Four days had passed since Ryuu's infiltration of the Yubana Plant. This was also the amount of time it had taken him to return to konoha, during which the other ANBU candidates completed or failed their individual missions, their successes and failures documented in cold, concise reports. Now, the time for assessment had come.
Deep beneath the Hokage Monument, shielded by layers of earth, advanced sealing arrays, and silent guards, lay the core of Konoha's ANBU headquarters. Its corridors were a labyrinth of unlit stone.
Itachi Uchiha moved through these shadows, his Weasel mask reflecting the faint lanterns embedded in the walls. He reached a heavily reinforced door marked only with a complex fuinjutsu symbol. It opened without a sound as he presented his unique chakra signature, revealing a large chamber beyond.
Inside, the atmosphere was one of palpable, yet contained, tension. Three other ANBU, each representing a distinct tier of command, stood waiting. The Bear Mask, a figure of broad shoulders and a deceptively gruff posture. The Cat Mask, lithe and perpetually analytical. And at the head of a gleaming black steel table, the Raven Mask—Itachi's immediate superior, the lead proctor of this phase of the ANBU selection. Around them, subtle fluctuations in the ambient chakra suggested two more highly ranked presences, unseen and unmasked: Owl Mask, known for their sensory and intelligence analysis, and Snake Mask, a revered figure within the ANBU Black Ops command, known for their unparalleled strategic mind and decisive, sometimes ruthless, judgment.
Itachi stepped to attention, his back straight, facing Raven Mask.
"Report, Weasel," the Raven Mask commanded, their voice as flat and devoid of personal inflection as always, the hollow echo filling the sterile chamber.
Itachi didn't hesitate. His report was a methodical, factual recounting of Subject 003's mission. He began with Ryuu's pre-mission assessment.
"Subject 003 departed Konoha via clandestine tunnel networks," Itachi stated, his voice a steady, precise monotone. "He utilized a self-developed Ice Release technique for complete chakra suppression, achieving near-perfect invisibility to passive sensory networks at range, sacrificing physical speed for extreme discretion."
Bear Mask grunted. "A new one. Interesting."
"The travel to the Land of Hot Water, approximate duration three and a half days," Itachi continued, "was executed with tactical Kage Bunshin deployment. Two clones continuously scouted ahead, maintaining reconnaissance networks, dispelling every three hours. This allowed rapid, multi-layered information gathering and real-time obstacle avoidance. The subject maintained high-level stealth throughout, minimizing fatigue on the original body while maximizing speed. His adaptation to the humid, thermal environment was exemplary, using subtle Ice Release to mask thermal signatures."
"The subject initiated infiltration of the Yubana Tea & Gemstone Processing Plant via covert entrance points" Itachi stated, the information flowing dryly, professionally. "Initial engagement with local perimeter guard, executed non-lethally with precision vagus nerve strike, immediately followed by flawless Henge no Jutsu for deep penetration. No detection."
Itachi's voice remained perfectly level as he detailed the infiltration of the deeper facility, the subtle sensory reconnaissance within, and the primary objective, acquiring intelligence. He described the nature of the drugs, the clear evidence of large-scale human trafficking and enslavement.
"Target identified: primary transaction logs, and subsidiary sealed intelligence packets. All were secured. Storage via a classified internal scroll." Itachi's voice was utterly neutral as he came to the most sensitive part. "Intel revealed multi-party collaboration: Kirigakure (Azure Scale Merchants, Water Vortex Trading Co.), Iwagakure (Stone Mountain Holdings), and Otogakure (unknown contacts). Materials linked to biological experimentation and chakra-enhancing compounds."
Silence permeated the chamber for a moment. This was the raw intel, untainted by judgment. The implications were immense. A secret economic and research alliance between Konoha's traditional rivals, including a new, unknown village, funding sinister human experimentation.
They had frowned when they had learned about it a few days ago, but hearing it directly from Weasel gave it a different gravity.
This went far beyond a mere ANBU selection test.
"The integrity of the obtained data is without question," Itachi stated, completing the factual summary of intel acquisition. "No compromises on the primary objective."
"Now, the methodological deviation," Raven Mask prompted, their voice unnervingly calm.
Itachi didn't flinch. "Upon acquiring intelligence, Subject 003 assessed the tactical and moral situation. The original order: 'zero contact, no lethal force,' was deliberately disregarded. Subject 003 initiated a purge of all perpetrators involved in the human trafficking and experimentation. This included twenty-two shinobi guards and two civilian administrators."
