97. Anbu

(Powerstones!)

Chapter 29: The Root of the Matter

The gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of Konoha's training grounds, carrying with it the scent of earth and foliage. Amidst this tranquil setting, a small figure stood alone, his vibrant red hair a stark contrast against the lush green backdrop. This was Sora, a six-year-old orphan who had quickly become known throughout the village for his prodigious skills and uncanny ability to stir up trouble.

Sora's eyes were closed in deep concentration, his brow furrowed as he faced off against an identical opponent - his own shadow clone. To an outside observer, it might have appeared as though the young boy was simply play-fighting with himself. But this was far from child's play. Sora was engaged in an intense training session, pushing the limits of his unique jutsu and honing his combat instincts.

"Shape-shifting jutsu," Sora murmured under his breath, feeling the familiar tingle of chakra coursing through his body. This was no ordinary technique - it was an A-rank jutsu of Sora's own creation, a testament to his ingenuity and skill. As he sparred with his clone, Sora focused on incorporating the shape-shifting seamlessly into his movements, allowing his body to flow and change instinctively in response to each attack.

The scar that ran vertically across his left eye, from forehead to cheek, seemed to deepen as he concentrated. Despite the injury, the eye remained fully functional, a reminder of past challenges overcome. On his right shoulder blade, hidden beneath his shirt, a blue spiral tattoo pulsed faintly with chakra - another of Sora's creations, a large storage seal disguised as a simple marking.

As Sora ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding a punch from his clone, he felt a sudden shift in the air. His clone froze, prompting Sora to open his eyes and scan his surroundings. There, materializing from the shadows like wraiths, stood two masked figures. Their blank, expressionless masks bore the unmistakable markings of Konoha's ANBU.

"We are from ANBU," one of the masked figures stated, their voice flat and emotionless. "We are under orders to bring Sora."

Sora's initial surprise quickly gave way to a neutral expression, which then morphed into a disarming smile. "Sure," he replied cheerfully, as if being summoned by elite black ops agents was an everyday occurrence for a six-year-old. "Just give me a second to retrieve my scattered kunai."

The ANBU operatives nodded silently, watching as Sora moved about the training ground, collecting his weapons. As he worked, Sora's mind raced behind his carefree facade. 'These guys are good at stealth,' he thought to himself. 'I didn't realize their presence until they were within 50 meters. They definitely specialize in stealth operations.'

With practised ease, Sora sealed the last of his kunai into the storage seals embedded in his bracers. His shadow clone dispelled with a soft 'poof', its memories and experiences flowing back into Sora's mind. Ready to go, he turned to the ANBU with an expectant look.

In a blur of motion, the ANBU agents used the Body Flicker technique, transporting themselves and Sora to a nondescript street in Konoha. They stood before what appeared to be an ordinary sweet shop, its cheerful facade at odds with the serious demeanour of the ANBU.

"I didn't know ANBU were ordered to buy sweets too," Sora quipped, his tone light but his eyes sharp, taking in every detail of his surroundings.

The ANBU remained silent, entering the shop with Sora in tow. They made their way to the back, where one of the masked ninjas pulled a concealed lever. A hidden passage revealed itself, leading down into darkness.

Sora's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "Woah, it's like in secret movies! I didn't know ANBU bases had entries like this." Despite the potential danger of his situation, the young ninja couldn't help but feel the thrill of adventure.

As they descended into the underground complex, Sora's trained eyes picked out dozens of seals embedded in the walls. Having recently broken into the Master realm of Fuinjutsu, he could discern their functions at a glance - barriers, alarms, and misdirection seals, all working in concert to protect whatever lay beyond.

They walked for what seemed like an eternity, twisting and turning through a labyrinth of corridors. Sora felt the subtle touch of genjutsu attempting to cloud his sense of direction, but he was prepared. 'Too bad for them,' he thought smugly. 'I've got a mini shadow clone hidden in my clothing, memorizing the whole path.' He allowed the genjutsu to seemingly take hold, not wanting to reveal his hand too soon.

