The warm yellow light in the Konoha office spilled softly into every corner.
Portraits of the previous Hokage hung on the walls, as if quietly telling the story of the village's past.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind the broad desk, his pipe puffing out wisps of blue smoke. The smoke rose and curled slowly through the air, lending a touch of ease to the otherwise solemn room.
Uchiha Shisui stood straight and still in front of the desk.
He wore black clothes embroidered with the Uchiha Gunbai. The Forehead Protector at his collar glinted under the lights, marking him as a Konoha Ninja.
His expression was calm, but his eyes were deep and sharp, like an unfathomable abyss that gave nothing away.
Just moments ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi had extended a sincere invitation for him to join the Anbu, speaking in a steady voice full of expectation.
It was an opportunity many shinobi dreamed of, yet Uchiha Shisui didn't immediately accept with the excitement others might have shown.
He lowered his head slightly, his gaze falling to his toes as his thoughts churned like a rising tide.
Joining the Anbu meant more fighting and assassination missions, which would let him unlock more skills from his templates before the war began.
If he turned down the Anbu, only two very different paths lay before Uchiha Shisui.
The first was to return to the Uchiha Clan.
But if he took that path, he would face the clan's many frustrations and the cold stares of outsiders.
Most of the younger generation in the clan wanted to earn distinction on the battlefield and pursue their ambitions. The Military Police Force's day-to-day work, however, was merely to maintain order in Konoha. In their eyes, it offered little chance to show what they could do.
Worse still, shinobi from other clans in the village were already wary of the Uchiha Clan. When members of the Military Police Force went on duty,
they were often met with baseless suspicion and rejection. They were practically treated as public enemies. Even when they gave their all, they struggled to earn recognition, as if everything they did were worthless.
The second path was to join an ordinary team led by a Chunin and carry out low-level missions.
These missions involved things like helping find lost pets, escorting defenseless civilians, or weeding and digging.
To Uchiha Shisui, such tasks were far too trivial and mundane. They gave him no chance to make full use of his talent for ninjutsu,
nor could he find a sense of purpose in carrying them out. They also wouldn't help him build the achievements and reputation he needed to establish himself in the shinobi world.
"Lord Hokage, I'm willing to join the Anbu."
As soon as Uchiha Shisui finished speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, stood up, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Very good, Shisui. You've made the right choice."
After speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. A shinobi wearing a Fox Mask appeared at once and knelt on one knee. "Lord Hokage, what are your orders?"
"Take the new recruit with you." After speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked toward the towering stacks of scrolls.
After Shisui left with the Anbu, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Professor of Ninjutsu, was lost in thought. He could hardly believe that someone with the Sharingan, a Kekkei Genkai, could awaken another Kekkei Genkai as well. He had five chakra natures, yet no matter how he tried, he couldn't develop a Kekkei Genkai.
Though Uchiha Shisui was only five, his physical abilities were no worse than those of the Anbu Ninja bounding swiftly ahead of him.
The sky gradually darkened. They slipped into an abandoned lot, where a stone-slab building weathered by time stood before them.
"Kid, come here tomorrow morning. Don't be late."
After speaking, the Anbu Ninja disappeared with the Body Flicker Technique.
Uchiha Shisui took a quick look around, memorized the surroundings, and then headed back.
Early the next morning, Uchiha Shisui arrived at the stone-slab building. There were six people standing on the grass, including him.
"Go inside and change into your gear. Your locker is the one at the very back."
The Anbu member in a Fox Mask spoke to Shisui, who had just arrived in the clothes of the Uchiha Clan.
Shisui didn't waste time. He changed into the Anbu's standard gear, but hesitated to put on the Cat Mask that belonged to him.
"Once you put it on, you'll officially become an Anbu member. Anbu members must obey orders without question and keep everything they know strictly confidential. From now on, you won't be called by your name. The number carved on the back of your mask is 06, so that's what you'll be called. And remember, the mission always comes first."
As Uchiha Shisui hesitated, the Anbu beside him, wearing a Dog Mask, spoke up.
"Senpai, I'll do my best to carry out my missions, and I'll remember these rules."
The Cat Mask drew closer inch by inch, gradually covering Uchiha Shisui's face.
As the mask settled into place, Shisui's handsome features disappeared behind it, leaving only his deep-set eyes visible through the eyeholes.
The two of them walked onto the grass. The Anbu in the Fox Mask spoke up. "06, you're with Team 3 from now on. Join 04 and 05 as a three-man squad and go on a mission."
"Yes, Captain."
As the three of them left, an Anbu member beside the captain said, "Captain, a kid who hasn't even been weaned has joined the Anbu? I wonder what Lord Hokage is thinking."
"Quiet. We have a mission to carry out. You've been in the Anbu this long, and I still have to repeat the rules to you?" The Anbu in the Fox Mask didn't answer, but instead rebuked him sternly.
By this time, Uchiha Shisui and the other two had traveled far from Konoha. It was Shisui's first time leaving the village.
"Let's go over the mission quickly. Once we leave the Land of Fire, we won't have time to talk.
"We have two missions, and they'll take a while. Mission one is to head to the Land of Water and track down an A-rank rogue ninja. Mission two is to protect the information provided by our Kirigakure informant and bring it back to Konoha.
"This mission is rated A-rank. We could die at any moment, so stay alert."
Anbu 04 unrolled the scroll and explained every detail of the mission. He had clearly made a point of emphasizing it for Uchiha Shisui, the new recruit.
Uchiha Shisui looked at the two through his mask. It was clear that both of them were at least Special Jōnin level, so an A-rank mission shouldn't pose much danger. But if the mission took place in Kirigakure, its rating ought to be raised another level.
After all, Kirigakure was not yet the place it would become after the Third Shinobi World War. Kekkei Genkai clans filled the village, and there were countless talented shinobi. What's more, the Third Mizukage was nowhere near senile.
Uchiha Shisui knew how dangerous this mission was, so he warned them, "I think we should abandon the mission to escort the information from Kirigakure. If we infiltrate the village, we could all be wiped out."
"06, if you're scared, you can leave the Anbu right now. Don't forget the rules."
"06, Anbu shinobi aren't afraid of death."
From their responses, Shisui knew there was no escaping this mission. But if he came up against the Third Mizukage, a user of Ice Release, he wondered whether he'd be able to fight his way out alive.