After returning the completed registration form, Ayane received a standard-issue demon mask with a black and red base.
As for her custom "Black Swan" mask, she'd have to wait a week for the Anbu craftsmen to finish it. Given the circumstances, she obviously didn't have the luxury of sitting around.
[You have obtained a new Title!]
The moment her hand touched the Anbu mask, a faint screen flickered in her vision. Ayane didn't rush to check the details. Instead, she followed Woodpecker to the warehouse to collect her combat supplies and soldier pills.
Even as a green rookie, the Anbu's "labor benefits" were generous. She received ten high-grade explosive tags, five steel kunai, five shuriken, and a specialized set of Anbu smoke bombs and signal flares. In total, the market value was roughly 20,000 Ryo.
Considering the ongoing war, the actual value on the black market was likely several times that.
"The equipment quota refreshes every month," Woodpecker said tonelessly. "Anything left over from the previous month isn't collected. It's yours to do with as you wish. You can come to the warehouse yourself from now on."
He hesitated for a second before adding in a lower voice, "If you time it for the very end of the month, you can usually grab a few extra explosive tags. No one will say anything."
Ayane blinked. Personal discretion, warehouse clearing at the end of the month...Well, look at that. Anbu under-the-table benefits.
She nodded, noting that while Woodpecker was a man of few words, he was surprisingly responsible toward his subordinates, even sharing these little "life hacks."
By the time the induction process was complete, twilight had settled over the village. Woodpecker had zero intention of resting. He led Ayane out of the village that night, sprinting toward the east.
The Anbu's style was undeniably high-handed. At the gates, Woodpecker didn't even bother showing ID.
He simply muttered "Anbu emergency mission," and the sentries stepped aside. Ayane saw it clearly—Woodpecker didn't slow down even a fraction of a meter.
To an Anbu, regular gate guards were apparently less than speed bumps.
They covered nearly a hundred miles after leaving the village. The night had turned as black as ink, and the scattered signs of civilization had vanished. Finally, Woodpecker slowed down, glancing back at her.
"We'll rest here. I'll take the first watch. We move again at dawn."
He clearly didn't plan on pitching a tent or starting a fire. With a few swift leaps, he landed on a high branch of a massive tree to settle in for the night.
"Let's rotate," Ayane offered. "I'll take the first—"
"No need," he cut her off coldly. "I don't trust a fresh-out-of-the-Academy brat to keep watch."
Ayane: "..."
Finding herself rebuffed, she mimicked his actions, finding a leafy tree nearby and leaping up. She bit into a soldier pill, ignoring its dry, chalky taste, and whispered in her mind: Panel!
The light screen shimmered into existence.
[New Title: Hidden Rain Anbu Member!]
Quality: Green
Description: If you wear the mask long enough, you'll forget the face behind it.
Effect: When wearing the mask, the power of your Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu is increased by 15%!
Reward: You have received 1,000 assignable Achievement Points!
1,000 points! I'm rich!
Ignoring the slightly edgy description, Ayane's eyes lit up at the reward. She checked her current balance: 2,111 points.
The "Genin" and "Anbu" titles had collectively netted her 1,800 points. Since her "cheat" activated, she had never been this loaded.
She also noticed something interesting about the mechanics. The [Genin] title gave a 10% boost for wearing the headband. The [Anbu] title gave a 15% boost for the mask. If she wore both, they stacked—giving her a total 25% increase to her combat effectiveness!
'If I rank up to Chunin or Jonin... or become an Anbu Squad Leader...''New titles will definitely pop up!''And if they all stack... once the war is over, if I can somehow get recognized as a "Friend of the Village" by others and collect their headbands...''I could stack a 100% damage multiplier!''Every jutsu would be a critical hit!'
The thought made her lips curl into a smirk. If the legendary Su Qin could carry the seals of six kingdoms, why couldn't Amamiya Ayane wear the headbands of five villages? If the buffs stacked, she'd wear a row of them on her arm like she was cosplaying a Hung Gar master with iron rings.
Sometimes, quantity truly did have a quality all its own. Doubt Danzo, understand Danzo, become Danzo!
"Swan, control your breathing!" Woodpecker's killjoy voice drifted from the neighboring tree. "I know rookies get emotional before their first battlefield, but we are Anbu. Anbu don't need such vivid emotions."
Ayane's smile vanished instantly. Thankfully, the mask hid her embarrassment. "My code name isn't 'Swan.' It's 'Black Swan.'"
She didn't have the heart to correct his assumption about her excitement, so she just stuck to the name. "Woodpecker, you got it wrong."
"Ah, my apologies," he replied flatly. "Black Swan, was it? I remembered incorrectly."
The code name is three characters long, and YOU handed over the form. How do you get that wrong? Could you be any less sincere? Ayane finally understood how the chubby Nagano Keiji felt when she'd brushed him off.
Since Woodpecker was a conversational dead end, the brief exchange died out, and the silence returned. Ayane turned her focus back to the panel. Now that she was flush with points, it was time to spend.
She scrolled through her current traits.
[Otherworldly Soul] (Prismatic): Cannot be upgraded. Pass.
[Thin Uzumaki Bloodline] (Purple): Costs 20,000 points. Pass.
That left three:
[Basic Tool Throwing] (White)
[Basic CQC] (White)
[Elementary Ninjutsu Mastery] (Green)
All three were useful, but none felt like they provided a "game-changing" breakthrough yet. Ayane didn't hesitate for long. She gritted her teeth and decided on a balanced development path.
She dumped 2,000 points into her traits: 500, 500, and 1,000, respectively. She was about to face the Great Ninja War; every bit of strength mattered. In this world, the greatest tragedy was dying with unspent points.
[Trait System - Updated!]
[Adept Tool Throwing] (Green) * Effect: Significant increase in accuracy. You can now perform "Curved Throws" and "Mid-air Collisions." Throwing speed increased by 15%.
[Adept Close-Quarters Combat] (Green) * Effect: Stamina consumption for Taijutsu reduced by 15%. Your body's reaction speed and muscle memory are sharpened.
[Intermediate Ninjutsu Mastery] (Blue) * Effect: Drastically improves the learning speed of Wind, Water, and Lightning jutsu. Increases the destructive power and chakra efficiency of these elements by 20%.