"What a hassle..."
Hikaru truly had not expected Saya to throw him such a difficult problem.
ANBU was not a good place by any stretch of the imagination. Back when Hikaru himself had first learned he was being sent there, he had resisted it too.
And now Uchiha Saya had come to him asking to join ANBU.
That really left him at a loss.
He could not understand why that girl would want to work in a place like that. Wasn't that just asking for suffering?
In the end, however, Hikaru did not reject her.
After all, he still did not know whether that was entirely Saya's own idea, or whether Uchiha Shin was also pushing in that direction.
So he simply decided to give her a chance.
ANBU was undergoing reform anyway, and the administrative branch still had plenty of vacancies.
If Saya performed well, Hikaru did not mind letting the Uchiha touch some of the things they had long dreamed of.
What the Uchiha wanted most, more than anything else, was to participate in actual administration.
But that path had basically been cut off for them already.
The Police Force was certainly an important department of Konoha, but in Uchiha hands it had already been run into the ground.
Its actual usefulness was also being steadily replaced.
After all, Konoha had the Hyuga, the Inuzuka, and the Aburame.
When it came to detection and tracking, they did not lose to the Uchiha at all.
Their combat power might not be as strong as the Uchiha's, but against ordinary civilians they were still overwhelmingly superior.
Under those circumstances, the Police Force's voice inside Konoha naturally continued to weaken.
Worse still, the Uchiha had turned the Police Force into something like a clan department of their own.
That in turn made the other departments even less willing to accept Uchiha members.
Over time, the clan had been pushed farther and farther away from the real decision-making core.
ANBU's administrative division was nowhere near the true governing offices of Konoha, but it still had access to an enormous volume of intelligence and internal information.
That alone was already something the Uchiha desperately wanted.
"So," Ayame said with a slight frown as she stood in the commander's office and looked at Hikaru seated behind the desk, "you want me to assess Uchiha Saya?"
"And you're certain you want an Uchiha getting close to these matters?"
"I'm certain," Hikaru replied, resting one hand against his temple as he spoke lazily. "And I'm also very clear about what I'm doing."
"The fact that you questioned my decision is a good sign. After all, there's no such thing as every decision I make being one hundred percent correct."
"But I suggest you don't carry personal feelings into work."
He looked up at her, his tone still calm.
"The relationship between the Uchiha and the Senju is something I know very well. But that has no bearing on ANBU's internal direction."
His voice was steady, but that very steadiness carried a quiet pressure.
Hikaru was someone who would use public power for private aims when it suited him, but he was not a man ruled by emotion.
Even when he held deep hostility toward someone, as long as cooperation aligned with his interests, he would not refuse to use it.
Just as he had worked with Hiruzen when it came to squeezing the Fire Daimyo dry.
More importantly, Hikaru had never truly internalized the hatred between the Senju and the Uchiha.
On top of that, he needed people now.
And the Uchiha, isolated as they were, wanted back in. They wanted to reclaim what they felt should have been theirs.
Under those circumstances, their cooperation was only natural.
"I understand." Ayame lowered her head slightly, her expression still cool and detached, but her tone extremely serious. "I'll control my attitude and mindset."
"I'll also be fully responsible for Uchiha Saya's evaluation, and I'll work hard to learn everything I need to."
"Good. The position you're in now is very important, understand?"
Hikaru gave a satisfied nod and stood, looking directly at the girl before him.
"To be honest, I'm not even sure whether putting you in charge of this so directly is the right move. But I hope you won't disappoint me."
"I won't disappoint you, commander," Ayame replied, still with her head lowered, her voice firm.
After leaving the dango shop last night, she still had not known exactly what she would be expected to do.
But she had already made up her mind.
Only when she came in today and learned the specifics did she truly feel the weight of it.
Now she finally understood how important her work would be, and how troublesome it would also be.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that, in the entire ANBU, the person most likely to fully understand Hikaru's intentions would be whoever occupied her post.
At the same time, she would also gain access to ANBU's most core and most secret intelligence.
No wonder Hikaru had warned her in advance, very clearly, that if she failed, the consequences would be ugly.
And they really would be.
In this position, if she did poorly, the end would be ugly precisely because she would already have come into contact with information she never should have been able to see in her lifetime.
And once such things leaked out, the trouble they could bring to Konoha would be immeasurable.
Even so, Ayame still had confidence.
Yes, the pressure was immense.
But pressure was also motivation.
She had longed for an opportunity for a very long time.
Now an opportunity far beyond anything she had ever dared dream of had been placed before her.
