How Many Secrets Did This Body Hold?

The Anbu came rushing toward Yashui, wielding two kunai in each hand.

"Combining the Sharingan with Taijutsu... it really is something." Yashui suddenly grabbed the Anbu's wrist and used his momentum to pull him forward, then took the opportunity to punch him in the armpit.

Yashui had put all his strength into that punch, but his body was only as strong as an eleven- or twelve-year-old's. The Anbu stumbled back a few steps after being hit, but hadn't suffered any serious injury.

Yashui seized the chance to punch the Anbu's wrist again, making the two kunai in his left hand fall to the ground. Yashui quickly picked them up.

After throwing two punches in quick succession, Yashui's hand was already feeling the impact. Now, even as he gripped the kunai, his hand trembled a little.

From the exchanges so far, Yashui realized that his only way to win was to rely on the heightened reflexes granted by the Sharingan and strike in a quick, continuous barrage. Otherwise, with his strength and ninjutsu inferior to those of this Konoha Anbu, victory would be difficult.

After suffering another setback, the Konoha Anbu seemed furious. But he was wearing a mask, so Yashui couldn't tell what his expression really looked like.

The Anbu flung three shuriken at him in quick succession, then charged right behind them. Having lost twice in close combat, he still seemed determined to settle things with Taijutsu.

Yashui caught one of the incoming shuriken and deflected another. He turned and threw the one he'd caught, knocking the third shuriken out of the air. Then he pulled out a kunai and prepared to fight.

But as the Anbu ran toward Yashui, he gradually disappeared. This was another clone.

The Anbu's real body had already moved behind Yashui after throwing the shuriken.

"Take this!" The Anbu's kunai plunged into Yashui's body. But at that moment, Yashui disappeared.

"I've watched you use the Clone Technique so many times. Did you really think I wouldn't learn it?" Yashui burst out of the ground, his kunai slicing through the Anbu's Achilles tendon. Then he held the kunai against the back of the Anbu's head.

The Anbu stared in bafflement, seeming to want to struggle. But Yashui's kunai pierced his wrist as well. Now he'd lost all ability to resist.

"The Sharingan's copying ability really is incredible," the Anbu remarked.

In truth, Yashui hadn't copied the ability with the Sharingan. Just moments ago, the Clone Technique and the method of hiding underground had suddenly surfaced in his mind. But Yashui didn't deny it.

Yashui couldn't tell the truth in the middle of a fight. Now that he'd finally gained the upper hand, he needed to make the Anbu understand just how great the gap between them was. Better to put on a show than to play the fool and surprise his opponent.

"Enough talk. I still have questions for you. Answer honestly, and I won't kill you." Yashui asked, "Since you're Konoha Anbu, why did you try to kill me? And if you wanted me dead, why didn't you kill me at my house?"

"Heh... I don't believe answering your questions means I'll get to leave here alive. Once I go back, more people will come after you." The Anbu gave a few low chuckles. "Heh... Even if I don't go back, my sudden disappearance will bring people looking for you."

As expected of Konoha Anbu. Even after failing their mission, they wouldn't give away a single scrap of information.

"Uchiha Yashui, don't think the Third Hokage will protect you just because you've been given the Sarutobi name. You're still a traitor to the Uchiha Clan. Your fate is the same as your brother—Uchiha Shisui, the man you consider the greatest disgrace of your life. You'll both give up your eyes for Konoha..." Blood trickled from the Anbu's mouth as he finished speaking.

The Anbu all hid poison in their teeth. The moment an enemy was about to pry any information from them, they would use it to kill themselves.

Yashui watched the Anbu collapse before him, deeply shaken.

So Uchiha Yashui was Uchiha Shisui's younger brother? Hadn't Shisui already jumped off a cliff and killed himself? How had he protected his younger brother from being harmed?

And what did this have to do with the Sarutobi Clan? Come to think of it, when the previous owner of this body first met someone, he seemed to have instinctively called himself "Sarutobi Yashui." And he didn't live in the Uchiha Clan's old district, either...

Yashui remembered the previous owner of this body saying he wanted revenge against Uchiha Itachi and the Konoha High Command. That was supposed to be a secret. Early in the anime, hardly anyone knew about it. Even Sasuke, so full of himself, only learned the truth from Obito after Itachi died. Itachi hadn't wanted anyone else to know the truth, either.

Did this mean that the previous owner of this body had once been in contact with Obito or someone else who knew everything?

In the end, he still hadn't figured anything out. Instead, he had even more questions.

Yashui really wanted to dunk his head in cold water and clear his mind.

Looking at the corpse before him, he realized that before he could calm down, he had to deal with the body. Their fierce fight had left traces of him all over the area. He had to erase them completely; otherwise, he could easily become a suspect.

Yashui wiped the fingerprints off the kunai, then covered the Anbu's footprints with some dirt. Next, he took off the Anbu's shoes and left footprints elsewhere, creating the impression that the Anbu had come from another direction.

Then he burned the clothes stained with blood. After taking care of everything, Yashui could finally go home.

Yashui had consciously memorized the route while the Anbu was bringing him here, so he could just about find his way home.

When he reached his front door, Yashui looked at the large characters "Sarutobi" on the nameplate.

"So this is my home..." Yashui looked at the characters Sarutobi, his heart full of emotion.

"What's wrong, Yashui? Did you leave without your key?" A kind voice sounded behind him.

Yashui instinctively leaped away, putting some distance between them. This person was terrifying. He'd suddenly appeared behind him, without Yashui sensing even the slightest trace of his presence.

Looking closely, Yashui realized it was the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage..." The Hokage was the highest leader of this village, right? His position was probably similar to a president's. It was Yashui's first time meeting someone important in this world, and he couldn't help feeling nervous.

"You're not calling me 'Grandpa' anymore?" The Third Hokage smiled kindly. "Heh... The child's grown up. It's getting harder to keep you in line..."

"Not at all. I've been very well-behaved..." Yashui replied, half-heartedly protesting.

"Come inside." The Third Hokage opened the door. "Did you go out to practice after borrowing the ninjutsu scroll?"

"Yes, Grandpa," Yashui answered with a smile.