Recognition
Hiruzen stood before the assembled ANBU, his voice carrying a rare note of pride.
"Today, I commend Storm Division for protecting this village during Shinkuro's assault. And I commend you, Arashi, for your leadership under pressure."
A ripple moved through the masked crowd. Even hardened ANBU rarely heard such words.
"You think fast, protect your people, and… inspire loyalty," Hiruzen continued. "Qualities this village will need in the years ahead."
His eyes lingered on me longer than anyone else—there was weight behind that look, one I didn't miss.
---
Naruto's Curiosity
Outside the tower, Naruto caught up with me, eyes blazing with excitement.
"Hey, ANBU guy!" he called, jogging over. "That move you used back there—can you teach me?!"
I chuckled beneath my mask. "You've got a long way to go, kid."
"I'll be Hokage one day, y'know," Naruto shot back proudly.
"Good," I said softly. "Then I'll expect to see you at the top."
He paused, frowning. "Wait… you sound like you wanna be Hokage too."
I didn't answer, but my silence said enough.
---
Hana's Support
Later, on the Hokage monument, Hana sat beside me, resting her head on my shoulder.
"You feel it too, don't you?" she said. "They're starting to look at you differently."
"I don't care about titles," I replied, staring at the village lights. "I just want to protect this place… and you."
"That's exactly why you'd make a good Hokage," she whispered, squeezing my hand.
---
Cliffhanger
A messenger crow landed, carrying one line of text:
"Shinkuro has activated Project Revenant."
My stomach
---
The Forbidden Truth
Kaien, still imprisoned, smirked when I confronted him.
"Revenant, huh? You're already too late," he chuckled darkly.
"What is it?" I demanded.
"Shinkuro's masterpiece. A forbidden seal that binds living chakra to corpses… turning shinobi into puppets they can't kill."
Horror crept into me. "Necro-chakra binding…"
"He perfected it," Kaien said with pride. "And guess whose chakra signature he copied for the prototype?"
"Mine," I realized, fists tightening.
---
First Glimpse
That night, Storm Division intercepted one of Shinkuro's shipments—only to be met by three shinobi we'd already killed in earlier raids… standing, moving, fighting.
"What the hell—" Kai shouted as one of them charged.
I struck with Tempest Wrath, blowing one apart—only for it to reassemble unnaturally.
"This isn't ninjutsu… it's a curse," Hana gasped.
---
Shinkuro's Message
From the shadows, Shinkuro's voice rang out:
"Do you see, Arashi? Even death obeys me now. I don't need armies… I make them."
"You're insane," I shouted back.
"No," he replied calmly. "I'm evolution. And when I'm done, you'll either kneel… or join them."
---
Cliffhanger
He vanished, leaving behind dozens of chakra-bound corpses advancing toward us.
Hana stepped beside me, eyes hard. "What's the plan?"
I raised my blade, storm chakra flaring. "We end this before it