"I never expected Konoha would send someone this young. Are you really a Division Commander?"
As soon as Natsuhiko followed the ANBU guide into the oasis outside Sunagakure, a calm voice drifted over the water and reached his ears.
Natsuhiko raised his head, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
By the lakeside stood an old man.
At first glance, he looked utterly ordinary—like any elderly passerby one might see in a quiet village.
But the moment Natsuhiko laid eyes on him, his brows knit slightly.
Behind the old man stood two masked ANBU shinobi.
That alone confirmed Natsuhiko's guess.
"Well… I didn't expect it to be you, Lord Ebizō."
Natsuhiko's tone was gentle, tinged with just the right amount of surprise, as if the encounter had caught him completely off guard.
And truthfully, it had.
He had never imagined that the person sent to receive him would be Ebizō, the head of Sunagakure's ANBU.
Natsuhiko knew a fair amount about the old man.
Aside from being the younger brother of Chiyo, the legendary puppet master, there were also numerous records about him within Konoha's ANBU intelligence files.
In the original history, Ebizo rarely appeared—not because he lacked achievements, but because he had already grown old, and many of his records had long been sealed away.
But the ANBU archives still contained those materials.
And Natsuhiko had never been the type to overlook valuable information.
"Looks like you know who I am."
Ebizo nodded faintly, then his gaze shifted toward the unconscious Yashamaru slung over Natsuhiko's shoulder.
"What happened to him? I can see sealing marks on his body. If he's already sealed, why knock him unconscious as well?"
"Well, we're getting closer and closer to his hometown," Natsuhiko replied calmly, though his senses remained alert.
"To avoid unnecessary complications… it seemed best if he stayed asleep."
"Hmm." Ebizō nodded thoughtfully. "You certainly have the tongue of a Division Commander."
"Very well."
"Put him down."
"No problem, Lord Ebizo."
Natsuhiko didn't hesitate.
He carefully lowered Yashamaru from his shoulder and placed him gently on the ground.
His movements were deliberately cautious—almost restrained—like someone worried about causing a misunderstanding.
At the same time, his posture remained tense, as though he were ready to fight at any moment.
In truth…
He was ready.
The nervous stance was intentional.
If the enemy believed he was anxious, they might lower their guard—and that could create a better opportunity.
After all, learning how to lull an enemy into complacency was practically a core skill for an ANBU.
The moment Yashamaru touched the ground, Natsuhiko's sensory perception swept outward.
Hidden ANBU positions.
One.
Two.
Three.
More.
Their locations quietly locked into place in his mind.
Meanwhile, as Natsuhiko stepped back from Yashamaru, the tiny lizards hidden beneath the sand began moving under his subtle command—silently crawling toward those concealed shinobi.
"Lord Ebizō," Natsuhiko said softly once he had retreated a safe distance. "It seems my mission is complete."
"So if you'll excuse me… I'll be on my way."
"Wait."
Ebizō shook his head.
He gestured for one of the ANBU to check Yashamaru's condition before speaking again, his tone almost leisurely.
"I'm curious."
"Who exactly are you?"
"I don't recall any Division Commanders this young."
He paused.
"Kusunoki is dead."
"You took his place, didn't you?"
"There's no need to ask, Lord Ebizō." Natsuhiko's voice remained as calm and gentle as ever, though inwardly he had already begun preparing himself.
"As the head of ANBU, surely you know the rules."
"Of course I do." Ebizō smiled faintly.
"That's why I never expected you to answer."
He folded his hands behind his back and continued slowly.
"Those eligible for promotion to Division Commander are usually squad captain first."
"And there aren't many squad captains your age."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Add silver hair to the equation…"
"And the list becomes even shorter."
"You're Nightingale, aren't you?"
Natsuhiko looked at Ebizō in silence.
He had to admit—the old man knew quite a lot about Konohagakure's ANBU.
If Natsuhiko himself hadn't worked inside ANBU, he might have started wondering whether that cynical saying was actually true—
"Konoha's defense policy exists mainly to convince people that Konoha is defended."
Of course, he knew the truth was simpler.
Every village was more or less the same.
They were all riddled with spies from various factions, infiltrated so thoroughly they might as well have been sieves.
Aside from the most tightly guarded secrets, other villages often knew more about you than you knew about yourself.
"Looks like I guessed correctly, Captain Nightingale." Ebizō chuckled softly when Natsuhiko remained silent. "Someone your age becoming a Division Commander… now that's rather interesting."
Natsuhiko still said nothing.
