Chapter 369: Promotion

Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Promotion

For the next two weeks, the shinobi world remained peaceful.

Akatsuki made no retaliatory moves whatsoever, almost as though the organization had vanished from the shinobi world overnight. However, the three great shinobi villages did not lower their guard because of this. Deep down, everyone understood that this was merely the calm before the storm.

As for why Akatsuki had not immediately launched a counterattack, even Hyuga Kagami did not know the exact reason, because during this period, his contact with Shinichi had been completely severed.

There were only two possibilities.

Either Shinichi was currently in an environment where it was inconvenient for him to transmit information, or his identity as a spy had been exposed and Akatsuki had eliminated him.

Comparatively speaking, Kagami was more inclined toward the former.

After all, Shinichi maintained a direct, one-way line of contact with him. Aside from Kagami himself, only Shisui had noticed a few clues. No one else knew that Shinichi was an undercover agent, so as long as Shinichi didn’t do anything stupid enough to expose himself, the chances of his identity being discovered were extremely low.

Based on this, Kagami boldly speculated that all of Akatsuki’s members were most likely gathered together at the moment, hiding within some secret base while being closely monitored by Obito and Zetsu.

As for why Akatsuki had yet to launch an immediate retaliation, Kagami suspected that it might have something to do with Nagato’s physical condition.

If Nagato had transplanted First Hokage’s cells, then even with the ocular power of his Rinnegan and the formidable constitution of the Uzumaki Clan, he would still require a considerable amount of time to adapt to the First Hokage’s cells and master the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.

And if he hadn’t transplanted the First Hokage’s cells, then he was probably lying in bed recovering from his injuries right now, leaving him with neither the time nor the energy to plan a retaliatory operation.

After three weeks of recuperation, the petrification affecting Kagami’s body finally disappeared completely. As scheduled, he reported to the ANBU base and officially ended his medical leave.

Afterward, Kagami received a new appointment.

He had been promoted.

The massive losses suffered by ANBU meant that more and more rookies were being brought in to replenish their ranks. As a result, Kagami, who had only joined ANBU a few years ago, had rapidly become one of its veterans.

Having veterans lead newcomers had always been a tradition within Konoha’s ANBU. Thus, with manpower in short supply, Team 11 was split up by the Third Hokage.

Captain Kakashi was transferred to the First Special Tactical Squad, where he became its captain, while Guy was transferred to the Fourth Tactical Squad and appointed its vice-captain.

Kagami, meanwhile, was transferred out of Team 11 and appointed captain of the newly established Team 7. Only Shisui remained in Team 11, taking Kakashi’s place as its new captain.

On the surface, being promoted from an ordinary ANBU operative to an ANBU team captain seemed like nothing more than a single step upward.

But in reality, Kagami’s status had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.

The vast majority of ANBU operatives would never see their status change throughout their entire careers, all the way until the day they retired from ANBU. That was because an ANBU team captain was already considered part of the upper echelon of the Hokage’s directly subordinate ANBU forces.

Upon being promoted to ANBU team captain, Kagami had effectively also been promoted from Special Jōnin to Jōnin. At the same time, he had become eligible to be considered for positions such as ANBU Commander, Captain of the Hokage Guard Platoon, and Jōnin Commander.

In theory, as long as Kagami didn’t die on the battlefield, defect from the village, or suffer an injury severe enough to strip him of his qualifications as a shinobi, it would only be natural for him to eventually become a candidate for the village’s Council of Elders—or even a candidate for Hokage.

Therefore, becoming an ANBU team captain was the single most crucial step for an ordinary shinobi seeking to enter the upper ranks of the village.

If one could not take this step, then they would forever remain within the ranks of ordinary shinobi.

But once they crossed that threshold, they had effectively squeezed their way into the village’s upper echelon.

Whoosh...

Activating the Body Flicker Technique, Kagami landed in one of the village’s training grounds amid the sharp sound of rushing wind.

This was the designated meeting place for the newly formed Team 7.

Seeing that their captain had arrived, the three members who had reached the training ground early hurried over to greet him.

All three were dressed in Konoha ANBU uniforms and wore masks over their faces. Two of them had graceful figures. One had brilliant, flame-red hair, while the other had long, silky purple hair cascading down her back. Judging from their builds, both appeared to be young kunoichi.

The remaining member was male, of average build, with a longsword strapped across his back.

"Special Jōnin, Kurenai Yūhi, reporting for duty!"

"Special Jōnin, Yūgao Uzuki, reporting for duty!"

"Special Jōnin, Hayate Gekkō, reporting for duty!"

As the three removed their masks, they quietly studied Kagami.

Since Kagami himself was also dressed in full ANBU attire with a mask covering his face, the three only knew that he was their new captain. They had no idea who he actually was.

Kagami chuckled softly before removing his mask.

"I’m the new captain of Team 7, Hyuga Kagami."

"Kagami?!"

