The Red Queen's Race

[Okada Kaji]

Tales of Suspense #001:
The Red Queen’s Race
Featuring the incomparable Samurai Pizzakage, Ayumu Kogami!
& The long-awaited Return of Kaji Okada!

The Village Hidden in the Clouds had a splendid skyline from the vantage point of Kaji Okada’s elevator ride. It was a concrete jungle nestled within a mountainous shell, with spiraled peaks tearing through the clouds passing overhead. Kaji was heading upwards through the Torre Celeste, the center of the village’s infrastructure, where Kaji was meant to attend a debriefing with Ayumu Kogami, the Lord Raikage in his official capacity. The recent few days had come and gone fast since his return to the village, and Kaji was overdue to discuss a few pertinent events from the past, present, and surely the future— things left unsaid, a story untold, and plans to be made.

The journey Kaji made to the Earth Country wasn’t a vacation in any capacity, in fact, it was like a trial. However, Kaji had been up to his neck in new challenges from the moment he stepped foot through the Dragontooth Pass. His family was under attack and the ANBU’s disorganization was seeming painfully transparent to Kaji since his return. He was nearly restless, working around the clock with a polyphasic sleep schedule— twenty minutes every four hours if timing permitted it. Once he was certain his family was safe he could rest, and once the ANBU found new glory he could seek out an actual reprieve from it all.

A rabble came from the door frame as Kaji Okada emerged at the entrance to Ayumu’s office suite. He was wishing to discover Yuii in there with Ayumu again with a platter of confections, but he knew she wouldn’t be present for this meeting. In fact, Kaji was making it a priority to always know the whereabouts of his wife and their daughter Umeko while the culprit was still at large— in turn, he was mostly honest with her, never lying so much as abstaining from certain details. There was likely never a manhunt in the hidden cloud as great as the one being organized by Kaji Okada, who’d stop at nothing to avenge the assassination attempt. Somebody had to pay— to be judged— to die for the crime. There were circles beneath his emerald eyes when Kaji revealed himself to the room. Other than that his apparel was of his off-duty variety; hair in a loose knot, a coarse leather jacket dyed the color of haze with a collared white button-up underneath, cotton breeches in midnight blue, and his usual worn riding boots in black. Eelspine wasn’t with Kaji at the moment, instead, it was deceptively hidden, but remained readily available through an item summoning technique. Of course, a sword was the last thing Kaji would need in a meeting with his friend and venerable leader— yet the trying times had left him always on edge like the old days, even within the security of the Torre Celeste.

“Alright, let's try this again,” said Kaji to Ayumu as he stepped forth into the room, “this time during the day, in a more appropriate setting, and without the fake name. ‘Sorry for that ruse by the way— the fake ID was just protocol, but I imagine it could have happened at a more ideal time.” Kaji had no way of knowing he had stumbled into the village as his daughter was being treated for a poisoning attempt. His own sneaking had left Kaji resembling a small man in comparison to what he was aloof of, occurring elsewhere.
“Thank you for sparing me a moment of your valuable time Ayumu. I hope you have some positive news to update me on, ‘cuz I’m afraid I’ve got little more than gloom to offer in return.” Then Kaji welcomed himself to the comfiest seat he could find in the room aside from the Raikage’s own chair and collapsed in it as if he was about to disintegrate to dust any second. I don’t feel so good.

-- Kaji has entered the thread.
-- Requesting Ayumu
-- Mostly private thread. Please DM requesting before joining.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

It had been a trying few days for Ayumu recently. First and foremost was the incident that had occurred at the Legation, naturally. Umeko, the child of two of Ayumu's good friends, had been harmed possibly irreparably by some unknown threat while he was standing right there unable to do a thing to stop it. It had left him concerned but also angry, a mixture of a bad mood that had lasted him for quite some time now. As much as he wanted to keep checking in on Umeko and Yuii, the village didn't pause just because of such an incident. Everything kept moving, and Ayumu was forced to keep doing so too. Nothing would wait for him to process what had happened, nor would it for the two shinobi whose child was in the hospital. As a result of the attack, because that was what it was, security had increased in both the Legation and the Torre Celeste. The guards were far less willing to give Ayumu the leeway he usually enjoyed to be undisturbed by their presence.

