Feeling dizzy and mentally exhausted, half a month had passed. During this time, Uchiha Akira had been obsessively training in the Shunshin Technique given to him by Uchiha Shisui.
However, after two weeks, not only had there been no progress, but he had also driven himself to the point of mental exhaustion.
The Shunshin Technique is a movement technique that almost all Jonin, and even some Chunin, can master, allowing them to increase their speed significantly for short bursts.
But Shisui's Shunshin Technique was entirely different.
The basic Shunshin Technique simply increases movement speed—nothing more.
However, Shisui's Shunshin Technique can manifest the abilities of Kamui in a clone-like form!
What does this mean?
Shisui could create multiple clones, which appeared to be illusions but were actually real.
When you attacked one of these clones, it might just be a simple illusion.
But when it attacked you, it might be solid—this was the defining feature of Obito's Kamui!
Of course, while this technique is powerful, the more powerful the technique, the harder it is to master.
As Shisui explained, this technique is classified as S-rank in terms of difficulty.
First, one must master the basic Shunshin Technique to a very high level.
Second, it involves a mechanism similar to the Flying Thunder God Technique, where, at a critical moment, the user must instantly switch places with one of the clone-like illusions, creating a scenario where all the clones are both real and illusionary.
Finally, it requires the assistance of the Sharingan.
The Sharingan's genjutsu and enhanced dynamic vision are necessary to analyze all the clones and the situation on the battlefield.
Combining all these elements together forms the core of Shisui's Shunshin Technique.
The technique is almost like a combination of Kamui and the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Although it is incredibly difficult to learn, Shisui used this technique to earn the title of "Shisui of the Body Flicker." His fame reached the heights of legends like Konoha's White Fang and the Yellow Flash, causing enemy ninjas to abandon their missions just upon hearing his name.
This shows how powerful this technique is!
After yet another day of grueling practice, with no significant progress, Uchiha Akira returned home in a terrible mental state. Without even bothering to bathe, he collapsed onto his bed, still reeking of sweat.
The saying "a teacher can lead you to the door, but it's up to you to walk through it" applied here—Shisui had taught him everything he could. Now, it was up to Uchiha Akira's own efforts and insights.
"No wonder in the original story, Uchiha Itachi was nearly impossible to kill. He could hit you, but when you tried to hit him, his body might just scatter into crows and fly away!"
"This technique is very similar to Shisui's Shunshin Technique!"
"Combining illusion and reality with the Sharingan's genjutsu!"
"But to think that after only two months as Shisui's disciple, I—a mere average Chunin who just touched the threshold of Chunin-level skills—am being taught an S-rank technique?"
"It's like asking a middle schooler who just started learning about circuits to build a circuit board!"
"But I'm also an idiot. Why am I banging my head against the wall trying to master such a difficult S-rank technique? I should go take on a few missions, earn some money, and run a few more life simulations."
"My talent is mediocre. Hard work isn't my path—pay-to-win is the way!"
...
Lying in bed, Uchiha Akira's thoughts were scattered. Before long, the sound of his snoring filled the room.
At the door, Uchiha Keiko, carrying a basin of hot water, had intended to let Akira wash his face and then have dinner.
But as she reached the door and heard the heavy snoring from inside, she quietly turned away.
"Keiko, where's that boy?" At the dining table, where the food had already been served, the old man hadn't started eating. Seeing Keiko return alone, he asked.
"Master Akira is already asleep. It seems he's really exhausted lately," Keiko replied.
"Mm, Shisui's Shunshin Technique isn't easy to learn. He's been working hard these past few days—it must have been tough on him. I'll have to find a way to cheer him up," the old man said, both pleased and concerned.
Akira slept like a log. From around six in the evening, he slept straight through to six the next morning, waking up only because he was starving.
However, as he got up and started washing up, Keiko came in carrying a small briefcase.
"Master Akira, this is from the Elder. He said you've been working too hard in training lately and that you should take a couple of days to relax. Training needs a balance of work and rest," Keiko said, opening the briefcase to reveal stacks of crisp new bills.
"This is...?" Seeing this, Uchiha Akira's eyes lit up.
"This is 100,000 ryō!"
"Grandpa is awesome! I love him to death!" This was exactly what Akira needed at this moment!