Bear Mask's shoulders seemed to tense, but no one spoke. Cat Mask remained impassive. The invisible ANBU presence in the room deepened.
"Execution methodology: lethal, silent, surgical," Itachi continued, his voice detailed but not gratuitous. "Ice Release senbon to critical neural points for rapid paralysis and death, localized Wind Release for throat severances, discreet ninjato work for silent eliminations. Emphasis on precision and maintaining cover within the active facility."
"This was direct insubordination to mission parameters," Cat Mask noted, their voice still clipped. "An extreme deviation. The protocol states capture for debriefing or non-lethal incapacitation. Not summary execution of a primary intelligence source and secondary personnel."
"The targets were human traffickers, torturers, and enablers of biological atrocities. Intelligence collection was complete before any lethal action was taken," Itachi countered, not with defensiveness, but cold, logical analysis. "The perpetrators held no further actionable intel, and their continued existence would have compromised Konoha's intelligence operation by allowing them to spread word. Discretion, sometimes, requires leaving no witness of the depravity itself. And the nature of the victims… they were slaves, subjected to torturous experiments, not standard combatants to be 'subdued'."
"It seems Subject 003 exercised his own judgment," Bear Mask rumbled. "And acted without direct order for total extermination. That's a high risk. Unpredictable."
"Subject 003 also exercised the 'Will of Fire' beyond direct orders," Raven Mask countered, their voice gaining a razor-sharp edge, overriding the subtle tension. "He assessed an abject horror and eradicated it. That is loyalty. That is resolve. It's also adaptable decision-making under duress. He completed the primary objective and, through deviation, eliminated a significant network of criminals while also preserving human lives. He removed a festering wound without spreading the infection."
Silence once more. This was the crux of the debate. ANBU values: absolute obedience versus judgment born of grim experience.
"The subject's emotional state?" Bear Mask prompted Itachi, his query subtle but pointed.
Itachi remained still. "Upon exfiltration and disengagement, Subject 003 experienced a profound physiological response to the events. He exhibited clear signs of mental anguish, consistent with severe emotional and psychological trauma, manifesting in nausea and physical breakdown. He quickly regained control, but the trauma was evident." Itachi paused, a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in his inner assessment. "He is not yet hardened to the full depths of this world's depravity. His compassion is still a factor." He didn't say "weakness." He said "factor."
Raven Mask understood. Itachi's evaluation carried immense weight. He had performed this very service in his own past, on a much larger scale, and understood the price. "The purity of intent. It is what allows them to remain steadfast in the shadows without succumbing to the darkness itself. This is valuable. This can be honed. It will temper the blade, not dull it."
"The recommendation?" Cat Mask asked.
Raven Mask surveyed the room, as if gathering the consensus of the invisible, powerful ANBU present. "Subject 003, Yuki Ryuu. His methods in the third trial demonstrated exceptional discretion, ruthless efficiency in dealing with an unforeseen moral catastrophe, superior intelligence acquisition, and unparalleled initiative under extreme pressure. His display of emotional fragility post-mission, while noted, indicates a profound empathy—a necessary quality for the true guardians of Konoha—and was swiftly managed."
"He will proceed to the fourth and final trial, despite the flawed performance" Raven Mask concluded, decisive and final. "This concludes the individual mission assessment."
Later that evening, an abridged version of Ryuu's full report landed on Minato Namikaze's desk. It contained no mention of Ryuu's breakdown, only his flawless infiltration, the detailed intelligence obtained (the tripartite alliance, the Kiri-Iwa-Oto connections, the experimentation, the drug production), and the "elimination of all hostile personnel due to mission parameters being superseded by overwhelming humanitarian crisis and direct threat elimination criteria." It listed "casualties sustained during direct intervention to free captives." It was a masterpiece of careful, politically sound reporting from the ANBU High Command.
Minato read through it, his face grim, his usually serene blue eyes shadowed by deep thought. He already had his suspicions about Otogakure, Jiraiya's reports had often noted odd chakra signatures near the Land of Sound's emerging borders, though without concrete evidence. But the alliance with Kiri and Iwa, actively engaged in funding what looked like brutal, inhumane experimentation and drug operations… that was a major destabilization.
He looked at the Kiri symbol again, a bitter twist in his mouth. The Sandaime Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had indeed been acting strangely in recent years, growing more isolationist, increasingly paranoid, and clamping down on internal dissent with brutal efficiency.
