Chapter 48: Anbu
Anbu—in the original work, an organization mainly used to highlight how powerful the protagonists or other key characters were. Except for one notable time during Pain's invasion, Konoha's Anbu rarely shined. Most other times, Anbu served as stepping stones to showcase the strength of characters like Yakushi Kabuto, Orochimaru, Uchiha Itachi, or Uchiha Shisui, repeatedly breaking expectations about this supposedly mysterious elite group.
But having lived in this shinobi world for years, Ishiro had learned a lot about Anbu. Every member was at least Chunin-level, and not every Chunin qualified to join. In regular shinobi teams, a Chunin could lead, but Anbu squad captains had to be at least Tokubetsu Jonin-level.
Ishiro wasn't sure exactly how many Anbu operatives Iwa had, but he estimated at least a few hundred active combatants. Anbu handled many difficult, sensitive missions, often spending more time away from the village than inside it. Even within the village, Anbu didn't openly wear their uniform unless on a mission; instead, they blended in among ordinary shinobi.
If at any given moment, a hundred Anbu were present in the village, Ishiro reasoned that the total Anbu personnel must number several hundred. And were there actually one hundred Anbu on active duty at any one time? He felt there definitely were.
For instance, at least a dozen or two were always on duty at Anbu headquarters, while another dozen protected the Tsuchikage's building. Two Jinchuriki each warranted a full protection squad, and the village itself was huge—could a dozen Anbu really suffice for surveillance and patrol?
Moreover, special locations—such as the sealed area Ishiro now inhabited—had at least three Anbu teams assigned. Thus, by any calculation, at least a hundred Anbu must have been actively on duty within the village at all times.
Then consider Anbu operatives stationed outside the village. A single hunting mission might last weeks, plus there were border patrols and intelligence infiltration in foreign nations. Such vast borders required many Anbu patrols. Add in Anbu stationed in various smaller countries, and the numbers rapidly multiplied.
Since Anbu also needed rest periods, if an Anbu spent two-thirds of their time on missions, all these numbers might further increase by half. Clearly, Anbu was a massive organization.
Yet, its structure was oddly simple. Rather than multiple complex layers, Anbu had only three levels: regular members, squad captains, and unit commanders. Several Anbu commanders reported directly to Tsuchikage Ōnoki, each relatively independent. Under each commander were numerous squad captains, creating an overwhelming yet simple hierarchy.
This wasn't unusual, though. Anbu squads usually operated independently rather than as part of large-scale military units. The commanders' main role was allocating tasks rather than personally leading large groups on missions.
Ishiro was assigned to Anbu Squad Two, under Commander "Owl," an elite Jonin whose mask bore a strange rocky design. Ishiro had seen Owl without the mask—a man in his thirties with a harmless, honest look. Yet once masked, Owl radiated mystery and strength.
On their way to Anbu's headquarters, Owl showed Ishiro how to navigate safely through Anbu's complex security, bypassing traps and avoiding detection by sensory barriers.
Ishiro then received his Anbu gear: two identical plain masks, uniforms, and weapons. In Anbu, the village provided all logistical support and higher pay, though tasks were more frequent and dangerous.
He immediately underwent training divided into two parts: theory—including secret codes, protocols, and mission tactics—and practical combat assessment, designed to assign suitable teammates.
Crucially, new Anbu recruits could learn one specialized skill, such as swordsmanship, taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu. However, the skill taught wasn't high-level, nor was there supplemental medicinal support.
Ishiro felt conflicted. He'd already set his training path, so choosing another skill was tricky.
In the past two years, Ishiro's chakra reserves had grown from 53C to 120C, reaching roughly 1.2B. This was enough to start learning B-rank ninjutsu. He was accumulating contribution points toward that goal, though progress had been slow lately.
His most significant improvements were in ninjutsu proficiency. With increased mental strength and chakra control, he'd greatly reduced the hand seals required for many jutsu. The basic Three-Body techniques now required just one seal—essentially instantaneous casting.
The original Water Line Jutsu required just 4 seals; Earth Wall, 5 seals; Earth Spike, 6 seals. Additionally, Ishiro successfully developed an upgraded version of Water Line Jutsu, now calling it "Water Pressure Line Jutsu." Though still based on Water Line Jutsu, it had evolved into something entirely different.
He could project pressure up to 30 meters, beyond which accuracy and power rapidly decreased. This jutsu's power was nearly equivalent to B-rank, consuming roughly 25C of chakra and requiring 7 hand seals. It was currently his strongest attack. Ishiro's hand seal speed also increased significantly, reaching between 4 to 4.5 seals per second.
This meant Ishiro could comfortably engage Chunin-level opponents from a distance, overwhelming them with rapid-fire ninjutsu.
Given his established fighting style, he was uncertain about the new skill offered by Anbu. If the benefit were a B-rank ninjutsu, there'd be no hesitation, but unfortunately, it fell into an awkward intermediate range. Any new skill would require considerable time to master, disrupting his carefully planned training schedule.
After some hesitation, Ishiro approached Owl and described his predicament, hoping for advice.
Without hesitation, Owl replied, "Choose the Body Flicker Jutsu (Shunshin no Jutsu). You're a ninjutsu-focused shinobi, so your missions won't usually require great speed. But exceptions happen, and with fast movement, not only will missions be easier, but you'll greatly improve your survivability."
Ishiro slapped his forehead in realization. He'd overlooked something critical—fighting peers was one thing, but if he encountered Jonin-level opponents, could he even escape? The thought chilled him. Protected by Kitsuchi for so long, he'd grown complacent.
Grateful, Ishiro thanked Owl and promptly collected a scroll on the Body Flicker Jutsu.
Body Flicker Jutsu—called one of the "Advanced Three-Body Techniques" in his past life's internet discussions—allowed rapid short-distance movement. It had been expertly used by Shisui and Minato in the original work, and mastering it could significantly boost combat potential.
According to the scroll, after forming hand seals once, one could perform multiple rapid movements in succession—though this was exceedingly difficult and typically limited in number.
Ultimately, Body Flicker Jutsu suited quick, short-range maneuvering rather than sustained travel, unless two specific conditions were met: continuous usage without hand seals, and massive chakra reserves.
Few shinobi reached a level to perform it seal-less, but Body Flicker Jutsu was the most common technique shinobi invested time mastering, given its life-saving potential.
Rapid seal formation to maintain continuous flickers was virtually impossible—its speed was simply too great. Even Itachi, with his incredible 6-seals-per-second speed, couldn't chain seals fast enough to continuously maintain Body Flicker.
Moreover, each use consumed about 2C of chakra, limiting sustained usage to chakra powerhouses like the Senju or Uzumaki clans.
However, this didn't diminish its battlefield value. During combat, Body Flicker Jutsu allowed swift repositioning, quickly returning to friendly forces if outmatched, thus becoming a vital lifesaving technique.
Satisfied, Ishiro began carefully studying the Body Flicker scroll, understanding how vital this technique would become for his survival.
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