But his chakra had already begun to ripple quietly beneath the surface.
Through his sensory perception, he could clearly feel it—
The hidden ANBU of Sunagakure were already preparing to move.
"Not going to speak?" Ebizō sighed and shook his head lightly.
"Well, never mind."
"You've come a long way, and guests are always welcome."
"Since you're already here, why not stay a few days before leaving?"
"What do you think, Captain Nightingale?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to decline your kindness, Lord Ebizō," Natsuhiko finally replied.
"I still have many duties waiting for me. Unfortunately, I can't accept your generous offer."
"I see." Ebizō nodded slowly.
Then, in the very next moment, his expression hardened completely.
"In that case…"
"Captain Nightingale of Konoha's ANBU—do you possess official mission documentation authorizing you to enter the Land of Wind?"
"If not…"
"I'm afraid we'll have to arrest you."
"You people from Konoha have stepped far beyond your boundaries."
When it came to changing faces, Natsuhiko had always believed few could rival him.
And when it came to shamelessness, he had always thought Danzō Shimura ranked number one.
But now he realized something.
His knowledge of the world had been far too shallow.
This world was full of talents beyond imagination.
Listening to Ebizō's words, Natsuhiko could only describe the situation with one word—
Shameless.
Because the truth was simple.
He didn't have any mission documents.
This mission could never have official records in the first place.
"Move!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Ebizō waved his hand.
The peaceful atmosphere from moments ago vanished instantly, as though it had never existed.
The two ANBU behind him rushed forward at once.
Natsuhiko remained standing where he was.
Completely motionless.
For a moment, he looked almost like someone frozen in fear.
But the instant the two ANBU were about to reach him—
His figure vanished.
Like a phantom dissolving into thin air.
The two attackers lunged forward and grabbed nothing.
They stumbled to a halt, staring around in confusion.
"What the—?"
Even Ebizō froze for a brief second.
But when screams suddenly began erupting from multiple directions around the oasis—
His expression turned ashen.
He had never imagined that the young shinobi before him…
Would possess such a technique.
At the exact moment the ambush began, Natsuhiko had already activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
He had known from the start that this battle was unavoidable.
Which meant there was no reason to hold back.
"Good thing I had the lizards prepare in advance," Natsuhiko murmured quietly.
"Though honestly… even without that preparation, I doubt you'd have caused me much trouble."
He paused briefly.
"Still… I don't like trouble."
Natsuhiko's current strength was more than enough to deal with these people—even if his chakra reserves weren't particularly abundant.
After all, he possessed both the Flying Thunder God Technique and Sage Mode.
And even in the worst case?
He could always run.
For him, escaping was never difficult.
As someone who operated with a near "moral vacuum", Natsuhiko had always been painfully clear about his own position.
And now, after making so many preparations in advance, he had effectively minimized the risks. Which meant he could finally let loose and properly demonstrate his strength.
When his figure appeared again, he was already standing beside a hidden ANBU operative.
In the next instant—
His ninja blade flashed from its sheath.
The strike came down hard toward the man's neck.
"AAH—!"
A sharp scream tore through the air, startling every bird resting in the oasis and sending them scattering into the sky.
Perhaps it was because Natsuhiko had used the Flying Thunder God too few times.
And more importantly, he had never used it to kill someone before.
As a result, he still wasn't fully accustomed to striking instantly and precisely at an opponent's vital point the moment he appeared.
The consequence?
The man he attacked didn't die immediately.
Instead, he managed to scream.
But Natsuhiko didn't care.
After spending so long in ANBU, he could tell from a single glance that the wound was fatal.
The man wouldn't last long.
"First."
Natsuhiko murmured quietly.
Without even looking back at the ANBU whose scream was fading into a hoarse gurgle, his chakra stirred again—
And his figure vanished.
The earlier scream had clearly alerted the remaining Sunagakure ANBU.
Combined with Natsuhiko's sudden disappearance, they had all become extremely cautious.
But the Flying Thunder God wasn't something that could be countered by caution alone.
When he appeared again, faint blue chakra was already coiling around his blade.
The chakra radiated a razor-sharp edge as he thrust it straight toward another ANBU's back.
If his technique execution still needed refinement—
Then the solution was simple.
Increase the lethality of each attack.
Natsuhiko wasn't Tobirama Senju, capable of casually performing the legendary Flying Thunder God Slash.
Though he believed that, given enough time, he could learn it as well.
But right now?
Practicality mattered more.
Combining Flying Thunder God with attacks similar to the Rasengan style of combat worked perfectly well.
