Although there were many ways to acquire Achievement Points, the sheer difficulty of earning them made every single point incredibly precious.
At the very least, in the two and a half years since Ayane had awakened her system, the points she had painstakingly accumulated through daily training barely amounted to a little over a thousand.
Yet, her only two lonely White-tier Titles had instantly provided her with a combined total of 1,300 points!
Academy Valedictorian Title — 500 points!
Ame Genin Title — 800 points!
It was glaringly obvious which method of acquiring points was more efficient.
Looking at the three Traits on her holographic panel that were currently eligible for an upgrade, the young girl pondered for a moment.
She decided not to rush her choice, opting instead to wait until the official squad placements were announced tomorrow morning before making her final decision.
—————— Early the next morning.
Ayane woke up bright and early, strapped on her ninja pouch, and set off for the Ninja Academy.
The rain, which had been pouring for a full day and night, still showed no signs of stopping.
She had no choice but to throw on a waterproof cloak, burying her face beneath the deep black hood.
The pedestrians on the street were dressed identically, all hurrying along with quick, muffled footsteps.
From a distance, they looked like a flock of black ghosts wandering aimlessly through the steel city.
Overnight, it felt as though an atmosphere even thicker and more oppressive than the storm clouds above had descended over the village.
‘Such a heavy atmosphere…
Has the news of our defeat on the frontlines already spread?’ the young girl wondered silently.
The instigator of the Second Great Ninja War was not one of the traditional Five Great Shinobi Countries.
It was their own leader, the Demigod of the Shinobi World, the First Amekage—Hanzo of the Salamander!
Technically and legally speaking, Hanzo was not the original founder of Amegakure, so he couldn’t truly be called the ‘First’ Amekage.
But the title of ‘Kage’ was not just a self-proclaimed rank for a village leader; it was a profound acknowledgement of a ninja’s supreme strength by the rest of the world.
Take the leader of Takigakure (the Hidden Waterfall), for example.
While he might call himself the Takikage behind closed doors, no shinobi from the Five Great Nations would ever take that ‘Kage’ title seriously.
Hanzo, however, had violently shattered the world’s preconceived notions about minor ninja villages through sheer, overwhelming personal power.
Thus, through word of mouth and genuine fear, Hanzo became widely recognized as the ‘First Amekage’.
And because the weight of the title ‘First Kage’ carried such historical prestige, his reputation as the Demigod of the Shinobi World only grew louder, earning the begrudging respect of ninja everywhere!
After all, the powerhouses who had survived the Warring States Period to found the hidden villages were all absolute monsters!
The logic was simple.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, who founded Konoha, was the God of Shinobi…
So it only made sense that Hanzo of the Salamander, who put Amegakure on the map, was the Demigod of Shinobi…
Three years ago, this Demigod had grown restless.
Perhaps he wanted to erase the ‘Demi’ from his title, or perhaps he was simply sick of the endless rainy seasons in the Land of Rain and decided to expand their territory.
Whatever the reason, Hanzo had boldly invaded the Land of Iron.
After defeating the samurai and forcing them to declare absolute neutrality, he simultaneously declared war on the Five Great Shinobi Nations, publicly announcing that the Land of Rain would become the Sixth Great Shinobi Nation!
Single-handedly, he had ignited the Second Great Ninja War!
However, ideals are beautiful, but reality is cruel.
The ambitious Hanzo initially chose to march south, launching a surprise attack on Sunagakure (the Hidden Sand).
Relying on the element of surprise, Amegakure secured significant victories in the early stages of the war.
But as time dragged on, Hanzo’s deadliest weapon—his poison—was completely neutralized by the Sand Village’s elder, Chiyo.
At the same time, Amegakure’s glaring lack of manpower and resources was exposed.
The frontlines were pushed back again and again, and they ultimately had to retreat empty-handed.
Seeing that the surprise attack on the Land of Wind had failed, Hanzo pivoted east, setting his sights on the fertile lands and pleasant climate of the Land of Fire.
But Konoha, as the undisputed strongest ninja village, possessed terrifying military might.
The two sides had been locked in a bitter stalemate at the border for over a year.
