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Chapter 42 - Reporting to the ANBU

Yuya didn't need to fill out anything at all.

All of his personal information had already been entered into the document.

This was practically a mandatory recruitment.

That was something Yuya had not expected.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had actually pulled him directly into the ANBU!

Was this an attempt to win him over?

Yuya shook his head, a trace of indifference appearing on his face.

Unfortunately, they had already abandoned him once before. Even if they now wanted to make amends, how could such a crack be healed so easily?

Still, when faced with this ANBU induction notice, Yuya truly had no reason—and no right—to refuse.

"ANBU… I really didn't expect this. I thought I'd just wait for this Academy class to graduate and then smoothly enter Tsunade's team."

Shaking his head slightly, Yuya picked up the document and read through it carefully once more.

The file contained detailed records about him.

Including an assessment stating that his current combat strength allowed him to shatter B-rank ninjutsu with a single punch, and that his overall power had been classified at the level of an elite chūnin.

At the bottom-right corner of the document was Yuya's designation number.

Next to it were several small words.

Candidate Member.

Only upon reading it a second time did Yuya notice those words.

A hint of surprise crossed his face.

A candidate?

Official ANBU operatives all possessed code names. No wonder he had only been given a number and no codename—he was merely a candidate member.

That said, Yuya felt no particular dissatisfaction.

Even if he were stronger, entering the ANBU for the first time would still likely make him a candidate.

The ANBU required familiarity with far too many things—codes, secret signals, intelligence exchanges, and more.

Every qualified ANBU operative had to undergo a period of adaptation before they could truly handle the work.

Full ANBU members were extremely busy.

By comparison, candidate members had it much easier.

And whether one was a full member or a candidate, joining the ANBU came with enormous benefits.

All of them were clearly listed in the document.

First—

All training equipment and tools were provided free of charge.

The ANBU were the Third Hokage's直属部队—his direct force, the sharp blade in the Hokage's hand.

As Hokage, how could Hiruzen not funnel resources toward them?

Even a candidate member could request any tools they needed—

—even custom-made equipment.

That was only the first benefit.

Second—

ANBU members were permitted to freely access all recorded ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu up to and including B-rank in Konoha's archives.

In simple terms—

All B-rank and below techniques were fully open to ANBU.

Learn whatever you wanted.

This point alone was enough to make countless shinobi desperate to join the ANBU—

—even though the work was both dangerous and exhausting.

After all, B-rank techniques were typically the life-long pursuit of elite backbone shinobi.

And even among B-rank techniques, there were clear differences in power.

A B-rank ninjutsu cast by an ordinary shinobi and the same B-rank ninjutsu cast by Hiruzen Sarutobi were worlds apart in strength.

In Yuya's view, B-rank techniques could be divided into three tiers:

Low-tier.

Mid-tier.

High-tier.

During his battle with Uchiha Han, the B-rank techniques Han had used were simple low-tier ones—easily shattered with a single punch.

But if a jōnin deeply versed in B-rank techniques, with powerful chakra nature mastery, were to use them—

—they would at least reach the mid-tier.

Against mid-tier B-rank techniques, Yuya might not be able to destroy them with a single punch just yet.

However, blocking them and fighting evenly would not be a problem.

As for high-tier B-rank techniques—

Shinobi such as Hiruzen Sarutobi in his prime, or Kakuzu of the Akatsuki in canon, could unleash B-rank techniques with utterly outrageous power—

—approaching, or even rivaling, A-rank ninjutsu.

As for someone like Uchiha Madara, his A-rank techniques could surpass ordinary S-rank techniques altogether.

At present, confronting high-tier B-rank techniques would still be difficult for Yuya.

But now—

He had obtained Tsunade's Superhuman Strength.

If he could successfully cultivate it and combine it with his vibration force—

Then even high-tier B-rank techniques should be swept aside with a single punch.

Only then could he truly claim to dominate all B-rank ninjutsu.

"No matter what… I should first report to the ANBU as required. After that, I'll begin training Superhuman Strength."

After finishing the document, Yuya muttered softly.

At the end of the file, he was instructed to report to the ANBU on a chosen date.

Even without that instruction, Yuya would have gone anyway.

While most B-rank ninjutsu were useless to him, taijutsu manuals were worth studying.

And certain auxiliary techniques—such as the Shadow Clone Technique—were extremely practical.

As for A-rank techniques and above, or S-rank secret arts—

Those were recorded in the Scroll of Seals, and ordinary shinobi had no right to read them.

That said, it wasn't that ANBU members could never access them.

With sufficient merit, or exceptional talent recognized by the higher-ups, one could be granted permission to study A-rank—or even S-rank—techniques.

Of course, the difficulty of mastering A-rank and S-rank techniques was extremely high.

Not everyone was Kakashi Hatake.

Not everyone was Naruto Uzumaki or Sasuke Uchiha.

Even many powerful jōnin had never mastered a single A-rank technique.

Leaving his home behind—

Yuya made his way to a hidden location within Konoha, then descended once more into the village's underground.

The ANBU headquarters were also located beneath Konoha.

In fact, they lay directly beneath the Hokage Tower.

A direct passage connected the two, allowing Hiruzen's orders to reach the ANBU at any moment.

The underground ANBU complex was dim and gloomy—

—but it carried an intangible aura of killing intent.

Masked shinobi, cloaked in black or white, hurried past from time to time.

Some glanced at Yuya with curiosity.

Most didn't even spare him a look, walking straight past.

These people were all elite shinobi forged through countless battles.

Focused. Ruthless. Efficient.

Moving deeper inside, Yuya soon entered the core ANBU structure.

At that moment, someone finally stepped in front of him.

"Yuya?"

"Yes."

"Follow me."

The ANBU operative—also masked—spoke with extreme brevity, leading Yuya through the complex.

"That area is for mission assignment and handover."

"That area is for custom ninja tools and training equipment—all free."

"That area houses scrolls for ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. You may browse freely."

The operative gave Yuya a brief tour, pointing out the key divisions.

Only now did Yuya gain a complete understanding of the ANBU.

He had known of this organization from canon—

—but there was no comparison between knowing of it, and standing inside it.

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