"I hope things haven't changed in this timeline."
Aoi pushed aside the curtain and stepped straight into the tavern.
It looked like any ordinary drinking house: a television played videos of beautiful dancers, while men and women sat huddled together in the booths…
"Hey, this isn't a place for brats!" the bartender and doorman shouted, trying to drive Aoi away.
But they could never have guessed that the child standing before them was a powerhouse far exceeding the Kage level.
They turned the whole place upside down in their attempt to catch him, yet not one of them even managed to touch the hem of his clothes…
"Whoa, go on, kid!" "Quite the ambitious young man — coming here at such a tender age!" "Hold on just one more minute and I'll buy you a big steamed bun, hic!"
The other patrons were clearly already drunk, and soon the entire tavern descended into chaos. At last, the owner could stand it no longer and stepped out from the back.
He was a middle‑aged man with a round, plump face and a seemingly gentle expression…
But Aoi knew better than to underestimate him. If his guess was right, this man was likely a veteran ANBU operative who had been undercover in the Hidden Cloud Village for many years.
If even the now‑destroyed Red Flame Ninja Village had managed to plant spies inside the Hidden Leaf, it was only logical that Konoha would have placed its own moles within the Hidden Cloud.
And in this village, the Falling Leaf Tavern was one such cover.
Dodging another lunge from the staff, Aoi smiled and called out, "Owner, I'd like a cocktail!"
"What kind of cocktail?" the man replied instinctively, then frowned. "You're far too young to be ordering drinks here."
"Hmm?"
Aoi's brow furrowed. Could it be that the network of spies has changed in this timeline?
As the staff closed in around him, Aoi refused to back down. He spoke again firmly: "This cocktail must be made with real liquor — and served with a single fallen leaf floating on top."
At those words, the owner froze for a split second before quickly regaining his composure. He waved his hand at the approaching men.
"Enough. If you keep grabbing him, he'll only make more of a mess. I'll just pour him a glass of milk instead."
As he spoke, he led Aoi into a private back room. The moment the door closed, his expression turned cold and stern. "Mask and codename."
"Codename: White Fox."
"White Fox?" The owner frowned. "I've never heard of that codename."
Aoi smiled and pulled out a white fox mask, marked with a special ANBU insignia that allowed fellow operatives to verify its authenticity.
By standard protocol, every mask corresponded to one specific operative. If the agent died and the mask was recovered, the codename could be passed on to a successor.
But if the mask was lost, the codename was permanently retired — making it nearly impossible for anyone to impersonate an ANBU agent using a stolen mask.
Yet Aoi was an anomaly in this world. His codename was genuine, and the mask itself was authentic.
Furthermore, there was no record in the owner's memory of the White Fox codename ever being decommissioned.
Logically, Aoi should be a legitimate ANBU member — yet the owner had never heard of him.
"No need to look so confused," Aoi said with a faint smile.
"I'm actually far older than you might guess. Haven't you noticed how old‑fashioned this mask is?"
"..."
The owner fell silent. Now that he looked closer, the mask was indeed an antique.
"This comes from the very first batch made when ANBU was first established," Aoi explained. "It's only natural that the newer generation hasn't heard my name."
"..."
The owner's face twitched. Being called "young" by a three‑year‑old child was definitely not the most pleasant experience.
__________________
For more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.
"Schedule"
Monday - Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day
Saturday - Sunday - Off