Two guards stood not flanking Ayumu's door as per usual, but in front of it barring entry. Two more flanked the elevator of the floor, and more could be found stationed throughout the tower. Umeko may have been the victim of the attack, but Yuii quite possibly might have been the target as the Sennin, and the Raikage couldn't be ruled out as a follow up target. Ayumu certainly wouldn't be opening up packages at his desk anymore. However, there was still plenty of paperwork to do there, things happening in the background, changes coming down the pipeline that wouldn't wait. Work never ceased. As usual, that's what Kaji would find Ayumu doing as the guards naturally recognized and stepped aside for him. They'd been expecting him, as had Ayumu who looked up as Kaji entered and set down his pen. He'd wanted to have a conversation with Kaji for a while now, so it was good that he was here. Kaji referenced the night before when he had arrived in the village using a psuedoname, offering an apology for the unfortunate timing.

"I can only assume you were testing them...Takaji. Though the timing was unfortunate. I'm just glad that you're here now. I'd hate for Yuii to be handling this alone," Ayumu replied. Although it hadn't been the perfect situation that Kaji had been here during the attack, there was some good luck that he had showed up soon after. As Kaji sunk into his chair, he asked if Ayumu had any good news. Ayumu chuckled softly. "The best news I can give you right now is that there is no new bad news I have for you as of right now," Ayumu replied. He wished he could say something about figuring out who had sent the package, but Kaji knew as well as he did that they hadn't yet.

"At any rate, what brings you here today?" Ayumu asked, curious why Kaji had wanted to meet. A report on his travels, perhaps? Maybe even just seeking to catch up after his time away?

 

[Okada Kaji]

Of course, Kaji couldn’t help but notice the presence of increased security throughout the Torre Celeste, especially the ones occupying the Raikage’s Chamber. It was simply protocoled to beef up Lord Ayumu’s protection, yet they left Kaji wondering just how effective they could be if a threat were truly imminent. It was more likely that the protection would fail if a worthy adversary emerged, and provide Ayumu with a forewarning of the enemy’s arrival at best. Having guarded a former Hokage himself, and once tailing a Tsuchikage when he was a Disciple, Kaji knew just how well protected a Kage could be if his guards complimented his skill set appropriately. Kaji held a dull expression as he sat upright, tall enough to look over the back of his seat and observe the shinobi barring the doors.

“It might as well have been a test” Kaji countered, looking back at Ayumu in response to his remark about the gate fiasco. “But no, Takaji Osada was a precaution I created with the intention of never needing it— hence the impractical name. However, my reason for the cover-up should arrive by courier in the following days… That’s something I knew I should come to explain to you first.”
Kaji led an awkward sigh with a pause and glanced back at the guards again to see how attentive they might have been. “As you may know, after the World Tournament in Tea Country, I returned to the Hidden Stone with intentions of tending my resignation. It was a complicated process given how deep my ties ran… my bonds were not the kind that could be broken by words or a written declaration. As you can imagine, my decision to lead a life in the Hidden Cloud did not bid well with the remnants of my old master’s organization, The Disciples. They had a much different plan for me, and when I refused we had a falling out— so on and so forth. Now, The Last of Iwakura’s Disciple program is no more, but the village thinks me to be dead among the casualties of that defining incident.”
Indeed, soon word of the Death of Kaji Okada would arrive in the Cloud with condolences sent to his wife Yuii Kagetsu. “Initially I intended to maintain the ruse long enough for Stone to remove my business as its priority, however, since returning I’ve come to decided that being publicly deceased should aid me in the investigation of the recent attack on my family.”

In the few days since his return, Kaji Okada was a propelling force within Cloud’s ANBU, in part with motivations of expediting a search for leads in the attacker’s identity, but also in relation to the branch itself. “Speaking of Umeko and Yuii, I’m already using everything in my power to coordinate an investigation into the poisoning. So far, the resources I’ve seen from our ANBU branch have been underwhelming... They seem scattered and unorganized, with many operatives being poorly trained and unsuited for anything beyond applying force. I understand if my motivations are driven by stress, but I don’t think that makes me incorrect in my observations as Vice Commander. While our ANBU is functioning, I have some improvements to recommend if you’ll hear me out.”

Spoiler

ANBU Gensui Rikugun Taishou Okada’s Codex Ansatsu Amendments
​

Section One: Common Subjects of Regulation, Omitting Insubordination
I. An ANBU's hidden identity is their greatest asset. Should an ANBU operative have their identity be exposed by any means, they may, at the acting commander's discretion, be immediately be removed from the ANBU branch for the safety of their comrades, village, and themselves.

