...
Passing through several streets, Sora arrived at the small forest at the edge of the village.
According to the description on the notice, he soon found an exceptionally thick tree. A small, inconspicuous symbol was carved on the trunk, precisely the Anbu mark.
Sora looked left and right, confirming no one was paying attention, then formed a simple hand seal and said softly, "Reserve Member 567 reporting."
The trunk silently split open, revealing an entrance just wide enough for one person. A staircase leading downward appeared before his eyes.
Sora took a deep breath and stepped inside.
After he entered, the trunk silently closed again, as if nothing had happened.
The passage was narrow and dim at first, but as he descended, it became more open. Lamps providing illumination began to appear on the walls on both sides.
After walking for about two or three minutes, the area ahead brightened. A massive underground space appeared before him.
This was the headquarters of the Konoha Anbu.
Sora even speculated that it was hidden directly beneath the Hokage Building, so that Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders could reach the Anbu at any time.
Completely different from the sunny, lively, and peaceful atmosphere of Konoha Village above ground, the Anbu headquarters was filled with a stern, efficient, and oppressive atmosphere.
The entire space was dimly lit, dominated by dark tones.
Anbu members wearing various animal masks could be seen everywhere, hurrying past. Almost no one was talking; only the sound of footsteps echoed in the corridors.
The air carried a faint smell of disinfectant, mixed with scents of earth and rotting tree roots.
Occasionally, a few Anbu members glanced at Sora, this unfamiliar face. But their gazes just swept over him coldly, showing no curiosity or welcome, and soon shifted away.
'The atmosphere here is indeed worlds apart from the village,' Sora thought, sensing the surroundings.
In the village, even ninjas showed a certain degree of emotional interaction. But here, everyone seemed like a precise tool, with emotions compressed to a minimum.
'Is this the 'root' of Konoha?' Sora silently observed his surroundings.
Sora noticed that the Anbu personnel here were of two types.
One type wore full masks that didn't even reveal their eyes. These people were usually in a hurry, carrying a faint, intangible smell of blood.
The other type wore only half-face masks or no masks at all, appearing relatively more relaxed.
'The former are probably full members who just completed a mission or are about to go on one. The latter might be administrative staff or those on break,' Sora guessed.
Following the guidance of the signs, Sora arrived at the reporting area for reserve members.
It was a small room. Inside, only one Anbu wearing a fox mask sat behind a desk, writing something with his head down.
"Reserve Member 567, Sora, reporting," Sora said calmly.
The fox mask looked up, glanced at Sora, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, seemingly not expecting the new reserve member to be so young.
But he didn't ask anything. He just carried out his duty in a businesslike manner. "Identity confirmed. This is your temporary mask and uniform. The changing room is on the left. After changing, come back here for the next instructions."
Sora took a set of standard black Anbu uniform and a simple tanuki mask, and nodded. "Understood."
After changing into the uniform and putting on the mask in the changing room, Sora looked at himself in the mirror: clad entirely in black, his face covered by the mask, leaving only his eyes and a head of white hair visible.
'From now on, I am Anbu Reserve Member 567,' Sora whispered to himself.
Returning to the reporting area, the fox mask handed Sora a small scroll.
"This is your initial arrangement. Assemble at the training ground every morning at 6 AM sharp for training and assessment."
"When you have no missions, you are free to use the training facilities on the underground third level."
"It is forbidden to leave the base without permission. It is forbidden to inquire into information not relevant to you. The consequences for violating rules are severe."
Sora took the scroll and nodded. "Understood."
"Go ahead. You can familiarize yourself with the environment today. Training officially starts tomorrow." The fox mask waved his hand, indicating Sora could leave.
After leaving the reporting area, Sora did not immediately go to familiarize himself with the environment. Instead, he first found a quiet corner, opened the scroll, and read it carefully.
The scroll detailed his schedule as a reserve member, code of conduct, and scope of authority.
"The training mainly includes: stealth and reconnaissance, interrogation and counter-interrogation, assassination techniques, teamwork, codes and ciphers... the coverage is quite comprehensive."
Regarding authority, as a reserve member, Sora could only move within levels one to three of the underground headquarters and could not enter deeper classified areas. He also could not accept missions alone; he must be led by a supervising Jonin.
'It seems the early stage is mainly for learning and adaptation...'
'That suits me just fine.'
'But I can't leave the base during this period?'
Sitting in the corner, Sora frowned. Fortunately, before reporting to the Anbu, he had told Miyamoto Ichiro that he might not return for a long time, so they wouldn't worry.
But this created a problem. When at the orphanage, Sora would practice his Beastification ability every night. Here at the Anbu headquarters, Sora did not dare to do that.
The present time was different from wartime. There might be temporary promotions of half-baked Anbu members. At this time, not to mention the Byakugan that might exist among them, just the other Anbu members themselves, none of them were easy to deal with.
It could be entirely said that the current Anbu were 'all talented individuals,' it's just that they weren't pleasant to talk to.
This, of course, referred to the full members.
Among these Anbu, there were certainly quite a few sensory-type ninjas. If Sora dared to practice his fruit ability here, he would definitely be hung up and tortured...
'It seems I need to pass the assessment period as soon as possible and become a full Anbu member,' Sora thought to himself.
After becoming a full member, there would be two to five days of rest time after each mission. He could use that time to practice his fruit ability.
Obviously, Sora's future time for practicing his fruit ability would inevitably be reduced by the vast majority, prolonging the time it took for him to enter the third stage, Full Beastification.
But there was no other way. He had to enter the Anbu to obtain Sarutobi Hiruzen's protection.
After all, he was still too weak now to deal with the threat from Danzo.
Ultimately, it was still insufficient strength.
Fortunately, for now, as long as he was in the village, Danzo was not something to worry about.
And Sora was only seven years old now. The Third Great Ninja War was still four years away. That time was also enough for him to shed the role of 'cannon fodder.'
...
Closing the scroll, Sora decided to go see the training area first.
The training area in the Anbu headquarters was much more professional and comprehensive than that of the Ninja Academy, divided into two large training zones. Sora was assigned to Training Field Zone One.
Apart from regular taijutsu and ninjutsu training grounds, there were also special venues for practicing stealth, assassination, and trap setting.
Sora entered the taijutsu training ground of Training Zone One and found some Anbu members already training there.
Their movements were clean and sharp, every move aimed directly at vital points, without any unnecessary or flashy actions, carrying a hint of the Hard Fist style. It was completely different from the taijutsu style taught at the Ninja Academy.
'This is the taijutsu truly used in actual combat...' Sora observed carefully, assessing the strength of these people.
'Generally at a level above average Chunin, a few possibly reaching the level of Special Jonin...'
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