Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Zero also knew this.

After saying that, he didn't say anything more.

Leading Jiang Si further into the left passage, they arrived at a dark iron gate.

Zero gently pushed open the door and led Jiang Si inside.

There were already five figures waiting inside. The moment they saw Zero arrive, these people, who had been somewhat lazy, immediately changed their demeanor, straightening their bodies and facing Zero directly.

"Squad leader!"

Each of them bowed slightly to show basic respect for their squad leader.

Then, Shoji met the gazes of five colleagues of varying heights, all wearing the same Anbu uniform. The moment he saw them, Shoji realized that they must be the squad leaders of the Third Division. Originally, when the Third Hokage arranged for him to join the Anbu, Shoji always thought he would start as an ordinary Anbu member, but he never expected to be directly assigned the position of squad leader.

However, this is understandable.

Judging from the battle record in the Land of Hot Water, in terms of pure strength, the current commander is more than qualified to serve as a squad leader. However, the position of squad leader obviously does not only depend on personal strength, but also on seniority, trustworthiness, and other abilities besides personal strength, such as command ability, strategic ability, etc.

Even the squad leaders are selected from the best of the best.

Not only does one need the strength of at least a Special Jonin, but one must also be one of the Third Hokage's trusted subordinates. The reason why the Third Hokage arranged for Shoji to be promoted directly to squad leader was both a sign of trust and a further test. As mentioned earlier, at this stage, both Shoji and the Third Hokage only had a pre-existing level of trust in each other. Especially for Shoji, if he directly judged in the special interactions that Sarutobi Hiruzen was not the kind person he expected, but a hypocrite, then...

The commander will then decisively implement the second plan.

Only by being prepared can we see the dawn of victory.

Despite Shoji's current path of 'trusting the Third Hokage,' preparations for the second plan have not been neglected. His own strength and the strength of his clan are key points. The fact that he has not revealed his Mangekyou Sharingan is proof of this. As for Uchiha Shisui, it seems that Shisui has not yet told Hiruzen Sarutobi and other Konoha leaders about his awakening of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

In the time that follows.

Shoji must find a suitable opportunity to make Shisui conceal this matter. Shoji has already thought of a reason: "The Mangekyou Sharingan is likely to arouse further suspicion from the higher-ups about their clan. For the sake of the clan and the village, this news must be hidden."

The only thing lacking is the right timing.

After all, Shisui himself hadn't even revealed his Mangekyou Sharingan yet, and he just ran over there so casually; it would be strange if Shisui didn't suspect him.

Shoji was lost in thought.

"These are all the squad leaders from our Third Division. This is the newly arrived sixth squad leader—Eagle. And from left to right, they are the squad leaders from the first to the fifth squads—Rat, Black, B, Naijiao, and Tiger!"

Having already stepped into the middle position, Zero glanced at his old subordinates on his left and the generals who were coming to greet him on his right, and then gave each other a brief introduction.

Under Zero's introduction.

The officer and his five colleagues on the other side merely nodded to each other.

There was no further exchange of pleasantries.

Because it's here.

Unless absolutely necessary.

The members of the Dark Division are generally known for their taciturn nature.

This isn't like a normal company welcoming new employees; the work they're supposed to do almost always involves bloodshed!

"Alright, with Eagle joining us, my third squad is now fully staffed. Next, I have an important mission to announce, an order that the Third Master has emphasized!"

Zero is in the head position.

Looking at the six officers below, who were already lined up in a row, he spoke in an extremely serious tone.

Upon hearing that it was an order specifically given by the Third Hokage.

Including Jiang Si, the expressions of the six squad leaders, hidden beneath their masks, all tightened.

"Recently, people have been going missing in the village every now and then, including many of our comrades. From ordinary genin to chunin, including some comrades with bloodline limits, there have been several disappearances. Since the beginning of this year, the number of people who have gone missing in the village has reached nearly three digits, including more than two digits of ninjas. The Hokage is taking this matter very seriously, as it is very likely that this is a destructive act by foreign spies in our village."

"The Third Master has ordered us to find the culprit behind this incident as quickly as possible. For the next period of time, this is our squad's only task. After each squad returns, you must take immediate action, but remember, if you discover any clues, do not act rashly. Report immediately! Do you understand?"

Zero looked at his subordinates and said with a very serious expression.

"Yes!"

The six people below responded at the same time.

At this moment, all six people had the same serious expression. However, unlike the other five, when Jiang Si was serious, a faint, strange light also appeared deep in the depths of his pupils.

An unexpected disappearance in the village!

'If there are no unforeseen circumstances, it's most likely that one person. I didn't expect to encounter something like this so soon after taking office!'

Jiang Si thought to himself silently.

63. Sixth Squad

After explaining the necessary details of the mission and passing on some of the existing intelligence to his six subordinates.

Zero means simply announcing the dissolution.

