NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Teammates
In the end, Mochizuki Hui had no choice but to accept his fate as a member of the ANBU.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya, after showing what was described as an "incredible determination" during his second graduation exam, also successfully passed. Just like in the original story, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya were grouped together, with Sarutobi Hiruzen as their instructor.
When Hui heard about this, he couldn't help but recall his words to Jiraiya during the exam. "Incredible determination... Could it be because of what I said to him that day?"
This thought left Hui somewhat speechless, but he quickly shifted his focus. He was far more curious about who his new teammates in the ANBU were.
The structure of the ANBU was hierarchical. At the top were the Captain and Vice-Captain, overseeing four squads. Each squad had seventeen members, led by a Squad Leader and divided into four teams. Every team consisted of four members: a Team Leader and three team members.
Mochizuki Hui was assigned to Team Four of the First Squad.
That morning, Hui put on his ANBU uniform, admired himself in the mirror for a moment, and smirked. "Man, I look good!" He donned the white fox mask, then headed off to the designated meeting point.
The rendezvous location was an abandoned training ground on the outskirts of the village, near the Forest of Death. It was a place few people ever visited.
When Hui arrived, three figures in similar ANBU uniforms and masks were already there, waiting. These three were his new teammates—the Team Leader and two other members. Judging from their builds, they were clearly adults.
As Hui approached, the silent atmosphere grew even heavier. The three stared at Hui’s small frame, and for a moment, they wondered if they were under some kind of genjutsu. Or perhaps this was just a child playing pretend, dressing up as an ANBU member for fun.
That had to be it. There was no way the Second Hokage would assign a kid to their team. It was too ridiculous.
Yet as Hui walked closer, stopping directly in front of them, their hopes were completely shattered.
“Reporting in, Code 0215, present for duty,” Hui announced, his young voice breaking the silence.
The response was deafening silence.
After what felt like an eternity, one of them finally spoke. He had short black hair and a sturdy build, and his voice was low, suggesting he was around thirty years old.
“Welcome, 0215. I’m Team Leader Bear. You should choose a code name for yourself,” he said, his tone calm despite the absurdity of the situation.
"A code name?" Hui thought for a moment before replying, "Call me 'Light', then."
Bear nodded. "Alright, Light. Let's introduce ourselves. For example, what we're good at and what we're not good at. I'll start. My code name is Bear. I specialize in taijutsu and genjutsu, and I can use some Earth Release ninjutsu. I'm not good with other elemental ninjutsu or sword techniques."
The other two members followed suit.
The first to speak was a man with long black hair tied into a ponytail. "My code name is Wind. I specialize in swordsmanship, and I can use some Wind Release and Fire Release. I'm not good at genjutsu."
Judging from his voice, Wind seemed to be in his twenties. He carried a well-crafted, single-edged blade instead of the standard ANBU-issued sword.
The second man had short, spiky purple hair and looked slightly younger. "My code name is Lightning. I specialize in Lightning Release, and I know a bit of Wind Release and Water Release. I’m not good at taijutsu."
Finally, it was Hui’s turn. The three men stared at him intently, clearly curious about what kind of abilities this small boy could possibly have to be placed in an elite ANBU unit.
“My code name is Light. I’m not particularly good at anything. I know a bit of swordsmanship, taijutsu, and some sensory skills. I’m not proficient in any ninjutsu or genjutsu,” Hui said confidently, his tone completely unapologetic.
The silence returned. Bear, Wind, and Lightning were left reeling from disbelief.
Was this kid serious?
Or had the Second Hokage lost his mind?
Bear, still maintaining his composure as Team Leader, finally broke the silence again. “Ahem, alright then.”
“As Team Leader, it's my job to ensure we function smoothly as a unit. I hope that in the coming missions, we can work together efficiently and complete all tasks given to us by the village.”
“Understood, Team Leader,” both Wind and Hui responded in unison.
Lightning, however, wasn’t convinced. He fixed his cold gaze on Hui. “Team Leader, since we’re going to be working together on missions, I don’t think just knowing each other’s abilities is enough. We should have a sparring session to better understand each other's skills.”
His tone was sharp, and it was clear he wanted to test Hui.