"Hiruzen-sama, are you sure it's a wise decision to bring these children here?"
As they moved stealthily through the dense jungle, one of the ANBU members glanced over at Orochimaru and the others, his voice full of doubt.
The ANBU squad was directly affiliated with the Hokage and usually handled highly specialized tasks, so they didn't often cross paths with others. They knew of Tsunade being a member of the prestigious Senju clan but they had no idea who Jiraiya and Orochimaru were.
On the battlefield, age wasn't the only concern. What truly mattered was whether someone had the strength to hold their own in a fight. Would these children be able to keep up, or worse, would they become liabilities in the heat of battle?
Tsunade, being a Senju and a direct descendant of both the First and Second Hokage, was an exception. Even if her strength wasn't fully developed, no one could completely disregard her potential. But Jiraiya and Orochimaru? They were clearly from civilian backgrounds. How much combat ability could children of commoners really possess?
"Eagle, don't underestimate them," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a slight smile, understanding the ANBU captain's skepticism. "If a fight breaks out, you might be surprised. You could end up being no match for them."
ANBU members each had codenames, and this captain's was "Eagle."
Eagle's eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction at Sarutobi's words. "With all due respect, Hiruzen-sama, I know they're your disciples, but don't you think that's a bit much?"
"That's right, they're just kids!" one of the other ANBU chimed in.
"I mean, it's not like they've seen real battle yet," another added.
Several ANBU members immediately voiced their agreement, their dismissive tones making it clear they didn't think much of Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
After all, no matter how talented these two civilian children might be, what could they really do at just eight years old? Even prodigies from prominent clans wouldn't be expected to match the skills of trained ANBU members. To them, it was laughable that these kids were even here.
Sarutobi, however, only chuckled lightly. "Eagle, Fox… After all your years as ninja, surely you've realized by now that geniuses do exist in this world, right?"
"Geniuses?" Eagle scoffed, his skepticism palpable. "Maybe, but no matter how much talent they have, there's still a limit to what children can do. They can't be that powerful."
"Isn't that the truth…" another ANBU muttered in agreement.
Before the conversation could continue, Tsunade and Jiraiya, having overheard everything, couldn't hold back their frustration any longer.
"Hey, hey, uncles from ANBU, don't look down on us like that!" Jiraiya snapped.
"That's right! We're stronger than you think!" Tsunade added, her eyes narrowing in defiance.
The three young ninjas had always been exceptionally talented. Even though they were still young, their skills already surpassed many of their peers. In fact, they had the raw potential to surpass many experienced chūnin.
For context, chūnin were the most common rank of ninja in every village. Even among the ANBU, there were numerous standout chūnin. Sarutobi's claim wasn't an exaggeration the only thing these three lacked was experience in real battlefield conditions.
"Haha, the kids sure are confident, aren't they?" one of the ANBU said with a mocking grin.
"Yeah, let's see if they're still so bold when they're face to face with an enemy. Hope they don't wet their pants!" another laughed.
"Ha ha ha!"
"You...."
Before Tsunade could fire back, Orochimaru, who had remained quiet up to this point, suddenly interrupted in a cold, calm voice. "Everyone, stop. There are enemies ahead."
At once, the entire group went silent, and all eyes turned to Orochimaru. Even Hiruzen was surprised.
Sarutobi raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt. "Orochimaru, what is it?"
"There are enemies up ahead," Orochimaru repeated, his voice steady.
One of the female ANBU, the squad's designated sensory ninja, was visibly confused. "Enemies? Kid, don't make things up. I'm the sensor here, and I haven't sensed any wait…"
She froze mid-sentence as her expression changed. "Oh no… There are enemies. Everyone, get ready!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
In an instant, the group of nine turned into blurs, swiftly moving to find cover amidst the thick foliage.
As they settled into their positions, hidden behind trees and rocks, many of the ANBU cast sidelong glances at Orochimaru, their expressions no longer filled with skepticism but rather with a glint of recognition.
Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya were less surprised, knowing that Orochimaru possessed an innate sense for danger, but the ANBU members were dumbstruck.
"Is this kid also a sensory type?" one of them muttered, his voice full of admiration.
The female ANBU sensor, codenamed "Nightingale," was particularly stunned. She prided herself on her perceptive abilities while not the strongest sensor in the village, she was skilled enough to be placed in ANBU. Yet, this young boy had detected the enemy before she had?
Did that mean Orochimaru's perception abilities were stronger than hers?
However, what none of them knew was that Orochimaru's actions weren't entirely due to his natural talent. He had secretly employed a technique of his own, a small swarm of nearly invisible flies, part of a technology unique to him. He had released them ahead of the group to scout for any potential threats in the dense forest.
In a war zone, where enemy ambushes could occur at any moment, vigilance was key. While the rest of the group had to rely on their senses, Orochimaru's flies could move faster and detect enemies far ahead.
That's how he had managed to pinpoint the enemy's location before even Nightingale could.
Swish!
Before anyone could dwell too long on the matter, three figures suddenly appeared from the trees ahead, dashing through the undergrowth.
As they stepped into view, the sunlight glinted off the metal of their forehead protectors, which bore the unmistakable symbol of the Village Hidden in the Clouds, Kumogakure.