Two days later, at the Konoha Anbu headquarters.
Tatsuya and Might Guy, led by an Anbu operative, arrived for their induction. The Anbu ninja who greeted them at the base wore a cat-faced mask. Tatsuya, recognizing the familiar figure, instantly identified him as Kakashi.
"Hey, Tatsuya, doesn't this guy feel a bit familiar?" Might Guy whispered to Tatsuya, staring intently at Kakashi.
"Yeah! He's pretty familiar. Probably some show-off," Tatsuya nodded, maintaining a serious expression.
"Show-off meal? What's that?" Guy looked utterly confused.
"It means someone who acts aloof and pretends to be profound," Tatsuya replied loudly, without any attempt at concealment.
"Ahem! Tatsuya, gossiping about others behind their backs is not something a Konoha Jonin should do," Kakashi stopped in his tracks and turned to Tatsuya.
Tatsuya shrugged. "I'm not gossiping behind his back; I'm saying it to his face."
Beside them, Guy, finally recognizing Kakashi from his voice, exclaimed, "Are you Kakashi?"
Kakashi removed his mask. "Guy, Tatsuya, welcome to the Anbu."
Guy was thrilled. "Kakashi, it's really you! This is great! We can go on missions together again!"
Tatsuya, however, immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "What's so great about it? I don't want to go on missions with such a gloomy guy."
"Come on, I'll take you to report in first," Kakashi said with a wry smile, beckoning them to follow.
Entering the Anbu base, Kakashi led Tatsuya and Guy through the registration process and then to collect their Anbu uniforms and equipment.
Each Anbu member wore a unique mask. Tatsuya chose a Tengu mask, while Guy selected a white bear mask. Their respective Anbu codenames became Tengu and White Bear.
After reporting in, Kakashi led Tatsuya and Guy to the Hokage's office. To Tatsuya's surprise, Shisui Uchiha was also present. After a moment's thought, Tatsuya realized that he, Kakashi, Guy, and Shisui were likely to be assigned to the same Anbu squad.
Sure enough, the Third Hokage's next words quickly confirmed this. He looked at the four of them and said, "Kakashi, Shisui, Guy, Tatsuya, the four of you will form a squad, Anbu Team Eleven. Kakashi will be the captain. Do any of you have any objections?"
Kakashi and Shisui had clearly discussed this arrangement beforehand, and Tatsuya had already guessed it. The three of them showed no change in expression upon hearing the Third's words and simply nodded in agreement.
Kakashi, Shisui, and Guy were three of Tatsuya's favorite shinobi. He knew their character and abilities well. He naturally wouldn't refuse being on a team with them.
Guy, after a slight pause, also readily accepted the appointment. He was probably the happiest of the four about the formation of Anbu Team Eleven.
Both Kakashi and Tatsuya were familiar to him, and he understood their abilities well. Of the four, Guy was the least familiar with Shisui Uchiha, but Shisui of the Body Flicker's reputation resonated throughout the ninja world, and his strength was undoubtedly no less than Kakashi's or Tatsuya's.
Becoming teammates with these three young masters meant he would have more sparring partners in the future. How could Guy not be happy?
"Very good! Since none of you have any objections, Anbu Team Eleven is officially formed. As it happens, I have a mission for you to undertake," the Third Hokage said, nodding in satisfaction.
"Please give us your orders, Hokage-sama!" Tatsuya, Shisui, and Guy remained silent, letting Kakashi respond.
The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe a few times and said slowly, "The battle between the village and Kumogakure has reached a stalemate. The frontline forces led by Jiraiya and Orochimaru are under significant pressure. The village has just experienced the Nine-Tails attack and has not yet recovered from the enormous losses. A prolonged war is not advisable at this time. Therefore, I am sending you to infiltrate the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning to cause some trouble and disrupt Kumogakure's logistical supply lines. This is an S-rank mission. You may face various ambushes and pursuits from Kumogakure, so be prepared for a long-term, sustained operation. Do you have the confidence?"
"Hokage-sama, please rest assured, we will complete the mission!" Hearing the Third's words, the four felt a shiver of seriousness. Infiltrating the rear of two major ninja villages' warring forces and causing havoc was no simple task.
Nevertheless, Kakashi immediately expressed Anbu Team Eleven's commitment.
The Third Hokage nodded. "Good! This mission may take quite some time. You have three days to prepare. You will depart three days from now!"
"Yes!"
The four took their leave of the Third Hokage and returned to their respective homes to prepare. None of them dared to underestimate this mission.
Essentially, the nature of this mission was similar to the Kannabi Bridge mission during the Third Shinobi World War, both involving infiltrating enemy territory to cut off their supply lines. The difference was that this mission wasn't as specific or urgent, and it would last longer.
At the Uchiha clan compound, in the home of clan head Fugaku Uchiha.
