(T/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the long break. I usually work out regularly, but last week I overstretched my biceps pretty badly—so much so that I couldn't even move my arm without a lot of pain. I've been taking time to rest and recover. It's not fully healed yet, but I can move my arms again, so I'm back to my usual update schedule starting today.)
At the same time—Inside the Hokage's office.
After parting ways with Shisui, Sarutobi Hiruzen took out his beloved crystal ball and used the Telescope Technique to monitor Shisui's movements.
The battle between the two was naturally within his field of vision.But it didn't take long for Hiruzen to be completely stunned by Kaze's performance.
"So strong… his taijutsu and ninjutsu are both incredible."
Hiruzen knew better than anyone how powerful Shisui was—Especially when it came to Fire Release. Even the prodigies of the Sarutobi clan paled in comparison to Shisui's mastery.
But never in his wildest thoughts did he expect Shisui's fire techniques to be blown apart with a single punch.
Whether it was the Fireball Jutsu or the Dragon Flame Jutsu, none of it stood a chance against Kaze's raw strength.
This wasn't the level of an average jonin—Kaze's abilities were clearly at the level of an elite jonin.
"Don't tell me… Shisui's actually going to lose."
As he stared at the image in the crystal ball, Hiruzen felt a twinge of unease tighten in his chest.
Shisui's strongest tools were his shuriken techniques, genjutsu, fire jutsu, Shadow Clones, and the Body Flicker Technique.
But his shuriken couldn't even touch Kaze.His fire jutsu got shattered with a single blow.Genjutsu ended in a draw.Even his speed—usually unmatched—wasn't anything extraordinary compared to Kaze's.
"And to think… this Kaze has been hiding the fact that he awakened the Sharingan all this time."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed.
From what he knew, most Uchiha wore their Sharingan as a badge of pride.The moment they awakened it, they couldn't wait to show the world.
But Kaze had done the complete opposite—He'd hidden it.
What exactly was this kid planning?
—Meanwhile—
At the training field near the Naka River in the Uchiha compound…
Kaze's punch was fierce—wild and overwhelming.The sheer force of it scattered the flames wrapped around Shisui's blade.
The strike itself slammed into the short sword, shattering its chakra-forged steel—Thin, black cracks spread across the surface.
Crack!
With a metallic shatter, Shisui's short sword broke into pieces on the spot.
Silver fragments scattered across the ground,And all that remained in Shisui's hand was a mostly-intact hilt.
"Tch…"
Even Shisui couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.It was then he realized he had seriously underestimated Kaze.
"If you're not planning on giving it your all," Kaze said calmly, his voice low and steady, "then this spar ends here."
His other hand clenched into a fist, surging with electricity—Under Shisui's Sharingan, he could clearly see the energy condensing into a pure elemental thunder punch.
A wave of pressure, like a storm crashing in, rolled toward Shisui.
"…You want me to go all out, huh?"
Shisui's brows furrowed slightly, instantly understanding the hidden meaning behind Kaze's words.
Kaze had known from the very start—That Shisui wasn't fighting seriously.
Though Shisui was naturally calm and kind, and usually held back during battles, when facing a powerful opponent—His blood would begin to boil.
Just like now.
While he was surprised by Kaze's strength, Shisui wasn't about to let himself get knocked away by a single punch.
And with that thought—
As Kaze's fist drew closer, Shisui muttered under his breath:"Then don't blame me for what happens next, Kaze."
In the blink of an eye, an explosive wave of chakra burst forth from Shisui's body.His tomoe began spinning rapidly, faster and faster—Until they transformed into a distinct, four-bladed shuriken pattern.
The Mangekyō Sharingan—Uchiha Shisui's trump card.
"He's bringing it out…"Kaze's eyes narrowed, a flicker of tension rising in his chest.
Sparks crackled across his arm. Without hesitation, he upped the voltage in his elementalized left hand.
Ten million volts.
After days of practice and refinement, this was the upper limit of what his body could safely output.
At that moment—
The air around Shisui distorted, and a translucent green skeletal figure formed around him, encasing his body in glowing chakra bones.
Then, as if being reconstructed piece by piece, muscles, ligaments, and armor-like features began layering over the bones, all pulsing with green flames of chakra.
Susanoo.
A massive, towering warrior of chakra took shape—its eyes glowing, posture imposing.
Shisui stood calmly at its center, his gaze icy and focused.
The giant raised its right arm, palm outstretched—Meeting Kaze's thunder-charged fist head-on.
BOOOOM!
The impact erupted like a cannon blast.A titanic wave of force exploded outward, ripping through the surrounding air in a deafening shockwave.
The very earth beneath them quaked violently.
The sheer force of their collision shattered the training ground beneath their feet—The ground cracked apart, massive fissures radiating out from the impact zone like a black spiderweb.
Within a twenty-meter radius, the terrain sank half a meter, forming a massive crater from the force alone.
And that—Was only the beginning.
The blast wave tore through the surrounding forest like a tidal wave of destruction.
Dozens of massive trees—thicker than a grown man's torso—were snapped in half or ripped from their roots, flung through the air like twigs in a storm.
Uprooted trees spun violently through the air, crashing into one another like thrown spears.
Hidden within the forest, the Root operatives—masked and silent—could no longer maintain their composure.Underneath their animal masks, expressions of shock and envy began to surface.
"What… what kind of jutsu is that?""This power… it's terrifying!""Crap! The shockwave is heading our way—!"
Panic swept through the group. They had snuck in to observe quietly from the shadows—But now, they were being swept into the chaos themselves.
Each of them launched off tree trunks in a desperate attempt to escape toward safer ground.
But how could they possibly outrun a shockwave unleashed by monsters like Uchiha Shisui and Kaze?
In the blink of an eye—Two Root operatives were caught in the blast. It slammed into their backs like a battering ram.
Their bodies were flung into the air—flipping end over end—Before crashing head-first into the forest floor.
And this was just the aftershock.
One could only imagine the raw destruction unfolding at the epicenter of the clash.
"Kaze, your taijutsu is formidable…"
Shisui's eyes never left his opponent. He stood behind the glowing green avatar of chakra, voice calm but intense.
"…But against Susanoo, it loses its edge."
Despite the composed tone, a storm raged within Shisui's heart.
If it weren't for Susanoo's protection just now—He wasn't sure he could've withstood that last punch at all.
Kaze's Lightning Fist had been vicious.The destructive power it held had far surpassed the level of any ordinary jonin.
"Hahaha."
But Kaze didn't look discouraged in the slightest.He laughed, the sound low and casual.
"What's so funny?" Shisui narrowed his eyes.
Kaze grinned and replied,"Sure, my taijutsu might not be able to break through Susanoo… but the moment you brought that thing out, you basically admitted that you've got nothing else that works on me."
"And more importantly—"His gaze sharpened.
"As far as I know, Susanoo is formed by converting your own chakra into physical form through the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Which raises the question… just how much chakra do you have left?"
Shisui might appear to have the upper hand—But from a different angle, it was clear that he'd been forced into a corner.
He wasn't dominating the battle—He was on the defensive.
That realization prompted Kaze to raise his other hand—
Electricity arced across his skin.
Elementalization—complete.
Without hesitation, he launched his second Thunder Fist straight at Shisui's glowing titan.
This time—He wanted to test the true limits of his Goro Goro no Mi.
Just how strong was the Thunder Fruit…Against Susanoo?