Joining the Anbu, First Meeting with Shisui

Inside a secluded building in Konoha Village, Despite it being daytime, the light here remained dim, and strangely, everyone present wore animal masks.

Gray flak jackets and animal masks—this was the headquarters of the Konoha Anbu.

Though it was called a headquarters, there didn't seem to be many people here, with only four or five figures walking about.

This was because the number of Anbu personnel was small to begin with, and since most were currently out on missions, few remained at the base.

"So this is the Anbu," Naraku said, walking in. He had red hair and wore a black tracksuit emblazoned with the crest of the Uzumaki Clan.

To rapidly improve his practical combat skills, he had chosen to join the Anbu, who frequently carried out classified missions.

At first, the Third Hokage had refused his request, believing that Naraku was too young and should be attending the Ninja Academy like a normal student.

However, Naraku only had to reveal a fraction of his strength to make the Third Hokage change his mind.

Shortly after arriving, a figure stood before Naraku.

The newcomer wore a white cat mask, and his hair looked like upright, jagged spikes.

Could it be? Seeing this familiar attire, Naraku thought of a certain person.

"You must be Uzumaki Naraku," the man said, removing his mask.

"Hello, Shunshin Shisui. Welcome to the team," Shisui said, revealing a gentle smile once his mask was off.

It really is him! The wielder of the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami—Shunshin Shisui.

I never expected to be assigned to the same squad as him.

Still, this doesn't seem like a bad outcome, Naraku thought to himself.

His original plan had been to join Kakashi's squad, but the Third Hokage had told him that Kakashi's team was already full and didn't need anyone else for the time being.

Upon hearing this, Naraku had simply told the Third Hokage to assign him to any squad.

He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to give him such a surprise.

After the two exchanged brief introductions, Shisui took him to collect his Anbu-issued equipment.

It consisted of a gray flak jacket and a long sword over a meter in length.

Afterward, he followed Shisui on a tour of the facility, which Shisui claimed was to help him familiarize himself with the Anbu.

Though he called it a tour, there wasn't actually much to see; Anbu missions were assigned directly by superiors or the Hokage, so there was no mission hall here.

From Shisui, he learned that their squad currently consisted only of the two of them.

Naraku wasn't surprised by this; the Anbu weren't like standard ninja squads where one jonin led three genin, as everyone who joined the Anbu possessed exceptional strength.

They usually performed standard missions alone, and only the more difficult tasks required several members to work together.

"Oh, right. To make future missions easier, I need to get a basic understanding of your strength," Shisui said, turning his head suddenly after they had finished touring the base.

"How about we spar?"

Shisui was very interested in Naraku; it was rare to see someone so young receive special permission from the Third Hokage to join the Anbu.

In their Uchiha Clan, only Itachi had achieved such a feat.

Seeing Naraku reminded Shisui of Itachi, who had joined the Anbu not long ago, as they were roughly the same age.

I wonder how your strength compares to Itachi's?

"Sure," Naraku nodded. Like Shisui, he was also very interested in the geniuses of the Uchiha Clan.

The two left the building and found an open space nearby.

"Naraku, be careful," Shisui said with a smile, before his figure flickered and vanished.

Naraku's pupils constricted slightly. The Body Flicker Technique?

He immediately activated his Kagura Mind Eye, his powerful sensory ability covering a ten-meter radius around him. The next moment, he pushed off the ground to retreat rapidly while spinning a shuriken forward.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, a massive number of shuriken surged forward.

He discovered me that quickly?

That's the Third Hokage's ninjutsu, Shisui thought, his eyes filled with surprise. Naraku had caught him off guard right from the start.

Can't let myself be looked down upon, Shisui thought, a smirk tugging at his lips. A second later, his scarlet eyes appeared, the three black tomoe within his pupils spinning rapidly. He began to move at high speed, and numerous afterimages instantly filled the field.

He dodged the dense barrage of shuriken with ease.

Holding a silver short blade, Shisui appeared before Naraku in a flash, the blade gleaming as he slashed down fiercely.

Clang!

Naraku blocked the strike with a kunai.

As expected of a genius from the Uchiha Clan, Naraku thought.

In his estimation, Shisui's strength was currently no weaker than Kakashi's, and in some aspects, perhaps even slightly superior.

If one were to judge solely by talent, Kakashi, who became a jonin at the age of twelve, would certainly be second to none, yet his growth in strength had slowed significantly of late.

After all, he did not possess the bloodline of the Uchiha Clan, and the Sharingan placed an immense burden upon him.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" At that moment, Shisui formed seals with one hand, his cheeks puffed out slightly, and he exhaled sharply, sending a massive fireball hurtling straight toward Naraku.

BOOM!

The fireball scorched the air, causing the temperature in the surroundings to soar.

"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"

Naraku's reaction was lightning-fast; he first stepped back, then formed seals with one hand to unleash a jutsu of his own.

Wind Cutter was a C-rank ninjutsu.

Several slender blades of wind sliced the massive fireball apart.

"He has even mastered Wind Style," Shisui's eyes lit up.

Itachi, it seems you have met your match, he thought to himself.

In his view, Naraku's current performance was not the least bit inferior to Itachi's; in fact, if the two were to truly clash, Shisui felt that Itachi's chances of winning would be slim.

With that, his figure flickered, and he vanished once more.

"Vanished again," Naraku dared not lower his guard, keeping his Kagura Mind Eye active at all times.

Against a speed-type ninja like Shisui, if they ever seized an opening, the outcome could be decided in a single instant.

"He's here—already?" Suddenly, Naraku turned to look behind him; under the perception of his Kagura Mind Eye, Shisui's chakra had appeared at his back.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Several fireballs, each the size of a human head, appeared in the sky and rained down upon Naraku's position.

"Wind Style..." Just as Naraku prepared to use his ninjutsu, he suddenly felt a chill against his neck; a silver short blade was already pressed against his skin.

A cold sensation washed over him.

"Alright, Naraku, let's stop here for today. I have a good grasp of your strength now," Shisui's voice rang out.

"Oh, is that so?" The corners of Naraku's mouth curled upward, and then, with a poof, his body transformed into a cloud of white smoke.