"What happened?"
As the sharp explosion sounded, Anko instinctively covered her ears, her head buzzing in confusion and disorientation.
She turned around to see Rin and Shibi staring in shock at the direction where the arrow had flown, their pupils trembling.
"Is this the jutsu you've been working on, Satoru?"
Rin recalled their first meeting at the ninja tool shop, where Satoru had looked so frustrated and disappointed about not being able to buy the bow and arrows. The shock she felt now was beyond words.
Shibi took a deep breath. His eyes filled with astonishment and profound contemplation. From his insect perspective, he saw much more.
There was no chakra fluctuation on the arrow, its speed exceeded the reaction limits of conventional ninjas, and the ultra-long-range strike, coupled with the Byakugan's vision...
This was the ultimate assassination jutsu, capable of changing the course of a war!
A jutsu developed from combining two bloodline limits?
The combination of two types of chakra is a bloodline limit, and three types is a kekkei tōta, but what is the combination of two bloodline limits???
"Satoru, you can come down now."
"Oh!"
Satoru's voice from above pulled Shibi back to reality. Responding, he controlled the insects to lower Satoru to the ground.
"Are you okay?"
Seeing Satoru's pale face and the weak, exhausted look about him, Shibi asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Satoru shook his head. "I just overused my chakra and felt a bit drained. I just need some rest."
"That's good." Shibi sighed in relief. "Let's go check on that Iwa-nin."
Satoru's eyes flickered. In truth, given the extent of his previous shot, he could fire at most three arrows in his current state. However, this move was too astonishing, so it was best not to reveal his limits.
Killing that Iwa-nin was necessary. If he survived and returned to Iwagakure, Satoru would face relentless assassination attempts, and right now, he needed time to develop.
Being from the branch family, the betrayal of Konoha was not an option. Thus, his value to the Hokage needed to be as high as possible. Even if he couldn't fully integrate into the Hokage's faction, at least he could leverage their power to balance against the main family.
With these thoughts, they reached the spot where the Iwa-nin had fallen.
His body, along with the scroll on his back, was split open from the waist, painting a crimson flower on the grass. The death was so swift that his face still held the expression of terror from his last moment, lifelike and vivid.
"What a pity. If I had aimed a bit more precisely, I could have killed him without damaging the scroll."
Satoru felt a pang of regret over the lost supplies. The scroll acted as the key to open a storage space. Once damaged, retrieving the items without the scroll was nearly impossible.
"Don't say that."
Shibi's mouth twitched, quickly urging Satoru to stop his humble bragging.
"The bow jutsu you developed, combined with the Byakugan's power, is terrifying. Unheard of. Even I would be cautious if faced with it from a distance."
"Shibi-sensei, you flatter me. It's just a minor trick." Satoru shook his head.
Shibi took another critical hit.
"Alright," he responded weakly. "Clean up the battlefield. This mission is considered a success."
After a moment's hesitation, Shibi added, "Regarding Satoru's bow jutsu, don't mention it to anyone once we return to the village."
Whether it was for Satoru's own information security or due to his branch family status, the fewer people who knew about this unprecedented bow jutsu, the better.
"Yes."
Rin and Anko nodded solemnly.
---
Back in Konoha, after giving the Third Team a rest period, Shibi immediately headed to the Hokage's office.
"Shibi, how did the mission go?"
Seeing who had entered, Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his work and smiled.
"It was successfully completed."
"Is that so?" Sarutobi nodded, praising, "It seems your team is growing quickly under your guidance."
Shibi took a deep breath, saying, "Hokage-sama, aside from this, there are some things I need to report."
He then detailed everything that had happened during the mission.
"Rin awakened her Sharingan? Satoru developed a unique bow jutsu that killed an Iwa-nin from nearly a kilometre away?"
Sarutobi took a deep breath, a serious expression appearing. The former was impressive but not unprecedented. A nine-year-old with the Sharingan was rare but not unheard of.
The latter, however, was astonishing. A jutsu combining two bloodline limits? Unheard of.
"Does the main family know about this?"
Shibi shook his head. "I discussed it briefly with Satoru on the way back. He said he only recently mastered this jutsu, so the main family should be unaware."
"Is that so?" Sarutobi nodded. "Then let's keep it that way. No need to inform them."
"The main family members are too rigid and conservative. They would undoubtedly be displeased if they knew Satoru was training in bow techniques."
"Satoru is a Konoha ninja, without a doubt. In the upcoming war, his jutsu might have incredible effects."
Hearing this, Shibi took a deep breath and tentatively asked, "Hokage-sama, is war imminent?"
Sarutobi sighed. "The Second Shinobi World War ended a long time ago. The villages have recovered their strength. Recently, scouts reported significant movements in several villages. It's just a matter of who loses patience first."
"I understand." Shibi nodded gravely.
"Shibi, your task is to guide these students well. They are the village's leaves."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
---
In the Uchiha compound.
In a forest, Rin relentlessly struck a wooden post, her scarlet eyes with a single tomoe spinning slowly. The sound of flesh hitting wood echoed through the empty forest.
"Still prefer training alone?"
"Who's there?"
Rin turned abruptly to see an elderly man in Uchiha robes standing behind her, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
"Elder Setsuna, is there something you need?"
Rin's hostility lessened slightly.
Seeing Rin's Sharingan, Uchiha Setsuna's eyes gleamed with fervour.
"Nine years old and already awakened the Sharingan? Rin, you're a true genius."
"Shibi is strong, but he cannot develop the true power of these eyes. Leave that team, and let me teach you the true power of the Uchiha."
A hint of disgust flashed in Rin's eyes, and she frowned slightly.
"I appreciate the offer, Elder Setsuna, but I can grow fastest in that team."
Setsuna's eyes sharpened. "Is it because of that Hyuga boy, Satoru?"
"Elder, my affairs are none of your concern!" Rin's disgust deepened, and she glared at him with a hint of hostility.
"Though he possesses two bloodline limits, which is exceedingly rare, he is still just a branch family member. I didn't expect him to matter so much to you."
Setsuna shook his head slightly.
"Very well, since you've decided, I won't force you."
He turned and left, leaving a puzzled Rin behind.
In those hawk-like eyes, a cold smile appeared. The deeper the bond, the more painful the destruction. Only through such pain can the true power of the Uchiha emerge...