Mastering the Elements - Chapter - 86

Naruto and Hinata had walked far off to the edge of the training ground. Naruto knew exactly what was about to happen—Midori never fought halfway. When she sparred, she fought like it was a battlefield, and her flames burned as if she wanted to scorch the entire world.

He crossed his arms and muttered to Hinata.
“She’s gonna go all out. I don’t want to get caught in one of her firestorms. Trust me, it’s better to stay back.”

Hinata gave a soft nod, her Byakugan pulsing faintly as she focused on the two figures in the clearing.

Midori stood in the center, black hair tied back, her sword glinting in the sunlight. The weapon wasn’t an ordinary blade—it shimmered faintly, humming with chakra. A gift from Harry Pottaru himself, forged from chakra metal. When Midori poured her lightning affinity into it, the blade was a streak of thunder that could cut through nearly anything.

Across from her, Shisui Uchiha stood with his hands lazily tucked into his pockets, posture relaxed, a small grin tugging at his lips. His Sharingan was dormant, yet his presence was intimidating enough.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he said casually.

Midori smirked. “Don’t complain later when you get burned.”


With a burst of chakra, Midori vanished forward, her sword alive with crackling lightning. The air hissed as the blade cut through it, aiming directly for Shisui’s chest.

Shisui tilted his head lightly, letting the blade skim past him. The arc of lightning cracked the earth behind him.

“Fast,” he said, still smiling.

Midori pressed on, unleashing a flurry of slashes, each strike accompanied by sparks that lit the ground. But Shisui danced between her strikes, never blocking, always evading by a hair’s breadth.

Naruto whistled from the sidelines.
“See, Hinata? That’s Shisui-nii. You can’t touch him unless he lets you.”

Hinata watched closely. “Her form is strong, but… he’s reading her. Every step.”

Shisui suddenly blurred, and a dozen afterimages appeared all around Midori, each one grinning. His Body Flicker technique was so fast it looked like he had cloned himself.

Midori snarled, spinning, slashing at each image. Lightning flared, cutting through illusions, but every time her blade struck, the clone vanished.

“You’ll have to do better,” Shisui’s voice teased, echoing from all directions.


After a minute, Midori stopped, her breath steady but her eyes sharp with annoyance.
“Tch… you’re just running around. Fine. Let’s see you dodge this.”

She sealed her sword away with a single movement. Her hands blurred through hand seals.

Naruto leaned forward eagerly. “Here it comes.”

Hinata tensed. “That chakra… it’s huge.”

“Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!” Midori roared.

A sea of flames erupted from her mouth, spreading wide, a scorching tide of fire rolling across the training field. The ground blackened instantly, the heat so intense Naruto and Hinata could feel it even from their distance.

But within the inferno, Shisui flickered. One afterimage vanished, then another, until the flames engulfed them all.

When the fire cleared, Midori’s chest rose and fell. The training ground was scorched black, the air heavy with smoke.

From behind her came Shisui’s calm voice.
“Nice try.”

She spun, and he was standing unharmed, not even a speck of soot on his clothes.


Midori grit her teeth, forming more seals. “Fine! Let’s step it up then!”

“Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire!” Dozens of small fireballs shot out in a barrage, weaving erratically like homing projectiles.

Shisui exhaled, his Sharingan flaring to life. With pinpoint precision, he flickered through the barrage, kunai flashing as he deflected some, evading others by the narrowest of margins.

“You’ve got power and control,” he admitted as he landed gracefully in front of her. “But you’re letting anger push your attacks. That makes you predictable.”

Midori growled. “Shut up and fight seriously!”

Shisui smirked. “Oh? You want serious?”


In a flash, Shisui closed the distance. His movements were a blur, faster than Midori could track. He didn’t strike with killing intent, but each motion tested her reflexes. A flick to her wrist, a sweep at her ankle, a feint toward her shoulder.

Midori managed to block two, parry one, but three slipped through. Each one would have been fatal.

“You’re good,” Shisui said, standing inches from her, eyes spinning with Sharingan tomoe. “But you’re still not ready to fight me on equal ground.”

Midori’s chest heaved, frustration burning in her eyes. Then slowly, she smirked.
“Good. That just means I’ll train harder until I can.”


From the sidelines, Naruto jogged up, grinning widely.
“Whoa, that was awesome! You almost had him, Midori!”

Hinata smiled gently. “You were incredible, Midori-chan. I’ve never seen fire techniques that powerful.”

