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Shin struck the Uchiha elite Chunin with the flat of his blade. The force of the blow sent the Chunin flying, his grip loosening on his Kunai.
Shin frowned. He had held back considerably, yet the Chunin was still so easily defeated. How weak.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen watched with surprise. That was quite a display of strength.
But the boy was an Uzumaki; it wasn't that surprising.
The Uzumaki Clan was known for their strong bodies, vitality, and large Chakra reserves.
"Attacking with the flat of your blade? Are you mocking me?"
The Uchiha Chunin had his pride. Shin's action had wounded it deeply.
"Better to be mocked than dead," Shin said calmly.
The Kusanagi sword was incredibly sharp. It could easily slice through the Chunin's Kunai. If Shin hadn't held back, the Chunin would be dead.
But the enraged Chunin didn't care. He attacked with Ninjutsu.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Shin simply swung his sword, cleaving the fireball in two.
The Anbu examiner was startled. Could swordsmanship be that powerful?
He rarely saw Kenjutsu used .
Two tomoe appeared in the Chunin's eyes. He was serious now.
Shin used the Body Flicker Jutsu, appearing before the Chunin in an instant.
He punched the Chunin in the gut, sending him crashing to the ground.
"I passed, right?" Shin asked the Anbu examiner.
The examiner nodded, his shock evident despite the mask. Defeating an elite Chunin in under a minute? Was this kid a genius?
Ten-year-old Chunin weren't unheard of in Konoha. Orochimaru had become a Chunin at ten.
But defeating an elite Chunin at that age? That was rare. Only one other person came to mind: Sakumo Hatake, Kakashi's father.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen pondered. Judging from Shin's performance, his strength was easily at Tokubetsu Jōnin level.
Shin hadn't used any Ninjutsu, so Hiruzen couldn't assess his skills in that area. But one thing was certain: this boy was a genius.
Hiruzen was already considering recruiting Shin into the Anbu.
After Shin's battle ended, Kushina and Mikoto also defeated their opponents.
The Anbu examiner was stunned. One genius was rare, but three at once? This was unprecedented.
"Come with me to the Hokage's office."
He escorted them back to the office and reported the results to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen was also surprised. He had stopped observing after Shin's fight. He hadn't expected Kushina and Mikoto to defeat their opponents as well.
Defeating an elite Chunin within three minutes meant their strength surpassed that of an elite Chunin. Three geniuses at once... Hiruzen was speechless.
"I'm pleased you all passed the Chūnin Exams. I have a question for you: would you be willing to join the Anbu?"
Hiruzen extended the invitation to all three of them.
He had initially only considered Shin, but now that he knew Kushina and Mikoto were also geniuses, he couldn't let them go.
"The Anbu, or the Anbu Black Ops, is a special assassination and tactical squad. Only the most elite Shinobi are allowed to join."
He explained, in case they weren't familiar with the Anbu.
Kushina and Mikoto indeed weren't familiar with the Anbu, but Shin was. Almost every Hidden Village had an Anbu organization.
But joining the Anbu? No, that had never crossed his mind. What were the benefits?
With his current strength, he didn't need the Anbu's training. And joining the Anbu meant a life of secrecy and restrictions.
"Sandaime-sama, I don't believe I'm worthy of being called an elite Shinobi yet. I'm not qualified to join the Anbu."
Shin refused. Kushina and Mikoto, following Shin's lead, also refused. If Shin wasn't joining, they weren't interested either.
Hiruzen frowned. He was displeased. Being rejected after personally extending an invitation didn't sit well with him.
"Won't you reconsider? The Anbu can help you improve your skills."
He was still trying to persuade them.
"If you join the Anbu, I'll reward you with a B-rank Jutsu."
Shin scoffed inwardly. A B-rank Jutsu? That was all he was offering? How stingy.
Even if Hiruzen offered an S-rank Jutsu, Shin wouldn't be tempted. He wouldn't be lacking in S-rank Jutsu in the future.
Besides, Hiruzen wouldn't be that generous.
"We're not interested in joining any organization. We prefer freedom. And as for strength, we're not worried about that."
Shin was firm in his refusal.
Hiruzen sighed, giving up. He could see that Shin had no interest in the Anbu.
There was no point pushing it. It would only damage his pride further.
"Very well. Since you're not interested, I won't force you. Here are your Chunin certificates. From now on, you are Chunin of Konoha."
Hiruzen handed them their certificates.
After they left, Hiruzen pondered.
He might not have been able to recruit them into the Anbu, but he couldn't let anyone else poach them either.
Especially not Danzō's Root or the Uchiha Clan. Mikoto was an Uchiha. Once they learned of her talent, they would definitely try to recruit her.
No, he couldn't allow the Uchiha Clan to have another powerful Shinobi. With their ambition, they might cause trouble for the village in the future.
Thankfully, Shin, Kushina, and Mikoto were all students of his disciple, Tsunade.
If Danzō or the Uchiha tried to recruit them, he had a legitimate reason to intervene.
He couldn't allow the Uchiha Clan to become too powerful, nor could he allow Danzō's Root to grow unchecked. Too much power would lead to them escaping his control. As Hokage, he couldn't allow any faction within the village to become too strong.
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