c22 – Naruto's Decision
Tsunade returned to Konoha Village, and the village gradually regained its previous tranquility after the fierce confrontation with Orochimaru. The difference now was that almost all the jōnin had been dispatched on various missions to stabilize the borders and assist the Fire Daimyō, and even the remaining genin teams had become noticeably busier. However, these low-ranked missions held little meaning for Naruto, so he had already begun planning his next steps.
On this day, Naruto came to Tsunade's Hokage office, holding the trophy from his latest mission: the Sword of the Thunder God. This blade originally belonged to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and was once a symbol of his mastery over lightning-style ninjutsu. The sword contained a concentrated lightning-chakra blade that could be formed or dispersed at will and was famously easy to wield due to its lightness and shape. Unfortunately, the weapon had fallen into the hands of the traitorous Rain Village jōnin Aoi Rokusho. Aoi could not use Lightning Release at all, and despite boasting about wielding the Second Hokage's weapon, his ability barely reached the level of a proper jōnin. After Naruto used his immense chakra, raw strength, and improved taijutsu to defeat Aoi on the destroyed bridge, the Sword of the Thunder God was recovered and brought back to its rightful village.
Just as Naruto finished reporting the mission, a man with a cane, bandaged right arm, and gauze covering his right eye entered the office. It was Shimura Danzō, the infamous leader of the Root division of Anbu. Danzō briefly looked at Naruto before shifting his attention to Tsunade and saying, "Hokage-sama, it is fortunate that Uzumaki Naruto is also present. The village is facing an unstable period. The Anbu is overloaded with missions, and wasting the potential of a talent like Naruto by allowing him to remain a mere genin is highly inefficient. I request your approval to have Naruto join Root. Under my command, his potential will flourish far more quickly."
Hearing his words, Tsunade's expression tightened. She fully understood Danzō's real intentions and replied with a clear tone of displeasure, "No. Naruto is not an ordinary genin. His safety and independence are top priority. I will never allow him to join Root."
Danzō responded calmly, "Talents must be sharpened. A genius cannot grow only in the light. Appropriate pressure is essential."
Before Tsunade could answer, Naruto stepped forward and said, "Hokage-sama, let me join the Anbu."
Danzō's single visible eye lit up with satisfaction. "Since Naruto himself is willing, then Hokage-sama"
"But I want to join the Anbu directly under the Hokage, not Root," Naruto continued firmly.
Hearing this, Danzō paused, then stared deeply at Naruto and said, "Naruto… people must take responsibility for their choices. I hope you come to understand that sooner rather than later." With that, he turned and left the office with a chilling silence.
After Danzō departed, Tsunade looked at Naruto with concern. "Naruto, have you really thought this through? The Anbu is not as simple as you imagine. You will witness bloodshed, cruelty, and the darker side of missions. At your age, you may not be ready for that world."
"Don't worry, Grandma Tsunade. Joining Anbu is something I've thought over for a long time," Naruto replied seriously.
He straightened the forehead protector on his head and said, "As a shinobi of Konoha, it's my duty to contribute everything I can to the village. But I have one more request. To protect my identity and maintain balance, I hope that whenever Team 7 receives an important mission, I will still participate with them whenever possible."
Tsunade nodded. "That's acceptable. I approve."
In truth, Naruto had considered this decision for a long time. Joining Anbu would provide him access to higher-difficulty missions, more dangerous opponents, and more opportunities to fight powerful shinobi from other nations. This would allow him to grow faster, gain experience, and prepare for the future he envisioned. Once he earned enough status in the Hokage's Anbu, he would have the freedom to move and act with fewer restrictions. For this reason, Naruto had already made thorough preparations in advance.
First, by learning directly under Kakashi, Asuma, and several elite jōnin who occasionally served as temporary instructors for Anbu candidates, Naruto became more proficient in using Lightning Release. He also began practicing elementary Water Release techniques basic water bullets and water wall variants using the principles explained by Kakashi from the notes left behind by the Second Hokage. At the same time, he continued mastering the Sword of the Thunder God as his most flexible close-range weapon. Naruto purchased a set of black, lightweight combat gear and a dark cloak the standard attire for Anbu operatives. Just like the regular shinobi forces, the Anbu was also highly organized and usually deployed in four-man cells, but their missions were far more secretive. If an Anbu member died during a mission, even the corpse was not allowed to remain behind in order to maintain absolute secrecy. Since Naruto had only just joined the Hokage-direct Anbu and had not yet been assigned to a formal squad, he could only carry out individual missions. The first mission Tsunade assigned Naruto was to find an opportunity to assassinate the daimyo of Tomoe no Kuni, a small nation located near the Land of Rice Fields. The client who commissioned the mission was the heir from another noble branch competing for succession.
