In the eyes of outsiders, the Uchiha , like the Hyūga , pced great importan their image.

  However, the Uchiha weren't quite as strict as the Hyūga. Ohey return to their owory, they were retively rexed.

  Acc to the 's notice, this open match required all members with the Sharingan to e and watch, which everyone was ied in.

  Except for those on long-term missions outside who couldn't return, most ninja with Sharingan had e back.

  Since everyone had been out frequently during this period, gathering together in the all at once sparked a renereciation for life within the grounds. On the day of the match, before dawn, the area around the dojo where the match would be held was already lively.

  When Masashi arrived, he saw a sman selling steamed buns at the entrance.

  Feeling hungry, he bought one, mung on it as he made his way inside. Entering the dojo, he saw the familiar faces waiting for him inside.

  "Didn't have breakfast, Masashi?" Yaku handed him a carton of milk. "Eating like that is too dry. Here, take this."

  "Think you'll win?" Tetsuka asked, lookied. "I've made a little bet on you, so make sure to win, alright?"

  "Fifty-fifty ce. If I lose, I'll just lie down in front of your house." Masashi deed without hesitation, knowing full well his friend was actually trying to fort him.

  He didn't kly what Shisui was capable of at this age in the inal timeline, but here, Shisui was already reized within the as the stro of the new geion.

  At that moment, he sensed a familiar gaze and looked back. Behind him was Shisui, also in battle gear, apanying an elder as they walked over.

  It was Setsuna.

  "Masashi, you're already here," said he, looking at the young man before him.

  Shisui might be the star of the new geion, but Masashi was also well-known. His strength had skyrocketed i years, prompting members to debate over his path.

  Whie is better? Today's match was meant to put ao this pointless discussion.

  "You both are invaluable to the Uchiha . Sparring is just sparring—don't let it get to your heads," Setsuna said.

  Thetered, as if to himself, "Better not lose trol, or we'll just be watg embroidery."

  As if any match between Uchiha is just sparring, Masashi thought, keeping his faeutral.

  "Prepare yourselves, and we'll begin once Fugaku arrives." Hoping it would start soon, as he was already bored, Setsu upstairs.

  Several jonin who had apanied him exged greetings with Masashi and Shisui before also heading upstairs.

  Seeing this, the other smen on the first floor followed them and took their seats.

  After a while, Fugaku arrived, apanied by his son.

  Five-year-old Itachi still had a round, baby face, wearing an expression like a little philosopher. However, his philosopher persona instantly broke when he saw Shisui; he waved happily.

  Fugaku, without saying much, took his young son upstairs.

  Once all the spectators were seated, Masashi and Shisui g each other, then leaped onto the ring, each standing on one side.

  They wore identical outfits, and even their ohe same—both wielded small swords.

  The audience's chatter quieted, and the se fell into silence.

  "Begin," Setsuna announced.

  At that moment, both of them vanished simultaneously, with only occasional g sounds in the air but no visible figures.

  The speed of their movement created slight distortions in the air, like heat waves on a summer day.

  In the audience, one by ohe Uchiha activated their Sharingasuna propped his with one hand, watg with ihrough his three-tomoe Sharingan.

  "Quite impressive," he murmured to himself.

  Now, dozens of pairs of scarlet eyes focused on the ring.

  Both fighters moved so quickly that they left afterimages. Their mastery of the Body Flicker Teique was breathtaking, each dispt calcuted to create openings while avoiding vulnerability.

  It was expected for 'Shisui of the Teleporter' to have such skill, but the other partit hadn't earned any battlefield titles.

  The moment, the audience saw both of them activate the Sharingan.

  As if ink had spilled and spread in clear water, their afterimages filled the ring.

  Setsuna looked increasingly pleased, while Fugaku remained silent, his eyes trag every miail of the match.

  After another csh, Masashi and Shisui rebounded off each other, nding on opposite sides.

  While in midair, Shisui flicked several shuriken from his sleeve, quickly f hand seals faster than an eye could catch.

  The shuriken multiplied in midair, turning into a deorm aimed directly at Masashi.

  However, Masashi simply raised his sweing a gust that reversed the shuriken storm, sending it right back toward Shisui.

  Shisui's expression remained unged. He formed hand seals again, causing the multiplied shuriken to explode in midair, c the ring in smoke.

  In the instant, a massive fireball emerged from the smoke, illuminating Masashi's silhouette. The heat wave reached even the spectators.

  Through the fmes, the audience saw Masashi form just a single hand seal. The previously heated air in the arena suddenly turned cold.

  Waves rose, as if silver flowers were blooming.

  The surge of water brought a refreshing ess even to the audience.

  A t water barrier, resembling a turbulent wave, blocked the fmes, expanding ferociously and f a swirling vortex that protected Masashi from every angle.

  "Tobirama's Water Release?" Setsuna raised an eyebrow.

  It was ohing to hear about it, but seeing it firsthand was something else.

  "If it isn't Tobirama's teique, I'll do a handstand right here."

  "Acc to Masashi, he lear," Fugaku replied.

  "Then he should learn Wood Release—that would be even stronger," Setsuna snorted, tinuing to watch.

  On the field, Shisui's giant fireball had vanished pletely. The yers of waves dispersed, revealing Masashi's figure. Steam rose from the no floor.

