Konoha's dango really was famous.
Three-color dango, in particular, was a favorite of many shinobi.
Hikaru remembered that Anko—Orochimaru's disciple—was absolutely obsessed with the stuff.
Unfortunately, he himself had never really eaten much of it.
He had bought plenty of it when he was younger, but most of the time, it had been for someone else.
Especially that old seatmate of his.
Back then, whenever she got upset, one skewer of dango was enough to cheer her right back up.
Thinking about those childhood memories, Hikaru could not help but smile.
At that time, he had possessed neither the power he had now, nor the status he held today.
But honestly, those days had been happy.
He had not needed to think too much. Life had not weighed on him the way it did now.
Still, happy was happy—he had no desire to go back.
People always moved forward.
The beauty of the past was meant to inspire a person to create an even better future.
Before long, Hikaru arrived at the dango shop with Ayame.
The moment he stepped inside, he also noticed quite a few people in the surrounding area drifting toward the shop as well.
As expected, the four Senju guards handled things very reliably.
Officially, he had only brought Ayame out for a talk.
But in reality, what he wanted to discuss involved ANBU's internal secrets.
Hikaru had never liked loudly plotting in public.
And given that he already controlled such a massive secret force within ANBU, it would have been a waste not to indulge in a little abuse of authority.
Not that it was his first time doing so.
"Boss, bring us some of your specialty dango," Hikaru said as he casually picked a fairly decent seat.
Then, without forgetting old habits, he also ordered something he used to buy often.
"Right away!" the middle-aged owner answered with a grin.
But the moment he got a clear look at Hikaru, he paused briefly, then laughed.
"So it's you, young man."
Hikaru blinked in surprise.
"Boss, you know me?"
"Not exactly," the man said with a smile, though there was a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "I just remember that you used to come here a lot, years ago. You were only five or six back then, weren't you? Never thought you'd grow up this much."
"I see." Hikaru smiled and nodded. "I really did come often back then. Later, though, work got heavy, so I stopped having the time."
"Ah, so that's it." The owner slapped his palm as if he had finally figured it out. "Because of the war, right? You people really have worked hard all these years. This one's on the house. I'll give you extra too."
Before Hikaru could even decline, the man turned and walked off.
That left Hikaru feeling a bit amused.
Strictly speaking, the owner was not wrong.
Hikaru had indeed contributed a great deal to the war effort.
Even if ANBU had not exactly been charging on the front lines.
He shook his head and let the matter go.
Konoha's civilians were still simple and genuine.
On the scale of the entire shinobi world, that sort of thing might seem insignificant.
But if one really paid attention to it, it was honestly rather nice.
"Calling me out today," Ayame said after the owner left, turning to him at last, "wasn't really just about eating something, was it?"
Though her voice remained cool and airy as always, there was obvious curiosity in it.
"Although I don't understand why you'd choose a place with this much risk, I trust your decisions completely."
"Don't you get moldy staying at home all day?" Hikaru asked with a small laugh. Then he tapped the table lightly. "Besides, I don't want you staying at home forever. Let me ask you something. Do you remember what I asked you before I left Konoha?"
"I remember." Ayame nodded seriously. "I remember everything you say."
Of course she remembered.
Before Hikaru had left, he had told her he would think about giving her a chance to truly show her worth.
She had no idea what that opportunity would be, but she had definitely hoped for it.
Spending day after day in Hikaru's house was, perhaps, the future she had no choice but to accept.
But deep down, she had never wanted her life to end there.
She wanted a stage of her own.
Since childhood, she had studied many things—shinobi matters, political matters, all sorts of family education.
The Senju might have declined, but they were still the Senju.
Their resources had been worn down, yes, and many things had been surrendered over the years, but the thousand-year legacy of that clan was still no small inheritance.
Ayame had never thought herself incompetent.
Nor had she ever believed herself inferior to anyone.
Especially when her clan had once produced someone like Tsunade—a woman who could stand on her own and carry immense weight.
How could she not long for the same?
Unfortunately, the clan had never given her that chance.
Or rather, Senju Lingtai had never given her that chance.
Because of her own personality—and because of her mother—she had never openly resisted.
And in truth, she knew resistance would likely have accomplished nothing.
Lingtai had not been the sort of man to tolerate defiance.
But in the end, Hikaru had dealt with him.
She did not know exactly how.
But the fact that Elder Shin had taken over afterward said enough.
And more than that—
it seemed quite obvious that even that elder was listening to Hikaru.
"To be honest, you should already know some of my situation, shouldn't you?" Hikaru said after glancing around the shop.
