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Naruto: The Outsider's Resolve: CH_417: Moving Up and Switching Lanes
🕑 Added 2025-08-09 00:07:09 +0000 UTC"I want you to make a squad leader."
Takuma held his emotions. He wasn't surprised because he did think he had produced enough for a promotion, but it was still thrilling to see an ANBU Captain making the offer.
"I like that. I'm interested, of course," he said.
"Now, there are some conditions. You have essentially been on a loan to the initiative from your unit; most of your work is credited to the initiative, subsequently to me. Your captain neither has the space in his units nor the motivation to promote you—so if you want to be a squad leader, you'll have to come under me."
Takuma understood his current position well. While he had worked on some landmark cases like the Maizuru Assassinations and the Inahara Sleeper Cell for the Inquisitor Unit, his reputation had become attached to ROOT due to the majority of his work, which in turn connected him to the anti-ROOT initiative.
For the past months, he had barely worked on anything other than ROOT cases. Amami, who had also joined the initiative, had managed to keep her workload balanced between the unit and the initiative, but he had gone to the extreme. It had brought him benefits such as his name getting out in the department and allowing him to build connections with various agents outside his unit—but his position inside the unit had weakened.
Aburame Seinpachi had allowed him to devote most of his time to ROOT because it gave him the reputation of having someone from his units actively contributing to the initiative while keeping all other operatives free to do their existing work.
The anti-ROOT initiative was a hotspot for operatives around the department who were eager to join, hoping to earn themselves landmark cases. However, Itachi had been selective about who could join to keep the group lean. High potential brought higher competition for a limited number of openings. ANBU lieutenants and captains realised that and didn't want their entire squads to waste fighting to get on the initiative. Many opted to have their squads keep doing their existing work—a valid strategy because there was plenty more ANBU had to deal with than just ROOT.
So while Seinpachi did benefit, Takuma's work added to Itachi's achievement. It wasn't enough for Seinpachi to overturn his squads to make a place for Takuma as a new squad leader.
"I have an opening under me. The squad will solely be focused on ROOT cases. It'll be independent of any unit because we don't need an entire unit focused on ROOT. You'll report directly to me."
A unit would be a hindrance when the initiative deliberately involved people from around the department, making a ROOT-specific unit would create territorial problems.
"Will it be an existing squad or do I get to choose?" Takuma asked.
"You can build it from the ground up. I have some recommendations to get you started."
Takuma didn't break eye contact with Itachi as he pondered over his decision. "What about after ROOT?" he asked. "I believe there will come a day when we will have hunted ROOT down to a point where the initiative won't be needed anymore. A small team would be enough to keep an eye on the remnants, and I don't want this squad to be that team. I'm invested in ROOT's eradication, but it will only be a chapter of my life. I will want to move on one day."
He was focusing on ROOT, but he didn't want to be defined by it. He was always going to pursue something that made a real change because he saw it as a reliable method for collecting achievements.
"...Okay, you'll have whatever assignment you desire after we have reached a point where the initiative becomes redundant," Itachi said after a gaze of silent observation that made Takuma feel naked. "But, until then, squad leader is going to be as high as you go. Being honest, with your contributions, I could make a case for a lieutenant promotion, but you're too good as a field operative for the department to transition you into a supervisory role."
ANBU lieutenants lead units made up of multiple squads. Barbary led the Inquisitor Unit, consisting of three squads. Managing a group of spies who wielded dangerous levels of authority that could cause serious harm was a dedicated task. Lieutenants didn't take their own cases, rarely went out on fields, and kept the higher-ups informed to ensure they made the right decisions.
"That's okay, I don't want to be a lieutenant," Takuma replied.
Itachi seemed surprised. "You know, there are some operatives who like to work in the field or believe they are fit to manage people beyond their small team. They choose to remain in the positions where they excel. I don't think you're one of them, so why?"
Campbell was one of those people. He liked field work and didn't want to be responsible for anything beyond a squad. Nor did he want to do anything with the politics that came with being a lieutenant. Thus, he chose to stay put in his position when he could've been promoted.
"Roughly a year? That's how long I was in charge of the Narcotics Taskforce at the Police Force. Other than the regular raid, I didn't get any field action," Takuma recalled with a faraway tone. Most of his duties involved talking to lowlifes, building connections, managing the budget, and supervising his team, among many other non-combat duties. "I plateaued during that year. Don't get me wrong, I did meaningful work that still persists to this day—but I realised I need to be on the field if I want to grow as a shinobi. I need to get continuously stronger."
Earth Release: Earth Spear was a game-changer because it had near-perfect synergy with his fighting style and chakra augmentation, a cornerstone of his combat. That fight against the ROOT trio was proof that he had elevated himself. Beyond that, he still had genjutsu and kenjutsu in his pocket. But it wasn't enough. His current self was no match for a jōnin. He needed to be much stronger.
"Why do you seek strength?" Itachi asked.
"Do I need a reason?"
"Everyone has a reason for why they want to be stronger," Itachi said matter-of-factly. "They want to be stronger to protect someone, something, an ideal—anything they hold dear. Some people seek to become stronger because it gives them power over others. Others enjoy the thrill of battle and want to test themselves against stronger opponents. There are many reasons, big and small, but everyone has a reason."
Takuma mused about his reason, and it was one of those questions he always knew the answer to.
