Chapter 156: You Wish Your Leadership Was This Chill & Ruthless

Chapter 156 - You Wish Your Leadership Was This Chill & Ruthless The morning sun filtered through the trees as Ren stood near a quiet body of water, his reflection still and steady on the surface. Dressed in his standard ANBU uniform with the 5-Star Numbers mask securely in place, he waited for the squad assigned to him. Somewhere in the surrounding foliage, Kimura lingered in the shadows, completely undetectable, even to seasoned jonin so Ren trusted him to follow unnoticed. Since Yoru had already briefed him on the mission, Ren had dispatched his butterfly summons in advance to gather intel. Now, the only thing left to decide was how to present himself to the squad. Should he act distant and cold? Aggressively commanding? Or maybe go with the approachable, confident leader vibe? He tested out different personas under his breath, switching tone and posture like an actor preparing backstage. ~~~ Meanwhile, some distance away, four masked shinobi moved swiftly through the forest. An ANBU squad, led by a man in a Lion mask, followed the tree lines at high speed. Behind him ran three more operatives, each wearing Rat, Camel, and Moth masks respectively. As they moved, Rat broke the silence. "Captain, the mission intel was vague. All we know is we're supposed to rescue a kidnapped noble's son and return him to the Fire Capital. No layout, no route, no threats listed. Are we really going in blind?" Lion didn't slow down as he replied, "We're not going in blind. One of the Numbers is taking point on this mission. We're to meet him at the designated location and follow his lead." That single statement shifted the mood among the three trailing operatives. A Number? That wasn't someone you second-guessed. Soon, they arrived at the rendezvous point. As they landed on the clearing, Lion took a step forward, but before he could say anything, a childish voice echoed from around them. "You're early. I thought I'd be waiting a while longer." A small spiral of leaves gathered ahead of them, swirling into a tight vortex. When it dissipated, the figure of Ren stood there in full ANBU gear, his 5-Star Numbers mask gleaming in the morning light. Lion and the others stiffened slightly. Despite the youthfulness in the voice, the pressure that radiated from Ren was undeniable. Even behind their masks, each of them felt it, that invisible weight that only came from truly dangerous people. The silent tension did more than any bluster could. Ren could sense their assessment, but he didn't care. He had already decided the best way to avoid the cliche of being underestimated was simple: Dominate the room from the start. Lion stepped forward again, his tone formal. "Greetings. We were informed that you'd be handling the operation. But I'll need to see proof of mission authorization." Without a word, Ren pulled out the same mission detail scroll that Lion had. Both had identical chakra signatures woven into the parchment. It was a crude but effective validation method. Once confirmed, they put them away. Ren immediately got to business. "I've already located the mercenary convoy that kidnapped the target. They're disguised as a merchant caravan, blending in with ordinary civilians to avoid detection. It's sloppy, but it works on most patrol units." He unrolled a map on a nearby rock, weighing it down with three shuriken, and pointed at key areas. "They're following the Kiminawa River's route, which takes them from the Land of Fire through the Land of Waterfall, straight toward the Land of Earth. That's likely their final destination. We'll intercept them before they leave our borders to avoid any diplomatic issues." Ren tapped a point near the border, just before a narrow choke between two hills. "We'll reach the intercept point before them. Once they pass through this valley, we ambush and eliminate them in one clean strike. No escapees. No unnecessary casualties. Civilians will be separated and secured immediately after engagement begins." Lion and the rest of the squad listened in silence, processing everything. When he finished, they gave crisp nods of no objections. It was a solid plan. Ren rolled up the map and gave the final word. "Let's move." With that, he flickered out of sight in an instant. The four ANBU followed immediately, their figures vanishing into the trees behind him, the mission now fully in motion. ~~~ Since the mission site was a considerable distance from their starting point, the group had to travel for nearly a full day before they finally reached it. During the journey, Ren initially considered implementing the breaking pattern that the Numbers typically followed with their animal squads with brief high-intensity travel followed by minimal breaks to conserve energy without losing momentum. But it quickly became clear that this team wouldn't hold up to that level of performance. Even Lion, the squad's appointed captain, was only level 65. The gap between them and Ren was too wide to ignore. So, Ren adjusted. He increased