Because the daimyo of Tomoe had only recently inherited the position, if he were to suffer an "accidental" death, the nobles would simply elect another successor. However, such a task could never be performed openly. It had to appear like a misfortunate accident with no traceable evidence. The only reason Konoha accepted this commission was because the client offered an extremely high payment. Under the current circumstances especially after the Konoha Crush incident Tsunade needed a significant amount of funds to rebuild the village, so certain political complications had to be ignored temporarily.
The mission's requirement was straightforward: kill the daimyo of Tomoe no Kuni without leaving behind any evidence, no matter what method was used. Almost every country had ninjas, though their numbers and the types of ninjutsu they specialized in differed considerably. Nevertheless, a daimyo no matter how small the nation would always travel with a sizable elite guard force. During this sensitive period, the daimyo was protected by many ninja, but the key point of the mission was not to eliminate the escort. Only the daimyo's death mattered, which granted Naruto significant freedom in choosing the method.
After receiving the mission, Naruto first used the Transformation Technique to infiltrate nearby towns and determine the daimyo's movement patterns. After several days of investigation, Naruto discovered that the daimyo never traveled without a large escort force, including no fewer than twenty ninja among them several jōnin-level shinobi. The situation inside the daimyo's mansion remained unclear, but Naruto began formulating strategies accordingly.
Two days later, Naruto learned that the daimyo planned to travel to a remote location quite far from the capital. The long route passed through desolate countryside perfect terrain for an ambush with minimal witnesses. Halfway through the journey, a lone figure stepped into the road ahead of the convoy. He wore black clothes, and the dark cloak draped over his shoulders brushed the ground. His height was unremarkable, and a blank ceramic Anbu mask concealed his face completely, rendering his age and identity impossible to determine. This person, of course, was Naruto carrying out his first mission as a member of the Hokage's Anbu.
The leading guard shouted, "You there! Move aside at once! Can't you see this is the daimyo's procession?"
Naruto remained motionless, as though he had not heard a thing. He cleared his throat and deliberately spoke with a calm, older tone. "You must be the newly appointed daimyo of Tomoe no Kuni. How incompetent your subordinates aren't even trained to speak properly. No wonder someone hired an assassin to kill you. Well… go to hell."
The daimyo inside the carriage laughed nervously, barking back, "So you're the assassin sent by that scheming brat. If you truly wished to assassinate me, you should have used stealth or poison, it would have been difficult to prevent. Instead, you show yourself so boldly. Do you think you can handle all of us alone? Capture him alive!"
Naruto slowly raised the Sword of the Thunder God. The leading jōnin's expression changed instantly when he recognized the legendary weapon. "Everyone, be careful! That blade belonged to the Second Hokage he's not an ordinary assassin!"
As the guards adjusted their stances, the Thunder God Sword erupted with concentrated lightning chakra. Simultaneously, Naruto's own chakra surged, causing his entire body to flicker like bright blue lightning. In the next instant, dozens of heads flew into the air, severed before their owners even realized what had happened. Only two jōnin managed to intercept Naruto's blade, but they too were struck by the intense lightning discharge and collapsed. Naruto, still holding the glowing Thunder God Sword, slowly approached. "As expected of a small country," he said coldly. "Even the jōnin are only at this level." Two more flashes of lightning cut through the air, ending their lives.
When Naruto turned toward the carriage, he found the daimyo collapsed inside, trembling uncontrollably, completely stripped of the arrogance he displayed moments earlier. "M-monster… m-monster…" he muttered repeatedly. Naruto stepped forward and said, "Neither your wisdom nor your strength amounts to anything. You inherited your position only because of your bloodline. Even if you wear noble robes, it doesn't change your nature you're still trash."
Immediately afterward, only a final scream echoed through the empty road.
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