She had to seize it.
"By the way, commander," Ayame said after a moment. Though her thoughts were racing, none of it showed on her face. She still looked as composed as ever. "If Uchiha Saya passes, are you planning to place her directly into the clerical department?"
"That depends on the situation," Hikaru said after a moment's thought, smiling. "If she performs well enough, then having her assist you isn't out of the question."
"Power is a cake. I've already taken the largest slice."
He smiled lightly.
"I don't mind sharing some of it."
"Only when the benefits are spread around will people work for you more seriously and with greater effort."
"I understand." Ayame's mind turned quickly, and she immediately grasped his meaning. In fact, she thought of even more.
"In that case, when more valuable members from other clans enter later, if they pass the evaluation, will they also be allowed in?"
"That depends on whether they're worthy of trust."
Hikaru shook his head slightly.
"Uchiha Saya is a special case. Her situation is a little complicated. But overall, she's someone I'm willing to try trusting."
"Then..."
Ayame paused briefly before speaking again.
"In that case, I think we should absorb more people from the Nara clan in the future."
"I was thinking the same thing," Hikaru said with a nod. "And at the same time, we should also leave room for other clans too."
Then he walked over and patted Ayame lightly on the shoulder, his expression still warm and mild.
"After all, if one person eats the whole cake alone, they're bound to get indigestion."
Ayame's eyes flickered slightly.
Then she asked quietly, "commander... why do you seem so certain that the Nara will be useful?"
"Because they're naturally suited for internal administration, analysis, and long-term coordination," Hikaru replied without hesitation. "They're cautious, intelligent, and they understand structure."
He smiled.
"And more importantly, they know how to work under someone stronger than them."
Ayame nodded slowly.
"I see."
"But before that," Hikaru continued, "we need to establish the framework clearly. Otherwise, once more people start coming in, the whole system will become a mess."
Ayame straightened immediately.
Hikaru returned to his desk, sat down again, and began speaking in an even calmer tone.
"Right now, we need two things most."
"First, a proper political-administrative department."
"Second, a secretary system."
At those words, Ayame's eyes sharpened.
"A secretary system?"
"Yes." Hikaru nodded. "To put it simply, I have too many things to handle on my own. If I continue doing everything myself, eventually I'll either become buried alive in paperwork or waste time on things beneath my attention."
"So I need people to help carry that burden."
"I understand that much," Ayame said quietly. "But what exactly do you want that system to look like?"
Hikaru tapped the desk lightly.
"For now, there will be two tracks."
"One will be my private secretary line."
"That secretary answers directly to me, handles communication with the main administrative office, conveys my intentions, and delivers the files the administrative office has already processed—or cannot process."
Ayame was already writing rapidly.
"And the second?" she asked.
"The second will be the executive secretary line."
"This one stands parallel to the private secretary. They'll also answer directly to me, but their job is different."
"They will be responsible for contact with the ANBU field structure—captains, squad leaders, unit heads, and so on."
"They'll transmit my orders, coordinate with the administrative office, and if necessary, carry out ideological work."
Ayame's hand paused.
"Ideological work?"
"Yes." Hikaru looked at her evenly. "Because what I need are obedient people. More precisely—people who obey me."
For a moment, Ayame was silent.
Then she asked very carefully, "commander... are you trying to build a balanced structure, or are you trying to build a system that can never function without you?"
Hikaru looked at her, then burst into quiet laughter.
"Both."
That answer made even Ayame's eyes move slightly.
Hikaru, however, continued as though it were nothing.
"A single secretary line would gather too much authority. So it must be split."
"The private secretary must be balanced by the executive secretary."
"And both sides must be watched."
"So I'll also establish a small internal security team."
He leaned back in his chair.
"They'll be responsible for protecting the secretary staff, but more importantly, for ensuring the two systems don't start colluding, infiltrating one another, or leaking authority outward."
Ayame fell briefly silent.
Then she nodded.
"Necessary oversight and internal restraint. That makes sense."
"Good," Hikaru said. "For now, that small team will fall under an internal affairs office. Though since we don't have enough personnel yet, that office won't be formally established immediately."
Ayame looked down at her notes and quickly organized the structure in her mind.
Even she had to admit it—
this was very tight.
At first glance, it seemed only like a method to reduce Hikaru's burden.
But in reality, it was much more than that.
It was a carefully layered control system.
Still—
she also saw a problem.
"If the private secretary system and the executive secretary system ever begin cooperating instead of balancing each other... then together, they could theoretically bypass the commander's control."
