"I saw them."
Barely fifty meters from the Memorial Stone, surrounded by tombstones, Kaito's expression was calm.
"But I don't feel like telling you. What should we do about that~?"
The moment those words fell, the gazes of the surrounding ANBU turned dangerous.
Kaito was famous, yes—but mostly for mission completion rate and battlefield judgment.
Not everyone had personally witnessed his strength.
"Genin Kaito," said an ANBU wearing a dog-eared mask beside Hatake Sakumo, hand resting on his blade, "are you betraying Konoha?"
"Black Dog, that's enough," Sakumo said.
"Captain, this is the Hokage's direct order! We must bring those four back!" Black Dog shot Sakumo a look.
Sakumo's eyes showed helplessness.
Personal feelings aside, he was the ANBU commander.
Orders came first.
"Scarlet—move!"
The blond ANBU member began forming seals.
"Demonic Illu—"
Before the jutsu could finish, Kaito formed a seal with one hand and glared.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death."
Kaito's figure vanished.
The next instant, a massive tree erupted from the ground behind Scarlet. Vines wrapped him tight as Kaito appeared atop the trunk, kunai in hand.
"It's over."
Behind the mask, Scarlet's face was full of disbelief.
"How is that possible?! How could your illusion activation be faster than mine?!"
Before he could say more—
Clang!
A blade intercepted Kaito's kunai.
It was Black Dog, one of the ANBU squad leaders, who had pierced through the illusion.
"Don't underestimate us!"
"Just a genin—lie down already!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Kunai and blade exchanged several times. Kaito retreated half a step—
And a shadow stretched beneath him.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Kaito instantly used Body Flicker to escape, but someone was faster—spinning together with a hound.
"Fang Over Fang!"
Crash!
A tree on the edge of the Hero Cemetery was smashed down, leaving a shallow crater.
Seeing Kaito turn into a substitution log, the ANBU clicked his tongue.
The ninja hound sniffed—then looked underground.
Boom!
Before it could react, earth hands seized the ANBU's ankle.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
"AAAA—!"
The hound lunged in response. Kaito's fist collided with the transformed hound.
Above the forest, an ANBU reported calmly:
"Captain. We found traces of the four-person squad fleeing."
"Good," Sakumo replied.
Interrogation would be ideal, but unnecessary.
ANBU had numbers—and versatility.
"Then we—"
Thud.
An ANBU suddenly fell from a tree.
Sakumo rushed over—genjutsu.
"So silently… Uchiha?" His eyes narrowed. "The one close to Kaito is—"
"Uchiha Military Police Vice-Captain, youngest jōnin record holder…"
"Uchiha Mikoto!"
Thud.
Another ANBU dropped.
But before Sakumo could confirm further, an Aburame ANBU unleashed a swarm toward a bush—
Boom!
A graceful figure leapt out, black curls and crimson eyes standing atop a tree.
"…It's you."
Sakumo's pupils contracted.
"Heir of the Yūhi clan, Konoha's illusion specialist, young elite jōnin—"
"Yūhi Ryuun."
Ryuun glanced at Kaito, then the surrounding ANBU.
"What's going on?"
"Why stop those four from leaving the village?"
She already knew the answer—this was deliberate stalling.
Sakumo sighed.
"ANBU operations are not something regular jōnin can interfere with."
"Is that so?"
Ryuun rested her hand on her blade.
"Then I suppose we'll fight eventually."
"Let's see whether Hatake lightning blades are stronger—"
"Or Yūhi illusion swordsmanship."
Black Dog finally snapped, drawing his sword.
"Captain! If this drags on, they'll escape!"
"Blocking ANBU—have you prepared to defect?!"
Ryuun's gaze flicked toward him.
"Konoha-Style Sword Art: Sakura."
Puff.
Her body burst into petals.
Black Dog's eyes widened—Genjutsu!
Before he could complete the seal—
Pain flashed at his neck.
Darkness.
Reality snapped back.
