"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Shisui also performed the hand signs to use Fire Release, but to prevent injuring his teammate, Shisui deliberately reduced the usage of Chakra to weaken the power of the Great Fireball.
"So there's still such a huge gap between me and a true genius." Watching the might of the Great Fireball unleashed by Shisui, Tetsuya Uesugi sighed inwardly.
He had practiced Fire Release for quite some time, and even before the fireballs collided, he could tell that Shisui's fireball was much stronger than his.
Boom!!
The two fireballs collided, and Shisui's Great Fireball unsurprisingly engulfed Tetsuya Uesugi's large fireball.
Although his fighting spirit was nearly depleted, as a ninja, his instincts still prompted Tetsuya Uesugi to dodge.
Whoosh!
Just then, Shisui, who hadn't attacked actively, made his move, holding a Kunai and using the Instant Body Jutsu to rush forward.
By the time Tetsuya Uesugi realized it, the Kunai reflecting a cold glint was already pressed against his neck.
"So fast." Tetsuya Uesugi's pupils dilated in shock.
He thought he could hold on a bit longer, but he didn't expect Shisui's Instant Body Jutsu to be so quick.
Shisui silently put away the Kunai; this was a practice match that would stop at the point of impact.
In fact, if Shisui had gone all out, he could have instantly defeated Tetsuya Uesugi at the very beginning, but to gauge his teammate's strength and give his new teammate some face, Shisui only went all out after a few moves.
"Tetsuya, you're a bit overconfident," Kobayashi Kenji couldn't help but quip.
On the surface, it looked like the two had exchanged blows back and forth, but in reality, once Shisui attacked, Tetsuya Uesugi was instantly down.
"His strength truly lives up to the reputation." Miyashita Ayuki was amazed by Shisui's displayed strength.
The difference between hearsay and seeing it with one's own eyes is noticeable; watching an eight-year-old easily overpower a sixteen-year-old Chunin was quite impactful.
At this moment, Tetsuya Uesugi didn't respond to his teammates' teasing; he had one thought in his mind: "This is an eight-year-old?"
He accepted that Shisui's Fire Release was stronger than his because, being a genius, Ninjutsu indeed relies heavily on talent.
But Shisui's Taijutsu surpassed reason; how could an eight-year-old's body have such strength?
"Could it be he's been cultivating since he was in the womb?" Tetsuya Uesugi couldn't help thinking.
Takagi Shinji's patting interrupted Tetsuya Uesugi's thoughts.
"You see now the strength of a true genius, right? You've got a long way to go." Takagi Shinji patted his somewhat conceited disciple.
After saying this, without waiting for Tetsuya Uesugi's reply, Takagi Shinji looked at Shisui, "Shisui, do you want to rest a bit before we fight, or do you want to start now? This guy's too weak. You've probably been holding back to avoid hurting him."
Tetsuya Uesugi fell too quickly, so Takagi Shinji had to personally take action to assess Shisui's abilities.
"Let's start now," Shisui agreed.
Having just fought Tetsuya Uesugi, Shisui hadn't expended much energy, so naturally, he didn't need to rest before fighting again.
Tetsuya Uesugi touched his patted back, sighed, and walked to the side to spectate. Surprisingly, his only soreness after the battle was from his teacher's pat after the fight ended.
"Sensei is a Jonin after all; he shouldn't be like me," Tetsuya Uesugi speculated about the fight's outcome in his mind.
A Special Jonin is still a Jonin, with quite a gap from a Chunin. He believed Takagi Shinji could make Shisui use his true strength.
But unexpectedly, the overall tempo of Shisui's fight with Takagi Shinji was remarkably similar to the previous battle.
In Taijutsu, Takagi Shinji still couldn't gain any advantage over Shisui and was even forced into a retreat.
In Fire Release, Takagi Shinji was still suppressed by Shisui. When both used Fire Release simultaneously, in the end, Takagi Shinji's Fire Release was engulfed by Shisui's Fire Release.
