The Art of Change – Abe Jingming
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over Konoha as dusk approached.
Uchiha Tunan pretended to entertain a few new recruits, keeping up appearances.
Shinnosuke, concerned that Asuma might sneak off for trouble, insisted on leaving early.
After bidding Shinnosuke farewell, Uchiha Tunan returned to his study. He sat down in deep thought for a while before summoning Yoshihara Ao to his side.
"Go and bring me the list of residents from the outskirts of the North District."
Yoshihara Ao was momentarily taken aback and hesitated. "May I ask, Lord Tunan… all of them?"
"All of them."
Though confused by the unusual request, Yoshihara Ao dared not question Uchiha Tunan's intent and promptly obeyed.
A short while later, several attendants arrived, carrying a stack of thick registers and placing them on the table.
There were so many lists that it took them considerable effort just to bring them all in. After about fifteen minutes, the task was finally complete.
Once the attendants had left, Uchiha Tunan performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu, splitting into six identical copies of himself. Together, they began scanning through the books at an incredible speed.
Midnight came, and Uchiha Tunan finally finished reading all the documents.
As he released the Shadow Clones, the accumulated exhaustion hit him all at once. His face turned slightly pale, and his body swayed momentarily from the strain of absorbing all the information.
He returned to his seat, took a sip of tea, and allowed himself a moment to recover.
In his mind, he quickly filtered through the names and identified those who met his criteria.
After a moment, his Sharingan flickered with an enigmatic light as he muttered:
"Abe Jingming…"
---
The Next Night
Far beyond the bustling streets of the Land of Fire's capital, rolling hills stretched into the distance, bathed in the pale glow of the moon. In the moonlight, the landscape appeared both serene and eerie, its outlines blurred by the night mist.
Scattered across these hills, small farmhouses stood in solitude, their candlelights long extinguished.
Some of these residents had chosen isolation due to ancestral traditions, while others simply could not afford the high cost of living in the city.
The further one traveled toward the outskirts, the denser the trees became, eventually giving way to the deep and uncharted forests.
"Coo-coo."
Deeper still, nocturnal birds stirred, their cries mingling with the rustling of insects, rodents, and unseen creatures lurking among the branches. The symphony of the wild filled the air, sending shivers down the spine.
Halfway up a steep cliff stood a natural rock platform, upon which rested a lone, dilapidated hut.
The silver moon glided gently across the sky, its glow washing over the landscape like a veil of liquid light.
A frail old man lay fast asleep inside the hut, his shallow breaths the only sign of life in the quiet night.
Though the room was dimly lit, the cold moonlight seeping through the wooden shutters cast a spectral glow over everything.
Suddenly, a shadow crept into the room, eclipsing the moonlight. Darkness swallowed the space in an instant.
And just as quickly as it arrived, the shadow withdrew.
Uchiha Tunan lowered his hand from the old man's chest. His expression remained unreadable, but the aura he emitted carried an undeniable weight.
His crimson Sharingan gleamed as he examined the old man's facial features and physique in meticulous detail.
With swift, precise hand seals, he activated the Transformation Jutsu.
Before long, Uchiha Tunan's body began to shift. His smooth skin wrinkled, liver spots emerged, and his once-dark hair turned stark white from the roots outward.
Ten minutes later, the transformation was complete.
Though the jutsu had its limitations—it could not perfectly mimic a target's features beyond a certain degree—it was sufficient for his purposes.
He removed his current outfit, sealing it inside a storage scroll, and dressed himself in the old man's garments.
Seating himself in front of the window, he retrieved a small mirror and a collection of tools from his ninja pouch.
This transformation technique had originally been developed by Sanhe Genryō, a former leader of the Anbu Black Ops.
As an expert in deception, Sanhe Genryō had understood the shortcomings of ordinary transformation techniques. To compensate, he had devised an intricate system of facial makeup techniques capable of fine-tuning physical disguises.
Uchiha Tunan had inherited this knowledge and refined it further, dubbing it "Light Makeup."
Outside the window, a flock of white doves fluttered under the moonlight, their feathers appearing almost ethereal in their purity.
Uchiha Tunan reached out his hand. One of the doves landed gently on his fingers, hopping twice as if in greeting.
It cooed softly, as though expressing its excitement.
Uchiha Tunan's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. Stroking its feathers, he whispered:
"Remember to clean up every drop of blood."
The dove nodded as if it understood.
With a single hand seal, Uchiha Tunan activated Secret Art: Beast Devour.
In an instant, the flock of doves transformed into shadowy, ravenous creatures and descended upon the old man's corpse.
As the sounds of tearing flesh and snapping bones filled the room, Uchiha Tunan calmly adjusted his disguise in the mirror.
The eerie cacophony of feeding lasted only a short while.
By the time he finished his final touches, his reflection had changed.
The face that now stared back at him was that of Abe Jingming.
His aged, sunken cheeks and prominent cheekbones made him appear weak and frail—just as the real old man had looked.
Only his eyes remained unchanged.
He frowned slightly.
"These eyes are a flaw... but it shouldn't be a problem."
Behind him, the last remnants of the old man—his bones and clothing—had been completely consumed. The doves, having returned to their pure white forms, meticulously pecked at the floor, ensuring no trace was left behind.
One of them flew onto Uchiha Tunan's shoulder and lightly pecked at his head, as if dissatisfied.
Perhaps tonight's meal had not been to its liking.
With an amused sigh, Uchiha Tunan gently placed the bird on the windowsill.
"You're the pickiest eater among them," he mused. "Be grateful you had something at all."
The dove turned away, seemingly sulking.
With a soft coo, it spread its wings and disappeared into the night.
Uchiha Tunan cleaned up his tools, left the hut, and made his way along the wooden planks leading back to solid ground.
Moments later, he stood atop the cliff, gazing down at the now-empty platform.
He took a step back, forming hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River."
The soil beneath him softened into a river of mud, cascading down the cliffside and swallowing the hut whole.
Once the rushing sound of dirt subsided, silence returned.
Wearing the face of Abe Jingming, Uchiha Tunan turned away, his expression cold and indifferent.
He began walking toward the city.