"Speaking of, Itachi," Anko swiftly secured the last tent peg, casually asking, "Before I joined, you completed a mission with Shuji, right?"
Itachi, leveling the ground nearby, responded: "Mm."
"This guy's changed so much compared to before," Anko said to his back, tone muttering. "Same age, yet acts like an adult. He was always excellent, but now it's indescribable... like an old-timer."
"Shuji-senpai just knows a lot." But what was senpai like before?
"He's great, sure." Anko pursed her lips, suddenly turning to Itachi with a gloomy face. "But don't snitch, Itachi."
"If Shuji-senpai doesn't ask." The Uchiha replied airtight.
"Hey, hey!! We're the tactical pairing partners here, Itachi..." Anko complained discontentedly, but before finishing, she whipped her head toward the dark woods on the left.
Itachi halted, and their eyes met.
One ahead, one behind, they dashed simultaneously toward Shuji's direction in the forest.
——————————————————————————————
"Proof."
Shuji's gaze calmly swept the four before him, ignoring the wolf-masked one's extended hand.
Night wind stirred his forehead bangs; moonlight cast cold, hard lines on his face.
"I received no orders to hand anything to you."
Behind the wolf mask, the white cat-masked kunoichi with a dangerous single ponytail snapped sharply: "We bear a mission—no need to prove anything to you! Hand over the items now!"
Almost as her words fell, the snake-masked and tiger-masked ones flanking her quietly spread out, assuming attack stances.
"Oh?" Shuji's tone rose slightly. "Anbu, since when can you order a village jōnin without Hokage authorization?"
Anbu, directly under the Hokage, high authority, handling all sorts.
In practice, per the village's command hierarchy, without explicit orders, only the Hokage, advisors, or jōnin squad leaders could command jōnin—even special jōnin; Anbu lacked that right.
A chill silently permeated; the wolf mask warily retreated several steps.
Where Shuji stood lingered only a faint afterimage.
In the next instant, he appeared before the wolf mask.
Right fist clenched, tangible chakra gathered; air seemed compressed by invisible force.
Bad! The wolf mask raised both arms, instinctively crossing to block, hard metal forearm guards shielding his chest vitals!
Boom!
A muffled, drum-like thud exploded in the woods!
At fist-arm impact, the wolf mask felt like struck head-on by a charging giant rhino.
Crackling bone sounds grated from his guarded arms, agony like electric current surging through.
He flew airborne, smashing two bowl-thick trunks, crashing into mud with a thud, kicking up dust. He twitched twice and went still—clearly unconscious.
"Proof. Evidence you're Konoha Anbu." Slowly withdrawing his fist, Shuji repeated.
"Nothing to show, yet that stance—if you die by my hand, it's in vain." Shuji eyed the white cat-masked female Anbu.
He never liked intimidating in battle.
But the situation forced him to say useless words.
"You dare strike Anbu!?" The white cat mask gasped in shock and fury, voice pitching from astonishment.
Her squad was strictly disciplined; without the squad leader's clear permission, as regular members, she and the other two had no authority to attack a village jōnin.
And the leader was the wolf mask now lying amid broken branches—life unknown.
The white cat mask forcibly suppressed inner turmoil, assuming defense.
Tiger and snake masks snapped back from the captain's fall, hands gripping back hilts, eyes fierce—but only readying counterattacks.
"Fools, need me to repeat?"
Seeming to exhaust patience, Shuji's hand finally formed seals.
"Knock you all down, return to the village—even if the Third questions, the fault's yours for unproven identity and rashly demanding key items!"
Almost simultaneous with Shuji's seals—
A deep purple figure appeared on a tall nearby trunk.
Anko overlooked from above, gaze instantly scanning: the three confronting Shuji in signature garb, the distant fallen wolf mask...
Anbu?! Why Anbu here? Why would Shuji attack Anbu?!
Cold memories surged months prior—intense scrutiny, dark cell confinement—bringing suffocating chill.
But that's Shuji; his judgment's always right, no mistake. Even if... whatever.
Per tactical positioning, Anko sealed, poised to strike.
The three Anbu-like ninja jolted, realizing encirclement—front: unfathomable strength Shuji, already striking; side-above: predatory Anko!
And... one more.
White cat knew Team Five had three; two surfaced, the other hidden, movements unknown.
Now leaderless for decisions—
One who downed the captain in a strike, plus support—they couldn't win under these tactics.
Silver teeth nearly shattering, white cat's eyes flashed humiliation and struggle.
Finally, she raised her hand sharply!
Standard motions:
Right hand: Thumb tucked, other four fingers aligned upright—representing [Leaf].
Left hand: Knife-quick, horizontal across right wrist—representing severing [Shadow].
Both hands: Quickly loose-grip, interlaced at chest, pause two seconds—representing [Dark].
This was Konoha Anbu's emergency hand signal code for identity confirmation when documents inconvenient.
"This... sufficient?"
"Hokage's order, seal."
Shuji lowered his sealing hand, but the oppressive pressure remained tangible.
White cat stiffened. Order? Seal? She had one—not Hokage's, couldn't show now.
Why did Shuji, just promoted by the Third, act this way—even daring unchecked attack.
Seeing white cat unmoving, Shuji said no more. He raised his left hand toward Anko's high perch, signaling crisply—[Withdraw, clear path].
"You've only proven Anbu identity."
"Go. Details—upon return, I'll explain to the Third myself."
Forest wind seemed to pause, leaving tense breaths and distant wolf mask's faint groans.
The three masked ninja's faces paled ugly, but none dared speak. White cat glared at Shuji's calm face; finally, she waved sharply. Tiger and snake swiftly reached the wolf, checked, carefully lifted him.
The three bore their unconscious comrade, retreating swiftly into dense woods, vanishing.
Only after their presences fully faded did Anko leap lightly from the treetop, hurrying to Shuji, face lingering shock and doubt: "Shuji! What's going on? Those were really Anbu? How did you..."
"Anbu, but among Anbu, one squad isn't directly commanded by the Third."
Anko's body stiffened abruptly.
Indeed Anbu— this time, no real need to flee, right?
The purple-haired kunoichi sighed inwardly.
"Itachi."
"Here, senpai."
As words fell, from the other side's shadows, Uchiha Itachi emerged soundlessly.
"Pack up," Shuji withdrew his gaze. "Depart immediately—travel through the night back to the village."
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild