After school, Kagaya headed to the training ground, where Shisui was waiting for him as usual.
As soon as Kagaya stepped onto the training ground, he spotted Shisui and gave a slight smile. Raising his hand, he swiftly threw four kunai at Shisui.
Clang!
Two kunai, thrown at a clever angle, simultaneously struck Kagaya's four, neutralizing his attack.
'Still so fast'! Kagaya thought, unable to even catch Shisui's throwing motion. It was too quick!
But this was normal. After being thoroughly beaten by Shisui so many times, Kagaya was used to it.
Snake–Ram–Monkey–Boar–Horse–Tiger!
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
A fireball, about one meter in diameter, materialized in front of Kagaya, blazing toward Shisui.
"Oh? You've mastered this technique?" Shisui said, somewhat surprised.
Just two days ago, Kagaya had fully grasped nature transformation. Shisui hadn't expected him to perform the Fireball Jutsu after only a day.
Moreover, with his Mangekyo Sharingan, Shisui could clearly see that Kagaya's hand-sign speed had reached about two signs per second.
"Interesting."
Whoosh!
Body Flicker Technique!
Shisui vanished from his spot, reappearing to Kagaya's left, effortlessly dodging the fireball.
At the same time—
Snake–Ram–Monkey–Boar–Horse–Tiger!
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
A three-meter-wide fireball appeared, three times larger than Kagaya's, roaring toward him.
"Tch!" Kagaya raised both hands in surrender, and the massive fireball dissipated just before reaching him.
It was always like this. Kagaya and Shisui's sparring sessions were a daily routine, but frustratingly, whatever attack Kagaya used against Shisui, Shisui countered with a more refined version.
For example, when Kagaya threw four kunai, Shisui neutralized them with just two. When Kagaya used a fireball, Shisui responded with one three times larger.
Hearing Kagaya's exasperated "Tch," Shisui burst out laughing. He walked over, teasingly looking at Kagaya. "Don't be so grumpy. Come on, tell me, what's your record now?"
Kagaya turned his head away, unwilling to answer.
Shisui tilted his head, smirking. "Oh, come on, our little genius Kagaya isn't afraid to admit his record, is he?"
Kagaya rolled his eyes, reluctantly muttering, "302 losses, 0 wins."
Shisui laughed heartily, patting Kagaya's shoulder in mock consolation. "See, today's much better! Keep using ninjutsu, and I can make you surrender faster. Back when you only used kunai, I had to play with you for ages before you'd give up. So boring."
Kagaya: "…"
Indeed, Kagaya had become highly skilled with kunai. Shisui had even said that if he hadn't taught Kagaya himself and known his habits, even he might not always beat Kagaya in kunai techniques.
But with ninjutsu, Kagaya was just starting out, nowhere near Shisui's level. The moment Shisui countered with ninjutsu, Kagaya was guaranteed to lose.
Still, Kagaya understood this was Shisui's unique teaching method. Since Shisui mirrored whatever Kagaya used, it meant Kagaya could use his weaknesses to spar with Shisui. Shisui wasn't proactively teaching him anymore—he was waiting for Kagaya to learn something new, then showing him how to use it correctly through demonstration.
Of course, this was an unspoken understanding. On the surface, Shisui still teased Kagaya relentlessly, as he did the next moment.
"Oh, I heard you're fighting that Hyuga Neji tomorrow," Shisui said.
Kagaya's eye twitched. "Didn't you tell me that? Why 'heard'?"
Shisui grinned teasingly. "No, no, that's not the point. The point is, if you lose, that girl—uh, Yamanaka Ino, right? The one who came to see you—she'll probably be heartbroken, huh? Haha!"
Kagaya gritted his teeth, glaring at Shisui. "We agreed not to talk about that."
Shisui replied with mock seriousness, "I'm discussing your fight with Hyuga Neji tomorrow, not that Yamanaka Ino might have a crush on you. Don't twist my words."
Kagaya didn't want to dwell on this and said curtly, "I'll win."
Shisui burst out laughing. "Hahaha, see? You do care about that girl! You're so sure you'll win just to avoid disappointing her, huh?"
Kagaya: "Senior, get lost."
After more teasing, Shisui finally let Kagaya off and began discussing seriously.
"Hyuga Neji, the genius of the Hyuga Branch Family. The Hyuga Clan's biggest asset is their Byakugan, and Neji naturally has it. You need to watch out for his Gentle Fist. The Byakugan can see your chakra points and meridians. If you're not careful, he could seal your chakra points, leaving you unable to use chakra. Your taijutsu is strong, but now that you've learned ninjutsu, chakra is a huge advantage. You cannot let him seal your points. Also, the Hyuga's Byakugan has incredible perception, even surpassing our Uchiha Clan's Sharingan. Illusions and tricks likely won't work on him. If possible, it's best to defeat him head-on. That's the safer approach."
Kagaya listened attentively, nodding. "Got it."
Hyuga Neji—Kagaya knew him well. In the original story, during the Chunin Exams, the strongest in that generation were Neji, Rock Lee, and Sasuke. Neji's place among them was due to his exceptional talent. He was a true genius.
The Byakugan, on par with the Sharingan, was naturally formidable. Kagaya didn't even have the Sharingan yet.
The Gentle Fist, known as Konoha's strongest taijutsu style, directly targeted the chakra network. Even a graze could cause internal damage, potentially fatal.
Neji was undoubtedly a formidable opponent. Though Kagaya was confident he could win, confidence alone wasn't enough.
From Shisui's objective perspective, the fight was a 40-60 split—Neji at 40%, Kagaya at 60%. Shisui knew Kagaya inside and out, so he rated him higher, but who knew if Neji was hiding something?
Shisui looked at Kagaya with a serious gaze. "In short, you absolutely cannot let your guard down in this fight!"
Kagaya responded firmly, "Of course!"
Hours later, after a day of training, night had fallen by the time Kagaya returned home.
At the doorstep, a woman in an apron stood holding a coat, anxiously looking out as if searching for something.
Seeing Kagaya, her face lit up with a smile. She hurried to him, draping the coat over his shoulders, and said worriedly, "Kagaya, you don't have to train so late every day. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Kagaya smiled warmly. "It's okay, Mother. I can handle it. I won't let you and Father down."
Yuko Uchiha's voice was filled with heartache. "Let us down? How could you? I'm already so proud of you, Kagaya. Even if we lost face, what would that matter compared to you being safe and sound? Come home earlier from now on. Your dinner's warmed up—go eat."
Kagaya nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay."
No matter what he'd been through or how much time had passed, this home remained warm. That's why Kagaya was so desperate to protect it.
'I'll definitely do it. I'll protect you both, Father, Mother,' the boy vowed silently in his heart.