Finally, they entered a dimly lit room. At its centre stood an old man, his right eye covered by bandages, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. The two ANBU knelt before him, a gesture of deep respect - or perhaps fear.

"Sora," the old man said, his voice gravelly with age but sharp with authority.

"Old man," Sora replied casually as if addressing a slightly annoying neighbour rather than a figure of obvious importance.

In a flash, a kunai shot towards Sora from behind, launched by one of the ANBU. Without turning, Sora tilted his head slightly, allowing the blade to whiz past his ear harmlessly.

"You have good instincts," the old man observed a hint of approval in his voice.

Sora smirked, unfazed by the attack. "And you've got a gloomy atmosphere here. Aren't you too old to be playing these shadowy games?"

The ANBU who had thrown the kunai, incensed by Sora's disrespect, unsheathed his sword and lunged at the boy. But Sora was ready. He crouched low, allowing the sword to pass harmlessly over his head. In the same fluid motion, he drove his fist into the ANBU's gut, all without so much as glancing back.

The masked ninja's eyes rolled back behind his mask as he crumpled to the ground. Before he hit the floor, Sora snatched the sword from his grasp, twirling it expertly as he rose from his crouch.

"This is a nice sword," Sora commented, examining the blade with an appraising eye. "It even has poison coated on it. How thoughtful."

Then, in a move that caught everyone off guard, Sora suddenly lunged at the old man, the stolen sword flashing through the air. The attack happened in the blink of an eye, but the old man was far from helpless. His wooden cane met the sword with a resounding clash, and to Sora's surprise, it was the sword that gave way, splitting cleanly in two.

Sora's keen eyes caught the faint green glow of chakra surrounding the cane. 'Interesting,' he thought. 'This old man is more than he appears.'

"Youngsters these days," the old man sighed, shaking his head. "They really have no respect for the older generation."

As if summoned by an unseen signal, a group of masked ninja suddenly surrounded Sora, their blank masks hiding any emotion but their tense postures betraying their readiness for combat.

The old man turned to leave the room, pausing at the threshold. "I hope you were ready to face your punishment for attacking me," he said, a cold smile in his voice. "It will also tell me about your abilities." With that, he exited, leaving Sora alone with the ANBU squad.

The moment the door closed behind the old man, one of the ANBU weaved hand signs at lightning speed. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" A roaring inferno burst from the ninja's mask, hurtling towards Sora.

But Sora was already moving. With a chakra-enhanced jump, he soared over the fireball, the heat singeing the soles of his sandals. As he sailed through the air, he flicked a kunai towards another ANBU who was forming hand signs for what Sora recognized as the Yamanaka clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu. The kunai, trailing an explosive tag, forced the ANBU to abort their technique and dodge.

Sora's hand found purchase on the ceiling, chakra allowing him to stick to the surface. Using his momentum, he swung himself up, now standing upside-down on the ceiling. A hail of kunai flew towards him, but Sora flickered away, using the Body Flicker technique to move rapidly across the ceiling.

'Okay, that was close,' Sora thought, nearly losing his footing. 'Body Flicker on the ceiling is not ideal. Need a new plan.'

Thinking quickly, Sora held the broken sword in front of him and channelled the chakra to his bracers. A torrent of water gushed forth, washing over the poisoned blade. The water, now laced with the deadly toxin, rained down towards the ANBU below.

But his opponents were no slouches. One of them quickly formed hand signs, calling out, "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" A powerful gust of wind erupted from the ANBU, blowing the poisoned water back towards Sora.

Anticipating this, Sora had already pushed off from the ceiling with a chakra-enhanced kick, launching himself towards the ground. As he descended, he summoned a kunai from his bracer, ready to engage the nearest opponent.

However, as he neared his target, the ANBU's arm suddenly expanded to massive proportions. 'An Akimichi!' Sora realized, barely managing to alter his trajectory. He twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the giant fist, and brought his leg down in a vicious axe kick on the Akimichi ANBU's head.

***

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