Midori sighed, wiping sweat from her brow. “Doesn’t matter. He didn’t even break a sweat.”

Shisui chuckled, resting a hand on her shoulder.
“And that’s exactly why you’ll get stronger. You’ve got talent, but talent without patience is wasted. Remember that.”

Naruto’s grin widened. “Alright, alright, now it’s my turn, right? Let’s see if you can dodge me, Shisui-nii!”

Shisui smirked. “Bring it on, Naruto. Let’s see how far the Yellow Flash’s son has come.”



Hinata slid into her Gentle Fist stance, chakra humming softly at her fingertips. For a moment, there was silence—the breeze stirred the trees, a bird called in the distance.

Then she moved.

Her footwork was light, almost dancing, her hands flowing in precise arcs. Each strike aimed at Shisui’s tenketsu, seeking to close his chakra points. But Shisui’s form blurred, his Body Flicker Technique leaving only afterimages behind.

Naruto shouted from the sideline, “Careful, Hinata! He’s messing with your eyes!”

Shisui chuckled as he appeared behind her, his kunai raised loosely. “Not bad. Your stance is cleaner than most Hyūga twice your age. But can you keep up with me?”

Hinata didn’t hesitate. She spun on her heel, her palm glowing brighter.
“Gentle Step: Twin Lion Palms!”

A surge of chakra roared outward, two lion-shaped constructs forming around her hands. She struck with speed, forcing Shisui to dodge sharply rather than toy with her. His afterimages shattered as he flickered backward, eyes narrowing in genuine interest.


Shisui smirked. “You’ve got teeth after all.”

Hinata pressed forward, her style blending the elegance of Gentle Step with the precision of Gentle Fist. Each movement flowed into the next like a deadly dance, every strike potentially lethal if it landed. Shisui kept evading, his body flickering left and right, his speed making it seem like she was fighting three Shisuis at once.

Naruto grinned, cheering loudly. “That’s it! Keep pushing him, Hinata-chan! Don’t let him breathe!”

But Shisui was Shisui. With a sudden burst of chakra, he accelerated beyond her sight, reappearing right in front of her. His hand chopped downward—but instead of panicking, Hinata revealed her trump card.

She pulled out her enchanted bow, sleek and black, runes glowing faintly with chakra. She loosed an arrow in a heartbeat, forcing Shisui to tilt his head as the arrow grazed his cheek before dispersing into chakra.

“An enchanted weapon, hm?” Shisui mused, rubbing the faint burn mark with a smirk. “Harry-sensei’s handiwork, I assume. Interesting.”


The spar escalated. Hinata launched a volley of arrows, weaving them with chakra-infused strikes, but Shisui finally decided to end it.

A ripple of green chakra burst around him, forming into a skeletal Susanoo ribcage. The translucent ribs glowed like emerald fire, enclosing him completely.

Hinata’s arrows shattered harmlessly against it. Her palm strikes landed with a dull thud but failed to break through.

Naruto’s eyes widened. “Tch—Susanoo already?!”

The ribcage extended into a massive spectral hand, which swept forward and grabbed Hinata mid-step. She struggled, pouring chakra into her Gentle Fist to break free, but the grip only tightened. Slowly, her chakra drained away, pulled into the spectral form.

Shisui’s voice echoed calmly from inside the green ribcage.
“You’ve come far, Hinata. But against this… you still have a long way to go.”

Her eyes dimmed slightly as her chakra reserves plummeted. Then, with a snap, the Susanoo hand released her, dropping her gently to the ground. She landed on her knees, panting, sweat dripping from her face, but she was still conscious.

Shisui dismissed the Susanoo ribcage with a faint shimmer and gave her an approving nod.
“Not bad at all. For someone your age, your progress is frightening. I look forward to seeing what you become.”

Hinata bowed weakly, still catching her breath. “T-thank you… Shisui-senpai…”



Naruto stood in the center of the training ground, sweat already clinging to his palms. His blue eyes locked on the figure across from him—Shisui Uchiha, his brother’s best friend, one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha.

Memories surged back, bitter and humiliating: the last time they fought, Shisui had knocked him out in just three moves. Naruto clenched his fists.
Not this time. I’ve trained too hard. I’m not going to be humiliated again.

He tied his headband tighter, took a breath, and shouted:

“This time, Shisui Nii-san, I’ll show you what I’ve got!”

Shisui only smiled faintly, his calm demeanor irritating Naruto further.
“Then come at me, Naruto. Let’s see how far you’ve come.”


