In the shadowed forest, a chunin-level ninja moved with determined steps. He had received a direct notification from Hokage tonight: his mission was to locate a boy named Uzumaki Naruto within the village and retrieve the stolen Scroll of Seals. Though he puzzled over why such a critical task had been entrusted to a mere chunin like himself, he knew of Uzumaki Naruto – a child who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy. Surely, this should just be a simple search mission, right?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly felt a chilling presence. He was surrounded. Several ninjas, their faces concealed by masks and their forms cloaked in black, materialized from the darkness. Sensing their sinister intent, he immediately bellowed, "Who are you? You dare to operate in the village…"
His words were cut short. With a dull "Boom!", he was struck senseless, collapsing to the forest floor.
"It's stupid to ask such an idiotic question." One of the masked figures sneered, advancing towards the unconscious chunin, a kunai glinting in his hand.
"Simply knock him out; don't take his life," another interjected, their voice flat. "The elders told us to keep a low profile. Our primary goal is the Scroll of Seals."
The one holding the kunai paused, seemingly reluctant, then retracted his weapon. "Got it," he muttered dismissively. With silent grace, the masked figures melted back into the shadows, reappearing moments later to swiftly incapacitate another chunin, who too fell limp to the ground.
"Lord Hayabusa! The chunin and genin squads Hokage-sama dispatched to search for Uzumaki Naruto have been knocked out by the enemy. Are we still not taking action?" An Anbu team leader finally broke, his voice edged with anxiety as he addressed Ren.
Before Ren could even respond, a ninja standing by the captain's side, wearing a cat-face mask they had never seen before, lashed out. Her voice, sharp and biting, directly chastised the Anbu captain. "What are you asking for? Didn't you hear the captain's order just now?"
"Following the orders of your superiors is the first rule of an Anbu ninja, did you forget? Now you even dare to question the leader's orders? Do you still want to operate in the shadows? If you don't want to stay, then get out of my sight immediately! Standing here, you're an eyesore, making people angry just by looking at you. I truly don't know how you people were selected into Anbu; it's really a case of one generation being worse than the last!"
The scolded ninja was instantly speechless. He had served in Anbu for several years, rising to the rank of team captain. Yet, he still held a quiet resentment for this Hayabusa, a mere thirteen-year-old, who had become the new Squad Captain and his direct superior. To be publicly reprimanded like this, knowing he was technically in the wrong, made the old face beneath his mask flush a deep red. Ashamed, he wished the earth would swallow him whole.
The eyes of the other Anbu ninjas immediately focused on the scolding figure, confusion clear in their masked gazes. This person… who are they?
Several Anbu team leaders exchanged glances, finding the same bewilderment in each other's eyes.
Not from my team…
Not from my team either…
Then… who is this person? To brazenly yell at an Anbu team leader-level figure right off the bat… Isn't that a bit too bold?
"Cough, cough… She is my newly recruited bodyguard," Ren explained, his words cutting through the tense silence at just the right moment.
A look of sudden realization dawned on everyone's faces. They instantly understood why the "female guard" dared to be so domineering. It turned out she was a 'connected household'—someone who joined Anbu purely through her relationship with Captain Hayabusa.
"Almost got it," Ren whispered to Tsunade. If she causes any more trouble, I'm afraid her identity will be exposed immediately. Tsunade had agreed to join him merely to enjoy the spectacle and lend her brute force. After all, Tsunade had been absent from Konoha for many years, and it was somewhat inconvenient for her to directly interfere in matters like this, even if it involved the Nine-Tails.
"Okay, got it." Tsunade's naturally rough voice suddenly softened, becoming surprisingly docile. She obediently fell silent, standing quietly behind Ren. Her compliant actions only reinforced their collective assumption of her "connected household" status in the minds of Ren's Anbu subordinates!
"What's the situation down there now?" Ren abruptly asked the perception ninja behind him.
The perception ninja immediately reported, "Report to Lord Hayabusa! They have stunned Iruka and Naruto, seized the Scroll of Seals, and are now fleeing in the direction of seven o'clock, southwest."
"Good, I see." Ren nodded, then glanced condescendingly at the Anbu behind him. "Everyone, obey my command!"
"Yes!"
"Follow my bodyguard immediately, head southwest, neutralize the enemy, and retrieve the Scroll of Seals!"
Everyone froze. Beneath their raised masks, disbelief flickered in their eyes. With an almost unbelievable astonishment, their gazes darted between Captain Hayabusa and the "bodyguard." This… this must be more than just a mere relationship, right? This is definitely a naked transaction!
Tsunade, too, was momentarily stunned. She had absolutely no idea that Ren would actually order her to lead the Anbu to retrieve the Scroll of Seals.
"What about you? Where are you going?" Tsunade demanded.
Ren stretched out his hand, revealing a tiny, gray mouse lying quietly in his palm. In the dim night, had Tsunade not already known, she would never have realized it was an exquisitely crafted mechanical mouse. Each time Tsunade witnessed the incredible sensory capabilities of such a ninja tool, she couldn't help but marvel. Though she already possessed the Tracking Bow and Feather Chain Ren had given her, every time she saw him produce another ingenious ninja tool, she couldn't help but feel a pang of covetousness. Every piece… is a priceless treasure on the market!
At this moment, Ren had already received information relayed back to him by the mechanical mouse. Things were unfolding slightly differently from what he had originally anticipated. So much so that he now had to temporarily adjust his battle plan, assigning Tsunade the task of leading the recapture of the Scroll of Seals.
"I'll leave it to you here. I have a few other things to do. I'll explain it to you later." Ren turned, leaped, and vanished into the distance with astonishing speed. Before anyone could react, he had transformed into a fleeting shadow, disappearing into the night.
In the mid-air, where no one could see, a sneer played on Ren's lips, mockery glinting in his eyes.
"It's truly interesting, these guys… They want to raid my home while I'm not around!"