So… Shisui and Itachi have finally met.
Watching the two figures dart and clash within the forest clearing, Uchiha Yuan's expression turned faintly complicated.
Since that brief encounter with Uchiha Itachi—who had just returned from the battlefield—En hadn't run into him for several days. He hadn't expected to find him here today… training together with Uchiha Shisui.
The two were exchanging blows with breathtaking speed, their movements smooth and precise. The way they adapted mid-battle, their timing, and even the subtle calculations behind each strike made En quietly sigh in admiration.
Truly, the two of them are geniuses.
He didn't step forward to disturb them. After watching silently for a while, En turned and left without a sound.
Seeing Shisui and Itachi together gave him an eerie sense—like the chains of fate were slowly tightening around his neck.
Not long after En's departure, the two figures in the clearing disengaged, landing lightly on opposite sides.
Shisui turned toward the direction En had gone. He had sensed his presence the moment En neared the clearing. Then he looked back and saw Itachi also staring off the same way.
"Itachi, do you know that clansman just now?" Shisui asked.
Itachi nodded slightly. "Mm. I've met him a few times—he's Izumi's older brother, Uchiha Yuan."
Shisui smiled. "En might not have much talent for ninjutsu, but in taijutsu, his ability is outstanding. He's a remarkable one."
"Is he strong?" Itachi asked.
"Very," Shisui replied. "He once defeated more than ten classmates—including Shimura Ken and the others of my year—on his own."
Itachi's brows lifted in surprise. "But En's a year below you."
Shisui chuckled. "That's right. Our clansman is a genius in his own right."
"I think," Itachi said thoughtfully, "we could bring him in—work together to ease the tension between the clan and the village."
Itachi had always been precocious, long aware of the growing discord between the Uchiha clan and Konoha.
That conversation he'd once had with En—about the nature of war—had dispelled a question that had lingered in his heart, and made him realize that En was different from the rest of their clan. His perspective was broader, more mature.
But Shisui's expression turned regretful. "I've spoken with him before. Unfortunately, his attitude toward the village is just as rigid as the others."
At that, Itachi frowned slightly and gazed in the direction En had gone, thinking to himself:
En… can't you see the rift between the clan and the village? Or is your heart really that narrow?
As the days passed, news of the war within the village grew more frequent. The fighting had intensified—wounded shinobi were being carried back from the front lines daily.
And the war itself had changed. It was no longer simply the major hidden villages attacking Konoha—it had become an all-out free-for-all.
The first clash broke out between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, old grudges finally erupting into bloodshed. Then, when the Land of Water saw its campaign against the Land of Fire bog down, it turned its sights toward the Land of Wind, sparking conflict between Kirigakure and Sunagakure.
As the Five Great Shinobi Villages plunged into chaos, the smaller nations on their borders were inevitably dragged into the maelstrom.
Soon, the entire shinobi world was engulfed in flames.
The Third Great Ninja War had entered its fiercest stage.
After classes ended, Uchiha Yuan parted ways with Hatake Haruka at a crossroads.
Instead of returning to the Uchiha compound, he took a secluded path leading toward the village outskirts.
His destination—the Forest of Death.
But as he neared the outer edge of the village, En suddenly halted.
Ahead stood a solitary figure.
It was Kakashi.
He was in the village's memorial cemetery, standing silently before a gravestone. A single pale yellow flower rested there. From the faint photo on the stone, En could make out a gentle smile—that of a kind, beautiful girl.
En didn't go over to greet him. He knew Kakashi wouldn't want to be disturbed right now.
Yet as En passed the edge of the cemetery, his sharp senses caught something—a foreign gaze watching him.
At this time and place, there was only one person it could be. En immediately guessed whose eyes they were.
Uchiha Obito.
Fortunately, the gaze lingered on him only briefly before withdrawing. En let out a silent breath of relief. It seems Obito hasn't grown suspicious of me.
Still, to avoid drawing attention, En deliberately changed his route, keeping his sensory field spread wide.
If Obito was here, then Zetsu was likely nearby as well.
Moments later.
Within the shadowy depths of the Forest of Death—its towering trees blotting out the sun—Uchiha Yuan sped through the undergrowth, finally stopping in a secluded valley.
His sharp eyes swept the surroundings twice before he clapped his hands together. Four shadow clones appeared and dispersed in four directions, each weaving a hand seal to activate a barrier.
Then En pressed one palm to the ground. Chakra surged outward, forming a summoning circle etched with glowing lines. From its center, a faint, spectral figure rose.
Hatake Sakumo.
En formed another seal, creating an additional shadow clone that stood motionless beside him. The spirit of Sakumo drifted forward—and merged into the clone.
A moment later, the clone's eyes flickered with awareness, and Hatake Sakumo's calm, steady voice spoke through it:
"So, you were right after all. The Third Hokage would rather act as temporary Hokage himself than allow Orochimaru to take the title of Fifth.
To think they would cast aside even a student in the pursuit of power… With Orochimaru's pride, he won't take that lightly. He may well bring chaos to the village one day."
A wry smile tugged at En's lips. "Sensei, that only proves it. They are the true source of the village's corruption."
Sakumo fell silent for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
Then he looked down at the clone he was inhabiting. "This shadow clone of yours… it carries nearly sixty percent of the chakra I had when I was alive. En, your progress is astonishing."
"It's all thanks to your guidance, Sensei."
Their gazes locked—and in the next instant, a fierce surge of killing intent exploded between them.
Boom!
The two figures vanished, colliding with a thunderous impact that sent shockwaves rolling across the valley.
Swish—swish—swish!
They moved like blurs of wind, flashing from point to point, their palms striking like blades. Every exchange carved new scars into the ground, each clash bursting with lethal precision.
When the roaring air currents finally began to fade, the clearing was a crisscross of gashes.
At its center, En and Sakumo stood still—face to face.
En's right hand rested against Sakumo's throat, while his left forearm blocked Sakumo's incoming strike.
"I've nothing more to teach you when it comes to kenjutsu," Sakumo said, withdrawing his hand.
En took a few steadying breaths, sweat glistening on his brow. "No, Sensei. Every time I cross blades with you, I find another flaw within myself."
Sakumo smiled faintly. Then his expression went blank—emotionless.
He had released the possession.
A heartbeat later, the shadow clone crumbled apart, dispersing into mist as its chakra burned out.
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