All this time, the one thing limiting Shimizu's upper potential had always been the amount of chakra he possessed.
Without sufficient chakra, he wouldn't even be able to sustain an intense battle—let alone deal with the unpredictable, high-pressure situations that came with wartime combat.
Once chakra ran dry, ninjutsu became useless, and a shinobi would lose their greatest offensive tool.
And a shinobi who couldn't use ninjutsu—how much of a threat could they really be?
That constant pressure had driven Shimizu forward, fueling his determination and relentless training. Through sheer effort—and with the assistance of Orochimaru's improved Hero Water—he had finally broken through another bottleneck in his chakra reserves. His strength had risen noticeably as a result.
The level of the Sannin… was now within reach.
But… it still wasn't enough.
Although Konoha itself wasn't under immediate threat, with the war still confined to the borders of the Land of Fire, many—including Shimizu—believed that it was only a matter of time before Kumogakure and Konoha clashed in a full-scale, historic confrontation.
Given Kumogakure's formidable strength, they had every right to challenge Konoha. Even with the death of the Third Raikage and the Two-Tails' jinchūriki currently held within Konoha, Kumogakure's shinobi maintained exceptional overall quality—and their numbers were vast.
This was precisely why Kumogakure had always ranked just below Konoha, firmly holding the position of the second strongest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
The war would only grow more brutal.
Shimizu needed more power—more leverage—to stand against the tide of history.
After all, as the one truly responsible for the death of the Third Raikage, he would undoubtedly become one of the most prominent targets on the battlefield.
Time continued to slip by, and even under the blazing summer sun, Training Ground 43 remained filled with familiar figures.
Among them were Shimizu and his student, Shisui.
At the moment, Shisui was acting as Shimizu's sparring partner in a specialized training session—one focused on countering the Sharingan.
Ever since realizing his own weakness against Sharingan genjutsu, Shimizu had deliberately made this a priority.
Shisui, now with his two-tomoe Sharingan activated, once again attempted to cast a genjutsu on Shimizu—but it seemed to have no effect.
In the next instant, several arcs of curved lightning shot forward—
Storm Release: Aurora!
The burst of lightning flashed past in an instant, seemingly piercing straight through Shisui.
But—
"That's your Body Flicker Technique, Shisui," Shimizu said, his tone carrying a hint of approval. "You used it while leaving behind a clone to mislead your opponent."
In shinobi combat, even the slightest lapse in attention could be fatal.
If an opponent mistook that "clone" for Shisui's real body and let their guard down for even a moment…
Shisui had already used this very tactic to kill several jōnin.
Yet he only scratched the back of his head modestly. "It's just a small trick. It works against ordinary opponents…"
"But against someone at your level, sensei, the effect isn't nearly as good."
The stronger a shinobi was, the more experienced they tended to be. Relying solely on a clone to decide a battle in a single strike—it was difficult.
Even so, Shisui had managed to evade Shimizu's lightning, which could curve mid-flight.
That kind of speed had already surpassed that of an average jōnin.
And he was only eleven years old.
"Your speed is getting faster and faster, Shisui."
"I've been practicing all the techniques you taught me, sensei—they're really effective!" Shisui said, clenching his fist with determination.
"That's good." It seemed Shimizu's guidance was indeed helping Shisui grow stronger.
After a brief pause, Shisui voiced a question that had been on his mind since the training began.
"But sensei… why did you suddenly start focusing on training against the Sharingan?"
From what he knew of Shimizu, this wasn't a decision made on a whim. It was clear that he had recognized the threat posed by the Sharingan to himself—and had deliberately chosen to invest time and effort into strengthening his resistance to genjutsu.
…But the Uchiha were not his enemies.
"The war has taken the lives of many Uchiha," Shimizu said calmly, repeating the explanation he had long prepared. "And it has also given opportunists the chance to harvest the eyes of fallen Uchiha on the battlefield and use them for themselves."
He continued, his reasoning steady and deliberate. "There are reports that both Amegakure and Iwagakure have engaged in such actions. There's no guarantee that, in the future, we won't face enemy shinobi who possess the Sharingan."
"But… how could outsiders possibly control the power of the Sharingan?" Shisui frowned slightly.
In the pride of the Uchiha clan, the Sharingan was their most precious and powerful inheritance. Without their bloodline, how could anyone hope to wield such power?
And yet, reality had already proven otherwise.
"Besides—"
"Shisui," Shimizu interrupted, cutting off his speculation.
"Yes, sensei."
"When faced with something you don't understand, don't reject it outright with a negative assumption."
"Just because it doesn't fit within your current understanding doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
"You're a shinobi—and an Uchiha who aims to become strong. You need to approach the unknown with an open and accepting mindset."
Shimizu smiled faintly at the end. "I don't want you getting injured—or worse—because you underestimated something you didn't understand."
"Sensei, I…"
"Remember what I said."
"…Yes!"
Shisui's sincerity and humility were qualities Shimizu deeply appreciated—especially when paired with his fundamentally kind nature.
But kindness… wouldn't last long under Danzō's watchful eye.
"Nothing unusual happening within the clan lately, I assume?" Shimizu asked.
Shisui was well aware of the Uchiha's current political standing. Shimizu had once discussed the matter with him openly, and they had both agreed on one point: the Uchiha must not cross any lines.
And yet, with Uchiha Fugaku's ambition and calculating nature… it was only a matter of time before he pushed too far.
"The clan head has been preparing to expand the Military Police Force," Shisui replied.
So Fugaku intended to take advantage of the war to increase the size of the Police Force.
"I see… how is Itachi doing?"
"Itachi? He's very cute..." Shisui said, a little awkwardly.
"…I see. That's enough for today, then."
"Understood, sensei. I'll be going now!" Shisui turned to leave, but suddenly paused as if remembering something. "Oh—sensei. I saw an Anbu mask and uniform in Obito-senpai's room."
Obito… had joined the Anbu?
Who recruited him? Who recommended him? And why now, at a time like this?
"He hasn't mentioned anything about it?" Shimizu asked.
"No. I only noticed it by chance."
"In truth, the Anbu isn't as glamorous as it appears," Shimizu said thoughtfully. "Obito is old enough to make his own decisions. He must have his reasons."
After a brief pause, he asked, "Are you interested in joining the Anbu, Shisui?"
"…No." Shisui frowned slightly. "I don't really like the atmosphere there."
"There are always trade-offs," Shimizu said, bringing the topic to a close. "You should head back."
"Got it. Goodbye, sensei."
...
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