Chapter 101: The Anbu, and the Footsteps of War
A long dinner was had, and apart from the initial tension, it was a joyous and harmonious occasion. After it was over, everyone separated. Minato and Kushina went home, Sakumo took Kakashi home, and the wanderer Jiraiya waved his hand and left on his own.
Genichi and Ina walked Shizune and Tsunade home, because Tsunade had drunk a lot today and was already in a tipsy state.
After seeing them home, Genichi and Ina strolled home together.
"Genichi, I support you!" Ina suddenly took Genichi's hand and said.
Genichi was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Ina's ruby-like eyes and smiled. "Of course I know that!"
"Besides, you can only support me!"
Ina laughed, then muttered in a small voice, "So domineering!"
Genichi pretended not to hear. This woman had been influenced quite a bit by Kushina. But that was fine too. Genichi could feel that Ina's heart had not changed, and that was enough. As for her personality, there was nothing wrong with being a little more lively.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, at nine in the morning, Genichi arrived at the Hokage's direct Anbu headquarters. The Anbu base was also located in a remote place. Unlike the Root headquarters, it was on the surface, its architectural style severe and slightly gloomy.
As soon as Genichi arrived at the gate, a familiar voice called out, "Genichi!"
Stepping inside, Genichi saw Sarutobi Shinnosuke. "Senpai!"
Shinnosuke smiled and beckoned. "Let's go, I'll take you in."
"You've been temporarily assigned to my platoon as a squad leader. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Genichi nodded. "Of course."
Shinnosuke stopped at a window and said to the person inside, "A set of equipment, please."
He then turned and asked Genichi, "Genichi, what mask will you choose?"
Genichi thought for a moment and said, "A tiger, please."
The standard equipment for an Anbu ninja was not much: a flak jacket, a pair of steel arm guards, a pair of tattoo seals, a mask, a sword sheath, and a ninja blade.
Genichi took the equipment and put it on directly. He hadn't worn his Jonin vest today, just a black, short-sleeved, round-collared shirt. By the time they reached the changing room, the only thing left for him to put on was his mask.
At this time, the changing room was quite crowded. Besides Genichi and Shinnosuke, there were six others—two women and four men—all dressed in the same attire.
"Genichi, we are the Third Platoon. I lead A-Squad, and you will lead B-Squad," Shinnosuke introduced. "This is Chiyori, Mitokado Rai, and Aburame Shigan. They belong to A-Squad."
"This is Akimichi Tōdō, Sarutobi Mikage, and Gekkō Ryūfū. They belong to B-Squad."
Genichi hadn't expected to meet an acquaintance. He remembered that Akimichi Tōdō had fought alongside Minato against the Cloud ninja during the Third Great Ninja War. Mitokado Rai... he should be from the same Mitokado clan as the elder Mitokado Homura. And Gekkō Ryūfū, a woman, looked to be about twenty years old, with long, straight black hair, about 167cm tall, and a heroic and spirited face. Chiyori looked like a very gentle woman, and she was even younger, about the same age as Shinnosuke.
Something's going on between those two. Could she be Konohamaru's mother?
After Shinnosuke finished his introductions, Mitokado Rai and the others all greeted Genichi. "Captain!"
Genichi nodded. "Hello, I am Kinoshita Genichi."
Shinnosuke put on his mask and said, "Let's go, let's head outside."
The group left the Anbu base and then walked out of Konoha Village.
By the roadside, the eight of them stopped, either standing on the ground or crouching in the trees.
Shinnosuke took off his mask and smiled. "Genichi, although everyone has heard of your name, you should still show them your strength."
"In the Anbu, strength is everything."
Genichi, wearing his mask, looked at the others. "How should I show it?"
Shinnosuke put his mask back on. "Just a small demonstration... how about genjutsu?"
Genichi nodded.
The next moment, before the others could even react, the two people in the trees fell to the ground with a thud.
"Gen... genjutsu! When?"
"My sight and hearing are completely blocked!"
"I can't break it!"
The voices of the two lying on the ground were exceptionally loud, because at this moment, they could neither see nor hear.
The other few were startled. They hadn't seen Genichi form any hand seals at all. And the legendary Sharingan had not been activated either. They had been caught in the jutsu without a sound.
With a snap of his fingers, Genichi released the genjutsu on the two of them.
Mitokado Rai and Sarutobi Mikage climbed up from the ground, the way they looked at Genichi now completely different.
Seeing is believing!
Genichi gave the two of them a slight nod, then asked Shinnosuke, "Senpai, I heard that Root is the training organization for the Anbu. Don't I need to go to Root for special training to join?"
Shinnosuke explained, "There used to be such a rule."
"The original purpose of Root's establishment was to supply talent to the Anbu. Strictly speaking, Root was also a part of the Anbu."
"But now, Root is considered an independent organization, led by Lord Danzō."
"As for training new recruits, sometimes Root's cooperation is indeed needed, but of course, you don't need it, Genichi."
Genichi understood. The current Root was already Danzō's private army, and its original function had gradually disappeared. Would Hiruzen feel at ease with Root training Anbu members?
So, now, the members of the Hokage's direct Anbu guard were basically selected from the existing mature and outstanding Chunin and Special Jonin. After being tempered in the Anbu and then sent out, they were all core elites, which was conducive to the Hokage's control over the entire ninja force.
