Inside a hidden building in Konoha,
Although it was daytime, the light here was still rather dim. Strangely, everyone inside wore an animal mask.
Gray flak jackets and animal masks—this was the main Anbu headquarters in Konoha.
Though it was called the main headquarters, there didn't seem to be many people here. Only four or five figures were walking around.
That was because the Anbu had few members to begin with, and most of them were currently out on missions, so there weren't many people here.
"So this is the Anbu," Naraku said as he walked in. His red hair stood out against his black tracksuit, which bore the Uzumaki Clan's emblem.
To quickly improve his combat abilities, he had chosen to join the Anbu, whose members often carried out secret missions.
At first, the Third Hokage had refused his request. He believed Naraku was too young and should simply attend the Ninja Academy like a good student.
But Naraku had only needed to reveal part of his strength to change the Third Hokage's mind.
Not long after he arrived, a figure came to stand in front of him.
The newcomer wore a white cat mask, and his hair stood up like bristles.
"Could it be...?" Seeing the familiar appearance, Naraku thought of someone.
"You're Uzumaki Naraku, right?" As he spoke, the man took off his mask.
"Hello, I'm Shisui Uchiha. Welcome to the Anbu." With his mask off, Shisui revealed a warm smile.
So it really is him—the Body Flicker Shisui, wielder of Kotoamatsukami, the ultimate genjutsu.
I didn't expect to be assigned to the same squad as him.
Still, it seems like this might work out pretty well, Naraku thought.
He had originally planned to team up with Kakashi, but the Third Hokage had told him Kakashi's squad was full and didn't need anyone else for the time being.
After hearing that, Naraku had asked the Third Hokage to assign him to any squad.
He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to give him such a pleasant surprise.
After briefly introducing themselves to each other, Shisui took him to collect the gear issued specifically to the Anbu.
A gray flak jacket and a sword over a meter long.
After that, he followed Shisui around the headquarters, who said he wanted to help him get familiar with the Anbu.
Though Shisui called it a tour, there wasn't much to see. Anbu missions were assigned by their superiors or directly by the Hokage, so there was no mission hall.
From what Shisui told him, their squad currently consisted of just the two of them.
Naraku wasn't surprised. The Anbu weren't like regular ninja squads, with one jonin leading three Genin. After all, anyone who joined the Anbu was exceptionally skilled.
They usually handled ordinary missions alone. Only the more difficult ones required several people to work together.
"Oh, right. To make things easier when we go on missions, I need to get a basic idea of your abilities," Shisui said suddenly after they had finished touring the headquarters.
"How about we spar?"
Shisui was very interested in Naraku. Few people were admitted to the Anbu by special exception from the Third Hokage at such a young age.
In the Uchiha Clan, only Itachi had managed to do the same.
Seeing Naraku reminded Shisui of Itachi, who had joined the Anbu recently. After all, Naraku and Itachi were the only members of the Anbu around the same age.
"I wonder how your strength compares to Itachi's."
"Sure," Naraku replied with a nod. Like Shisui, he was also very interested in the Uchiha Clan's prodigy.
The two of them left and found an open space nearby.
"Naraku, watch out," Shisui said with a smile. Then, in a flash, he vanished.
Naraku's pupils narrowed slightly. "The Body Flicker Technique?"
He immediately activated the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, extending his powerful sensory range ten meters around him. The next instant, he pushed off the ground and darted backward, sending a Shuriken spinning toward the space in front of him.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, a vast number of Shuriken shot forward at tremendous speed.
"He found me so quickly?"
"This is one of the Third Hokage's techniques." Shisui's eyes were filled with surprise. Naraku had caught him off guard right from the start.
"I can't let him underestimate me." Shisui's lips curled slightly. The next moment, his eyes turned crimson, three black Tomoe spinning rapidly in each pupil. Then he moved swiftly, leaving countless afterimages across the field.
He dodged the densely packed Shuriken.
In the blink of an eye, Shisui, holding a silver short blade, appeared in front of Naraku. The blade flashed as he swung it down hard.
Clang!
Naraku blocked the short blade with a Kunai.
The Uchiha Clan's prodigy really lives up to his reputation, Naraku thought.
In his view, Shisui's strength was already on par with Kakashi's, and in some ways, even greater.
Judging purely by talent, Kakashi, who had become a jonin at twelve, was second to none. But his strength had been improving very slowly lately.
After all, he didn't have Uchiha blood, and the Sharingan drained him too much.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Shisui formed Hand Seals with one hand, puffed out his cheeks, then blew hard. A huge fireball shot straight toward Naraku.
Boom!
The fireball scorched the air, and the temperature around them rose considerably.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
Naraku reacted swiftly. He took a step back, formed Hand Seals with one hand, and unleashed a jutsu of his own.
Wind Cutter was a C-rank jutsu.
Several small blades of wind split the huge fireball apart.
"You've mastered Wind Release too?" Shisui's eyes lit up.
It looks like you've found a rival, Itachi, he thought.
As far as Shisui was concerned, Naraku's performance was already every bit as impressive as Itachi's. If the two of them actually fought, Shisui felt Itachi might not even win.
Then Shisui flashed and vanished again.
"He's disappeared again." Naraku didn't dare let his guard down. The Mind's Eye of the Kagura remained active.
Against a speed-focused ninja like Shisui, once he found an opening, the fight could be decided in an instant.
"There—already?" Naraku suddenly turned to look behind him. The Mind's Eye of the Kagura had sensed Shisui's chakra behind him.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Several fireballs, each the size of a human head, appeared overhead and descended toward Naraku.
"Wind Release..." Just as Naraku was about to use a jutsu, he suddenly felt a chill at his neck. A silver short blade was already pressed against it.
A cold sensation brushed against his skin.
"That's enough, Naraku. We'll stop here for today. I've gotten a good idea of your abilities," Shisui said.
"Oh, really?" The corners of Naraku's mouth lifted slightly. Then, with a pop, his body turned into a cloud of white smoke,