After resting properly for two days, Natsuhiko woke up on time again on the day his leave ended.
To be honest, those two days of vacation had been rather boring for him. It wasn't that he struggled to adapt to time off—but completely relaxing didn't quite suit his identity as a member of ANBU.
His spar with Kakashi had only been a bit of seasoning.
Still, that match had helped patch up the loophole Kakashi had inadvertently created—and also helped smooth over certain issues related to his identity.
"At least I don't have to worry about people constantly asking what I've been doing all these years."
Standing in front of the mirror while washing up, Natsuhiko thought to himself.
There were indeed several questionable aspects about his background.
For example, after leaving the academy at the age of eight—where exactly had he gone?
Unlike Kakashi, Natsuhiko didn't dare make his ANBU identity public. Especially since he was a descendant of the Senju clan—there were even more serious complications hidden within that fact.
But now, those issues had been resolved to some extent, even if the solution wasn't perfect.
Since Kakashi still seemed unaccustomed to calling him by name, Natsuhiko had simply gone along with it and used that to fill in the gap of his "missing years."
By displaying a bit of strength during their spar, he had at least justified that "Captain" title Kakashi had used.
When the time came, he could simply say he had been on the battlefield all along—and had even teamed up with Kakashi to complete missions.
After finishing his grooming, Natsuhiko put on his mask once more and stepped out the door.
But today, he wasn't heading toward the ANBU headquarters.
Instead, he was going to the Hokage Building.
He hadn't forgotten that today he was scheduled to meet the Fourth Hokage.
He had waited two full days for this meeting.
Even though he knew it likely wouldn't produce anything concrete, he could still confirm certain things—and perhaps use this meeting to gauge many future developments.
"I hope this leads to a good outcome…"
Natsuhiko thought quietly as he entered the Hokage Building.
Aside from the Hokage Rock, this was perhaps the most symbolic landmark in Konoha. From a distance, it didn't look particularly large.
But once inside, it became clear why it was the core hub of Konoha's power.
Numerous offices filled the building. Even Konoha's most important department—the Administrative Affairs Office—was located here.
Natsuhiko also knew that within the Hokage Building was a massive conference hall capable of holding hundreds of people.
He had once carried out a guard duty mission there and would never forget how grand that place was.
He walked quietly toward the top floor, where the Hokage's office was located.
After undergoing some routine checks, he wasn't given any trouble. Perhaps prior notice had been given—or perhaps it was because of his ANBU status.
In any case, he was smoothly allowed inside.
"Hokage-sama."
Looking at Namikaze Minato seated behind the desk, Natsuhiko bowed respectfully.
"Natsuhiko-kun, hello."
Minato looked up, a warm smile appearing on his face.
Seeing him in person truly surpassed all descriptions.
Natsuhiko had to admit that this man—known as the "Yellow Flash"—really did radiate warmth like the sun itself.
Such natural affinity and warmth were things Natsuhiko had never seen in the Third Hokage.
Though… it was a pity.
"Hokage-sama, please call me Nightingale," Natsuhiko said cautiously, though there was a hint of emotion in his heart.
"As a member of ANBU, it's best not to expose my real identity."
"My apologies, my apologies. That was my mistake."
Namikaze Minato admitted his error without the slightest hesitation. He carried no airs at all.
"Then, Nightingale, the main reason I asked to see you today is to properly thank you for everything you've done for Kakashi."
He stood up and looked at Natsuhiko sincerely, his attitude completely genuine.
"Kakashi is my student—and now, my only student. As for the others…"
At that point, he sighed softly and did not continue. But even without him finishing the sentence, Natsuhiko understood.
Among Konoha's younger generation, almost everyone who knew Kakashi was aware of what he had gone through.
Minato was still young and had always remained in Konoha. He truly had very few disciples—the only team he had ever led was the old Team Minato.
Now, only Kakashi remained.
And Kakashi's previous condition had been obvious to everyone.
He had been like a walking corpse—cold as solid ice. It seemed as though the once-brilliant genius had completely fallen into darkness.
Minato had sent him to the ANBU partly as an experiment—hoping that the heavy workload would leave Kakashi no time to dwell on the past.
He had also hoped that the strict structure of the ANBU would help Kakashi adapt and move forward.
Yet he had not expected that in such a short time, after Kakashi was assigned to Natsuhiko's squad, this former classmate would help him improve so noticeably.
And the improvement was fundamental.
Even though Kakashi had not fully returned to a normal state, he was clearly moving in that direction.
"In any case, thank you, Nightingale."
Minato took a deep breath and spoke earnestly.
"If it weren't for you, I don't know what Kakashi might have become."
"There's no need to be so polite, Hokage-sama."
Natsuhiko shook his head slightly. His tone was humble and gentle.
"Kakashi was once my classmate—and now he is my teammate. I don't wish to see him in that state either. It's simply what I should do."
"Even so, I've decided to give you a reward."
Minato smiled.
"I heard from Kakashi that you're interested in learning sealing techniques. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Natsuhiko lowered his head slightly. Beneath the mask, a faint smile appeared on his face.
It seemed this meeting was going far better than he had originally expected.
It wasn't strange that Minato knew he wanted to study sealing techniques—Kakashi would certainly have reported such matters.
Now that the question had been asked, Natsuhiko didn't even need to guess what would follow.
Even so, their conversation so far had remained entirely formal.
Minato hadn't asked a single question about the underground laboratory incident.
Natsuhiko speculated that perhaps Minato believed he didn't know much. Or perhaps his rank wasn't high enough to be involved. Or maybe it simply wasn't the right time to inquire.
But Natsuhiko didn't mind.
He had a feeling this matter wasn't over yet.
The ANBU was one of the most critical pillars of a Hokage's power—yet many of the orders they received did not originate from the Fourth Hokage.
Moreover, even though this meeting was between Minato and Natsuhiko in a seemingly private capacity, ANBU personnel were still "diligently performing their duties" nearby.
Such circumstances were…
Quite thought-provoking.