"You were a bit impulsive. Even if your intentions were good, Nightingale."
Inside the ANBU Commander's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind the desk, looking at Natsuhiko with a touch of weary helplessness.
Natsuhiko stood quietly where he was, saying nothing. Meanwhile, Takumi Murashima stood off to the side, equally silent.
He was like a machine—calm in a way that was almost unsettling.
When Natsuhiko and Murashima Takumi had been confronting each other, both already gathering chakra and on the verge of fighting, Hiruzen Sarutobi had finally arrived.
When he saw the situation between the two of them, he was both shocked and furious. In that moment, his powerful aura burst out completely.
Only then that Natsuhiko truly understood why this elderly man, who sometimes seemed slow or indecisive in the original story, was hailed as "The Professor of Ninjutsu" and "God of Shinobi."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was strong—of that Natsuhiko had no doubt.
But exactly how strong he was, Natsuhiko hadn't been sure before.
Now, however, just from his aura alone, Natsuhiko felt as if he had been thrown into hell.
Especially after being enveloped by that overwhelming aura, Natsuhiko even found it slightly difficult to breathe.
The sensation reminded him of something he had seen in the manga—when Sasuke and Naruto encountered Orochimaru, and were completely overwhelmed by Orochimaru's killing intent.
Of course, Natsuhiko handled it far better than Naruto and Sasuke had.
His strength wasn't something those two younger versions of themselves—before truly awakening their potential—could possibly compare to.
Fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly withdrew his aura.
After that, he ordered someone to take Owl to the medical department, and then had Natsuhiko and Murashima Takumi come with him to the office.
He asked Natsuhiko to explain everything that had happened from beginning to end. He was very curious about what kind of answer Natsuhiko would give.
The result did not surprise Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Right in front of Murashima, Natsuhiko openly recounted everything he had seen and heard—along with all of his own suspicions.
He didn't care at all that Murashima, the ANBU Commander, was standing right beside him.
In fact, he even bluntly said something along the lines of:
"If Owl and the Commander had been infiltrated and turned into spies, the damage to the ANBU would be even greater."
While saying these things, Natsuhiko didn't just keep his eyes on Hiruzen Sarutobi—he was also secretly observing Murashima Takumi's reactions.
But to his disappointment, Murashima Takumi showed no response whatsoever.
He remained cold and still like a statue, with no change in expression or emotion.
"My apologies, Hokage-sama."
Natsuhiko gave a slight bow.
His voice had also become gentler at that moment, though his overall attitude didn't seem to have changed much.
"Takumi, you may leave first," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, glancing at Natsuhiko before turning to Murashima Takumi.
"Make sure no one comes near. Also go check on Owl."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Only then did Murashima Takumi finally speak.
Without even looking at Natsuhiko, he bowed respectfully and then turned and left the office.
There was no hesitation, and he showed no curiosity about why Hiruzen Sarutobi had asked him to leave.
But this behavior made Natsuhiko frown slightly.
Because Murashima Takumi was truly hard for him to understand.
This man seemed to have no human emotions at all.
"Does it seem strange to you?"
After Murashima Takumi left the room, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to see through Natsuhiko's thoughts and asked directly.
"Hokage-sama."
Natsuhiko immediately withdrew his thoughts. Lowering his head, he spoke softly.
"This subordinate no longer finds anything strange."
"Are you sure?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Natsuhiko with curiosity.
"Weren't you suspicious of Takumi and Owl before? Why are you no longer suspicious now?"
"Because Hokage-sama trusts them," Natsuhiko provided the most blunt, pragmatic reason possible.
"Since Hokage-sama trusts them, this subordinate naturally trusts them as well."
It was the perfect answer for a loyalist: don't ask questions, don't overthink, just follow the lead.
But although he said that, Natsuhiko did not truly think that way in his heart.
The behavior of Murashima Takumi and Owl had been far too strange. However, he now seemed to have figured it out.
This matter indeed had nothing to do with Danzo Shimura.
For Danzo, the greatest gain from this whole situation was probably only Kusunoki, the man Natsuhiko had previously assassinated.
The reason Natsuhiko had suspected that Danzo might have infiltrated—or even controlled—Murashima Takumi and Owl was because Danzo had once extended his influence into the ANBU. It was hard to say whether that man had left some hidden measures behind.
But now it seemed that Natsuhiko had simply been overthinking things.
If they had truly been controlled, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have trusted those two so completely.
With Kusunoki dead, Danzo now had absolutely no opportunity within the ANBU.
Neither Minato Namikaze nor Hiruzen Sarutobi would give him even the slightest chance.
