[Starting in Naruto with a Daily Login System] Chapter 35  Anbu? No Thanks, I Like My Soul Intact

This was it. The moment of truth. The grand finale of the Baby Gift War.

The baby shower was a top-secret, classified event.

Minato and Kushina had kept the pregnancy under wraps, only telling their closest friends. So instead of the entire village showing up, it was a small, cozy gathering. Just Team Minato, Jiraiya, and a few others.

Minato looked happy. Kushina was glowing.

And I was questioning my life choices.

Taka, perched on my shoulder, flapped his wings. “Kakashi.”

“…What.”

“We have a problem.”

I sighed. “What problem?”

Taka’s tiny face darkened. “I don’t have a gift.”

I blinked. “That’s because you’re a bird, Taka.”

He gasped. “That’s species discrimination.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That’s reality.”

Taka dramatically flopped over. “I have failed.”

I patted his head. “It’s fine. Obito and Rin are the ones who declared war.”

Speaking of which—

Rin handed Kushina a beautifully wrapped box.

Kushina grinned. “Ooooh, what’s this?”

Rin smiled. “Open it and see!”

Kushina unwrapped it and pulled out—

A handmade baby blanket.

Soft. Warm. Hand-stitched with care.

Minato blinked. “Did you… make this yourself?”

Rin nodded. “I wanted to give the baby something from the heart.”

Kushina teared up. “Rin… this is so sweet!”

I could practically hear the sound of Obito’s soul leaving his body.

Obito was sweating.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected Rin to go full sentimental mode.

Still, he recovered quickly.

“Okay, okay! Now my turn!” Obito shoved a massive box into Minato’s hands.

Minato blinked. “Uh… heavy.”

Kushina raised an eyebrow. “What is this, Obito?”

Obito smirked. “Only the coolest baby gift ever.”

Kushina tore off the wrapping—

And pulled out…

A fully customized baby battle onesie.

With tiny ninja sandals.

And a forehead protector.

Minato stared.

Kushina choked on air.

Rin looked like she was having a spiritual crisis.

Obito grinned. “Awesome, right?!”

Kushina held up the tiny forehead protector. “Obito… why does a baby need this?”

Obito crossed his arms. “Minato-sensei’s the Yellow Flash! This baby is gonna be legendary!”

I watched as Kushina’s chakra flared.

“…So you’re saying my kid has to be a ninja right away, huh?”

Obito’s soul prepared for departure.

Minato chuckled nervously. “Obito, maybe a little less pressure on the baby?”

Obito gulped. “Uh. Uh-huh. Yeah. Right. Haha.”

Kushina grinned dangerously. “Good.”

Obito nearly collapsed.

Rin whispered, “I told you not to do this.”

I nodded. “I also told him to prepare his will.”

Minato turned to me. “What about you, Kakashi?”

I casually handed Kushina a small scroll. “Nothing too crazy.”

She raised an eyebrow and opened it—

Then froze.

Minato peeked over her shoulder. His face went blank.

Obito and Rin leaned in.

Silence.

Then—

Kushina smacked my arm.

“You got us a free babysitter voucher?!”

I shrugged. “You’ll need one.”

Minato burst out laughing.

Kushina groaned. “Kakashi!!”

Rin sighed. “Of course.”

Obito was having a crisis. “Wait. That’s… actually useful?!”

Minato wiped his eyes. “You’re already preparing for the future, huh?”

Kushina poked my forehead. “Fine, but we will use this.”

I smirked. “Figured.”

Taka, still on my shoulder, gasped. “Genius.”

I won.

The baby shower continued. Kushina got more gifts. Minato got harassed by Jiraiya.

Meanwhile, I leaned back with a sense of absolute victory.

Obito groaned. “I can’t believe you won the Baby Gift War.”

I smirked. “Try harder next time.”

Rin chuckled. “I don’t think there’ll be a next time.”

Taka nodded. “This battle is over.”

I took a sip of tea. Another perfect victory.

The eye conspiracy remained undiscovered.
 My summoning bird was getting smarter.
 And I never had to stress over baby clothes.

Flawless execution.

