"Sandaime-sama, the Hidden Mist's losses this time weren't too severe. They only lost two key figures, and their swords were even summoned back…"
"Yes. There was nothing we could do about it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.
After repeated probing, the Hidden Mist Village had launched a large-scale assault—only to immediately retreat upon realizing that he and Danzo were the ones guarding the front.
Too cunning!
The Hidden Mist had never intended a direct confrontation. They were just putting on a show, hoping to incite conflict between Konoha and the Hidden Sand or Stone.
The kunoichi hesitated for a moment.
"What is it?"
"I… I want to leave Root. I don't want this kind of life anymore."
She spoke in a low voice.
Hiruzen paused, turning to look at her before sighing. "Your talent is exceptional. You're well-suited for this line of work."
"I'm sorry, Sandaime-sama."
The kunoichi lowered her head, silent.
Hiruzen fell quiet for a few seconds. "What will you do after leaving?"
"I…"
She raised her eyes, words caught in her throat.
Hiruzen froze for a moment before his expression turned rueful.
Had his credibility really fallen this far?
He glanced away, deciding not to press further. "Let's go. We'll discuss your situation after returning. Besides, I'm no longer the one in charge of ANBU. That brat won't be easy to deal with."
Rubbing his temples, Hiruzen frowned.
He had already learned some of Konoha's recent developments through other channels.
Kyohiko had taken control of ANBU.
This ran completely counter to his own plans—but at this point, there was nothing he could do.
He took a step forward.
In the next instant, the kunoichi's expression sharpened as she moved to shield him.
The surrounding Root operatives immediately formed a protective circle around Hiruzen.
Figures emerged from the forest.
Hidden Mist shinobi?
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, his face calm. "Are you trying to start a war?"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen! You led the division of the Land of Fire and disrespected the Daimyo! You deserve death!"
"By the Daimyo's order—kill him!"
Voices rang out from all directions.
Hiruzen had returned, but the escort team had been sent back to the eastern border after entering Konoha's territory.
After all, the war was only temporarily halted. Konoha and the Hidden Mist had yet to sign a ceasefire, meaning hostilities could resume at any moment.
Yet—
He never expected an ambush within Konoha's borders.
Danzo's people?
No. Danzo wasn't this stupid.
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
Most likely, these were still Hidden Mist operatives!
The next moment, the attackers surged forward.
Dozens of shinobi hurled explosive tags and kunai, while a barrage of ninjutsu—water, fire, and lightning—rained down on them, making it impossible to discern their origins.
"Fall back!"
Hiruzen formed hand seals and slammed his palms onto the ground.
The earth rumbled violently as the terrain beneath them rose, transforming the flat path into a towering platform.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Under the immense chakra infusion, the ground ascended, cutting off the attackers.
Water, fire, and lightning collided with the earthen barrier below, triggering a series of violent explosions that left the elevated platform trembling.
Hiruzen's expression shifted.
These enemies were strong!
They wouldn't give up so easily.
Just as he thought this, screams erupted from below.
"Hm? What's happening?"
Hiruzen looked down in surprise.
In the next instant, he saw black threads whirling through the air like countless hands lunging into the forest.
If not for recognizing it as hair, he might have mistaken it for the lost Earth Grudge Fear technique of Takigakure. But once he realized—
Hiruzen knew exactly who had arrived.
Kyohiko!
But this hair technique…
He didn't fully understand Kyohiko's intentions.
Still—
Capturing them alive would be ideal!
After a brief pause, Hiruzen said, "I'll go down to assist. Stay here and protect yourselves."
"Sandaime-sama! Your safety is more important!"
The kunoichi tried to stop him.
"Don't worry. Kyohiko has brought reinforcements."
Hiruzen smiled faintly before leaping down.
Upon landing, he saw Kyohiko's hair piercing into the bodies of several enemies, while other strands bound them tightly—
ANBU operatives swiftly moved in, restraining those impaled by the hair.
???
Hiruzen was baffled.
Was he hallucinating?
Why weren't these enemies fighting back?
