Hikaru had no idea that right after he finished securing Pakura, this kind of trouble would come knocking.
Right now, his mind was still on the Uchiha mess—because sitting in his hand was something the Uchiha had been dreaming of for ages: an ANBU slot.
It had been a full week since his last meeting with Uchiha Makoto.
A long-distance mission really was the perfect way to kill time—especially when the destination was far. One trip could easily swallow several days.
I wonder if that seed I planted… has started to mutate yet.
Hikaru tapped the desk lightly.
The "road" he'd shown Makoto looked impossible on the surface, but Hikaru knew—if the timing and pressure were handled properly, it could absolutely become real.
Because in certain ways, Uchiha Fugaku really was stupid beyond redemption.
A blatantly obvious death-question had been shoved in front of him—
Save the Hokage… or obey Danzō.
And Fugaku still managed to choose wrong—obediently following Danzō.
Could you believe that?
Yes, Root moved that night. And yes, the Nine-Tails' eyes reflected the Sharingan.
But did Danzō really deploy all of Root against the Uchiha?
And did he really dare to openly strike the Uchiha while the Nine-Tails was raging?
Even if the Uchiha couldn't win, they could have defended until the crisis ended—then filed a counter-accusation: We tried to mobilize, but Danzō blocked us.
That would've been ten thousand times better than being labeled "absent," basically confirming they were tied to the Nine-Tails incident.
Making such an atrocious choice on such an obvious trap…
Hikaru genuinely couldn't understand it.
Especially because Fugaku was the worst kind of leader: wavering, indecisive, pretending to be "fair," but in truth lacking any will of his own—always leaning toward whichever side looked stronger.
A man like that leading the clan—at that exact historical moment—
If the clan didn't get wiped out later, that would be the real miracle.
Hikaru didn't want to waste such a "premium resource" as the Uchiha, which meant he needed to make a choice.
If Fugaku wasn't reliable…
Why not "manufacture" someone more reliable?
Of course, "more reliable" here was still just less awful.
It was an era of choosing the least rotten option.
And Hikaru refused to believe that with him pulling strings from behind, he could somehow end up with a leader worse than Fugaku.
Still… the old man has to make the decision himself. And later, I'll have to keep him on a tight leash.
Hikaru thought quietly.
As for whether Fugaku had the Mangekyō…
Hikaru couldn't be sure.
But even if he did, Hikaru wasn't terrified. As long as he didn't get caught by genjutsu, he could still disengage.
His speed alone was a bug-level advantage—space-crossing mobility that Fugaku might not even be able to pin down.
Though beating him cleanly is another matter.
The Mangekyō's absurdity was unmatched.
Hikaru could butcher a hundred shinobi without blinking, but in a pure one-on-one against a Mangekyō user…
He didn't have full confidence.
Sharingan users were already outrageous duelists.
Mangekyō was just obscene.
If someone went all-in, burned their eyes, and pulled out Susanoo—
their offensive and defensive power jumped into a completely different tier.
That was pure Yin Release made manifest.
And if Hikaru's attack power couldn't crack it, he'd have no clean answer.
If I could reach Hashirama's level… Wood Golem, or the Thousand-Armed Kannon…
He paused, then laughed at himself.
He hadn't even confirmed Fugaku had the Mangekyō and he was already imagining final-boss matchups.
Planning ahead was good.
But underestimating himself was stupid.
He'd already done that once—overthinking until his brain went numb.
Honestly… I'm much stronger than I think.
Hikaru leaned back in his chair, stretching—
And then a rapid knock at the door forced him upright.
He was a captain now. He had to keep his posture.
He allowed the visitor in.
And the moment Hikaru heard why he'd come—
his expression changed instantly.
"Confirm your identity. You're Pakura of Sunagakure, yes?"
Inside the Third Division lounge, Aburame Ryoma intercepted Pakura as she was about to find somewhere to rest while waiting for Hikaru to assign her a new identity and living arrangement.
Ryoma's voice was low and cold.
