"Those are the details. That's all."
Inside a house in Konoha's civilian district, Hikaru spoke evenly to the old man seated before him.
The place felt ancient—almost stubbornly so—completely at odds with Konoha's modern styles. The moment you stepped inside, history pressed down on you.
It was said this house had been built during the Senju clan's golden age. Even after the clan's decline, it had been preserved.
Hikaru hated coming here.
Everything about it reeked of decay.
Like someone was still drowning in past glory, refusing to step out and face reality.
It was sad.
And it suited the old man perfectly.
Unfortunately, Hikaru didn't have a choice. After missions, he either submitted intelligence through proper channels… or he came here to report.
Tonight was the second option.
And what he reported wasn't just mission details—it was everything: ANBU internal matters, field events, every scrap of information, no matter how small.
Because at the end of the day—
He really was a spy.
Now he'd finished explaining this mission in full: the clash with Kakuzu, the retrieval, and even the words he'd spoken to Kakashi afterward.
"You handled it well."
The elder fell silent, thinking for a long while, before finally nodding with genuine approval.
"But your traces were a bit too obvious."
"The Fourth Hokage and the Third Hokage may have distance between them, but Minato is still Sarutobi's grand-disciple."
"Still… I've also heard the Fourth isn't having an easy time. And ANBU remains entirely loyal to Sarutobi."
"Taking that into account, your move was a little forward. But if it can be interpreted as a friendly warning, it's acceptable."
He lifted his eyes, gaze sharpening.
"Never forget: when interests are involved, people don't have much room left for reason or gratitude."
Hikaru nodded lightly.
He didn't like this old man—this living relic who clung to yesterday and preached "revive the Senju" like a prayer.
But the elder was strange.
Half the time, he seemed muddled.
The other half… he was painfully clear-eyed.
And he was right.
When interests were at stake, gratitude and rationality often meant nothing.
Minato might still believe in things like gratitude.
After all, his Hokage seat had come because Sarutobi chose him—giving up on Orochimaru and pushing Minato forward instead.
Minato couldn't not feel thankful.
And he was thrown into the job abruptly, without the experience or time to build his own faction.
So he wouldn't dare make big moves. He would follow Sarutobi's arrangements, step by step.
Minato might be "obedient," but Sarutobi's interest group wouldn't trust that obedience.
A power bloc was never just one man.
Sarutobi might be the face of it, but his responsibility was to balance the group's internal interests—keeping everyone fed, satisfied, invested.
In simple terms, even if Sarutobi himself didn't think Kakashi joining ANBU was a big deal…
His people might see it as a signal.
A signal that the Fourth Hokage intended to reclaim ANBU authority.
That was why ANBU's atmosphere toward Kakashi was hostile.
That was why certain things happened as soon as he arrived.
"Alright," the elder said at last, clearly done with the topic. "That's enough for today."
"For the time being, keep a certain distance from Kakashi."
"Don't cut him off. Don't alienate him. Just… keep it measured."
"I trust you know how to do that."
"Yes, Elder." Hikaru smiled politely, stood, and bowed slightly. "Then I'll take my leave."
"Go." The elder took a slow sip of tea, then added casually, "Oh—someone has delivered a gift to you. Take a look when you get back."
"Yes, Elder." Hikaru smiled again and stepped out.
He closed the door gently, then walked away without looking back.
He remembered the elder's words—though only as words.
The two of them were different.
Their goals overlapped, but they were not the same.
Still, Hikaru was grateful.
He had his cheat, yes—but without a stable environment, he never would've made it this far.
I should go back and think through my next steps.
Kakashi's in ANBU now. Some things… I can't keep delaying.
And what exactly is this "gift" the elder mentioned?
…
"Lord Hokage, that's the situation."
Inside the Hokage's office, Kakashi knelt on one knee and reported everything about the mission he'd carried out alongside Hikaru.
Not everything, though.
He kept certain parts to himself—especially some of the words Hikaru had said. He remembered them, but he didn't speak them aloud.
Minato frowned at first, then his expression softened into a warm smile.
"Didn't I tell you? Just call me sensei."
He sighed, amused. "Forget it."
"I didn't expect your first mission to run into an opponent that troublesome."
"Yes." Kakashi lowered his head, voice cool and steady. "Hikaru said we couldn't defeat him."
"But we completed the mission."
"Fukami Hikaru…" Minato smiled. "He was your classmate, wasn't he? Learn from him."
"Alright. Go rest."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Kakashi stood, hesitated, then pulled out a scroll and offered it to Minato.
"This is the detailed written report from the mission."
"Then… I'll take my leave."
Before Minato could respond, Kakashi turned and walked out.
Minato stared after him, a little puzzled.
Kakashi had already given him a full oral report, hadn't he?
Why hand over a written one too?
Wasn't that redundant?
But Minato didn't show his confusion. He calmly took the scroll.
During Kakashi's report, Minato had already sensed something faintly off.
By normal ANBU procedure, Kakashi should've studied intel and learned protocol before being sent out.
Minato had never served in ANBU, but that didn't mean he didn't know how it worked—especially not now, as Hokage.
At first, he'd considered a simple explanation: maybe ANBU believed Kakashi's combat strength made him more useful in the field than in a classroom.
But Kakashi's odd behavior just now…
It made Minato feel he should think deeper.
So he opened the written report.
And as he read, his expression gradually changed.
When he finished, Minato closed the scroll with a soft snap.
His face looked… complicated.
After a long moment, he let out a quiet sigh.
"…So this is a gift."