"commander?"
The moment Hikaru finished speaking, both Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Saya froze.
Saya truly had no idea what Hikaru's situation was. Even her understanding of the word captain was extremely vague.
All she knew was that Hikaru seemed to be teamed up with Kakashi, and that he had become a jonin and led part of Kakashi's unit.
Beyond that, she knew almost nothing.
Most of the details she had heard afterward had come secondhand from other people.
As for Uchiha Shin—he was genuinely stunned.
He knew Hikaru had been an ANBU unit captain. Otherwise, he never would have gone to him to get Uchiha Shisui into ANBU.
What he had never imagined, not even in his wildest guesses, was that after a single Nine-Tails incident, the boy before him would undergo such a transformation.
commander.
That was the ANBU commander.
This kid had actually reached that position?
At the same time, however, Uchiha Shin's mind filled with countless questions.
It was not as if he had never asked Uchiha Shisui about the recent situation inside ANBU.
But that boy's mouth had been tightly sealed. There were things he clearly refused to talk about.
At the time, Uchiha Shin had not thought too deeply about it. After all, Shisui's identity was sensitive, and as someone still in the reserve corps, caution was necessary.
But now, it seemed that caution was not the real issue at all.
Rather—
that boy simply had not dared to say anything.
What exactly had happened inside ANBU for the young man before him to ascend to the position of commander?
And not only had Shisui not dared to speak—
even he himself did not dare to ask too deeply.
The things involved were probably so terrifying that even imagining them felt dangerous.
Konoha's upper levels were a vast swamp. Of that, there was no doubt.
And the danger within that swamp was absolutely incomparable to anything within a clan's internal struggles.
One careless step in that mire, and one could be smashed to pieces beyond recovery.
Uchiha Shin let out a faint sigh.
The former commander had most likely already been ground to dust and sunk into that swamp forever.
"Yes, commander," Hikaru replied with a smile and a nod. "I haven't held the position for long, but yes—I am the commander now."
"I see..." Uchiha Shin's hands trembled slightly. He tried to steady himself, but only made it worse. "Forgive me, commander. I... I was presumptuous..."
"There's no need to apologize." Hikaru shook his head lightly, his smile still calm. "You're Saya's grandfather. I should be the one showing you respect. Besides, you didn't know my situation, did you?"
"Then... my thanks, commander Hikaru." Uchiha Shin took a deep breath and finally calmed himself enough to respond seriously.
Saya looked at her grandfather's cautious, almost humble attitude, then at Hikaru's gentle composure and effortless bearing of authority.
Everything she was seeing completely overturned her understanding of him.
It was the first time in her life she had ever seen her grandfather act this way.
It was also the first time she realized that her old classmate was far, far more extraordinary than she had imagined.
A commander.
That was a position at the peak of Konoha's hierarchy.
He was around the same age as her.
How had he possibly reached a place like that?
And what kind of department did he even lead?
Normally, even if someone were a commander, her grandfather would not react like this.
That could only mean one thing—
the department Hikaru controlled had to possess immense power.
Power so overwhelming that even her grandfather felt fear.
Power so great that it naturally forced him to lower his stance and act with humility.
But what kind of department was that?
And how had her grandfather even met him?
"All right, enough of that," Hikaru said with a small shake of his head. "This really was unexpected. I only came here today to assess a new recruit. But since we've run into each other, I might as well settle some matters too."
"We truly were the ones who intruded, commander Hikaru," Uchiha Shin immediately said apologetically. Then, puzzled, he asked, "May I ask what matter requires our handling?"
In truth, Uchiha Shin was genuinely confused.
As far as he knew, if Hikaru wanted to talk to him, it would most likely concern the Uchiha situation.
And Hikaru had just said that he was here to assess a new recruit.
Although Uchiha Shin had no idea what kind of recruit would require the personal attention of the ANBU commander, he knew better than to ask.
Still, if the topic centered on ANBU, then was it really appropriate for them to be sitting here listening?