No—
They couldn't fight back.
Tenketsu strikes?
As the "Professor," Hiruzen immediately grasped the situation—and was inwardly shocked.
This was a Hyūga clan technique. Had Kyohiko really replicated it through his own research?
Unbelievable!
However—
Only a few had been captured. The rest, realizing the situation was hopeless, immediately retreated.
Yet—
A figure shot out from the trees, his blade flashing like lightning.
Clang!
The sound of clashing steel echoed through the forest as Kakashi weaved between the trees, joined by another figure launching senbon—both hunting down the fleeing enemies.
His swordsmanship had changed.
It had become simpler, more direct—every slash devoid of wasted motion, each strike aimed solely for…
Killing.
"Take him down!"
A sharp command. Three enemies turned—two unleashing water-style ninjutsu while the third combined it with lightning, sending a torrent of electrified water surging forward.
But—
In the blink of an eye, the enemy was already upon them.
How?!
Before they could react, another figure materialized out of thin air.
Two blades flashed—left and right.
Three sprays of blood erupted as the bodies collapsed.
A second later, Kyohiko vanished, reappearing at another corner of the battlefield.
Within moments, Kyohiko and his wood clones flickered across the battlefield like reapers harvesting lives.
Hiruzen had initially intended to help.
But—
After observing for a while, he realized his intervention was unnecessary.
First, the tenketsu strikes and chakra scalpel technique. Now, Flying Thunder God and wood clones—combat mobility rivaling Minato's.
For a moment, he felt like he was dreaming.
And it wasn't just Kyohiko. Kakashi and Might Gai's progress also stunned him—
Kakashi's swordsmanship reminded him vividly of Sakumo.
The same style. The same tactics.
Too familiar!
Hiruzen was lost in thought when a blade suddenly shot up from the ground beneath him.
Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu.
Yet—
Schlick!
A black blade severed the attacker's hand mid-motion.
"Sandaime-sama, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Hiruzen snapped back to reality.
This was still a battlefield. How could he space out?
But—
Was that Raido?
Had he joined ANBU too?
That brat Kyohiko was really doing whatever he wanted!
Scanning the area, Hiruzen waved him off. "Go after the remaining enemies. I can protect myself."
"But—"
"Go."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke as he bit his thumb, summoning Enma the Monkey King.
Raido nodded before shunshinning away—
With Enma summoned, Hiruzen hardly needed his protection. The Monkey King's strength far surpassed his own.
Within moments, the forest was cleared of enemies.
Not a single one escaped.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Figures landed in front of Kyohiko.
"Good. Though it's only been a month of training, your combat skills have improved significantly. But…"
"It's still not enough."
Kyohiko's gaze swept over them. "Your coordination is a mess. If I hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't have captured them all. Double training tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!"
Twelve voices shouted in unison.
They were the survivors of this round of training.
ANBU only accepted elites.
This had been the core of Danzo's philosophy—
Pit them against each other, strip away emotions, forge them into perfect shinobi tools.
Kyohiko rejected that.
His approach was different—
Under Konoha's current education system, he selected the most talented and transitioned them into ANBU training and missions.
In time, they would become the village's future jōnin and elite forces.
The twelve stood in silence, offering no objections.
"Take the prisoners back. Interrogate them thoroughly. Find out who wanted the Sandaime-sama dead."
"Yes, sir!"
With a few more shunshins, some of the team vanished with the captives.
Meanwhile, Kyohiko's wood clone had already gathered the corpses before dissolving into a withered log.
Its mission was complete.
"Kyohiko, well done."
"Sandaime-sama!"
Though inwardly unenthusiastic about Hiruzen's return and critical of his methods, Kyohiko maintained a respectful tone.
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "You've worked hard."
"Just doing my duty."
Kyohiko's mask hid his expression.
His eyes flickered toward the figures behind Hiruzen.
Root operatives?
Hiruzen glanced back before smiling. "We'll discuss this in the village. Let's go."
"Yes!"
---
Back at the ANBU base…
Hiruzen recounted the ambush in detail—how he had been attacked the moment he reentered Konoha's borders.
