"Yes!"
The three answered in perfect unison.
After witnessing what Hakusei Tōya just demonstrated, even a fool could see how powerful those two types of Haki were. Who wouldn't want to learn them?
Armament Haki didn't just boost offense, it toughened defense too. It was practically made for combat.
And Observation Haki? It allowed one to sense enemy presence and even predict attacks. Compared to standard sensory jutsu, this was top-tier.
Tōya smiled. "That's great. Dismissed. Rest up. We start missions tomorrow."
Inuzuka Midori slumped instantly, her energy draining like a popped balloon. She grumbled,
"Class Rep, you're so mean… getting us all hyped up, then leaving us hanging."
She crouched down and patted her ninken, Graymaru, on the head.
"Graymaru, don't turn out like him, okay? If you do, I'm gonna beat some sense into you."
Saltwater snapped out of his daze and consoled himself internally:
'Well, it makes sense. How could someone just casually teach such secret techniques…'
Kakashi, however, wasn't as pessimistic as the other two. He hadn't known Tōya long, but their recent interactions made one thing clear, Tōya wasn't someone who talked big for nothing.
Haki might be rare and precious, but not necessarily untouchable.
After all, that strange body technique called "Soru" wasn't exactly common either, and Tōya had still handed over the training method without hesitation.
Tōya laughed. "Hey now, don't slander me. I never said I wouldn't teach you. It's just… you're not ready yet."
"Training in Haki isn't that simple. I'll make sure you're all on the right track. Don't overthink it."
Truth was, he didn't have enough points.
Haki was an innate potential exclusive to the One Piece world. But thanks to the Whitebeard Template, Tōya had the ability to awaken that potential in others.
Problem was… it wasn't cheap.
Just unlocking Haki for one person cost 3,000 points. And he had spent nearly everything boosting Whitebeard's fusion rate, which had now reached 44%.
Thankfully, he received a weekly allowance of points based on the village's prosperity. Last week, he had gotten 11,000 points.
Whenever someone in the village got stronger, it contributed a small amount too. Individually, it wasn't much, but added together, it still made a difference.
"Yay! I knew it, Class Rep is such a responsible man! Graymaru, you need to learn from him!"
The moment Tōya mentioned assigning training plans, Midori's mood flipped instantly.
"Didn't you just say I was mean?" Tōya shot her a look. "You're too easy to read."
"Hehe."
Midori scratched her head with a sheepish grin, trying to charm her way out.
Tōya couldn't be bothered arguing with a teenage girl. After telling them tomorrow's meet-up time, he left straightaway.
He had a mission to pick up, from Minato.
Unlike regular shinobi, ANBU operated under a special system. Their missions didn't come from random request scrolls, but directly from the Hokage.
That said, not every ANBU squad could stroll into the Hokage's office and ask for one. Usually, missions were issued to captains, then assigned down to the various teams.
However, Minato had appointed Tōya as squad leader purely as a temporary measure, and granted him a special privilege: he could receive missions directly from the Hokage himself.
And if he had that kind of perk, you bet he'd make use of it.
He barely knew any of the other ANBU captains. If he asked them for assignments, he'd probably just get stuck on lame patrol duty.
But Tōya wasn't interested in wandering the streets all day. If he wanted real promotion, he needed to rack up actual achievements.
Inside the Hokage's office, Minato was hard at work behind a stack of documents when Tōya stepped in.
"You sure look busy for a Hokage," Tōya said with a chuckle. "Kushina was just complaining last night you barely come home these days."
Minato scratched his head and sighed.
"Yeah, it's been hectic. The war did serious damage to the village, and every day I get a mountain of paperwork dumped on my desk."
"But you're right, I haven't been fair to Kushina lately. Thanks for reminding me."
Tōya laughed it off and got straight to the point.
Minato's eyes lit up, as if remembering something. He pulled a folder from the pile and held it up.
"You came at the perfect time. I was wondering who to send for this one. If it's you, I'm not worried at all."
Tōya's interest piqued. This sounded like a high-level mission.
"What kind of job?"
"Remember those three ninja you and Kakashi brought back a few days ago?" Minato asked.
"Of course."
Tōya nodded. He wasn't exactly senile.
"The interrogation unit finished combing through their memories. They were ANBU from the Hidden Grass."
"Hidden Grass, huh? They've got some nerve." Tōya grinned. "So what's the mission, assassinate their higher-ups?"
After all, he had yet to test his strength against true elites. Hidden Grass might be a small village, but among small villages, they were still one of the strongest. They even had several jōnin.
Their leader definitely wouldn't be weak, likely someone above elite jōnin level.
Only by fighting real powerhouses could he gauge his own standing.
Right now, he was fairly confident he ranked high among Kage-tier fighters, but just how high? That was still a mystery.
Minato shook his head. "If only it were that simple. It's a bit more complicated."
"This involves a conflict between nations. I discussed it with the elders and advisors."
"My idea was to send a strong team to apply pressure and demand compensation."
"But the Third Hokage disagreed. He felt that after just finishing talks with Iwa and Suna, it was unwise to stir up more conflict. Hidden Grass is still technically our ally, so he believes we should try peaceful negotiations."
"Danzo, on the other hand, thought my plan didn't go far enough. He suggested sending in a full squad to crush them and teach them a lesson."
Tōya couldn't help but laugh. He could hear the helplessness in Minato's voice.
"Wow, you're the Hokage and no one listens to you?"
"I'm still too young and inexperienced, apparently," Minato replied, unsure if he was mocking the others or himself.
"So whose plan did you go with?" Tōya asked.
"Koharu and Homura supported the Third's proposal. Danzo dropped his own and backed mine. In the end, we reached a compromise."
"Since the intel came from cracked memories, we have no solid proof they're Hidden Grass ANBU."
"If we can obtain documentation verifying their identities, we'll use my plan, apply pressure and demand reparations. If not, we follow the Third's route and open peace talks."
"This is officially classified as an S-rank mission. ANBU records are top-level secrets in every village. It's extremely dangerous. Tōya… are you taking it?"
Tōya grinned. "An S-rank? That's the highest level. Of course I'm taking it. Why wouldn't I? I don't plan on staying a mere squad leader forever."
If he wanted to reshape the ANBU, squad leader wasn't enough. He needed to rise, at least to overall commander, second only to the Hokage.
After all, strengthening the ANBU meant boosting the village's prosperity… and that meant empowering himself.
This was personal.
Minato smiled too. "Good. I wouldn't want you stuck as a squad leader, either."
He had worked hard to persuade Tōya to join the ANBU. It would be a waste if he didn't get the chance to truly shine.
The two locked eyes and burst out laughing.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter