Chapter 18 — Hannya
"This is the changing room. That's the rest area. Sometimes you'll be on duty for two or even three days straight—feel free to rest there in between missions."
Kuren, Ren's new squad leader, calmly introduced each room as they passed through the ANBU facility.
He pointed to a small booklet on a table and handed it over.
"Also, unlike regular shinobi units, ANBU operates under an additional set of internal rules. Here—read this carefully. Violating protocol carries… serious consequences."
Ren took the booklet and nodded silently.
Seeing that he understood, Kuren continued forward. But after just a few steps, he stopped as if something had just occurred to him. He turned back around.
"Almost forgot. ANBU operatives don't use real names in the field. Some missions require anonymity. Others… are about protecting your loved ones. You'll need a codename."
Ren tilted his head in thought. Kuren waited patiently.
After a moment, Ren spoke.
"Then I'll go with… Hannya."
Kuren raised an eyebrow.
"The demon-faced Noh mask born from jealousy and rage? I've actually got one."
He reached into his gear pouch and produced a black ANBU mask—jagged fangs, grim expression, and cruel eyes. It was a Hannya mask, no doubt about it.
He handed it to Ren, who immediately slipped it on. The ANBU compound was bustling with operatives coming and going—all masked. Being the only one without one felt… wrong.
But just as he donned the mask, Kuren took his own off.
It was the first time Ren saw his squad leader's face—a stern, weathered expression with slight hollows beneath the cheeks. A face that had clearly lived a hard life.
The Hyūga operative's joke from earlier suddenly felt even more true:
Being a father isn't easy.
Kuren extended a hand.
"Since we're on the same team now, no need for secrecy between us. My name's Yūhi Shinku. Codename: Kuren. We'll be working together—so let's get along."
Ren shook his hand. Even though he had suspected this already, confirmation brought a complicated feeling.
Yūhi Shinku.
Father of Yūhi Kurenai. A powerful genjutsu master who died young, leaving his wife to raise their daughter alone. Later, Kurenai would fall in love with Sarutobi Asuma… only for him to die as well.
What is this? The Widowmaker Bloodline?
Ren stifled the thought, keeping a polite expression. Regardless of what he knew about the future, this man was now his superior.
Shinku led Ren through the entire ANBU complex. It was a valuable tour—and answered several long-standing mysteries Ren had about ANBU.
Why were ANBU operatives so inconsistent in strength?
Why did they always seem to have access to obscure, even forbidden, techniques?
And what was the true structure behind their ranks?
1. Inconsistent Strength
ANBU teams varied wildly in ability, and that depended entirely on who was leading them.
Elite jonin were rare in any village. They had missions, family duties, meetings, training... They simply didn't have time to lead every squad.
That created a bottleneck: there were far too many mid-level chūnin to assign, but far too few elite jonin to guide them.
And so—if a squad had a good captain, it thrived.
If not? It collapsed—completely and catastrophically.
2. The Mystery of Secret Techniques
Why did ANBU seem like walking arsenals of forbidden jutsu and strange abilities?
Unlike the standard military merit system that allowed regular ninja to exchange war merit for new jutsu, ANBU operated on an entirely separate system.
Covert mission rewards—including captured forbidden scrolls, stolen techniques, and secret arts—were exclusively available to ANBU. Regular military ranks never even heard of these techniques, let alone saw them.
It was the privilege of being in the Hokage's personal army.
3. Ranks and Command
Konoha's ANBU had over two hundred field operatives—not counting administrative staff or intelligence analysts. Their rank structure was divided into four tiers:
ANBU Operative (entry level)
Squad Leader
Division Commander
ANBU Captain (overall leader)
Ren was starting at the very bottom.
But now, he had a mask.
He had a codename.
And for the first time since arriving in this world—
He had access to the shadow under Konoha's shining leaf.
At first glance, these ANBU ranks might seem straightforward—but Ren quickly realized just how much authority each position actually held. So, he started comparing.
A standard ANBU operative was like an auxiliary officer. No real independent authority—just followed orders from above. You're told to jump, you ask how high.
But that comparison didn't quite fit.
ANBU were special. Even a basic ANBU operative could override regular shinobi in the field. If a mission conflicted with one from the standard chain of command, the ANBU assignment always took precedence.
So, maybe they were like auxiliary officers…
But far above auxiliary officers.
---
Once you reached the rank of Squad Leader, though—that's when things got wild.
At that level, you were granted enforcement power and, more critically, the ability to "act with discretion." You'd receive a mission directly from the Hokage… but once you stepped out of that office, how you completed it? That was entirely up to you.
Ren understood instantly:
"This is the most potent rank in the entire ANBU system."
It was simple: whoever holds both the power to act and the power to interpret that action—holds real authority.
As a Squad Leader, once you were outside the Hokage's office, your decisions were law.
Ren needed to get promoted. Fast.
The regular ANBU rank was too middle-ground—too limited to maneuver freely. It was a bottleneck he couldn't afford to stay in.
---
As for the Division Commanders and the ANBU Captain?
Oddly enough, Ren didn't consider those roles as crucial in the short term.
Division Commanders rarely went on missions. The role was usually given to retired ANBU veterans—people who understood the system inside and out, served as liaisons between the top brass and active teams, and could manage the day-to-day without ruffling feathers.
A glorified retirement post, really. Important for stability—but not power.
---
"What about the ANBU Captain…?"
Ren hesitated for a moment, then asked directly.
"Boss, who's in charge of ANBU right now?"
Yūhi Shinku glanced at him.
"Sakumo. He's at the front lines right now. Danzo held the post briefly before, but he couldn't keep the position—nobody respected him."
Ren nodded. That tracked with what he already knew.
He'd studied Konoha's power structure in detail.
There were three titles in the village that truly mattered:
The Hokage — Ultimate authority. Legislature, executive, judiciary—all rolled into one.
The Hokage's Advisor — Like a Prime Minister. How much power they held depended on both their ability and the Hokage's personality.
The ANBU Captain — The execution arm of power. Direct enforcer of the Hokage's will.
The ANBU Captain didn't just have enforcement power—they had to command Konoha's strongest, most elite shinobi. These were not obedient little soldiers—they were lone wolves, hardened killers, often jaded veterans.
If you couldn't win their respect?
You wouldn't last a week.
Danzo was a perfect example of failure.
He tried. He failed. He got kicked out and ended up creating Root instead—a failed knockoff with none of the prestige and all the secrecy. The man was a walking cautionary tale.
A joke.
Yūhi Shinku mistook Ren's silence for awe.
"You're still young. You've got a shot at that position someday."
He smiled encouragingly. "The title of ANBU Captain—it's not out of reach."
Ren didn't argue.
He knew.
That role wasn't just an ambition—it was part of his long-term plan.
"The power to enforce the law…"
Ren's fingers brushed the edges of his mask as he walked through the corridor.
"Once I become ANBU Captain… there'll be no limit to the moves I can make."
And in a world where power ruled all…
That made all the difference.