"Second."
The blade slid cleanly across the man's throat.
Despite being on guard, the ANBU had no idea what had happened.
He clutched his neck with both hands, producing nothing but meaningless choking sounds—
And just as his body collapsed to the ground…
Natsuhiko vanished again.
Silent.
Invisible.
A massacre had quietly begun within the small oasis.
And with every teleport—
With every strike—
Natsuhiko grew more familiar with the rhythm of the technique.
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
"Sixth."
His chakra-coated blade traced a clean arc across the sixth man's throat.
This time, however, Natsuhiko stopped.
Six consecutive space-time jumps weren't an unbearable burden for him.
Yes, they consumed a fair amount of chakra—but his recovery speed was fast.
That wasn't the problem.
The real issue…
Was dizziness.
His body could endure the rapid transitions just fine.
But his ears clearly disagreed.
The sensation felt almost like motion sickness.
Fortunately, a short pause was enough to recover.
And besides—
Ebizō had already changed his tactics.
The remaining three ANBU had gathered together around him.
They formed a tight circular formation, placing Ebizō at the center.
Each shinobi guarded their assigned sector with extreme vigilance, their focus razor sharp.
What made things even more troublesome was what Natsuhiko noticed next.
One of the remaining ANBU was forming hand seals with a single hand, while a layer of drifting yellow sand slowly began to swirl around them.
"Magnet Release again?" Natsuhiko steadied himself and glanced toward Ebizo. "Lord Ebizo, it seems your side isn't very friendly. We're supposed to be allies, yet things have become this hostile. Doesn't that damage the relationship between our villages?"
"Hmph. No wonder you dared to come here alone." Ebizo's expression darkened slightly. "I never expected Captain Nightingale to be such a talented individual."
Losing six subordinates in just a few seconds was a heavy blow no matter where you looked at it.
Yet even with that loss, they had uncovered extremely valuable intelligence. The thought left Ebizo both irritated and strangely satisfied.
A shinobi so young, yet capable of using the Flying Thunder God Technique, had appeared inside the Land of Wind.
To Ebizo, that alone was already good news.
Because he could clearly tell something important—
Although this Nightingale had mastered such a powerful technique, his chakra reserves were clearly insufficient.
Even though Ebizo had never personally encountered the Flying Thunder God before, he understood one universal rule of ninjutsu.
Every technique demanded a price.
And chakra was the fuel behind it all.
Yes, the Flying Thunder God allowed a user to cross space instantly. But if your chakra wasn't enough, how far could you really teleport?
"I'm no genius," Natsuhiko said calmly, shaking his head. He swept his gaze around the area before speaking again. "May I ask, Lord Ebizo… am I free to leave now?"
"You've killed so many of our people," Ebizo replied flatly, shaking his head. "And you entered the Land of Wind without authorization."
He stared directly at Natsuhiko.
"Do you really think you're still leaving here alive?"
"That's… hard to say."
Natsuhiko quietly sensed the chakra within his body. His reserves had mostly recovered, and the dizziness from earlier had faded.
He spoke softly.
But the moment the words left his mouth, his brow suddenly furrowed.
He had just sensed multiple chakra signatures rapidly approaching from the distance.
They were moving quickly—clearly trying to surround him.
The realization made Natsuhiko curse Sunagakure inwardly, even though he had already expected this outcome.
If their positions were reversed, he wouldn't let an intruder leave either.
"Accept your fate," Ebizō said.
Chakra began surging through his body, and a powerful aura spread outward like ripples across water.
"Struggling will only make things more painful for you."
Unlike his straightforward and impulsive sister Chiyo, Ebizō was a strategist.
He preferred careful planning—layer upon layer of schemes designed to throw his enemies into chaos.
Natsuhiko knew that during the great wars of the past, Ebizō had displayed remarkable intelligence, becoming widely respected throughout the Land of Wind.
But surviving in the shinobi world—and rising to become ANBU commander—required more than clever plans.
Without real strength, such a position would be impossible to hold.
"Not necessarily." Natsuhiko shook his head lightly.
Facing the oppressive pressure of Ebizō's chakra, he showed no fear.
Instead, he slowly lifted his head and looked up at the sky.
His voice remained gentle and calm.
Yet now, there was a faint hint of amusement within it.
"You know… the sky itself is actually colorless."
"It never lied to you. It's just that your own eyes deceived you."
Then he lowered his gaze slightly.
"And as for me…"
"Did you really think I came here without any preparations?"
..
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