After leaving the Medical Division, Anya quickly arrived at the Hokage's office.
The Third was visibly pleased by her arrival. For days he had been troubled with worries, but now a smile returned to his face. Without wasting time, he said directly, "I think you already know why I called you here."
Anya nodded and replied, "It's about this time during the Third Battle."
"That's right," the Third responded solemnly. "The war has begun again, so I'm permanently transferring you away from the Medical Division."
"What do you need me to do?" she asked straightforwardly.
"I plan to send you to the battlefield at Iwagakure village to assist Minato Namikaze in defeating them."
"Fine."
Seeing her accept immediately without hesitation, the Third was pleased. He continued, "Right now, I will restore your position as Anbu Commander. Additionally, I'd like to grant you a codename. Do you have any thoughts on what it should be?"
Not everyone in the Anbu received a codename. Having one meant you held an important position with leadership authority, marking you as part of the Anbu's upper ranks.
As for a codename, Anya hadn't really considered anything specific. She glanced at the clear blue sky above and casually offered one word: "Night."
"Night? Alright then. That shall be your codename from now on." The Third continued, "I've already arranged your team members for you. Once you familiarize yourself with them, you may depart immediately."
"Hold on," Anya interjected. "Hokage-sama, there's something I'd like to request."
The Third wasn't surprised that Anya had a request. In a kind tone, he replied, "Go ahead. Say what you want."
"As for the team members, I'd prefer to choose them myself."
During the previous battle in the Second War, all of Anya's team members had died. What's the point of earning glory if no one's left to claim it? Part of the reason had been because some failed to obey orders, provoking the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki unnecessarily.
She was determined not to repeat those same mistakes on the battlefield this time. Team members who refused commands and lacked discipline would serve no purpose—she'd rather go alone than work with such people.
The Third fell into brief thought before asking, "Do you already have someone in mind?"
Anya nodded. "Yes, a few names."
"Alright then. You have three days. Three days from now, you must head straight to the battlefield." Because situations on the battlefield changed rapidly, the Third issued his final order.
"Yes, sir."
Leaving the office, Anya put on her former Anbu uniform, wearing the mask once more. She headed straight below ground level—it was time to retrieve her first team member from Root.
However, upon reaching Root's entrance, she was stopped. "What audacity. Which Anbu are you to dare come here uninvited?"
A cold light flickered in Anya's eyes as she stated coolly, "If I recall correctly, Root belongs to the Anbu training division. I see no reason why I should explain my presence here to the two of you."
"Is that so? Then how about me?" A chilling voice approached from afar.
Anya turned to see the speaker, killing intent rising within her. It was none other than Danzo—the one who orchestrated Nocturne and among those responsible for the death of White Fang.
Danzo stared at Anya's figure, feeling a wave of unfamiliarity. This wasn't someone he recognized from Anbu. He immediately rebuked her, "Who are you? A new Anbu recruit? Show some respect."
Anya suppressed her killing intent and calmly replied, "My codename is Ya. I'm one of the Anbu squad captains. Right now, I'm here to retrieve my squad member from Root."
"Ya?" Danzo expressed his confusion. That codename sounded completely foreign to him. In theory, he had knowledge of practically every Anbu operative. Who was this person who suddenly appeared and claimed to be a captain? Wait a second—she mentioned having a squad member in Root?
Suddenly, Danzo recalled someone who had been stripped of their position as Anbu captain three years ago. His expression darkened ominously. He already suspected who this Anbu officer might be. With a cold tone, he responded, "There is no one in Root affiliated with you. You may leave now."
"Hmph," Anya scoffed slightly, rotated her body, and instantly passed right by Danzo.
"What speed! So fast!" One-eyed Danzo couldn't even catch sight of Anya's movements, leaving him shocked in place. Moreover, he could sense the faint but chilling killing intent emanating from her.
"Daring indeed."
Two Root members reacted, shouting furiously as they unsheathed their long blades and charged toward Anya.
"Drawing blades on me?" Without even turning around, Anya dispatched two Shadow Clones that flew out and attacked the Root operatives with even greater speed, striking them down instantly. The chakra strikes hit the central nervous system precisely, knocking both operatives unconscious.
After eliminating the nuisances, Anya spoke casually, "Danzo, I know you've already deduced who I am by now. Therefore, don't give me reason to kill you. I'll give you five minutes. If after that time I don't see her or if she's met with any misfortune, you can gamble whether I dare kill you or not."
Fury flared in Danzo's eyes as he faced Anya's threat. However, locked under such intense killing intent, a cold shiver ran down his spine. No wonder she was a disciple of the White Fang—her killer intent matched that of her teacher. Even more terrifying was how she disregarded all rules—no Anbu member had ever dared to threaten him like this before.
In the end, Danzo conceded. He issued an order toward the shadows behind him. Soon afterward, a masked figure emerged from the darkness.
Anya took one look and confirmed it was indeed Yugao. She motioned to her, saying, "Come here."
Upon hearing the somewhat familiar voice, Yugao raised her head slightly beneath her mask. Yet instead of advancing, she remained rooted in place, unmoving.
Seeing this unfold, Anya abruptly understood. It seemed Danzo treated Root members just like the leadership in Kirigakure—training them to be emotionless pawns, completely devoted to following orders, devoid of personal feelings or a future.
Anya addressed Danzo directly, "Did you place a cursed seal on her? Remove it now."
Such a commanding tone infuriated Danzo beyond reason. In Konoha, even Hiruzen Sarutobi never dared treat him this way.
"You..."
Before Danzo could utter another word, he felt a cold sensation against his neck, quickly followed by the scent of blood.
Anya stared at the blood on the blade in her hand and spoke coldly, "Haven't fought in a while. That [Single Blade Strike] was too shallow, barely scratched the surface. Want to see whether my next strike will miss too?"
This man is insane, Danzo realized—he would actually go through with it. His life hung in the balance now. Even if he wanted to deal with this person, he could only plan for later. At this moment, the only option was to yield. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed his rage and spat out through clenched teeth, "I'll release it."
As he spoke, Danzo formed hand seals and released the Root's Cursed Seal on Yugao.
Tch, what a shame... Anya sighed, feigning disappointment at missing the chance to kill Danzo. Then she turned to Yugao and said, "Let's go. My first recruit—time to head back."
The moment the Cursed Seal was released, Yugao felt a sudden lightness in her body. After being trapped in darkness for so long, she finally saw a glimmer of hope. Her voice heavy with emotion, she replied softly, "Coming."
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