Mizuhara Aran didn't say another word. He simply closed his eyes, calmly waiting for the five masked men to take him away.
The moment they saw his expression, a flicker of irritation passed over their faces. One of them scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain."What a cocky brat. Doesn't matter who he is—he dares to ignore us like we're nothing."
Aran answered that remark with nothing more than a cold, mocking smile.If they've already decided I'm an enemy the moment they saw me, and went as far as to put blades to my neck… then why should I bother showing them any courtesy?
The squad leader of the Konoha ANBU gave a small wave of his hand, signaling for his men to stop talking."Doesn't matter who he is. If he dares to trespass in the Leaf at a time like this, we'll give him exactly what he wants—take him straight to the boss."
The others nodded. In the next moment, two of them blurred forward, and before Aran could take another breath, he found himself flanked on both sides, each arm firmly gripped.
"Move!"
With that curt order, the squad leader barked, and the two men hauled Aran forward, heading rapidly in one direction.
Glancing briefly at the passing scenery, Aran could tell they were taking him straight into the village. His expression stayed unreadable, and after a moment he simply shut his eyes again, letting them drag him along.
Trailing at the rear, the ANBU leader frowned slightly as he observed the boy's calm demeanor. He had distinctly felt it earlier—an intense chakra signature radiating from this kid. What unsettled him was that this level of chakra… in his experience, it was something he had only sensed from the Hokage himself, or from elite jōnin of exceptional ability.
"This chakra doesn't match his age at all…" the leader thought grimly.
The group moved in silence.
Before long, Aran was brought to a dark, windowless building—he recognized it instantly. This was Konoha's interrogation chamber, used exclusively for questioning prisoners.
Tap… tap… tap…
The door creaked open, and Aran lifted his head. Stepping inside was a face he knew all too well—scarred, grim, and unmistakable.
Morino Ibiki, the head of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force.
Seeing him was no surprise to Aran. In fact, it suited him perfectly—it saved him the trouble of seeking Ibiki out himself.
Just then, the system's cold, mechanical chime echoed in his mind:
Ding!! Hidden mission triggered.Mission: Earn Ibiki's trust.Success Reward: Advanced ninjutsu — Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.Failure Penalty: Loss of the system's core ability — COPY.
Aran's eyelid twitched slightly. The reward was fine, but the punishment was brutal. With the COPY ability, techniques like Fire Dragon Flame Bullet were trivial—hell, even Susanoo would be within reach.
This might be the system testing me, he thought with a wry shake of his head.
"What's your name?"
Ibiki's voice was deep, steady, and devoid of warmth, pulling Aran from his thoughts.
He looked up at the man. Jagged scars ran in every direction across Ibiki's already severe face, and under that stern gaze, the man's presence was downright intimidating.
As expected of Ibiki, Aran mused silently. That face alone could land him the head position in the Torture Division.
With a calm, measured tone, he replied,"My name is Mizuhara Aran. You can just call me Aran."