The mention of ANBU made Asuma sigh inwardly.
The old man had made him join ANBU, and the old man had made him leave it. His entire path in life had been neatly laid out for him, but he did not want a life arranged that way.
The old man wanted him to follow the prescribed steps to become a Special Jōnin, then compete for a position among the Ninja who guarded the Daimyō.
But he did not want that. He only wanted to live a real Ninja's life alongside Kurenai, Guy, and his other companions.
Those memories stirred a wealth of emotions. A server brought over the Three-Color Dango and set it before them, and they began savoring it.
Soft and chewy... Zou Hyuga silently assessed it. He was not picky about food; filling his stomach was enough, though occasionally he had a few modest expectations about flavor.
Oto finished her Three-Color Dango the fastest. Zou Hyuga looked at her slightly rounded stomach with some concern.
She should be a pure-blooded Uchiha. Surely she doesn't have any Akimichi or Hyuga Clan blood mixed in?
The delicious Three-Color Dango livened up the atmosphere again. As they relaxed, they chatted about rumors circulating in the village, and somehow the conversation drifted back to the Fourth Hokage.
Asuma glanced around and said conspiratorially, "Have you heard? The Fourth is expanding ANBU recruitment to deal with Kumogakure's harassment along the border."
"I've heard."
Zou Hyuga nodded slightly. As a member of ANBU directly under the Fourth, he had received the news long ago. Naturally, the major Ninja Clans had too, and they all understood the Fourth's intentions.
Although Kumogakure had yet to sign an agreement with Konoha, it had enough problems of its own and could no longer continue fighting Konoha. Even a