the number of breaks, masked them as tactical rests, and controlled the pace without complaint, not because he was tired, but because he was the leader, and it was his responsibility to get the squad to the mission alive and capable. Thankfully, taking the lead wasn't difficult. Lion didn't interfere with any of his calls. That was partly due to Ren's identity as one of the Numbers, but also thanks to the pressure and strength he'd displayed during the initial meeting. Ren found himself silently relieved that he'd chosen to show off a little in the beginning, it had prevented a host of unnecessary problems. Especially from Rat. Something about him gave Ren an unpleasant vibe. Not dangerous, not treacherous, but unsettling. Ren had already used Observe Chain on him. No signs of Root ties. No hidden allegiances. Just a man with bad energy. Ren mentally filed it under "Avoid Unless Necessary." By the time they reached the designated ambush point which was just past the hills leading into a forest valley, the sun was already inching toward late morning. The terrain was perfect. A narrow road, gently sloping downward, with thick foliage on both sides and a rocky incline behind. Ren wasted no time and began issuing orders, "The convoy should arrive here in approximately five hours. I've already contacted the border patrol in the area and informed them that a skirmish will occur, so they won't interfere." He gestured to the slope and valley ahead. "We won't be laying traps, at least not the explosive kind. They have civilians in front, and we can't risk unnecessary casualties. I'll handle the enemies in problematic positions silently before the ambush begins." He turned to Lion, "Lion, your only job is to extract the target. You move the moment you see an opening. Make it clean. The fighting doesn't start until the boy is secure, but make changes as needed." Lion gave a short nod. "Camel, you'll handle civilian containment. If anyone among them turns out to be working with the enemy then deal with it on the spot. Don't hesitate. Letting them go will create more problems later." Camel simply raised a hand in silent agreement. "Rat and Moth, you're our main assault force. The group only has one low-jonin level enemy. The rest are Chunin-tier, about nine in total. I'll take out a few before the clash, so it should be easy enough. If anything unexpected happens, I'll jump in." They all nodded. Ren's tone stayed calm and clinical throughout the briefing, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind, this wasn't a suggestion. This was a command. Detailed, deliberate, and absolutely firm. After confirming there were no questions, the squad dispersed. Each flickered away into the trees and brush, fading into silence. Ren remained behind for a moment longer, surveying the area from atop a tree branch. This was his first time leading an official and although he wasn't worried about the mission itself, as it was a joke by his standards. He still wanted to make sure things went smoothly. Explaining everything in detail might have seemed unnecessary to some, but he'd learned that most casualties happened because some idiot misunderstood or misinterpreted an order and Ren hated losing things unnecessarily. Once satisfied, he too flickered away from sight. He didn't intend to spend the next five hours doing nothing, perfected Hyperfocus still needed refining. If others wanted to sit and waste the time, that was their problem. He would train. Ren dropped down into a quiet clearing and began running slow drills, gradually shifting into Hyperfocus. His mind sharpened as time slowed, every leaf's flutter and breeze-pull sharpening into defined layers of motion. Practicing this state without opponents wasn't ideal, but even passive drilling had benefits. No wonder most ANBU's strength remained stuck once they hit a plateau. They treated downtime like leisure. If Ren had to spend hours doing nothing, he'd go insane. Better to turn waiting time into growth. ~~~ On the other end of the valley, where Ren and his team were lying in ambush, a merchant convoy was making its way into the pass. At first glance, everything seemed completely normal, too normal. Merchants chatted casually, guards patrolled with relaxed vigilance, and the convoy rolled forward without a hint of deceit. As the convoy reached the far side of the valley and the last person stepped out, the atmosphere shifted. A massive boulder dropped, sealing off the exit in an instant. Startled cries erupted, but before the civilians could react properly, five people suddenly collapsed. A guard instantly leapt onto the main carriage, shouting, "Enemy attack!" Four others responded immediately, rushing toward the carriage and securing a corner each. Chaos spread quickly. The previously calm atmosphere shattered. Civilians huddled together, confused and afraid, while the guards tensed, forming a defensive ring. Then came the next act. A small sphere rolled beneath the carriage and detonated into a dense smokescreen. From his vantage point, hidden