The chill around him wasn't even subtle—it coiled in the air like a shadow.
It sounded like a question, but there was no doubt in it at all.
Pakura frowned.
She didn't understand what was happening.
The man's gear marked him as ANBU—or something similar.
And after what Hikaru had implied about Konoha's internal instability…
Pakura hesitated, then sighed and nodded.
She was under someone else's roof now. She didn't have the luxury of arrogance.
Her status was sensitive. Sensitive enough that she didn't want to create trouble.
She'd made her choice—so she'd follow through.
She was rootless now. If she'd found soil that would accept her, then she needed to prove her worth.
"I'm Pakura," she said evenly. "But I'm not Sunagakure's Pakura. Sunagakure's Pakura is dead."
"Then it's you," Ryoma replied, not caring about her wording. "Come with us."
"Come with you?" Pakura's frown deepened. The unease sharpened. "Why? And who are you?"
"Who we are is irrelevant," Ryoma said flatly. "You're a Sunagakure shinobi entering ANBU. That's a serious issue."
His chakra began to surge—subtle, but unmistakable.
The Root operatives with him surged too.
"You have two choices."
"One: come willingly."
"Two: we take you."
Several cold signatures locked onto Pakura at once.
They weren't bluffing.
If things went wrong, they would absolutely strike.
Pakura clenched her fist.
She had no idea what the real reason was, but she knew she'd walked into a trap.
And a bitter sorrow rose in her chest.
So this was it.
A foreign shinobi trying to join another village, entering ANBU…
Of course it wouldn't be clean.
Of course it wouldn't be welcomed.
And that "Nightingale" who had been so strong and so forceful…
He probably wouldn't give her a choice either.
Pakura closed her eyes briefly, swallowing her anger.
After a long moment, she loosened her fist, opened her eyes, and nodded.
"I understand. I—"
"Stop."
Kakashi stepped in from behind.
His voice was calm, but sharp.
"Who are you? And why are you demanding a person from the Third Division?"
"Who we are is irrelevant, Captain Kakashi," Ryoma said, brows lowering. He regained his composure quickly. "Your job is to obey."
"It's you," Kakashi said, recognizing the voice. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Root."
He remembered the Root operatives from the first mission he'd returned from with Hikaru—those people who had "resolved" something for them.
That encounter had made Kakashi realize there was another shadow-organization in Konoha besides ANBU.
Now hearing this voice again, he remembered exactly who he was.
"Since you know who we are," Ryoma said coldly, "then you know what you should do."
"Retreat. Or I will act."
"Do you have the Hokage's authorization?" Kakashi asked, ignoring the threat and pushing forward. "Reassigning an ANBU operative requires Hokage-level orders."
"If you don't have it, you're not taking anyone."
"We have Lord Danzō's order," Ryoma replied.
His chakra pressure locked onto Kakashi now.
"This is your final warning."
"Retreat."
"Or you will be treated as a target as well."
"Sorry," Kakashi said, voice dropping even colder. "I don't answer to 'Lord Danzō.' I answer to the Hokage."
As he spoke, Kakashi drew his blade.
At the same moment—almost every ANBU in the lounge drew weapons too.
The atmosphere turned suffocating.
Ryoma's face darkened under his mask.
It was the first time he'd ever faced someone who openly defied Lord Danzō's will.
"I understand," Ryoma said quietly.
His hand went to his blade.
Countless tiny black shadows spilled from his body.
"In the name of order," he declared, voice cutting like steel. "ANBU Captain Hatake Kakashi has violated regulations and ignored superior command."
"Classify as rogue."
"Kill."
In an instant, Root operatives drew weapons together.
Their killing intent crashed down over Kakashi and Pakura.
Pakura clenched her teeth.
She'd heard the name Danzō before, but she didn't know his rank or role.
Still—she could tell this wasn't a small man.
And Kakashi stepping forward…
That wasn't just Kakashi. That was the Third Division's will.
That was Nightingale's will.
Were they really willing to clash with Konoha's internal power structure—over someone as politically toxic as her?
