Becoming an Anbu!

The Shinobi World was peaceful these days. As long as the great nations did not go to war, Konoha considered it peace.

Uchiha Shunichi's life was equally tranquil. His experiments had not made any major breakthroughs, but they improved bit by bit over time.

Orochimaru seemed to have forgotten about him and had never come looking for him. Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo, and the others likewise seemed to have vanished, leaving Uchiha Shunichi to develop on his own.

Those peaceful days continued until the day Uchiha Shunichi graduated from the Ninja Academy...

"Anbu? Fine, I understand."

Uchiha Shunichi nodded at the Anbu ninja who had come to find him after the examination.

Being able to remain safely in Konoha for so long had already satisfied Uchiha Shunichi. Over the years, his body had grown, and his research had advanced considerably. By now, he no longer needed to keep his eyes closed at all times.

The Mangekyō Sharingan still consumed chakra, but the expenditure had basically balanced out. As long as he did not use it, it would not cause serious harm to his body.

However... his right Mangekyō Sharingan seemed not to consume ocular power or chakra at all.

After casting a somewhat wistful glance at the classroom behind him, Uchiha Shunichi headed for the Hokage Building without looking back.

The Anbu, short for the Assassination Tactics Special Forces, were essentially a private force belonging exclusively to the Hokage. They mainly carried out missions for Konoha involving outside forces.

Ordinary shinobi, on the other hand, generally completed missions assigned by employers.

That said, there was not much obvious difference between the two. Sometimes, ordinary shinobi handled the same kinds of work as the Anbu.

It was worth mentioning that Danzo's Root also belonged to the Anbu and was, in principle, under Sarutobi Hiruzen's command.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen had delegated that authority to Danzo, allowing him to handle matters that Hiruzen found inconvenient to deal with himself.

That guy Danzo was truly the sort to help count the money after being sold off. From the moment he took charge of Root, he had lost any chance of becoming Hokage.

Unless every person in Konoha capable of becoming Hokage died!

Uchiha Shunichi arrived outside the Hokage's office and knocked on the door. After hearing a voice from within, he pushed it open and entered.

Only Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō were in the room. Before Uchiha Shunichi arrived, they seemed to have been discussing something.

"Shunichi! You're here. I've reviewed your Ninja Academy results, and they were excellent. So I've decided to have you join the Anbu. Do you have any objections?" Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a very kindly expression.

"No problem!" Uchiha Shunichi nodded and agreed at once.

"Good. In that case, you will be an Anbu from now on. Anbu work is dangerous, and you may lose your life at any moment. You must be prepared for that." Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke again.

Uchiha Shunichi nodded and only gave a single response. "Mm."

"How is your Mangekyō Sharingan... doing?" Danzo suddenly asked from the side.

When Danzo spoke, Uchiha Shunichi had thought he would be assigned under him. But from the looks of it, that did not seem to be the case.

"It has completely stabilized. Although I still can't use it proficiently, it won't harm my body anymore," Uchiha Shunichi answered without hesitation.

"I noticed that you haven't gone to the hospital to collect nutrient solution in recent years. Do you no longer need it?" Shimura Danzō asked flatly.

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained calm. This had always been his habit: he played the good guy, while Shimura Danzō helped him deal with certain problems.

"I taught myself many things. I can now produce potent nutrient solution, and its effects are no weaker than Soldier Pills." Uchiha Shunichi took a small bottle from his pocket and placed it on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk.

In truth, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others had taken this stuff long ago.

Uchiha Shunichi's laboratory had been broken into many times. Those Anbu believed they had done an excellent job, but they did not know that every time they came, Uchiha Shunichi knew exactly what they had touched.

Sometimes, Uchiha Shunichi simply could not be bothered to argue over it. Once he became a rogue ninja, finding a place where he could conduct research properly would not be so easy.

"Can it really compare to Soldier Pills?" Sarutobi Hiruzen took the nutrient solution with a curious expression and drank a mouthful without concern.

"No, its restorative effects are even better than Soldier Pills. Shunichi, could you hand this technique over to the village? As a reward, I will teach you some ninjutsu."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke generously. If Uchiha Shunichi had not already known that Hiruzen had taken the formula, he probably would have been overwhelmed with gratitude by now.

The raw materials for this medicine had been extremely difficult to purchase in recent years.

"Mm, that's fine." Uchiha Shunichi nodded, looking entirely unconcerned.

In truth, he really did not care.

"Alright, now let's get to the important matter! Since you have joined the Anbu, your main task from now on will be only one thing: secretly protect Naruto Uzumaki." Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uchiha Shunichi solemnly.

This time, Uchiha Shunichi did not play dumb. He spoke directly. "Inside Naruto's body..."

"As expected, you sensed it! The Nine-Tails is sealed within his body. The Nine-Tails possesses immense power, and many years ago, it caused enormous damage to the village..." A trace of reminiscence flashed through Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.

The Fourth Hokage really was such a pity!

After a detailed explanation, Uchiha Shunichi nodded calmly and accepted the assignment.

After that, Sarutobi Hiruzen sent Uchiha Shunichi back. The official mission would begin that evening, and someone would come to find him before then.

"What do you think of that brat?" After Uchiha Shunichi left, Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Shimura Danzō.

"Cold, withdrawn! He seems indifferent to everything. I cannot see the slightest emotional fluctuation in his eyes, as though he were a born shinobi." Shimura Danzō thought highly of Uchiha Shunichi.

"However... his loyalty is a major problem." But in the next instant, Shimura Danzō raised the most worrying issue.

"Danzo, he is not suited for your Root!" Sarutobi Hiruzen directly rejected Shimura Danzō's idea.

"Aren't you worried he'll betray you?" Shimura Danzō sneered.

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "I can't find a reason for him to betray us. Besides... isn't such a personality perfectly normal?"

As Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen received far more intelligence than Shimura Danzō. His judgment of Uchiha Shunichi was also quite accurate.

That was why Sarutobi Hiruzen could become Hokage, while Danzo could only be the one left holding the bag...