in the forest shadows, Ren watched silently. He had already eliminated five of the Chunin-level fighters before the fight began. If the rest of the squad couldn't handle the leftovers, then frankly, they deserved what came to them. He began channeling chakra into his eyes and the smoke became transparent, layers peeling away like mist. Rat had already engaged the Jonin standing atop the carriage, forcing him off. The moment the jonin hit the ground, Lion moved. He burst straight through the carriage roof, snatched the boy inside, and leapt clear. Meanwhile, Camel, a Yamanaka, was already among the civilians. With swift mental probes, he pinpointed the two working with the mercenaries. They were eliminated immediately, and the rest were knocked unconscious. In a shinobi battle, only knocked-out civilians were safe civilians. Moth, handling the other front, had pinned down the remaining four Chunin. As a Jonin himself, he made quick work of them. Nearly simultaneously, Rat finished off the enemy jonin. Within moments, all enemies had been dealt with. Lion returned to the clearing and formed a string of hand seals. A gust of wind erupted from his mouth, clearing away the lingering smoke. The squad regrouped around the child, who lay unconscious but unharmed. They moved to wake the boy to confirm the identity when Ren's voice cut through the clearing like a whip. "Stop." Everyone froze. Ren flickered into position, appearing directly in front of the boy, who stood just a head shorter than him. He placed a hand on the boy's shirt. Faint seals glowed across the fabric, and with a flick of his wrist, Ren tore the shirt off and tossed it into the air. It exploded mid-air, startling the others. Ren casually pulled a spare shirt from his pack and helped the boy into it. Then he handed the child to Lion and spoke calmly, "There was an advanced seal on him. That means whoever orchestrated this kidnapping has ties with another village or high level rouges. Make sure your report includes this. Also inform the noble." Lion gave a sharp nod, his expression grim. Camel stepped forward and added, "There were only two infiltrators among the civilians. Their job was to capture civilians to act as shields if the mercenaries needed cover." Ren nodded. He already knew that, thanks to his butterfly summons, who had traced the culprits' movements the moment the operation began. If this mission had taught him anything, it was the sheer value of a reliable intel network. "Let's drop the civilians with the border patrol first," Ren instructed. "The cleanup squads can handle the rest. After that, you guys can return." Everyone nodded. Each member took two or three civilians, and after the necessary procedures, most of which Ren handled himself due to his leadership status they escorted them to the patrol camp. With the civilians handed off and reports submitted, Lion's squad headed toward the Fire Capital, where they would deliver the rescued boy to the noble. Ren, however, stayed back. Yoru had already informed him that he would be receiving continuous squad assignments for a while, so there was no point in returning. He began walking through the forest trails, casually stretching his limbs. Kimura emerged from behind him, falling into step as usual. "That went easier than expected," Ren said, cracking his neck. Kimura nodded. "It was to be expected. Right now, your age and official rank aren't enough to command respect. The only way to make them listen is to subdue them with strength. Once you grow older, other methods will work." Ren agreed. He wasn't oblivious to the reality of the shinobi world. In this world, charisma didn't come from words alone, of course, unless you were Naruto Uzumaki, words rarely held power on their own. Charisma, it came from power and Ren had that in abundance. That said, even this little operation had increased his charisma stat by 2 points. A solid gain. Before Ren could follow the thought further, a sharp screech echoed overhead. An eagle swooped down toward them, its wings slicing through the sky. Ren looked up at it, then turned to Kimura with a smirk. "No rest for the best, I guess." ~~~~~ {I figured it was best to just show one Chapter about Ren leading would go, which wasn't really that much different from others. The other missions would also go this way so I won't be going into too many details about them as they'd be a waste.} {Though there would be some fun ones that I will be expanding.} {Also, no extra Chapter today kekeke, you guys didn't reach the goal but this made me realise something too, the jump from 200 to 300 was too big, but 250 is easily achievable so I'll set the goal to something that's hard but manageable, 280 stones. So, go for it and once this becomes normal I'll go for 300 and then more.} {BTW, it was one of you who motivated me to increase the goal and their suggestion was 500, I won't say the name so let's see if they comes forward themself.} {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} {280 Stones = Extra Chapter} {STONES!!!!}