In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to obediently hand over the reward. Given Jie Uchiha's status, withholding his prize would only invite trouble.
Originally, the first ten Anbu operatives to reach the central tower were supposed to receive a ninjutsu reward. However, since Jie had blocked the tower entrance, intercepted every single candidate, and collected all the scrolls, he emerged as the sole qualifier.
Handing him a single ninjutsu scroll no longer matched the magnitude of his achievement, yet giving him more left Hiruzen deeply resentful. The Uchiha clan was already flourishing, and now the Hokage was being forced to personally pave the way for Jie's growth. The sheer irony of it nearly made Hiruzen cough up blood on the spot.
After much deliberation, Hiruzen decided to present the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's personal weapon—the Sword of the Thunder God—as the reward. Rather than allowing Jie to learn a forbidden jutsu from the Scroll of Seals, it was safer to part with a blade whose symbolic value far outweighed its practical utility.
Seeing the barely concealed fire in Hiruzen's eyes as the man gritted his teeth and handed over the weapon, Jie almost burst out laughing. To think that the dignified Third Hokage, the self-proclaimed strongest Hokage in history, would see such a day.
With the Sword of the Thunder God in hand, the exam officially concluded, and Jie became a fully-fledged member of the Anbu. This meant he would soon begin taking on active missions, but for now, he was granted a brief final vacation.
When Jie returned home, Mikoto Uchiha had already prepared a table full of delicious food. Upon hearing the news of his eldest son's return, Fugaku Uchiha had ended his training session with Itachi early.
Seeing that Jie was perfectly unharmed, Fugaku said nothing. He simply nodded in quiet relief and took his seat at the head of the table.
After dinner, Jie followed his father into the study and detailed everything that had happened during the Anbu exams. Hearing that Jie had managed to subdue both an Anbu squad captain and a team leader in just a few short days, Fugaku couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
'Was his son the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths?' It seemed that wherever he went, he only had to raise his arm and people would flock to his banner.
Awe aside, Fugaku strongly agreed with Jie's plans. If Hiruzen hadn't been so stubborn all these years, Fugaku would have seamlessly woven Uchiha clansmen into the Anbu long ago. After all, the Anbu served as Konoha's most powerful intelligence network; even the Uchiha's own informants fell far short by comparison. Having an Anbu squad captain acting as the clan's eyes and ears was a massive boon. As for swaying vassal clans and securing partners, that was merely a matter of a few well-placed words.
"Father, I am now an official Anbu member. It won't be long before I'm dispatched outside the village on missions," Jie said. "I'll have to trouble you to handle the affairs within the clan."
Fugaku paused, stunned for a moment, before his stoic expression returned. The fledgling had grown and finally needed to spread its wings to brave the vast sky. He just hadn't expected this day to arrive quite so soon.
"Don't worry, your father isn't an old man yet. I can still protect you and the rest of the Uchiha clan," Fugaku replied, a look of profound pride crossing his face. "If you encounter any trouble during your missions, don't hesitate to contact the clan. When it comes to combat, the Uchiha have never feared anyone."
They chatted idly for a few more minutes before Jie stood up, intending to head toward Sasuke's room.
"By the way, Father," Jie paused just as he stepped through the doorway. "You must be careful of Shisui Uchiha. Do not let him come into contact with Itachi under any circumstances."
"Shisui of the Body Flicker? Elder Kagami's grandson?" Fugaku frowned, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Yes, him," Jie said, his tone dead serious. "During the Anbu exams, I heard some operatives talking. It seems he has already betrayed the Uchiha clan and pledged his loyalty to the Third Hokage."
Jie seamlessly shifted the source of the intelligence onto the Anbu, presenting the lie with absolute certainty.
"In that case, I'll have him transferred back to the Konoha Military Police Force tomorrow and kept under strict surveillance," Fugaku stated without hesitation. He didn't doubt the authenticity of his son's intelligence for a second.
It was true that Shisui had carved out a formidable reputation during the Third Great Ninja War relying on his Body Flicker Technique and Uchiha-Style Kenjutsu. Even now, in times of peace, he was considered a rare, high-tier combatant within the clan. But weighed against the entire Uchiha clan, Shisui's presence or absence wouldn't fundamentally change anything.
Seeing his father's decisive attitude, Jie opened his mouth but ultimately decided against revealing that Shisui had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. Claiming to have overheard Anbu operatives gossiping about Shisui's betrayal was plausible enough. However, top-secret intelligence like the awakening of a Mangekyo Sharingan would be heavily guarded, not casually discussed where candidates could hear.
'Whatever,' Jie thought. 'It's still early. Besides, a single Shisui Uchiha isn't enough to stir up any real trouble.'
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