CH_9.17 (332)"This is a great store," Takuma said as he led Utamatsu into a weapon store. "I particularly like their smithing—kunai, shuriken, spikes, hooks—this is the place to get them. They also have a decent collection of tags, but I'll show you a different place with a wider collection."
Takuma was no longer a custor because he shifted to an off-market vendor, who sold him high-grade weapons at a lower price by illegally skipping out on sales tax. He was not short on money, but he had made a relationship he valued, so he continued using their services.
"Thank you, this is great. I don't know how long it would've taken
to find sothing by myself," said Utamatsu, as he picked one of the heavier kunai models and perford a couple of quick jabs.
He was new in the Hidden Leaf village and had asked Takuma to show him around shops related to the shinobi craft.
"You could just source your weapons from the armoury," said Takuma. ANBU provided weapons for its employees, especially the operatives. A single form would have soone in ANBU, whose only job was to deal with weapons, would procure everything while ensuring quality, removing the hassle of shopping.
"I don't want to beco reliant on them. Imagine we leave after our five year contract and I'm suddenly out of touch with a market I’ve never entered clueless about fair rates. Letting myself beco dependent on them isn't the smart thing to do. What kind of shinobi would I be if I didn't know how to get my own weapons," said Utamatsu as he stared down the length of a senbon needle.
"Fair enough. Better to shop by yourself and then get reimbursed," Takuma nodded.
Many shinobi were very particular about their gear and weapons and wanted to handle everything themselves so that it would be perfect for their requirents. Therefore, ANBU allowed the operatives to buy their own and then turn in the bill to get reimbursed.
They moved on, and Takuma continued showing Utamatsu to stores that sold everything from rope to soldier pills.
"I heard your team assignnt was finalised," said Takuma.
He wanted to get along with his batchmates, but that wasn't the sole reason he had sacrificed ti out of his hectic schedule when he could've been training his Yang nature transformation for the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Utamatsu was leaving the training after the first month, earlier than him, which ant his team assignnt had to be finalised early. Takuma wanted to get an idea of what Tapir would present to him. There was no guarantee Utamatsu had any information that would help him, but checking wouldn't hurt.
Utamatsu nodded while checking the stitching on a leather strap.
"Where are they sending you?"
He didn't reply imdiately and stayed silent while observing the leather straps. For a mont, Takuma thought he wasn't going to reveal it and was about to change the subject before it got awkward when the reply ca.
"One of the units that observe the activities of high-interest dostic groups."
Foreign powers weren't the only threat a nation faced; dostic forces operating for self-benefit posed just as much danger. It was part of ANBU's job to monitor and resolve such threats, especially when those groups comprised chakra-wielding individuals, including forr Leaf shinobi.
The Fire Daimyo, his noble court, and the Fire samurai were an example of a high-interest dostic group. Officially speaking, the Hidden Leaf village had sworn fealty to the Daimyo, but they were equals in everything but na. The two sides co-existed because they were satisfied with their own positions, and going to war with each other would invite chaos, destabilising the nation and giving the outside powers a chance to step into their hos.
Of course, being equal allies didn't an they were akin to family. One could only trust so much before it blinded them, and that was simply inviting betrayal. The Hidden Leaf kept the other side in check through military power, while the Fire Daimyo held power through his position as the rightful ruler of the country, recognised by the people, who paid him tax, a portion of which was directed to the Leaf shinobi.
The Fire Daimyo needed protection for the Land of Fire, whereas the Hidden Leaf needed the money that enabled them to remain a monopolistic military organisation. But no side could be allowed to rise above the other, and both of them made sure of it in their own ways.
"How does the workload look? Will you be able to return ho daily?" asked Takuma. Utamatsu was a devoted family man; thus, spending ti with them was a priority, and that depended on what his job would be.
"I doubt about daily, but yes, I will be ho regularly," Utamatsu smiled warmly before sighing, "or at least, that's what they assured
of. Let's see how much of it will be true."
Because of the recency, Utamatsu knew little about his job. Takuma quickly wrapped up the conversation and returned to showing him around. There would be more to learn when Utamatsu settled in, but Takuma had found sothing interesting simply from where Utamatsu was going.
High-interest dostic groups.
Only one dostic group could claim to be the top priority for the Hidden Leaf: ROOT. He didn't know anything about them, but from experience, he was confident they were still present in the Land of Fire. They had enjoyed free reign within the country forever; he was confident that most of their infrastructure was dostic.
Even if they wanted to leave the country, it was beyond difficult given their history.
"—One of the units that handles high-interest dostic groups—"
It was obvious that there would be more than one unit. ROOT was too big for any one team to handle; there had to be more teams handling matters related to ROOT. He wanted to get one of those teams, so he prayed that Tapir would include one of those teams in the options he would give him.
Otherwise, he would need to figure out how to join one of those teams. He was willing to wait, but he would prefer not to if given no choice.
Amami was also leaving training alongside Utamatsu. Takuma wanted to hear from her, but he couldn't find her. They had either missed each other, or she had stopped showing up to training as she wasn't enrolled in any courses.
———
.
Tapir and Takuma sat in the forr's office as the ti had co for the latter to pick up his team assignnt. The promised one week of ti from Tapir had turned to two weeks. They had made their arrangent at the start of the third week of training, so it was now one month into training.
Takuma only had two more weeks before he had to report to work. He wanted to push Tapir and make him apologise for his delay to have him owe a favour, but the power difference between the Master Instructor, who was once an operative, and a new rookie who hadn't worked a single day was too broad for that.