An ANBU’s hidden identity is a key privilege of every operative but is not mandatory for all ANBU members. It is up to individual operatives to decide if they wish to keep their designation as an ANBU a secret unless their position requires otherwise. However, leaking of other operative’s status as ANBU to individuals without proper security clearances is a highly offensive act, punishable as potential treason.

New Divisional Hierarchy

The Silent House	The Shadow's Hand	The Specter's Watch
The Silent House provides operational and logistical oversight and is ultimately responsible for the fulfillment of the ANBU organizational mission. Silence sets the tone of the Branch, decides regulations, liaisons with other branches and units, and communicates regularly with the Offices in the Torre Celeste. Silence hosts the veteran shinobi of the branch, the natural leaders and smart shinobi destined to blaze the path towards ANBU’s future. Young shinobi don’t tend to last long in The Silent House as the path of career progression is rather slow— so they often transition to Shadow or Specter to gain valuable field experience. Silence bears the responsibility of the administrative work— record-keeping and budgetary functions of the ANBU, matters of internal discipline, and the management of the shinobi prisons. Silence oversees the indoctrinations of all ANBU, often pairing students with masters within in the organization. Outside of the training of candidate ANBU, Silence is also responsible for focusing their attention on the creation of new jutsu and tactics for the branch. The Silent House is also the chief authority overseeing the security and maintenance of the Sileo Tempestas’ network of tunnels, which lead to various access points around the village and securing the mysterious undercloud which runs further below.	The Shadow’s Hand is a traditionally a security detail charged with the safety of the Raikage, in addition to other individuals deemed important to the priorities of the Hidden Cloud. When important foreign personages come to the Hidden Cloud, they are also provided with a security detail from this division. The operatives chosen for these roles are expected to shoulder a balance between defensive capabilities, stopping power, and the charisma needed to deal with even the most finicky of clients. Members of The Shadow’s Hand tend to include shinobi from prominent clans in lofty positions, and honorable, protective types who wish to keep their hands clean, but have talents that would have gone to waste anywhere but in the ANBU branch. Shadow is also responsible for investigating crime among the citizens of the Hidden Cloud, particularly chakra-users—especially in cases of murder and treason. These operatives spend much of their time monitoring the village for suspicious activity, operating alongside the village’s main branch as intelligence gatherers. Shadow operatives are often used when counter-intelligence as needed, uprooting spies and protecting the secrets of the Hidden Cloud. Shadow plays a large role in protecting things vital to the village, no matter the cost,	The Specter’s Watch upholds one of ANBU’s oldest traditions, bearing the duty of neutralizing threats to the Hidden Cloud before they are carried out. Specter tracks nukenin and suspicious activities outside of the Hidden Cloud, eliminates threats completely, and destroys sensitive materials. The Specter’s are the quintessential ANBU, specializing in all forms of battle, but doubling as independent operatives and overland explorers. They are tasked with surviving the territories of the Lightning Country, even in the harsh winter months where traveling is otherwise not suggested for civilians. Members of this division live with a reputation for carrying out the necessary dirty deeds primarily associated with ANBU. Most members of Specter maintain hidden identities in order to live without suffering responsibility for the actions they carry out in the Hidden Cloud’s name. Specter is easily hosting the most stressful work of the branch, often seeing a rotation of less experienced operatives who can’t keep handling the demands of the job. Specter is upfront with the fact that it is often a violent division, largely in the business of spilling blood for the good of The Cloud, but also may perform seek and destroy missions, retrievals, and more traditional espionage.

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Non-Division Specific, Alternative Duties
There are some tasks that occasionally require the skills of individual ANBU operatives or work that must be done while gaps exist between availability in more specialized missions. Typically, alternative duties are more frequently assigned to lower-ranking operatives, but occasionally, they serve as a break from the routine Division missions. These tasks are considered low impact, and generally, any operative can handle them.

Gate Sentry Duty
While it is typically considered a Main Branch duty, sentry detail is a responsibility readily offered to ANBU operatives in need of raising their visibility outside of the branch.

Prison Guard Detail
Nobody wants to do it, but somebody has to take one for the team. The Tarterian Specus is so idiot-proofed so well that order is practically maintained on its own, but skilled shinobi presence is required to ensure that prisoners don’t figure out that all they need do in order to break out is work together.

