Chapter 373: Do Not Set a Flag Before Going on a Mission
"Obito, can you tell me about your time as an intern ninja?" Shisui asked during a break in training.
He had already discussed it with Mugetsu. Shisui planned to join the internship, then graduate directly, so he wanted to hear what the internship was really like.
Originally, Shisui wanted to ask Kakashi. Kakashi would be far more reliable for something like this. But Kakashi seemed to have something going on and did not come to the South Border Forest today.
After Minato returned, Obito and the others were basically running between two places. They trained with Minato for a few days, then returned to Mugetsu's side to train again.
"Shisui, why are you asking that?" Obito scratched his head, confused. "Aren't you only in second year?"
"I plan to graduate early in second year," Shisui explained. "So I'll be participating in this year's internship."
"Oh, I get it," Obito said, suddenly enlightened.
He did not think it was strange at all. Kakashi graduated without even finishing first year. Shisui could easily beat Kakashi at the same age, so Obito felt there was no problem with Shisui graduating early.
"Then you came to the right person!" Obito puffed out his chest, chin lifting with pride. "I was one of the most outstanding people during the graduation internship!"
Their team ranked first in both the number and quality of missions completed. The reason he said "one of" was because Might Guy was on the team.
"Mhm. Very impressive," Shisui said, clapping as he praised him.
The clapping and smile were not particularly enthusiastic, but Shisui knew this was more than enough for Obito.
Sure enough, a triumphant grin immediately spread across Obito's face.
"First," Obito began, suddenly serious, "an intern ninja is still a ninja. You still take commissions. Accidents can happen anytime, so you have to be careful and cautious on missions."
Shisui nodded. Obito was sounding far more reliable than Shisui expected.
"And even if something goes wrong, don't panic," Obito continued, clenching his fist like he was giving a speech. "As long as you work hard with your teammates, you'll always overcome difficulties."
It was precisely because he, Might Guy, and Kakashi never gave up when they met the Raikage Candidate that they eventually defeated that Kumogakure jonin.
"Did many accidents happen during your internship?" Shisui asked, curiosity rising.
Obito did not look like he was speaking casually. He looked like he was recalling real experience.
"Nothing happened on D Rank missions," Obito said after thinking. "But it feels like every C Rank mission had an accident. Like running into the Raikage Candidate, or suddenly getting attacked by a thousand enemy ninja."
Shisui almost thought he misheard.
Encountering the Raikage Candidate and fighting a thousand ninja, those sounded like S Rank missions.
"Of course it was dangerous," Obito said as if it were obvious. "If it weren't for Mugetsu sensei, we would have died on those missions."
"But… no other intern team had any casualties," Shisui said slowly. Something felt off.
He could tell Obito was not lying, but the content was illogical.
Obito blinked, then seemed to remember. "Oh. That's probably because other teams could only do D Rank missions. Our team was specially authorized by the Hokage to take C Rank missions during the internship."
Shisui nodded, deciding it would be better to ask Kakashi another day.
"Oh, right," Obito added, his expression turning grave, like he was warning Shisui about a forbidden technique. "Before going on a mission, never say, 'This mission won't have any accidents.' If you say that, an accident is guaranteed to happen."
Shisui found it strange, but Obito looked deadly serious, so Shisui quietly memorized it anyway.
…
After a full day of training, Shisui returned home exhausted.
He rested briefly, then got up to prepare dinner.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
When Shisui opened it and saw who stood outside, his smile carried a hint of surprise.
"Uncle Nobuhiro," Shisui greeted warmly.
Standing there was his biological uncle, someone he had not seen in a long time.
Perhaps because of the war, Shisui felt Uchiha Nobuhiro was busier than before. Sometimes he would be gone for months at a time.
"Shisui, long time no see," Nobuhiro replied with a chuckle. "You look taller."
"Last time I left, you only came up to here," Nobuhiro added, gesturing to his own height.
"Please come in first," Shisui said, stepping aside. "I'll pour you some tea."
Nobuhiro nodded and set down the fruit and sweets he brought, placing them neatly on the table.
"Have you eaten yet?" Nobuhiro asked as he accepted the tea. Looking around, it did not feel like the house of someone who had already eaten.
"Not yet," Shisui answered honestly. "I was just about to make something."
"Perfect," Nobuhiro laughed, walking toward the kitchen. "I haven't eaten either. Let your uncle treat you to my cooking, nephew!"