In this way, Danzō's handful of people didn't amount to much. The Hokage was, after all, the Hokage. The reason Danzō existed was because a "dark side" was needed.
After understanding the situation, the mission began.
Genichi's first mission in the Anbu was very ordinary: to patrol the border of the Land of Fire, with the target being the border with the Land of Rain.
"The Land of Rain has been very chaotic recently. Various ninja organizations are fighting each other, and from time to time, ninja cross the border into the Land of Fire, affecting the nearby villages," Shinnosuke explained the situation.
Of course, a mission like this generally didn't require the Anbu's intervention. And the Land of Rain had always been Root's responsibility. It was just that Genichi had just entered the Anbu and needed to use a low-difficulty mission to adapt to the new rhythm.
That night, Genichi's group arrived at the border of the Land of Fire and began their patrol. At this time, A and B squads separated, dividing the border area for surveillance. Both squads happened to have sensory ninja, which made things much more convenient.
However, a mission like this was also very tedious. The only diversion was being able to eat some game. After all, this was a vast forest, and the wildlife resources were very rich.
In three days, Genichi's two squads had driven away six waves of ninja coming from the direction of the Rain Village. These six waves of ninja all wore the forehead protector of the Rain Village, but as for whether they were actually from there, probably only they themselves knew. Genichi's team's mission was to prevent these people from sneaking into the Land of Fire to cause destruction. Their actual identity was not within the scope of the mission.
Fourth day, in the morning.
Genichi and Akimichi Tōdō were patrolling along their route as usual. Genichi was also using his Heavenly Water, Boundless (Tensui Mukai) technique for large-scale sensing. Sarutobi Mikage and Gekkō Ryūfū were patrolling on the second line. The two groups crisscrossed, expanding their surveillance range while minimizing loopholes as much as possible. Even so, it was not foolproof, so Genichi needed to cast his sensory ninjutsu every so often to make up for it.
Shinnosuke's side, on the other hand, relied on the Aburame clan's insects to compensate for their lack of manpower.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Genichi's eyebrow raised.
Akimichi Tōdō, who had become familiar with him, immediately asked, "Captain, is something wrong?"
Genichi nodded. "Southwest direction, near the border with the Land of Rivers. A group of ninja has entered. Inform Mikage and Ryūfū!"
"Understood!" Tōdō nodded. His huge body immediately leaped nimbly, moving between the tree branches. In the blink of an eye, he was at the top of a tree, and then a signal flare shot into the sky.
On the other side, the patrolling Mikage and Ryūfū saw the red signal flare in the sky and immediately changed direction.
Three minutes later, the two sides regrouped and then, under Genichi's lead, sped towards the south.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Their figures landed. Genichi leaned against a tree trunk, his gaze fixed on the people opposite him.
On the ground, Akimichi Tōdō held his long staff, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Captain, they're from the Sand Village!"
Genichi said, "Mikage, Ryūfū, you two go and negotiate!"
"Understood!"
The two of them immediately stepped forward. The Sand ninja also stopped. There were four of them in total.
Soon, Gekkō Ryūfū returned. "Captain, they want to enter the Land of Fire. They have no hostile intent and guarantee that there will be no conflict. As for their mission, it's a secret!"
Genichi's gaze was calm. "Refuse."
"Tell them to leave immediately, or they will be killed without mercy!"
Ryūfū immediately turned and went back to relay the order.
This attitude greatly displeased the Sand ninja. One of them directly took out a kunai. "Captain, let's just force our way through!"
Behind them, seeing this, Genichi's eyes immediately turned cold. The next moment, the Sand ninja holding the kunai collapsed to the ground without a sound.
The Sand captain was shocked. "It's a genjutsu!"
"Retreat!"
Picking up his fallen comrade, the Sand ninja decisively retreated.
Genichi did not continue to act, watching as the four of them left.
Sarutobi Mikage and Gekkō Ryūfū returned. Ryūfū said, "Captain, they will probably still enter the Land of Fire from another place, right?" Currently, it was impossible to have people guarding every part of the Land of Fire's border.
Genichi was unconcerned. "That's not our mission. We just need to ensure that no one can enter the Land of Fire from the Land of Rain's border."
"Continue patrolling according to the original plan. Dismissed!"
The squad once again split into two groups.
But Genichi's thoughts had already flown to the Sand Village. It wasn't strange for Sand ninja to enter the Land of Fire, but the timing of it made him think.
Has the Third Kazekage been taken out?
And the situation in the next few days confirmed his guess. Some Sand ninja actually tried to enter the Land of Fire by crossing the border from the Land of Rain.
Genichi was basically certain now that the Sand Village was like ants on a hot pan, searching the world for the Third Kazekage. The disappearance of a village's Kage was indeed a major crisis. If Konoha's Hokage, Hiruzen, suddenly disappeared, they would certainly have to search the world for him as well.
And this also meant... war was about to break out!
The Sand Village's movements were too big. It would soon attract the attention of the other ninja villages, who would then take advantage of the situation.
Genichi remembered that the first to make a move was the Cloud Village. For the most distant Cloud Village to make a move first, to be honest, was something Genichi found difficult to understand.
Oh, right, ninja villages are just mercenary groups. Then it's fine!
(End of Chapter)
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