Why did he think he had won?
The moment that question left Hikaru's mouth, Hiruzen Sarutobi's body stiffened ever so slightly.
Even so, he remained remarkably calm.
He knew very well that if Hikaru had truly wanted to kill him, there would have been no need for all this conversation. He would already be dead.
Hikaru's conduct in the ANBU had always been decisive and ruthless. That kind of superb combat instinct was precisely why he had become a squad leader at such a young age all those years ago.
Once Hiruzen understood that, he slowly raised his head and looked toward the center of the explosion in the distance.
The smoke was beginning to clear.
A gigantic shield shaped like a fanged demon mask, almost like the face of an asura, stood there unmoving.
Hiruzen recognized it instantly, and his heart could not help but tremble.
"Wood Release: Hōbi Technique…"
That was one of the strongest defensive Wood Release techniques in existence.
Hiruzen had never personally seen Hashirama Senju unleash it at full power, but he knew enough of the legends.
The moment he saw that shield, a wave of helplessness rose in his chest.
With a defense like that, he truly had no confidence in breaking through.
And he was right.
The Hōbi Technique's defensive power was monstrously difficult to overcome. After Hikaru amplified it with senjutsu, its durability had already reached a near-absurd level.
Naturally, it still fell short of Hashirama at his absolute peak—of stopping Madara's armored Susanoo slash head-on without even leaving a scratch.
But against Hiruzen, it was more than enough.
Even if several more opponents had been added, Hikaru would not have found it troublesome.
That said, the chakra consumption was no joke.
Feeling the drain inside his body, Hikaru could not help shaking his head.
Hiruzen's destructive power really did live up to the name of a Hokage.
Still, everything had unfolded exactly as Hikaru intended.
He had never meant to crush Hiruzen outright.
Sure, defeating him cleanly would have avoided some trouble.
But in terms of psychological pressure—of true despair—
nothing could compare to dragging him along like this, like a cat toying with a mouse.
Killing was never enough.
He preferred to break the heart as well.
That had always been Hikaru's style.
"I must admit, Hokage-sama, your technique truly is terrifyingly powerful."
Seeing that Hiruzen had not spoken for a long while, Hikaru smiled faintly.
"The destructive force was so overwhelming that you nearly killed me."
"Hmph. With the Hōbi Technique protecting you, killing you was probably just wishful thinking on my part."
Hiruzen finally came back to himself, his face dark as he spoke.
"Stop pretending. You weren't injured at all, were you?"
"That question puts your subordinate in a rather awkward position."
Hikaru looked almost troubled for a moment.
Then, the next instant, he answered plainly.
"That's right. Hokage-sama's attack was indeed powerful, but for me…"
He stopped there.
He did not finish the sentence.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi was no fool. He understood perfectly well what Hikaru meant.
The implication alone was enough to make his blood pressure spike, but Hiruzen still managed to restrain himself.
After all, even he did not believe he could truly kill Hikaru.
Not unless he found some special method—
a sealing art to suppress Flying Thunder God, and a way to restrain Wood Release itself.
Taking a slow breath, Hiruzen turned his head slightly and looked at Hikaru standing behind him.
Then, at last, he spoke.
"You had Flying Thunder God available the whole time, didn't you?"
At this point, he had understood it completely.
The things he had not had time to think through during battle had now become instantly clear.
"The reason you were able to appear right beside me wasn't because you had ANBU following me. You left a Flying Thunder God mark on me directly, didn't you?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Hikaru nodded with a smile.
There was no point hiding something like that. He had never intended to.
"You carry my Flying Thunder God mark. You have been within my lock the entire time."
"So that's how it was!"
Hiruzen clenched his teeth.
"Then why didn't you just use Flying Thunder God from the start? If you had wanted to, I would already be dead by your blade!"
"Not necessarily, Hokage-sama."
Hikaru still wore that same gentle smile, but somehow it only made Hiruzen feel colder.