"Clan Head, the Third Hokage has assigned me to Anbu Team Eleven. Three days from now, we will be heading to the battlefield," Shisui knelt in the hall, briefing Fugaku on the details of Anbu Team Eleven and the mission assigned by the Third.
"Infiltrating the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning to disrupt Kumogakure's supply lines? Isn't such a mission too dangerous to be assigned to a newly formed Anbu team?" Fugaku Uchiha frowned.
If it weren't for the fact that Anbu Team Eleven included Kakashi, a direct disciple of the Hokage faction, he would have suspected the Third of deliberately sending Shisui to his death.
"Clan Head, please rest assured. Although Team Eleven is newly formed, our strength is considerable," Shisui explained.
"Your and Kakashi's abilities are indeed excellent, but what about Might Guy and Tatsuya Akimichi? Are they capable of handling such a mission?" Fugaku's brow remained furrowed.
"Clan Head, Guy-senpai and Tatsuya-kun are also very strong. I don't have absolute confidence in defeating them," Shisui quickly added, seeing Fugaku's clear disdain for Guy and Tatsuya.
"Oh?" Fugaku Uchiha raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
In the current Uchiha clan, Shisui was undoubtedly the number one of the younger generation, with top-tier skills in both genjutsu and taijutsu. If not for the limitations of his body and age, even the older generation of the Uchiha might not be able to defeat him. Fugaku didn't believe there was anyone in Konoha's younger generation who could surpass an Uchiha.
"Clan Head, Guy-senpai has mastered his family's forbidden technique, the Eight Inner Gates. The Third Hokage once said that Guy-senpai's taijutsu talent surpasses even that of his father. When he unleashes his full power, I am not confident of victory," Shisui said.
"The Eight Inner Gates!" Fugaku's expression turned solemn, and he murmured the words.
Any ninja who mastered the Eight Inner Gates couldn't be judged by the standards of ordinary shinobi. During the recent Third Shinobi World War, Might Duy, a Konoha Genin, single-handedly fought the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, killing four and severely injuring three. While this terrifying feat wasn't widely known, the higher-ups of most factions were aware of it. This was a level of power that surpassed even that of a Kage.
Facing such a one-for-one exchange specialist, even Fugaku, with his Mangekyo Sharingan, could only flee. Throughout the history of the ninja world, very few shinobi had managed to cultivate the Eight Inner Gates to the eighth gate. In recent decades, the only one known to have done so was Might Duy.
And the Third Hokage assessed Might Guy's taijutsu talent to be even greater than his father, Might Duy's. His strength and potential were evident.
"What about that kid from the Akimichi clan?" Fugaku asked again after a moment of silence.
Shisui: "I'm not sure about Tatsuya-kun's current strength. According to Anbu intelligence, he possesses a powerful ninja snake summon, and it seems he has learned Senjutsu."
"Alright! I understand the situation. Go and prepare. Be careful," Fugaku said, waving his hand at Shisui.
After listening to Shisui, a sense of heaviness weighed on his heart. The stronger the Hokage faction became, the more difficult the Uchiha clan's situation would be. This was precisely Shisui's intention in saying what he did.
Ever since the Uchiha clan had been marginalized by Konoha's leadership, there had been frequent calls within the clan to launch a coup and seize power. This situation had become even more intense after the Nine-Tails attack, when the Uchiha clan came under suspicion from the village leadership. Shisui hoped to extinguish the Uchiha clan's rebellious intentions by exaggerating the strength of the Hokage faction.
Of course, at this time, Fugaku didn't know that Shisui had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and possessed a forbidden technique like Kotoamatsukami. Otherwise, he might have immediately forced Shisui to use Kotoamatsukami to launch a coup.
After taking his leave of Fugaku Uchiha, Shisui and Itachi went to the training ground they usually used and practiced kunai throwing for a while.
"Shisui-nii, will this mission be dangerous?" After finishing their training, the two walked side-by-side back to the Uchiha compound. Itachi turned to Shisui, his voice filled with concern.
"Don't worry! My teammates are very strong. Nothing will happen! While I'm away, you must also work hard and strive to contribute to the village soon," Shisui smiled and ruffled Itachi's ponytail.
"Don't worry, Shisui-nii! I'll catch up to you!" Itachi's adorable face puffed up slightly, his expression determined.
"Also, pay close attention to the situation within the clan. If anything happens, inform me immediately," Shisui added, hesitating slightly before speaking in a serious tone.
"Mm," Itachi's expression faltered for a moment, then he nodded firmly.
Over the next day, the four members of Anbu Team Eleven returned home and made thorough preparations. Tatsuya also took out his savings to purchase a large quantity of soldier pills, ninja tools, and sealing scrolls. For a long-term mission, these consumables needed to be prepared in advance.
One day later, the newly formed Anbu Team Eleven, consisting of four members, departed from Konoha and headed towards the rear of the battlefield between Konoha and Kumogakure.
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