"All right," the Third Hokage said, watching calmly. "Tenzo, take Inkshadow and introduce him to the rest of your squad. You'll be working together from now on."
He wasn't worried.
Fujimoto Tōma's ability spoke for itself. There might be doubts at first, but those would fade quickly. Before long, the boy would become a core pillar of the team.
After all, that was his grandson-disciple. Talent like that was impossible to ignore.
"Yes," Tenzo replied.
He turned and walked ahead without another word. Tōma followed in silence as they moved through a series of narrow paths and concealed corridors.So this is where ANBU hide, Tōma thought. I've been wandering this village for years and never noticed this place.
They entered a small, sealed room.
Inside were two masked figures and a large gray-and-white dog that looked more like a wolf than a hound.
"Captain," the two masked shinobi said as they stood.
Their tone carried genuine respect. Tōma noticed it immediately. From small details like that, you could tell a lot about a person. Tenzo clearly wasn't the kind of leader his subordinates merely tolerated.
"Hyena. Fox," Tenzo said calmly. "This is our new teammate. Codename: Inkshadow. Get acquainted."
Tōma glanced at them.
Hyena was easy to identify. A canine mask, a ninken at his side. Almost certainly from the Inuzuka clan.Fox, wearing a fox mask, was harder to read. Nothing obvious stood out.
"Captain," Hyena suddenly barked, clearly irritated, "you're joking, right? He looks twelve at most. ANBU? Our squad?"
Fox frowned as well. "The captain wouldn't joke about something like this," he said, displeased, but his eyes were also fixed on Tenzo. "We need an explanation."
Dragging along dead weight didn't just hurt mission success rates. It got people killed.
"I'm not joking," Tenzo replied evenly. "Inkshadow was personally assigned by the Hokage."
That shut them up.
Hyena and Fox both fell silent, studying Tōma more carefully. Their thoughts were obvious enough. Some big clan kid. Connections. Probably sent here for experience.
Hyūga? Didn't look like it.Another elder's child, maybe.
Either way, someone placed through influence.
They didn't like it, but the decision was final.
"Tch. Fine," Hyena said at last, staring straight at Tōma. "I don't care which clan you're from. Just don't slow us down."
"I won't," Tōma replied calmly.
Hyena clicked his tongue, then relaxed slightly. At least the kid didn't have an arrogant attitude. That was the worst case avoided.
Fox and Tenzo also eased up a fraction.
Tōma, meanwhile, was doing his own assessment. Their reactions were normal. Reasonable, even.That made him more at ease, not less.
"All right," Tenzo said. "Let's do introductions. State your roles and abilities. It'll make coordination easier."
"I'll start," Tenzo continued. "Codename Tenzo. Squad leader. Primary combatant. My ability is Wood Release."
"…Wood Release?"
Tōma's eyes widened before he could stop himself.
So that was it.
Yamato.The memories finally clicked into place. Former Root. Later ANBU. Temporarily led Team Seven. Reliable. Strong.
An elite jōnin-level shinobi, even if he hadn't fully reached that rank yet.
Tch… straight into a squad like this on day one. My status really is something.
The others didn't react much. They'd seen this reaction plenty of times before.
"Yes," Tenzo said calmly. "Wood Release. That's all you need to know."
Tōma nodded and didn't pry.
"My turn," Hyena said loudly. "Codename Hyena. I handle scent-based reconnaissance and secondary assault."
The wolf-dog beside him barked once.
"This is my partner. Grayfang."
Fox followed. "Codename Fox. Logistics and medical support. If you need supplies, come to me. Soldier pills, seal tags. I can get them cheaper than market rate."
"You'll be seeing me often, then," Tōma said, eyes lighting up. "Please take care of me, Fox."
Fox paused, then his tone softened slightly. "No need for 'senpai.' Just Fox."
"Understood."
"I'm Inkshadow," Tōma said at last. "My specialties are chakra sensing and rapid assault. Likely secondary support for now. My exact role can be adjusted later."
All three of them reacted instantly.
Chakra sensing.
That alone made him useful. Even if he never entered the front line, he wouldn't be dead weight. More importantly, it meant he could stay out of the most dangerous positions.
Good, Hyena thought. At least the kid won't die and get us blamed.
Tōma, for his part, examined the lineup.
Recon. Medical support. Main offense. And now, sensing.
No matter how he looked at it, this squad was solid.
Very solid.
And this… was only the beginning.