Time flew by.
The classroom, which had been bustling only hours ago, was now deathly silent. Ayane was the only one left.
The rain, which had hammered the village for days, finally eased into a rhythmic drizzle. The tapping of water against the windowpane came and went like a fading heartbeat.
Ayane wasn't bored. She sat cross-legged, unstrapping the newly acquired Stormrazor from her back and placing it across her lap.
Her pale palms brushed lightly against the scabbard. Closing her eyes, she leveled her breathing, her red ponytail swaying gently in the evening breeze drifting through the window.
This was the "Blade Nourishing Technique" Ichii Kei had taught her. It felt remarkably like Jinzen from the Bleach universe.
Supposedly a secret passed down by samurai, it helped the wielder calm their mind and communicate with their weapon, eventually achieving a state of "oneness" between man and blade.
As for whether it actually worked... she had no idea.
But the feedback from her system was enthusiastic!
[You have completed a Ninja Sword training session. Achievement Points +2!]
A mere ten minutes of meditation had yielded more points than two hours of grueling target practice. Ayane was thrilled.
This didn't just give her a new way to farm points; it confirmed a suspicion she'd had: high-quality cultivation yielded high rewards.
Compared to the routine drills at the Academy or home, actual combat in blood and fire—true life-and-death struggles—would likely bring even greater returns. The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish, she thought. The logic held true in any world.
Suddenly, a masked ninja appeared before her without a sound.
Ayane's instincts flared. Since she had just finished her meditation, her hand was already resting on Stormrazor. Almost subconsciously, she drew the blade in a blur of steel!
Clang!
A crisp ring echoed through the room. The intruder had intercepted her strike with a kunai, parrying the freezing edge just inches from his throat.
"A fresh graduate Genin... an Anbu rookie..."
Eyes peered through the porcelain mask, scanning her face to confirm her identity. "Your reaction is excellent, but your strength is lacking."
The masked ninja's voice was ice-cold—it was impossible to tell if he was annoyed or just naturally stoic. "I am a member of the Anbu Owl Squad. Code name: Woodpecker. Now, put your weapon away and follow me!"
Woodpecker exuded an aura of suppressed violence. Though he wasn't particularly tall, he had the unmistakable air of someone who had spilled a great deal of blood. He produced an identification badge, flashed it briefly, and said coldly, "Keep up. I'm not responsible if you fall behind."
He was brief and hurried. He didn't even give Ayane a chance to speak before flickering out of the window, leaping across tree branches and onto the rooftops.
Ayane took a deep breath and didn't dare linger. She followed immediately.
The man's speed was impressive—significantly faster than the Chunin instructors at the Academy. However, Ayane kept pace, following him toward a massive black tower in the northwest corner of the village.
Seeing that she still had energy to spare, Woodpecker felt a flicker of surprise. He glanced back, his tone slightly startled. "You actually know the Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin)?"
While not a high-level jutsu, the Body Flicker was "over-specced" for a fresh graduate. The Rain Academy focused on "fast-track" training, churning out students in two to three years.
Even someone like Nagano Keiji struggled with basic clones; the general quality of education was utilitarian at best.
Ayane admitted it freely: "Yes, I practiced after school."
Woodpecker nodded, asking no further questions about where she'd acquired the scroll. Soon, they reached the base of the black tower. Ayane looked up, a sense of déjà vu hitting her.
This looks familiar. Wasn't this the tower Jiraiya eventually infiltrated? If she remembered correctly, Nagato—controlling the Deva Path of Pain—loved standing atop this very spire to look down upon the village.
"This is Lord Hanzo's office and our Anbu headquarters in the village."
Ayane nodded. This place was effectively the Rain's equivalent of the Hokage Building.
Woodpecker led her to a hidden side entrance. "Basement levels 1 through 5 are Anbu territory. Level 3 is the logistics area. I'll take you to register your info, then we'll pick up your ninja tools and soldier pills."
At the mention of "soldier pills," Ayane's heart sank. "Senior—"
"Rookie! The first lesson of the Anbu is to forget who you are!" Woodpecker interrupted her coldly. "There are no 'Seniors' or 'Juniors' here. Everyone only has a code name. Call me Woodpecker."
Ayane blinked. She realized he hadn't used her name even once. "Understood, Woodpecker. Are we leaving the village immediately?"
Soldier pills tasted like garbage; they were only used during life-or-death combat or emergency long-distance missions.
Perhaps because of her performance during the trek, Woodpecker was slightly more patient. "Correct. We are heading straight to the Eastern Front to participate in the decisive battle against Konoha."
The Eastern Front was where Hanzo currently faced off against the Land of Fire. Nearly 8,000 ninja were deployed across that border. The Rain had fewer than 3,000, but thanks to Hanzo's poison, they were holding their own.
The decisive battle? Ayane thought. Does that mean the fight between Hanzo and the Sannin is about to happen?
Her mind began to race. If I play my cards right, maybe I can encounter Tsunade and find a way to defect to Konoha... As a half-Uzumaki, surely they'd welcome a "returning compatriot"?
But then she looked at Woodpecker's black Anbu uniform. This outfit was easy to put on, but nearly impossible to take off. If she stepped into Konoha now, she'd likely be greeted by Danzo's Root. That would turn into a nightmare real fast.
Due to the war, there were few Anbu left in the village; the ones they did pass were in a hurry. Inside the records room, Ayane was handed a registration form.
Most of it was already filled out with details about her background that were more accurate than her own memory. Only one spot remained blank: her Anbu code name.
Before writing, she checked: "Woodpecker, can I choose any name?"
"Our squad name is Owl. It's best if you choose a bird or avian theme."
Ayane hummed, thought for a moment, and then wrote down her "new name" in elegant strokes.
Code Name: Black Swan.