Senju Hikaru knew from the start that this selection was never going to be easy.
Judging by how things had developed, everything he had done so far looked, on the surface, like he had openly chosen to stand on Namikaze Minato's side.
That was something he had deliberately engineered—and he had long since prepared himself for the consequences—but Sarutobi Hiruzen's counterplay was still ruthless enough to earn a silent sigh of admiration.
There was a reason Hiruzen had remained Hokage for so many years.
His sense of timing, and his ability to seize opportunities, were terrifyingly sharp.
Still, Senju Hikaru didn't let it bother him.
Originally, he had considered ending this entire selection in the most direct way possible—by unleashing Lizardmaru's overwhelming presence and crushing every opponent head-on.
But now, that option was no longer viable.
So he simply wouldn't do it.
He had plenty of cards in his hand.
Some could be revealed. Others absolutely could not.
He knew the difference very well.
If anything, he even felt a trace of gratitude toward Minato. Without Minato's involvement, this situation might truly have become troublesome.
"Even if he didn't directly promote me to Division Commander," Senju Hikaru thought calmly, "that was never entirely within his authority anyway. It doesn't really matter."
His gaze drifted toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing at the center of the plaza. Behind the mask, a faint smile appeared on Senju Hikaru's face.
Hiruzen's actions could be seen as a warning shot aimed at Minato—but the crack between the Third and Fourth Hokage already existed.
Since that was the case, why not widen it a little more?
Besides, Hiruzen had handed him a stage.
If Senju Hikaru failed to seize this opportunity, that would truly be unforgivable.
"And honestly," he thought, "my opponents aren't as terrifying as they seem."
Pulling his attention back, Senju Hikaru began calmly assessing the candidates he might face.
Yes, they were all formidable—but none of them were unbeatable.
Within ANBU, the people most eager to compete for a Division Commander position were usually members of major clans who had entered ANBU.
Their reasons were obvious: to signal loyalty to Konoha's leadership, and to claim influence through ANBU's authority.
In reality, ANBU's composition was simple:
A small number of civilian-born shinobi.
A portion of clan shinobi.
And the largest group by far—war orphans.
Whether it was Sarutobi Hiruzen or Senju Tobirama, who founded ANBU in the first place, neither of them ever wanted—nor allowed—major clans to gain overwhelming control within ANBU.
Division Commanders who truly came from powerful clans were not nonexistent… but they were extremely rare.
This time, there would certainly be clan shinobi among his opponents—but even more numerous would be those raised in orphanages.
Senju Hikaru suspected both types would appear, though the order could be adjusted strategically.
For example, if he advanced all the way to the final round, there was a very high chance his last opponent would be a clan shinobi.
Just imagine the optics:
the Fourth Hokage's chosen candidate standing in the way of a clan shinobi's promotion to Division Commander.
The fallout from that would be… interesting, to say the least.
In that sense, Minato might have been better off cutting through everything cleanly and promoting him outright.
Then again, things had already reached this point.
"Very well," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, sweeping his gaze across the plaza. "Let's begin with the first match."
Senju Hikaru's thoughts stopped instantly.
"First round—Nightingale versus Weasel."
Weasel?
Senju Hikaru turned his head and looked toward the center of his division. There, a man wearing a cat-faced ANBU mask stood quietly.
Weasel was his teammate.
Not only that—Weasel was also a squad captain.
Senju Hikaru hadn't expected his very first opponent to be someone from his own division.
The arrangement was… intriguing.
He knew Weasel fairly well. They had carried out missions together more than once.
Likewise, Weasel was familiar with many of Senju Hikaru's habits and methods.
Hiruzen's intent was obvious.
This match alone could expose quite a lot.
But Senju Hikaru was no longer who he used to be.
With his "cheat" in hand, how could he possibly remain stagnant?
Even back when they worked together, Senju Hikaru had been confident he could defeat Weasel if necessary—let alone now.
Stepping out from the crowd, Senju Hikaru moved calmly to the center of the plaza.
Weasel followed, matching his pace.
Without exchanging a word, the two instinctively spread apart, opening distance between them.
They locked eyes, adjusting their breathing, regulating their chakra—both waiting for the signal.
"Didn't expect my first opponent to be you," Senju Hikaru said quietly at last, his tone relaxed and friendly. "Go easy on me later, will you?"
"You've got to be kidding," Weasel shook his head, glancing around before lowering his voice as well. "What exactly is going on with you?"
"Same as you," Senju Hikaru sighed softly. "Just… dragged into far more things than I ever intended."
Weasel wasn't foolish.
Though he came from an orphanage, his awareness was extremely sharp.
In truth, orphanages were filled with hidden talents.
They weren't just playgrounds for transmigrators—on their own, they produced an alarming number of exceptional shinobi.
One of the future masterminds of the ninja world, and one of Senju Hikaru's greatest future rivals, Yakushi Kabuto, had also emerged from an orphanage.
Such a goldmine—how could Senju Hikaru not be tempted?
But temptation didn't mean action.
The orphanages were under strict Konoha surveillance.
War orphans were the ideal raw material for shinobi—precisely why both Root and ANBU prized them so highly.
Funding for the orphanages was tightly controlled, and the reason was obvious.
Only Konoha's highest authorities or major clans could approach those children freely.
Ordinary people had no chance—adoption itself was incredibly difficult.
At Senju Hikaru's age, it was completely impossible.
And with his Senju background, even the thought of contacting war orphans would immediately raise alarms.
Unless he possessed enough authority, this was a line he could never cross.
"Enough of that," Weasel shook his head. "No matter what, I won't hold back, Nightingale. I want that Division Commander seat too."
"Perfect," Senju Hikaru smiled sincerely. "I've been wanting to see Captain Weasel's true strength for a long time."
At that moment, both of them finished adjusting their states.
Their auras peaked.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched them quietly, then gave a small nod.
"Begin."
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