Chapter Seven: A Friendly Duel

In the world of shinobi, there are two kinds of swordsmen: true samurai who rely solely on their skill with the blade, without using chakra, and impostors like those of the Land of Iron, who bear the title of samurai but actually wield chakra in their techniques. The former are genuinely weak; even a low-ranking ninja could defeat several of them at once. The latter are somewhat more formidable—top-tier warriors like Mifune possess power on par with the Kage.

To Shisui Uchiha, Yu Higashino belonged to the former group. After all, he could sense no trace of chakra from Yu Higashino. Even though Yu’s swordsmanship was obviously extraordinary, without chakra, his physical abilities would never match a ninja’s. Even if they competed purely in swordplay, Yu Higashino seemed to stand no chance.

Shisui, however, did not look down on Yu because of this. He was only concerned that Yu might become discouraged or disappointed by defeat. Yet, since Yu Higashino wished to spar, Shisui decided to accept. At worst, he could always hold back a bit and avoid creating too great a disparity.

That was Shisui’s plan.

As for Yu Higashino’s desire to spar with Shisui, it was simply a whim—he wanted to see for himself just how skilled a level 3 Swordsmanship skill truly was.

The two faced each other across seven or eight meters in the training field. Yu Higashino held a wooden sword in his right hand, his left hanging loosely by his side. Shisui gripped the hilt of the short blade slung across his back in reverse grip, ready to draw in an instant.

“I’ll take the first move,” Yu offered.

“Please,” Shisui replied.

“Here I come.” As the words left his lips, Yu sprang into motion, his right foot launching him forward and his form vanishing from sight.

Though Shisui had not activated his Sharingan, his dynamic vision remained keen. What he saw was not Yu disappearing, but Yu charging at him with astonishing speed—a speed that rivaled even elite jonin trained in taijutsu.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Shisui’s eyes before it was replaced by seriousness. His grip tightened on the short blade, which he drew and raised defensively before him.

In the next instant, Yu’s wooden sword had already swung down, only to be blocked by Shisui’s short blade.

The force transmitted through the blade was so immense that Shisui nearly lost his grip. Instinctively, he channeled chakra to strengthen his hold, twisting his sword to deflect the blow and fully dissipate the energy.

Shisui quickly stepped back, retreating several paces to widen the distance between them.

Is this truly the strength and speed of an ordinary swordsman with no chakra? Shisui’s mind swirled with doubt and astonishment. It seemed even he was not immune to arrogance—if this had been the battlefield, he might already be dead.

With this sobering thought, Shisui focused his mind with utmost vigilance.

Yu’s next strike was already coming—a cunning angle, the blade narrowly missing Shisui’s neck. Yet Shisui’s reflexes were just as swift. With a deft twist and a sidestep, he parried and evaded the attack.

Sensing Shisui’s growing seriousness, Yu Higashino decided not to hold back any longer. Indeed, he hadn’t fully unleashed his power before; aside from the “Sword Qi” he had no intention of using, neither his strength nor speed had been at their peak.

Now, as he wielded his level 3 Swordsmanship in earnest, his wooden sword moved swifter, each swing heavier, his technique fluid yet unpredictable—each strike aimed unerringly at Shisui’s openings.

Shisui, without his Mangekyo Sharingan, was about Kage-level; with three-tomoe Sharingan, he was equivalent to an elite jonin; without Sharingan, he was merely at the level of an ordinary jonin. His specialty was the Body Flicker Technique, but now, in a pure contest of swordplay with Yu, he was thoroughly suppressed.

All Shisui could do was dodge, unable to find a single opportunity to counterattack. As Yu pressed harder, even evasion became more difficult for Shisui.

After a dozen exchanges, Yu suddenly halted, stepping back to put distance between them.

Catching his breath, Shisui looked at Yu in puzzlement. Yu’s calm voice broke the silence.

“Perhaps I’m unusually gifted. This isn’t a fair fight for you—use your full power.”

“But…”

Yu interrupted him again. “I want to see how far I can go.”

“…Very well.” Shisui paused, then nodded solemnly.

Without another word, Yu launched himself forward, vanishing from his spot just as before.

This time, however, Shisui immediately activated his Sharingan—three-tomoe.

In Shisui’s eyes, Yu’s movements slowed; the trajectory of the wooden sword became clear. With a horizontal block, Shisui intercepted the attack. But it didn’t end there. Twisting his short blade, he deflected Yu’s wooden sword to the side and thrust at Yu’s left flank.

Yu’s reactions were no less sharp; with a swift maneuver, he parried Shisui’s thrust with ease.

Even with the Sharingan and chakra enhancement, in pure swordsmanship, Shisui was still no match for Yu.

Given that, Shisui leapt back to create distance, sheathing his short blade behind his back. Freeing his hands, he began weaving hand seals.

“Body Flicker Technique!”

As Shisui finished, he blurred into motion. In an instant, multiple figures—whether afterimages or shadow clones—appeared, a dozen Shisuis rapidly circling Yu Higashino.

With his level 3 Swordsmanship, Yu’s perception was impressive, but even he couldn’t distinguish which was the real Shisui, nor could he discern the technique’s true nature. Having watched the anime, he guessed the technique might involve genjutsu—after all, Shisui’s Mangekyo Sharingan boasted Kotoamatsukami, the most potent illusion, indicating a natural talent for genjutsu. Yet, in the original story, Shisui rarely used illusions, leading Yu to suspect that his Body Flicker Technique might blend genjutsu with other jutsu.

But now wasn’t the time for speculation. Shisui had already begun his assault, attacking in tandem—two Shisuis, one to the left, one to the right, one leaping in with a kick aimed at Yu’s head, the other thrusting his short blade toward Yu’s chest…