Chapter 61: Anbu Squad

Translator's Note:

I recently discovered another translator is working on the same fanfiction novel, "Naruto: God-level Forging System," on Webnovel. Their last update was about a month ago.

Initially, out of respect for their work, I considered finding a different Chinese fanfiction to translate. However, since they've stopped updating, I've decided to continue with this fanfiction novel. I've already drafted 33 chapters.

I hope you'll consider leaving a review of my translation. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback on how I can improve!

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Although Ren had long felt there was nothing wrong with his body—just excessive mental energy consumption that a few days of sleep would recover—at the insistent request of his concerned family, Ren still stayed in the Ninja Hospital for two or three days. He didn't leave until the doctor checked him and ensured he was in no serious condition.

The day after leaving the Ninja Hospital, Ren received a notification from Anbu: three new members had been added to his team. Once their team was fully assembled, they could go on missions. So, he changed into Anbu's standard attire, donned his fox mask, and quickly arrived at the Anbu headquarters to meet the three members of his new assassination squad.

Their code names were Sunflower, Moth, and Seaisland. Two men and one woman, the standard configuration of a Konoha ninja squad. Sunflower was a female ninja, while Moth and Seaisland were both male. All three had recently joined Anbu and had been assigned to Ren's squad after passing the rigorous training camp.

Normally, after a ninja was selected and entered Anbu, there was a unified control and training process. Only ninja who passed this selection would truly enter the Anbu and become official members. However, due to Ren's special situation, having been directly recruited by Lord Hokage, he did not participate in unified training. Instead, Kakashi, the Anbu Commander, directly conducted his strength assessment.

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At this time, in an Anbu stronghold, Sunflower, Moth, and Seaisland found themselves facing their new captain, "Echo Feather," who was visibly shorter than them and only twelve years old. The scene fell into a moment of awkward silence.

"Are you Captain Echo Feather?" The girl codenamed Sunflower was the first to break the ice.

"That's right." Ren nodded, then said very succinctly, "Follow me."

Sunflower, Moth, and Seaisland followed behind Ren. He led them to an open area within the Anbu stronghold and then removed his mask. Beneath it was a strikingly handsome and youthful face, still bearing a hint of boyishness. Generally, Anbu ninja were only required to wear masks when performing missions to conceal their identity. Some Anbu ninja were too lazy to remove their masks even when returning to Anbu to hand over tasks, leading to most ninja in Anbu wearing masks over time. However, Ren felt it necessary to have a preliminary understanding with them before leading them on a mission, hence he took off his mask.

"Well…" Sunflower quickly covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. 'Captain Echo Feather is too handsome, isn't he?!' Although she had heard things about Echo Feather in Anbu and knew he was only twelve, she truly hadn't expected Captain Echo Feather to be so handsome! 'Such a handsome and beautiful face, wearing a mask is such a pity.' Sunflower couldn't help but think this to herself.

"As the captain of this team, it's necessary for me to introduce myself first. My name is Ren, I am twelve years old this year. My code name in Anbu is 'Echo Feather', and you will use this code name to address me in the future. The ninjutsu I am proficient in are taijutsu and manipulating ninja tools. When you introduce yourselves, you should also explain your areas of ninjutsu specialization, so it will be more convenient for us to cooperate in future battles."

Although their captain was young, his speaking style and demeanor were unusually calm and commanding. At this moment, the three of them couldn't help but share the same thought: 'he's surprisingly imposing.'

Subsequently, Sunflower, Moth, and Seaisland simultaneously removed their masks, revealing the youthful faces beneath. The man codenamed Seaisland stepped forward first and said: "My name is Hyūga Shin, I am twenty-two years old this year, and my code name is Seaisland. I am a ninja from the Hyūga clan, with the Byakugan, and I specialize in Gentle Fist taijutsu and reconnaissance."

Then the man named Moth spoke: "My name is Aburame Zanji, I am twenty years old this year, my code name is Moth. I come from the Aburame clan, and I am skilled at manipulating insects and investigation."

Finally, it was the female ninja codenamed Sunflower who stepped forward. In a very soft voice, she said: "My name is Gekko Kui, I am seventeen years old this year, my code name is Sunflower. I was born in the Gekko clan, I possess a kekkei genkai, I'm also good at reconnaissance, and I specialize in swordsmanship."

Ren had some understanding of the Hyūga clan and the Aburame clan. As for the Gekko clan, he didn't know much about them, except for the perpetually ill Hayate Gekko from the original story.

"What's your relationship with Jōnin Hayate Gekko?" Ren asked casually.

"Huh? Captain, you actually know my brother!" The corner of Gekko Kui's mouth curved, revealing two very cute little tiger teeth, and she said with a smile, "I am Hayate Gekko's younger sister!"

"So that's it," Ren nodded secretly, but said nothing further. It didn't matter who they were; in his squad, they just had to obey his orders.

Then Ren went to the Mission Department and received their first mission. Because it was a newly established team, Anbu had stipulated that the first task performed by the team could not exceed B-rank. So, Ren could only receive a B-rank mission scroll. Of course, he actually wanted to receive A-rank tasks even more, but it seemed he could only put that idea aside for the time being.

"Everyone is a ninja with good strength. I will not give you time to cooperate and train. I think actual combat is the best way to integrate. I have already received the task, so let's go now!" There was a trace of calm authority in Ren's eyes.

The three of them, Sunflower, Moth, and Seaisland, had long heard of Ren's strength. Not long ago, he had defeated Tenzō, the leader of the Second Assassination Unit. So, they didn't dare to be disrespectful or question this young captain at all. They lowered their heads in unison and said in unison, "Yes, Captain!"

Ren, who had put on his mask again, allowed an imperceptible smile to appear on the corner of his mouth. 'Sure enough, the battle between him and Yamato was very effective.' After letting everyone know his strength, it really saved a lot of trouble. Before those people wanted to question him, they had to weigh their own strength to see if they had what it took to defeat him. Just like the three members of his team now, he knew very well that they were definitely no match for him, Ren, so they didn't dare to have any objections.

Good, it seemed that among the three people under his command, there was no ignorant idiot. Ren was very satisfied with the staffing of this team. Judging from the personnel in this group, it was undoubtedly the high-ranking officials in the village who had begun to notice him, allocating some good human resources to him. The Hyūga Clan, the Aburame Clan, and the Gekko Clan—all three were ninja from major families, and they were all ninja who were very good at reconnaissance. With the three of them, even if Ren didn't release his mechanical mouse, it was enough to detect the situation within a few kilometers. If they found that the situation was not right, they could also choose to lead the team to evacuate immediately, guaranteeing the survival rate of the entire team members. For other Anbu squads, deploying even one perception ninja to improve the squad's survival rate was an extravagant hope. But here, Ren's team had three! It seemed that after Kakashi saw his strength, he was indeed a little more focused on nurturing him.

"Okay, all the food is ready. Now that the ninja gear is ready, let's go!"

Before leaving, Ren said to his subordinates: "During the mission, you must be vigilant at all times. Don't let anything affect your mentality; keeping calm is the number one priority of being an Anbu ninja! If your performance in this mission is not enough to satisfy me, then just get out of my team. There will be no dead weight in my team! Alright, let's go now!"

Unconsciously, Ren's demeanor now carried a palpable air of authority.