The ninja forces led by Hanzo had suffered catastrophic casualties, and to this day, they couldn’t advance a single inch!
Although it was called a Ninja Academy, at the end of the day, it was a military facility meant to churn out child soldiers.
The news circulating within its walls was naturally far more accurate than civilian rumors.
Ayane had gathered all of this frontline intel directly from the Academy instructors!
The young girl pursed her lips, realizing that the fleeting days of peace for the villagers were likely coming to an end.
Anyone who had seen the Naruto anime knew exactly what was coming next.
Although Hanzo would eventually defeat the new generation of Konoha shinobi—earning them the title of the Legendary Sannin—his poison tactics would once again be deciphered, and his strategic objectives would fail…
With his ambitions utterly crushed, Hanzo of the Salamander would lose his drive.
He would regress into a paranoid watchdog, abandoning the citizens of his country to be trampled by the flames of war over and over again…
He would barricade himself in the capital of the Land of Rain, drowning in paranoia and luxury, desperately trying to maintain his political power.
He would turn a blind eye to foreign invaders while striking down any internal dissent with an iron fist.
Eventually, he would collude with Danzo to kidnap Konan, force the death of Yahiko, and ultimately be assassinated silently by Pain’s Six Paths, bringing a pathetic end to his legendary life.
Lost in her thoughts, she finally arrived at the Academy.
The small classroom was surprisingly packed.
The students were buzzing with nervous excitement, gathering in small groups and chattering about where they might be assigned.
‘The passing rate for this graduation exam was unusually high.’ Just a quick glance around the room confirmed that almost everyone had passed; there were no holdbacks.
Ayane’s heart sank at the realization.
She walked quietly to her usual seat and sat down.
The chubby boy sitting next to her immediately lit up.
He leaned over eagerly, eyes shining.
“Good morning, Ayane!” Ayane glanced at him, gave a slight nod, and replied politely, “Good morning, Nikaido.” The chubby boy’s face flushed with awkwardness, and he clenched his fists.
“Ayane, look closely!
I’m Takayuki Nagano!
I’m not that sickly string bean Ryoto Nikaido who looks like a strong breeze would knock him over!” “Oh!
Nagano, was it?
I’m so sorry, I got it mixed up again…” Ayane turned her head and blinked without a shred of genuine guilt.
“You and Nikaido just look so similar, I always get you two confused.
My apologies.” Stared down by the girl’s clear, bright amber eyes, the chubby boy instantly became flustered again.
His face turned bright red, and he lowered his head, stuttering, “I-It’s fine…
It’s my fault for not being memorable enough.
Next time, I’ll pin a name tag to my chest so you’ll know…” Ayane was speechless.
“…” Bro, you actually fell for an excuse that lazy?
She had just spouted some nonsense to brush him off, but the kid seemed to take it entirely to heart…
Children in the shinobi world were incredibly mature in some ways, yet painfully naive in others, constantly swinging between the two extremes.
She had only been at the Academy for a little over two years, but she had already experienced this dichotomy firsthand.
“Alright, everyone settle down.” The homeroom teacher—a man not even thirty but already severely balding—clapped his hands.
“I will now read from the official roster and announce your ninja squad placements…” “Keep in mind, these assignments are centrally mandated by the village and have been personally authorized by Lord Hanzo.” “If any student is dissatisfied with their placement, you may speak to me or the Dean to request a transfer, but you may not outright refuse, nor are you allowed to privately trade spots with your classmates!” “Is that understood?” Despite it being an uncompromising, dictatorial order, the students instantly beamed with enthusiasm the moment they heard Hanzo’s name.
Such was the absolute prestige Hanzo commanded within the village right now.
The class shouted in unison: “Understood!” “Very well, listen closely…” “Ryoto Nikaido, Regular Combat Force, 6th Company, 4th Squad…” “Takayuki Nagano, Regular Reconnaissance Force, 1st Company, 2nd Squad…” Reconnaissance Force…
Combat Force…
No mention of a Chunin or Jonin squad leader…
Ayane frowned slightly as she listened.
This specific military nomenclature meant only one thing: almost everyone here was being drafted directly to the frontline battlefield.
