After her parents passed away one after another, the fact that an orphan like Ayane could successfully enroll in the Ninja Academy with her parents’ inheritance and stay safely until graduation was mostly thanks to this old man providing shelter behind the scenes.
The door to the Principal’s office was wide open.
Before Ayane could knock, she saw the old man behind the desk waving.
“It’s little Ayane.
Come in!” “Principal,” the girl responded.
“I’ve told you, don’t use titles.” The old man poured tea from a pot.
“You’ve already graduated from school, and besides, this isn’t working hours.
There’s no need to be so formal.” Ayane didn’t argue.
Logically, she should call him Grandpa.
But their relationship wasn’t that close, so she was more used to calling him Principal or Senior.
She let him chatter about domestic matters for a while before he finally got to the point.
“It’s thanks to your excellent exam results this time.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have found an opportunity to help you enter the Anbu.” The old man pulled out Ayane’s written exam paper from a drawer.
“Compared to the phrase ‘Offer your heart to Lord Hanzou,’ the short story before it…
well, the story about Leader Hanzou using a Kunai to knock Tsuchikage Ōnoki out of the sky…
although the content is vivid and interesting, the logic of the story is a bit too exaggerated…” Ayane remained expressionless, her face as cold as an emotionless killer.
In reality, her toes under the desk were already curling up uncontrollably.
She hadn’t thought there was anything wrong when she was answering the questions.
But hearing someone read out her written answers now…
that feeling was simply excruciatingly awkward!
“This kind of self-boasting story is usually the style of Konoha across the way.
We in the Amegakure don’t do that.” Ichii Kei continued as if he hadn’t noticed her discomfort, “However…
the phrase ‘Offer your heart to Lord Hanzou’ has already been sent to the front lines.
Perhaps it will be used as a new rallying cry for the front-line troops to boost morale.” “So your written exam score is the first S in the school’s history!” The old man blinked.
“How about it?
Isn’t it a pleasant surprise?” Where’s the surprise?
Ayane couldn’t hold it together anymore.
Her mouth twitched.
“Senior, I assume the author’s name won’t be mentioned during the promotion, right?” The old man chuckled.
“Ordinary Ninjas certainly won’t know, but for the Anbu Owl Squad you’re going to…
it’s hard to say…” Great.
She hadn’t even started the job, and she was already socially dead…
Ichii Kei’s expression became serious.
“Speaking of the Owl Squad, it’s one of the ace intelligence squads of the Anbu.
However, because it suffered heavy losses on the Sunagakure battlefield earlier, Lord Hanzou only recently allowed it to temporarily recruit Ninjas to restore its roster.
That’s why an exception was made to recruit a Genin.” He advised, “When you get there, remember to listen more, watch more, and learn more.
It’s best to build a good relationship with the squad leader.” Anyone specifically mentioned by a high-ranking official like Ichii Kei was likely a Ninja with a very bright future.
After hearing this, the girl pondered for a moment, slightly puzzled.
“Is he a special bloodline Ninja?” “No, he’s the son of the Village’s Finance Minister.” Good grief, so he’s a well-connected person!
I hate well-connected people the most!
What?
I am too?
Then never mind…
“Also, although you’re going to a relatively safe place like the Anbu…” Ichii Kei rubbed his forehead and carefully instructed, “But that doesn’t mean you can let your guard down.
Once you’re on the battlefield, you must be prepared for death at any moment!” Anbu?
Safe?
Can those two terms even be put together?
Ayane was stunned for a moment, but before the other party could explain, she quickly understood the logic behind it.
It sounded somewhat counter-intuitive; after all, the Anbu was the elite force directly under Hanzou, and the missions they normally performed were far more difficult than those of other squads.
Logically, it should be more dangerous.
But considering the current situation, it was very easy to understand.
At this time, the Hidden Rain Village and Konoha had been locked in a fierce battle for a long time, and there was no hope of victory in sight yet.
Adding in the losses previously suffered at the hands of Sunagakure, even though Hanzou’s prestige was supreme, voices of opposition had begun to appear within the once-monolithic Hidden Rain Village.
Under these circumstances…
As long as Hanzou wasn’t a selfless saint, he would inevitably consider the issue of power distribution after the war.
Naturally, how could he bear to let the Anbu—a force absolutely loyal to him—suffer large-scale casualties?
After thinking through this point…
Ayane felt deeply moved by the other’s profound planning for her.
She nodded seriously, her tone carrying a hint of gratitude: “Senior, I will be careful.” “It would be best if you were.” The old man gazed at her, then sighed, “At least, don’t let this old man have not a single relative to attend my funeral when I’m laid to rest in the future…” He said no more, but stood up and retrieved a cyan Ninja blade and a black scroll from a secure cabinet behind him.
“The time has come.” “It’s time for the things your father and mother entrusted to me to be returned to their rightful owner.”