"How could I possibly kill a Hokage?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Besides, didn't Hokage-sama want to see the extent of my strength? If I had done nothing but rely on Flying Thunder God, wouldn't that have disappointed you?"
He spread his hands lightly.
"So I could only put on a proper display. It was my duty to let Hokage-sama understand my strength clearly, was it not?"
Hikaru's voice was soft, almost tender.
As he spoke, he casually placed a hand on Hiruzen's shoulder.
Before Hiruzen could react, Hikaru's chakra stirred.
The next instant, the two of them vanished—
and reappeared in the area where they had previously fought the Root operatives.
It had to be said that under the protection of Hikaru's Hōbi Technique, this place had miraculously remained untouched.
The Root members were all still alive.
But their condition had clearly worsened even further.
After having so much chakra drained away, then being battered by the aftershocks of Hiruzen's technique, they now looked utterly miserable.
Even that boy, the one called Tenzō, had already been caught and restrained by Hikaru's Wood Release.
"Hokage-sama, there are times when one must take responsibility for one's actions."
Hikaru looked calmly at Hiruzen.
His gaze remained warm and gentle, as though he were simply talking to an old friend.
"That boy is mine. We can settle the rest of this account later."
He paused, then smiled faintly.
"After all, Hokage-sama was right. Konoha cannot be without a Hokage."
"And besides that?"
Hiruzen looked at Hikaru deeply, then the corner of his mouth twitched.
"What else do you want?"
"For now, I already have enough."
Hikaru shook his head lightly. He knew exactly where to stop.
"As for the Hokage's side of things… there may be some arrangements in the future."
He was already the ANBU Minister.
He knew very well that his appetite could not be too large—not yet.
Unless he had already become Hokage, that was.
Still, as the "minister standing behind Namikaze Minato," Hikaru naturally had to think ahead about other matters as well.
So he gave Hiruzen a deliberately ambiguous answer.
It was not a satisfying answer—but the situation no longer allowed Hiruzen the luxury of satisfaction.
"Then what about Danzō?"
Hiruzen tightened his fists and stared at Hikaru.
"What do you intend to do with him?"
"I trust Hokage-sama will give me an answer I find satisfactory."
A smile slowly curled across Hikaru's lips.
"I am merely an ANBU shinobi. I cannot make decisions for the Hokage."
Then his tone turned just a little colder.
"But now, Hokage-sama must make a decision."
As for what to do with Danzō, Hikaru would never say it outright.
But he could use this matter to threaten Hiruzen forever.
That was the entire point.
Handled properly, he could even use Orochimaru to push things further.
The initiative was in his hands now.
Whether Hiruzen liked it or not, he would have to accept that.
Hiruzen gazed at Hikaru in silence.
Only after a long while did he finally nod.
Then he slowly raised his hands, though they trembled slightly.
"I understand."
He exhaled deeply.
"And didn't you say you wanted to witness the power that founded Konoha?"
His eyes turned hard.
"Fine. I'll show it to you."
"But I hope you remember everything that happens today."
His voice sank lower.
"And I hope, more than anything, that you never come to regret it."
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
After several days of travel, Hikaru and Hiruzen finally arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire.
Looking at the city before them—solemn, dignified, yet not truly prosperous—both men remained completely calm.
That was only natural.
They had spent too long in Konoha, and both stood among its administrators.
There was no reason for either of them to reveal anything inappropriate on their faces.
Besides, compared to Konoha, this capital really did fall somewhat short.
Konoha might still be called a village, but in truth, its actual scale, the flow of people, and its economic vitality were already better than many towns and even full-fledged cities.
The reason it was still called a village had several causes.
One reason was the number of ninja.
The village was ruled by ninja.
The true dominant force in the village was also the ninja.
No matter how many civilians lived there, that fact would never change.
And even though the number of ninja had already grown to tens of thousands, strictly speaking, that was still not that large.
If one set aside the civilians, a settlement of only several tens of thousands of ninja could still reasonably be called a village.