Today, Minato had more news.

We sat in his office as he smiled at us. A dangerous smile. The kind that usually preceded life-altering situations.

“As you know,” Minato began, “once I take over as Hokage, I won’t be leading missions anymore.”

Obito pouted. “Yeah, yeah, we know… We already said we support you, Sensei! Even though the village is stealing you from us!”

Minato chuckled. “And I appreciate that.” Then his expression turned serious. “But I want you all to be prepared. You won’t have a set team anymore.”

Rin blinked. “Wait… you mean…?”

Minato nodded. “You’ll be assigned missions based on necessity. Sometimes together, sometimes separately.”

The room went quiet.

It wasn’t surprising. We were growing, and the war had pushed us ahead of our age group. But the idea of our team not being a team anymore? That was… strange.

Minato looked at each of us. “You’ve all grown so much. You’re not rookies anymore.” His gaze landed on me. “Especially you, Kakashi.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

Minato smiled. “You’ve taken on so much responsibility already. I know I’m leaving things in good hands.”

Obito snorted. “Ugh. Don’t make his ego worse, Sensei.”

I sighed. “Like yours is any smaller?”

Obito gasped. “EXCUSE YOU—”

Taka whispered in my ear. “Does this mean you have been promoted to the leader of Team Kakashi?”

I rubbed my temple. “No, Taka. It means we don’t have a team anymore.”

Taka gasped. “Then who will babysit Obito?”

I choked.

Minato laughed.

Rin patted Obito’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Obito. We’ll still see each other.”

Obito crossed his arms. “Yeah, but it won’t be the same.”

Minato nodded. “It won’t. But you’re all ready for this.”

It was a compliment. A vote of confidence.

And yet, all I could think about was my inevitable A-rank mission assignments.

I was going to miss D-rank missions.

…Did I just say that?

I needed help.

—

After the meeting, I barely had time to process my impending babysitting doom before Minato-sensei called me back to his office.

Alone.

Which was never a good sign.

Obito and Rin left, throwing me curious glances. Taka stayed on my shoulder, completely unaware of the storm brewing in my gut.

Minato sat behind his desk, his expression serious yet warm. “Kakashi.”

“Yes, Sensei?”

He exhaled. “I wanted to talk to you about something important.”

Oh no.

That was the kind of line that usually led to 'Congratulations! You’re now the youngest captain in history!'

I didn’t like where this was going.

Minato folded his hands. “Once I become Hokage, I’ll need people I trust in key positions. People who can handle difficult missions, make hard decisions, and keep the village safe from the shadows.”

I felt a creeping sense of dread.

Taka tilted his head. “Oooh, sounds cool!”

It was not cool.

Minato smiled. “I’d like you to join Anbu.”

And there it was.

The one thing I did not want.

I mean, sure, Anbu sounded great in theory—covert ops, assassination, high-level protection missions. But in reality? It was a soul-crushing, emotionally scarring, paranoia-inducing nightmare.

And let’s be honest. My sanity was already hanging by a thread.

I kept my expression neutral. “...Why me?”

Minato chuckled. “Because I trust you, Kakashi.”

I resisted the urge to sigh. Of course he trusted me. That was exactly the problem.

Minato leaned forward. “You’re already operating at a level far beyond most Jonin. Your precision, your efficiency, your instincts—they make you a perfect fit for Anbu.”

Taka chirped. “Ooooh, Kakashi, this means you’re special!”

I side-eyed him. “I’d rather not be special, thanks.”

Minato smiled, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes. “You don’t have to give me an answer now. Just think about it.”

I had thought about it.

The answer was no.

But telling Minato no was like telling Taka to shut up.

Completely ineffective.

Minato stood. “Regardless of your decision, I’ll always trust you, Kakashi. And I hope you’ll trust me too.”

…Damn it.

Why did he have to say it like that?

I sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

Minato beamed. “That’s all I ask.”

Taka whispered in my ear. “We’re totally joining, aren’t we?”

I needed to lie down.

Because, like it or not… this wasn’t over.

I spent the next few days pretending Minato-sensei’s Anbu offer didn’t exist.

