"I really didn't expect Konoha to send someone this young," a voice said smoothly. "Are you truly a division commander?"
As Hikaru followed the Sand ANBU into the oasis outside Sunagakure, that voice reached him instantly—calm, unhurried, as if it had been waiting there for hours.
Hikaru lifted his gaze.
An old man stood by the water's edge.
He looked ordinary—so ordinary he could've been mistaken for a random traveler taking a rest.
But the moment Hikaru saw him, his brows tightened.
Because behind the old man stood two masked ANBU.
And that confirmed everything.
"So it's Lord Ebizō."
Hikaru's tone stayed gentle, even carrying a trace of polite surprise—as if he truly hadn't expected this.
In truth, he hadn't.
He never thought the person "receiving" him would be Sunagakure's ANBU chief.
Ebizō.
Hikaru remembered the man clearly.
Not just because Ebizō's sister was Chiyo, but because Konoha's ANBU files had pages and pages on him.
In the original timeline, Ebizō barely appeared—by then he was already old, and most records were sealed.
But ANBU had access to older dossiers.
And Hikaru had never been the type to skip a good file.
"You know me," Ebizō said with a faint nod, then looked at the man on Hikaru's shoulder. "What happened to him? He's sealed—so why knock him out too?"
"As we get closer to his homeland," Hikaru replied, still calm and measured, "it's safer to avoid unnecessary complications. Letting him sleep prevents misunderstandings."
Ebizō's eyes narrowed slightly—then he nodded again.
"You do sound like someone qualified to be a division commander. At the very least, you're good with words."
He gestured lazily.
"Put him down."
"No problem, Lord Ebizō."
Hikaru complied.
He lowered Yashamaru carefully, almost deliberately slow—like he didn't want any sudden movement to trigger a fight.
He also looked alert, tense, ready to move at any time.
Which… was exactly the impression he wanted them to have.
Let them think I'm nervous.
Let them believe I'm trying to avoid conflict.
In the instant Yashamaru touched the ground, Hikaru's sensory field tightened.
He locked onto every hidden ANBU position around the oasis.
At the same time, his lizards—already creeping underground—slithered quietly toward those spots like living landmines.
After stepping back to a safe distance, Hikaru spoke softly.
"Looks like my mission is complete. Then I'll take my leave."
"Wait."
Ebizō shook his head.
He motioned for an ANBU to confirm Yashamaru's condition, then turned back with an easy, almost conversational expression.
"I'm curious who you are. In my memory, Konoha has no division commander that young."
His eyes sharpened.
"Namiki is dead. You took his position, didn't you?"
"There's no need to ask, Lord Ebizō," Hikaru replied gently.
But inside, he was already tightening every thread of chakra.
"Given your position, you should know ANBU rules better than anyone."
"I do," Ebizō chuckled, almost amused. "Which is why I don't expect you to answer."
He continued, tone still casual.
"Those eligible for division commander selection are usually squad leaders."
"Squad leaders your age are rare. Add silver hair… and it becomes even rarer."
His smile thinned.
"You're Nightingale, aren't you?"
Hikaru stared at him silently.
So he really does have Konoha ANBU intel.
Honestly, if Hikaru weren't ANBU himself, he might've started wondering whether "national defense" was just theater.
But the truth was simple:
Every village was a sieve.
Unless it was top-secret, the enemy often knew your structure better than your own civilians did.
"I guessed right." Ebizō smiled. "Nightingale. A division commander at your age… fascinating."
Hikaru remained silent.
His chakra began to ripple—subtle, controlled.
In his sensory field, the hidden Sand ANBU shifted.
They were ready.
"No response?" Ebizō sighed lightly. "Fine. But since you're here, you may as well rest a few days before leaving."
His eyes went cold.
"What do you say, Nightingale?"
"Apologies, Lord Ebizō." Hikaru finally spoke. "I can't accept your hospitality. I still have work to do."
"Is that so?"
Ebizō nodded once.
Then his expression changed—instantly, completely.
The warmth vanished.
His voice became sharp, official.
"Then tell me, Konoha ANBU Division Commander Nightingale—do you have mission documents authorizing you to enter Wind Country?"
"If not, I'm afraid we must arrest you."
"You've crossed the line."
Hikaru almost laughed.
So that's the angle.
He had seen shameless men before.
He had thought Danzō was peak audacity.
But now Hikaru realized—
He simply hadn't met enough "professionals."
Because of course Hikaru had no documents.
This mission couldn't have documents.
No record. No paper trail. No evidence.
It was the kind of mission both sides pretended didn't exist.
And Ebizō was using that invisibility as a noose.
"Move!"