They weren’t being assigned to standard three-man Genin cells for simple D-rank missions like previous graduating classes…
Even though she had mentally prepared herself for this, the reality of the situation still sent a wave of tension through her body.
Was she really about to step onto a battlefield?
Out of all these loud, energetic kids sitting around her…
how many would actually survive?
The chubby boy, Takayuki Nagano, clearly hadn’t grasped the cruelty of their future yet.
He was currently sitting with his hands clasped together in prayer, muttering a foolish wish under his breath, “Oh great Sage of Six Paths, please let the cool and cute Ayane be assigned to the Reconnaissance Force with me, please!” “Ayane Amamiya…” After a while, the teacher finally called her name.
He intentionally paused, raising his voice slightly to ensure everyone heard.
“Special Assassination and Tactical Squad!” The classroom fell dead silent for a second, followed immediately by an uproar.
Special Assassination and Tactical Squad?
Wasn’t that…
the Anbu Black Ops?!
Stares shot toward her from every direction, spotlighting her instantly.
The chubby boy pumped his fist, looking ecstatic.
“As expected of Ayane!
She’s always so amazing!” Ryoto Nikaido, who was as thin as a scarecrow, sat behind him and couldn’t help but scoff, “Hey, fatso, what does her assignment have to do with you?” “What do you mean what does it have to do with me?” Nagano spun around, arguing righteously, “Can’t stand seeing Ayane succeed?
Or do you just hate her?” Nikaido lowered his head, quickly retracting his subtle, admiring glances toward Ayane, and shut his mouth.
Ayane Amamiya was the valedictorian of their class.
She was powerful, carried herself with a magnanimous aura, and was outrageously beautiful.
More importantly, she was different from the other girls in the class.
she never bossed the boys around, nor did she treat them like pests to be avoided.
Being around her just gave off an indescribably comfortable vibe!
What boy in the class wouldn’t have a crush on a girl like that?
But unlike a moron like Takayuki Nagano, Nikaido clearly understood the massive gap in talent between himself and Ayane.
He knew he could only bury those feelings deep in his heart.
“Congratulations, Amamiya.” The usually stern-faced homeroom teacher forced a rare, kindly smile.
“As the top student of this graduating class, you’ve been specially drafted into the village’s Anbu.
The details of your assignment will be given to you privately by Principal Ichii.” The teacher added, “The Principal is waiting for you in his office.
Don’t keep him waiting.” Under the watchful eyes of her peers, the young girl stood up and replied calmly, “Understood, Sensei.
I will head there immediately.” —————— The Principal of the Ninja Academy was a man named Kei Ichii.
Although he was one of the few elite Jonin in the village, he was already over fifty years old.
He was older than the Hidden Rain Village itself by a few decades.
His physical strength had long since deteriorated, and he was on the verge of retirement.
In the current shinobi world, living to fifty was considered a long, prosperous life.
Coupled with his position as the Academy Principal, Kei Ichii was essentially a high-ranking official within Amegakure, and his words carried significant weight.
More importantly, he was her late father’s former master.
He had personally taught the old man his kenjutsu (sword techniques) and taijutsu.
After her parents passed away, the only reason an orphaned girl with a sizable inheritance managed to safely enroll in the Academy and graduate without being targeted was largely because this old man had been secretly protecting her from the shadows.
The door to the Principal’s office was wide open.
Before Ayane could even knock, the elderly man behind the desk waved her in.
“Ah, little Ayane, come in!” “Principal,” the girl greeted respectfully.
“I told you, drop the formalities.” The old man poured a cup of tea from a pot.
“You’ve already graduated from the Academy, and it’s not official working hours anyway.
No need to be so stiff.” Ayane didn’t argue.
Logically, she should probably address him as ‘Grandpa.’ But their relationship wasn’t quite intimate enough for that, so she was more comfortable sticking to ‘Principal’ or ‘Senior.’ She let him ramble on with some small talk for a while before he finally got down to business.
“It’s a good thing your exam scores were so outstanding this time.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to find an excuse to slip you into the Anbu.” The old man pulled Ayane’s written exam from his drawer.