If that was the case, then there could only be one explanation—
Everything strange Natsuhiko had sensed this time had been personally arranged by Hiruzen Sarutobi!
Murashima Takumi was essentially an extremely rigid person, almost like a robot who only knew how to follow orders.
All of his decisions came entirely from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But someone like that could not possibly control the ANBU alone.
There had to be someone assisting him—someone who could prevent mistakes and ensure that no one would easily notice any problems.
In that case, the existence of Owl became necessary.
He was likely directly responsible only to Hiruzen Sarutobi. His role was probably to act as the connection between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Murashima Takumi, while also assisting Takumi in managing matters.
Thinking this far, Natsuhiko felt a chill run down his spine.
No wonder the ANBU Commander always stood behind Hiruzen Sarutobi no matter the situation, and supported every decision unconditionally.
Even though it was now the era of the Fourth Hokage, this Commander still supported the Third Hokage.
Because the man was nothing more than a puppet.
Humans have desires—everyone does.
Especially when someone holds authority over a powerful organization like the ANBU. Ambition and personal desires would inevitably begin to grow.
But if that person is merely a puppet—someone without their own thoughts or ambitions, someone who only executes orders perfectly as a ninja—
Then naturally, there would be no problems.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked deeply at Natsuhiko for a moment.
Then he shook his head, no longer bothering to think about whether Natsuhiko truly believed what he said or was simply pretending.
To him, it made no difference.
Because the ANBU belonged to him. No matter what others thought or did, that fact would never change.
"Speaking of which, Nightingale—didn't you request to see me?" Hiruzen asked.
He rested his elbows on the desk, interlacing his fingers as he supported his chin.
"I heard that you wanted to see me. Now you have."
"Hokage-sama, I have something I wish to submit to you."
Natsuhiko immediately took out a document he had prepared beforehand.
"Please have a look, Hokage-sama."
"Oh? What is this?"
"This is documentation about some of my interactions with the Fourth Hokage… as well as my insights regarding the Flying Thunder God Technique."
The materials Natsuhiko submitted truly surprised Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Because they were extremely detailed.
Aside from his meetings and conversations with Minato Namikaze, as well as the guidance Minato had given him,
there was also Natsuhiko's own experience using the Flying Thunder God Technique, along with some of his personal insights and reflections.
It even included the sparring match he had with Minato the previous night. Natsuhiko directly explained that this was done in accordance with Hiruzen Sarutobi's request—to establish a "deeper" connection with Minato Namikaze.
After all, considering how intensely they had fought, Natsuhiko didn't believe that the ANBU members—or even the Sensory Division—could have failed to notice.
Since that was the case, it was better to state it directly rather than wait for Hiruzen Sarutobi to ask.
Just as he had expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi merely nodded when he saw it and did not say much more—but that alone was enough.
Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi was satisfied with such a report.
He already knew a little about the situation between Natsuhiko and Minato Namikaze, but his understanding was far from complete.
Those assigned to monitor and investigate Minato and Natsuhiko didn't dare approach too closely. Even with certain special techniques, they couldn't get near them.
Both men were very strong, and Natsuhiko in particular possessed excellent sensory abilities.
If they were discovered, the consequences would not be something easily resolved.
Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not completely trust the materials Natsuhiko submitted.
After all, who knew whether he had concealed something even more important?
However, what satisfied him immensely was that Natsuhiko had actually handed over a relatively complete record of his experiences and understanding of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Every ninja has their own unique understanding and insights regarding the techniques they master.
And such things are not something they would easily share with others.
At most, they might teach them without reservation to their own disciples—and even then, only to their most trusted personal student.
Other than that, no matter who asked, they would not reveal them.
Because these insights were a ninja's personal secrets—even the Hokage could not demand them!
This was essentially an unspoken rule.
Once such knowledge was exposed, it wasn't just a matter of whether someone else might learn the technique and use it against you.
Even simply analyzing the insights could allow others to understand certain characteristics of the technique. Once they knew its strengths and weaknesses, your technique might be countered—or they might even exploit its weaknesses and kill you with it.
Natsuhiko's action had significantly reduced the mystery surrounding the Flying Thunder God Technique for Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And with the materials Natsuhiko had provided, Hiruzen could even conduct some experiments himself.
How could he possibly not be satisfied?
Minato Namikaze had once submitted some materials as well. However, after those materials passed through Jiraiya, certain information had naturally been withheld.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not blame Jiraiya for that. At the time, his relationship with Minato had not yet reached its current state, and he had even approved of Jiraiya's actions.