But to Hikaru, a distinction like that was meaningless.
In his previous life, the largest village in his country had held more than two hundred thousand people.
Konoha, counting both ninja and civilians, had only a little over one hundred thousand.
Calling it a village was hardly a problem.
The second reason, naturally, was to show "loyalty" to the daimyō.
That was a matter of face, and also a matter of politics.
A village ranked below a city.
A Hokage, naturally, ranked below a daimyō.
The hierarchy was clear.
Even if it was functionally meaningless, at least it provided a comforting illusion.
"We're here."
Hiruzen glanced at Hikaru with a neutral expression before continuing.
"We'll rest tonight. Tomorrow, we meet the daimyō."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Hikaru paid no attention to Hiruzen's dark expression.
He still wore that same warm and harmless smile.
Hiruzen, hearing that tone, only felt more uncomfortable.
Finally, he snorted and strode ahead.
Hikaru simply shrugged and followed.
Hiruzen's foul mood was perfectly understandable.
Anyone who went through what he had just gone through would be in no better condition.
First, the very Danzō he had sacrificed so much to protect—the man he had shielded at the cost of major concessions, including benefits to the Uchiha clan—had turned around and stabbed him in the back.
Then he discovered that Danzō had even sent out a Wood Release experiment.
And of all times for this to happen, Hiruzen had been forced—through compromise—to bring along Senju Hikaru, a fellow man who also intended to squeeze…
No.
To respectfully request certain funds from the Fire Daimyō so Konoha and ANBU could continue developing more effectively.
The result was obvious.
Hikaru discovered the experiment.
And Hiruzen was mocked mercilessly by this young brat—
then slapped across the face even harder once they actually fought.
Although Hikaru had shown restraint, only demanding the boy and refraining from pressing other issues for now, that very restraint was the most frightening thing of all.
Because anything not demanded today could still be demanded later, once the timing became favorable.
Worst of all, to protect that experiment—and by extension, to protect Danzō—Hiruzen feared he might have no choice but to compromise again and again.
Under those circumstances, how could he possibly look pleased?
And on top of everything else, Hikaru had forced him to unleash a Fire Release technique personally.
The endless flames had ignited Hikaru's Wood Release.
Once fire met timber, its destructive power multiplied even further.
The flames spread through the wooden branches like a living tide, eventually consuming all the Root operatives Hikaru had captured.
Not just Hiruzen—even Hikaru himself still could not forget the sight.
Those Root shinobi had struggled desperately, but the Wood Release bound them too tightly to escape.
In the end, they had all been burned to ash by Hiruzen's flames.
The scene had been utterly shocking.
It had struck deep into the heart.
And Hiruzen, by now, almost certainly hated Hikaru to the bone.
But Hikaru simply did not care what the old man thought.
Hiruzen was not someone worth pitying in the first place.
The collapse of one's image was always a terrifying thing.
Since Hiruzen had spent his life crafting a respectable image for himself, he naturally had to maintain it at all costs.
He could never allow it to crack.
Hikaru was exactly the same.
He, too, would never remove the mask he had chosen for himself so easily.
Because he understood one thing very clearly—
once that kind of façade broke, the consequences were always devastating.
"Anyone would pay a price for this. Me included, of course. Still, at least I don't have pig teammates who delivered Tenzō right into my hands."
The moment he thought of that boy, a bright smile appeared on Hikaru's face.
He had already knocked the child unconscious, then sent him back to Konoha via Flying Thunder God.
Now the boy's chakra was sealed completely, all five senses locked down, and his body wrapped up like a rice dumpling.
Hikaru had thrown him into ANBU's prison, right alongside Hidan.
As long as that boy remained in his hands, it was as if a rope permanently circled both Danzō's and Hiruzen's necks.
Whenever Hikaru wanted, he could pull it tight.
Of course, Hikaru also knew those two were not the kind of people who would accept being manipulated forever.
They would absolutely search for a way to resist.
But Hikaru had no intention of waiting for their resistance.
