Noticing Nohara Rin approaching, Obito immediately glanced at her with his peripheral vision. Seeing Rin caring for Kakashi, he internally cursed Kakashi.
"Damn Kakashi, he probably hasn't been training properly. Just one kick from Guy and he's down."
After mentally criticizing Kakashi, Obito turned his full attention to Shisui, ignoring everything else.
Although he knew that his raw power was significantly behind Shisui's and he would likely lose, Obito didn't want to lose too badly in front of Rin. He wanted it to be a fight where both parties tried their hardest.
Moreover, Obito felt there was a chance of winning. If he could awaken his Sharingan during the battle and break through his Breathing Technique, then Shisui wouldn't be so difficult to handle.
Shisui didn't have as many convoluted thoughts as Obito. He was focused on only one thing: Teacher Mokgetsu was watching, and he wanted to showcase his strength and win beautifully.
"The battle begins," Mokgetsu announced.
Swoosh!
Obito immediately changed his breathing rhythm, entering the Breath of Flame state, and charged towards Shisui.
With Might Guy, he certainly wouldn't engage in a Taijutsu contest, but against Shisui, it was worth a try.
His Breath of Flame was somewhat stronger, and he had the height advantage.
Having trained with Obito for a long time, Shisui was familiar with his fighting patterns. He instantly entered the Breath of Flame state and engaged him in Taijutsu combat.
Bam! Bam!
The two exchanged a flurry of punches and kicks. Though Obito had more strength, Shisui was more agile. Neither gained an advantage in their first exchange.
Watching this, Kakashi's eyes flickered. Obito wasn't weak in Taijutsu; he usually couldn't defeat Kakashi due to Kakashi's superior battle experience.
But soon, the situation changed. After gauging Obito's current Taijutsu level, Shisui stopped probing and employed his incredibly swift Instant Body Jutsu, using his superior mobility to suppress Obito.
"So fast, I can't see him," Obito said as he searched for Shisui's figure. Mokgetsu's battle didn't limit their range, and they had moved beyond the clearing where trees were abundant.
Whizz, whizz, whizz!!!
Suddenly, a shower of shuriken flew towards Obito.
Locking onto the direction they came from, Obito entered Full Concentration Breathing and dodged the incoming shuriken, heading towards the treetop where they originated.
Although Full Concentration Breathing consumed stamina, he felt that if he didn't use it, he would lose confusedly.
This time, Obito was more cautious. Instead of charging in directly, he used his Breath of Flame ability to create a large amount of fire.
Puff!
Shisui's Shadow Clone was burned by the flames, dispersing into smoke.
Obito immediately spun around and delivered a Spinning Kick, and with a puff, the emerging Shisui also vanished into smoke.
Bam!
The real Shisui appeared, using Instant Body Jutsu to close in on Obito and landing a heavy punch, sending him stumbling back several meters.
Obito's face darkened, feeling that those who used Shadow Clones were devious, and whoever developed this jutsu must be even more cunning.
"Fire Release: Impatiens Claw Red!"
To prevent Shisui from taking advantage, Obito decisively drew four kunai, formed a single-handed seal, and unleashed a jutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Shisui did not pursue directly; instead, he performed a Fire Release Ninjutsu, spewing out a massive fireball, four meters in height.
Boom boom!!
The flaming kunai collided with the fireball, causing an explosion.
Normally, Impatiens Claw Red should be more powerful than the Great Fireball Jutsu. However, Obito used a version that favored speed over power, only briefly interrupting the fireball, which quickly resumed its trajectory towards Obito.
Thinking about Rin watching the battle, Obito decided not to dodge. He resolved to expend his Chakra to resolve the Great Fireball since he didn't want to continue playing into Shisui's rhythm.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Retreating as he formed seals, Obito spat out a large fireball, aiming to offset the incoming attack.
Just as Obito was focused on strategizing how to defeat Shisui, he suddenly noticed Nohara Rin appearing beside the two fireballs, seemingly about to be engulfed by them.
"Why is Rin...?" Obito instinctively wanted to warn her to be careful, but quickly realized Shisui was capable of Genjutsu, and Rin couldn't have appeared like that during their fight with Mokgetsu observing.
By the time Obito realized it, it was too late. During his momentary distraction, Shisui quietly appeared at his side, pressing a kunai against him.
"Ah, Genjutsu is so unfair, why was it Rin?" Obito scratched his head, feeling quite frustrated, thinking he could have struggled a bit longer.
Shisui remained calm and silent.
Obito believed his loss was due to carelessness, but in Shisui's view, it was inevitable.
First, using Instant Body Jutsu tactics, he pushed Obito to the edge, then exploited Shadow Clones to deplete Obito's Chakra, making him even more anxious. In such a state, Obito was almost defenseless against Genjutsu, with little prospect of winning.
Smack!
Mokgetsu quickly appeared beside Obito and playfully knocked him on the head, saying:
"If you think Genjutsu is unfair, you can learn it too. Accept your losses."
"Hehe," Obito chuckled, rubbing the spot where he was smacked, then curiously asked:
"Teacher Mokgetsu, is there any way to counter Genjutsu?"
Mokgetsu thought for a moment and responded: "Of course there is. The essence of Genjutsu is manipulating the opponent's Chakra to interfere with their five senses. By disrupting your own Chakra, you can dispel it. With enough training, you can master this."
"But for you of the Uchiha Clan, once you awaken the Sharingan, unless the Genjutsu comes from a more powerful Dojutsu, ordinary illusions pose little threat," Mokgetsu revealed a shortcut to Obito.
In the Ninja World, Genjutsu without the Sharingan could never reach its pinnacle. The Sharingan greatly enhances Genjutsu, giving an overwhelming advantage. While ordinary Genjutsu can be self-dispelled, those relying on Dojutsu require assistance from others.
"Sharingan, huh," Obito showed a longing expression.
As a ninja from the Uchiha Clan, he had heard many legends about the Sharingan. He often fantasized about suddenly awakening it and defeating Kakashi.
However, Obito still didn't understand how to awaken the Sharingan. Logically, his strength should surpass what Shisui had when he awakened it, but still, his eyes remained dormant.
Because Kakashi was temporarily taken out by a punch from Might Guy earlier, Mokgetsu extended the rest period until Kakashi had sufficiently recovered before starting the fight between Kakashi and Shisui.