As Leaf ninja, almost everyone knew what it meant to join the Anbu. (Ethan thought Naruto definitely didn't know.) Not to mention, this time it was the Hokage himself who had suggested it.
In the eyes of the older generation, it was impossible for a ninja to refuse such an offer. But today, Ethan showed them what "nothing is impossible" really meant.
"Oh? You're not interested in the Anbu?"
"I don't really like wearing masks."
They thought it would be some other reason, but didn't expect that one. Considering Ethan was only twelve years old, as a genius at this age, it was understandable that he wouldn't want to hide everything away and do secret work in the shadows.
Although Itachi and Kakashi had both joined the Anbu at a very young age, Kakashi had grown up during wartime. Itachi had also witnessed the cruelty of war and experienced the Nine-Tails attack. Having seen the harsh reality of the world so early on had caused them to mature ahead of their peers.
So they could join the Anbu early. But Ethan's generation had grown up entirely in peace, and their mindset was completely different from Kakashi's and Itachi's. This could be seen from Sasuke and Naruto. This generation of youths didn't like staying low-key. They preferred to stand out.
"I see… then forget it."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Ethan sincerely thanked him. He had no enthusiasm for Anbu work, mainly because it was too passive. Missions could come at any moment, and there was no personal time. Compared to that, he preferred to take missions freely and arrange his own schedule between work and private life.
"No need to thank me for that. I only called you here because I wanted to hear your thoughts."
Hiruzen didn't bring up the Anbu again and started chatting casually with Ethan, occasionally discussing topics related to ninjutsu, including Ethan's Wood Release.
The two advisors, who had been quiet as statues, occasionally chimed in. Although their tone and attitude were cold and blunt, it was clear they weren't deliberately targeting Ethan. Compared to how they had behaved in his memory, the two were actually quite polite this time.
After chatting for a while, Hiruzen let Ethan leave. In the end, he still didn't give him a specific assignment, only telling him to assess the situation and take on some village missions himself for now.
The recent string of events had caused a serious manpower shortage in the village. Many ninja had been assigned to post-war reconstruction, and quite a few low- and mid-level missions were backlogged. With Ethan's strength, doing these lower-level missions would be easy, even solo.
After Ethan had left, Hiruzen put his hat back on, continued smoking his pipe, and turned to look at the two advisors beside him.
"What do you think?"
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances. Finally, Homura asked Hiruzen with some hesitation,
"Do you think he's suitable?"
"As of now, he's a good candidate."
"He's too young."
"Don't forget about Tsunade."
The two advisors fell silent. They lowered their heads and began thinking deeply. Hiruzen said nothing more and quietly smoked his pipe while gazing out the window with a light smile.
"Naruto... Ethan…"
Hmm, it's a happy kind of dilemma.
Ethan, who had been a bit confused by Hiruzen's chatter, casually wandered the streets after leaving the building. Although the Hokage had essentially given him an assignment—temporary solo activity—he didn't plan to immediately jump into missions and keep himself constantly busy. He intended to start taking missions tomorrow, maintaining a balanced pace that wasn't too fast or too slow, and giving himself plenty of time for "training" (slacking off).
After the Chunin Exams and the Konoha Crush Plan, the early plot of Naruto was basically finished. The only major event left was Sasuke's defection and the pursuit battle between Shikamaru's team and the Sound Four.
But with his interference, would Sasuke still be interested in going to Orochimaru?
He just wanted power. No matter how you looked at it, Ethan was more reliable than Orochimaru, right? Was it necessary to take the risk of betraying Konoha just to go to him?
Even if he really did lose his mind and wanted to defect, there was no way he could escape Ethan's pursuit. It was destined that he wouldn't be able to leave the village.
After that, it would be the fast-forward period of over two years—almost three. This would be a relatively calm period, the perfect time for him to focus on improving his strength.
Besides aging, a few years would also allow bloodline limits to have a greater effect, meaning Ethan could unleash even stronger power.
By displaying his talent appropriately, by the time he revealed Kage-level combat strength, no one would find it strange. After all, he was still technically a Genin, yet he had already mastered Wood Release and forced Orochimaru to retreat. With this kind of achievement as a foundation, he could definitely create even more shock in the future.
