{Volume 4 begins now} {The ANBU arc}
~~~
It had been three days since Ren's Chunin promotion when he finally received instructions for what came next.
On this particular morning, he was training alone in Training Ground 1. Since a new Genin squad hadn't yet been assigned to the field, Ren continued to use it for himself. After completing a rigorous training cycle, he sat down to recover.
Only a few minutes passed before he was re-energized, thanks to his high-level mastery of Yang Release. With it, he could heal his body from the inside out, reducing recovery time and allowing for more hours of training.
Just as he stood up to begin the next round of exercises, there was a sudden flicker before him. An ANBU appeared.
Ren immediately recognized the mask with the four stars. He had seen this same operative back in the Land of Iron.
The ANBU spoke with calm authority. "Ren Takahashi. Follow me. I will lead you to the ANBU headquarters."
He tossed a scroll toward Ren, who caught it and unsealed it with a flick of his thumb. It contained formal directives from the Hokage detailing his induction into the ANBU, along with some administrative information Ren didn't care to read.
He nodded silently to the masked operative, who then flickered away, leading the way.
Under the ANBU's guidance, Ren arrived at the backside of the Hokage Tower, behind the mountain cliffs. Coincidentally, this was the same area Ren often visited to release his chakra and "accidentally" cause destruction. To his surprise, the ANBU stopped right at the very spot where Ren usually began his rampages.
The masked shinobi made a sequence of hand signs and slammed his palm down. A piece of earth shifted, and a staircase revealed itself.
Ren blinked. 'Wait. So I've been causing destruction right above the ANBU headquarters?' He sighed. 'It's a miracle they didn't kill me on the spot.'
As he began descending the stairs, his eyes narrowed. 'These seals.'
On the walls lining the staircase were sealing formulas, dozens, possibly hundreds or thousands. Most were completely disconnected from one another, scattered and overlapping, but Ren got a strange sense of design and purpose in their disorder.
'Looks like this place isn't just secure, it's practically a Fuinjutsu fortress. No wonder I couldn't detect it before. They must've let a Level 6 seal master go wild in here.'
The stairs ended in a wide underground chamber that opened into a massive training field. Around the perimeter were seven large doors. The field itself was completely empty, but even its floor was covered in sealing arrays. Complex, mismatched, layered, yet somehow interconnected.
Ren deadpanned. 'Do they just hand out chalk to sealing masters and let them doodle on the floor?'
The ANBU said nothing and led him straight to the door labeled '0'. He knocked once.
A voice responded from inside, calm and quiet, "Come in."
The door opened to a dark room with minimal lighting. At the center sat a single desk and a man behind it, ANBU Commander Yoru.
Ren narrowed his eyes slightly. 'Yoru the ANBU Commander. The unknown S-rank ninja. I couldn't find a single record under his name. So I'll be part of his squad.'
Yoru gestured, and the ANBU escort silently exited the room. Then he turned his full attention to Ren.
"Ren Takahashi," he began in a cold, even voice. "I believe I don't need to explain what your presence here means. Correct?"
Ren nodded.
"Good." Yoru stood, his tone shifting only slightly. "Then I'll explain what this squad is."
"You already know the basics of the ANBU. Let's skip that. The operative who brought you here had four stars on his mask. He is Number Four. Just like him, there are three others, One, Two, and Three. I am Number Zero."
As he spoke, Yoru raised a hand and tapped his mask. It was blank, featureless black mask.
"These four are the elite, even among the ANBU. They operate directly under my command. Together, we form a specialized squad called The Numbers. Unlike typical Animal Mask squads, we handle missions of significantly higher importance and secrecy."
He paused, then continued, "Each Number also serves as the captain of a standard ANBU squad. They execute elite-level missions with their assigned teams and rotate based on the mission's nature."
Yoru stepped forward, pushing a mask toward Ren. It bore five stars.
"You will be joining the Numbers as Number Five. Alongside this role, you will also be given an animal identity and temporarily assigned to assist the other Number-led squads until you qualify to lead your own."
The room grew cold. Yoru's tone sharpened.
