The smell of sizzling meat filled the air as Kagerou turned another slice over the grill, the fat crackling with each flick of his chopsticks. Across from him, Tatsu was devouring the cooked pieces faster than he could fry them, stacking empty plates like a man possessed.
"Slow down," Chiyu said, shooting him an exasperated look. "You're not the only one eating."
Tatsu grinned, unbothered, and reached for another piece. "Should've been quicker," he mumbled through a mouthful.
Despite the chaos at the grill, everything settled into a familiar rhythm. The three of them chatted idly; about old missions, strange clients, the state of the village. It felt almost nostalgic, like stepping into a time when life had been simpler.
Then, between bites, Tatsu said, "By the way... I'm being dispatched on a special S-rank mission next week."
The chopsticks in Kagerou's hand paused mid-air. Chiyu stopped sipping her tea. They both looked up, the light conversation forgotten.
An S-rank mission. Even for someone like Tatsu, who had long since proven himself a powerful elite jōnin, that wasn't something to be taken lightly. Missions of that level usually required multiple shinobi of his caliber – if not more. It wasn't just dangerous; it was reserved for threats on par with Kage-level combatants or politically critical objectives. Most elite jōnin were already scattered across warfronts or buried deep in covert operations, but this… this was something else entirely.
Kagerou met Chiyu's eyes. Unspoken concern passed between them.
"You sure about this?" Chiyu asked quietly, setting her cup down.
"Nope," Tatsu replied apprehensively, "But i can't do anything, it was ordered by the main family."
Kagerou raised an eyebrow, "You're going on a mission ordered by the main family?" He asked incredulously.
Chiyu also chimed in, "Clans aren't allowed to send their shinobi on private missions above C-rank during wartime!"
The reply they got from Tatsu was even more shocking. Not because of what he said, but because for once, Tatsu actually stopped eating and looked up at them. Kagerou spotted a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
"I don't know all the details..." he started, "And I can't even tell you guys the little I do know," he shrugged.
Both Kagerou and Chiyu just stared at him. Their friend was going on a mission which they had no details about. That in itself was pretty normal, but this was an S-rank mission – usually reserved for Kage-level shinobi. There was a real possibility that this mission could be Tatsu's last.
"What can you tell us?!" they barked in unison.
"Well, the village and the Hyūga clan are cooperating to carry out a mission in the land of water, that really all I can say," he explained.
A blanket of silence fell over the table as the three of them exchanged understanding glances. Being a shinobi was a dangerous profession, all three of them had encountered many life-or-death situations before. But they had managed to come out the other end stronger.
"Just ... promise to come back alive, okay," Chiyu said solemnly. Kagerou nodded.
"Yeah yeah, you bet," Tatsu replied flashing his signature grin, "Can't leave all the fun to you two buzzkills afterall."
And with that he disappeared, his speed was so fast even Kagerou struggled to follow his movements. As expected of a Hyūga, that clan was full of taijutsu enthusiasts.
A few minutes later Kagerou settled the bill, as promised, and parted ways with Chiyu. He had ended up spending a lot more time catching up with his friends than anticipated.
Just as he was about to turn his head to walk in the opposite direction from Chiyu, the system's Faction Panel popped up.
[✦Faction Panel✦]
[Potential Members Detected | Potential Members are those that have a strong friendship/loyalty to the host]
[Potential Members: Hatake Chiyu, Hyūga Tatsumaki]
And before he could finish reading it all, another panel appeared beside it too – a new panel had been unlocked.
[✦Mission Panel✦ Unlocked]
[Mission Title: First Recruitment
[Mission Objective: Recruit a Potential Member]
[Mission Rewards: 50 System Points (SPs), Unlock ability system scan]
[Mission Status: ONGOING]
His first thought had been to recruit Tatsu, as the simple-minded guy would be much easier to convince, but with the Hyūga heading out on that S-rank mission, Kagerou didn't want to drag him into anything right now. That left Chiyu.
He spotted her not far ahead, strolling down the sun-dappled street, her pace unhurried as she made her way toward the Hatake compound. She wasn't far away yet, so he started making his way towards her. Hands tucked in his pockets, he fell into step behind her, trailing at a comfortable distance until they were nearly at the gates.
"Oi, Chiyu," he called out, picking up his pace.
She turned, one brow lifting. "Kagerou? You following me for a reason?"
"Yeah," he said without hesitation. "Join my faction."
Her other brow joined the first. "Your… faction? Since when do you have a faction? How many people are in it? What do you even need a faction for? And what is a faction, exactly?"
Kagerou smirked faintly at the barrage of questions. "A faction is… a safety measure." he shamelessly made something up. "It's how you survive when the people running this village are rotten to the core. It's a shield, a network – something that keeps you safe and gives you leverage. You will have information and allies to rely on. The different clans are basically factions themselves, but mine is going to be a bit more secretive. Inside this village as a whole, you either have a faction… or you get eaten alive." he finished dramatically, hoping his display had convinced her.
Chiyu's expression shifted, the amusement fading into something heavier. "I get it. The Hatake clan's been on the wrong end of that before." Her voice lowered. "Hatake Sakumo currently suffering because of rumors the leadership let spread. Some even say they started them. They made him a scapegoat for doing the right thing."
Her gaze dropped for a moment before she looked back at him. "Alright. I'm in. But I want to know more."
Kagerou's grin widened, and there was a sharp glint in his eyes. "Then here's something for free – I'm not actually a tokubetsu jōnin. Officially, yeah. In reality?" He tapped two fingers against his temple. "I'm at the Kage level."
Chiyu blinked, momentarily thrown. "…That's not the kind of thing people just say without proof."
"I'm not alone, either," Kagerou continued. "My faction already has two other Kage-level powerhouses."
That silenced her. In the whole of Konoha, there were only a handful of shinobi on that tier – the legendary Sannin, the Hokage, the former Uchiha patriarch and his brother, Uchiha Izuna's grandson Uchiha Kaizan, the current Senju patriarch Senju Mishirama (though he was ancient now), and Namikaze Minato.
If Kagerou was telling the truth, then either two of those names were already working with him… or he had his own Kage-level shinobi hidden from the public eye.
"By the way, this isn't an alliance between the Uchiha and Hatake," Kagerou clarified, just to be safe. "It's you joining my faction. Nothing more, nothing less."
Chiyu studied him for a long moment before smirking faintly. "Fine. But you'd better introduce me to these mysterious members of yours soon."
"That can be arranged," Kagerou said easily, the grin back in place. "Later, then."
They parted ways at the edge of the street.
As soon as she was gone, a translucent blue panel flickered into existence before Kagerou's eyes. Followed by Multiple other panels appearing too.