Codename Seven

Beneath the Hokage Rock, a building that looked utterly ordinary stood. It was almost indistinguishable from the other squat houses, and if there was any distinguishing feature, it was that this building maintained a subtle distance from the others, neither too close nor too far, just right. Moreover, there were no recreational areas nearby, resulting in very few people frequenting this area.

In front of the squat house, at this very moment, stood two people: the masked man and Sora Uchiha. This squat house was the Anbu base.

"You... are good."

The masked man stared quietly at Sora Uchiha for a moment before speaking in a steady voice.

That chase test, one could say Sora Uchiha had completed it beautifully. He had barely arrived when Sora Uchiha was right behind him.

Originally, according to his plan, he should have "gone easy." But after observing for a moment, he realized Sora Uchiha still had energy to spare. It was then that he suddenly increased his speed, and even so, Sora Uchiha still caught up.

"Thank you for going easy on me, senior." Sora Uchiha replied with great tact.

Unexpectedly, the masked man was not swayed by this at all. He said indifferently, "There's no need for pleasantries. In the Anbu, it's strength that matters."

Hearing this, Sora Uchiha felt a bit awkward, like he had offered a warm welcome only to be met with a cold shoulder.

He quickly changed the subject, looking at the squat house before him. Wutong tree leaves were scattered on the ground. At this season, besides being beautiful, Wutong trees were also troublesome; the fallen leaves everywhere were a nuisance.

"This is the Anbu base?"

"What's wrong?"

"Well... how should I put it? It's a bit different from what I imagined. I thought the Anbu base would be more hidden and grander."

"Hiding in plain sight is in line with the Anbu's philosophy. As for grandeur..." He paused. "You'll know soon enough."

A faint doubt surfaced in Sora Uchiha's mind. Why so mysterious? 'You'll know soon enough,' he says.

Just before entering the squat house, interestingly, an old man was lying on a reclining chair in front of the door, as if the house behind him was his own and he was simply out to sunbathe.

As the masked man brought Sora Uchiha into the house, the old man woke up. He glanced sideways at Sora Uchiha, then handed the masked man a plain iron key.

Opening the door, Sora Uchiha looked around. The interior was no different from a regular home.

There was a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, all present. The living room was normally furnished with a dining table, sofa, and a small balcony.

Under Sora Uchiha's gaze, the masked man walked to the wall beside the sofa and pressed down. Sora Uchiha clearly saw a brick in the wall sink inward!

Immediately, a not-so-violent tremor came from the ground, and a tunnel opened up in the wall!

The living room, which looked perfectly normal, contained a secret room! Based on the direction, Sora Uchiha immediately understood that the secret room was connected to the Hokage Rock.

He was a little surprised, thinking, So the Anbu base is hidden within the Hokage Rock. That's truly hidden.

"Let's go," the masked man said calmly.

Sora Uchiha nodded and followed him into the tunnel. After passing through a tunnel about three to four meters long, the space suddenly opened up into a very vast area.

Masked individuals were coming and going, each exuding a dangerous aura. A tower-like building stood in the center of the plaza.

Sora Uchiha noticed that many Anbu members were arriving from other directions. He assumed the place he entered was not the only entrance. That makes sense; if there was only one entrance, this place would be discovered by others very quickly.

"Let's go, the captain is waiting for you," the masked man called out. Sora Uchiha, who was somewhat lost in thought, immediately followed.

Along the way, quite a few Anbu members glanced at Sora Uchiha. It was rare for someone so young to join the Anbu, but they only gave him a cursory look before returning to their own tasks.

The entire space gave off a feeling of strictness and organization.

"Captain? Don't I need to see the Third Hokage?" Sora Uchiha asked curiously. The leader of the Anbu was the current Hokage. Judging by the masked man's words, it seemed he didn't need to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi to join the Anbu.

"Yes, the Third Hokage is very busy lately, so joining the Anbu only requires meeting your captain."

"My captain? You mean the person I'm about to meet is my captain?" Sora Uchiha keenly grasped the central point.

"Yes, if nothing unexpected happens, you and I are on the same team," the masked man explained.

He stopped in front of the only building and handed his identification tag to the guard before being allowed through. Sora Uchiha quickly followed.

Inside the building, there were fewer people, making it somewhat quiet, but an invisible pressure could still be felt.

"Stay close to me, don't look around," the masked man said faintly from ahead.

Sora Uchiha replied with an "Oh," tucking away his curious gaze, and silently followed behind the masked man.

Soon, the two stopped in front of a door. Sora Uchiha looked up.

--Sub-Captain's Office.

The Anbu organization was divided into a General Captain, who managed the Sub-Captains. Each Sub-Captain managed seventeen people, further divided into four squads, each consisting of four to five people.

Knock, knock, knock--

The masked man knocked on the door with a rhythmic pattern, maintaining the same pause between each knock.

"Enter," a male voice came from inside.

"You can go in," the masked man stepped aside, gesturing for Sora Uchiha to enter.

Under these circumstances, Sora Uchiha hadn't felt anything initially, but now, he inexplicably felt a surge of nervousness.

He pushed the door open and entered.

Inside was a space of about twenty square meters. The structure was simple: a desk and two stools, giving a feeling of interrogating a prisoner.

Sora Uchiha closed the door gently behind him and silently observed the man before him.

He had short, dark brown hair that forked into three points at the ends, a distinctive circular, horn-shaped scar near the cheekbone on his right cheek, and wore the dark green uniform of a Konoha Jonin.

The man put down what he was holding, looked up at him, and smiled. "You're Sora Uchiha, right? Sit," he said, gesturing to the stool opposite him.

Sora Uchiha nodded and had just sat down when he heard the man introduce himself:

"Hello, I am Shin'nosuke Sarutobi, and I will be your captain from now on."

Sora Uchiha's heart skipped a beat.

Shin'nosuke Sarutobi, he knew this person. Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son, Asuma's older brother.

Sora Uchiha suddenly understood. No wonder the old Third Hokage hadn't even shown his face when he joined the Anbu; his son was his direct supervisor.

In the original story, there was almost no description of Shin'nosuke Sarutobi, the only thing known was that he was an elite Jonin.

With his current strength, he couldn't even defeat a Jonin, let alone an elite Jonin. Shin'nosuke could handle him with ease.

Was it a coincidence?

Or did the old Third Hokage want to keep him directly under his watchful eye?

While he was lost in thought, Shin'nosuke spoke again:

"Anbu members must use their codenames when carrying out missions."

Sora Uchiha looked up blankly, only to hear the burly man in front of him say, "From today on, your codename is: Seven."