"But be warned. This isn't your Genin team. You've lived through days of laughter and friendship. That part of your life is over."
Ren nodded, not saying a word. The weight in the room didn't allow for speech.
Yoru's gaze lingered a moment longer, then his tone softened ever so slightly. "Pick up the mask. We'll fix your combat style first. It's a mess."
Without waiting, Yoru turned and exited the room.
Ren stood silently for a second, then reached out, picked up the five-star mask, and fitted it over his face.
No words. No smile. It was as if his entire being vanished.
Then, he followed.
~~~
Once the two of them stepped into the training field, Ren, now wearing his new ANBU mask, spotted four individuals standing in an orderly formation in a corner of the field. They were already assembled, each one masked and silent ANBU operatives, numbers One through Four.
Yoru stood in the center of the field, and Ren took position opposite him.
Yoru began, his voice even and analytical.
"Analyzing your records since you began training, I've observed that your fighting style has changed multiple times. You likely didn't even notice it."
He continued, not giving Ren a chance to respond.
"When you first started, you focused heavily on speed and fast-paced combat. That style intensified once you incorporated Wind Release ninjutsu. But after becoming a Genin, there was a subtle shift. Though you maintained the guise of a speed-type, once you obtained those two techniques, the chakra-enhanced strength and the Eight Gates, your fighting leaned into power. From that point, your speed and ninjutsu became secondary. And even then, your priorities kept shifting."
Ren instinctively grew cautious. The man in front of him was a completely unknown S-rank shinobi casually dissecting his combat evolution like it was an open textbook. And Ren hadn't said a word about any of this.
As if sensing his thoughts, Yoru said flatly, "Ren Takahashi."
Hearing his full name, Ren's gaze sharpened behind the mask, locking onto Yoru's blank, featureless mask.
"You were being monitored," Yoru continued. "Since the day your team survived Madara Uchiha, surveillance was placed on you all. But the reason is not what you might think."
Ren's focus heightened. This could change everything he believed about the Leaf.
"More than surveillance," Yoru said, "it was protection. Your team encountered a man who killed the Fourth Hokage. The village could not afford another slip. But even that wasn't the core reason."
He jabbed a finger into Ren's chest.
"The real reason is this, you are being considered as a future Kage candidate. And if that's the case, the village must evaluate your loyalty, your morality, your strength and your weaknesses."
Ren was caught off guard. 'Hokage?' He never imagined such a position had been considered for him, let alone without his knowledge.
He found his voice and asked, "What if I don't want to become Hokage?"
Yoru didn't hesitate. "Then become strong enough to defy those who want to make you one, or go rogue. But know this," he said as the atmosphere instantly chilled, "the moment you step against the Leaf, I will personally end your life. It wouldn't matter if you were the grandson of a Hokage, if you turn rogue, you die."
Ren's tone turned sharp. "Yet you let someone like Orochimaru walk free. Are your ideals only for the weak? Do you change your values the moment someone stronger shows up?"
Yoru replied instantly, cold and direct, "Yes. I am a hypocrite. I shift my words when faced with someone stronger. But are you that person? Do you really believe I couldn't kill you before you even blink?"
Ren scoffed. "Haaah?"
He was angry now. First, this man admits he's been monitored, then threatens to kill him just for asking questions, then brags that he'd kill him instantly. He was frustrated, but calmed himself. He couldn't win here, not now. And Yoru had some strange time-related ability that still remained unclear.
Seeing Ren go quiet, Yoru sneered under the mask. "That's it? You called me a hypocrite but go silent now just because you realize you can't beat me?"
Ren responded with equal disdain. "I'm barely ten years old. My values are still developing. And here you are, an old man trying to shove your morally compromised ideology onto a child. Tell me, which one of us is more wrong?"
Across the field, the other ANBU numbers quietly exchanged thoughts.
Three, the only female among them spoke first. "He's good. When the commander tried this stunt on me, I almost broke down in tears, then lashed out like a fool."
Four nodded. "Yes, I don't get why the commander always does this. If it's fortitude he's testing, there are better ways, my clan has techniques far more effective."