Kurenai was taken aback. She clearly hadn’t expected her new captain to be Hyuga Kagami, someone from the same graduating class as her.

Hayate Gekkō and Yūgao Uzuki were also somewhat surprised, but since the two of them were both Kagami’s juniors, they quickly regained their composure.

Kagami crossed his arms and leaned against a large tree, saying calmly, "From now on, I’m your captain. During missions, you are to obey my orders unconditionally. Understood?"

Kurenai, Hayate, and Yūgao all nodded together.

ANBU regulations were far stricter than those governing ordinary shinobi squads. During classified missions, Kagami, as their captain, even had the authority to execute team members who disobeyed his orders.

Kagami smiled. "Introduce yourselves. Tell me what you’re good at, what specialties you have, things like that."

"I can sense chakra, so I can temporarily serve as a sensory-type ninja. I can also use ninjutsu, but what I’m best at are my clan’s secret genjutsu techniques, as well as Genjutsu Taijutsu..."

Perhaps she had remembered the scene during the previous Special Jōnin Assessment, when Kagami had utterly crushed her, because Kurenai’s voice grew quieter and quieter as she continued her introduction.

The Yūhi Clan was also one of Konoha’s shinobi clans specializing in secret techniques. However, because the clan had suffered heavy casualties during the Shinobi World Wars, its influence was nowhere near that of larger secret-technique clans such as the Ino-Shika-Chō clans.

Even so, the Yūhi Clan’s secret genjutsu techniques, along with their Genjutsu Taijutsu that combined illusions with close-quarters combat, were still extremely powerful.

In the original timeline, although Kurenai Yūhi wasn’t as overwhelmingly powerful as Kakashi or Guy, her exceptional mastery of genjutsu still made her one of the more outstanding Jōnin in the village.

Hayate Gekkō stepped forward next and introduced himself. "I specialize in Konoha-Style Kenjutsu and can use several different Konoha-Style sword techniques. Cough, cough... I’ve also mastered the Transparency Release Kekkei Genkai, so I’m capable of infiltration, reconnaissance, and assassination. Cough, cough..."

He had barely spoken a few sentences before Hayate habitually coughed twice.

Yūgao, standing beside him, immediately asked with concern, "Didn’t you just take your medicine before we left? Why are you coughing again?"

Hayate shook his head.

"I’m fine."

"Lady Tsunade has returned to the village. You’d better have her examine your condition. Even for a kenjutsu-focused taijutsu shinobi, physical fitness is extremely important!" After a brief pause, Kagami turned toward Yūgao Uzuki. "Yūgao, your turn."

Yūgao replied, "I also specialize in Konoha-Style Kenjutsu and can use several different Konoha-Style sword techniques. I’ve also mastered infiltration and assassination techniques and have carried out numerous assassination missions."

Kagami nodded before falling into thought.

Including Kagami himself, whose Byakugan granted him long-range reconnaissance capabilities, the newly formed Team 7 was clearly geared toward reconnaissance and assassination based purely on its composition.

Although the village had yet to assign them any missions, Kagami suspected that the Third Hokage had arranged the team this way because he most likely intended for the newly formed Team 7 to carry out some particularly difficult reconnaissance or assassination mission.

Kagami’s gaze swept across Kurenai Yūhi, Hayate Gekkō, and Yūgao Uzuki, and his expression gradually darkened.

Back when he was in Team 11, Shisui had always been around, so Kagami could skip work and slack off whenever he pleased. On the surface, he appeared extremely busy with official duties, but in reality, he could arrange his time however he wanted.

But now that he had become Team 7’s captain, with all of its members being newcomers, it would no longer be so easy for him to skip work and slack off.

Just as Kagami began wondering whether he should have Itachi become his stand-in and occasionally impersonate Team 7’s captain whenever he was busy, Kurenai came closer and asked curiously, "Kagami, is Akatsuki really as powerful as the village says?"

Kagami deliberately put on a stern expression.

"You should call me Captain!"

Kurenai pouted. "Hmph!"

Kagami then continued, "As far as the village’s official propaganda goes, it indeed hasn’t told the truth."

Kurenai smiled. "That’s what I thought! How strong could an organization made up of rogue ninja possibly be?"

Shaking his head, Kagami slowly replied, "What I mean is that, in order to avoid causing panic, the village deliberately downplayed Akatsuki’s threat in its official statements. The reality is that Akatsuki has enough power to destroy any shinobi village in a direct confrontation—including Konoha."

The smile on Kurenai’s face instantly froze.

Hayate and Yūgao, standing nearby, also stared with their mouths slightly open, their faces filled with shock.

Kagami continued, "The only reason I was able to become your captain is because every member of the previous Team 7 was killed in action. So don’t ever underestimate the enemy or let your guard down. If you encounter any member of Akatsuki while you aren’t carrying out a mission that requires you to engage them, prioritize staying alive!"