Tapir controlled where he would go to work, so pissing him off could spell huge ramifications for him. So, he sat before Tapir silently with a smile. Not bringing it up would leave a positive impression, and when Takuma had enough clout, he could turn it into an opportunity.
"Here are the three options I prepared for you," Tapir said, charily eyeing Takuma's silence and smile. He placed three paper sheets side-by-side on the table. The sheet on the right was kept separate, while the other two were close together.
He continued, "The Departnt of ANBU is divided into two major subdivisions: the Dostic and Foreign branches—excluding General Administration. As the na suggests, the Dostic Branch is the internal organisation responsible for protecting the Hidden Leaf's interests at ho, notably against threats to national security. By contrast, the Foreign Branch is Hidden Leaf's external organisation responsible for protecting and promoting our interests and security beyond our borders."
He explained that while both branches existed within the Departnt of ANBU, they were silos and thus separate entities from each other. They collaborated and shared information only when necessary.
There was no singular head atop ANBU, and the branches were directed by their own ANBU Commanders, who directly reported to the Hokage.
"Though not official, this round of recruitnt was only for the Dostic Branch, but I have included an option from the Foreign Branch in case you're interested," Tapir tapped the sheet kept separate.
Takuma already knew all of it from Sango. He picked the Foreign Branch assignnt to read the details. The job would have him be part of a team responsible for missions involving the Land of Earth and the Hidden Stone. According to the docunt, he would start out stationed in one of four nations bordering the Land of Earth with the possibility of entering the enemy territory undercover or as a ghost spy.
He imdiately rejected the option. Not only would he be away from ho for a long ti, he wouldn't even be in the Land of Fire. It would also an a separation from resources like the jutsu archives, training facilities, his teachers, and sparring partners.
Takuma didn't mind leaving ho for a month or two at a ti, but the job was asking him to stay out for a term of at least a year or more.
He turned to the two options from the Dostic Branch.
The first option was an assault unit. As the na suggested, they were shock troops tasked with spearheading assaults and disrupting enemy defences. Their role was pivotal in swiftly overwhelming opposition and seizing key tactical positions. They specialised in swift, high-impact operations that necessitated precision, agility, and superior combat skills.
Their offensive strategies focused on rapidly breaching enemy lines, creating chaos, and paving the way for follow-up forces. Conversely, defensive tactics involved holding critical positions under intense pressure and buying ti for reinforcents or evacuation.
"Their work is quite straightforward but perhaps the most dangerous. They sport the second-highest casualty rate within ANBU. The highest being another assault unit with identical responsibilities," Tapir joked while conveying a serious truth. "Consider it a complint that they are interested in you. They almost never take rookies and usually only recruit from experienced operatives. You need the ability to adapt quickly to evolving battlefield conditions, make split-second decisions under extre pressure, and execute complex manoeuvres with precision. These are madn who risk their lives every ti, so, if you think you can't handle the stress, forget about this unit."
Takuma nodded before turning his attention to the other sheet.
"The Inquisitor unit?" Takuma muttered.
From the na, he assud it was an intelligence unit focused on information gathering, but the description said otherwise. It was a specialised unit that undertook missions critical to national security. They excelled in counterterrorism and dealing with a variety of high-risk dostic threats ranging from rooting out traitors to dismantling insurgencies.
They were at the forefront of unconventional warfare to achieve strategic objectives and destabilise adversaries. They did a lot, from collecting information by direct surveillance and reconnaissance or converting assets and informants—involving local players to exert influence by gaining their trust—conducting sabotage missions—training forces against their targets—and even taking part in direct military action whenever required.
"Contrary to the assault unit, their work is quite diverse. The team's history of leadership has moulded it into a unit that touches everything involving its mission. If you join, be ready to be very involved in handling a variety of responsibilities. It's going to be hectic, but you're going to learn a lot if you manage to hold on."
Takuma didn't have a problem with that. He was used to having multiple hats while working at the Narcotics Taskforce, where everyone had many roles because they were a new, inexperienced team trying to figure things out.
"So, which one?" asked Tapir.
Takuma glanced up at the Master Instructor. He would have liked so more ti to think about it, but Tapir wanted the answer imdiately, and Takuma himself found himself attracted to one option more than the other.
"...I will go with the Inquisitor unit," answered Takuma, pushing the page toward Tapir.
The Assault unit was straightforward, and he could see the advantages of going that route. Even though it was much more dangerous, he would have tons of free ti as their missions were intense but short—they went out, caused destruction, and then returned ho to rest until their next mission. And because of that, he would have more free ti to train and get stronger, which he could hone by going on high-risk combat missions.
But in return, he would never have any control over which missions he received. He would have to go after targets passed down the unit by soone else who had done the work to identify the threat. He did not want that. He desired control so he could one day target ROOT and make them his sole focus if he wished. That would never happen in the Assault unit. He would always be like a missile pointed in a direction soone else set.
On the other hand...
The Inquisitor unit scread control. They touched every part of their mission, giving them a huge deal of freedom. He wasn't sure and couldn't ask, but he was confident that the unit would have so control over which missions they took on, which was a huge opportunity to exploit and pull the unit's direction toward ROOT if they weren't already dealing with them. He also very much preferred that he develop various skills that complent each other, which would benefit his future career growth.
The downside was less free ti, but once he got the Shadow Clone Jutsu under his belt, that would be less of an issue.
"Are you sure?" asked Tapir.
Takuma nodded.
He knew what he wanted; now, he just needed to work hard to get it.
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