Takagi Shinji's three disciples watched this scene with shocked expressions.
Ninjutsu of the same nature clashing is a straightforward way to compare the strengths of both sides because there is no restraint relationship; the stronger one will win against the weaker one without exception.
Takagi Shinji losing in a Ninjutsu clash meant he wasn't as advanced in Fire Release cultivation as Shisui.
"Sensei Shinji actually..." Kobayashi Kenji watched, dumbfounded, as Takagi Shinji's back was drenched in sweat.
As their guidance teacher, Takagi Shinji was the Jonin they interacted with the most. Seeing their teacher beaten into a sweat by an eight-year-old was quite shocking.
Fortunately, Shisui adhered to the stop-at-first-contact rule. Feeling he had learned enough, he voluntarily ceased, which preserved the little face Takagi Shinji had left.
Whether from overexertion or Shisui's Fire Release being too hot, Takagi Shinji's face turned slightly red.
"A monster-like strength," Takagi Shinji thought as he exhaled.
Though he expected Shisui to be strong, actual combat surprised Takagi Shinji with Shisui's prowess; it was like facing a truly competent Jonin.
With ample combat experience, Takagi Shinji could sense that Shisui had held back to avoid injuring him when going all out.
"Having such a powerful teammate is a good thing," Takagi Shinji comforted himself.
This was quite embarrassing, as he had just reprimanded his disciple, and then he also got handsomely beaten.
Thus, Shisui joined Takagi Shinji's squad and embarked on a new mission life.
Despite being teammates, Shisui could clearly feel that he hadn't blended into the team atmosphere. All three teammates held a faint sense of distance towards him.
Shisui hadn't experienced this for a long time, only feeling this way when going out with elders from the Uchiha Clan before.
After joining the Ninja Academy, he spent most of his time on cultivation with Mokgetsu, mostly staying with Mokgetsu and his disciples, so this situation never arose.
This feeling made Shisui a bit uncomfortable, as he hadn't done anything harmful to them.
Shisui roughly guessed the reason but couldn't be entirely sure.
Shisui didn't isolate himself from the team even with that faint sense of distance but continued being himself.
During a slightly dangerous mission, Shisui used the Sharingan to eliminate an ambushing enemy, preventing injuries to Kobayashi Kenji and Miyashita Ayuki.
After this mission, that faint sense of distance disappeared.
"Shisui, thanks a lot. If you hadn't acted quickly, we'd probably be bedridden for a while," Kobayashi Kenji gratefully said.
"Seems not all Uchiha are unapproachable... oof"
Miyashita Ayuki, smiling, elbowed the low-EQ Kenji, apologetically telling Shisui, "Sorry, Kenji isn't very tactful. Please don't mind him, Shisui."
Through interacting, it was evident that Shisui wasn't cold or ruthless, but Miyashita Ayuki, familiar with the Uchiha's strong family pride, worried that Shisui might be upset by this.
"I didn't mind," Shisui replied, shaking his head.
Truthfully, if someone arbitrarily badmouthed the Uchiha Clan, Shisui would indeed be upset.
But was Kobayashi Kenji really talking nonsense? Not necessarily.
With his understanding of his clansmen, Shisui knew that some truly disregarded those outside the Uchiha.
Clearly, Shisui guessed right; the team's initial reluctance to accept him wasn't due to defeating Tetsuya Uesugi and Takagi Shinji but because of his surname - Uchiha.
Being a temporarily assigned Uchiha ninja made the team hold a faint distance initially.
Shisui even thought the captain, Takagi Shinji, might hold similar feelings, although he could hide it well due to his age.
"I must change the public perception of the Uchiha Clan in Konoha," Shisui realized the value of a good reputation after deep reflection.
Not every Uchiha would improve relations through actions to prove their true nature, like Shisui.
Many Uchiha clan members held the arrogance of being the strongest noble house. If outsiders showed initial alienation, they would respond with even stronger alienation.
Even if they realized it was a misunderstanding, their pride would keep them from explaining.