After a week of self-training, Leo's strength had improved once again.
His understanding of the Three Colors of Haki had deepened considerably, and in terms of raw power, he could now compress his muscles to twenty percent of their limit—his strength skyrocketed!
One punch was enough to stir the air and injure an opponent from a distance.
Combined with Armament Haki, he could utterly crush any opponent of the same rank—one blow to annihilate them.
If he were to face that Cloud Village jōnin, Amani, again, he would have a much easier time. It wouldn't be the mutual destruction that happened before.
Today, at Konoha's ANBU Headquarters.
Inside a slightly empty hall, Leo was waiting quietly.
He wasn't wearing his mask this time. Normally, ANBU operatives were required to wear masks while on duty to conceal their identities. Even when returning for mission debriefings, most still wore them out of habit, so over time, nearly all ANBU members kept their masks on inside headquarters as well.
But since no one else here was wearing one, he didn't want to be the odd one out.
The reason for this summons was a secret order from the ANBU.
Leo thought it would just be another group training session for ANBU trainees—but to his surprise, what awaited him was an official appointment: he was now a full-fledged ANBU operative!
So that was it? Just like that—no ceremony, no oath, no special training?
And it wasn't just him—several other trainee operatives were being promoted at the same time. Apparently, a recent incident had caused significant casualties among the ANBU.
Though ANBU members served directly under the Hokage and often carried out the most dangerous missions, fatalities were usually rare—after all, every member was an elite among elites.
But this time, nearly a dozen ANBU had been lost. The damage was severe.
Leo could easily guess the cause—the Second Shinobi World War had begun to stir.
The situation was grim. It was still the early stage of the war, and while the three great hidden villages involved were holding back from total conflict, anyone could tell that a large-scale battle was inevitable.
When that time came, even more lives would be lost.
Now that Leo was an official member, he would be assigned to an ANBU squad and sent on covert missions.
He had a strong premonition—his first destination as a full member would be the Land of Rain, the very center of the Second Shinobi World War.
After waiting for a while, several ANBU operatives approached him.
All of them were official members—Leo was one of them now, too.
"This is a direct order from the Hokage," said the leading ninja, placing a folder before Leo. "You are hereby assigned to ANBU Tactical Assassination Squad Nine, codename Rakshasa."
"Rakshasa?" Leo blinked. What kind of ominous codename was that?
Then he remembered the Rakshasa demon mask he usually wore. It must've been the Third Hokage or Hatake Sakumo taking the easy route and naming him after it.
Looking up, he asked, "So, you're all members of Squad Nine?"
"Yes," the leader nodded. "I'm Tsukikage Jihuo, captain of the Ninth Squad. I specialize in Fire Release techniques used through my blade—codename Great Blaze."
He had been the one to hand Leo the folder. After introducing himself, he briefly removed his mask, revealing an ordinary-looking face before putting it back on.
"Since we'll be working together, we need to know each other's faces for better coordination," he eEXPlained.
The two other members followed suit, taking off their masks just long enough for Leo to see them before putting them back on.
"Tsukikage Jihuo, huh?" Leo thought to himself. "There was a Tsukikage Hayate in the original series who had the worst luck… wonder if they're related."
"I'm Aburame Shimura," said one of them. "I use insect-based secret techniques."
"I'm Yamanaka Haiichi," said the other. "I specialize in mental ninjutsu, but it requires team coordination to be effective."
All three were from Konoha's noble clans—the Aburame Clan, the Yamanaka Clan, and even the Tsukikage Clan, which wasn't a simple one either.
That meant Leo was the only commoner here.
It seemed the Third Hokage and Hatake Sakumo really had high hopes for him—Squad Nine had no weak links.
"I'm Leo. I specialize in raw power. I'm sure you've seen my file already," he said, pausing slightly before continuing. "From now on, we're teammates—please take care of me."
Tsukikage Jihuo nodded. "Good. Since we've all met, there's no time for training together. The front lines are in a critical state—we have a mission right now."
His eyes hardened as he spoke.
"Our task is in the Land of Rain. Squad Nine is to gather intelligence on Iwagakure and Amegakure forces. If the opportunity arises, we may carry out assassinations."
He didn't elaborate further. "I'll brief you on the details on the way. For now, we depart immediately."
"So soon?" Leo frowned. He knew he'd be going to the Rain Country eventually, but this was faster than eEXPected.
The same surprise showed on Aburame Shimura and Yamanaka Haiichi's faces—they hadn't eEXPected the situation to be this urgent either.
Tsukikage Jihuo nodded grimly. "Things over there are serious. The ANBU have taken heavy losses. We've been reorganized and need to return to the field right away."
He turned to Leo. "You're new, and you haven't finished ANBU training yet. Haiichi, Shimura—look after him. Out there, we rely on each other."
"Yes, Captain!" the two replied in unison.
With that, the four of them left ANBU Headquarters and set off toward the Land of Rain.
From the top floor of the Hokage Tower, Hatake Sakumo and Sarutobi Hiruzen stood side by side, watching Squad Nine depart. Their eEXPressions were complex.
War was cruel. Even the young would have to march to the front lines—for the sake of the village, for the sake of peace.
"Sakumo," Hiruzen sighed, "sending Leo to the Land of Rain… are we doing the right thing? If he continues to grow, he might become another Tsunade someday."
"That's the burden of this era," Sakumo replied solemnly. "We all carry our own responsibilities. But I believe Leo will survive the battlefield."
He paused, then added, "I'll be heading to the Land of Rain myself soon—to command the operation personally."
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