Whether he had eaten or not, he had to say he had not. When he was not around, it was one thing. But when he was here, he would do his best to take care of Shisui.
Shisui did not refuse. He followed into the kitchen to help.
During dinner, Nobuhiro asked with concern, "How has life been lately? Any difficulties in your training?"
The familiar scene, his uncle cooking for him and asking after him, pulled Shisui back into childhood memories of being cared for.
"Very good. No difficulties," Shisui said, shaking his head.
His family's inheritance meant money was not an issue, and with Mugetsu guiding him, training had been smooth. Mugetsu thought through everything, even paying attention to Shisui's emotional state day to day. He even celebrated Shisui's birthday with him.
"Honestly, you're so mature," Nobuhiro said with a smile. "It makes me, your uncle, look useless. You really are a genius of the Uchiha clan."
Shisui hesitated, then spoke. "I do have something to tell you, Uncle."
Nobuhiro looked at him, attentive.
"I'm going to graduate early," Shisui said. "And become a ninja."
He explained his plan.
"Graduate early…" Nobuhiro fell silent, thinking.
Then he nodded. "If you can't learn anything more at the Academy, there's no need to stay."
As Shisui's uncle, he knew Shisui's talent. If nothing unexpected happened, Nobuhiro believed Shisui could become the next Uchiha Kagami, or even surpass him.
Becoming a ninja meant danger, but it also meant faster growth.
And because of Shisui's unique experiences, he carried a maturity far beyond his peers. Nobuhiro believed Shisui had thought this through carefully.
Shisui smiled. Even if Nobuhiro disagreed, it would not stop Shisui from graduating early. But Nobuhiro was the second person Shisui truly trusted. His opinion mattered.
After dinner, Nobuhiro suggested they spar to help digest.
Shisui agreed. If Nobuhiro could see his strength, he would worry less about Shisui becoming a ninja.
Nobuhiro had not guided him in a long time, so he had no idea what Shisui could do now.
To avoid damaging the house, Shisui led him to a nearby empty open space.
"Come at me with everything you've got," Nobuhiro said, taking his stance opposite Shisui.
"Flame Breathing, Full Concentration!"
Shisui pulled his breathing to its limit, strengthening his body and boosting his chakra control for nature transformation.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Barrage!"
He condensed chakra in his throat, then spewed out two massive fireballs in quick succession, sending them crashing toward Nobuhiro.
Knowing Nobuhiro was a powerful Uchiha jonin, Shisui held nothing back.
"Is this a further development of the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique?" Nobuhiro's eyes narrowed, surprised as he watched the two huge fireballs.
For an Uchiha chunin to use a solid Great Fireball was already good. Shisui fired two in one breath.
Nobuhiro moved quickly, dodging cleanly. As someone who understood Great Fireball deeply, he would not get hit by two straightforward blasts.
Whoosh.
Chakra erupted through Shisui's legs as he closed the distance at extreme speed.
Bang.
Nobuhiro caught Shisui's fist with his palm, but his body still slid back a step.
"Don't tell me I've been gone four years and you're already eleven," Nobuhiro blurted, feeling the force in his hand and recalling Shisui's speed.
Shisui was so strong that for a moment, Nobuhiro wondered if time had warped.
"No," Shisui replied, flipping back to create distance. "I'm still seven."
Nobuhiro froze for half a beat.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Shisui formed hand seals rapidly, gathered most of his chakra, converted it into flame, then exhaled it in one powerful burst.
As fellow Flame Breathing practitioners, and with Shisui's ninjutsu talent surpassing Obito's, Mugetsu naturally taught him this strong Fire Release.
The moment the high temperature flames surged toward him, Nobuhiro's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face.
This… is this really a seven year old?
Nobuhiro was certain now. If no accidents occurred, Shisui would surpass Uchiha Kagami, because Kagami was not this strong at Shisui's age.
For a split second, Nobuhiro even felt Shisui might reach the heights of Uchiha Madara.
But only for a split second.
Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were legends. The gap between them and ordinary ninja was too vast.
Nobuhiro answered Shisui's flames with his own Fire Release, canceling the attack. Then he looked at Shisui with eyes full of joy.
With Shisui's strength, becoming a genin was nothing. Even becoming a chunin would make him a strong chunin.
Survival would not be a problem at all.
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