He would help them choose resistance.
He would force them to make that choice.
"The feeling of being forced to choose between Orochimaru and Danzō should be unforgettable, don't you think?"
Hikaru stared at Hiruzen's back, the smile on his lips turning colder.
"Especially when no matter what you choose, you can only choose Shimura Danzō."
"Why is it that every time I wake up, I always find you doing something underhanded?"
Just as Hikaru was imagining Hiruzen's inevitable suffering with great satisfaction, a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"What? Calculating against people every second of the day doesn't tire you out? Wouldn't it be easier to just cut his head off and be done with it?"
"Are you a terrorist?"
Hikaru shot back in disdain.
"When you walk through the ninja world, it's never just about killing. It's about human relations. You understand that?"
"No."
The little Nine-Tails shook his head honestly.
"And I don't want to. I'm not human. I have no reason to."
"Then why are you complaining?"
Hikaru rolled his eyes.
"It's not like I'm asking you to do any of this."
Lowering his head, he continued walking behind Hiruzen while casually bantering with the little fox in his mind.
Strangely enough, Hikaru found that he genuinely enjoyed chatting with the little Nine-Tails.
Maybe it was because of the system.
Or maybe it was because the little fox, despite being newly born, really was pure and innocent—
yet still carried the memories of the larger Nine-Tails, so it did not feel ignorant or childlike.
Being around a creature like that made Hikaru feel unusually relaxed.
Unusually at ease.
Perhaps that was because he himself was tired.
After all, everyone around him was a cunning old fox.
"Speaking of which, weren't you asleep? Why are you suddenly awake now?"
Hikaru shook his head, then asked curiously.
"You finished your Fire Release development without even noticing?"
The little Nine-Tails sounded baffled.
"Your fire-nature chakra isn't absorbing my chakra anymore. Don't tell me you really didn't notice?"
"Actually… I didn't."
Hikaru froze, then answered truthfully.
He could afford to lose face in front of this fox.
"But what does that have to do with waking up? Or did you just sleep enough?"
"That's only part of it. Sure, getting my chakra back makes me happy."
Then the little fox's tone changed.
"But there's another reason I woke up."
"What reason?"
"I felt the big one's chakra."
…
"Are you sure it's here?"
Late at night, Hikaru set out once more.
This time, however, he did not bother wearing a mask.
In truth, at Hikaru's current level, not wearing a mask was actually less conspicuous than wearing one.
Konoha's Nightingale was now a name that shook the ninja world.
But Senju Hikaru?
At this point, he was still almost unknown.
For an ANBU operative, raising a codename to that level was already close to the absolute peak.
And Hikaru had accomplished it in only six years since entering ANBU.
"Here. My senses aren't wrong."
The little Nine-Tails' voice echoed in Hikaru's mind.
"Though it's hidden, and the amount isn't that large, it's definitely that big guy's chakra."
"I see."
Hikaru nodded.
"Then guide me. Let's dig it out."
The moment he learned that the little Nine-Tails had sensed the larger Nine-Tails' chakra, Hikaru had already decided to take it for himself.
Still, he had no intention of reporting it to Hiruzen first.
At the moment, Hiruzen was still furious, and Hikaru could not be bothered with him.
Besides, Hikaru himself wanted that chakra badly.
Naturally, he would secure it first.
That said, he did not intend to hide it forever.
Some matters still required Hiruzen's cooperation.
His plan was simple—
find the chakra, confirm exactly how much there was, and only then discuss with Hiruzen how to maximize the benefit.
Even if Hiruzen currently could not stand him, and Hikaru himself found Hiruzen just as distasteful, that did not prevent the two of them from cooperating a little when mutual interests aligned.
"Right now, the only thing worth paying attention to is how much of the Nine-Tails' chakra that man called Kazuma actually gathered."
Thinking that, Hikaru quickened his pace.
Not long afterward, he reached a forest.
Looking at the dense woods in front of him, he frowned.
