January 13, Year 55 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar
Hyuga Gakuya was promoted to ANBU squad leader, taking Kakashi's place. Due to a shortage of personnel, the squad was temporarily reduced to a three-man team.
...
February 16, Year 55 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar
In the dimly lit basement, a mutilated corpse of a Hyuga clan member lay before Hyuga Gakuya.
His hands moved swiftly, forming a series of thirty-two hand seals—Rat, Dog, Rooster, Monkey... guiding a surge of chakra through his body. "Bloodline Seizure."
With a single slap to the ground, an enormous sealing array spread out beneath him, encircling the corpse at its center.
Dark, writhing flesh began to rise from the body, consuming it entirely before gradually shrinking until it vanished into thin air.
As the secret technique concluded, a faint tremor pulsed through Gakuya's eyes. His Byakugan's power had clearly grown stronger.
"I did it!"
He activated his Byakugan, gently tracing his fingers along his eye sockets as if caressing a priceless treasure.
"I'm on the right track. Now, I just need to refine and simplify the process. That part should be easy."
He placed another collected Branch Family Byakugan on the ground, once again activating the Bloodline Seizure to further enhance his ocular prowess.
...
March 11, Year 55 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar
The Third Squad welcomed a new member—Uchiha Itachi.
As per tradition, the ANBU held a welcoming event. Gakuya and his fellow squad members gathered at the training ground, chatting and joking as they waited for the newcomer's arrival.
"I heard the new recruit is only eleven. Should we give him the usual 'initiation package'?"
"Did you already forget the lesson from last time? Anyone joining ANBU at that age must be exceptionally skilled."
Gakuya smirked mischievously. "Oh, we're doing it. This is a squad tradition—no exceptions."
"Everyone, stay hidden and let's see how well our new recruit can handle this."
Exchanging glances, the squad members grinned in anticipation.
Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Just don't go overboard."
"Of course not. We'll keep it within reason."
Gakuya laid out the plan. "Alright, here's what we'll do..."
...
When Uchiha Itachi stepped into the training ground, he found himself alone.
Just as confusion set in, kunai and shuriken rained down on him from all directions.
An ambush? No... This must be a test from the senior members.
Drawing his sword, Itachi swiftly deflected the incoming projectiles.
From their concealed positions, the squad members silently nodded. Then, they increased the number and speed of the incoming weapons.
Yet, Itachi parried every single one with ease.
The attacks intensified until he finally showed signs of strain. At that moment, his crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun into motion.
Dipping into his ninja pouch, Itachi pulled out eight kunai, throwing them with precise force. The kunai struck midair, altering their trajectories to deflect the next wave of weapons. The deflected kunai, in turn, knocked down more incoming shuriken.
A cacophony of clashing metal filled the air, and when it settled, not a single projectile had touched him.
"Bravo!" Applause erupted from all around as the ANBU members emerged from their hiding spots.
Itachi took in the scene, thinking, So this was the 'welcome ceremony'? Does this mean I've earned their approval?
His squadmates, on the other hand, were in shock. While they wouldn't have been injured by the barrage, none of them could claim to neutralize an airborne assault with such precision.
This was the power of the Uchiha—the mastery of projectile weapons combined with the Sharingan's dynamic vision.
Even Gakuya was astounded. Seeing this in an anime was one thing, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely. The sheer impact of Itachi's skill was undeniable.
So this is the power of the Sharingan... No wonder Orochimaru became obsessed after seeing it once.
With Itachi in the ANBU, Shisui's death was not far off. And if that happened, perhaps Gakuya could obtain a sample of the Uchiha's pure bloodline...
One by one, the squad members introduced themselves and their abilities. After all, teamwork was essential in completing missions.
Gakuya stepped forward. "Gakuya. Specializes in taijutsu."
Once the introductions were done, Itachi gave a slight bow. "Crow. Specializes in Fire Release and genjutsu."
"Alright, now that we're all acquainted—" Kakashi began. "I'm Kakashi. Emmm... I don't have a codename. Squad Three Captain. From now on, you'll be in Gakuya's unit. If you have any questions, ask him."
"Understood."
Gakuya rolled his eyes. "I knew it. You just don't want to do the newbie training."
Itachi turned to Gakuya, exchanging a polite nod. Gakuya then led him, along with Yamato and Akumu, to a corner of the training field for further introductions.
After confirming Itachi's proficiency in stealth techniques, Gakuya found himself at a loss.
"Normally, I'd be teaching you the fundamental skills required in ANBU... but you already know them all."
He sighed. "Alright, I'll teach you something different—my Fire-Infused Taijutsu."
Recognizing this as Gakuya's signature technique, Itachi immediately bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
Fire-Infused Taijutsu was a fusion of the Leaf's Strong Fist style and Fire Release chakra manipulation, inspired by former Captain. Unlike the Hyuga's Gentle Fist, it didn't rely on knowledge of chakra points, making it accessible to ordinary shinobi.
Gakuya demonstrated a few techniques. To no one's surprise, Itachi, with his Sharingan, learned them instantly after seeing them just once.
Yamato and Akumu, watching from the sidelines, were wide-eyed. "That's insane..."
Gakuya hadn't hidden any details during his instruction, explaining the techniques thoroughly. Yet, only Itachi and Kakashi, using their Sharingan, managed to replicate them perfectly.
The others could only watch in envy. Some of us have no kekkei genkai, and it shows...
And the sheer natural talent of Gakuya and Itachi—teenagers already at this level—was equally frustrating.
After the training, Gakuya decided to treat his squad to hot pot. As expected, a certain freeloading Uchiha, Kakashi, tagged along, claiming it was his "right as a former teammate."
Itachi offered to pay as a token of gratitude for the training, but Kakashi, Yamato, and Akumu immediately shot him down.
"For once, this stingy guy is willing to spend money. We have to make the most of it."
Gakuya just chuckled. These guys have no idea—I've already regained my wealth thanks to the Bloodline Seizure.
Besides, there was another reason for his generosity. Getting closer to Itachi meant gaining insights into the Uchiha's movements—and by extension, the inner workings of Konoha.
After all, he was the perfect double agent.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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