After causing a disturbance within the ANBU, Natsuhiko returned to the barracks of the division he belonged to.
However, something surprised him.
Originally, he thought that after making such a scene, the entire ANBU would already know about it.
But after returning, he realized that it seemed no one knew anything about it.
It seemed that Hiruzen Sarutobi truly had no intention of letting the matter spread any further. At the same time, it showed just how terrifyingly strong his control over the ANBU really was.
Such a big incident—and yet he could suppress it so easily.
Even by the time Natsuhiko finished work that evening, no one mentioned it at all.
One could only imagine how absolute his control over the ANBU had become.
"Looks like taking control of the ANBU won't be something simple…"
On the way home, Natsuhiko couldn't help but sigh when thinking about this.
Although he had just passed the examination to become a division commander, and his official appointment had not even been issued yet—
Natsuhiko's ambitions had never been limited to that position.
In fact, his goal was not even merely to become the ANBU Commander.
His sights had always been set on the position of Hokage.
One could even say his ambition went beyond the Hokage itself—aiming toward influence over the entire shinobi world.
Whether it was division commander or ANBU Commander, those positions were only stepping stones.
He would use those stepping stones to climb higher and further forward.
"And before reaching my final goal, those positions will also allow me to eliminate my opponents.
At the same time, I can gather the people I need and build the foundation necessary to achieve my ambitions."
Natsuhiko was not foolish.
A single person alone could accomplish nothing.
To become the true final boss of the ninja world, not only must one possess overwhelming personal strength—
One must also have a large group of people working under them.
Whether bound by interests or tied together by loyalty and friendship, Natsuhiko ultimately needed a faction of his own.
Such a group could help him maintain the stability of Konoha, and perhaps even expand outward.
Natsuhiko had no intention of ending up like Minato Namikaze—ascending to power without even having his own faction.
Not even a hidden one.
Then again, if he had already possessed his own faction, Hiruzen Sarutobi likely would not have placed his attention on him in the first place.
People who were uncontrollable and people who were difficult to control were essentially the same.
The fact that Sarutobi had not chosen someone like Murashima Takumi to replace him already showed that he still held some respect for the existence of the ANBU.
"Still, dealing with Murashima Takumi won't be easy."
Natsuhiko frowned slightly as he thought about it.
Although he hadn't fought him directly and didn't know exactly how strong he was, anyone who could reach that position could not possibly be simple.
More importantly, Murashima's personality was extremely troublesome.
Unless…
Unless Murashima died in a way that made sense.
Ideally, it would be because he disobeyed orders—or betrayed the village, or violated some moral code.
And most importantly…
Murashima would have to make the first move.
Otherwise, if Natsuhiko assassinated him outright, the consequences for himself would be unimaginably disastrous.
With so many conditions stacked together, the difficulty of pulling it off was almost absurd.
Thinking about it made Natsuhiko sigh deeply.
But thinking about such things now was still too early.
Although Natsuhiko liked to plan ahead, dwelling too much on unsolvable problems would only make him miserable.
So rather than thinking about that, it was better to think about other things.
Opportunities come to those who are prepared.
Natsuhiko understood this very clearly.
If he couldn't find a solution now, he would simply wait—wait for the opportunity to appear.
"Natsuhiko?"
Just as Natsuhiko was leisurely walking home, a voice suddenly reached his ears.
Hearing the voice, Natsuhiko stopped and looked up. He discovered it was Uesugi Gen, which made him feel a little puzzled.
It was already late—why had he come to find him?
However, regardless of the reason, Natsuhiko first checked the surroundings.
Only after confirming the situation did he reveal a gentle smile and slightly bow to Uesugi Gen in respect.
Since he was already off duty, Natsuhiko had long changed out of his ANBU attire.
And Uesugi Gen was someone who had taught him many things when he was young, so this respect came from the heart.
"Uncle Gen, it's so late. Why did you come?" Natsuhiko asked curiously after greeting him.
"There are some matters," Uesugi Gen nodded lightly.
"I've been waiting for you. The Elder wants to see you."
"The Elder?" Natsuhiko raised his eyebrow slightly. He more or less understood what this was about.