Which was working perfectly fine—until it wasn’t.

Because, of course, Minato-sensei was Minato-sensei and had the patience of a saint. Meaning he didn’t press the issue.

Which somehow made it worse.

Taka, on the other hand, had no such patience.

“Are we joining the super-secret mask squad yet?” he chirped for the tenth time that morning.

“No.”

“…Yet?”

I shot him a look. “No.”

He ruffled his feathers. “But you’d look cool in a mask!”

That was not the problem here.

The problem was that I enjoyed not having to constantly watch my back for traitors, psychos, and emotionally unstable teammates. Anbu was a one-way ticket to trust issues, chronic insomnia, and a questionable moral compass.

Not exactly my dream career.

I had a flawless plan to avoid it too—just keep a low profile, stay busy with missions, and never bring it up.

Which worked for exactly three days.

Then Minato found me.

And by “found me,” I mean he appeared directly behind me while I was eating ramen, making me nearly choke to death.

I barely managed to turn without looking guilty. “Sensei.”

Minato smiled. “Kakashi.”

Oh no.

That was the 'I know you’ve been avoiding me' smile.

I casually sipped my broth, buying time. “Something on your mind?”

Minato chuckled. “Yes, actually.”

Of course there was.

He sat down across from me, ordering his own bowl before giving me a look that made my stomach sink.

I slurped my noodles aggressively. Maybe if I pretended to be too busy eating, he’d drop it.

No such luck.

“I know you’ve been thinking about my offer,” Minato said lightly.

I stared at my ramen. I have not.

Minato continued, “I understand your hesitation. Anbu is… difficult.”

Understatement of the century.

“I won’t force you,” he said. “But I want you to know this isn’t just about skill, Kakashi. It’s about trust. I need people I can count on when I become Hokage. People who will protect Konoha from the shadows as well as the light.”

I sighed. Damn it.

Taka chirped in my ear. “That sounds super important.”

It did.

Which made it so much worse.

Minato smiled, seeing the gears turning in my head. “Take your time.”

I glared at my ramen. This wasn’t a decision I could run from forever.

But I sure as hell was going to try.

I caved.

Not immediately, obviously. That would’ve made me look weak. I held out for a solid four more days before finally giving in.

Minato-sensei didn’t even look surprised when I told him. He just smiled that too-knowing smile, clapped me on the shoulder, and said, “I knew you’d make the right choice.”

Which was not reassuring.

But now here I was—standing in some underground Anbu HQ, surrounded by masked psychopaths with questionable moral alignments, and pretending I hadn’t made a terrible life decision.

“Welcome to Anbu,” a man with a wolf mask said. “You’ll be working in my squad.”

I nodded, pretending I wasn’t internally screaming.

“Do you have any questions?” Wolf-mask asked.

I had many questions, but the first one that came out was, “Is everyone here emotionally stable, or…?”

There was a long silence.

Then Wolf-mask sighed. “You’ll fit right in.”

Great. Just great.

My first mission was recon. Simple. In. Out. Minimal murder.

Taka, now my official recon partner, was thrilled.

“I knew this day would come!” he cheered as I summoned him.

“Just don’t get caught,” I muttered.

“Pfft. Who do you think I am?”

A baby eagle with the attention span of a squirrel.

But credit where it’s due—Taka took his job seriously. He soared off into the night while I moved through the trees, masked up, shadowy, all that classic Anbu stuff.

I felt marginally cooler than usual.

Then Taka returned.

And I immediately regretted everything.

“Mission report,” I whispered.

“I found them!” Taka whispered back. “Also, they have a dog.”

I frowned. “A guard dog?”

“No.”

“…Then why did you bring it up?”

Taka shifted guiltily.

I stared.

“Taka.”

“…I might have stolen some of its food.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I swear to—”

A very loud bark echoed in the distance.

Then another.

Then the sound of multiple dogs.

And then, shouting.

Taka fluffed his feathers. “Sooo, we should run?”

We ran.

After somehow not dying, I got back to HQ where Wolf-mask just sighed and said, “You’ll fit right in.”

Again.

And just like that, I was officially Anbu.

Mistakes were made.