"I'm ANBU. That much you know. And you also know my rank in ANBU isn't low."
"Yes, I know." Ayame nodded. "I've never asked, but I know you're at least a squad commander. Probably higher by now."
Hikaru smiled and nodded.
That guess did not surprise him at all.
He had never explicitly said anything, but neither had he gone out of his way to hide certain signs.
When she had first been sent to his house, Hikaru had already been a unit commander.
If he had only been a squad leader back then, even Elder Shin would never have chosen to place her there.
And now, after the Nine-Tails incident—after Hikaru had publicly displayed his Wood Release and strength to the entire village—it was only natural for her to guess his status had risen again.
"Correct." Hikaru nodded. "I'm higher now."
Ayame stared at him, waiting.
And then Hikaru spoke calmly.
"To put it simply… I'm the ANBU Minister now."
…
Ayame froze.
ANBU.
A force personally established by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
As someone raised on Senju history, she knew exactly what that meant.
It was one of the most special institutions in all of Konoha.
Even with all its restrictions, it still held extraordinary power.
At the same time, it was the Hokage's direct force, which gave it equally immense political weight.
Every major clan in Konoha wanted to insert their people into it.
To join ANBU meant access to vast intelligence.
It meant direct proximity to the Hokage.
It meant an opportunity to display loyalty—or, for those with other motives, a chance to gather secrets.
And now—
the young man sitting before her controlled all of that.
Even though she had guessed he had risen high, she had never imagined this.
She had assumed he had gained more authority after the Nine-Tails incident.
After all, he had helped save the village and worked with the Fourth Hokage to seal the Nine-Tails.
Receiving a major promotion from that was perfectly normal.
But ANBU Minister?
At his age?
With his background?
And what about the previous minister?
Where had he gone?
A thought flashed through her mind, and she almost opened her mouth—
but stopped herself just in time.
Her gaze swept the entire shop.
Their conversation was not exactly quiet.
And what they were discussing involved ANBU.
Yet—
none of the diners around them showed the slightest reaction.
They went on chatting, laughing, eating, as if they had heard nothing at all.
The shop looked as harmonious as ever.
"Surprised?" Hikaru asked with a raised brow. "Didn't you already guess?"
"I guessed your status had risen again," Ayame said after taking a slow breath. "But I never imagined you had actually… actually…"
"Actually become the ANBU Minister?" Hikaru asked with a faint smile. "Being surprised is normal. My age and my background both make it sound unrealistic. And you're also wondering what happened to the previous minister, aren't you?"
"Yes." Ayame nodded, then added seriously, "But no matter what you say, I'll believe you."
She did mean it.
Even if countless questions were racing through her mind, she still chose his side.
And yet—
she could not deny it.
Her doubts were enormous.
At the same time, though, another emotion began stirring inside her.
Excitement.
If everything he said was true, then the stage she had imagined might be far larger than anything she had dared hope for.
She had once thought Hikaru was only a unit commander.
If that were the case, then perhaps the place for her to prove herself would only have been inside a single ANBU unit.
But now—
it might be the entire ANBU.
"You say that," Hikaru said, lightly shaking his head, "but I know your doubts are still huge."
He tapped the table again and spoke in a calm voice.
"Age and background aren't always the deciding factors. Sometimes what matters is having the right support. And sometimes what matters even more is that certain people have to die."
"Support… and someone died?" Ayame repeated softly.
Then it clicked.
Support meant the Hokage.
The Third Hokage would never support Hikaru in this.
That meant the supporter had to be the Fourth Hokage.
And since the Fourth was no longer in Konoha, perhaps this had been a move he set up in advance, to prevent all his power from being carved apart while he was away.
And the one who had died—
must have been the former ANBU Minister.
But how had he died?
Killed by the Nine-Tails?
Or…
That thought alone made her stomach tighten.
But Hikaru did not leave her to guess.
"The former minister was unfortunate," Hikaru said with an easy smile. "He refused to deploy ANBU during the Nine-Tails incident, so I killed him."
Ayame went cold all over.
She had never, not even in her worst guesses, imagined it had been Hikaru himself.
Her head slowly turned toward the "diners" around them.
And only now did she fully understand.
These were all ANBU.
Hikaru had already turned this entire place into his private room.
And the fact that those ANBU showed no reaction at all to what he had just said—
only meant one thing.
He had total control.
And that was what truly terrified her.
How long had it even been?
How could someone his age already possess that kind of method, that kind of grip?
This was no longer merely "capable."
