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"Now this is interesting."
A faint smile tugged at Shisui Uchiha's lips. He was genuinely pleased—Ken's mastery of the Body Flicker Technique was impressive.
And strong opponents made for interesting fights.
By the time the thought crossed his mind, Ken had already slipped behind him. A blunt kunai shot forward, aimed straight at his back.
The angle was tricky.
Clang!
Sparks burst as Shisui drew the blade at his back without even turning around, casually blocking the strike.
Effortless.
Ken's eyes sharpened. The kunai danced in his hand, his wrist flicking as the blade slashed toward Shisui's neck.
Clang!
Blocked again.
A cold smile spread across Ken's face. Then he stopped holding back.
He pushed his Sage Body to the limit. Chakra surged through his pathways like a flood.
Shisui was strong.
But Ken wasn't weak.
Clang clang clang!
Kunai and sword collided in rapid succession, ringing sharply. Ken dropped all restraint, weaving ninjutsu into his assault.
His fire-style attacks came from unpredictable angles, forcing even Shisui into awkward positions.
This kid… hasn't even graduated yet. How is his combat sense this refined?
Shisui realized he couldn't afford to hold back anymore.
So he didn't.
The two clashed like needle against wheat, their bodies blurring into afterimages. Watching from the sidelines, Itachi Uchiha was completely stunned.
Shisui had always been his role model.
But Ken—someone his own age—was holding his ground against him for this long?
That was ridiculous.
For a moment, Itachi felt like his eight-year-old self again, standing uselessly on the training field.
The fight escalated.
Two tomoe spun into existence in Ken's eyes.
Wood Release was his trump card—off-limits.
But the Sharingan? That was fair game.
His attacks grew sharper, faster.
Even his movements—dodges, feints—became far more precise.
Several times, he pushed Shisui into real danger.
And this was Shisui—an elite jonin.
"Two tomoe already?" Shisui hadn't known Ken had awakened the Sharingan.
The sight genuinely shocked him.
Then—
Three tomoe spun into Shisui's eyes.
His offense surged, turning fierce and overwhelming.
The tide began to shift.
From being suppressed, Shisui slowly regained control of the fight.
Still, he didn't use his Mangekyō.
Three tomoe versus two was already borderline unfair.
If he went further…
He'd never hear the end of it from the clan.
On the sidelines, Itachi watched their Sharingan clash, envy creeping into his voice.
"…When will I awaken mine?"
The fight dragged on for a full five minutes.
Even with the three-tomoe advantage, Shisui couldn't break through. Every attack was skillfully neutralized by Ken.
Finally—
Shisui leapt back, creating distance. He raised his hands in surrender, a wry smile on his face.
"That's enough. You win."
He was older.
More experienced.
And he'd even used a stronger Sharingan.
Yet he still couldn't defeat Ken.
There was no point continuing.
Ken shook his head modestly."You were holding back, Shisui. I'm not your match."
Though… if both of them went all out?
Hard to say who'd come out on top.
Shisui had the Mangekyō—Kotoamatsukami.
Ken had the Sage Body. Wood Release.
Then Shisui's expression turned serious.
"Ken… I'd like to invite you to join the ANBU. What do you think?"
Ken wasn't surprised.
He'd already guessed this might happen.
Shisui's gaze was steady, expectant. But Ken didn't answer right away.
Instead, he said quietly:
"Do you remember what happened two years ago? When Root attacked me and Itachi?"
Shisui's heart sank.
This wasn't going in a good direction.
"…I remember."
"It's been two years," Ken continued. "Neither Konoha nor Root has ever apologized. Put yourself in my shoes. After something like that… would you join the ANBU?"
He didn't refuse outright.
He simply laid out the truth.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't act fairly—if he chose to side with Danzo Shimura and Root—
Then why should Ken follow him?
Shisui fell silent for a long moment before speaking carefully.
"The Hokage… has to consider the entire village before making decisions."
"But he's never considered me."
That single sentence shut Shisui up completely.
Ken patted his shoulder and smiled.
"I'm still young. Let's talk about this another time."
A polite refusal.
Shisui was kind. Devoted to the village.
And Ken knew how that story ended.
Used. Betrayed. Broken.
Even in death, Shisui would choose the village.
But the village wouldn't choose him.
And Ken knew—he couldn't change that.
If they ever met as enemies one day…
He wouldn't hesitate.
"…Alright." Shisui nodded, regret flickering in his eyes. Losing someone like Ken was a real shame.
And maybe… if things had been handled more fairly back then…
Things would be different now.
At Fugaku Uchiha's residence.
Dinner time.
Ken had, once again, shown up to freeload a meal.
He was devouring the food like a storm, talking through a full mouth:
"Aunt Mikoto's cooking is seriously the best!"
Mikoto Uchiha laughed softly, covering her mouth as she placed a piece of grilled meat into his bowl.
"You sweet talker. Slow down—you'll choke."
"Thanks, Aunt Mikoto!"
Ken didn't slow down at all.
Across the table, Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha exchanged a look.
The same thought passed between them.
Unbelievable.
Still, they were used to it by now. All they could do was roll their eyes and ignore him.
Once he'd eaten his fill, Ken set down his chopsticks, took a sip of water, and said:
"Uncle Fugaku, I ran into Shisui today. We sparred a bit."
Fugaku raised a brow. "And?"
Ken answered seriously,"He's really strong."
Then added:
"But I didn't lose."
"…What?" Fugaku was genuinely shocked.
Holding his own against Shisui?
Though… Shisui probably hadn't gone all out.
Still—
"Shisui is a kind boy," Fugaku said with a sigh. "But those eyes of his… may not belong to the Uchiha much longer."
Regret lingered in his voice.
If only he hadn't agreed to let Shisui join the ANBU…
Ken smiled faintly."Shisui still cares about the clan. You don't need to worry too much."
"I hope so."
Fugaku sighed again.
If the clan had Shisui, Ken, and Itachi all on the same side…
What a future that would be.
Ken didn't mention the ANBU invitation.
No point.
Better to keep that to himself—for now.
Konoha Guest House.
Residence of the Kumogakure delegation.
On a bed, a pale young man groaned in pain—Darui, still recovering from his injuries.
Even though Ken hadn't gone all out, that kick had hurt like hell.
"Samui, any word from the ANBU? Who did this to him?" asked a towering, heavily built middle-aged man with a thick beard.
He was the delegation leader—Jay an elite jonin.
The blonde beauty Samui replied calmly:
"We got intel this evening. It was someone from the Uchiha clan. Name's Uchiha Ken. Still a ninja academy student."
"Good."
The man's expression hardened.
"If we know who it is, then Kumogakure won't just swallow this humiliation."
"Uchiha…"
"Just you wait."
"....."