In this time of war, squads were not yet made up of four people as they would be in the future. It seemed that after going through this war, Konoha's higher-ups would give the matter some thought, or perhaps take inspiration from the strength of the Konoha Sannin, and decide to operate in four-person squads. This would conserve manpower while allowing them to handle all sorts of unexpected situations.
Since his teacher, White Fang, had asked him to form a squad of his own, Anyo figured it meant that, on the one hand, White Fang acknowledged his strength, and on the other, he no longer had time to mentor him.
If his guess was right, the fighting in Amegakure had already entered its final stages. Naturally, Konoha would not keep its forces scattered by leaving White Fang there. He would surely be transferred to the Second Battlefield to take over from the Third Hokage. Only this time, White Fang would have to oversee the entire operation.
That made the three people Anyo chose crucial. The first would undoubtedly be Minato. As for the remaining two, Anyo sank into thought.
The reason was simple: choosing was hard. Although he was White Fang's student, he had yet to make a name for himself. Skilled ninja would surely be unwilling to follow his orders, so he would be better off without them. As for rookies, all Anyo could offer was a dry chuckle.
Going off to war this time was like entering a massive dungeon raid. Right, what mattered most in a raid? A tank and a healer, of course. A figure surfaced in Anyo's mind: Dan Katō. He could not be more suitable, not to mention that the two of them already had a friendship.
As for a tank, someone from the Akimichi Clan would undoubtedly be the best fit. However, those three clans always stuck together, and splitting them up clearly would not be appropriate. Who could he find?
Forget it. He would stop thinking about it for now and recruit those two first. He could ask them while he was at it, and perhaps they would have a third candidate.
Anyo got straight to work and headed to the hospital first. Sure enough, he soon spotted Dan Katō busy at work.
Once Dan Katō finished treating a ninja, Anyo stepped forward and said, "Dan, I need to talk to you about something."
Dan Katō looked quite exhausted. Wiping away his sweat, he asked gently, "What is it?"
Anyo said plainly, "I'm forming a four-person squad to carry out missions on the Iwagakure front. I'd like to invite you to join my squad."
"To the battlefield?" Dan Katō looked at the ninja moaning throughout the hospital and tightened his fists. Without hesitation, he replied, "It seems war is unavoidable if the village is to have peace in the future. All right, I'll go."
Hearing Dan Katō agree, Anyo let out a breath of relief. "Then get ready. We'll meet at the Konoha Gate tonight."
With that, Anyo hurried off to find Minato. Unexpectedly, Minato was not home.
Where did that guy go? Could he be...
An idea struck Anyo, and he ran straight to Kushina Uzumaki's house. As expected, Minato was there.
Anyo could not resist teasing him. "I was wondering why I couldn't find you. So this is where you've been hiding."
Minato looked a little embarrassed when Anyo appeared. He gave a sheepish laugh and said, "I was worried Kumogakure might make another move, so I've been staying here to protect her these past two days."
Before Anyo could speak, Kushina Uzumaki could not help snapping back, "Short-hair, what business is it of yours where Minato is? You're not welcome in my house."
That nickname left Anyo speechless. His hair might not be long, but surely it did not warrant calling him Short-hair. This Little Chili Pepper seemed to have gotten used to saying it. Naturally, Anyo would not stoop to arguing with her. He spoke directly to Minato instead. "The fighting in Amegakure is over. My teacher asked me to form a four-person squad and head to the Second Battlefield. I want you on the team. Are you coming?"
As expected, Minato agreed immediately.
Beside him, Kushina's expression changed, and she held tightly to Minato.
Women are such a pain. Looking at the scene, Anyo sighed and said, "Don't worry. My teacher should have headed to the Second Battlefield by now, too. Lord Third Hokage will be able to return to the village soon. With him here, you'll be fine."
Hearing this, Minato said solemnly to Kushina, "I have to go. This war is for the village's peace. I can't shirk that responsibility."
Knowing she could not stop Minato, Kushina lifted her chin and said, "If you're going, then I'm going too. Short... Anyo, right? I want to join your four-person squad too."
"You?" Anyo shook his head emphatically. Leaving her abilities aside, her temperament alone was enough to rule her out. Besides, having a couple carry out missions in the same squad made it easy for emotions to get in the way.
Seeing that Anyo would not agree, Kushina's eyes shifted as though something had occurred to her. She released Minato's hand and said, "In that case, go home and get ready first."
"All right." Minato gave her a slight smile and left with a Body Flicker Technique.
Just as Anyo was about to leave as well, Kushina suddenly stopped him. "Wait."
Keeping a stern face, Anyo turned back helplessly and said, "Don't expect me to take you. Nothing you say will change that."
Kushina gave a cold snort. "Hmph. Minato has mentioned you to me a lot these past two days. I know you're interested in powerful ninjutsu. How about this? Take me with you, and I'll teach you the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Technique."
"Uh." Anyo's expression immediately brightened, and he chuckled. "I suppose it's not out of the question. All right, I'll take you. But let me make this clear first: you must follow my orders during operations. If you act on your own and cause serious consequences, I'll request that you be sent back to the village."
Seeing Anyo agree, Kushina's face lit up, and she nodded. "All right, understood."
"Then get ready. Meet at the Konoha Gate tonight."
He had not expected to fill out the four-person squad so quickly. Although choosing Kushina was somewhat rash, fortunately, she was not yet the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so taking her out of the village would not have much of an impact. Besides, the Sealing Technique she possessed truly tempted Anyo.
Throughout all of Naruto, excluding the cheats, nearly all the strongest Sealing Techniques came from the Uzumaki Clan. That might also have been one of the reasons they were wiped out: they possessed something their own strength could not match.
With Sealing Techniques, there would be countless applications in the future, especially when it came to Tailed Beasts. Anyo had entertained an idea: once he became powerful enough, he would capture one to study. After all, that chakra, which surpassed the limits of the human body, was truly enticing.
Night fell, and all four met at the Konoha Gate on time. Naturally, Minato was still quite surprised to see Kushina.
But a single sentence from Kushina silenced him.
"If it's war, then no one can avoid it. Besides, we're teammates now. I believe you can protect me."
Anyo said to the three of them, "We don't know how long this war will last. We may be carrying out missions together for a long time. To help us coordinate better, let's each explain what we're best at. I'm Anyo. I currently have Jonin-level strength, and I specialize in close combat with a blade."
"Minato Namikaze. Jonin-level strength. I specialize in speed."
"Dan Katō. Jonin-level strength. Medical ninja. I specialize in assassination."
"Kushina Uzumaki. Currently a Genin. I specialize in Sealing Jutsu."
Once they had gained a rough understanding of one another, Anyo declared spiritedly, "Come on, let's move out!"
Together, they plunged into the night, racing toward the unknown battlefield.
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