The elder of his clan had once managed to arrange for him to enter the ANBU through certain connections.
So naturally, that elder could also obtain quite a bit of information from within the ANBU.
However, this time the information seemed to have arrived rather late.
And the timing of when it arrived felt somewhat… ambiguous.
Natsuhiko was completely certain that Hiruzen Sarutobi had a hand in this.
Is this his way of reminding me of something? Or maybe he's trying to observe my reaction?
Shaking his head, Natsuhiko didn't bother trying to guess what Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking.
But he knew very well how he should respond.
After all, he had long expected that certain things would inevitably happen. There was nothing worth being overly surprised about.
"I understand, Uncle Gen," Natsuhiko replied with the same gentle smile, nodding lightly.
"In that case, I'll go see the Elder tomorrow morning."
"No," Uesugi Gen said, immediately rejecting the suggestion. "The Elder asked you to come as soon as you returned."
Hearing that answer, Natsuhiko sighed slightly inwardly.
It seemed that the elder of his clan was truly quite impatient.
However, what Natsuhiko was curious about was just how much information that elder had received.
Was it only about his division commander examination?
Or was it about the trouble he caused earlier today at the ANBU headquarters?
He even maliciously wondered whether Hiruzen Sarutobi had also revealed that the position of division commander had essentially already been decided for him—and that certain promises had been made to him as well.
Shaking his head again, Natsuhiko stopped thinking about it.
But he could already predict that the elder would likely make certain demands of him.
Fortunately, Natsuhiko had long prepared how he would deal with that.
He smiled and nodded to Uesugi Gen, then walked directly toward the elder's residence.
It didn't take long before Natsuhiko arrived.
He had never liked this house, which was filled with an old-fashioned and antique atmosphere.
In his eyes, it was merely a symbol of people being unable to escape the glory of the past.
After knocking on the door, Natsuhiko soon entered.
The Elder was still sitting there alone.
However, before Natsuhiko could even speak, the Elder suddenly asked somewhat anxiously:
"I heard that you caused trouble at the ANBU headquarters today, and even confronted the ANBU Commander. You weren't injured, were you?"
"Thank you for your concern, Elder," Natsuhiko replied calmly. "I'm perfectly fine."
Natsuhiko had not expected that the first thing the Elder would say upon his arrival was not to directly ask about the things he had hidden.
Instead, the Elder showed concern for his well-being, which made him feel a little moved.
Natsuhiko would never deny one fact: his heart was indeed quite dark.
He had also guessed that his inability to gain Katsuyu's approval was probably related to this.
But no matter how dark he was, he still had a sense of gratitude.
He was grateful that he had never been sent to the battlefield back then—he had not been completely desensitized to the horrors of war. Otherwise, he might not even have retained such feelings at all.
Although the ANBU is really no place for a human being, he thought.
Natsuhiko hadn't changed his view. War destroys humanity; the ANBU makes you wallow in the darkness. While there's a difference, it's a matter of degrees.
"By the way, why did you start a fight at Headquarters?" The Elder, Senju Shoma, asked after Natsuhiko replied, falling into a moment of silence.
"Even confronting the ANBU Commander directly…"
"This matter is complicated, and there's a lot involved," Natsuhiko replied, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, Elder, but I cannot say much about it."
"Even to me?" Shoma furrowed his brow; he hadn't expected such an answer.
"Yes, Elder," Natsuhiko said, nodding earnestly.
"Even to you, I must remain silent."
Natsuhiko truly dared not speak carelessly about this matter.
How could he possibly tell the Elder that he had acted out because he suspected both the ANBU Commander and the man called Owl of wrongdoing?
And that the person he actually suspected was Danzo, only to discover that both of them were nothing more than puppets of the Third Hokage?
Saying something like that aloud would be suicidal—not because Hiruzen Sarutobi would pressure him, but because this Elder in front of him could very well end Natsuhiko's life.
After all, what he had done was effectively aligning himself with Hiruzen. How could Senju Shoma ever accept that?
The only way to fully reveal it would be to hand over every single plan and action he had taken—but that was out of the question. Natsuhiko had no intention of revealing anything for now.
