Kaede looked into Megumi's eyes, debating whether she should tell him the truth about the village. She knew Megumi was far too sharp for a child his age.
"Promise me that you will not tell anyone," Kaede said with a serious tone.
"I promise," Megumi replied.
"I joined the Anbu when I was very young, just after finishing the academy. The Hokage recruited me, saying I looked promising."
'That old fox and his manipulation skills,' Megumi cursed inwardly.
"I was assigned to a team led by someone called Sakumo Hatake, known as the White Fang, the greatest swordmaster in Konoha. He was the captain of the team I joined."
"He always told me to focus more on weapon mastery than ninjutsu."
"Even when my other teammates bullied me, he would step in and warn them."
"Everything started to go wrong when his wife died under mysterious circumstances."
"One day, he was summoned by the Hokage for a dangerous mission. He was given a new team to lead because the mission was said to be very important to the village. He never revealed the details to us."
"Along the way, he returned to the village, but he was not the same man anymore."
"We began hearing rumors about how he failed that mission."
Kaede clenched her fists, grinding her teeth. "Do you know what excuse they gave?" she asked Megumi.
"They said he chose to save a comrade instead of completing the mission. Can you believe that?"
Megumi was dumbfounded by how emotional she became. He recalled the story about Sakumo immediately. 'He died in such a pathetic way,' he thought.
"So how is that your problem, with your captain failing a mission?" Megumi asked, his face straight, showing little sympathy.
"After the rumors spread to the civilians, he could not bear the shame. Do you know what he did? He committed suicide." Kaede's eyes filled with tears.
She wiped them away quickly.
"After his death, my team was given even more dangerous missions."
"I was made captain of the squad because I had been his favorite student, and they claimed it was an honor to him."
"As captain, I was granted access to certain information within the Anbu's power ranking system. That is when I discovered his death had been a setup by the higher-ups. Tell me why his first son became the head of Anbu right after his death. Tell me why the person Sakumo protected on that mission was not blamed instead. Why only him?" Kaede said angrily, slamming her fist on the table.
"Explain to me how an Anbu mission leaked to the civilians, and why the Hokage did nothing about it."
Megumi hugged Kaede tightly. "It is okay, Mom."
"How did you know all this, and why did you leave the Anbu?" Megumi asked.
Kaede, after being comforted, composed herself again.
"I was the new captain of Sakumo's former squad, and I began investigating his death. When I asked the Third Hokage, he told me the mission was classified. If it was classified, then how did it leak without his approval?"
"After Sakumo's death, everyone else moved on. We continued receiving even deadlier missions, missions that left none of us unscathed. One afternoon we were summoned, not just by the Hokage, but by his entire council."
"He gave us a mission that was supposed to ease tensions between our village and the Hidden Sand. We departed immediately, as ordered. The exchange went as planned, but we were cautious because that village was notorious for betrayal."
"On our way back, we were ambushed by Hidden Cloud shinobi."
"We were outnumbered, and three of my seniors were killed in the fight. The rest of us were badly wounded, but we pushed ourselves across the border without resting, fearing pursuit."
"Then suddenly, masked men dressed in Anbu uniforms appeared. At first, we felt relieved, but I noticed something strange. They did not ask about our wounded comrades. They only wanted me to hand over the scroll."
"I refused, insisting the mission was classified and demanded they show me their Anbu tattoos on their shoulders. They refused and claimed they were the true protectors of the village."
"They declared that since we disobeyed their order, we had betrayed the village and would be executed."
"They attacked us. They countered our every jutsu as if they already knew all our techniques."
"Everyone died except me. I was saved only because your father and his team happened to pass by and rescued me."
Megumi narrowed his eyes. "Is that why you married him?"
BAM.
Kaede's fist landed on his head.
"Can you let me finish before interrupting me?" she scolded, venting her anger on him.
"Sorry, you can continue your story," Megumi said while rubbing his head.
"When I returned to the village, I was hospitalized for chakra exhaustion and treated for my injuries for a year." Kaede pulled her dress slightly, revealing the scar on her stomach.
"So what was the point of telling me this tragic story?" Megumi asked.
"You should think carefully and tell me," Kaede replied.
Megumi already understood, but he could not believe that his peaceful life had such a dirty and dangerous background.
"You are trying to say that the Hokage arranged for the deaths of everyone on your captain's team, and because you survived, that makes me their target now… all thanks to you."
....
Inside the hokage office
The Hokage's office was dimly lit, the smell of burning tobacco lingering in the air. Scrolls lay scattered across the desk, a reminder of the endless duties that weighed on the old man's shoulders. Yet his eyes, sharp and calculating beneath the brim of his hat, focused entirely on the kneeling figures before him. Two masked ANBU operatives bowed low, their armor glinting faintly in the lantern light.
One of them was wearing a hawk-patterned mask spoke first.
"Lord Hokage, we followed Kaede Nara and her son after their discharge from the hospital. As ordered, we remained hidden and observed without interference."
Hiruzen adjusted his pipe, letting the silence stretch, urging the ANBU to continue.
"They stopped at Yakiniku Q. A minor… confrontation occurred. The boy challenged Asuma Sarutobi directly about smoking, in front of Jonin Yūhi Kurenai and Mitarashi Anko."
Hiruzen's brows furrowed. "Megumi challenged Asuma?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Hawk confirmed. "He displayed an attitude unbecoming of his age. He insulted Asuma, showed blatant disrespect, yet seemed entirely unshaken. When Asuma struck, Kaede intercepted his fist before it reached the child."
The second ANBU, wearing a wolf mask, added quietly: "Her movements were clean. Sharp. Even after years away, her reflexes remain those of an ANBU captain. The boy, however never show fear. Almost as if he knew he was untouchable."
The Hokage exhaled a thin stream of smoke, eyes narrowing beneath his hat. "Untouchable or reckless."
Neither ANBU spoke.
"What else?" Hiruzen prompted.
"After leaving Yakiniku Q," Wolf said, "Kaede avoided the Nara compound. Instead, she led her son to a newly acquired residence near the eastern quarter. Before entering, she scanned the rooftops. We believe she sensed our presence."
At that, Hawk hesitated before continuing. "Inside, she activated a barrier seal around the entire building. The type of seal is advanced and similar to ones used for ANBU black sites. It prevents external chakra detection and eavesdropping."
The old Hokage's pipe tapped against the ashtray. His eyes, normally heavy with age, sharpened with a glint of steel. "Kaede… what are you hiding?" he murmured to himself.
The ANBU waited in silence, the weight of his tone pressing down on them.
Finally, Hiruzen rose, clasping his hands behind his back. He stared out the window where the Hokage Monument loomed in the distance, his own face carved into the stone a reminder of the burden of leadership.