There were confirmed reports of a subtle, internal revolt simmering in Kiri, coupled with key Shinobi like the Swordsmen of the Mist starting to go rogue, disappearing or being executed in suspiciously quiet circumstances. The very symptoms Kasumi had warned him about, though she herself could not have known the true extent of it.
And Iwa. He'd received snippets from his intel network, reports of a recent focus on advanced technological advancement within the hidden stone village's R&D, moving beyond traditional earth-style ninjutsu towards what appeared to be new, sinister, chakra-infused weapons research. The specific 'Mineral Salts' found in Yubana suggested a clear link to biological enhancement—precisely the kind of dangerous development Konoha needed to counter.
Otogakure. Too little was known about it, other than it was newly formed, rapidly growing. They had to dig more information on it.
"So this is how the hidden conflict of the coming years begins to unravel," Minato murmured, running a hand through his hair. This wasn't just a threat. This was a direct, economic, and potentially military conspiracy by multiple major powers. It validated the need for strength, for vigilance, for shadows that could see where the light could not.
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Meanwhile, a select group of ANBU candidates – the best of Konoha's brightest – awaited the fourth and final trial. Ryuu stood silently alongside them in the cold chamber.
The three proctors—Raven Mask, Bear Mask, and Cat Mask—materialized in front of them suddenly, clearly using the body flicker technique.
"Candidates," Raven Mask's voice resonated through the room, "the previous trials have tested your physical endurance, mental fortitude, psychological stability, and your capacity for discreet mission execution. Your actions in the field, have been thoroughly assessed." Their gaze swept over Ryuu, holding his gaze for a second longer than the others. "Today's trial is designed to test teamwork, adaptability under unpredictable circumstances, and your judgment in a fluid, high-stakes operational environment."
Raven Mask held two smaller, distinctively shaped scrolls in their masked hands. "You will be assigned in pairs. Each duo will be given a separate mission brief. Your objectives may appear to differ, but success will ultimately depend on your collective problem-solving and the ability to integrate your individual skills towards a common goal."
Bear Mask moved forward, a data slate in hand. "Listen for your Unit numbers. Step forward when called. Your assigned partner and mission scroll will be given."
The first pairing was called, Unit 001 and Unit 002. They stepped forward. They were handed a scroll, given terse instructions, and immediately vanished with silent shunshins.
Unit 003.
Ryuu stepped forward. His assignment would determine his partner. He had prepared for a randomized pairing, ready to adjust to whatever personality and skill set emerged from the other masked figures.
"Unit 003," Raven Mask's voice stated. "Your partner is Unit 007."
From the ranks of the remaining candidates, a figure moved. Tall and slender, easily the tallest among the remaining eight, the ANBU mask she wore was devoid of animalistic features, smooth and blank like Ryuu's own. Long, bright blonde hair spilled from beneath the grey ANBU hood, contrasting starkly with the impersonal mask.
Ryuu's sensory abilities immediately identified a distinctly disciplined chakra signature, cool and collected.
She approached, her movements economical, betraying nothing of her thoughts. Ryuu took his assigned place beside her, the difference in their height noticeable. She was likely fifteen or sixteen. Ryuu himself, now having grown to eleven and a half, still had some way to catch up physically.
Raven Mask extended a scroll to Ryuu, a specific set of parameters visible on it as he quickly absorbed the information.
Mission Parameters: Unit 003 & Unit 007 – Covert Infiltration and Counter-Espionage
Objective: Infiltrate the rapidly expanding Land of Sound (Otogakure).
Information Target: Confirm presence and nature of anomalous shinobi activity and non-standard organizational structure within newly developed training and research facilities, designated 'Serpent's Coil'. Ascertain any ties to known defectors. Verify reports of rapid genetic/biological augmentation within Otogakure's shinobi.
Methodology: Flawless covert infiltration and intelligence acquisition. Zero detection.
Engagement Protocol: High threat, lethal force authorized for self-defense or critical mission preservation. Minimize collateral. Primary focus: intelligence over direct conflict.
Extraction: Rendezvous at Designated Covert Teleport Point 'Echo' on Land of Fire border within three weeks of mission commencement. Report to Designated Intelligence Outpost Delta.
Ryuu's mind raced, processing the new directives.
Only now did he realize, no, rather than realize, he recalled, Konoha didn't know that Orochimaru was the ruler of that place. Things were about to get dangerous.