Young Master, Please Let Us Swear to Follow You to the Death

"A straggler is heading this way! After him! We'll be too late if we don't hurry!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Several Anbu members rushed over.

The bloodstains on their uniforms had yet to dry.

Thump, thump, thump...

They knocked on Naruto's door in a frantic hurry.

"Who is it? At this hour?"

He opened the door.

He saw a group of Anbu standing outside.

They were here to provide community support... no, to check on his safety.

"Naruto... Young Master, are you alright?"

The Anbu captain asked.

He had previously served under the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Minato Namikaze had treated his subordinates well.

He had taken great care of him in the past.

After Minato Namikaze died, he never had the chance to repay that kindness.

Upon learning that Naruto was Minato Namikaze's son, this Anbu captain swore to serve young Naruto with his life.

His companions felt the same.

Minato Namikaze had promoted them in the past.

Through their persistent efforts, the original group of Anbu under Hiruzen Sarutobi who were monitoring Naruto had been replaced.

They had been replaced by them.

"Young Master??"

Naruto was confused.

The term left him completely bewildered.

How did he suddenly become a young master out of nowhere?

Were these people from the Uzumaki clan?

No, the Uzumaki clan was practically extinct.

Aside from himself, he only knew of one other survivor, Karin Uzumaki.

The captain hurriedly explained, "Young Master, it is like this: we once served under Lord Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

"Lord Minato Namikaze treated us very well."

"Young Master, please let us follow you."

Naruto had an epiphany.

So they were his late father's direct subordinates.

After Minato Namikaze died, Hiruzen Sarutobi took control of the Anbu once again.

Some Anbu officers who were fiercely loyal to Minato Namikaze had no choice but to obey Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders.

But after learning of Naruto's lineage, why the hell would they still listen to his orders?

They chose to abandon the darkness for the light.

Compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who already had one foot in the grave, the young and charismatic Naruto was a much better leader to follow!

A young lord in the making.

After Naruto unleashed the Rasengan, their conviction only grew stronger!

Thump, thump.

They knelt on one knee, their heads bowed low.

"Young Master, if you do not agree, we shall remain kneeling!"

"Kneeling!"

"Kneeling!"

"..."

Their voices were impassioned and forceful.

Naruto waved a hand dismissively, "Get up, all of you."

He wasn't a fool.

How could he pass up the chance to use free labor?

"Thank you, Young Master!"

"Thank you, Young Master!"

After they stood up, the burly Anbu ninja leading the group spoke up abruptly, "Are you alright, Young Master? Assassins from another village broke in earlier, but we took care of them."

"However, we accidentally let one with a hidden presence slip through! We have caused you alarm, Young Master."

With your efficiency?

If I weren't strong enough, I would have been dead long ago, wouldn't I?

Naruto shook his head, "I didn't see anyone."

The masked man's burly frame shuddered, and he said in a serious tone, "Then we shall guard the perimeter around you tonight. The moment that fellow appears, we will eliminate him immediately!"

"Rest assured, Young Master. With us here, you can sleep soundly tonight."

"That's right."

Naruto was stunned.

Do I need so many people watching me just to sleep?

He didn't have any strange quirks.

Why would he need people waiting on him while he slept?

Naruto tapped his forehead lightly, "Oh, I remember now. I sensed that guy's presence and took care of him on my way out."

The atmosphere fell into an eerie, deathly silence.

The Anbu members behind their masks were dumbfounded.

Is the Young Master really that formidable?

That ninja, whose presence was extremely hidden but whose strength was relatively weak, was still an elite ninja, after all.

Young Master, you haven't even been a genin for a full day yet.

And you already took out a battle-hardened veteran chunin?

Naruto paused for a moment as well.

Did he say too much?

He should have said that the ninja was actually taken out by someone else.

They were under the impression that he was a weakling.

But he wasn't weak at all.

All members of the Anbu squad removed their masks.

"If Fourth Hokage were watching from above, he would surely feel immense gratification to see the Young Master growing stronger."

"Indeed... Kushina Uzumaki would feel the same."

"Young Master, if I may be so bold, what ninjutsu did you use to defeat that chunin?"

A young member asked curiously.

The others all looked on with surprise.

Naruto said indifferently, "Rasengan."

It wasn't anything worth hiding.

He had already used it when teaching Konohamaru.

Oh... and when he was fooling Second Pillar, too.

It wasn't anything shameful.

"Waaah... I knew it. Fourth Hokage must be watching from above, appearing in your dreams to teach you this ninjutsu."

"With you here, Young Master, Konoha will surely reach a brand new height!"

"Indeed..."

A group of burly men, usually fierce and ruthless enough to kill without blinking, were now sobbing like little girls.

What the hell.

Naruto hadn't even explained anything yet.

These Anbu had already filled in the blanks themselves.

Fine, that works too.

Let them imagine whatever they want.