Hot Spring Cultivation, Encountering an Anbu Investigator

The mist deep in the forest was thicker than at the perimeter, the damp air heavy with the scent of soil and vegetation. Relying on the dynamic vision of his Rinne Sharingan, Su Ye navigated around tangled vines and hidden traps, heading toward the natural hot spring he remembered. He stepped with extreme lightness, chakra circulating slowly beneath his feet to dampen sound while remaining ready to react to any sudden situation.

Half an hour later, a wave of warm steam drifted on the breeze. Su Ye's eyes brightened—in a clearing ahead, a circular hot spring was venting white mist. The rocks surrounding the pool were covered in moss, and the water shimmered with a faint blue light, clearly saturated with rich natural energy.

"This is the place." Su Ye stepped forward and reached out to test the temperature; it was neither too hot nor too cold, just right. He did not enter the water immediately, instead setting up several simple sensory runes around the perimeter—a small trick he had derived from the system's basic ninjutsu library. These could detect chakra fluctuations within ten zhang, preventing him from being caught off guard.

With his defenses set, Su Ye shed his outer clothes and stepped into the spring. The warm water enveloped his body, and his fatigue dissipated by more than half. To his surprise, the natural energy in the spring seemed alive; it surged toward him of its own accord, seeping through his pores to slowly merge with his chakra.

"Perfect for practicing the Chakra Refinement Technique." Su Ye closed his eyes and circulated his chakra according to the optimized mantra unlocked by the system. The natural energy, which usually required deliberate guidance, now spontaneously integrated into his chakra pool, causing his reserves to grow at a visible rate—and the resulting chakra was even purer than what he could refine normally.

His left eye, the Rinne Sharingan, quietly ignited, scarlet and indigo patterns swirling within the pupil. Su Ye attempted to use the Rinne Sharingan to analyze the flow of the natural energy—he saw countless tiny blue motes of light weaving through the spring. As they merged into his body, they intertwined with his chakra to form a new energy flow, not only increasing his total volume but also slowly repairing the hidden injuries left over from his previous battles.

So the Rinne Sharingan can also analyze energy trajectories; this might prove useful for learning Sage Mode in the future. Su Ye felt a surge of joy and focused even more intently on his cultivation. Time slipped away, and as the natural energy in the spring grew thin, his chakra had recovered to its peak, having expanded by nearly ten percent. Even his Basic Chakra Refinement Technique showed faint signs of a breakthrough.

Just as Su Ye prepared to consolidate his gains, the sensory runes he had placed suddenly vibrated slightly—ten zhang away, a strange chakra was approaching. The fluctuation was extremely faint and expertly hidden; had the natural energy in the spring not amplified his perception, he would never have noticed.

Is it the Anbu? Su Ye became instantly alert. Aside from the Konoha Anbu, almost no one else could possess such well-concealed chakra deep in the forest. He quickly suppressed his own energy and sank into the spring, leaving only his head exposed. Keeping his Rinne Sharingan active, he stared fixedly in the direction of the warning.

A moment later, a figure clad in black tactical gear and wearing a cat mask emerged from the trees. The stranger moved with light, silent steps, a short blade held in hand. Their chakra circulated like flowing water—neither leaking out nor breaking—the mark of an experienced Anbu operative.

The operative stopped near the sensory runes, pausing as if they had sensed something. They raised a hand and slashed through the air. The runes Su Ye had placed shattered instantly, dissipating into motes of light.

They really could detect them. Su Ye's heart sank. His fingers quietly reached for a kunai placed by the edge of the spring—a spare weapon he had retrieved from the system space, currently hidden in a crevice. He did not act rashly, choosing instead to observe and determine the intruder's intent.

The Anbu member did not approach the spring immediately, but stood still, their chakra slowly expanding as if scanning the surroundings. Su Ye held his breath, suppressing his chakra to the absolute minimum while tracking the operative's movements with his Rinne Sharingan. He noticed the stranger's gaze flicking toward the spring repeatedly; they clearly knew someone was there and were merely confirming if there was a threat.

Suddenly, the Anbu operative moved! The figure blurred like a ghost, rushing toward the spring. A cold light flashed from the short blade as they struck directly at the rock behind which Su Ye was hiding!

Su Ye had been prepared. The moment the operative moved, he exploded chakra from the soles of his feet, launching himself toward the other side of the spring like an arrow from a bow. Simultaneously, he whipped out three kunai, throwing them with precise, devious trajectories aimed at the operative's wrist, knee, and the gap in their mask.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The Anbu operative reacted with lightning speed, swinging the short blade to deflect all three kunai. They didn't stop, continuing their advance toward Su Ye, a flicker of surprise in their eyes—clearly, they hadn't expected this "civilian ninja" to possess such fast reflexes and precise throwing skills.

Su Ye didn't linger after landing; he turned and bolted deeper into the forest. He knew that with his current strength, he had no chance of winning a head-on confrontation with an Anbu member, and since the stranger might not be an enemy, acting rashly would only expose more of his trump cards.

"Stop!" The Anbu operative's voice came from behind, laced with coldness. They didn't use ninjutsu, relying instead on pure speed, keeping their chakra fluctuations low to avoid alerting other creatures in the forest.

Su Ye didn't look back, instead accelerating. Chakra condensed into a faint afterimage behind him—a small technique he had developed by combining his "Dynamic Vision Enhancement" to interfere with the enemy's tracking. But the Anbu operative was faster, and the distance between them was closing.

Just as he was about to be caught, Su Ye spun around, his left Rinne Sharingan flaring with intense light. "Heavenly Hand Power!"

With a low shout, Su Ye instantly swapped positions with a large tree nearby. The Anbu operative lunged at empty air. Just as they adjusted their direction, Su Ye threw three smoke bombs to the ground, and white mist billowed out, obscuring their vision.

"This is... Space-Time Ninjutsu?" The Anbu operative's voice held surprise, but no panic. They quickly formed hand seals. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

A gust of wind erupted from the operative's hands, blowing the smoke away instantly. But Su Ye was already gone, leaving only a few wind-blown leaves drifting to the ground.

The Anbu operative stood still, looking in the direction Su Ye had vanished. They tapped their short blade, their eyes beneath the mask turning solemn. To use Space-Time Ninjutsu, possess such precise chakra control, and know how to conceal one's tracks... what is the origin of this mysterious ninja?

They did not continue the chase, instead taking out a communication talisman, injecting it with chakra, and crushing it. They needed to report the situation to Anbu headquarters, especially the suspected Space-Time Ninjutsu, which might be linked to the "fugitive" from the night of the Uchiha massacre.

Meanwhile, Su Ye had used Heavenly Hand Power to hide in a tree a hundred meters away, his presence completely suppressed. He leaned against the trunk, breathing heavily, his heart full of vigilance. The Anbu have started searching deep in the forest; it seems I can't stay here long. I must increase my strength as quickly as possible and prepare for the Anbu assessment.

He glanced at the sky; the setting sun was casting its final rays through the canopy, and night was falling. Su Ye didn't delay. He took a chakra recovery potion from the system space, drank it, and resumed his refinement technique while moving toward a more secluded area of the forest. He needed to find a safer place to begin practicing the integration of his basic ninjutsu and his Rinne Sharingan abilities, preparing for the Anbu assessment a month away.