The squad leaders were instructed to immediately lead their squads to disperse into the village and surrounding areas to conduct necessary investigations. Although the situation was still under control, if the Anbu failed to uncover the truth and the disappearances escalated further, it would inevitably cause panic throughout the village. In the past year, Konoha had already suffered from the Nine-Tails' attack and the Cloud Village's invasion.

They could only barely get through it all, and the aftershocks hadn't even completely subsided. In particular, the Cloud Ninja in the northeast region had only reduced the frequency and intensity of their attacks, not lifted the alarm. One major event after another was stimulating the nerves of the people of Konoha. The once calm and collected people of the number one ninja village had now become somewhat nervous.

Now that the village is experiencing such a series of disappearances, the Third Hokage will surely take it very seriously. It should be noted that among those who have gone missing are ninjas from the Akimichi and Gekko clans. In the past, the leaders of these clans had used very veiled language to put considerable pressure on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This was not a single crime, but a series of heinous acts. In the past, when Konoha had to maintain a high degree of confrontation with Kumogakure on the border, the Third Hokage could only conduct small-scale investigations. Now that the border situation has eased considerably, the Third Hokage can finally free up his hands to conduct a large-scale investigation into the missing persons cases in the village.

This was not only to give an explanation to those ninja clans, but also to maintain the stability of the entire village.

To this end, the Third Hokage mobilized two entire ANBU squads, a total of fifty elite ANBU members, to conduct top-secret reconnaissance. The weakest of these ANBU members were all elite Chunin, and according to the Third Hokage's orders, the reconnaissance had to be conducted in squads to avoid any solo reconnaissance. In this way, the Third Hokage believed that no matter how strong the mastermind was, it would be impossible for them to wipe out an elite ANBU squad in an instant, as long as they were given the opportunity to send a signal.

That would give us a chance to identify the real culprit.

However, what the Third Hokage didn't know was that the mastermind behind this incident was his closest comrade-in-arms and most valued disciple—Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru!

If a small team were to discover something amiss and their tracks were exposed, given Danzo and Orochimaru's strength, unless it was a team led by Shoji, they would be easily wiped out.

At least, that's how it appears from Shoji's perspective.

'Reconnaissance is necessary, but the extent of it must be carefully controlled. Perhaps I can make a different kind of deal with this Lord Orochimaru, but the risks are equally high. Forget it, let's just take it one step at a time!'

As Jiang Si pondered this in his mind, he walked towards the waiting room of his squad. Ling had previously told Jiang Si that this was the area under the jurisdiction of their third squad in this base. The first room he entered was his rest room as the squad leader. The remaining rooms had numbers from '1' to '6' hanging above the doors, each corresponding to one of the six squads.

As Shoji strolled over to the lounge belonging to his squad.

These three powerful auras emanating from within can be clearly sensed.

As the door was pushed open.

What came into Jiang Si's view were three figures exuding a murderous aura.

The three men's gazes all fell on Jiang Si at the same time.

This palpable hint of 'malice' was almost instantaneous as the three men exchanged glances. Jiang Si chuckled inwardly. It seemed that in any world and any organization, newly appointed leaders always needed a considerable 'adjustment period.' His three subordinates might not be considered unruly, but their joining the Dark Division meant they were undoubtedly already quite capable individuals.

I suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

And he was also their captain.

Such an attitude is only natural.

"From today onwards, I am the captain of the sixth squad. My code name is Eagle. From today onwards, all operations must be carried out under my command!"

I understand it, but I don't.

However, it's important to make it clear beforehand that you're not here to play a ninja game. If you can't even manage your own subordinates, then there's nothing more to say.

"Obeying the captain's orders is naturally not a problem, but shouldn't the captain say something?"

The slightly thinner figure in the middle, and the slightly hoarse words that followed.

The deeper meaning behind these words is clearly perceptible.

The other two remained unmoved.

"To indicate?"

As a faint, cold smile appeared on Jiang Si's face hidden beneath the mask.

"call out!"

Suddenly.

Tap the sole of your foot.

A thunderous roar erupted.

Flashing light and shadow.

"Um!?"

In an instant.

"So fast!"

Right in the center.

The dark officer's pupils suddenly contracted.

Just before they could react.

"Whoosh!"

The next second, a gust of wind arose, and a chilling aura was suddenly felt.

As the biting cold swept in.

The ANBU member froze, his movements forced to stop. As he turned his head slightly, he saw the officer who had appeared behind him at some point, and a kunai pressed against his waist.

In a daze, it seemed as if a stinging sensation could be felt.

0.5 seconds?

Or even shorter?

Although he didn't intend to do anything serious, but just wanted to test the strength of his new captain, being so easily subdued still made the ANBU member's expression extremely ugly. He knew very well that with just this one move, his captain was definitely a strong Jonin.

Otherwise, a regular Jonin would have a chance to react completely.

It was a bittersweet feeling, but also a sense of joy.

He felt bitter that his provocation had turned into clownish behavior, but he was also happy that with such a strong captain, future missions would definitely go much more smoothly.

This is why the thin ANBU member initially wanted to test the waters.

If the team leader isn't strong enough, it will be a devastating problem for the entire team.