"Captain, long time no see."
"Come on, Kakashi—are you really going to put on an act with me now?"
Inside the Third Division commander's office, Senju Hikaru sat behind his desk, looking at the slightly stiff Kakashi standing in front of him. He couldn't help but laugh.
Kakashi's reaction was honestly pretty amusing.
Just a short while ago, Hikaru had still been a squad leader. Now, in the blink of an eye, he was a division commander, while Kakashi was still a freshly recruited ANBU operative. The gap in status had widened far too fast.
On top of that, ANBU hierarchy was strict to begin with. It was only natural that Kakashi felt restrained.
Two weeks had passed in the blink of an eye.
After receiving Hikaru's orders, Trout immediately went to headquarters to submit the necessary requests. But ANBU had its own rigid framework and internal procedures. Even though Hikaru's request was reasonable, the number of personnel involved was large—and Kakashi belonged to another division.
Transfers like that were never simple.
That was why Kakashi only showed up now.
During those two weeks, Hikaru hadn't been idle either.
Thanks to Trout's screening, sixteen reserve candidates had been assigned to the Third Division. At the same time, the Senju clan moved quickly, selecting four younger members whom Hikaru vaguely recognized.
In one stroke, the Third Division was almost fully staffed.
Hikaru immediately dismantled the original fully staffed First Squad and Sixth Squad, redistributing their veterans across the new teams. His logic was simple: let experienced ANBU operatives lead the newcomers and help them adapt quickly.
Meanwhile, those still recovering in the hospital would return in time—and Kakashi's transfer was the final piece.
Training duties were handed entirely to Trout.
That man was interesting.
After returning from headquarters, Trout's attitude toward Hikaru had noticeably shifted—far more respectful than before. Clearly, he'd managed to dig up some information about what had happened at ANBU headquarters.
Hikaru was very satisfied with that.
He needed subordinates who obeyed orders and executed them faithfully—whether or not they truly stood on the same side as him.
"Alright… I guess I'm still a bit stiff," Kakashi admitted, rubbing his silver hair. "So, what should I call you now?"
"Still 'Captain' is fine," Hikaru replied casually. "Calling me by name would probably feel weird for you. In that case—same as before, White Fang Captain."
White Fang Captain?
Kakashi froze for a moment—then instantly understood.
Squad leader.
That was the role Hikaru intended for him.
When Kakashi first joined ANBU, Hikaru had been a squad leader. Just a few months later, Hikaru was already a division commander.
Now, Kakashi was about to rise as well.
Still, hesitation lingered.
"Captain… is this really okay?" Kakashi asked quietly. "I've been in ANBU less than three months. Promoting me this fast—won't it cause problems?"
"No problem," Hikaru cut him off without hesitation. "I decide that."
He looked straight at Kakashi.
"I trust your ability. I always have. You should trust yourself too. Understand?"
"I…" Kakashi hesitated briefly, then his gaze hardened. "I understand, Captain. I won't let you down."
"I know you won't," Hikaru said with a satisfied nod.
In truth, Hikaru wasn't worried at all.
In the future, Kakashi really did become an ANBU captain—possibly even a division commander. Uchiha Itachi had once served as a squad leader under Kakashi, after all.
Promoting him a bit early was hardly an issue.
After assigning Kakashi to select a squad together with Trout, Hikaru lowered his head and returned to the documents in his hands.
Two weeks of work had stabilized the Third Division. While they weren't yet combat-ready for high-risk operations, routine patrols were no problem.
And Hikaru himself?
He was getting restless.
Promotion required merit.
If he wanted to climb higher, he had to act.
More importantly—the Land of Wind.
The abandoned ruins of Lōran still lingered in his mind. His chakra seed had already reached 99%, ready to mature at any moment.
After suffering too many setbacks due to insufficient chakra—and now possessing an even more chakra-hungry Intermediate Sage Mode—Hikaru was absolutely certain of one thing:
More chakra was never a bad thing.
"I'm a Senju, after all. No 'chakraton'? That would be embarrassing."
He carefully scanned the mission reports, searching for something important—preferably something that would take him to the Land of Wind.
If possible, he wanted a solo mission. More freedom meant more room to handle certain… private matters.
Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking.
As a division commander, even if Hikaru was willing to take the risk, Konoha wouldn't approve. Losing a division commander was no small matter—and Hikaru had already been subjected to scrutiny because of that.
After a long search, he frowned and rubbed his head.
"Nothing…? I've been looking for two days—don't tell me there really isn't one."