"Is that so?" Shoma stared seriously at Natsuhiko and then sighed lightly.
"I see… you have grown. You have your own thoughts and judgments now, Natsuhiko."
Natsuhiko remained silent, sitting quietly with a calm expression.
Shoma glanced at him and shook his head slightly, realizing his "emotional appeal" had failed completely.
If there were other sources to obtain information, he had no desire to press Natsuhiko further.
Asking directly would only reveal weaknesses in his intelligence capabilities.
Natsuhiko's strength was growing rapidly—not just because he had obtained a terrifying and almost unimaginable summoning beast.
According to intelligence reports, he had even learned the Flying Thunder God Technique!
The Flying Thunder God Technique—this had been the signature skill that made Senju Tobirama famous.
During the Warring States period, Tobirama had used this technique to kill Uchiha Izuna, the wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Shoma knew all too well how terrifying the Mangekyō Sharingan was. He remembered how many of the Senju had died under its power.
Yet this technique could reverse the situation—and even kill the Mangekyō wielder. One could imagine just how formidable it was.
Moreover, Shoma also knew how difficult this technique was to master. Over all those years, only Minato Namikaze had succeeded in learning it.
But now that Natsuhiko had learned it, it proved just how terrifying his talent truly was.
What made Senju Shoma's heart race even more was that Natsuhiko had kept this information hidden.
He didn't know whether it was due to distrust or some other motive mixed in—but either way, Shoma found it hard to accept.
Yet, no matter how hard it was to accept, he understood one thing:
Natsuhiko was no longer the child he had once known. He had become a powerful ninja capable of standing on his own.
The ANBU really was a place that forged strength. Even if it wasn't as cruel as the battlefield, its darkness could accelerate someone's growth.
"I also heard you took the Division Commander assessment," Shoma said after a long silence. "You passed, didn't you?"
"Yes, Elder," Natsuhiko nodded. This was different from other matters, so he had no intention of hiding it.
"I passed, though the specifics aren't entirely clear yet."
"Is that so?" Shoma gazed at Natsuhiko, then asked calmly, "Could you tell me all the details, every step of the process?"
Looking at his clan Elder, Natsuhiko now seemed to understand what kind of person Shoma really was.
He was concerned—after all, this time Natsuhiko had not reported any intelligence back.
It wasn't because Natsuhiko had made a mistake; he had simply been too busy—busy with his work, busy with his plans.
At the same time, he also wanted to verify certain things.
Now he had verified it: the network of eyes that Senju Shoma controlled wasn't all that reliable.
So much time had passed, yet no news had come through. That said a lot.
Either Shoma's people weren't truly inside the ANBU, or Hiruzen Sarutobi had them completely under control, ensuring that nothing would be transmitted without orders.
It was harsh, but the fact was clear. Natsuhiko realized that putting much hope in his clan's intelligence system was a mistake—a correct decision on his part.
Hiding these thoughts in his mind, Natsuhiko straightforwardly recounted everything that had happened during this period.
For example: he had learned the Flying Thunder God Technique; he had approached Minato Namikaze for a slot; he had participated in the assessment and defeated several ANBU squads.
He left out nothing, including his refusal to assume the division commander position immediately, insisting on taking the theoretical exam first.
Shoma listened quietly. His expression seemed almost unchanged—Natsuhiko guessed he likely already knew most of these details.
When Natsuhiko finished, Shoma silently nodded.
"You made the right choice. You couldn't have just taken the division commander position outright—you wouldn't have earned their respect.
"But it's also a mistake, because the division commander has the right to choose their own team members.
"However, you subtly influenced both the Third and Fourth Hokage—that's a noteworthy achievement."
Natsuhiko let out a light laugh but didn't reply. Shoma didn't press it either. After a brief pause, he slowly asked:
"The Division Commander has the right to select his team members. If you are appointed, how many members of the Senju clan will you include?"
"That's not something I can decide," Natsuhiko shook his head.
"Many things cannot be judged by appearances alone. I believe the Elder understands that."
Shoma let out a deep sigh at this, but before he could speak, Natsuhiko continued:
"However, I can promise that I will do everything within my power. After all..."
"I am also a Senju."