Killer Bee looked at Shisui, his voice somewhat muffled, but no longer carrying a rap tone.
"...You are very strong, Shisui. I lost."
Shisui put away his Kunai and looked earnestly at Killer Bee.
"Killer Bee, you are also very strong. Your strength and taijutsu foundation are things I cannot match. I just... took a shortcut."
His words were not entirely comfort; the potential and physical fitness displayed by Killer Bee truly left a deep impression on him.
Even in Konoha, among his peers, he had rarely encountered an opponent as troublesome as Killer Bee.
Although Shisui usually looked quiet and very well-behaved, he was also very proud.
After all, he was also a Genius of the Uchiha clan, and the Uchiha clan all possessed arrogance, let alone someone with such top-tier talent like him.
He heard from the older brothers and sisters in the clan that his older brother was much more arrogant when he was young.
Shaoyu took note of Shisui's reaction.
Shisui's talent could be considered top-tier throughout the entire Uchiha clan.
Even Uchiha Madara, Itachi, or even Uchiha Sasuke, if they didn't use cheats, it would be impossible for them to be completely stronger than him.
Activating Susanoo with a single eye, the overpowered Dōjutsu Kotoamatsukami, self-created Body Flicker Technique...
It was simply that he suffered from the era's handicap of exiting the stage too early.
Killer Bee's strength in the original work was indeed very strong, but purely in terms of talent, it was normal for him not to compare to Shisui who possessed the Sharingan. Furthermore, at this moment, he had not yet become the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, nor had he acquired overpowered power.
Under the bright lights of the training ground, Killer Bee lowered his head, his shoulders heaving slightly as silence persisted for about a dozen seconds.
During these dozen seconds, frustration, unwillingness, shame... all sorts of emotions surged like churning magma, crashing within his young chest.
However, just as Uchiha Shisui was about to say some comforting words, and Young A was also frowning and thinking about how to counsel his younger brother, Killer Bee suddenly raised his head.
The dejection on his face had not completely disappeared, but that reckless hip-hop expression temporarily faded, replaced by a rare seriousness.
He snatched off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes burning with an unyielding flame, and looked straight at his older brother, Young A.
"Big Brother!"
Killer Bee's voice was somewhat hoarse, but exceptionally clear and resolute.
"Special training! Starting tomorrow! No, starting as soon as we go back tonight! I want special training! The strongest special training!"
He turned to Shisui, his gaze as sharp as a knife.
"Shisui! You won this time! I admit it! But only this once! Next time! Next time I will definitely defeat you! You just wait for me."
Young A looked at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar intense fighting spirit in his younger brother's eyes. He was stunned for a moment, and then his mouth split into a gratified and heroic smile.
This was the Killer Bee he knew; failure would not crush him, it would only make him ignite an even stronger flame. He heavily patted Killer Bee's shoulder, making him stagger.
"Good! That's more like it! As expected of my younger brother! Special training, right? Fine! Starting tomorrow, I'll arrange Hell-level training for you! Don't go crying when the time comes!"
"Who's crying!"
Killer Bee retorted with a stiff neck, but his eyes had already lit up again, and that sense of frustration was temporarily suppressed by a stronger desire to win.
At this time, Uchiha Shisui also stepped forward a few paces.
There was no longer the tension from the spar on his face, nor the complacency after victory, only a clear tranquility and the seriousness belonging to the Uchiha.
He looked up at Killer Bee, who was a head taller than him, his black eyes shining brightly under the lights.
"Killer Bee."
Shisui's voice was very steady.
"You are very strong, and I have also felt your determination."
He paused, his tone becoming extremely solemn, as if making an important promise.
"I accept your challenge. Next time, I will also go all out."
He looked straight into Killer Bee's eyes and said word by word.
"However, I will not lose either."
There was no arrogance, no contempt, only the purest self-confidence.
This was Uchiha Shisui, beneath the name of a Genius, that restrained yet unshakable pride.
Killer Bee stared at Shisui for a few seconds. Suddenly, he grinned again, revealing two rows of white teeth. That iconic smile with a slightly eccentric tune returned, but it carried a bit more heavy weight than before.
"Yo! Well said! That's the spirit! Just you wait, Shisui! The person who wins next time will definitely be me! Dong!"
"Alright, you kids."
Young A waved his big hand.
"That's it for tonight! Bee, go back and do five hundred push-ups to warm up first. Shisui, you go back and rest early too; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
...
Land of Wind, outside Hidden Sand, yellow sand filled the sky.
After reaching an armistice agreement with Konoha and Iwagakure, Hanzou did not immediately disband the exhausted yet still fierce army of Hidden Rain Village under his command.
Instead, he integrated the remaining elite forces at an astonishing speed. Like a Desert jackal that smelled blood, he lunged straight toward Hidden Sand, which had also suffered heavy losses in the Second Shinobi World War and was currently busy licking its wounds.
When the scouting Ninja's expedited intelligence was delivered before the Third Kazekage, this Kazekage, famous for manipulating iron sand and always known for being calm and steady, unusually lost his composure, smashing the sturdy stone office desk with a single palm strike.
"Hanzou! How dare he——!"
The flames of anger burned fiercely in the Third Kazekage's chest.
Disgrace! This was blatant humiliation and targeting!
Bow down and surrender to the two main opponents, Konoha and Iwagakure, yet turn around to attack Hidden Sand, which had also participated in the war and had fierce clashes with Hidden Rain Village in the early and Middle Stages.
This clearly assumed that Hidden Sand was the weakest and easiest soft persimmon to squeeze among the three major Ninja villages.
Was he trying to tear another piece of flesh from Hidden Sand before completely admitting defeat?
If Hanzou knew his thoughts, he would definitely think this guy was overthinking it.
Wasn't the poverty of your Hidden Sand known throughout the entire Shinobi World?
Hanzou attacked Hidden Sand, firstly, because Hidden Sand was indeed the weakest one among the major Ninja villages.
Secondly, in the current Shinobi World, there were the Five Great Nations and Five Great Ninja Villages. The five major Ninja villages would not allow a sixth major Ninja village to appear, because benefits were fixed, and an extra one meant splitting away a portion of the benefits.
Only by defeating Hidden Sand and obtaining Hidden Sand's share of benefits could Hanzou allow Hidden Rain Village to rise.
What Hanzou wanted was never to let Hidden Rain Village become the sixth major Ninja village, but to replace it, removing Hidden Sand from the Five Great Ninja Villages and making Hidden Rain Village the fifth major Ninja village.
However, after the Third Kazekage's anger came the cold reality and deep apprehension.
The situation of Hidden Sand was known better by the Third Kazekage than anyone else. The war with Konoha a year ago consumed too much Origin Qi, the new generation of Ninjas suffered from a severe generational fault, and material reserves were far from recovered.
This time participating in the war against Hidden Rain was more out of political pressure and the consideration of getting a share of the pie. The forces invested were not the most to begin with, the battle results were limited, and at this moment they were even more exhausted.
What they had to face was Hanzou, who had just defeated the Konoha camp with thunderous momentum on the border of the Land of Rain, heavily injured the Sannin, and was currently at the height of his fierce prestige!
That title of "Demigod" was piled up with the bones of countless Ninjas.
Even during Hidden Sand's prime, the Third Kazekage would not dare say he had absolute certainty to defeat Hanzou head-on, let alone now.
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808