The structure of the ANBU in all five great nations was more or less the same. After passing through a long tunnel, Kusuo arrived directly at his destination underground. It was a full dozens of meters deep. It was hard to imagine how such a building was constructed so deep underground back then.
"Lord Kusuo!"
Along the way, he passed through many areas. The ANBU ninja stationed here, after seeing his face clearly, felt their hearts jump and proactively came forward to greet him, afraid of not showing proper hospitality.
Kusuo gave a "mm" all the way, responding to their greetings.
"Where are the three captives I brought back last time?" The three women, Kurotsuchi, Mabui, and Samui, had been taken away by people sent by Tsunade after staying at his house for one night. After all, a joke was a joke, but war was war. The identities of these three people were by no means ordinary. Holding them in the village as hostages could serve as a good deterrent to other countries.
"Reporting to Lord Kusuo! They are all currently being held in a special secret prison. Would you like me to take you there to have a look?" This ANBU ninja thought Kusuo had business with these captives and proactively offered to lead the way.
"No need. Take me to Ibiki Morino," Kusuo said, shaking his head faintly. The purpose of his trip this time was still to find the former captain of the ANBU's Torture and Interrogation Force, Ibiki Morino, the man whose life he had saved.
"Yes, my lord!"
After passing through a long, winding secret passage and numerous sealing formations, the two finally arrived at a base located in the innermost part of the Konoha ANBU.
What met his eyes were a large number of glass containers, inside of which was the same white cellular tissue he had seen in Obito's underground secret chamber in the Hidden Rain Village. Kusuo observed silently. Konoha's strength was indeed much greater. From the construction specifications of the ANBU, one could see that it was of a much higher grade than the Hidden Sand Village's. When he had single-handedly broken into the Sand ANBU, there were only three large areas, all built above ground, with no class at all.
"Captain Ibiki! Lord Kusuo is looking for you." After the ANBU member had led him there, he retreated on his own.
Kusuo gave a look, and Ibiki instantly understood. He waved his hand. "Alright, you all go out and get busy. I'm enough here."
"Yes, Captain!" The dozen or so squad members in the room all consciously retreated, leaving the space completely to Kusuo and Ibiki.
"Kusuo, what do you need me for?" Ibiki got straight to the point.
Thanks to Kusuo, he was now not only the captain of the ANBU's Torture and Interrogation Force, but all of Danzo's Hashirama cell and Orochimaru's leftover human body secret techniques had been handed over to his control. This... was also the reason why Kusuo had sought him out.
"Can anyone outside hear us?" Kusuo didn't directly answer his question, but instead faintly inquired about the confidentiality of the place.
Ibiki was stunned, a look of astonishment on his face. He didn't quite understand why Kusuo had suddenly asked this. "Of course. The security of the Konoha ANBU... not even the Kage of a village could infiltrate it."
"Mm." Kusuo acknowledged this point. In the original story, Konoha had experienced so many incidents, but the ANBU had always prospered, surviving several invasions and destructions unharmed. One could imagine how unique the protection here was. He feared that a large portion of the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu had been used here by Konoha.
"I've come to you for a very important private matter. It concerns the future of the ninja world, so I need you to guard this secret with your life."
Clang!
The metal instrument in Ibiki's hand suddenly fell to the ground. He was stunned.
A private matter? Concerning the future of the ninja world? And I even need to protect it with my life? With his decades of experience working in the ANBU, Ibiki couldn't think of what major secret there could possibly be that would make the boy before him say such words.
Hatake Kusuo... if he remembered correctly, he was only fifteen this year, right? Not even sixteen. But this tone... made his heart unable to calm down.
Kusuo was not in a hurry, quietly waiting for Ibiki to calm his emotions. After all, to ask someone to guard a major matter with their life, it was only normal for them to consider it.
After a long time... "If it does not endanger the village, does not violate my ninja way, and does not harm my friends and family—I can agree!" Ibiki took a deep breath. He had agreed without even asking what Kusuo was requesting him to do.
"Good! I naturally won't ask you to do anything difficult." Kusuo smiled.
"The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal that guy Danzo used... you ANBU should have an enhanced version, right? After all, the entire Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu has been absorbed and digested for so many years. It wouldn't be difficult to invent an upgraded version."
"Of course. But this jutsu needs to be cast on me by someone else. I can't use it on myself," Ibiki said, his brow slightly furrowed, feeling that it was a bit tricky.
Kusuo smiled faintly. "That's fine. Give me the scroll for the jutsu. Just come to my house at five o'clock tomorrow morning."
His words made Ibiki feel puzzled and troubled. He was puzzled as to why Kusuo wanted this scroll. He was troubled because after the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal was invented and upgraded, it was already infinitely close to a super A-rank ninjutsu. It was also the highest-level ninjutsu related to a village's intelligence. The consequences of Konoha losing it were far less than the consequences of it being lost to the outside world. Once another village mastered it, the consequences would be unimaginable.
So, to give the scroll to someone else... after a while, even he, the dual captain of the Torture and Interrogation Force and the research and development unit, felt troubled.
"This..."
Kusuo saw this and still maintained his indifferent smile. "Don't worry. I'll just look at it for one night. You can take it away when you come to my house tomorrow."
Since he had said this much, Ibiki naturally had nothing more to say. After the scroll was handed over to Kusuo, the latter stared into his eyes and said, "Remember. I'm not joking about this matter. And what I want you to do is definitely not on the scale of just one country or one village. It's very likely that in the future, you will become my exclusive subordinate, working for me. This... can also be considered repayment for me saving your life back then."
With that, Kusuo took the scroll and left, leaving Ibiki alone and愕然 (èrán) - astonished.
His heart was in turmoil, filled with shock and uncertainty. Kusuo's words just now had given him a violent shock. A major matter that surpasses the scale of one country or one village? A promise guaranteed with my life?
And... from now on, to become Kusuo's exclusive subordinate.
Ibiki realized that he had very likely been drawn into a secret of an extremely high level. And he was about to face a major turning point in his life.
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