Then I…
Pakura began gathering chakra.
If they were willing to treat her as one of their own, then she couldn't disgrace that trust.
But before she could move—
A familiar voice rang out.
Familiar… yet strangely different.
"Who gave you the nerve to cause trouble in the Third Division?"
Every head turned toward the lounge door.
That was their captain's voice.
But this time, the warmth carried something else.
The same gentle tone.
The same soft cadence.
And yet beneath it—an icy sharpness that made the air feel thinner.
"Nightingale…" Ryoma exhaled, his gaze locking onto Hikaru. Complexity flickered in his eyes.
Root had tried to recruit this man.
He'd refused.
Ryoma also knew Danzō had once considered forcing him in.
But the Hokage had shut it down.
And now, Danzō's resentment toward Hikaru was deep and personal.
Everyone in Root knew what Hikaru had done in Sunagakure.
A record like that inspired fear.
But also respect.
The shinobi world worshiped strength, and Hikaru's strength was undeniable.
Still…
Root operatives were tools.
Tools obeyed.
"Captain Nightingale," Ryoma said, forcing his voice steady. "We are here under Lord Danzō's order—"
"Hold it."
Hikaru walked forward, step by step, stopping in front of Kakashi and Pakura, placing himself between them and Root.
Then he cut Ryoma off without a hint of politeness.
"This is ANBU."
"Not Root."
"Since when does Lord Danzō's order mobilize ANBU?"
"And who gave you the authority to declare an ANBU captain a rogue?"
Hikaru's words strangled Ryoma's breathing space.
Hikaru was an ANBU division captain.
He had every right to demand this.
Moreover, Hikaru's position existed because he had severed Danzō's hand inside ANBU.
Danzō had no authority here—none.
"Captain Nightingale," Ryoma pressed, refusing to retreat. "Are you defying Lord Danzō's order as well?"
"Defying?" Hikaru smiled.
His smile was gentle—
and terrifying.
"Maybe I wasn't clear, so I'll repeat it."
"This is ANBU. Not Root."
"You marched into ANBU territory, tried to abduct my operative, and then casually declared an ANBU captain a rogue."
Hikaru's voice stayed soft.
Then he finished with a calm, lethal line:
"I think… you're the rogue."
Ryoma's breath caught.
The implication was instant and absolute.
"Watch out!" Ryoma shouted, hands flashing into seals as black insect swarms spread like nets—
But it was already too late.
Hikaru moved.
A blur.
He appeared behind a Root operative.
His blade flashed with icy-blue light—
and sliced clean across the man's throat.
The Root operative didn't even understand what happened before warmth spilled down his neck.
Hikaru vanished again.
And reappeared beside another.
A second blue arc.
Another throat opened.
Two deaths—within heartbeats.
Hikaru had never intended to avoid this conflict.
The opposite—he had been waiting for a clean excuse to erase Root's presence in his division.
Root barging in, trying to take his people in front of him?
It was a gift.
ANBU didn't have to bow to Danzō.
And as a captain, Hikaru had to protect his operatives—especially someone like Pakura, who had just "defected" and needed to be secured and reassured.
Danzō really is a good man, Hikaru thought with cold amusement.
His plan had been to move slowly.
But Danzō had handed him a faster path on a silver platter.
And if Hikaru hadn't already sent his lizard into Danzō's lab and stolen Hashirama tissue…
he might not even have this level of power yet.
So yes.
Danzō was a "good man."
And a good man deserved repayment.
Hikaru's blade flashed again—another Root operative fell.
But after killing two more, Hikaru retreated immediately.
Because the insect nets surged, swallowing the space and wrapping around the remaining Root operatives like armor.
He could kill another one or two—
But he didn't want those insects touching him.
He'd seen enough of Aburame techniques to know how disgusting and dangerous those bugs could be.
Some carried toxins. Some drained chakra.
Caution was a virtue.
Hikaru wasn't about to lose it.
"Spread out," Hikaru ordered calmly. "Hold the exits. No one leaves."