This was frightening.
"Enough explanations," Hikaru said, tapping the table again when he saw the stunned look in her eyes. "Now let's talk about the real matter."
He leaned slightly forward.
"I'm reforming ANBU. But I have too much to handle myself. That doesn't suit my style. So I need help."
"You want me to help you?" Ayame asked, forcing herself to steady her breathing.
Even after everything she had heard, she still managed to seize the core of it.
He needed her.
More precisely—
he wanted her to step into ANBU because of this reform.
And if that reform was truly as large as it sounded, then this really was the opportunity she had dreamed of.
"Yes." Hikaru nodded. "But there's something I need to make clear first."
Though he still looked loose and casual with one arm propping up his head, his expression had turned serious.
"What you'll be doing may put you in direct contact with ANBU's deepest secrets. If your performance fails to satisfy me…"
"Summer Hikaru, you're here too?"
A voice suddenly cut in.
…
Elsewhere, on Konoha's streets—
Uchiha Shin was walking with his granddaughter.
"So," he asked with a smile, "you've really liked dango since you were little. Why?"
Perhaps because he had finally settled something in his heart, his mood was clearly much better today.
He had decided to spend the evening with his granddaughter properly.
And after tonight—
he would go find Hikaru himself.
He still felt enormous pressure when facing that boy.
But from this moment onward, pressure was meaningless.
He needed to keep moving.
For the clan.
For peace.
For the future.
"Dango?" Saya paused and looked forward, then smiled faintly. "I guess… it's because of a good memory."
As she spoke, her thoughts drifted back to many years ago.
Back then, she had only just entered the academy.
And almost immediately, she had run into trouble.
"I heard you're from the Uchiha clan," a boy at the front had said, leading a group that blocked her way. "Aren't your eyes supposed to turn red? Show us."
"That's the Sharingan," Saya had answered, trying to stay calm despite the fear in her chest. "I don't have it."
"Tch. Sharingan, my foot. Sounds more like pinkeye." The boy leaned in and glared. "Hurry up. Everyone wants to see it. Or do you want everyone to hate you?"
Saya had not known what to do.
She did not want to be hated.
But she truly did not have the Sharingan.
In fact, many in the clan did not.
Awakening it was precisely what everyone took pride in.
And just as she had been on the verge of panic—
a voice rang out.
"I think you lot are the annoying ones."
A silver-haired boy walked into the classroom carrying a small bag, glancing at the scene with a look of disdain.
"So this kind of school bullying really exists everywhere, huh? And it doesn't even care about age."
"Oi, what did you just say?" the leading boy snapped. "What bullying? I don't hit girls. You white-haired brat are the annoying one!"
"Forget it. You wouldn't get it anyway," the silver-haired boy said with a shrug. Then he smiled. "You wanted to see red eyes, right?"
"Yeah. Can you show us?"
"Of course." The boy nodded. "Actually, you can too. I can even help you."
The words had barely left his mouth before he tossed the bag in the air and lunged forward.
One punch.
The lead boy took it straight to the face.
Then, before the others could react, the silver-haired boy moved through them one after another, knocking each of them flat with either a fist or a kick.
By the time he was done, the bag had dropped back down into his waiting hand.
"Go find a mirror," he said cheerfully. "See if your eyes turned red yet."
The children had stared at him in total shock.
Then one started crying.
Then all of them did.
Soon they scrambled up and ran out of the classroom wailing.
Saya had been left standing there, completely stunned.
She had never imagined anyone would solve a problem like that.
When she finally looked at the silver-haired boy again, the light from the window had fallen across him so brightly that he seemed almost dazzling.
Then he turned and smiled at her.
"Did I scare you just now?"
"N-No…"
"Here." He took out a skewer of dango and handed it to her. "Sweet food improves your mood. Something like that probably doesn't feel great."
"Th-Thank you…"
She had wanted to refuse.
Instead, she accepted it.
And when she bit into it, the sweetness bloomed not just on her tongue, but somehow in her chest too.
She had eaten dango before.
But never one that tasted this good.
"All right then, I'm off."
The silver-haired boy shrugged and turned away, muttering to himself:
"So Itachi got bullied too, huh? Didn't expect to actually see something like that."
Saya had not understood what he meant.
But before he could leave, she called after him.
"W-Wait!"
"Hm?" He turned back, puzzled. "What is it?"
"That…" She hesitated awkwardly, then quickly bowed. "My name is Saya. Uchiha Saya. Please take care of me."