Teaching & Tutoring
All ANBU at Mempo rank and higher are eligible to take on freelance tutoring and teaching duties at the discretion of the Shinobi Academy. This is an ideal duty for operatives needing a visible employment within the village aside from their ANBU work.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu had assumed that Kaji must have had some reason for using a code name, however the truth of the matter was surprising nonetheless. There was also a reason he'd been gone for a bit longer than the rest of them after departing the tournament. Kaji went on to explain that he had traveled to his old home village, not Leaf, but Stone. He had hoped to officially cut ties with them, yet whatever organization he had once been a part of was not keen to abide by or accept the decisions Kaji had made even with the blessing of two Kage. Ayumu did not pretend to know a great deal about Iwa or the nature of the ties that shinobi who transferred to Konoha maintained with the former. Of course, had they come knocking at Kumogakure's gates looking to take Kaji, they would not have liked the outcome. Fortunately, it seemed that would not come to pass. Somehow or another, they now believed Kaji to be dead. This was not a simple solution to anything... but if they truly believed Kaji dead they had no reason to look for him.

"I see. That's... an interesting outcome. My condolences on your death," Ayumu said, just a bit taken aback by how the scenario had played out. This had potential to cause issues later on down the road with Stone, but it was better than having them right this instant with so many other things going on. This was the next topic of conversation, in fact. Kaji discussed the efforts he had made to carry out an investigation into the poisoning of his daughter. There were naturally some suspects to consider right away, but without proof there was nothing solid to go on. Apparently, Kaji was underwhelmed by his fellow ANBU and concerned about the state of the branch. In truth, all of these problems could be sourced to one issue in particular: leadership. The branch had been without a Sennin for far too long. Furthermore, the past few that came and went before the drought did not help matters.

After Ayumu's stint as Sennin, Saito had done a fine job but remained Sennin for a very short period of time before taking his role as Raikage. His replacement was murdered before he had much of a chance to do any good for the branch. Then, of course, was perhaps one of the most controversial events that ever occurred in the branch: Saito decided to hand leadership over to the rogue shinobi Kouin. Many ANBU, including senior members, quit on the spot in outrage at the announcement. Still more fought his leadership from within making it difficult for him to get anything done. His long periods of absence from the village did not help matters. In a desperate attempt to inject some functional leadership into the branch, the council had named Yoshi, the leader of the Santaru clan, Co-Sennin alongside Kouin. Yet Yoshi had not been trained by ANBU which made his leadership unpopular internally as well and his involvement in his clan forced him to step down after a short time. Not long after, Kouin was forced to step down as well. A decision was made at the time that there were no suitable replacements to take the role of Sennin and the ANBU would instead report to the Raikage directly, a situation that had been in place for years now. But of course, Ayumu had the entire village to look after and could not give the branch the attention that a Sennin would. Needless to say, the ANBU's leadership situation had been problematic for some time. Issues within were not surprising in the least.

Kaji, it seemed, had some ideas on that matter. He had prepared a proposal, which he passed along to Ayumu, on a number of changes within ANBU. The most shocking, of course, being that their secret identities would no longer be mandatory. Many would no doubt choose to maintain the status quo, however some certainly would take advantage to tell the loved ones they had been hiding the truth from for years. This would be a controversial change, if it went through. Finished scanning through the proposal, Ayumu looked up to Kaji expectantly.

"You've certainly got some ideas... The restructuring of the divisions, I don't take issue with this and I trust your judgement. I have to ask, though: What is your motivation for allowing ANBU the choice of whether they wish to keep their involvement in ANBU a secret?"<i></i> Ayumu asked. He wanted to hear Kaji's reasoning for not only this, but the restructuring as well. How would this all help ANBU and address the concerns that he had raised? He clearly had some big plans for ANBU and Ayumu wanted to hear what good they would do the branch.

 

[Okada Kaji]