"That's why the security team exists," Hikaru replied at once. "And that's why the appointments must all come through me."
Then he added after a pause:
"And if needed, I can also have the private secretary system quietly extend into the administrative office itself."
Ayame's pen stopped again.
The more she listened, the more astonished she became.
In a very short span of time, Hikaru had already thought all of this through.
It was not just about creating assistants.
It was about creating an entire internal structure that revolved around him.
And the most frightening thing of all was that he had thought of the counterbalances while designing it.
"All right." Hikaru looked at her notes and nodded. "That's enough for now. I still have other matters to deal with."
"Yes, commander," Ayame said immediately. "The prison side has already been prepared."
"And Saya should arrive soon. I'll need to begin her evaluation."
"Don't make it too harsh, but don't make it too easy either," Hikaru said with a smile. "The Uchiha need hope. I don't mind giving them some."
"But if they want more, they'll need ability. I trust you'll know how to control that balance."
"Yes, commander." Ayame nodded. Then she added after a pause, "Still, I suggest we absorb more of the Nara in the future."
"I agree."
Hikaru gave her one last nod, then turned and walked out of the office.
After leaving, he headed straight for the prison.
Since Ayame had already prepared things for him, that saved him a great deal of trouble.
And that was the value of a qualified secretary.
As long as you gave them the right instructions, many things could be handled for you before you ever arrived.
He quickly reached the prison.
The guards at the entrance stepped aside at once, allowing him through.
Soon, Hikaru stood before the cell where Yamato was being held.
Today, Yamato had already had his sensory seal removed.
He was sitting blankly inside, glancing around in confusion.
Under normal circumstances, his senses would have remained sealed the entire time, ensuring he could neither contact nor perceive anything in his surroundings.
But today was different.
Several hours earlier, his sensory seal had been lifted—and after that, no one had come.
If his chakra had not still been sealed, he might even have begun wondering whether escape was possible.
Of course, that thought had only flashed once before he crushed it himself.
This was ANBU.
A place whose security was no less strict than Root.
Trying to escape from here was nothing but a fantasy.
Still, even as he remained confused and uncertain about what was coming—something like last time, perhaps—he had not stopped observing his surroundings.
If he was lucky, maybe there was still some chance to get out.
Just then, a series of footsteps approached.
Yamato turned his head.
As expected—
it was still that same man.
The same ANBU commander.
The same Senju Hikaru.
So this time too, it would probably be just like before...
...
"It's been a while, kid."
Hikaru walked in slowly and smiled at the boy before him.
A friendly attitude could win goodwill. It was a principle Hikaru had always put into practice.
But when he noticed Yamato's gaze growing guarded, he could not help sighing softly.
As expected, a child was still a child.
Putting on that kind of warm expression in front of a boy like this really did not achieve much.
Still, Hikaru did not care enough to dwell on it.
He glanced at Yamato and spoke calmly.
"You've had time to think. You should have come to a conclusion by now, right?"
Hikaru still wore a smile, his tone even and mild.
"In some ways, Root and ANBU are quite similar. The reason we haven't acted yet wasn't because we didn't dare—it was because we had patience."
"But don't mistake our patience and goodwill for bargaining chips you can rely on in silence."
"If you do, your end will only become uglier."
"What exactly do you want me to say?" Yamato asked through clenched teeth. Fear lingered in his eyes, but he still forced the question out.
"You already know," Hikaru said, shaking his head faintly. "I want to know where your Wood Release came from. I want to know your relationship with Danzō. And I want to know how all of this connects to him and to Orochimaru."
Last time, Hikaru had already given him more than enough hints.
After all, Yamato's priority was clearly protecting Danzō.
And Hikaru did not mind that in the slightest.
In fact, it was exactly what he wanted.
If dealing with one person could create only one effect, then forcing Yamato to directly point at Danzō would have been enough.
But Hikaru wanted a far longer chain reaction than that.
Still—
he had to admit he had one concern.
Yamato was simply too young.
If the boy had completely failed to understand his hints and stubbornly chosen to say nothing at all, that would have been awkward.
That was precisely why Hikaru had never used torture.
Because if the boy broke under torture and named Danzō directly, then yes, that would still serve Hikaru's interests—
but only in the short term.
What he wanted was long-term value.
"It was Lord Orochimaru!"
Yamato suddenly blurted out.
"I was one of Lord Orochimaru's experimental subjects. I almost died because of that experiment."
"If Lord Danzō hadn't saved me, I probably would have ended up like the others. I was the only one who survived."
"My Wood Release is related to that experiment."
