NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: 3 & 4
Chapter 3
The training ground was quiet, the distant sounds of the village's ongoing celebration a stark contrast to the battle about to unfold.
Multiple afterimages of Shisui stood around Naruto in a perfect formation, their outlines shifting ever so slightly in the dim glow. The air crackled with the anticipation of a fight.
From his position, Itachi stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed as he observed. His sharp eyes took in everything, Naruto's stance, his breathing, the faint twitch of his fingers. He wasn't just watching a spar; he was analyzing.
"Ready whenever you are," Shisui called, his voice echoing from every direction. The afterimages spoke in unison, distorting the sound.
Naruto exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. He was used to being fast, faster than any ten-year-old had any right to be, but Shisui was on another level. This wasn't just speed. This was mastery.
"Body Flicker is kinda annoying, y'know?" Naruto muttered, cracking his neck.
Shisui grinned, though it was impossible to tell which one was the real him. "That's the point."
Naruto flexed his fingers, feeling the humming power of the Negative Speed Force beneath his skin. He wouldn't use his full speed. That would end the fight too quickly. No, he wanted to drag this out, make it a proper stress reliever.
---
Shisui was already moving. Before Naruto had fully taken his first step, Shisui had adjusted. His afterimages weren't just standing still, they were shifting, reacting to Naruto's motion before he could complete it.
Damn, he's fast.
Naruto twisted mid-step, narrowly avoiding a palm strike from behind. He spun, his foot lashing out toward one of the Shisuis, only for it to vanish into smoke. A feint.
Another Shisui closed in from his left. Naruto ducked, barely avoiding a sweeping kick aimed at his temple.
Before he could counter, a third Shisui was already behind him.
A solid punch connected with his ribs.
Naruto skidded backward, dragging his feet to stop his momentum. He winced. That actually hurt.
"Nice one," he admitted, rolling his shoulders.
Shisui chuckled, his afterimages dispersing in a blur. "You're not bad yourself. I can see you're holding back, though."
Naruto smirked. "So are you."
Shisui shrugged. "Fair enough."
---
Cranking Up the Heat
This time, Naruto took the initiative.
He vanished, but instead of a straight attack, he darted sideways, feinting one way before cutting back in a sharp zigzag. He channeled a burst of electricity through his body, sending a static charge into the ground as he moved, disrupting the air and throwing off Shisui's tracking.
It worked.
Shisui's afterimages wavered for half a second, reacting to the wrong angle. That was all Naruto needed.
He shot forward, fist cocked back, only for Shisui to dodge at the last possible moment.
Naruto's punch hit nothing but air.
Before he could recover, Shisui was already twisting behind him, aiming a precise strike at the back of his knee.
Naruto reacted on instinct, shifting his molecules just enough that Shisui's hit phased right through him.
That single moment of intangibility saved him.
Shisui's eyes widened slightly. "...Interesting trick."
Naruto grinned. "You haven't seen half of them yet."
Shisui chuckled, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "Good. Then let's go again."
Itachi, watching from the sidelines, exhaled slowly.
---
Chapter 4: Fractured Echoes
Naruto stood with a smirk, shaking out his arms, his body thrumming with barely restrained energy. Across from him, Shisui adjusted his stance, watching him with an amused yet analytical gaze.
Itachi, ever the silent observer, stood with his arms crossed, his sharp eyes darting between the two.
"Alright, Naruto," Shisui said, rolling his shoulders. "Round two?"
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Try and keep up."
And then, they moved.
---
Naruto vanished, his movements so seamless that there was no visible flash of speed, just a moment where he was there, and the next where he wasn't.
Shisui reacted instantly, body flickering in response, leaving behind dozens of afterimages in the process.
Naruto didn't slow down. He zigzagged through the afterimages, testing their reactions, forcing them to shift unpredictably. Shisui was quick, but Naruto had already adapted to his movements from the first round.
He's fast, but he's predictable in patterns, Naruto thought, weaving between the afterimages.
His footwork shifted subtly, adjusting to Shisui's rhythm, and then he broke it.
Naruto abruptly stopped, his momentum reversing so sharply that Shisui's afterimages flickered in hesitation. That half-second of uncertainty was all he needed.
Naruto lunged at the real Shisui, his fist striking forward with surgical precision
Only for Shisui to lean back, narrowly dodging the punch.
"Nice try," Shisui smirked, But Naruto wasn't done.
His other hand shot out, unfurling a sealing tag mid-motion.
---
The moment the seal left Naruto's fingertips, it flared to life, chakra lines twisting into a complex formation.
A Paralyzing Seal.
Shisui's body locked up mid-movement, his reflexes nearly breaking through the restriction, but it was enough.
Naruto took advantage, driving his knee into Shisui's stomach, sending him skidding backward.
But before Naruto could follow up, the seal shattered.
Shisui's chakra surged, dispelling the paralysis, and he flickered away, reappearing behind Naruto.
"Seals now?" Shisui whistled. "Didn't see that coming."
Naruto grinned, spinning on his heel. "Gotta keep things fresh."
---
Shisui didn't wait. He surged forward, his movements sharper, faster, his hand aiming for Naruto's ribs.
Naruto twisted, dodging the strike
But Shisui anticipated it.
He followed through with a feint, his real attack coming from his other hand, a palm strike aimed directly at Naruto's stomach.
Shisui's hand passed through his stomach like he wasn't even there, throwing him off balance for a split second.
Naruto's Adamantine Sealing Chains erupted from his back, lashing out with speed that rivaled Shisui's movements.
Shisui's eyes widened. "Oh..."
The chains wrapped around him.
A split second later, Naruto yanked, slamming Shisui into the ground.
---
The Final Exchange
Dust kicked up as Shisui rolled to a stop, breathing heavily, his grin still in place. He sat up, rubbing his head.
"Well, damn," he muttered. "You really weren't holding back that time."
Naruto smirked, walking over and offering a hand. "You good?"
Shisui took it, letting Naruto pull him up. "That's what I was supposed to ask you." He studied Naruto for a second before nodding. "Guess you got to blow off some steam, huh?"
Naruto gave a small nod, exhaling. "Yeah. That was fun."
Itachi, still watching, felt his fingers twitch slightly.
Naruto was a prodigy.
No one had trained him. No one had guided him. And yet, at just ten years old, he was holding his own against Shisui, forcing him to work for every move.
If he had been given the same attention as his siblings...
Itachi's expression darkened.
They made a mistake ignoring him.
Shisui clapped Naruto on the shoulder. "Alright, let's get some food. I'm starving."
Naruto chuckled, shaking his head. "You just got your ass kicked and your first thought is food?"
"Hey, priorities."
Naruto shook his head, but he followed.
The village might never acknowledge him, but here, at least with them, he wasn't alone.
For now.
Tbc