"There's a straggler heading this way! After him! If we're too late, it'll be too late!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"..."
Several Anbu members hurried over.
The bloodstains on their clothes hadn't even dried.
Knock, knock, knock...
They frantically knocked on Naruto's door.
"Who is it? It's the middle of the night."
He opened the door.
A group of Anbu stood outside.
They'd come to deliver some community warmth... No, to check on his safety.
"Naruto... Young Master, are you all right?"
The Anbu squad leader asked.
He had once served under the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Minato Namikaze had treated his subordinates well.
He had always looked after him.
After Minato Namikaze died, he never got the chance to repay that kindness.
When he learned that Naruto was Minato Namikaze's son,
the Anbu squad leader swore to serve young Naruto to the death.
The companions beside him felt the same way.
Minato Namikaze had promoted them in the past.
After they fought hard for the chance,
the Anbu members under the Third Hokage who had originally been assigned to watch Naruto were replaced.
They had taken their place.
"Young Master?"
Naruto was confused.
The term left him completely baffled.
How had he suddenly become someone's young master?
Were these people from the Uzumaki Clan?
No, the Uzumaki Clan had been almost wiped out.
Besides himself, he knew of only one other survivor: Karin Uzumaki.
The squad leader hurriedly explained, "Young Master, it's like this: we once served under the Fourth Hokage, Lord Minato Namikaze."
"Lord Minato Namikaze treated us very well."
"Young Master, please let us follow you."
Naruto understood.
They were his cheap old man's direct subordinates.
After Minato Namikaze died,
Hiruzen Sarutobi had taken charge of the Anbu again.
Some Anbu officers who had been utterly loyal to Minato Namikaze
had no choice but to follow Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders.
But after learning Naruto's true identity,
why the hell should they keep following orders?
They'd simply abandoned the dark for the light.
Compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had one foot in the grave,
the young and ambitious Naruto
was a much better person to follow!
A young and mighty leader.
After Naruto demonstrated the Rasengan,
their resolve only grew stronger!
Thump, thump.
They dropped to one knee, bowing their heads low.
"If you don't agree, Young Master, we'll stay kneeling!"
"Kneeling!"
"Kneeling!"
"..."
Their voices rang out with fervent conviction.
Naruto waved a hand. "Get up."
He wasn't an idiot.
How could he pass up free labor?
"Thank you, Young Master!"
"Thank you, Young Master!"
Once they had stood,
the burly Anbu Ninja at the head of the group suddenly spoke. "Young Master, are you all right? Assassins from another village broke in earlier. We dealt with them."
"But we accidentally let one elusive fellow get away! We're sorry for alarming you, Young Master."
This was your idea of efficient?
If I hadn't been strong enough,
I'd be dead by now!
Naruto shook his head. "I didn't see anyone."
The masked giant's whole body stiffened. His voice turned grave. "Then we'll guard you nearby tonight, Young Master. If that fellow shows up, we'll take him out immediately!"
"Rest assured, Young Master. With us here, you can sleep soundly tonight."
"Exactly."
Naruto was dumbfounded.
Did he need this many people watching him sleep?
He didn't have any weird habits.
Why the hell did someone have to stand by while he slept?
Naruto lightly tapped his forehead. "Oh, I remember now. I sensed that guy's presence, went outside, and took care of him."
The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.
The Anbu behind their masks were all dumbfounded.
Was their young master really that strong?
That ninja's presence had been incredibly hard to detect, but he wasn't very strong.
Even so, he'd still been an elite ninja.
Young Master, you'd only been a Genin for less than a day.
And you'd taken down a battle-hardened old Chunin?
Naruto also paused.
Had he gone too far?
He should've said that the ninja had actually been taken out by someone else.
They thought he was a weakling.
But he wasn't weak at all.
Every member of the Anbu squad removed their masks.
"If the Fourth Hokage were watching from beyond, he'd be overjoyed to see the young master grow so strong."
"Yeah... Lady Kushina Uzumaki would feel the same."
"Young Master, if you don't mind me asking, what jutsu did you use to defeat that Chunin?"
One of the squad members asked curiously.
Everyone else looked surprised.
Naruto replied calmly, "Rasengan."
It wasn't anything worth hiding.
He'd already used it while teaching Konohamaru.
Oh... and when he'd bluffed Uchiha Sasuke, too.
It wasn't anything he needed to keep secret.
"Waaah... I knew it. The Fourth Hokage must be watching from beyond and taught the young master this jutsu in a dream."
"With you here, Young Master, you'll surely lead Konoha to an entirely new level!"
"Exactly..."
The burly men, usually so fierce and ruthless,
were sobbing like little girls.
Damn.
Naruto hadn't even explained anything yet,
and these Anbu had already made up the whole story themselves.
Well, fine. That worked out.
He'd let them believe whatever they wanted.
Before you continue