So Kaji went on to explain the sum of many changes he sought for The Cloud’s ANBU branch to Ayumu. As he presented his ideas there was a theme of innovation along with some necessary reform, both things Kaji believe would serve the village well. But what piqued Ayumu’s interest in the proposal most was not how, but why. Most importantly, Kaji sought a change that would make waves in the community of ANBU shinobi. It was an inquiry well worth asking, and Kaji seemed keen to oblique.
“Secrets” began Kaji, highlighting the word before expanding his explanation. “My time in this life as a shinobi has been long, and though it's evidently far from finished I have seen and done my share of deeds— some of which I have sworn to keep buried away, never to be told. The worst of it was done over the span of a decade— my formative years under the tutelage of a cruel master by the name of [redacted]. For anbu, it has been a tradition for apprentices to learn from strict masters, often receiving the same harsh instructions learned from their own predecessors. Cruel methods meant to show the harshness of the world or grit it takes to do achieve an ANBU’s mission, but those methods often over-do it, bordering the extreme.” He paused, reeling in thought for a moment to recount the evidence from his youth.
“[Redacted] was a master of genjutsu… an Uchiha with advanced Sharingan. His methods were subtle and strong. He coerced us into devotion and took advantage of our desires by turning us against each other. Through his practices, we effectively learned the arts of deception and causing pain in the worst ways imaginable. As my career advanced, I've witnessed young shinobi become molded into monsters void of the parts of being human that we take for granted. For a time, I too lived in that place.”

There was a lot of blood on the hands of Kaji Okada since his early years, and it had taken well into his adulthood for him to find and penance and peace from his past. It wasn’t until he met Yuii and started a family that Kaji began to fill the vacancies within his being from deeds of his past. Even now, Kaji was discovering shinobi mirroring a young Kaji Okada within the Hidden Cloud. There were corrupt shinobi in their ranks creating monsters by the day, breaking innocent children and rebuilding them as weapons.

“There is a cycle— a generational curse which requires action to be lifted. I have a daughter, you a son, and we owe them a village worth inheriting… that is something we’ve agreed on before. While ANBU doesn’t represent all of The Cloud, we are critical to the traditions that shape our city. Shinobi function best when they are of sound mind and heart, therefore if we make the ANBU the best it can be, then The Cloud will prosper that much more.”

Kaji couldn’t help but become inspired as he articulated his view on the subject. Rare to him, there was a hint of hope in his eyes, shining like gems before looking down shyly. He knew his beliefs were not naive or obtuse, in fact, it was the outcome of his work with Tatsuo that informed Kaji that he understood a greater way of discipline than his predecessor, [redacted]. The youth needed nurturing, and the ANBU needed dedicated leaders who retained their consciences.
“But I digress… the secret identities” he said, correcting himself back on track. “I believe the ANBU deserve the privilege to be proud of their deeds and duty to the village. Each operative requires the right to live freely without the weights of guilt. As they say, pressure comes from within, so it must be mastered from within. While the parameters of an operation might deserve secrecy, the anbu work too hard to live double lives, posing as couriers and cooks to maintain their cover as operatives.”

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu leaned back in his chair as he could tell Kaji was gearing up to speak for a minute. The answer to his question wasn't so overtly simple after all. Kaji went on to describe with understandable vagueness how he had been required, in the line of duty as a shinobi, to do many things he didn't care to repeat. As an ANBU, the secrets and deception piled up further still. Some shinobi forsook the part of themselves that made them human and then in turn sought to pry that same part out of their students. Because after all, the emotionless shinobi is the perfect tool. Ayumu had never really believed that philosophy, and none of his leadership had ever reflected it either. Kaji, on the other hand, had experienced and lived it firsthand. He hoped to break the cycle and move ANBU further away from that "ideal" and one of the first steps towards that, in his opinion, was to stop forcing ANBU to hide their identities.

"And it calls for them to lie to everyone they know and hold dear," Ayumu added, nodding understandingly. "I am familiar with that lifestyle. I lived it for some time... though not nearly as long as you and others in ANBU have. When I reached the rank of Sennin, my identity became known publicly... and I didn't regret that one bit,"<i></i> he recalled. It hadn't caused him any issues for those outside of ANBU to know that he was at the head of the branch. In fact, as soon as he donned a mask it didn't really matter... he was just another mask. "I see what you're saying. Of course, there will be a lot of push back. ANBU has had this policy of strict required secrecy for... ages. I know some will keep their secrets all the same,"<i></i> he mused, thinking of more than a few ANBU he knew who would scoff at the idea of outing themselves publicly. That said, the choice would be theirs.

"I'm not opposed to the ideas you've set forth, however in your current position you wouldn't quite have the authority and influence to enact such broad systemic changes... which is why I think it's time that we change that position," Ayumu began, pausing to open a drawer in his desk and pull out a folder. Laying the folder on a clear surface of his desk, he opened it and revealed a document which at first glance one would notice carried the seal of both the council and the Raikage. "I'd like to ask you to become the next Sennin, the Grand Commander, of the ANBU. That ought to enable you to carry out the reform you're envisioning, I think,"<i></i> Ayumu continued, watching to judge Kaji's reaction. Perhaps he assumed this would happen at some point. He was the Vice Commander, but without a Sennin that position already gave him mostly uninhibited command of those underneath him. The promotion would, however, enable him to enact the restructuring he had planned.

