After obtaining all the information he needed, the Jonin who had lost his usefulness quietly vanished from this world.
"They've already carried out the mission and returned."
Anya finally had confirmation—it all fit what she'd suspected. It was indeed the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist who had eliminated Kumogakure's Anbu. Now they had returned to the village. However, these seven individuals always kept a low and unpredictable profile; even Jonin couldn't say exactly where they were hiding. But one thing was certain: all the intelligence files of Kirigakure were stored inside the Anbu headquarters.
That place—was the most likely spot where the evidence was hidden.
Anya thought for a moment before deciding to take the risk and head straight there herself.
Time wasn't on her side. Besides, the deaths of those ten Kiri Anbu wouldn't stay hidden for long. Once discovered, everyone suspected of being an undercover agent would be investigated thoroughly—and she would inevitably be exposed.
Using a Shunshin technique, Anya headed toward the Anbu headquarters. Remaining calm, she walked openly into the building without hesitation. Surprisingly, no Anbu stopped her for questioning. Everyone acted indifferent and uninterested—just the way she liked it.
Unlike Konoha, where the Anbu headquarters are located underground, Kirigakure's base was constructed over an underground river. Following the damp earth, she steadily descended along the moist path without pause.
Before long, she passed through the main hall, proceeding into a long, straight corridor. Along each side were at least ten tightly packed rooms. The lighting was extremely dim—eyes needed time to adjust before anything came into clear view. The cold door handles, damp wooden doors, and squishy muddy floor created a chill that crept up one's spine with every step.
So many rooms—how to choose?
Anya hesitated for a moment before shrugging it off. Since she couldn't be sure, she might as well just randomly pick one and check it out—if necessary, she'd search them one by one.
She picked the nearest room and walked in.
Unexpectedly, the room was brightly lit. Inside were shelves lined with various scrolls, several sealed tightly with sealing techniques, giving the place a secretive air.
A Kiri Anbu standing inside immediately stepped forward when he saw someone enter. "Cipher?" he asked sharply.
"Cipher?" Anya hadn't a clue what cipher he meant—but that wasn't an issue.
Activating her Three-Comma Sharingan instantly froze the enemy in place. Without hesitation, she demanded, "Tell me the cipher."
"The cipher is… it's…"
Just as the secret was about to slip out, the Anbu somehow broke free from the Genjutsu on his own. Clutching his head in agony, he screamed out in pain and began slamming his fists against his skull until his head exploded, scattering blood and brain matter across the floor.
"What just happened here?"
Anya stepped closer, removing his mask. A faint mark appeared on his forehead—clearly, it had been this very seal that activated and interfered earlier.
Anya immediately understood. "This is a cursed seal. Damn it! No wonder everyone in Anbu here seems indifferent; they've all been trained as fighting machines without names, emotions, pasts, or futures. To prevent secrets from leaking, each Anbu member has been marked with a cursed seal that activates the moment they are about to reveal classified information."
This was Anya's first glimpse of Kirigakure's secrecy principle in action.
At that moment, a man identified as Patty, stationed deep inside the underground river, sensed something. After a brief moment of confusion, he suddenly realized what was happening and roared in command, "A cursed seal on an Anbu member has just activated, meaning a rat has sneaked inside. All personnel must assemble immediately and verify tonight's cipher code among each squad. Anyone who fails to recite it shall be executed on the spot!"
With no time to lose, Anya abandoned his search. He summoned a Wooden Bull Transport Puppet using the Summoning Scroll and packed all scrolls not secured by Sealing Techniques into it. Then he rapidly analyzed several sealed scrolls using his Sharingan, released their Sealing Techniques, and stuffed them into the puppet as well.
Once he had cleared the room completely, he withdrew the Wooden Bull and stepped outside through the door.
Just as he entered the corridor, three Anbu members approached together. One coldly asked, "Judging from your mask, you belong to the Fourth Squad. You should be out executing an elimination mission right now. What's tonight's cipher code?"
"The cipher code is..."
Before Anya could finish speaking the four words, his tanto blade already slid from its sheath.
The prepared trio had already drawn their swords, ready to block his attack. The one speaking said knowingly, "So it really was you."
"Hmph. Can you actually stop me?"
Maki's Phantom Sword Art, honed over years of study, was unleashed in real combat for the very first time. The three Anbu felt like the person in front of them had done absolutely nothing — until their heads suddenly rolled off their shoulders.
Instant kill. Indeed, the Phantom Sword Art was terrifying. Combined with the enhancement of the Sharingan, it practically reached the pinnacle of assassination arts—eliminating enemies before they even noticed anything.
After eliminating these three obstructing Anbu members, Anya already heard countless whistling sounds approaching from various directions. There was no more time left. It was impossible to retrieve any more scrolls from the remaining rooms.
Though reluctant, Anya could do nothing about it. Though he feared no individual opponent one-on-one, this place was enemy headquarters. If he continued staying, there would only be one outcome—certain death.
Using Shunshin combined with running, Anya dashed back along the path he came from.
[Water Release: Water Chain Bullet!]
Behind him, pursuing Anbu caught up and launched a Ninjutsu attack at Anya.
Without slowing his steps, Anya swung his sword to deflect the incoming jutsu. However, when he was nearly reaching the exit, he saw within the grand hall how the previously indifferent Anbu had already gathered completely. Beneath their masks, they stared coldly at Anya before collectively forming hand seals and chanting together:
[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!]
"Water Dragon Jutsu!"
One after another, water dragons with ferocious eyes locked onto Anya. Reinforced by chakra, these dragons spun rapidly in midair and gradually fused into a single, colossal dragon. Its massive body nearly sealed off every escape route in the corridor. There was no dodging it—once launched, it could only be taken head-on.
Originally a B-rank jutsu, the Water Dragon Projectile Jutsu had, through combined chakra power, definitely reached the peak of A-rank ninjutsu.
Anya felt a wave of danger approaching. No wonder they were an Anbu from one of the Five Great Villages—it wasn't going to be easy.
He couldn't afford to endure it head-on. If he got injured, escaping would become even more impossible.
Anya forced himself to stay calm. His Sharingan scanned the surroundings until he sensed a cold draft blowing in from above—he had an idea.
[Katon: Gōka Messhitsu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu)!]
Patty, who was chasing from behind, sneered, "Thought you were some clever rat, but turns out you're just trash who doesn't even know that water beats fire? Huh, you even missed your shot."
But instead of attacking an enemy, Anya released a massive fireball straight at a section of the corridor's ceiling.
The wall quickly turned scorching red under the intense heat, its surface beginning to crack from the extreme temperature.
The moment the cracks appeared, Anya swiftly formed hand seals. Lightning surged from his hands as he channeled it into his tanto blade, then executed [Sword Art: Draw Technique!] precisely at the weakened area.
"Break!"
The wall shattered instantly, and torrents from an underground river poured down like a flood, collapsing the entire corridor. The giant water dragon, barely launched, was crushed beneath the debris. Seizing the chaos, Anya vanished without a trace...
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>