Hiruzen Sarutobi's little scheme was clever. On the surface, it looked like he had granted Arata a prestigious position…
But in reality, the title was completely useless—an empty rank with no real authority.
The ANBU were directly under the Hokage's command. Once Arata accepted the position, he would be obligated to obey every order the Third issued. Refuse, and it would count as insubordination—punishable by anything from imprisonment… to being branded a rogue ninja.
On top of that, as deputy commander, he would also be subordinate to the captain—Hatake Sakumo. And in terms of actual authority inside ANBU, Sakumo would outrank him in every way.
In short, whether Arata took the position or not… it made no difference. Except it placed him firmly under the Third's thumb.
Sakumo was fiercely loyal to Hiruzen. If not for the friendship they'd built during the duel, Arata's future in ANBU would have been miserable.
The crowd erupted in cheers after hearing the appointment.
The civilians didn't understand the deeper meaning—they simply thought Arata had been promoted and celebrated loudly.
But the real veterans—clan heads and elders—immediately scoffed.
They all saw through Hiruzen's little trick instantly.
And they also understood what came next.
Arata was basking in the spotlight. If Hiruzen chose this moment to humiliate him, then this was the perfect time for the clans to step in and build goodwill.
If they didn't seize this opportunity now, they'd regret it later.
When Hiruzen announced the appointment before tens of thousands of witnesses, Arata's first instinct was to refuse…
But something suddenly clicked in his mind.
Instead of rejecting it, he stepped forward enthusiastically and declared:
"Thank you for your trust, Hokage-sama. I will do my utmost as ANBU Deputy Commander!"
Hiruzen froze.
That wasn't the reaction he expected at all.
He had even prepared several arguments to "persuade" Arata into accepting.
But if Arata accepted willingly, then everything was perfect.
Putting on his usual benevolent face, Hiruzen said:
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will always burn bright. Continue to train hard and carry on the Will of Fire."
Arata was long immune to Hiruzen's nonsense, and he seized the moment while the old man was careless.
"I have a close friend—Katō Dan. I heard he recently died in battle. Yet his only surviving relative, his young niece, has no one to care for her. Katō was like a brother to me. His niece is my niece. Tsunade also adores the child. Please allow me to take her in and raise her."
Arata's words were firm, and he even looked as if he might cry—playing the role perfectly. And with Hiruzen's earlier talk of the "Will of Fire" ringing in everyone's ears…
A war hero dies, and his only family is left unattended?
That directly contradicted everything Hiruzen had just preached.
Hiruzen never expected Arata to flip the script like this.
He knew about Katō's niece—just a two-year-old girl. Normally, giving Arata custody would mean nothing.
But after being publicly embarrassed, Hiruzen wasn't willing to let Arata get his way so easily.
Unfortunately for him, rejecting such a reasonable request in front of the entire village… would shatter his carefully crafted "kind old Hokage" image.
He coughed stiffly:
"You mean… Shizune? I've already arranged for her to—"
Before he could finish making excuses, someone suddenly stepped forward.
It was Uchiha Tsuki, clan head of the Uchiha.
He spoke with a lazy smile:
"My dear Hokage, isn't it normal for brothers of deep affection to look after each other's families? And with Tsunade-hime helping care for her—why, that child must have saved the world in her previous life to deserve such fortune."
A single casual remark from Uchiha Tsuki shut Hiruzen down completely.
With the Uchiha clan head publicly supporting Arata, Hiruzen had no excuse left.
"…Very well. Let us grant Arata's request."
The crowd roared in approval again, praising the Third's "kindness."
They had no idea Hiruzen was seconds away from coughing up blood.
At first, Arata had a good impression of Uchiha Tsuki.
But after Mito's warning, he stayed cautious. No matter how friendly these clan heads appeared on the surface, Arata had learned not to trust them too easily.
Still—surface politeness was essential.
He greeted Tsuki with a bright smile:
"Clan Head Uchiha, thank you for attending."
Tsuki returned the smile, equally bright:
"A rising star like you getting engaged? Of course the Uchiha must give proper congratulations."
He handed Arata a massive scroll—nearly as tall as a person.
Arata accepted it politely.
Tsuki explained:
"This is a copy of the Uchiha clan's treasured ninjutsu archive—hundreds of techniques, from basic to advanced. A small gift."
The entire venue gasped.
Ninjutsu archives were a clan's lifeblood. Each clan's jutsu collection represented generations of heritage and power. Civilians couldn't even dream of access. Even many jōnin couldn't obtain these techniques.
But Uchiha Tsuki had just handed Arata the Uchiha's collection.
The crowd exploded:
"Damn—Uchiha's secret ninjutsu? He's insanely lucky!"
"I spent a whole year earning enough to buy a single B-rank jutsu…"
"Since when are the Uchiha this generous?!"
"It's political investment! After today, Arata's status will skyrocket!"
"Man… I'm jealous of Shizune. She basically has every Uchiha jutsu at her fingertips…"
Hiruzen's face went dark as ash.
Arata had completely stolen the spotlight.
He wasn't even greeting the Hokage—he was busy entertaining the Uchiha clan head!
And things only grew worse.
One by one, more clan leaders walked up to congratulate Arata.
Hiruzen could only stand there and swallow his rage.
Today, he had been utterly humiliated.
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