Two, who had remained silent until now, added thoughtfully, "Don't you think, the commander is losing ground in this exchange?"
The other three turned their attention back to the confrontation. Indeed, Ren's replies had grown sharper with each response. His words were more articulate and precise than Yoru's whose main aim to rile Ren up.
One, who hadn't spoken a word until now, finally muttered, "Get ready. The fight's about to start."
They all stiffened slightly. Tension in the field had escalated.
Ren, too, felt the shift. 'Damn. I figured out halfway through he was trying to bait me emotionally, so I switched to debating logically. Didn't think my years of arguing on morally grey topics in my last life would help here, but it worked too damn well.'
Yoru broke the silence once more.
"The words end here," he said. "Now we move to action."
Then, without another word, his figure vanished.
~~~
Hiruzen was observing everything from the shadows.
He had arrived at the ANBU training ground even before Ren but had chosen to stay hidden. Perhaps Yoru noticed his presence, perhaps not. But that was beside the point. After all, if a Kage couldn't spy undetected on a young shinobi in his own village, then he didn't deserve the title of Hokage.
He had quietly watched the entire exchange between Ren and Yoru and was, quite honestly, impressed. 'The boy is too good with words. But then again, that was already proven when he managed to escape Orochimaru unscathed just by talking his way out.'
Hiruzen's brows furrowed slightly, his expression contemplative. 'But I don't think he's interested in becoming Hokage.'
He let out a quiet sigh, inaudible to any but himself. 'Jiraiya and Tsuna are already enough of a headache, refusing the position over and over. I had hoped I could pass the hat on to Ren after a decade and finally retire in peace, but even he doesn't seem interested.'
He glanced down at the field, where Ren and Yoru stood at odds, their masked faces unreadable yet tense.
'Damn it. Those who are most qualified never seem to want the job.'
His eyes narrowed slightly as a new thought took root.
'No. I can't give up yet. I'll try everything I can to convince either Jiraiya or Tsuna to take the position. And if not them, I'll wait, I'll wait a little longer and try to pass it on to Ren.'
The old Hokage crossed his arms inside his robe, watching silently from his vantage point.
'But if that doesn't work either, then Kakashi. Yes. Kakashi would be good.'
The idea felt increasingly viable as he considered it.
'He may not be as strong as the others, but he has the heart and the discipline. If he accepts the role, even reluctantly, I could finally step down. Then the future of the village would be in their hands.'
With a renewed sense of resolve, Hiruzen made a mental note.
'I'll start paying a bit more attention to Kakashi. It's time to start preparing a backup plan, my scapegoat Hokage, if all else fails.'
Elsewhere, deep in the ANBU facility, Kakashi stood fully suited in his gear.
He was currently explaining operational procedures to the purple-haired kunoichi beside him, his tone measured and calm, as always.
Suddenly, he paused mid-sentence.
His body shivered slightly, as if someone had just walked over his grave.
The young kunoichi tilted her head and looked at him in confusion. "Senpai? Is something wrong?"
Kakashi remained quiet for a moment, then slowly turned his masked face toward her.
"…Nothing. Just… a bad feeling," he replied.
He resumed his explanation as if nothing happened, but deep down, a chill remained in his gut.
He couldn't explain it, but somehow, he just knew.
Someone, somewhere, was plotting something. And it involved him.
Maybe it was that blue haired boy, planning to sell him again.
~~~~~
{The Hiruzen monologue was added just because I didn't want to make the fight in two chapters, but somehow it fit better than expected.}
{Anyway, this was just a brief introduction to the numbers more details would be added soon and don't worry Ren won't become a cold blooded killer for the ANBU, instead he'll bring a Gen Z vibes for our Boomer Yoru so tune in.}
{Also, praise me mortals for I am giving you another double release due to it being the beginning of a new arc, so give your offerings through stones or monehh, I don't mind either.}
{One more important thing, I added a poll on pat-reon (free for all, member or not) about the Uchiha Massacre so go vote there and tell me your opinions in the comment section there.}
{If you want to, you can support me on pat-reon.}
{ h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n }
{You know what else to do}
{STONES!!!!}