"Danzo didn't show up… is it because the Third didn't die?"
Maybe Danzo wanted to act but was suppressed by Hiruzen. That would mean Ethan hadn't saved the wrong person after all. The "flaws" he had deliberately exposed were all covered up by the Hokage.
"Does the Third really trust me that much?"
Or was the old fox planning something deeper? Thinking in worst-case scenarios had become a habit. That way, if something truly did go wrong, he wouldn't be caught off guard.
Just as he was thinking about what the Third and Danzo might do next, Ethan noticed two people not far ahead acting suspiciously.
These two Jonin were both acquaintances. Ethan had even worked with their team for a time and had received some guidance from them.
Originally, he was going to tease them—maybe ask if they were out on a date? But he quickly noticed that Asuma and Kurenai looked very serious. Asuma even gave him a slight wink when he saw him.
Asuma was signaling him to hang back and support from a distance. If anything went wrong, Ethan was to immediately report to other Jonin or even the Hokage.
Ethan turned his head and, upon seeing a pair of figures dressed in black cloaks with red clouds, immediately understood who they were tracking.
He subtly returned Asuma's look, then kept a proper distance, preparing to provide support.
Maybe it was because they had backup now, or maybe they were planning to lead the other party into a less populated area to confront them, but eventually, Asuma and Kurenai intercepted the two suspicious figures by a lakeside.
Ethan continued observing from afar, quietly watching the conversation between the four. Normally, he wouldn't be able to hear what was being said from such a distance, but he wasn't a normal person. Even from far away, he could clearly pick up the conversation.
Asuma, a Jonin of the village, had every reason to stop suspicious people for questioning, especially after a war.
What he didn't expect was that the other party actually recognized him. When one of them slightly lifted his hat and revealed his face, Asuma looked shocked.
"Uchiha... Itachi!"
The person beside him also removed his hat and introduced himself in a very familiar tone.
"I am Hoshigaki Kisame. Nice to meet you."
Both Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were high-profile criminals on the wanted list. Even though Kisame wasn't from the Land of Fire, the Leaf had done their homework on him too.
Since Jonin might be tasked with eliminating these wanted criminals or encounter them during missions, Konoha had compiled detailed information on these dangerous individuals.
He didn't expect to meet Kisame here in the village—and with Uchiha Itachi, no less.
Other things could be tolerated, but Uchiha Itachi, the scapegoat who had slaughtered the Uchiha clan, was a major criminal in Konoha. As Leaf ninja, Asuma and Kurenai couldn't just stand by and let him come and go freely.
Even if Itachi clearly expressed that he didn't want to fight, a battle still broke out.
In the blink of an eye, Asuma and Kurenai were already at a disadvantage. The fight between Kurenai and Itachi moved from the lake's edge onto the water. Kurenai's genjutsu was reflected back at her by Itachi, and she was kicked onto the surface of the lake.
At this point, Ethan didn't remain hidden in the distance. He had already moved the moment the fight started. Using his high speed, he arrived at the scene just in time and intercepted Itachi, who had appeared ready to finish off Kurenai.
Truthfully, Itachi had been holding back a lot. If he had been serious, Kurenai would've died in an instant.
Kurenai specialized in genjutsu, and her talent was indeed solid. Among Konoha's Jonin, few could surpass her in that field.
But she just happened to face Uchiha Itachi, whose Sharingan had already evolved to its peak. He was practically immune to most genjutsu, which meant Kurenai had encountered her worst possible match.
"Why did you come out?"
Kurenai glanced at Ethan, who was standing in front of her blocking Itachi. She had thought he would go and call for reinforcements the moment the fight started, but unexpectedly, he jumped in instead.
"In this situation, do I really have a choice?"
Kurenai looked embarrassed. If she hadn't been taken down in an instant and could've at least bought some time for Ethan, then he really wouldn't have needed to jump in.
As she got back on her feet, Kurenai instinctively tried to stand in front of Ethan again. But as she stood up, she realized Uchiha Itachi was no longer in front of her. His voice came from behind instead.
"If you had stayed down, maybe things would've been better..."
Before he could finish, Itachi realized that both Kurenai and the young man in front of him had suddenly disappeared.
"Hm?"
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)