Night had completely enveloped the forest. Moonlight filtered through gaps in the branches, casting mottled silver shadows across the ground. Su Ye found a secluded cave whose entrance was concealed by vines and rocks. It was dry and spacious inside, making it an ideal temporary training ground. He set up two layers of Perception Runes at the entrance: one to warn him of approaching threats, and the other to distort chakra fluctuations. Even a high-ranking ninja would have trouble sensing the chakra inside the cave.
Once he had secured the area, Su Ye sat cross-legged and took out the jade scroll containing the "Basic Ninjutsu Library," which he had received as a system reward. He infused it with chakra, and the detailed hand seals and principles of the Substitution Technique, Clone Technique, and Transformation Technique flooded into his mind like a rising tide. Rather than rushing to practice the hand seals, he closed his eyes. His left Rinne Sharingan quietly lit up as he began analyzing the energy flow behind the three techniques.
"The Substitution Technique's core is an instant burst of chakra to switch places with a nearby object. The Clone Technique splits chakra to create a body with a simple consciousness. The Transformation Technique uses chakra to change the body's shape and aura..." Su Ye murmured. Through his Rinne Sharingan, the energy paths of the three techniques came into clear view, like three differently colored threads intertwining in the air.
A sudden flash of inspiration struck him. "What if I combine the Clone Technique with Heavenly Hand Power? I could use a clone to draw the enemy's attention, then switch places with it using Heavenly Hand Power. That would let me dodge an attack and get behind the enemy for a surprise strike."
He acted on the idea at once, directing chakra through his body as he rapidly formed the hand seals for the Clone Technique. "Clone Technique!" With a sharp shout, two clones identical to him appeared in the cave. Their chakra fluctuations were nearly indistinguishable from his own—an improvement he had achieved by using the Rinne Sharingan to refine the rhythm of his hand seals. The clones were thirty percent better than those produced by the ordinary Clone Technique.
Su Ye fixed his gaze on one of the clones and focused as he activated Heavenly Hand Power. His left Rinne Sharingan flashed, and he instantly switched places with the clone. A blink later, Su Ye was where the clone had stood on the right side of the cave, while the clone appeared where he had been on the left. The exchange was seamless.
"It worked!" Su Ye was delighted. He tried activating Heavenly Hand Power twice in succession, switching places with the other clone. After a few rounds of practice, he had mastered the "Clone + Heavenly Hand Power" combination. He could control the timing of each switch precisely and adjust the amount of chakra so a clone wouldn't vanish immediately when struck, further confusing his enemies.
Next, he began practicing the Transformation Technique. An ordinary Transformation Technique could only change one's appearance, and the user's aura was easy to give away. But Su Ye had used his Rinne Sharingan to analyze the chakra fluctuations of Anbu members, and now he was trying to imitate their chakra signatures with the Transformation Technique. He took a deep breath and let chakra flow across his body. His form gradually changed: he grew half a foot taller, donned a black fitted outfit, and a cat-faced mask identical to one worn by an Anbu member he had encountered appeared over his face.
"The chakra fluctuations still aren't close enough." Su Ye frowned and examined himself with his Rinne Sharingan. The Anbu chakra he had imitated was broadly similar, but the subtle rhythm of its flow still differed. He adjusted the frequency of his chakra output, refining the pattern little by little until his Rinne Sharingan showed "90% similarity." Only then did he stop.
"Now let's try combining the Substitution Technique with Kamui." Su Ye kept going, developing another combination of techniques. He threw a kunai at the cave wall, then, just as it was about to hit, used the Substitution Technique and Kamui. The Substitution Technique switched his place with a stone on the ground while Kamui pulled the stone into another dimension. The whole process was as quick as lightning, leaving behind only a faint distortion in space.
"That way, even if an enemy sees through the Substitution Technique, Kamui can completely hide the substitute's trail and keep them from figuring out where I really am." Su Ye nodded with satisfaction. He had used nearly half his chakra, so he took out a chakra-restoration potion, drank it, and began consolidating the combinations he had just developed.
As Su Ye immersed himself in training, the Perception Runes outside the cave suddenly trembled faintly. This chakra fluctuation was subtler than that of the Anbu members from before, and carried a hint of probing, as if someone were deliberately observing the surroundings.
"More Anbu? And more than one." Su Ye immediately concealed his presence and activated the Clone Technique and Transformation Technique at the same time. Two clones stayed in the cave and continued training, making it look as though he was still there. His real body transformed into a small squirrel and slipped silently through a crack in the cave. His left Rinne Sharingan remained active as he warily watched the surroundings.
In the moonlight, three figures in black fitted outfits and different masks slowly circled the cave. The leader wore a fox mask. His chakra was the strongest, and he held a Ninja Blade in his hand. The other two wore wolf and hawk masks, carried kunai, and watched the cave warily.
"The Fox Mask Anbu has at least the chakra reserves of an elite Chunin. The Wolf Mask and Hawk Mask are probably elite Genin." Hiding behind the trees, Su Ye followed them quietly, wanting to learn what they were after.
"Captain, I can sense chakra inside, but it's very faint, as if something's interfering with it," the Hawk Mask Anbu whispered. He formed hand seals and sent a fine Chakra Thread toward the cave, but as soon as it touched the Perception Rune, it was distorted and couldn't reach inside.
The Fox Mask Anbu frowned, his voice low. "Whoever can distort chakra sensing isn't ordinary. The mysterious ninja who can use Space-Time Ninjutsu, the one Cat Face reported earlier, might be in there. This is an early probe before the assessment. Don't spook them. Let's observe for a while first."
"An assessment?" Su Ye wondered. "Have they already started screening candidates for the Anbu assessment?"
Just then, the Fox Mask Anbu raised a hand, signaling the others to stop. He looked toward the spot where Su Ye was hiding, a trace of wariness in his eyes. "Who's there? Come out!" His Ninja Blade slid slightly from its sheath, radiating a sharp menace.
Su Ye's heart tightened. He knew he had been spotted. But he didn't panic. Concealed by the Transformation Technique, he deliberately squeaked like a squirrel while infusing the ground with a trace of chakra to create the impression of a small squirrel darting away.
The Fox Mask Anbu stared at the tree where Su Ye was hiding and slowly spread his chakra outward, but he sensed nothing more than an ordinary squirrel. Frowning, he said to the others, "Maybe I'm being too cautious. Keep watching. If the person inside hasn't left by dawn, report to headquarters and request further investigation."
The three returned to the area around the cave, keeping their distance as they watched for any movement inside. Still concealed by the Transformation Technique, Su Ye circled around behind them. His left Rinne Sharingan stayed fixed on the Fox Mask Anbu. He noticed a faint trace in the man's chakra that resembled the chakra of the Uchiha Clan Compound. It seemed he had taken part in the operation on the night of the massacre.
"So the Anbu aren't just testing me for the assessment. They're also trying to find out whether I had anything to do with the Uchiha Clan Massacre." Su Ye understood. He quietly returned to the cave, dispelled the Transformation Technique and clones, and went back inside. He didn't resume training. Instead, he began thinking about how to handle the Anbu assessment. Since they had already started probing him, he needed to demonstrate enough strength during the assessment while keeping the true power of his Rinne Sharingan hidden, so he wouldn't attract too much attention from the Konoha High Command.
Beneath the moonlight, the Anbu outside the cave continued their wary vigil, while Su Ye silently planned his next moves inside. He knew the real test of the Anbu assessment had already begun ahead of schedule. He would have to tread carefully to stand out and earn the chance to uncover the truth behind the night of the massacre.
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