ANBU hesitated for a fraction of a second—because their captain had already drawn blood.
But ANBU hesitation lasted only a heartbeat.
They moved.
They sealed every exit line, every potential escape route.
Once the Third Division cleared the kill zone, Hikaru finished forming his seals and released the technique he'd been preparing.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wave!"
A violent torrent erupted into existence like a spinning rising storm.
It surged forward like a collapsing waterfall, smashing toward Ryoma's position.
A Root shinobi reacted instantly.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick wall rose up to block the flood—
But the torrent slammed into it with overwhelming force.
The wall cracked.
Then shattered.
Water roared through, carving a river across the floor.
"Damn it…" Ryoma's instincts screamed.
Not because he feared water—
But because the water was washing away insects, breaking swarm formations, and forcing their defensive nets into chaos.
This water release… is too strong.
Ryoma had assumed Hikaru was dangerous because of the Flying Thunder God.
But this level of ninjutsu output—
it was beyond what he expected.
Is he walking Tobirama's path?
Hikaru didn't care what Ryoma was thinking.
He expanded his sensory field to the limit.
In that moment, every insect—flying, crawling, clustering, drifting in water—was inside his awareness.
The drain was heavy.
So he had one rule:
end it fast.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Multiple water dragons rose from the river Hikaru had created, twisting up with thunderous roars and lunging at the Root operatives.
Ryoma countered instantly.
"Secret Technique: Destruction Bugs—Gale!"
Insect swarms spun into tornadoes—black cyclones that collided with the water dragons.
Wind and water tore at each other.
The water dragons burst apart.
But countless bugs dropped dead, scattered across the floor and floating in the current.
Ryoma didn't stop.
He chained seals again.
"Secret Technique: Destruction Bugs—Cluster!"
The insects surged to block Hikaru's forward routes.
Hikaru's sprint paused sharply—
then Flying Thunder God activated.
He vanished from the trap—
and appeared beside an exposed Root operative.
A single slash.
A throat opened.
He was gone again.
Then another.
Another slash.
Another body.
Hikaru specifically targeted zones where the water dragons had temporarily drained nearby water sources—windows where Ryoma couldn't easily use water to track or contain him.
But Ryoma himself stayed near water the entire time, making him harder to reach cleanly.
No matter.
Hikaru wasn't limited to "seed marks."
He had other methods.
After another kill, Ryoma finally forced the survivors to regroup.
"Cluster around me!" Ryoma shouted.
Only three remained—Ryoma and two Root operatives.
Ryoma wrapped them in insect armor again.
His heart was bleeding.
He had brought six Root operatives.
In less than a minute, Hikaru had erased two full squads.
Root training wasn't cheap.
Those losses were unbearable.
"Nightingale!" Ryoma roared. "Do you understand what you're doing?!"
"I understand perfectly," Hikaru said evenly, flicking blood from his blade. Then he smiled.
"I don't know why you picked this time to cause trouble in my division."
"Maybe the Hokage is busy."
"Maybe you wanted to make it a 'fact' so the Hokage couldn't pursue it afterward."
"But did you ever consider one thing?"
Hikaru's gaze sharpened.
"Do I look like someone you can provoke?"
"You're making an enemy of Lord Danzō," Ryoma said, voice tight.
"An enemy?" Hikaru tilted his head. "Lord Danzō commands Root. Not ANBU."
He lifted a hand.
Kakashi understood instantly and moved.
He jumped to Hikaru's side and shouted:
"All fire-release users, down here!"
ANBU with Fire Release dropped in one after another.
Pakura stepped forward too, silent and ready.
"The water didn't wipe out your insects completely," Hikaru said softly, smiling at Ryoma. "So let's see whether your insects can survive fire."
His blade glowed blue again.
"From the moment you walked into ANBU and tried to take my operative…"
"your fate was decided."
Hikaru's smile stayed gentle.
His voice stayed calm.
"Now—go."
He lowered his hand.
"Kill them."
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