Clang!
Kazuya reacted instantly, parrying the shuriken with a kunai in a smooth, practiced motion.
A moment later, a black-haired, red-eyed kunoichi appeared behind him, launching a high kick—a Leaf Whirlwind—right at him. Her movements were fluid and powerful, showcasing her skill.
But just as the kick connected with Kazuya, poof!
A puff of smoke appeared, and the Kazuya standing there turned into a wooden log.
Substitution Jutsu!
"So fast!" the kunoichi exclaimed.
[You have collected 50 points of combat experience.]
[You have collected 40 Chakra points.]
[You have collected 40 Chakra points.]
[You have collected 100 points of Leaf Whirlwind skill experience.]
[You have collected 100 points of Leaf Whirlwind skill experience.]
[Your Taijutsu—Leaf Whirlwind has leveled up to Level 5 (50/1000).]
Another upgrade!
Kazuya stepped out from the shadows with a satisfied smile. The Leaf Whirlwind was a standard Taijutsu technique, similar to jutsu talents, and it ranged from level 1 to level 5, each requiring 1,000 points for a level-up.
In just a few moments, he had collected enough orbs to level up his Leaf Whirlwind from level 4 to level 5.
"Not bad at all," Kazuya thought, pleased. The efficiency of collecting attributes in the Anbu far exceeded that of the hospital. In just a short time, he had improved both his Chakra reserves and his Taijutsu skills.
This is going great!
"Kazuya-kun—no, I mean Captain Kazuya—welcome back!" The black-haired, red-eyed kunoichi stopped her attack and spoke warmly.
"...Kurenai?" Kazuya was surprised.
What's she doing in the Anbu?
Indeed, the kunoichi standing before Kazuya was none other than Kurenai Yuhi.
After Kazuya's arrival in the Hidden Leaf, he and Kurenai had become close friends. During his long hospital stay, Kurenai often visited him, bringing homemade chicken soup each time.
The reason for their close friendship was simple…
It seemed that Kazuya's arrival had altered the original storyline. Yūhi Kurenai's father, who was supposed to have died in the Nine-Tails attack, was instead saved by Kazuya's predecessor at the cost of his own life. This act of sacrifice naturally deepened the bond between Kazuya and Kurenai.
What he hadn't expected, though, was that Kurenai would join the Anbu.
Did this happen in the original plot...? Kazuya wondered, trying to recall.
In the original story, Kurenai was more of a pretty face with little focus on her character development. Much of her backstory remained a mystery.
But then again...
Who cares?
Kazuya had no intention of following the original plot anyway!
"A little over a year ago, I applied to join the Anbu," Kurenai explained with a gentle tone. "My father supported my decision. He hopes I can become a protector of Konoha, just like you, Kazuya."
"You want to protect Konoha? Well, keep up the hard work then."
"I definitely will!" Kurenai's expression was resolute.
She was determined to become a hero like Kazuya.
Kazuya gave her an approving look.
Good! That kind of passion should be used to protect Konoha... as long as it's not directed toward less noble goals!
A moment later, two more Anbu members approached.
"Kazuya, reporting for duty! I'm Hayate Gekkō!"
"Captain Kazuya, good to meet you. I'm Uzuki Yugao, a specialist in Leaf Style swordsmanship!"
The young man and woman looked familiar to Kazuya, their ages not much advanced.
"Nice to meet you both," Kazuya replied with a smile.
He quickly realized that Hayate, Yugao, and Kurenai must have been added to his old squad as recruits. But since his recent promotion, Kazuya had gone from being a squad leader to a division captain.
As he processed this, Kazuya couldn't help but find the situation a bit odd.
Hmm... this Anbu squad feels a little... unconventional.
Hayate and Yugao were childhood friends, and Kurenai was closely connected with Asuma Sarutobi. And here he was, suddenly their superior.
Feels pretty awesome, honestly!
After introductions, Hayate and Yugao quickly returned to their training. At 14 and 12 years old respectively, they were still Chunin-level and at the lower end of the Anbu ranks. Naturally, they needed to train hard to keep up.
Kazuya, on the other hand, grabbed a chair and settled beside the training grounds.
Anbu training is prime time for collecting attributes—no way I'm missing out.
Soon enough, the dozen or so Anbu members in training started to drop golden orbs left and right.
[You have collected 40 Chakra points.]
[You have collected 40 Chakra points.]
[You have collected 50 points of combat experience.]
[You have collected 20 points of Taijutsu talent.]
[You have collected 20 points of Taijutsu talent.]
The orbs poured into Kazuya's body, one after another. It wasn't long before he had gathered 500 Chakra points and 400 Taijutsu talent points.
[Your Taijutsu talent has increased to Level 5 (100/1000).]
Another upgrade!
This time, it was his Taijutsu talent that leveled up. Kazuya's Taijutsu talent now surpassed his Fire Release talent.
That wasn't surprising, though—most ninja battles relied heavily on Taijutsu. As a result, Kazuya had collected far more Taijutsu talent than anything else. Unlike the high-level clashes in the original series, where ninjas exchanged powerful jutsu and forbidden techniques, most battles he encountered involved hand-to-hand combat.
At that moment, Kurenai walked over with a cup of hot tea in hand.