"We live in a militaristic society where strength still reigns supreme. One could be the best military tactician the world has ever seen, but it wouldn't mean anything if they didn't have equivalent strength. Only the strong get to rise up," Takuma nodded, satisfied with his answer. "But to keep things simple, my reason to gain strength is survival. We are in a dangerous profession, and my dearest wish is to die in my bed from old age with a diaper on."
His last sentence made Itachi crack a smile.
"If survival is the goal, why not leave the dangerous profession?"
Takuma laughed. "It's too for that. Ten years for genin. Fifteen years for chūnin. That's twenty-six years of service I owe to the village. We are fifteen. That's still two decades at the least before I can leave—another twenty-five years for a jōnin like you. Far too long."
"That is the undeniable truth," Itachi nodded. His expression turned serious as he asked, "What's your answer? Are you going to accept my offer?"
———
.
Takuma leaned against the ledge of the Ironwood Protection Company's roof as he stared at the listlessly fluffy clouds floating in the sky with thoughts churning in his mind about the conversation he had with Itachi.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Amami asked as she took out her dainty, long smoke pipe carved from ivory. She had picked up smoking since joining ANBU after avoiding it for years in T&I.
"Weasel has offered me the position of a squad leader under him," Takuma said first and only looked at her after a second. She was, as expectedly, surprised with her pipe hovering just in front of her face. He continued, "The squad will handle ROOT cases, part of the initiative, and report directly to Weasel."
"Are you asking me to join?" she asked, putting out her pipe and scooting closer to him until their shoulders were touching. "You accepted his offer, didn't you? You're leaving. Jumping ship. Wow..."
"Is it that surprising that I received a promotion offer?" He was approaching her before things were made official, so that if she accepted, Itachi could also start her transfer process so they could hit the ground running when the squad was established.
"Actually, not at all," Amami said as though it was natural. "You've done enough just in the initiative to be considered for a promotion. I'm surprised that you're asking me to come with you."
"Why? Same batch, same assignment, joint cases. We get along decently well, and I trust you. You're the perfect candidate for me to recruit," said Takuma. If he got her to join, he would have a Yamanaka on board, giving him access to her clan's hiden jutsu.
Out of everyone in the Inquisitor Unit, she was the only one he wanted to recruit. Not because everyone else was incompetent—he would've loved to take Caracara, a beast of productivity, matching his output without using clones—but because she was the only one he could take. Everyone else was firmly established and was invested in staying at the Inquisitor Unit for their future progress. Just Barbary's reputation of taking care of his subordinates was enough for them to stay.
"Thanks, but I'm staying," she said with a soft smile. "I wish you all the best, though."
"Not confident in me?"
"I think you're going to succeed." Amami looked at him as though she could peer through him. "But, you don't have what I need right now. Do you know why I've been content with working on cases as the secondary lead?"
Unlike Takuma, who had been taking on cases alone, Amami only worked on cases that had others as primary leads. She had worked with every squad member on their cases, but never as the primary.
"What I want right now is guidance. Caracara's productivity secrets, Dhole's approach to finding and processing information, Krait's methods on managing informants, and Campbell's ability to get work out of other squads, units, and departments when they might not want to cooperate," Amami smiled confidently. "I'm sure there's something I can learn from you as well—but you won't ever take the time to teach me those properly, while the others are in a place where they will if I bother them some, even Dhole."
Takuma couldn't deny that. Even if he had something to teach her, he had no interest or time to do so. Not to mention, he doubted he had anything to teach her that would surpass the combined knowledge of the rest of the squad.
"Well, there are still a few days until things are set in motion, so if you change your mind, do call me," he said.
Takuma leaned away from the ledge with a sigh. He had hoped Amami would agree, but now that she had refused, he would have to adjust his potential squad layout.
Comments
aaab1422
I think he was just a little pawn in the bigger " -missing word Takuma laughed. "It's too for that. -missing word
Marcin
Well if we consider Takuma is going to get a friendly visit from Kon than maybe its better ? I dont think his team will come out without losses.
Xardas2995
Was it not stated that lieutenants also work on their own important cases back when Barbary decided to go personally to Maizuru? Sad he does not become a lieutenant just not dealing with administrative stuff mostly. Still fine this way. So guess we will get at least the next two weeks if not more dealing with reassignments and squad buildup. No! Amami’s decision makes sense sad as it is to not see her join. She is better off staying. Also shows that Takuma unlike others went all in on Root. Made sense for him but it also binds his career firmly to Itachi. Takuma wanting to remain going out in the field makes sense. Will be interesting to see how this continues because it makes him an outlier somewhat compared to the usual career of shinobi in peace time. But it will also be interesting to see how this shapes his reputation. So when he is squad leader also formally under Itachi will the reward giving be less of an issue?
RiverusRomurus
or believe they are~aren't~ fit to manage people
HYP3R
Shame :( I bet you’ve got something even better cooking tho
Bp9517
First sentence is out of order, should be “I want to make you a squad leader”. Didn’t catch it till the second time I read it
G Sharp
Wonder how long the root arc is gonna be. It’s the best place for Takuma to get promoted and get stronger. But man. It feels like a slog. Looking forward to the next assassination attempt. Rip to the poor bastards they send to the meat grinder.
Zero
Can’t wait for the next one!
Zero
Let’s go!
triad
Yeah I think it's best he gets new people who have the experience
Umbral Star
Takuma is going places. This’ll be interesting to see who he’s going to try and recruit since the only other Anbu members we’ve seen are his other batchmates.
