Chapter 126: Operation Soft Launch (Part-1) [Rated S for Subtle Flex]

Chapter 126 - Operation Soft Launch (Part-1) [Rated S for Subtle Flex] Once back in his room at the command base, Ren began donning his full gear. This mission was different, it would be the first time he was heading out directly under Yoru's command. He decided the occasion warranted wearing his full uniform. This wasn't the standard ANBU uniform he usually wore during missions with the Numbers' animal squads. Instead, it was the specialized uniform exclusive to the Commander's squad, a perk of being one of the elite Numbers. The uniform was a sleek black armor lined with crimson markings that ran across the arms, chest, and legs. He strapped on reinforced bracers over his forearms and thighs, then slipped on tight-fitted black gloves. Instead of the sandals which were the part of the uniform, he had custom boots made for this uniform, he'd specifically requested them because, in his words, "wearing sandals with this armor would be like wearing loafers with a tuxedo." Once dressed, Ren began equipping his tools. He secured his storage belt, which included a utility pouch filled with kunai, shuriken, senbon, and explosive tags. His whip, which had become a regular weapon of choice lately, was coiled just above his belt. The armor also had a sheath for a longsword, which he filled, even though he wasn't a fan of swordplay. Still, he had trained extensively in it so he took one it definitely wasn't because it looked cooler that way, he reassured himself. Satisfied with the gear, he attached the final piece: a sleek black cloak draped over his shoulders and falling just above his knees. The cloak was not just for show, it was fire-resistant and made from reinforced material that resisted tearing. Having drawn several sealing formations into both the armor and cloak himself over the ones that were already available, Ren was proud of the complete set. He gave himself a once-over in the mirror and nodded slightly in satisfaction. If this uniform wasn't so flashy he would be wearing this uniform on daily basis, but that's not good too, such uniform should only be worn occasionally. Finally, he picked up his numbered ANBU mask, placed it over his face, pulled up his hood, and left for Yoru's office. When he arrived, he saw Yoru had already donned his full uniform as well. Ren clicked his tongue and muttered, "Boss-man, your armor looks even cooler than mine. Can I have one like that?" Yoru's armor, while similar in structure, was deep maroon with elegant golden lines etched across the plates, giving it a regal and intimidating appearance, almost like something out of a high-end fantasy game. Without even looking up, Yoru responded dryly, "Become the ANBU Commander, and it'll be yours." Ren didn't even hesitate before refusing. "Nah. You've got way too much paperwork. Every time I see you, you're buried in reports. I want a position where I can chill, maybe roam around the world. Being Commander looks like a job for a hardcore workaholic." Yoru, leading him toward one of the secret passageways to the Hokage's office, replied without turning back, "We'll see about that. Until you've reached Kage-level power, you're not qualified to wander around freely." Ren muttered under his breath, "Maybe 15–20 years later, yeah..." not entirely disagreeing with him. Soon, they arrived outside the Hokage's office. After waiting a moment for the signal, both of them flickered inside. Hiruzen looked up from his desk and gave a rare, amused smile when he saw the two of them in full gear. He walked over to Ren, reached out, and pulled the hood back from Ren's head. "No need for the hood on this mission," he said with a smile. "Show off that hair while on the mission and while you still have it." Ren blinked and rubbed his blue hair, slightly confused. 'Is the old man just cursing my future hairline?' Hiruzen didn't say much else. He gave Yoru a nod and simply instructed, "Complete the mission and return quickly." Both of them nodded, and without another word, flickered out of the room. Left alone in the office, Hiruzen stood by the window, gazing out at the village. 'Let's see how the others react to the boy's debut performance under Yoru', he thought, a faint smile appearing on his face. 'I wonder what kind of nickname they'll give him. Hopefully something decent. Wouldn't want something like "Blue Demon" or worse.' He chuckled softly, 'Oh well, even if he's a demon to the rest of the world, for the Leaf, he'll always be the son of the Blue Butterfly, our Azure Dragon.' Satisfied with that thought, the Hokage nodded to himself. 'Not now, but soon, a fitting name will help build his legacy. I should start considering some options' ~~~ Ren and Yoru departed from the Hidden Leaf Village in silence, slipping out through one of the underground ANBU routes that connected the village to several hidden exit points beyond the outer patrol range. Not a single soul noticed their departure, as expected of the Commander of the ANBU and his subordinate from the Numbers. The coming and going of the ANBU, especially the Commander himself was never meant to be known to the public or even most of the shinobi forces. Their existence operated in the silence between words, in the gaps between shadows. As the two continued to travel down one of the winding, forested shadow paths that bypassed the main roads, Ren adjusted his cloak slightly and asked, "Commander, why did Gramps want me to show off my hair today? It's not like he's usually into fashion statements. Are we letting one or two of them go on purpose? To spread the word?" His tone wasn't sarcastic or even all that curious, just thoughtful. He wasn't entirely against his name being known in the broader shinobi world, but even he found it a little early. He wasn't even eleven yet. Wouldn't putting him in the spotlight now just bring unnecessary heat? Other villages wouldn't stay idle if they knew a child with near-jonin or higher capabilities was growing up in Konoha. They'd come for him the way predators hunted prey, fast and without warning. Yoru responded without looking back or breaking his pace. "No, all of the escapees are to be eliminated. Every single one. This plan is only applicable in case the Head Ninja of Kumo is with them. If he is, I'll personally step in and disable him, he won't die, but he'll never return to active shinobi service