'Not bad. No wonder he had the nerve to ambush me here,' Jie Uchiha thought, his eyes lighting up with intrigue. The Anbu truly was full of hidden talents; to think an expert of this caliber was participating in the assessment.
With reflexes and strength like that, his attacker was likely far more than just a simple Jonin.
'Talk about perfect timing,' Jie mused. 'I needed a solid whetstone to test my blade. Don't disappoint me.'
Having defeated numerous Anbu trainees, Jie had received a massive payout of system rewards. While most were common jutsu, a few catches proved incredibly useful.
Specifically, the Body Flicker Technique—an advanced, system-optimized version.
The Body Flicker, along with the Cloak of Invisibility and Body Paralysis techniques, formed the Advanced Three Jutsu. The village strictly monopolized their training methods. Unless a ninja made outstanding contributions or joined an elite organization like the Anbu, they were impossible to learn.
While meeting those conditions wouldn't have been an issue for Jie, manually training couldn't compare to the instant mastery provided by the system. Furthermore, he discovered that system-granted rewards were subtly modified for better efficiency.
Just like how he could dynamically adjust his chakra output to alter the force of a Water Dragon Bullet, pairing his new Body Flicker with the Hatake Clan Kenjutsu created a deadly synergy. While the raw power remained the same, his strikes became infinitely more unpredictable.
"Hatake Kenjutsu: Modified Slash!"
Swish!
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!" Seeing Jie vanish, Joren's internal alarms blared. He immediately retreated a step and rapidly wove hand seals, deploying his strongest defensive jutsu.
Slash! A streak of white light tore through the air, instantly shattering the earthen wall. The glowing tip of the blade sliced mere inches from Joren's face. Although the sturdy wall had been cleaved cleanly in two upon contact, it fulfilled its purpose—buying the Anbu a fraction of a second.
As an Anbu squad captain, Joren was naturally highly proficient with basic maneuvers like the Body Flicker. In a blur of motion, he vanished from his spot.
"Such a fast Body Flicker... and incredible swordplay!" Joren exclaimed, reappearing on a high tree branch. Ignoring the cold sweat pooling beneath his porcelain mask, he continued, "Heavenly Fiend, you really do surprise me time and time again."
"You know me?" Jie paused, arching an eyebrow as he calmly looked up at the operative.
"Of course. I am intimately aware of exactly who you are," Joren replied with a calm nod.
As an Anbu captain, it was his duty to know the true identities of every operative under his command.
Jie frowned. This man knew his real identity? Aside from his parents, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, the only people aware he was joining the Anbu were Hiruzen Sarutobi and perhaps the Konoha Elder Council.
'Is this another one of Hiruzen's schemes?' he thought. "So, the Third Hokage sent you?" he asked aloud.
Joren blinked behind his mask, momentarily stunned. He considered the question. He was an Anbu captain, and the Anbu answered directly and exclusively to the Hokage. Technically speaking, he was operating under the Third Hokage's orders.
Concluding his train of thought, Joren nodded. "That's right. I am acting on Lord Third's orders."
Jie nodded in understanding, his expression growing icy.
He had genuinely wondered if the old man was going senile when he received the invitation to join the Anbu. Now it all made sense. Hiruzen had used the recruitment as a pretext to lure him in and orchestrate an assassination.
The image of Hiruzen scheming behind the scenes brought a cold sneer to Jie's face.
Political fallout aside, the very idea of assassinating him with his current level of power was laughable. Even Kakashi wouldn't necessarily be a match for him in a straight fight. Sure, in a life-or-death struggle, Kakashi's vast combat experience might give him a slight edge, but managing to kill Jie instantly? Absolutely impossible.
As long as he survived the initial strike, the monstrous recovery rate of his enhanced basic Sage Body would kick in. Once he adapted to the rhythm of the fight, the outcome would be anyone's guess.
Furthermore, if he were to die while in Anbu custody, no amount of acting or excuses from Hiruzen would placate his clan. The Uchiha would undeniably revolt, even if it meant mutual destruction.
It was precisely because of these geopolitical safety nets that Jie had agreed to the Anbu assessment in the first place. He simply hadn't expected Hiruzen to resort to such a monumentally stupid tactic.
Shaking his head imperceptibly, Jie refocused his gaze on the Anbu operative standing before him. If Hiruzen wanted to overreach and play these petty games, then he couldn't blame Jie for severing his outstretched claws.
A dangerous glint flashed in Jie's eyes. Tightening his grip on his tantō, he launched himself toward Joren with blinding speed.
While the Body Flicker Technique was unparalleled for stealth attacks, the microscopic delay upon reappearing would fatally interrupt the fluid momentum of his kenjutsu in a frontal assault. So, he charged directly.
Joren, who had been on the verge of revealing his own identity, froze in sheer bewilderment as the murderous Uchiha rushed him.
'What the hell is wrong with this kid?!' he panicked internally. 'I was just about to lay all my cards on the table, and he's going straight for the kill?!'
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