"As for anything else... I don't know."
When he said those words, his face was serious and tight.
But Hikaru only smiled.
Of course.
The boy really was not suited to lying.
Even while speaking, his body temperature had risen slightly.
His heartbeat had also quickened.
These were obvious physical signs of deception.
He could not possibly do what Hikaru did—lie without any outward or internal reaction.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was that he had said exactly what Hikaru wanted him to say.
Orochimaru.
Everything pointed toward Orochimaru.
A child experimental subject.
Human experimentation.
Countless failed subjects.
Only one survivor.
And Wood Release—
a bloodline tied directly to the Senju, even to the First Hokage himself.
That naturally implied something horrifying:
Orochimaru had stolen the First Hokage's remains and used Hashirama's cells in his experiments.
That alone would be enough to condemn Orochimaru beyond redemption.
And Orochimaru was Hiruzen's disciple.
The blow this would deal to Hiruzen—and to Hiruzen's broader political faction—would be enormous.
Of course, Hikaru's aim did not end there.
He wanted much more than a single strike.
He clapped lightly.
At once, an ANBU operative appeared beside him and knelt on one knee.
"You heard everything, Snowhawk?" Hikaru asked calmly.
"Yes, commander," Senju Yang, codenamed Snowhawk, replied with absolute seriousness.
"Good. Make the arrangements. Fix the blame firmly on Orochimaru. Understood?"
Hikaru smiled lightly.
"And the four of you will go together. You'll all have more important duties in the future anyway. You understand that too, right?"
"Yes, commander!" Senju Yang answered at once.
With a small wave of Hikaru's hand, Yang vanished.
The other three disappeared with him as well.
They had all heard every word spoken earlier between Hikaru and Ayame.
And all four understood very clearly:
they would hold important responsibilities in the future.
Along with that would come enormous authority.
For them, the temptation of that future was impossible to reject.
"All right, kid."
Hikaru turned back to Yamato.
After pausing briefly, he continued,
"From now on, you belong to ANBU. And from this point on, your name is Yamato."
"ANBU?" Yamato stared blankly. "You're... keeping me here?"
"Did you really think you could go back to Root?"
Hikaru shook his head lightly, looking down at him from above.
"Stop dreaming. The fact that I didn't kill you is already me preserving talent for Konoha."
"And do you really think that, after I already took you, Danzō would dare demand you back?"
Then Hikaru smiled.
"To put it simply..."
He opened the iron cell door and looked directly into Yamato's eyes.
"Danzō understands how serious this is. His silence means he's leaving you to me in exchange for me not killing him."
"So think carefully, kid."
"Stay here, do your job for ANBU, and you live—while he lives."
"But if you run..."
Hikaru's smile deepened slightly.
"Then I'll kill both you and Danzō."
"And I'll make sure Danzō dies in utter disgrace."
"So—have you thought it through?"
...
"Senju... Ayame?"
Saya stood somewhat stiffly in the middle of a broad plaza, staring at the crowds around her.
When she noticed the familiar young woman walking toward her, she muttered the name softly.
What had happened last night really did feel like a dream to her.
The revelation that Hikaru was the ANBU commander had hit her like a blow.
But at the same time, it had also given her an opportunity—
a chance to escape the path her clan might one day force onto her.
Just like that inexplicable fiancée of Hikaru's, she wanted to prove her own worth and enter ANBU.
Joining ANBU was no small thing.
Becoming an ANBU shinobi required serious strength.
Even so, Saya refused to accept defeat so easily.
If Senju Ayame could do it, then why couldn't she?
That was why, right before Hikaru had left last night, she had stubbornly asked her question.
Fortunately, her luck had been good.
Hikaru had agreed to give her a chance.
She still did not know what the evaluation would involve, nor what she would be doing if she entered ANBU.
But no matter what, she could not let this opportunity slip through her fingers.
So she had gotten up early this morning.
Thankfully, she had already been on the battlefield before, so she had not been too nervous to sleep.
Otherwise, she might have shown up today already exhausted.
She had gone to find Shisui and asked him to guide her here.
After all, she was not an ANBU member. She had no idea how to reach ANBU on her own.
Shisui, for his part, seemed to have already received instructions.
Although he was clearly surprised that another member of the clan was about to enter ANBU, he did not ask any questions.
Right now, he was still only part of the reserve corps.
There were many things he could not touch.
Under his guidance, Saya arrived at a plaza beside the Hokage Tower, right in one of the busiest areas of the village.
But after last night, she no longer dared trust appearances so easily.
