Chapter 17 — The Hyūga and the ANBU
The next morning, Minamoto Ren arrived at the Hokage's office right on time to officially report in to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The only problem? The Hokage hadn't even started his day yet.
It wasn't that Ren was being overly diligent—he was just too eager to grow stronger.
"Morning, Ren-nii."
A bruised and battered Hyūga Haining walked over from across the street, clutching a scroll in hand and forcing a smile.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Your face...?"
"Oh, this?" Haining rubbed the swollen bruise on his cheek and sighed.
"My old man. You don't know how brutal he can be. Sometimes I wonder if I'm even his real kid…"
Ren frowned. "But why would he hit you? You made it back from the battlefield alive. Shouldn't that be something to celebrate?"
Haining's expression soured. "He's mad I went to war without telling him. And that I didn't bring my uncle along. That's why he beat me."
He held up the scroll and gave it a little wave.
"This is the letter of withdrawal he wrote. Wants me to hand it to the Hokage so I can be removed from the military roster."
Ren blinked. That… didn't seem logically connected.
Seeing his confusion, Haining added, "Ah—right. You're not from the Hyūga clan, so you wouldn't know. Our clan is divided into the Main and Branch Families. The Byakugan of the Main Family can be extracted and transplanted if they die. Branch Family eyes, though, are cursed—they self-destruct."
Ren's gaze sharpened.
Haining continued, "So usually, a Main Family member going to war gets assigned a Branch Family guardian. If the Main Family member dies, the guardian is responsible for destroying the eyes and then... taking their own life."
It was brutal, but it aligned with the Hyūga clan's strict traditions.
"I went to the frontlines without telling my father or bringing my uncle. I just talked to Lady Tsunade directly. I mean… what kind of brother would I be if I sat at home while my comrades were out risking their lives?"
Ren gave him a sidelong look. So this kid did have a sense of loyalty.
"But doesn't that mean your Branch Family guardian is in deep trouble? Letting you run off, almost getting killed on the battlefield… isn't that grounds for seppuku?"
Haining quickly shook his head. "Uncle Ganghachirō's fine. My father would beat me half to death before he'd lay a finger on him. Our family situation's... complicated. Best not to ask too much. If word spreads to the rest of the clan, it won't be good."
Ren nodded, though his curiosity only deepened.
Apparently, not all Hyūga Main Family members were like Hiashi and Hizashi.
Could this be a leverage point…?
A potential opening in the Hyūga clan's internal power structure?
Ren quietly made a mental note of this peculiar pair of "Hyūga brothers," and said nothing more. The two stood in silence outside the Hokage's Tower, awaiting their summons.
Soon, the balcony window to the Hokage's office creaked open, letting in the breeze.
That was the signal—the Hokage's workday had officially begun.
It also meant that the highest governing body of the Leaf Village was back in motion.
A masked ANBU operative appeared before them, wearing a red fox mask.
With eyes devoid of emotion, the agent sized them up… then silently gestured for both to follow.
The office was just as they remembered.
The same massive desk buried under a mountain of paperwork.
The same Third Hokage hunched over, brush in hand.
This scene, Ren mused, might remain unchanged for the next twenty years.
"Let's get both of your matters handled at once," Hiruzen said calmly, sipping tea.
"I've got far too much to deal with today."
Haining quickly stepped forward and presented his father's letter.
Ren had seen the look on his face when he wrote it yesterday—Hyūga Yokohachirō probably thought it would be near-impossible to get Hiruzen to release his son.
The Hokage took the scroll, gave it a cursory glance, and set it aside.
No change in expression—but Ren could tell.
He wasn't pleased.
Hiruzen's mood had indeed soured.
To him, it felt as if the Hyūga were treating the Leaf Military Corps like some revolving door. Come and go as you please? Was that what they thought of his command?
"What do you want?" he asked Haining, voice low.
Haining hesitated, then answered honestly:
"I… I wanted to stay with Nawaki and Ren-nii. But my father won't allow it."
The Hokage nodded without comment and turned to Ren.
"Today, you officially join the ANBU. Based on your strength, I've rated you at Tokubetsu Jōnin level—which means you technically qualify to be a squad captain."
He paused, then smirked faintly.
"But you're still a greenhorn… Start from the bottom."
[Power Requires No Justification—Only Loyalty]
[Power is answerable only to its source… Now that you've joined the ANBU, you wield limited authority to enforce the law. The only one you answer to—is the Hokage.]
[Power Index: 4]
[Manifested Power Reward: Chakra Ninja Blade "Tranquility" (Jūan)]
"Yeah, I get it," Ren replied—not to the system prompt floating in his mind, but directly to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Third Hokage nodded with quiet approval.
"Good. It's important to remember—climbing too fast isn't always a good thing. Learn to crawl before you try to run."
He gestured, and the red-fox-masked ANBU operative from earlier reappeared without a sound.
"Kuren. Take Ren and get him oriented. Issue his standard ANBU gear. Starting today, he's under your command."
Hiruzen waved casually, already returning to his scrollwork.
The masked operative—codename "Kuren"—silently acknowledged the order and motioned for Ren to follow.
"Haining," Hiruzen called out as they were about to leave, his voice calm but firm,
"Go tell your father: I'm letting you go back because of your age. But removing you from the military corps? He can forget it. At most, you can be reassigned to ANBU. Two choices—he can pick one. And if he sends me another letter like this…"
His tone sharpened.
"…Then he and I will have a very serious conversation."
The door to the Hokage's office was clearly not soundproof. Ren heard every word.
Then again, maybe he was meant to.
---
Kuren was completely silent as they walked, and Ren wisely chose not to make small talk. After all, this was his superior officer—and in the ANBU, the less you knew about someone, the better.
After about ten minutes, they arrived at a clearing on the outskirts of the village. It was surrounded by trees and utterly deserted.
"We're here," Kuren said in a low voice.
Ren looked around.
No caves.
No tunnels.
Just forest.
Then Kuren spoke again—this time without pause, while his hands began weaving a series of complex hand seals.
"You'll be following me for the foreseeable future. You'll stay close until you master this jutsu."
"Secret Technique: Gate of Hidden Threshold—Revealing Ritual."
With a final seal, Kuren slammed his palm against the ground.
A circular black void instantly opened beneath their feet.
Both of them dropped in freefall—and just as suddenly as it had appeared, the void sealed shut above them.
The fall barely lasted two seconds before solid ground returned beneath their feet. Before them now stood a large metal door engraved with the symbol of the Leaf.
Just as Ren was taking it in, the door creaked open.
A man stepped out—another ANBU operative, his eyes unmistakably Hyūga.
"Early shift, Kuren? Your kid didn't cling to your leg this time?"
"She's still asleep," Kuren replied with a rare, tired sigh.
"Was up half the night. Toddlers..."
"Hah! We've all been there. Diaper changes at midnight, missions at dawn—being a dad in ANBU's a rough deal."
The Hyūga operative chuckled, clearly familiar with him.
After a brief exchange, Kuren led Ren through the Leaf-marked door.
And just like that, Minamoto Ren stepped into the hidden world of the ANBU—a realm of masks, shadows, and silence.