In the training ground in the Konoha Forest, Beiyuan squinted its eyes and lay leisurely on the grass, basking in the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves.
Uchiha Itachi rushed over with a bunch of wild fruits, threw them in front of the crow, then turned and sat beside Shisui. "Shisui, won't you go to the clan gathering this afternoon?"
"Hey, how do you say it? I probably should, but I don't think I have to." Uchiha Shisui sat on the ground, took out a shuriken, and casually threw it at a wooden target.
"It's because Shisui is a Chunin now!" The little boy's voice carried a hint of admiration. Kids in Konoha all loved ninja forehead protectors.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four shuriken, thrown at the same time, hit the wooden targets in succession, producing distinct sounds. Only then did Shisui turn back in satisfaction, looking at the boy beside him.
"No, I just don't want to go."
"…Oh."
Hearing no further questions, Shisui ruffled Itachi's hair with a chuckle. "Ha, I thought you'd ask me why!"
Gah!
A wild fruit was suddenly tossed into the air, forming an elegant arc before landing right on top of Shisui's head.
Shisui didn't get angry, just rubbed his head and picked up the fruit. "Hey, don't throw the ones you've already pecked!"
The crow ignored him.
"It's simple," Itachi said seriously. "If Shisui doesn't want to answer, it must be because the answer would make me unhappy. And if something would make Shisui unhappy, then as his friend, I don't want to hear it either."
"Haha, Itachi, you're getting cuter!"
Uchiha Shisui rarely showed sadness. Though he was a genius, his personality was warm and easygoing. Whether it was enemies or friends, he had an enormous capacity for tolerance. Anything that could make him unhappy… had to be something truly unpleasant.
Even that arrogant crow, which had been provoking Shisui for ages, was still alive and kicking—wasn't that proof of Shisui's good nature?
"Hah…" Uchiha Shisui stretched and twisted his body before glancing at Itachi. "Wanna try a spar today?"
Itachi's face lit up with both excitement and nervousness. "Eh? Really?!"
Gah?
Even Beiyuan perked up in interest. So they were finally going to start—watching two rookies peck at each other? It had seen a truly high-level battle a few days ago… unless these two suddenly pulled out Mangekyō Sharingan, their fight would be nothing but a warm-up at best.
"I just developed a new way of using the Body Flicker Technique, and I want to test it."
"Then let's begin! This will be my first fight with Shisui!"
Uchiha Shisui went into teaching mode. "For a proper spar, we start with the Seal of Confrontation… especially since Itachi is about to enter the Ninja Academy!"
Itachi pouted slightly, clearly not thrilled by the reminder.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Itachi struck first.
A massive fireball erupted, sending a wave of heat across the training ground. But the moment it made contact—Shisui vanished in a puff of smoke, and a fallen tree took his place.
"It's a Substitution Jutsu!"
Itachi didn't hesitate. He leaped onto a tree branch, gripping two shuriken, scanning the area for Shisui's presence.
"Hmm… fast hand signs, solid chakra control… he really doesn't seem like a five-year-old," Shisui muttered from behind another tree, impressed.
Clang!
The sharp sound of metal rang out as a shuriken curved unnaturally around the tree trunk, heading straight for Shisui!
"Haha, you're sharp!"
The young Chunin flicked his kunai, knocking the shuriken aside. Then, he casually tossed a shuriken in return. Based on its trajectory, he could pinpoint Itachi's exact location.
Boom!
A sudden explosion rocked the area. Beiyuan clicked its beak in irritation—Tch! What kind of shuriken technique was that?! This was clearly Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!
This sneaky little brat had infused the shuriken with Fire Release chakra, causing them to ignite on contact!
And poor Itachi, the naive little fledgling, had actually blocked the shuriken with his own weapon—only to have it explode right in his face.
His clothes were scorched, his arm burned slightly… Luckily, Shisui's attack had detonated midair, otherwise the match would have been over immediately.
"Alright, time to test my new technique… Body Flicker!"
Uchiha Shisui suddenly burst forward, forming a single-hand seal. As his speed increased, multiple afterimages appeared on the battlefield.
This was different from his usual Body Flicker technique. Previously, Shisui had used clones, making it possible for each one to become real at will. But this… this was pure speed, creating illusory afterimages rather than clones.
"I can't tell which one is real…!" Itachi's eyes flickered red. Two tomoe spun within his Sharingan.
He slashed his kunai at an afterimage—only to find it was nothing but air.
"Only two tomoe at five years old…" Shisui's Sharingan activated as well, revealing three tomoe.
Beiyuan clicked its beak. This was just cruel. The baby crow was getting absolutely toyed with.
Sure enough, Itachi spent the next few minutes getting completely outmaneuvered. Shisui phased in and out of visibility, overwhelming him with speed. The spar ended shortly after, with Itachi panting on the ground, defeated.
After the Seal of Reconciliation, Shisui applied medicine to Itachi's burns. The rookie massacre had concluded.
Gah!
The crow landed beside them, staring at Shisui with sharp eyes.
Itachi, still recovering, blinked in confusion. "Beiyuan, are you… challenging Shisui?"
"Huh?" Shisui tilted his head. "A crow wants to fight me?"
Gah!
"Oh? Sure!" Shisui grinned, playfully tapping the bird's head. "I've never fought a crow before!"
Gah…
Beiyuan's gaze sharpened. Some people… were way too full of themselves.
"Alright, if I win, you have to behave—no littering, no making a racket—"
Beiyuan ignored him. Some people… really had a death wish.
"…And any time I call, you have to come!" Shisui finished confidently.
The crow lifted its wing and gave him a high-five to seal the deal.
"Gah…"
Shisui chuckled, brushing Beiyuan's feathers. "You're pretty smart, huh?"
Silently, the crow's beak moved, tracing an unseen curse onto Shisui's wrist guard.
Then, Beiyuan turned to Itachi and let out a slow, deliberate "Gah."
'Stand back. You don't want to get caught in the bloodshed.'