Under normal circumstances, Kagami would have needed to spend at least another five or six years working his way up before he had any chance of becoming an ANBU team captain. His promotion this time was entirely due to ANBU’s catastrophic losses. Many ANBU teams had even been completely wiped out.

The previous Team 7 had been one of them.

After officially taking command of Team 7, Kagami headed to the Hokage Building to report the team’s situation to the Third Hokage.

In the past, matters like these had always been handled by Captain Kakashi. But now Kagami was a captain himself, so naturally, these responsibilities had fallen onto his shoulders.

There was no escaping them even if he wanted to.

Just as Kagami stepped through the main entrance of the Hokage Building, a group of shinobi dressed in Kusagakure attire happened to be walking out.

The person leading the group of Kusa ninja was none other than an acquaintance of Kagami’s—Ryūran, a Jōnin from Kusagakure.

Years ago, when Kagami had wanted to quickly locate the descendants of the Queen of Rōran, he had gone to Kusagakure and commissioned a mission. Ryūran had been the Kusagakure ninja who accepted Kagami’s commission at the time.

After glancing at Ryūran, Kagami quickly withdrew his gaze and deactivated the Tenseigan beneath his mask.

With the growth of his ocular power and the breadth of his experience, Kagami was no longer the same person he had been back then. Thus, with nothing more than a brief glance, he could tell that Ryūran was extremely strong.

Judging purely by the amount of chakra he possessed, Ryūran had already reached the level of an Elite Jōnin. Moreover, the nature of the chakra within his body was highly unusual.

It was a type of Yang-natured chakra resembling the powerful vitality of the Uzumaki Clan.

"Looks like Kusagakure has quite a bit of hidden strength after all..."

With that thought in mind, Kagami passed by the group of Kusa ninja and entered the Hokage Building.

Upon arriving at the Hokage’s office, Kagami reported, "Lord Hokage, Hyuga Kagami of ANBU Team 7, reporting for duty!"

The Third Hokage was busy dealing with the mountain of documents piled across his desk. Without even looking up, he acknowledged Kagami and asked, "Kagami, is it? How are your injuries?"

Kagami replied, "I’ve fully recovered."

"Good!" The Third Hokage closed the document in his hands, then took a dossier from one of his drawers and handed it to Kagami. "I suspect that Kirigakure has been infiltrated by Akatsuki. These are the files we have on Kirigakure. Study them carefully and depart as soon as you’re ready. I need to know what’s really happening inside Kirigakure!"

Kagami cautiously replied, "Team 7 has only just been formed, and the members aren’t familiar with one another yet. A mission involving infiltrating Kirigakure and conducting an investigation will probably require some time to prepare."

The Third Hokage shook his head. "We don’t have much time left. I can only give you one week to prepare. One week from now, you must immediately lead Team 7 out on the mission."

"Yes."

Kagami said nothing more. Taking the dossier with him, he turned and left the Hokage’s office.

He had already anticipated the type of mission the Third Hokage would assign him. It would either involve infiltrating Kirigakure or infiltrating Amegakure.

After all, Kurenai, who specialized in genjutsu, along with Hayate Gekkō and Yūgao Uzuki, who specialized in infiltration and assassination, were all excellent candidates for missions of this nature.

The Third Hokage had deliberately gathered so many talented shinobi suited for covert operations into a single team.

His intentions couldn’t have been more obvious.

After returning home, Kagami immediately began going through the intelligence contained within the dossier.

Each of the Five Great Shinobi Villages had planted numerous spies within the others, and Konoha naturally had its own intelligence sources inside Kirigakure.

According to the reports sent back by Konoha’s spies in Kirigakure, beneath Kirigakure’s seemingly calm surface, dangerous undercurrents were already surging.

Of the elite squad the Fourth Mizukage had dispatched to assist Akatsuki, only Kisame had returned to Kirigakure.

Aside from Fuguki Suikazan, who had been killed in battle, both Demon of the Kirigakure Zabuza Momochi and Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, had completely disappeared.

Naturally, the disappearance of a Jinchūriki caused an enormous uproar throughout Kirigakure. Yet the Fourth Mizukage seemed completely unconcerned and took no action whatsoever.

This only caused the dissatisfaction toward the Fourth Mizukage within Kirigakure to grow even more intense.

Kagami shook his head and sighed.

"Looks like the Mizukage really is under Obito’s control."

For the Kage of an entire village to be reduced to someone else’s puppet was an absolutely unprecedented humiliation for Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

At the same time, precisely because Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—with deep foundations and countless elite shinobi—the Fourth Mizukage’s abnormal behavior had already been noticed by many people within the village.

The intelligence reports even indicated that a coup might erupt within Kirigakure in the near future.

"Is it Zabuza? Or Mei Terumī?"

Kagami could no longer remember exactly how Mei Terumī had risen to power, but he did remember that Zabuza had once launched a failed coup. Afterward, he became a fugitive with nowhere to call home, eventually falling so far that he had to work as a hired thug for others...