“As for this phrase, ‘Dedicate your hearts to Lord Hanzo’…
well, the short story before it where Lord Hanzo supposedly shot down the flying Tsuchikage Onoki with a single kunai…
while vividly written, the logic is a bit far-fetched…” Ayane maintained a completely deadpan expression, her face as cold and emotionless as a seasoned assassin.
Under the desk, however, her toes were curling so hard they practically dug into the floorboards.
She hadn’t thought much of it when she was writing it.
But hearing someone read her own shamelessly exaggerated propaganda out loud…
the secondhand embarrassment was lethal!
“These kind of self-aggrandizing fairy tales are more Konoha’s style.
We in the Land of Rain don’t usually go for this sort of thing.” Ignorant to her internal suffering, Kei Ichii continued, “However…
that line, ‘Dedicate your hearts to Lord Hanzo’, was actually forwarded to the frontlines.
It might even be adopted as the new rallying cry to boost troop morale.” “Because of that, your written exam grade is the very first ‘S’ in the Academy’s history!” The old man winked at her.
“Well?
Are you surprised?” Surprised?!
I’m mortified!
Ayane’s stoic facade finally cracked, her mouth twitching.
“Senior, when they use that slogan…
they aren’t going to credit the author, are they?” The old man chuckled.
“The regular shinobi definitely won’t know.
But the Anbu squad you’re joining—Team Owl?
Hard to say…” Perfect.
She hadn’t even clocked in for her first day, and she had already committed social suicide.
Ichii’s expression sobered up, and he spoke seriously, “Speaking of Team Owl, they are one of the Anbu’s ace intelligence-gathering units.
But because they suffered heavy casualties on the Sunagakure frontlines, Lord Hanzo authorized them to temporarily recruit new blood to restore their ranks.
That’s the only reason they’re making an exception to take in a Genin.” He advised her, “When you get there, remember to watch closely, listen carefully, and learn as much as you can.
It would be best if you get on the good side of the Squad Captain.” For a high-ranking official like Kei Ichii to specifically mention a Captain, the person had to be a ninja with an incredibly bright future.
The girl pondered this for a moment and asked with genuine curiosity, “Is he a special Kekkei Genkai user?” “No, he’s the son of the village’s Minister of Finance.” Good lord, he’s a nepotism hire!
I absolutely despise nepotism!
Wait.
I used my connections to get this spot too…
Never mind.
“Also, even though you’ve been placed in the Anbu, which is relatively safer right now…” Ichii rubbed his forehead, his tone growing grave.
“…that does not mean you can let your guard down.
Once you step onto the battlefield, you must always be prepared to die!” Anbu?
Safe?
Since when do those two words belong in the same sentence?
Ayane was momentarily stunned, but before the old man could elaborate, her sharp mind pieced the puzzle together.
It sounded counterintuitive.
The Anbu Black Ops were Hanzo’s elite personal guard, executing high-risk black-ops missions far deadlier than anything a regular squad would face.
Logically, it should be a death sentence.
But given the current political climate, it made perfect sense.
Amegakure had been locked in a grueling stalemate with Konoha, with no victory in sight.
Factor in their previous humiliating defeat against the Sand Village, and despite Hanzo’s supreme prestige, the once unified voices of Amegakure were inevitably starting to fracture with quiet dissent against his leadership.
Under these circumstances…
Unless Hanzo was a completely selfless saint, he had to be considering the post-war power struggle.
Naturally, he wouldn’t dare risk massive casualties among the Anbu—his most loyal, elite enforcers.
He needed them intact to secure his rule once the dust settled.
Realizing this, Ayane felt a deep sense of gratitude for the old man’s meticulous planning on her behalf.
She nodded earnestly.
“Senior, I will be careful.” “See that you are.” The old man gazed at her for a long moment before sighing heavily.
“At the very least…
don’t make it so that when this old man is buried, there isn’t a single living relative left to attend the funeral…” He didn’t say anything more.
He stood up, walked over to a secure cabinet behind his desk, and retrieved a green-hilted chakra blade and a black sealing scroll.
“The time has come.” “The things your mother and father entrusted to me back then…
it is time to return them to their rightful owner.”