The first light of dawn had barely crested the horizon when Hikaru rose on time.
After a quick wash, he headed straight for ANBU Headquarters.
Having rested for quite a while, he had made tangible progress—both with the sealing-type seed and the Flying Thunder God Technique. Because of that, he felt no resentment at all about returning to duty.
If anything, he was looking forward to it.
Several days had passed since his conversation with Minato Namikaze. Although he hadn't received a clear or official answer, Hikaru knew one thing for certain—he now had a chance.
Minato had been cautious about Hikaru's proposal.
Even after Hikaru pointed out that Kakashi's entry into ANBU had already set a precedent, and that promoting a force aligned with himself wouldn't cause a complete fallout with the Third Hokage, Minato still preferred to proceed through formal channels.
He wanted everything to be done "by the book."
Hikaru had nothing to say about that.
He was confident in himself.
The standard process for promoting an ANBU division commander involved a series of evaluations and assessments. Hikaru didn't believe those tests would pose any real obstacle—though they would add complications and variables.
Still, Minato was unwilling to break the rules, and Hikaru had no intention of forcing his hand.
No matter how their interactions felt—less like superior and subordinate, more like partners or even teacher and student—Hikaru was perfectly clear about the nature of their relationship.
And no matter how gentle Minato's temperament was, there were lines that could not be crossed.
In the end, aside from some regret at not being directly promoted and thus failing to fully draw Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention, Hikaru felt little else.
One thing he hadn't lied about was this:
Even if Minato promoted him outright, it wouldn't cause an open rupture with the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen would retaliate in other ways, certainly—but by then, the spotlight would be squarely on Hikaru.
"Fine. One step at a time."
With that thought, Hikaru entered ANBU Headquarters.
The headquarters was located within the Hokage Building, tucked away in a heavily concealed area near the Hokage Rock.
Security here was extremely strict. Ordinary people weren't allowed anywhere near this place—and even if they were, they wouldn't be able to find it.
Unlike Root, which was built beneath Hokage Rock, ANBU had no need for symbolic gestures.
Hikaru had always felt that Root's location wasn't accidental.
It was as if it served two purposes: to comfort Danzo with the illusion that he stood just a ray of sunlight away from the Hokage—and to warn him at the same time.
Root was something buried deep beneath Konoha.
It was meant to stay there.
After entering the headquarters, Hikaru swept his gaze across the room and quickly found the First Division he belonged to.
But he also noticed something else.
As soon as he walked in, many ANBU members were watching him.
Clearly, news of his recent mission had already spread—thanks to the operatives he'd rescued.
His personal strength, Lizardmaru's existence, and his role in assisting the Third Division's escape had all merged into a single narrative.
Together, they caused Hikaru's name to spread like wildfire within ANBU.
At this point, almost everyone in Konoha's ANBU knew of Nightingale, captain of the Third Squad of the First Division.
And the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
"Captain."
Kakashi's voice suddenly called out.
Hikaru turned his head and quickly locked onto Kakashi's position.
Kakashi had clearly changed—there was a sense that he had begun to emerge from his shadows—but his relationship with most ANBU members was still distant.
With ordinary operatives it was manageable, but with captains or division commanders, there was practically no interaction at all.
Hikaru, however, was different.
He maintained decent relations with almost everyone.
Even if division commanders didn't speak to him much, most regular operatives and squad captains held him in high regard.
Five years in ANBU had given Hikaru ample time to build connections.
This latest mission—and his display of strength—had only elevated his standing further.
"You're here early, Kakashi," Hikaru said as he walked over and sat beside him. "I didn't come late, did I?"
"No, Captain," Kakashi replied quietly. "But… I heard that some people aren't very happy with you."
"Not happy?" Hikaru nodded lightly and smiled. "Thanks for telling me, Kakashi. I understand."
"Captain, what's going on?" Kakashi asked, puzzled. "I remember your relationships being pretty good. Why would—"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Hikaru didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on several individuals.
He knew exactly why some people were dissatisfied—and he could even guess who they were.
It was simple.
Minato had pushed Hikaru forward, placing him into the competition for the division commander position—and that meant stepping on other people's interests.
Some of them were from Hikaru's own division.
Most, however, came from the Third Division.
The Second Division wasn't lacking capable people—in fact, it had plenty of ANBU elites.
But unfortunately, Hikaru and Kakashi's earlier mission had enraged Kakuzu, and the Second Division ended up taking the blame.
Now several of their squads were being rebuilt, and they were even borrowing manpower from the First Division.
They simply didn't have the capacity to compete.
As for the Third Division, their reaction was only natural.
The fallen commander had been their commander.
The vacant position, in their eyes, belonged to the Third Division.
Compared to having someone parachuted in, they would much rather see one of their own take the seat.
Hikaru's rising reputation had significantly increased his competitiveness.
And before he spoke with Minato, he hadn't even been on the candidate list.
His sudden inclusion meant that everyone else's chances dropped.
Of course they wouldn't be pleased.
"It's actually very simple—and it's not really a secret."
After sizing up his competitors, Hikaru smiled and spoke softly.
"Because I'm also participating in this division commander selection."
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