The previous evening, she had asked her grandfather how he had come to know Hikaru, and Uchiha Shin had not hidden anything.
He had told her the whole story—how he had guessed Hikaru's identity and deliberately waited until Hikaru had time to meet him.
And from that explanation, Saya had learned that her grandfather had gone through something very similar once before.
That time too, Hikaru had silently replaced every single customer in a shop.
It was the kind of silent terror that did not need to shout.
After Shisui left, Saya stood there waiting quietly.
She was waiting for whoever would come to evaluate her.
She had a great deal of patience.
She simply stood there in silence, because in her eyes, even that was part of the evaluation.
She had heard that ANBU shinobi sometimes needed to lie hidden in one place for a very, very long time during missions.
Compared to that, simply standing and waiting like this was nothing.
What she did not expect, however, was that she would not have to wait long at all.
A familiar figure soon walked toward her.
"Uchiha Saya," Ayame called softly as she approached. "You're early."
"Yes," Saya replied, lifting her head. "But for something like this, it's better to come early."
"This is an issue of attitude. I have to show my best attitude."
"I see." Ayame looked at her for a few seconds, then gave a small nod.
"Come with me."
"There'll be an assessment today. I'm the one in charge."
"Have you prepared yourself?"
"I understand." Saya nodded.
Then her gaze hardened slightly.
"I'll do my best."
"Because I won't disappoint Hikaru."
At the same time, deep inside, another sentence echoed unspoken—
And I definitely won't lose. Especially not to you.
...
After handing Yamato over to Kakashi, Hikaru left the prison.
From here on, Kakashi could take over the work of breaking him in.
As for whether Kakashi would end up being the one doing the "breaking," or the one being tormented instead—
that was harder to say.
After all, Hikaru had never participated in the Lost Tower mission. He did not know exactly how the future Yamato had interacted with Kakashi there.
Still, no matter what future those two might share, this was how Hikaru had chosen to arrange things now.
In his memory, Yamato becoming anything close to a normal person at all had a lot to do with Kakashi.
So assigning him to Kakashi was not necessarily a bad move.
Of course, Hikaru was not without other cards to play.
The Orochimaru mission, for instance, would never be handed off to just anyone.
After all, it was precisely during operations against Orochimaru that Yamato had first begun to truly change.
But that was a matter for later.
Right now, Hikaru had something else he needed to do.
He planned to pay another visit to Danzō's laboratory.
He had been waiting for Obito's severed arm to ferment into a seed for quite a long time now.
And yet, that hand still showed no sign of producing anything.
At this point, Hikaru had begun wondering whether he had made a mistake—or whether the arm simply held no value at all.
To prevent his entire plan from stalling, he needed additional insurance.
And that made him think, once again, of Danzō—that wonderfully generous old benefactor whose laboratory had effectively helped launch his rise.
This time, Hikaru intended to search again and see whether he could find more material.
At the same time, he also wanted to test his luck in finding something even more valuable.
For example—
the experimental records he had wanted before but failed to locate.
If he found those, then it would truly be the same as seizing Danzō by the throat.
He would be able to crush him whenever he pleased.
"Summoning Jutsu."
As Hikaru approached one of the laboratories that intelligence had linked to both Danzō and Orochimaru, he formed hand seals and summoned two lizards.
He picked one up and placed it on himself.
With a slight pulse of chakra, he synchronized his senses with the creature.
Then he looked at the other one and spoke softly.
"I'll leave a mark on you."
"Your task is the same as last time."
"Search for material. And if you find more of those meat chunks from before, even better."
"The moment you find them, activate the mark with chakra, and I'll come immediately."
"And remember—don't summon me if people are nearby. Understood?"
The little lizard flicked its tongue, then quickly crawled toward the laboratory.
Hikaru stayed where he was.
He did not follow.
His sensory connection with the lizard was more than enough.
His current strength was no longer what it had once been, and his current position meant he no longer needed to skulk around the way he once had.
After activating the lizard-communication chakra trait, he could now hear all manner of nearby creatures.
But this place was eerily quiet.
It felt as if death itself had draped over the area.
Hikaru did not like that feeling at all.
Then—
"Hm?"
He suddenly felt the little lizard activate the mark.
His spirits rose at once.
But he still did not rush in blindly.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he decided to make a few preparations first.
He put on a mask, then a black glove.
Finally, he draped a black cloak over his body.
Once everything was ready, he lightly touched the edge of the mask.
A ripple of chakra passed through him—
and in the next instant, he vanished from where he stood.
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