  The audience began to murmur in astonishment.

  Being able to perform such a rge-scale Water Release in a dry enviro made them raise their estimation of him once again.

  They had always known his Water Release was impressive, but only when he faced Shisui did they realize how extraordinary his abilities truly were.

  A masterful Body Flicker Teique paired with an overwhelming Water Release. Even with the elders watg, the Uchiha couldn't hold back their discussion.

  As the water flow ahead began to disperse, Shisui finally uood why past Uchiha shinobi held such distaste for Water Release.

  On the Kiri battlefield, Uchiha members generally shared the se: Water Release just wasn't that impressive.

  Especially for Shisui, who had only ever trained in Fire Release due to his focus. His Fire Release articurly powerful, with intense heat and strength. It often evaporated Kiri shinobi's Water Release teiques with ease, leaving nothing but steam.

  Though his st Great Fireball hadn't been his best, seeing Masashi dispel it so effortlessly still uled Shisui.

  He decided to evaporate the Water Release, proving he was more than just Body Flicker asu. Among the Uchiha, strength is the only ticket to realizing one's ideals.

  "Hmm?" Shisui suddenly sensed something off.

  The Water Wall typically dissipated immediately after pleting its defeask. Yet ahead, as yers of water barriers peeled away, the remaining barriers remained intact.

  Had he switched teiques?

  Just as he thought this, Masashi's figure emerged from the thinning water walls, his hand signs ged.

  The water yers, initially losing their force like wiltials, suddenly halted as if frozen in time. The chakra signature shifted, being denser, more focused.

  In the sed, the water flow reversed with iy, increasing in volume and surging upwards, revealing twon heads. The heads, realistid lifelike, flickered in and out within the waves, moving like real creatures.

  It was said tailed beasts have a zy way of fightiend their tails, spin in pce, and fttehing in the area.

  For Masashi, simply replig this would be dull, so there was a catch.

  "Water Style: Furious Twin Dragon Jutsu."

  Like a beast spreading its tail, twons rotated terclockwise, cirg him in a high-speed spin, creating powerful waves and gusts.

  Everything oform, including Shisui, became part of this massive current.

  "The pressure... he's taining this much power in such a fined space?" A jonin's eyes widened.

  "Open the windows!" another shouted, already moving.

  The high-pressure water instantly caused the dojo to creak as if on the verge of colpse. While the building could probably hold out a bit longer, everyone instinctively opehe windows, preparing to jump if necessary.

  The sight of the massive water vortex and the rising water vapor had opeheir eyes. Water Release could be used like this. Everyone khis was just a spar between Shisui and Masashi, not a life-or-death battle; both were holding back immensely.

  The whirlpool was clearly meant for battlefield use. When Masashi used Water Release to kill, he left no corpses intact. And Uchiha's specialty, after all, was genjutsu, where they left no blood.

  The jonin watched ily, fully aware.

  Any object drawn close to Masashi was shredded upon nearing him. The surging waves served as both shield and spear, bining offense and defense. With the Sharingan's insight, breaking this defense required an overwhelming force.

  The jonin were puzzled by ohing: Sharingan isn't like the Byakugan; it has blind spots just like ordinary vision. But Masashi showed no indication of this weakness, not shifting his body at all, yet shredding anything that neared him, even from behind.

  Was he using the water walls as mirrors? But the water surrounding him was in stant motion, unsuitable as mirrors.

  They were perplexed. Setsuna and Fugaku specuted as well. They had a faint suspi that perhaps the most unlikely expnation might actually be the truth.

  "Remember in our youth, there was a theory about the Hyūga ?" Setsuna looked at Fugaku. "Like us, only a few of them could activate their eyes, so they relied on ninjutsu in battle."

  "That theory existed?" Fugaku responded calmly.

  Setsuna was a young man ie Warring States period when ninja s and shinobi were one and the same. Every had its share of unverifiable legends.

  "Yes, it was once widely believed, though the Hyūga dismissed it as nonsense," he tinued. "Their Gentle Fist, while powerful, has obvious limitations..."

  Fugaku quickly uood.

  The Uchiha prized the art of killing with the eyes, with tless variations of genjutsu to develop the power of Yin Release.

  The Hyūga's Gentle Fist, the Akimichi's Multi-Size Teique, and the famous Eight Inner Gates all harnessed Yang Release.

  As the Sage of the Six Paths' hidden legacy to future geions, Yang Release trainihods emerged in tless forms. Physical training was the most on, strengthening one's life force through rigorous exercise.

  But Fugaku decided to drop the subject.

  Just theiced the shaking of the building had stopped.

  Looking down, the surging dragons had vanished, and Masashi stood guarded by water barriers that seemed almost alive. The arena was in shambles; eveoiles had been uprooted.

  Shisui stood drenched on the muddy stage, looking as if he'd been caught in a torrential downpour.

  "Time to settle this with genjutsu?"

  "Seems so. Masashi's Water Release is highly developed."

  Everyone discussed this.

  It was obvious: Masashi's Water Release was yered like ing dolls, each teique hiding another. Shisui couldn't eve close.

  Fet using Fire Release in this enviro; even attempting Body Flicker was useless.

  In this spar, whether it hysical or elemental teiques, Shisui cked the advantage.

  That left only the Sharingan.