Just as frustration crept in, his eyes paused on a familiar name.
A slow smile spread across his face.
Yashamaru.
"You want to take this mission?"
At ANBU headquarters, Murashima Takumi frowned as he looked at Hikaru. He genuinely hadn't expected Hikaru to request this one.
In a way, it did involve Hikaru.
Yashamaru—the Sand ANBU operative—was the one Hikaru had personally captured.
Since being detained, Yashamaru had remained silent, utterly uncooperative.
But that wasn't a serious issue for Konoha.
They couldn't forcibly search his memories or torture him due to diplomatic concerns—but there were still methods like mind-reading techniques, as long as they were applied carefully.
After all, alliances came with compromises.
At this point, Yashamaru no longer held much value. Executing him was politically troublesome, but sending him back to Sunagakure was a reasonable solution.
The problem was—this was far from an easy mission.
No one knew what attitude the Sand Village would take.
"Yes," Hikaru said calmly. "I want this mission."
He laid out his reasoning clearly.
"I was the one who captured him. It makes sense for me to handle the aftermath."
"And Captain Namiki died because of Sand shinobi involvement. As the Third Division commander, this is something I should deal with."
Perfect logic.
Yashamaru had been captured by Hikaru—sending him back was clean and proper.
And Namiki's death was tied to Sand. Whether it was the Root operatives he went to meet or that puppet-controlling monster, everything pointed toward Sunagakure.
All things considered, Hikaru was a fitting choice.
"I understand. I'll report this," Murashima said coldly. "Prepare yourself. If the mission is approved, you depart. If not—don't complain."
"Yes, Minister."
Hikaru bowed lightly and left without another word.
After the previous incident—and Murashima's current behavior—Hikaru was now certain.
Murashima Takumi wasn't just rigid.
He was a perfectly domesticated machine.
Talking to him was pointless. No matter what was said, he would never make a decision himself. Everything went straight to the Third Hokage.
"If I had a subordinate like this… that'd be ideal."
Returning to his office, Hikaru waited calmly.
His stance was clear.
If this mission fell through, he'd settle for something else. Even staying within the Land of Fire didn't matter—he needed time outside the village.
That piece of flesh demanded attention.
Hikaru had an unshakable feeling—it was extremely important to him.
Even if it didn't yield a Wood Release seed, it would still bring massive benefits.
He didn't know why he felt this way.
But he trusted it completely.
"Chakra… and Senju Hashirama's flesh," Hikaru muttered softly. "Looks like I'm going to be busy."
He waited quietly.
Over the past two weeks, he'd already grown accustomed to Intermediate Sage Mode. The boost was incredible—but the chakra consumption was just as terrifying.
With chakra reserves still stuck at chūnin-level, he truly had become a burst fighter.
Worse still, his 99% chakra seed hadn't budged an inch.
Though he could feel it—once it matured, a portion of his chakra would be fully liberated. He might not reach legendary "Chakraton" levels, but he would surpass most jōnin, even elite ones.
"Still… let's wait until it matures. After that, I can plant the Basic Wind Release Seed."
Without knowing what higher-tier seeds would bring, Hikaru had no intention of stopping.
If Sage Mode didn't yet unlock higher seeds, then expanding his elemental coverage was the next best option.
"And this trip—I have to test that idea. If it works, maybe I'll even get a Lightning Release seed."
Four elements would be close enough to complete coverage.
Even if they started as basic seeds, growth was growth.
Yet one problem remained.
"Then what about Yin–Yang Release?"
That thought surfaced almost immediately.
Every shinobi possessed Yin and Yang chakra—but controlling them was a different matter entirely.
The Ino–Shika–Chō clans were proof. Their techniques were simplified forms of Yin or Yang Release, powered by clan-exclusive secret arts.
Those arts were their lifeblood. They would never share them.
Hikaru had searched Senju records—but neither Hashirama nor Tobirama left clear documentation on the subject.
Maybe they were born capable.
Or maybe Hikaru simply lacked clearance.
Either way, Yin–Yang Release was far beyond him for now.
"Medical ninjutsu counts as Yang Release… genjutsu as Yin," he muttered, then shook his head.
No point overthinking it.
By late afternoon, the decision arrived.
A sealed document from ANBU headquarters was delivered.
Mission Order:
Third Division Commander Nightingale is to escort Sand Village ANBU operative Yashamaru back to the Land of Wind. Personnel deployment at commander's discretion.
Hikaru smiled.
"The time's come."
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