Chapter 61: Shisui VS Igris

The tension in the air was noticeable as Shisui's Sharingan spun, locked onto Igris in a tense standoff. The two opponents sized each other up, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. However, Shisui began to smile. "Sasuke I know you are there. It seems you really underestimate me."

Sasuke, hiding in the shadows smiled in amusement. He thought, 'These two are specialized in speed. I wonder who will win.'

The moment of stillness shattered as Shisui made his move, flashing towards Igris with incredible speed. His tanto glinted in the light as he aimed a precise strike at Igris' head. However, Igris was not to be underestimated. With lightning-fast reflexes, he parried Shisui's attack, and the clash of their swords created a dazzling display of white and black sparks.

Their swords clashed repeatedly as they engaged in an intense duel of swordsmanship, both showcasing their exceptional skills. Their movements were a blur as they darted across the room, leaving trails of destruction in their wake.

Igris saw an opportunity and infused his mana into the ground, causing shadowy spikes to protrude towards Shisui. However, Shisui's heightened senses alerted him to the danger, and he twisted his body to narrowly avoid one spike. But as he dodged, another spike threatened from his left. Reacting with precision, Shisui sliced through the spike seamlessly with his tanto.

Knowing he was at risk of being surrounded, Shisui used his substitution jutsu to vanish from his previous spot, leaving the spikes to impale the ground where he once stood. He reappeared above Igris and quickly formed hand seals which unleashed a powerful "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu."

The blazing torrent of fire exploded upon Igris, scorching the ground and creating charred cracks beneath their feet. Although damaged, Igris stood his ground, forming a shield of shadows in front of him. But the intense heat caused the shield to crack, and part of Igris' body was engulfed by the flames.

Igris shadowy form rippled in the shadows as he stood without an arm and took the fiery attack. Although he is missing a limb, he is not in pain; he only feels irritated. He understood that his current mana supplies would not be sufficient to regenerate his arm.

Sasuke, observing Igris damaged, said softly, "Well, it was to be expected." Shisui, seeing that his attack was fruitful and Igris was damaged with a missing limb, decided to take it up another notch.

Shisui's sharingan spun as he activated the Afterimage Clone Jutsu. Countless images of Shisui appeared, surrounding Igris. The clones moved in a blur, and Igris's purple eyes glowed as he tried to keep track of them all.

Suddenly, all the afterimages dashed towards Igris, creating a confusing spectacle. But Igris was not so easily fooled; he skillfully maneuvered through the clones, anticipating each attack.

The duel between them intensified, with every swing of Shisui's tanto connecting or being parried by Igris. Meanwhile, Igris's attacks phased through Shisui as he replaced himself with his afterimages. The battle raged on, and Shisui slowly chipped away at Igris's defenses.

However, Igris had a plan. He firmly stabbed his sword into the ground, and darkness began to absorb the surroundings, crackling like a web. The ground quaked, revealing the real Shisui amidst the vibrating afterimages.

After absorbing the shadow, Igris recovered his lost arm and swung his sword, sending a dark arc in the direction of Shisui. Moving quickly through the air, the arc resonated with its surroundings.

Shisui, realizing his position was compromised, reacted swiftly. He clicked his tongue and performed the "Earth Release: Hiding Like A Mole Jutsu." The ground beneath Shisui turned to fine sand, allowing him to sink into it and evade the arc of darkness. The arc collided with a wall, causing it to crack and explode into debris.

Before emerging back to the solid surface, Shisui swiftly pinpointed Igris. Sensing danger, Igris felt his feet being pulled, and he was dragged quickly into the ground by Shisui.

Shisui, determined to end the battle, grabbed a kunai and placed it at Igris's head, his voice was cold as he commanded, "Admit defeat."

Igris was aware that his opponent put up a brave fight and knew when to give up, and he believed that he had lost on equal footing. He acknowledged Shisui's victory and said, "I admit."

Shisui retracted his kunai and sheathed it in his holster, feeling satisfied with his intense fight. His thoughts wandered to his previous sparring sessions with Akira, realizing that those experiences had indeed honed his swordsmanship to a new level.

Sasuke suddenly appeared out of nowhere as the fight came to an end, making both combatants aware of his presence. He walked up to Shisui and grinned jokingly, making fun of his silly grin. Sasuke remarked, "You're grinning like a pervert right now.

Shisui blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Sasuke's comment, but quickly regained his composure. "Well, it was a very fruitful battle," Shisui replied, trying to maintain a sense of dignity.

Sasuke nodded in agreement and then turned his attention to Igris, who was still kneeling in submissiveness after the fight. He helped Igris up and placed his hand on the shadow knight's head, channeling chakra to mend his injuries.

"You fought well, Igris," Sasuke commended. "Shisui has more years of experience in battles, having entered the shinobi world since he was little. He's a prodigy. I hope you've gained valuable insights from this fight. Your strength seems to be on the verge of breaking through to the super rank soon."

Grateful for his master's recognition, Igris nodded respectfully. "Thank you, my liege. I have learned a lot from this fight. Your family is truly formidable, and I am honored to continue serving you."

Shisui smiled warmly as he approached Igris, admiring his opponent's skills "I hope we can spar again sometime, Igris. Fighting you was really tricky, but it proved to be quite beneficial for both of us."

Sasuke, pleased with the outcome, remarked, "Besides wanting both of you to fight, Shisui, I wanted you to get accustomed to Igris's abilities because I will be creating a shadow division for you both to lead within ANBU. This division will specialize in stealth and information gathering."