Ebizō raised his hand.
The two ANBU behind him lunged.
Hikaru didn't move.
He looked almost stunned—like fear had frozen him in place.
But the moment their hands were about to touch him—
Hikaru vanished.
Like a ghost snapped out of the world.
The two ANBU collided with empty air.
"…What the—?"
Ebizō's eyes widened.
Then the screams began—one after another—from all directions.
His face turned iron.
Because he finally understood what kind of monster he had invited to his doorstep.
Flying Thunder God.
…
Hikaru triggered Flying Thunder God the instant they moved.
Now that the fight was unavoidable, he had no reason to hold back.
"Good thing I prepared the lizards ahead of time," he thought coldly. "Even without them, you wouldn't stop me… but I hate unnecessary trouble."
Even with limited chakra, Hikaru's kit was outrageous:
Flying Thunder God.
Sage Mode.
And if it ever came down to it—
He could always run.
That was the privilege of someone who knew his own limits and cared about survival more than pride.
Hikaru reappeared behind a hidden ANBU.
His blade flashed.
Steel bit into flesh.
"AH—!"
A scream ripped through the oasis, sending birds exploding into the sky.
Hikaru's first strike didn't kill instantly.
He wasn't used to this style yet—instant relocation, instantaneous lethal precision.
He had used Flying Thunder God rarely… and never used it for slaughter.
So his cut was slightly off.
But the wound was still fatal.
ANBU experience told him that at a glance.
"First."
He murmured, then vanished again—ignoring the victim's choking, weakening noise.
After the first scream, the remaining ANBU became far more cautious.
They tightened formation, raised guard, scanned every angle.
But Flying Thunder God didn't care about caution.
Hikaru appeared again.
This time his blade carried a sharp, blue chakra edge.
A lightning-honed cut.
He drove it into another ANBU's back—
and carved up through the throat.
"Second."
The ANBU never even understood what happened.
Hands clutched at the ruptured neck.
Mouth opened and closed, producing only useless air.
Hikaru disappeared before the body fell.
Silent, untraceable killing spread through the oasis like a curse.
And the more Hikaru jumped—
the faster he became.
The cleaner his timing got.
The more natural the slaughter felt.
"Sixth."
After the sixth kill, Hikaru finally stopped.
Not because he was tired.
Six jumps didn't overwhelm him physically.
Chakra was being consumed, yes—but his recovery was fast.
He stopped because—
his head spun.
Like motion sickness.
His body could handle it.
But his ears felt wrong, as if the world's balance had tilted.
A brief rest would fix it.
But by then, Ebizō had already reacted.
The three surviving ANBU regrouped tightly around him in a ring formation, each guarding a sector like a living shield wall.
And one of them kept a hand seal active—
while a haze of sand began to swirl around them.
"…Magnet Release again?" Hikaru's eyes narrowed.
He steadied himself, then looked at Ebizō.
"Lord Ebizō… your village's hospitality is very aggressive for an 'ally.' Doesn't this damage relations between our two villages?"
"Hmph."
Ebizō's face was grim.
Six deaths in seconds was a catastrophic loss.
But the information gained was enormous.
A young ANBU division commander who knew Flying Thunder God—
inside Wind Country.
That wasn't just dangerous.
That was priceless.
"No wonder you dared to come alone," Ebizō said coldly. "Nightingale… you really are a genius."
"I'm no genius," Hikaru replied lightly, scanning the area. "May I leave now?"
"You killed my men," Ebizō said flatly. "And you entered Wind Country without authorization."
He shook his head.
"Do you really think you can still walk away?"
"That… depends."
Hikaru's dizziness was fading.
His chakra was stabilizing.
But then his brow furrowed—
because his sensory field caught multiple chakra signatures rushing toward the oasis.
Reinforcements.
Closing in fast.
So they're trying to box me in.
Hikaru silently cursed Sunagakure's shamelessness.
But it wasn't unexpected.
If he were in their place, he wouldn't let a Flying Thunder God user walk away either.
"Accept your fate," Ebizō said, chakra surging as his presence swelled. "If you stop resisting, you'll suffer less."
Ebizō wasn't Chiyo.
Chiyo was a blunt force of will and violence.
Ebizō was different—strategy, traps, timing. The kind of man who won wars by making opponents collapse from confusion.
And for someone to sit at the top of ANBU intelligence—
strength was mandatory.
No exception.
"That's not guaranteed."
Hikaru lifted his head toward the sky.
His voice stayed gentle—almost teasing.
"The sky is colorless. It doesn't lie to you."
"Your eyes lie to you."
He smiled behind the mask.
"And you… really think I came with no preparations?"
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