It was hard to tell how much time had passed, but just as Uchiha Hayashi was about to drift off to sleep, a knock came from the wooden door.
"Let's go. The captain's back—he wants to see you," Yura said as she stepped inside.
Before Hayashi could respond, a black-haired man emerged from the room next door.
"Oh, Yura! The captain's back already?" he said, rubbing his head lazily.
As he did, tiny flakes of dust fell from his hair like gray rain, landing all over the floor.
Hayashi, who had a mild case of neat-freak tendencies, felt a chill crawl down his spine.
The man looked half-asleep, his eyes drooping. But when he noticed Hayashi and the others, his expression immediately brightened.
"Oh, new faces! You three must be the newcomers, right?"
His sudden burst of enthusiasm made him look like a predator who'd just spotted fresh prey.
Nawaki opened his mouth to reply, but the man kept talking without pause.
"Such young ones! I get it—you must be Anbu recruits. The kind they train from childhood. Impressive, impressive. Already out on missions at this age!"
He nodded to himself, clearly convinced of his own assumption.
In truth, many in the Anbu were trained young—selected for their unique skills and talents. But Hayashi and his team weren't part of that group.
Nawaki tried again to explain, but the man steamrolled over his words.
"Haha, Yura, don't worry, I'll take these little guys to the captain!"
Yura ignored him completely and walked straight ahead, her footsteps steady.
The man, however, didn't seem to mind the cold shoulder and happily followed behind them, chattering non-stop.
Realizing it was pointless to interrupt, Nawaki sighed and gave up trying to speak.
The group eventually reached the left passage, which led into a spacious room lined with cabinets and scrolls.
A middle-aged shinobi sat behind a desk, studying a mission report. Ryuji—the sharp-tongued man from earlier—was also present, still wearing his usual scowl.
When they entered, the middle-aged ninja looked up and smiled faintly.
"My name is Hidemoto," he introduced himself. "I'm the leader of this outpost. I've already been briefed on your situation by Anjiu."
He gestured for the three Genin to sit.
"Our main task here is gathering intel on the movements of Iwa-nin," Hidemoto continued. "As long as we stay cautious, it's one of the safer assignments on the frontlines."
He leaned back slightly. "That said, while we're under Konoha's command, this particular unit reports directly to the Anbu."
It was obvious he took pride in that affiliation—his expression practically said be impressed.
But Hayashi couldn't help finding the whole thing a bit ironic.
Sure, the Anbu sounded incredible. It fit perfectly with the image of elite shinobi: striking from the shadows, swift and silent.
But in practice, Anbu units often served as background support for major operations, and in Hayashi's mind, they sometimes felt like extras in someone else's story.
They were strong, yes—but also expendable. For every dramatic line like "Anbu business—civilians clear the area," there was usually a follow-up scene where they got wiped out moments later.
A tough job for sure, but someone had to do it.
Hidemoto gave them a few seconds to take it all in before continuing.
"I understand that you're under Orochimaru-sama's tutelage, but I don't think you're ready to act independently yet. Still, since Orochimaru-sama personally assigned you here, I won't have you sitting idle."
His gaze drifted among the three. "You'll be joining one of the squads stationed here…"
Hayashi and Nawaki exchanged a glance, curious who they'd be paired with.
Ryuji frowned, his dislike evident. Yura, standing quietly to the side, remained expressionless.
The black-haired chatterbox, however, leaned forward eagerly, clearly hoping to be chosen.
"Then, Yura—it's your team," Hidemoto finally decided.
Yura gave a small nod, offering no complaint. The talkative man slumped in disappointment.
Ryuji let out a mocking laugh. "My dear sister, looks like you're playing babysitter now."
"Ryuji," Hidemoto said evenly, his eyes narrowing, "I'm sorry about your brother's death, but that's no excuse to mock your comrades."
"I understand, Hidemoto-sama," Ryuji muttered, averting his eyes.
"Good. Yura, take them around. Show them the facility and explain our work in more detail," Hidemoto instructed.
"Understood," Yura replied softly.
Without further delay, Hayashi and the others followed her out through the main passage.
"There are three sections in this outpost," Yura explained as they walked. "The first is our living quarters, the second is the information archive, and the last… is where we hold captured enemy shinobi."
"Our job focuses mainly on intelligence gathering. Combat happens, but it isn't our priority."
As they turned a corner, faint echoes of screams and pleas for mercy reached them from ahead.
______
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