How Many Secrets Does This Body Hold?

The Anbu operative, wielding two kunai in each hand, sprinted rapidly toward Yashui.

"Combining the Sharingan with taijutsu... truly a formidable asset." Yashui suddenly seized the Anbu's wrist with one hand, guided the man's momentum forward, and seized the opening to land a punch squarely under the operative's armpit.

Yashui had put his full strength into that strike, but given that his body possessed only the physical power of an eleven or twelve-year-old, the Anbu merely stumbled back a few steps, suffering no significant injury.

Yashui seized the chance to strike the Anbu's wrist again, causing the two kunai in the operative's left hand to drop. Yashui snatched them up.

After those two consecutive strikes, Yashui's hand was already struggling with the impact. Now, as he gripped the kunai, his hand trembled slightly.

From the exchanges so far, Yashui realized that his only path to victory lay in relying on the reaction speed granted by the Sharingan to launch rapid, continuous strikes; otherwise, he could hardly win against this Konoha Anbu, who outclassed him in both raw strength and ninjutsu.

The Konoha Anbu, having suffered another setback, seemed visibly irritated. However, hidden behind his mask, his true expression remained a mystery.

The Anbu flung three shuriken in quick succession and followed closely behind; having been bested in taijutsu twice, he seemed determined to settle the outcome through close-quarters combat.

Yashui caught one incoming shuriken and deflected another. He spun around and hurled the shuriken he had just caught, knocking the third one out of the air. He then drew his kunai, bracing for the fight.

At that moment, the Anbu charging toward him gradually faded away. It was another Clone Technique.

The Anbu's true body had long since circled behind Yashui after throwing the shuriken.

"Eat this!" The Anbu's kunai plunged into Yashui's body. Yet, at that very instant, Yashui vanished.

"I've watched you perform the Clone Technique so many times, did you really think I hadn't learned it?" Yashui burst from the earth, his kunai sliding cleanly to sever the Anbu's Achilles tendon. He then pressed the blade against the back of the operative's head.

The Anbu looked stunned, seemingly attempting to struggle, but his wrist was promptly pierced by Yashui's kunai. He had now completely lost the ability to resist.

"The copying ability of the Sharingan is truly extraordinary," the Anbu remarked with a hint of admiration.

In truth, this was not a skill Yashui had copied with the Sharingan. Just moments ago, the method for the Clone Technique and the art of hiding underground had simply surfaced in his mind. Yet, Yashui did not deny it.

In the heat of battle, Yashui could not afford to tell the truth. Now that he had finally gained the upper hand, he needed to make this Anbu realize the vast gap between them. It was better to posture and bluff than to play the fool.

"Enough talk. I have questions for you. Answer truthfully, and I won't kill you," Yashui demanded. "Since you are Konoha Anbu, why are you trying to kill me? And if you intended to kill me, why not do it at my home?"

"Heh... I don't believe for a second that answering your questions will let me leave here alive. Once I return, more people will come to hunt you down." The Anbu let out a few raspy breaths. "Heh... even if I don't return, the moment I simply vanish, others will come looking for you."

Truly worthy of being Konoha Anbu; even with the mission failed, he refused to leak a shred of information.

"Uchiha Yashui, do not think that because you bear the Sarutobi surname, the Third Hokage will protect you. You are, in the end, a remnant of the Uchiha clan. Your fate is the same as your brother—Uchiha Shisui, whom you view as your life's greatest shame—you will both sacrifice your eyes for the sake of Konoha..." With that, blood trickled from the corner of the Anbu's mouth.

These Anbu operatives all kept poison hidden within their teeth; the moment they were on the verge of having information extracted, they would use it to commit suicide.

Yashui watched the Anbu collapse before him, his heart filled with profound shock.

So, Uchiha Yashui was the younger brother of Uchiha Shisui? Hadn't Shisui already jumped off a cliff to his death long ago? How had he managed to protect his younger brother from harm?

And what did this have to do with the Sarutobi clan? Come to think of it, the original owner of this body had subconsciously introduced himself as "Sarutobi Yashui" during their first meeting, and he didn't live in the original Uchiha clan territory...

I remember the original owner of this body once mentioning a desire for revenge against Uchiha Itachi and the Konoha high command. Such matters were classified; in the early stages of the anime, very few people knew about it—even the formidable Sasuke only learned of it from Obito after Itachi's death. Itachi himself had been unwilling to let the truth of those events be known to others.

Does this mean the original owner of this body had once been in contact with Obito or others who knew the full truth?

In the end, nothing was clear. Instead, there were only more questions.

Yashui truly wanted to submerge his head in cold water just to calm his racing thoughts.

Looking at the corpse before him, he realized that before he could calm down, he needed to deal with the body. The intense battle had left traces all over the area. Yashui had to erase his presence entirely, or he would easily become a target of suspicion.

Yashui wiped the fingerprints off the kunai and covered the footprints the Anbu had left upon his arrival with dirt. He then removed the man's shoes to leave tracks in the opposite direction, creating the illusion that the Anbu had approached from the other side.

Next, he burned the clothing stained with blood. After a thorough cleanup, Yashui was finally ready to head home.

When the Anbu had brought him here, Yashui had consciously memorized the route, so he was just barely able to find his way back.

Arriving at his front door, Yashui stared at the large "Sarutobi" characters written on the nameplate.

"So this is my home..." Yashui looked at the name, filled with complex emotions.

"What's wrong? Yashui, did you forget your keys?" A kind, gentle voice sounded from behind him.

Yashui instinctively leaped away, creating distance for a fight. This person was terrifying; he had appeared behind him without a single trace of presence.

He focused his gaze and realized it was the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage..." The Hokage was the supreme leader of this village, a status likely similar to a president. This was Yashui's first time meeting such a high-ranking figure in this world, and he couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Are you not calling me 'Grandfather' anymore?" The Third Hokage smiled kindly. "Heh... the child has grown up, and he's becoming harder to manage..."

"Not at all, I'm being very well-behaved..." Yashui replied, half-reluctantly.

"Come inside." The Third Hokage opened the door. "After borrowing the ninjutsu scrolls, did you go out to practice?"

"Yes, Grandfather," Yashui replied with a smile.