"You don't have to be so formal. We're classmates," the boy said with a shrug. "It's just the first day. Seats haven't been assigned yet, but I know who you are. As for me…"
He grinned.
"I'm Hikaru. Senju Hikaru. Nice to meet you."
…
"Saya? What is it?"
Shin's voice brought her back to the present.
She smiled and shook her head.
Nothing more needed to be said.
That was where the dango began.
Over the next three years, whenever she had been upset, Hikaru had always bought her dango.
Every time, she had wanted to decline.
Every time, she had accepted.
Then when they turned eight, Hikaru left the academy.
After that, no one ever bought her dango when she was upset again.
Still, she kept the habit.
Because Hikaru had once told her that sweet things made a person feel better.
Though the dango she bought herself never tasted quite the same, she still liked them.
And perhaps—
what she really missed was not the dango at all.
"But let's hurry," Saya said softly, pulling Shin along.
When they reached the shop, both of them froze.
"Why are there so many people?" Shin frowned and sighed. "Business is way too good today."
"Yes…" Saya also looked disappointed.
She knew the shop was usually popular.
But with it this crowded, they would probably have to take the dango to go.
Still, the moment they stepped inside, Saya had the strange feeling that many of the diners were watching them.
Shin frowned too.
But for the sake of his granddaughter, he held himself back.
Then—
his gaze landed on a familiar figure.
At first, he could not quite believe it.
But once he saw clearly—
he froze in place.
"Grandpa?" Saya asked, confused.
Then she followed his line of sight—
and her eyes lit up at once.
"Hikaru, you're here too?"
…
Hikaru looked at the two of them and could not help twitching at the corner of his mouth.
He really had not expected to run into them here.
Much less while he was in the middle of discussing something serious.
He glanced at Uchiha Shin and found it a little funny.
The old man clearly had not expected this either.
His face carried a mix of shock and unease.
He looked, quite frankly, a little afraid.
"Long time no see," Saya said with a smile, clearly oblivious to her grandfather's state.
She stepped over to Hikaru's table as if ready to say more—
but then her eyes landed on Ayame sitting opposite him.
The girl was beautiful.
Though her expression looked a little strange—half surprise, half something like joy.
And for some reason, Saya immediately felt that this was not just some ordinary acquaintance.
The little spark of happiness in her chest cooled at once.
She looked at Ayame, then asked:
"This is…?"
"Hello. My name is Ayame. Nice to meet you," Ayame said, standing politely despite the obvious complexity in her expression.
"Ayame…"
The name was unfamiliar to Saya.
Perhaps Hikaru's teammate?
After all, for years she had tried to learn more about Hikaru, only to get almost nothing.
It was only after meeting him again this year that she had finally gotten even the smallest glimpse into the life of her former classmate.
"My name is Saya. Uchiha Saya. Nice to meet you as well." She bowed politely.
"You're still just as formal as before," Hikaru said with a helpless shake of his head.
That sight brought back the memory of their first meeting all over again.
Then he turned his gaze toward Uchiha Shin, who was still standing there stiffly.
The old man looked deeply awkward, as though unsure whether he should approach or flee.
Hikaru chuckled softly.
"Elder Shin. Long time no see."
"Captain Hikaru…" Shin let out a quiet sigh before answering. "I suppose it has been a while. I was actually wondering when I might get the chance to thank you properly."
"No need for thanks. You simply made the right choice." Hikaru shook his head, one hand idly tapping the table. "Sit. The place is crowded today. If you don't mind sharing, then make do."
"If it won't disturb your conversation, then please forgive our intrusion," Shin said after a moment's thought, finally nodding.
In truth, he wanted very badly to say that this had nothing to do with good business.
The shop had clearly been quietly taken over by ANBU.
That was why he had felt watched the moment he stepped in.
No outsider would have found a seat tonight.
But Shin was also curious.
What exactly had Hikaru been discussing with this girl?
And would barging in cause trouble?
Anything touching ANBU had to be approached with extreme caution.
Especially since the only Uchiha he had managed to place inside was still just a child—Shisui, still training in the reserves.
"Whether it's an interruption or not," Hikaru said with a small smile, "there are some things I don't really intend to hide anymore. Once you've reached my position, there isn't much point in hiding them anyway."
"Captain Hikaru…" Shin looked at him, puzzled.
Then suddenly, his expression changed.
He understood.
If ANBU no longer needed to hide its minister's identity—
then there was only one possibility.
And Hikaru spoke at that exact moment.
"To be precise…"
He looked at Uchiha Shin calmly and said slowly,
"you should really be calling me Minister now."
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