Kyohiko's expression darkened.
"This matter…"
"It couldn't have been Danzo."
Hiruzen cut in.
Kyohiko almost laughed. He poured Hiruzen a cup of water, waiting until the old man took a sip before speaking.
"Sandaime-sama, let's not jump to conclusions. What if he anticipated you'd think that and acted against expectations?"
Hiruzen chuckled softly.
"An interesting theory. But based on my observations, the probability is low."
He took another sip.
"Let's wait for the interrogation results. Thankfully, you took prisoners. We should extract useful intel."
"Mm."
Capturing live targets had been deliberate.
And this was precisely why Danzo needed to die—
As long as he lived, the Land of Fire would remain unstable. Sooner or later, someone like Madara would exploit that weakness.
Kyohiko paused. "Sandaime-sama, did you reassign Danzo's former operatives?"
"Yes. The one following me earlier was previously codenamed 'Beta.' Her name is now Yakushi Nonō."
Hiruzen didn't hide it.
He sighed. "Though I doubt she'll work for you. She's already requested discharge. Dislikes conflict, yearns for peace—a kind soul."
"I'd like to speak with her directly."
Kyohiko nodded.
He knew far more about Nonō than Hiruzen realized.
Hiruzen agreed. "Very well. This is ANBU. You have authority here."
Not that he planned to stop Nonō from leaving anyway.
---
Kyohiko stepped outside.
Nonō sat quietly, her posture so still she might have been asleep.
But her eyes were alert.
"Nonō-san?"
"Ah! Sir!"
She shot to her feet.
She didn't recognize the man, but she knew the mask.
This was the ANBU commander—someone who could annihilate her and her entire squad single-handedly.
Thankfully…
He wasn't an enemy.
Kyohiko smiled. "No need for formalities. I just want to talk."
"O-Of course!"
She sat back down, though tension lingered in her movements.
Kyohiko considered his approach. "Sandaime-sama mentioned you wish to resign?"
"Yes. I… don't want to be a spy anymore."
Nonō kept her head lowered.
For a shinobi trained explicitly for espionage, this was outright defiance. But the guilt had become unbearable.
"What will you do after leaving?"
Kyohiko's tone was gentle. Unseen by Nonō, his free hand formed a subtle genjutsu seal, easing her anxiety.
The effect was immediate.
Nonō's voice steadied.
"There's an orphanage I've been supporting. The headmistress is aging. I want to take over, care for the children properly."
"Having been an orphan myself, I understand. It's a noble goal."
Kyohiko paused.
"I support your decision."
Nonō blinked.
She'd expected resistance—why would ANBU release a top-tier spy? Yet he seemed sincere.
"Sir… you mean it?"
"Of course. If Sandaime-sama refuses, I'll have you transferred to ANBU first. After that, you're free."
Nonō felt like she was dreaming.
After a long silence, she whispered, "What's the catch?"
"First, tell me about the orphanage. How many children? Funding?"
"Over two dozen. Many are war orphans, some from the Kikyō Pass massacre…"
She glanced up cautiously. Seeing no disapproval, she continued, "Funding comes from village stipends. The headmistress used to sell herbs and offer medical help, but she's too frail now."
"So they survive, but barely."
Kyohiko summarized.
Nonō said nothing.
That was the reality.
"Have you considered staying with ANBU? Not for fieldwork—as an instructor. Better pay than herbal remedies."
"ANBU has teaching positions?"
Nonō was baffled.
Since when?
"They do now. I need a intelligence specialist. While I've studied theory, nothing beats firsthand experience."
Kyohiko leaned forward.
"Danzo and Hiruzen both valued your skills. That proves your expertise. Sending you back into the field would be a waste."
"I… see your point."
Some of the confusion faded from her expression.
"But I don't know how to teach."
"Start simple. Document every mission you've undertaken. Then compile everything you know about infiltration and espionage."
Nonō considered this.
"That's manageable. Though some mission details are hazy."
"Do what you can."
"Yes, sir!"