He had already spread out his sensory perception, but even so, he still could not detect any trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra directly.
That only proved one thing—
the chakra had likely been sealed away.
But that only made him more puzzled.
If it was sealed, how had the little Nine-Tails found it in the first place?
Did that really mean the little fox had tracked it like a hound sniffing a trail?
"You know, if I weren't worried about not being able to beat you, I'd bite you for that."
The little Nine-Tails' voice suddenly sounded again, heavy with resentment.
"The thing belongs to me in the first place. Or rather, that big guy's chakra resonates with me by nature. Even if it's sealed, I can still sense it."
"So it really is like following the scent."
Hikaru shrugged carelessly, then began scanning the area around him.
"In that case, according to your guidance, it should be nearby. But I don't see any caves or hideouts around here. Is it buried underground?"
"Yes."
This time, the little Nine-Tails' voice came from right beside Hikaru's ear.
At the same time, a wisp of chakra rose from Hikaru's shoulder, gathering into a tiny, chibi-like fox head made of golden chakra.
"If I'm not mistaken," the little fox said, "it should be under the tree twenty meters ahead."
"Got it."
Hikaru nodded and walked forward.
But after only a few steps, his brow furrowed sharply.
Within his sensory range, a person was rapidly rushing toward this location.
That made him raise an eyebrow.
Had his arrival somehow attracted attention?
Logically speaking, all the way here he had found no traps, no barriers, and no hidden watchers.
He had been monitoring the area the entire time.
Yet he had found nothing.
So it should not have been a case of someone noticing him.
And even if someone had, it should have been Hiruzen.
But Hiruzen had not moved at all.
The chakra coming this way clearly did not belong to the old man.
"Who do you think noticed us?"
Hikaru tilted his head and continued walking toward the tree the little fox had pointed out.
"How would I know? Anyway, it doesn't seem like a major threat."
The little Nine-Tails' round head tilted lazily to one side.
"According to your own judgment, the chakra isn't especially strong. Dealing with this person shouldn't be hard. Of course, if you're planning to waste more brainpower calculating something, pretend I said nothing."
"You little brat. I don't scheme that much. Even when I do, it's always about whether it aligns with my interests."
Hikaru chuckled and tapped the little fox lightly on its round head.
"And don't judge someone's strength purely by the amount or intensity of their chakra. Chakra quantity is only a reference. It never tells the whole story."
"You know, that sounded insulting."
The little Nine-Tails clearly rolled its eyes.
"Are you trying to say that the big Nine-Tails had all that chakra and still got beaten down by you?"
Hikaru blinked innocently.
His silence practically amounted to a confession.
That only made the little fox more annoyed.
Still, even the fox understood now that this was not the time to fool around.
The rapidly approaching chakra was close enough now that even it could clearly sense it.
Hikaru likewise stopped teasing him.
He turned his eyes toward the tree, flashed forward, and appeared there instantly.
Crouching down, he formed a kunai in his hand and stabbed it into the ground beneath the tree.
His sensory perception had already locked onto the foreign object buried there.
He had not detected any direct chakra fluctuation from it, but to be safe—and to avoid any hidden traps—he still acted with proper caution.
As he dug steadily deeper, brushing aside several concealed mechanisms, a scroll-like object gradually emerged before him.
At the same time, the incoming chakra signature arrived behind him.
That person, however, did not reveal himself immediately after sensing Hikaru's presence.
Instead, he remained hidden, observing carefully, while chakra began to gather inside his body.
"Lucky me. Looks like I found it."
Hikaru nodded lightly, then turned to the little Nine-Tails.
"Go back inside. I'll handle the rest."
"As if I was planning to help you anyway."
The little fox snorted disdainfully and vanished back into Hikaru's body.
"Maybe once I grow more, I can help. Right now, you deal with your own problems."
"I wasn't counting on you."
Hikaru picked up the scroll and rose smoothly to his feet.
Then he turned around and looked toward a tree in the distance, finally raising his voice.