Naruto slammed his hands together.
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

Ten Narutos burst into existence, spreading across the field like a wave of orange. All of them charged, fists and kunai flashing.

Shisui didn’t even draw a weapon. He moved like flowing water, his Body Flicker Technique creating afterimages that made the clones swing at air. Each strike missed, each kunai hit nothing.

Within seconds, half the clones vanished in puffs of smoke.

Naruto growled. “Tch—expected that!”


The real Naruto dashed forward, his hand glowing as chakra spun violently into a sphere.
“Rasengan!”

He thrust it at Shisui, who twisted aside with casual ease, the blue orb grinding into the dirt and exploding with a boom of wind and dust.

Naruto didn’t stop. He leapt back, weaving hand seals, and dozens of seals flashed into place on the ground.

“Sealing Style: Binding Trap!”

Chains of light erupted from the soil, snaking toward Shisui. But Shisui only blurred, reappearing outside the trap before the chains closed. His voice was calm, almost amused.

“Creative, Naruto. But you’ll have to be faster than that.”


Naruto snarled, pulling out a small scroll. He slapped it to the dirt, and prank-style traps—smoke bombs, caltrops, exploding paint tags—erupted in a chaotic burst. The area became a mess of noise and color.

For a moment, Shisui was obscured.

Naruto grinned. “Got you!” He appeared behind Shisui in a yellow flash—Flying Thunder God. A kunai mark glowed on a rock nearby.

His fist slammed forward—only to be blocked by Shisui’s kunai, perfectly timed.

Shisui’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So… you’ve mastered that technique.”

Naruto smirked. “And I’ll use it to beat you!”

He flashed again, appearing at another marked kunai. His heel clipped Shisui’s shoulder, forcing him to stagger back a step.

“Ha! That’s one hit!”

But as Naruto continued to flash between marks, Shisui began reading the rhythm. His Sharingan spun, predicting Naruto’s exits. Soon, each teleport ended with Shisui already waiting, blocking or deflecting.

Naruto’s grin faltered.
Damn it… he’s adapting already.


Determined, Naruto pulled in more chakra.
“Wind Release: Rasengan!”

The Rasengan swelled, its edges sharpened by slicing wind chakra, the air screaming around it. He slammed it into the ground where Shisui had been standing. The entire training ground shook, sand and dirt exploding outward in a massive crater.

From the sidelines, Midori shielded her face. “That idiot’s going to destroy the whole place!”

Hinata gasped softly, watching the dust cloud. “But… Shisui-senpai is still faster.”

Sure enough, when the dust cleared, Shisui was standing calmly atop an Earth Wall he had summoned. The ground around him was ruined, but he remained untouched.

Naruto panted, sweat dripping.
“Why won’t you… just… go down already?”

Shisui’s smile didn’t waver.
“Because I’m here to teach you, Naruto. Not to lose.”


Naruto pushed harder, throwing jutsu after jutsu—wind bullets, fire-enhanced kunai, more clones, more teleport strikes. The air became chaos, explosions rocking the training ground.

But through it all, Shisui remained untouchable, relying only on defensive ninjutsu—Earth Slide, Water Wall, his body flickering too fast to pin down.

Naruto fought longer than either Hinata or Midori had, his determination carrying him through. That’s when Shisui’s eyes shifted. The Mangekyō Sharingan bloomed.

Naruto froze as the world around him warped. The trees bent unnaturally, the ground rippled, and suddenly he was no longer in the training ground but standing alone in a world of shifting shadows.

His clones were gone. His jutsu was gone. Only Shisui stood before him, eyes glowing with the eternal tomoe.

“You’ve grown, Naruto,” Shisui’s voice echoed all around him. “But against my eyes… you still fall short.”

Naruto tried to move, but his body wouldn’t respond. He shouted, but the words were swallowed by the illusionary world.

Then everything went black.


When Naruto woke, he was lying on the grass, Hinata kneeling beside him with worry in her pale eyes. Midori stood with her arms crossed, smirking.

Shisui stood over him, arms folded, the Mangekyō fading back into normal black. He spoke softly but firmly.

“You lasted twice as long as the others, Naruto. That’s no small feat. But you must learn—power alone isn’t enough. You’ll need clarity. Precision. Control.”

Naruto groaned, sitting up, rubbing his head. “Damn it, Shisui Nii-san… next time, I swear, I’ll beat you.”

Shisui chuckled, offering him a hand. “I look forward to it.”