"Jonin Liumu, can we follow you?"
"Yeah."
"We can't choose any of those three options."
As voices rang out one after another, everyone removed their masks and tossed them at Liumu's feet.
"You can't choose? What do you mean?"
As it turned out, quite a few of those who remained were orphans left behind by war.
Even among those with families, many came from extremely ordinary households.
They did not want to become rogue ninjas. After all, people who betrayed the village had always been their assassination targets.
But the same went for the first two choices Liumu had offered.
They did not want to join the ANBU, because its current ranks were still a force cultivated by the Third Hokage.
Liumu's assurance was not something they could see with their own eyes, and none of them dared take the risk.
As ninjas and the pillars of their families, they needed the rewards from missions to support their households.
So they could not simply go home whenever they wanted, like the descendants of the great clans.
Konoha's mission allocation was extremely unfair.
The great clans monopolized more than ninety percent of the high-paying missions, leaving only scraps for ordinary ninjas.
"Even so, what good would following me do you?"
At a loss for words, Liumu spread his hands helplessly.
At that moment, a woman with long light teal hair stepped out of the crowd and said to Liumu, "Even the children in Konoha probably know your name, Jonin Liumu. At five years old, you left the Ninja Academy..."
"Oh, enough, enough. Let's not bring up ancient history. Just get to the point."
Liumu interrupted her, utterly speechless.
After all, he had already heard those words more than enough times.
His ears were practically growing calluses.
The long-haired woman nodded