"I was planning to take the item and leave. But now it seems I'll need to clear out a rat before I go."
As soon as the words fell, Hikaru gave his wrist a casual flick.
The kunai in his hand spun once—
and in the next instant, blue chakra exploded along its edge, sending a sharp killing intent radiating outward.
Then the kunai left his hand.
In a blur, it punched clean through the tree.
Boom!
The tree could not endure such force.
With Hikaru's chakra pouring through the blade, the impact shattered it outright.
A figure immediately leapt back from behind the collapsing trunk.
He landed in a rough, almost ragged posture, but his gaze was vicious and cold.
"Who are you?"
The man asked the moment he landed.
"How did you find this place?"
"Who I am isn't important."
Hikaru looked at him calmly.
By now, he had already recognized who this man was.
"But who you are—that's rather interesting."
"As one of the Fire Daimyō's guardian ninja, you've really done some remarkable things."
"I don't care who you are, brat."
Kazuma's voice turned hard.
A four-bladed claw appeared on his left hand, faint chakra gathering around the metal.
"But I can tell you one thing."
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You're dead!"
The moment the last word fell, Kazuma shot forward.
His speed was undeniably fast.
His left hand swung high, the claw tearing straight for Hikaru's chest.
At the same time, blue chakra appeared at the fingertips of his right hand.
A sealing technique.
Hikaru recognized it instantly.
It was the Five Elements Seal.
"Talented, are you?"
Hikaru remarked inwardly with mild surprise.
The difficulty of sealing arts was something he knew better than most.
No wonder Kazuma could stir up so much trouble in the future.
No wonder he had managed to create a pseudo-jinchūriki and disgust Konoha so thoroughly.
In truth, the man was impressive.
But unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong side.
And once your position was wrong, there was nothing left to discuss.
With that thought, Hikaru shifted his body slightly and avoided the claw with effortless precision.
Then he raised his own right hand.
Blue chakra appeared along all five of his fingertips as well.
Bang!
Hikaru's palm struck Kazuma squarely in the abdomen.
At the same time, Hikaru's left hand shot out like lightning and seized Kazuma's right wrist, preventing the Five Elements Seal from ever touching him.
"You—!"
Kazuma's eyes widened in shock as he felt the chakra in his body being sealed away at incredible speed.
And in the same instant, he recognized what had hit him.
It was the very same Five Elements Seal he specialized in.
He had intended to use it on this brat.
He had never imagined he would be the one sealed instead.
"Sealing arts are not something only you can use."
Hikaru smiled calmly at him.
"Whatever you can do, I can do as well."
Kazuma's eyes turned wild.
With a violent twist, he tore his arm free from Hikaru's grip.
Then he slashed at Hikaru again with the claw.
Even though his chakra was sealed, he could still use taijutsu.
Of course, in that condition, his taijutsu was nowhere near as strong as before.
But at this point, Kazuma could not afford to care.
Bang!
Unfortunately, he was still no threat to Hikaru.
Hikaru freely admitted that Kazuma was fast.
And strong.
Against most people, that would certainly have given him an edge.
But against someone as absurdly unfair as Hikaru, it simply was not enough.
With a single punch, Hikaru slammed into Kazuma's abdomen and shattered his balance completely.
Yet Kazuma still did not go down.
He staggered but continued attacking stubbornly, which made Hikaru sigh faintly.
A black kunai appeared in Hikaru's hand.
In the next instant, he sliced through the tendons in Kazuma's left arm, instantly robbing it of all strength.
Then he kicked Kazuma to the ground and drove the kunai straight through his right hand, pinning it to the earth.
"You wanted to know who I am, didn't you?"
Hikaru walked toward him slowly.
His voice remained as warm as ever—
but by now, Kazuma felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
Hikaru's smile remained gentle.
"I am an ANBU shinobi of Konoha."
Then he looked down at Kazuma and spoke the next words softly.
"My codename… is Nightingale."
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