 

[Okada Kaji]

There are events in life that can drive you to make off-color decisions— at least, that would be a reflection made by Kaji sometime in the near future. Alas, before the recent events in his life, Kaji Okada was not the kind of man to aspire for much in life. If you had asked him about career goals he would have said that he was content with using his talents in a way that benefited his home. While others mused the possibilities for him, Kaji never considered that this moment would come again. Aye, a similar position of was on his doorstep when a prior Hokage considered Kaji for the Sennin role, and now the time had come again. Normally humility would have won and he’d decline. After all, his wife was a Sennin so he knew well enough that it took a toll on her, both as her occupation and her sense of personal freedom. He wondered what she’d say, probably suggest for him to take it if he wanted, or refuse it and be free… But there was also the laundry list of changes he had just laid on Ayumu’s table to consider. Subjecting such an undertaking showed his vision for the future of the branch and his belief in their potential with a bit of restructuring. If not Kaji, who would have had the vision to see this through? Then there was his own personal aspiration, a drive to avenge his daughter— with the ANBU under his command he’d have the ample resources to see his quest through. Would he become the ANBU’s leader in order to pursue a vendetta? Absolutely. But was that something he was proud of? Not particularly, but his reforms were ideas he considered to be necessary changes.

“While I recognize that some of our shinobi may become apprehensive to having me, a born-foreigner, become their ANBU Grand Commander, I won’t question your judgment in this request” answered Kaji, considerate of the issues the old guard might have in the weeks, even months and years to come. Kaji really didn’t care about that, though. “I accept— and will let my actions speak louder than words... starting by moving forward with each development on this agenda. ‘To learn from the mistakes of our pasts and propel change in the future,” he meant growth through wisdom gained, though his words sounded a lot like optimism. “To be a force for the change we wish to see in the world.
To be the ANBU Sennin The Hidden Cloud needs and has deserved for so long.”

Kaji Okada has become ANBU Sennin.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Kaji seemed to consider what Ayumu had said for just a moment before answering. Ayumu couldn't tell whether the man had been expecting this, though he was well aware that it wouldn't be easy. He was also aware that his origins as an outsider would make some question the decision. Whatever the case was he was prepared to rise to the challenge. He'd move forward with his plans for the branch now with the authority to enact them and hopefully become the Sennin that the branch sorely needed. Just in case, Ayumu felt the need to give the man a bit of reassurance, a pep talk from someone who was once in his position.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, a foreign-born Sennin isn't the hardest pill the ANBU have had to swallow. One only needs to recall my predecessor's decision to make a Sennin out of a man that was not only foreign to the village, but one who hospitalized the current Sennin and killed two ANBU," Ayumu recalled. Truth be told, had Ayumu been the Raikage that day that they had cornered the man he would likely no longer be with them. By comparison, Kaji was undoubtedly the less controversial choice by a mile. "Not only that, but you've been working with the ANBU for years now- it's not like you've come out of nowhere, eh?"<i></i> Ayumu continued, hoping to give Kaji some added confidence.

"Hell, just consider my experience. I'd been in ANBU for but a couple of years, an amount of time dwarfed tremendously by many of my peers' ANBU careers. Less time than you've been with them, even. But I did earn their respect," Ayumu recounted, recalling the chaos of that time and how he'd struggled to adapt to the leadership that was suddenly expected him when he had been a trainee not so long ago. There had been dissenters, plenty angry about his selection by their former Sennin, but Ayumu counted many of those same people among his friends today.

Kaji had Ayumu's trust that he'd become a good Sennin. When the last ANBU Sennin was removed from the position, Ayumu had made the decision that he would not assign a new Sennin until one was found that deserved the role and would fill it properly. For some time now he had his eye on Kaji as the one he had hoped would fulfill that role. Now the time had come to see if his faith was placed in the right man for the job. Kaji had some lofty goals for the ANBU and if succeeded the branch would see a resurgence, something that would benefit not only its members but the village as a whole. "In my experience, ANBU are the type to value actions over words just as you said. I'd say your actions have already spoken for you... if you continue that trend, even those that don't already respect you... you'll have it in due time, no doubt," Ayumu added, giving a nod of assurance.