Ryuun gently laid the unconscious Black Dog on a branch.
"Relax. Used the back of the blade."
At the same time, Kaito punched the ninja hound into a tree. The transformation released—a small brown dog lay unconscious, tongue out.
"Ryuun, thanks."
"It's nothing!" she said, cheeks faintly red. "Between us, this is small stuff."
Sakumo's expression darkened.
Attacking ANBU—no matter the excuse—meant consequences.
"Hamster. Take six men and pursue. The rest stay with me."
"Yes!"
The Aburame ANBU moved.
Ryuun tried to intercept but was blocked by three ANBU.
Kaito advanced—only to be stopped by Sakumo and two others.
Just as Hamster's team moved—
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
A wave of fire blocked their path.
"Who's there?!"
"Sarutobi clan jōnin—Sarutobi Shinnosuke."
Hamster went stiff.
The Hokage's son?!
Touching him was suicide.
"Kaito, I heard everything," Shinnosuke said calmly.
"Old man wants to trap those trying to return to the future, right?"
"If they don't belong to the past, why force them to stay!"
"Shinnosuke-jōnin!" Hamster said sternly. "This is the Hokage's order! Are you defying it?!"
"Yes. I am. Problem?"
He folded his arms, blocking the cemetery entrance.
"Road's closed."
Before Hamster could respond—
A man in a Hokage hat appeared among the trees.
"Enough."
The Third Hokage had arrived.
All ANBU immediately disengaged.
"Hokage-sama!" xN
"Shinnosuke. Kaito. Ryuun."
"Go back."
"Do not interfere further."
Kaito hesitated—but fell silent under Hiruzen's stern gaze.
Ryuun sheathed her blade and quietly checked on Kaito. He shook his head.
But someone didn't back down.
"Old man."
"I don't care what you're planning."
"I just can't stand this kind of behavior!"
"Shinnosuke!" Hiruzen snapped.
Keeping the four had immense strategic value—
especially a stable Nine-Tails jinchūriki and Wood Release.
"The Will of Fire protects every precious 'jade' in the village," Shinnosuke said coldly,
"not turning their corpses into hollow glory!"
Hiruzen froze—then his face hardened again.
He was Hokage.
Even if it was his son.
Chakra pressure surged, crushing the air.
Shinnosuke swallowed.
"You disappoint me," Hiruzen said.
"Let me teach you what a ninja truly is."
He removed his Hokage robe, revealing battle attire.
ANBU retreated.
"Good," Shinnosuke grinned.
"I also want to see why you're called Hokage—"
"And how you had the nerve to call yourself the strongest in textbooks!"
Veins twitched.
Then—combat.
Shinnosuke charged.
Hiruzen ducked, countered with a kick to the jaw, formed a shadow clone, vaulted—
Shuriken rain.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Hiruzen burst from the wall, struck midair—
Boom!
Shinnosuke skidded across the cemetery path.
As he tried to rise, a kunai pressed to his neck.
"You lost."
"…If I had substitution time—"
"War doesn't give you time."
Poof.
The clone vanished.
Hiruzen hadn't moved.
"Pursue them," he ordered.
"Yes!" xN
Elsewhere, guided by Kaito, the four successfully avoided patrols and raced for the border.
But pursuit squads were dispatched.
"Don't let them cross the border!"
Jōnin Hirata Shinichi led the chase.
"They went this way!"
Suddenly, a white-haired man blocked the path.
"Sorry."
"This road's closed."
"…Jiraiya?!"
"Student's request. And my own choice."
Soon, combat erupted.
Toad summons.
Combined jutsu.
Delays.
At last—
"They're gone," said a Hyūga jōnin, closing his Byakugan.
Jiraiya smiled tiredly.
Moments later—
Flash.
Minato appeared beside him.
"Sensei—we escaped—ah."
"Perfect timing."
Flash again.
They vanished.
The pursuing jōnin clenched his fists.
Orders were orders.
But in the end—
They failed to catch up.
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