But now, when interests were involved, everything could change.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi was pleased, many things would become different—and many matters would become much easier.
"The materials you submitted are very good. I am very satisfied. I know you have a good relationship with Kakashi.
How about this—when the document appointing you as the Commander of the Third Division is finalized, you may choose your own team members."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
What Hiruzen Sarutobi offered sounded quite generous, but inwardly Natsuhiko shook his head in slight disdain.
The ability to choose one's own team members was originally one of the rights that a division commander should have had.
Although the number of people he could personally select was limited—and the choices still needed to be reported—it was rarely rejected by the Commander anyway.
Otherwise, Shinichi and Masaya wouldn't have been able to leave so easily before.
So while Hiruzen's "granting" of this authority sounded impressive, it wasn't truly a special favor.
The key point, however, was that Hiruzen had specifically mentioned Kakashi.
And that changed the meaning entirely.
Kakashi was Minato Namikaze's only disciple.
By bringing Kakashi over, it was obvious that Hiruzen Sarutobi was reminding Natsuhiko of something.
Whether Hiruzen Sarutobi truly trusted him or not didn't really matter. One thing was certain—he intended to turn Natsuhiko into a piece placed beside Minato Namikaze.
If Natsuhiko proved disobedient, then even if Sarutobi eventually abandoned him, he could still use him to disgust Minato one last time.
Aside from that, Natsuhiko suspected this was also a kind of test.
After all, the Senju clan still stood behind him.
By directly granting him the authority to select his own subordinates, Sarutobi was likely curious to see what Natsuhiko would do once he held that kind of power.
What a cunning old fox, Natsuhiko thought to himself.
Soon after, he quietly left ANBU headquarters.
He still had plenty of tasks waiting for him, so there was no way he could remain there any longer.
Hiruzen, however, did not leave.
He remained seated behind the desk, silently studying the report Natsuhiko had submitted.
Not long afterward, someone knocked on the office door.
A moment later, a man with half his body wrapped in bandages stepped inside.
It was Danzo Shimura.
"Hiruzen, I heard that the brat from the Senju clan caused trouble in the ANBU?" Danzo walked directly up to Sarutobi, his expression calm and cold.
"That kid is quite bold."
"It was only a misunderstanding. Nothing serious," Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head before looking up at Danzo.
"Your information network is quite efficient, Danzo."
"Hmph."
Danzo snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Sarutobi's words were certainly not praise—Danzo could clearly tell that much.
However, he had no intention of explaining himself.
He had his own reasons for doing things this way.
And he believed Sarutobi would not press the matter further.
In fact, things unfolded exactly as he expected.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not argue with him about it.
Danzo's existence held a very special meaning for him.
Many of Danzo's actions were things Sarutobi wanted to do but could not personally carry out.
Danzo was his shadow.
Although that shadow always had its own thoughts—and sometimes acted more and more excessively—
Danzo's existence still possessed unimaginable value.
Moreover, the personal relationship between the two of them was very close, so Sarutobi could continue to tolerate it.
"Do you really trust that brat?" After remaining silent for quite some time, Danzo finally spoke again.
"I heard you actually plan to make him a commander captain?"
"Yes and no," Hiruzen Sarutobi replied calmly, nodding slightly.
"I don't trust him, but I do intend to give him the position of commander captain. Not only that, I've also given him the authority to choose his own team members."
"Hmph. That's a right a commander captain already has," Danzo shook his head, sounding somewhat disdainful.
"You're testing him, aren't you?"
"Who knows?" Sarutobi chuckled softly.
Then he pushed the document Natsuhiko had submitted toward Danzo.
"Take a look at this."
Danzo frowned slightly but picked up the document and began reading.
His reading speed was extremely fast.
Yet after only a short while, his expression subtly changed.
By the time he finished, there was a brief moment when he truly wanted to keep the documents for himself.
But in the end, he restrained the impulse.
Slowly, he placed the document back on the desk.
"It seems he paid quite a heavy price," Danzo said. Though his voice remained calm, there was a hint of disturbance beneath that calmness.
"Yes, the price is not small," Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
"An interesting kid, isn't he?"
Danzo remained silent.
His gaze stayed fixed on the document.
Seeing this, Sarutobi smiled faintly.
He knew the value of that document.
And Danzo certainly knew it as well.
Unfortunately, neither Hiruzen Sarutobi nor Danzo knew the truth.
Although the document appeared extremely detailed, it was actually a massive trap.
The contents were all recorded based on techniques that Natsuhiko had learned through his system.
In other words, if someone else wanted to learn everything written there—
Unless they also had the help of a system, it would be impossible.
...
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