When Anya finally walked out of the Laboratory, his beard was overgrown, his hair had grown significantly, and he looked tired and exhausted, letting out a breath of fatigue.
He casually tidied his appearance, forced himself to regain composure, and left the place.
Doing experiments alone was so frustrating—no one to talk to or help analyze the data. No wonder Orochimaru and Tsunade were always eager to find assistants. If it weren't for the experiment's secrecy, he'd have found an assistant too.
Just as he exited Root, Anya saw an unexpected figure waiting there—Shinku Yuhi.
Shinku looked at Anya with a complex expression and said, "Never imagined you've already become the Head of Anbu. Time really flies!"
Anya gave a casual smile. "Uncle Zhenhong came here on purpose to wait for me?"
"Yes. Why were you stuck in Root for such a long time?" Shinku asked with a hint of surprise in his tone.
"Well, I wasn't too familiar with this place, so I needed extra time to understand it."
Shinku didn't press further. Instead, he handed Anya a scroll.
After glancing through the contents, Anya showed some surprise. "These are all the undercover agents found over these days?"
Shinku spoke meaningfully, "Yes. After the battle at the Deadly Poison Valley, many people wanted to know the truth."
Anya got the implied meaning behind his words. He said with calm appreciation, "Uncle, thank you for your hard work recently. If you need support from Anbu, feel free to contact me anytime."
A fleeting look of disappointment crossed Shinku's eyes as he let out a sigh. "Anya, you're indeed the young man I always believed in. You've saved Konoha, but that battle had too much impact. The Third Hokage has classified your former Anbu codename as a deceased file. To ensure the details of that battle don't leak, I've arranged a new place for you. Try to stay away from public exposure."
Anya naturally understood what Sarutobi intended. He nodded as he spoke, "Alright, I understand. Where is my new place located?"
"A place very familiar to you," Shinku told him the address.
After hearing it, Anya's expression turned momentarily stunned, his eyes filled with sorrow.
Meanwhile, Kurenai, who had quarreled with her father, had been invited out by her friends. Shiranui Genma, Might Guy, Ebisu, and others were all playing the board games Anya had introduced to them.
Kurenai was playing disinterestedly, feeling completely out of place, her mind kept drifting back to Anya.
At that moment, a lonely figure passed by outside the door, looking utterly lifeless, as though abandoned by the world.
Might Guy stopped the board game right away. Usually so passionate and youthful, he looked at that figure with a glimmer of concern in his eyes.
Shiranui Genma said, "That must be Kakashi. Seems like the impact from the Third Battle was just too much for him."
"Yeah. His two teammates both died on the battlefield. That's really pitiful."
Hearing their conversation, Guy made a decision and chased after Kakashi's direction.
Kakashi ignored Guy walking beside him and walked silently toward home without a word. The outside world had long lost its appeal to him. His sleep had become terrible, waking repeatedly from nightmares all night, always haunted by the image of Rin's dying moments.
An immovable boulder, a Sharingan that never closed, and a right hand that could never be cleansed—these felt like countless mountains bearing down on him, suffocating him.
As Kakashi's mentor, Minato saw everything clearly. Unable to find a better solution, he could only assign Kakashi some missions to distract him, hoping he wouldn't drown in past grief.
Soon, Kakashi left the village for a mission. Worried, Guy secretly followed him.
Enemy ninja ambushed Kakashi at the mission site. He unleashed Chidori to finish them off, but Rin's dying face flashed in his mind again. The light of his Chidori instantly dimmed.
"[Leaf Strong Whirlwind!]"
At the critical moment, Guy descended from the sky. With a mighty leg technique, he created a powerful shockwave, kicking all enemies to the ground. He then carried the injured Kakashi back to Konoha.
Upon learning of Kakashi's injuries, Minato rushed to the hospital.
Kakashi, looking dejected, said to his master, "I'm sorry."
Minato replied seriously, "I'm here today to order you to join the Hokage's Direct Anbu."
Kakashi was shocked, as the Anbu only recruited elite ninja.
"Why would you want someone like me..."
Minato cut him off, "Because I want you to become my right-hand man."
Late at night, Kakashi went alone to the Anbu headquarters. At the equipment division, he received a mask, armor, and a ninja blade. With all of these on, Kakashi officially became an Anbu member.
As he stepped outside, a voice whispered in his ear, "Have you decided?"
Kakashi glanced at the speaker and nodded, "Yes. I feel much more comfortable wearing the mask."
"Right. Sometimes it does feel better. But masks have a way of sticking. Honestly, I didn't want you joining Anbu. I understand Minato's intentions, but I feel like his path is wrong."
"Thanks anyway, Brother."
"Brother? Haha, that's unexpected. I remember when you were little—you refused to call me that no matter what."
The speaker turned out to be none other than Anya. He stepped forward and patted Kakashi's shoulder, "Don't think just because you called me brother I'll give you easy missions. Anbu is extremely dangerous. If you can't handle it and want to quit, let me know anytime."
Kakashi replied firmly, "I will complete the mission."
Moved by Kakashi's resolve, Anya handed him a blade and a scroll.
What is this...
Kakashi picked up the tanto with slight trembling in his hands—it was a perfect replica of his father's White Fang Blade.
"In the scroll are all the Sword Art I currently master. If you're interested, you can train with them," Anya said, looking at the Chakra Blade in Kakashi's hand. "This is a re-forged White Fang Blade. The material is superior to your father's original, so it won't break so easily."
Kakashi fastened the sword at his waist and put away the scroll he had once discarded, then said, "Thank you."
Once Kakashi had left, Anya called out into the shadows, "Step forward."
"Guy, I heard what you were saying earlier," Might Guy stepped forward with an embarrassed smile. "You mentioned assigning missions to Kakashi. You wouldn't happen to be the Head of Anbu, would you?"
"Yo, not bad! You've got a sharp mind there," Anya replied nonverbally, without denying it.
Guy pointed at himself and said, "I'd like to join Anbu too."
"You?" Anya was taken aback, giving Might Guy the once-over. Come on, he just didn't fit the Anbu profile at all.
With earnest determination, Guy pressed, "So, do I stand a chance?"
Remembering how Emperor Guy had gone viral in his past life for his iconic flying kick, Anya decided to give him a chance. "I'll ask you three questions. If you answer all correctly, I'll talk to Minato about letting you join Anbu."
"Sure thing, no problem!" Guy replied joyfully, leaning in with eager anticipation.
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