either. I'll make sure of that. Then we'll let him crawl back to Kumo. That will be your formal debut in the wider shinobi world." Ren narrowed his eyes behind the mask. "So, if he lives, he becomes the messenger?" Yoru nodded. "And if he dies?" "Then we wait for another opportunity." Ren frowned. "Isn't this all a bit premature? I mean, I get wanting to flex a little after the Chunin Exams, but this feels like poking a beehive. I'm not even eleven yet. If the other villages think I'm a threat, they'll start moving, no?" Yoru finally turned his head slightly to glance at him. "If this was before the Chunin Exams, we would've gone with Itachi Uchiha instead. He was the original plan. Let him be the public genius, let you grow quietly in the background. You were going to be the hidden dagger, the trump card." Ren was silent as Yoru continued. "But the moment you walked out of that arena in the final match, plans changed. You turned too many heads. The Tsuchikage, in particular, became interested. far too interested. He already sold the footage and descriptions of your match to several other villages, including the ones who didn't attend the Exams. The Tsuchikage was interested, that made the others restless. They started sending more spies, seeking more intel. Of course, we let some of them poke around and eliminated others to balance the flow, but there's a limit to how long we can play that game." Yoru's voice was calm, measured. "The more spies we take out, the more attention we draw. And if we push too hard, our own agents stationed abroad will come under risk. This mission to the Land of Frost presented an opportunity. We're calling it a soft launch. A controlled introduction of you." Ren tilted his head slightly. "So, we show enough to make them cautious but not so much that they feel pressured to act immediately." "Not exactly," Yoru confirmed. "If the Head Ninja of Kumo makes it back, the other villages will see that five A-rank rogues, battle-hardened criminals were taken out by you. Alone. That forces them to re-evaluate. If they want to take you out, they'll know a standard jonin squad won't cut it. They'll need an S-rank shinobi and a couple of elites. No village will want to expend that kind of resource right now. Not when they're uncertain of your full power. That buys us time." Ren nodded slowly, letting it sink in. The bigger picture was coming together now. "So the goal is to control the narrative before they create one of their own." "Correct," Yoru said. "And with this, we kill two birds with one stone. You get the pressure and motivation to reach S-rank before they decide it's time to act, and they stay wary enough not to act too soon." Ren looked ahead, thoughtful. 'These people really think ten steps ahead. They probably even have countermeasures in place in case things go sideways, if the head ninja doesn't show, or if he dies before making it back. There's always a backup plan.' Still, his fingers brushed the scroll pouch tied near his belt. 'Well, even if the plan fails, and the villages attack prematurely I have a way to survive. As long as the butterflies are active, I can reverse summon out of danger. That much is guaranteed.' Yoru's voice cut into his thoughts again, sharp and clear. "Try not to use your wind mastery unless absolutely necessary. Since the Tsuchikage sold your abilities based on what you showed the Chunin exams and the information we allowed to leak, you're a Taijutsu-focused shinobi with basic ninjutsu capability. If you can win this fight with Taijutsu and a few simple jutsu, that cements the idea that your strengths are physical. Your wind style, and your true capabilities stay hidden." Ren agreed instantly. "Got it. That way, if I ever run into someone who's seen my record, they'll underestimate my ninjutsu." Yoru nodded. "Exactly. Which other element are you confident in?" Ren paused briefly and ran a mental glance through his system's panels. Earth release: Advanced. Fire release: Intermediate. Lightning release: Basic. He answered, "Fire. I've been practicing it more actively lately." "Good," Yoru said. "Then from now on, publicly, you're a Taijutsu specialist who uses fire style for ranged combat and crowd control. Lean into it. Overplay it if necessary. The more they buy into the role, the more effective your real strengths will be when they come into play." Ren gave a small nod. "Five-star strategy service. You even picked my fake specialty for me. If this was a mission subscription model, I'd be paying monthly." Yoru didn't laugh, but his tone shifted slightly. "If I knew your real trump cards, I might have forbidden them entirely." 'Good thing you don't then', Ren thought, lips twitching beneath his mask. He thought back to the recent work his clones had completed and thought, 'I'll never let anyone know that, no matter who it is and would only use it in case my reverse summon fails too, otherwise that would always stay hidden.' With the tactical discussion over, the two of them picked up speed. From here, they'd reach the Land of Frost within half a day. They avoided roads entirely, sticking to cliff trails, dense forests, and shadowed ravines known only to the ANBU. Travel was silent, disciplined with neither of them wasting time or energy on small talk. ~~~~~ {Well, a new arc begins.} {Do you think the head ninja would show up? Would Konoha's plan work? Comment and tell me.} {What do you guys thought about Yoru's strategy service, was it worthy of 5-Stars or not? Anyway, there wouldn't be many twist and turns like in the Scales of Justice Arc, just pure fighting so buckle up. Right. What do you guys thinks Ren's real trump card is? Is there one? Or many? Or none at all? Whatever it is you wouldn't be knowing for some time now, so keep guessing and comment what you think it is.} {Also, Azure Dragon, yeah my naming sense is a bit meh but if you have any other good ones suggest them because as Hiruzen said, though not important now, it'd be useful in the future, so comment some good names.} {This arc is already finished on pat-reon, so if you wanna read it in advance, join my pat {Also, remember, 200 stones = Extra Chapter, This will continue for the forseeable future so I'll just add 200 stones = Extra Chapter and you guys understand, okay?} {If you want, you can support me on pat-reon.} { h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n } {You know what else to do} {STONES!!!!}