended to seize Shisui's Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō.
Koharu and Homura's subordinates were tasked with curbing him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also had his own secret agendas, aiming to be the final "oriole," waiting for the mantis and the cicada to clash.
None of them made a move, all to let the "clashing clams" fight so the "fisherman" might profit. They waited for Shisui and Chiyu to destroy one another.
Meanwhile, at the Uchiha compound…
Uchiha Fugaku and all the clansmen likewise watched quietly from a distance.
"Chiyu…"
Chiyu had asked them not to show themselves, only to watch from the sidelines.
But Fugaku, as clan head, couldn't help his concern. This was a duel at the pinnacle—a fated battle.
Fugaku knew well how strong Uchiha Shisui was.
Since the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had died, and the Legendary Sannin were absent for various reasons, Hiruzen was aging, while Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Uchiha Itachi were still too young…
At present, calling Uchiha Shisui the strongest ninja in Konoha was no exaggeration.
Even believing in Chiyu's strength, Fugaku couldn't suppress his worry.
"Bring it on!"
Seemingly only Uchiha Itachi was present as a spectator—yet in reality, all of Konoha's upper echelons and the Uchiha Clan were secretly watching.
At Shisui's roar, he launched the first assault.
Bang bang bang!
Between his ten fingers, almost in a blink, countless shuriken appeared out of nowhere, speeding fiercely at Chiyu with chilling accuracy.
Itachi's eyes lit up:
That's Shisui-senpai's brilliant shuriken technique!
It was a skill far above his own, brought to perfection.
No one could dodge it…
But Chiyu didn't even flinch; he merely tilted slightly, as if casually and without effort. Yet all the shuriken missed entirely!
It was as if he moved a fraction before Shisui released them, so the shuriken ended up flying into empty space!
Itachi's heart pounded.
"What…what movement was that?
"A Body Flicker?
"No… it isn't. It looks like those eyes of his predicted Shisui-senpai's lines of fire. He instantly made the most precise move!
"What terrifying eyes…"
Shisui himself was startled but not shaken.
He knew the man before him was the strongest foe he'd ever faced in his life; he would never be beaten easily.
So just as Chiyu dodged all the shuriken, Shisui unleashed his famed finishing move—one of his trump cards known throughout the ninja world…
"Phantom Body Flicker!"
He was called "Shunshin no Shisui" (Shisui of the Body Flicker)!
This was the technique behind that name.
In a flash, Shisui's figure split into two—then into three—until over a dozen clones formed!
They looked like afterimages, illusions…yet each was actually real. Not only could they simultaneously attack, they wouldn't vanish from a single hit.
These were no ordinary Shadow Clones.
Rather, by bringing his Body Flicker to the summit of mastery, Shisui could transform himself into more than ten "real illusions" attacking at once.
Countless foes had died to this technique.
Chiyu didn't let his guard down.
Indeed, the split-second before Shisui used that technique, he had already formulated a response.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode."
He commanded mentally, and a violent wave of Lightning Release chakra coursed through every cell of his body—instantly electrifying all 130 trillion of them!
In that moment, a fierce surge of lightning flared outward, enveloping Chiyu in snapping, buzzing arcs of electricity—like a veritable Thunder God.
Next instant—
Boom!
With a roar like crashing thunder, Chiyu's form vanished from where he stood, turning into a blur too fast for the eye to catch.
"That—that's indeed…"
Observing from afar, Hiruzen, Danzō, Fugaku, and the rest were now absolutely certain:
Previously, he'd killed the Kumogakure envoys in a blink by using the secret of Kumo…
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
After the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato, passed away, the Fourth Raikage of Kumo had become the "fastest shinobi in the world" by relying on this very technique.
Now, for reasons unknown, Chiyu had somehow obtained Kumo's greatest secret!
They all harbored the same thought:
Lightning Release Chakra Mode versus Phantom Body Flicker…
One known as the fastest technique in the ninja world post–Flying Thunder God; the other, the signature of "Shisui of the Body Flicker."
Which one would reign supreme?
At once, everyone held their breath and watched the fight intently.
Uchiha Itachi opened his Sharingan, desperate not to miss a single detail. Yet even with three tomoe, he found it difficult to track their movements at all.
Cold sweat beaded his skin, once more feeling how enormous the gulf was between them and him.
Bang!
Bang-bang-bang!
In a blink, lightning lit the battlefield. Shisui's body split into a dozen replicas, each brandishing a blade, lunging at Chiyu from every angle.
But Chiyu had turned into a streak of light!
No matter that a dozen Shisui clones attacked at once, they still couldn't even graze him.
Between afterimages and streaks of light, the streak was faster.
No doubt—
At that moment, Chiyu's speed had surpassed even Shisui's Body Flicker!
~~~
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