And as far as he knew, aside from Shisui, the Uchiha had no real connection to ANBU anymore.
"Of course I have something to discuss with you," Hikaru said with a smile. "But before that, you need to think very carefully. Very carefully. Otherwise, you can imagine the consequences yourself."
"Hikaru..." Saya could not help speaking up when she heard the unmistakable threat in his tone.
But the moment the words left her mouth, she froze.
She had no idea what she was even supposed to say.
Was she going to rebuke Hikaru?
That was not her place.
She had no right.
Especially when her grandfather was already acting with such humility. If her own attitude caused the matter her grandfather wanted so badly to fail, then she would become the greatest sinner here.
She knew very well how much her grandfather had long struggled to reintegrate the clan into Konoha.
Could it be—
the department Hikaru controlled was the key?
"Hm?"
Hikaru turned slightly toward Saya, then seemed to understand something. He smiled.
"So your grandfather really did follow the rules. He never told you about me."
"No," Saya nodded softly. She looked at Hikaru hesitantly, then finally asked, "Hikaru... if you're a commander, then..."
"You're wondering which department I belong to, aren't you?"
Hikaru did not seem surprised in the slightest. He answered directly, still smiling.
"ANBU. I've always worked in ANBU."
"ANBU..."
The moment Saya heard that, her whole body stiffened just like her grandfather's had.
Now she finally understood why Uchiha Shin had reacted the way he did.
Now she also understood why he feared Hikaru.
ANBU.
He was the ANBU commander.
For a moment, Saya felt dazed.
She suddenly realized that the distance between her and Hikaru had become unimaginably vast.
...
The difference between an ordinary shinobi and a commander was already a gulf wider than heaven and earth.
If she had been a jonin, it would have been slightly better.
After all, in terms of formal rank, commanders were also jonin.
And within Konoha, beneath the Hokage, there was a particularly special body: the Jonin Council.
Its captain oversaw all jonin, commanders included.
In theory, everyone in that category answered to the Jonin Captain.
Of course, in practice, that title was often more honorary than literal.
Still, those who took that seat almost always became the next Hokage.
So yes, commanders and jonin might technically stand on similar levels in one sense.
But in reality, commanders absolutely stood in a position of leadership over ordinary jonin.
Unless one was the sort of elite jonin backed by tremendous power and strong political support, that hierarchy did not change.
Rules were rules.
Those who broke them were rarely liked.
Though—
if someone broke the rules and succeeded, that was another story.
Saya was only a chunin.
She was not even a jonin.
Yet her former desk-mate, her oldest friend, had become a commander.
That disparity was enough to make anyone despair.
And Saya was not the type to laugh something like this off.
Raised in a great clan, she had learned one lesson from childhood:
obey the rules.
The rules within the clan.
The unspoken rules within the village.
She had never been the sort to defy them.
"That look on your face..." Hikaru suddenly said with a laugh. "What, now that I'm a commander, we're not friends anymore?"
"I..." Saya came back to herself, flustered. For a moment, she truly did not know what to say.
But Hikaru did not give her the chance to stumble over it.
He casually handed her a skewer of dango.
"Here. Do you still remember what I told you?"
"I do." Saya accepted the dango and lowered her head slightly. "You said sweet food makes people feel better."
"Exactly. And me becoming a commander—isn't that something worth being happy about?" Hikaru sat there with one hand propping up his head again, looking as relaxed as ever. "After all, it's the result of my own effort."
That tone.
That posture.
That familiar easygoing attitude—
it really did help Saya relax a little.
And he was right.
No matter how shocking it was, no matter how impossible it felt, Hikaru becoming ANBU commander really was something worth being happy about.
After all, effort in life did not always bear fruit.
And what made success meaningful was not gaining something without cost, but gaining it after struggle.
That was the kind of result that truly stayed in a person's heart.
With that thought, Saya's expression gradually returned to normal.
She took a small bite of the dango Hikaru had handed her.
It was sweet.
So sweet it felt as if she had been pulled back many years into the past.
That expression of hers did not escape either Ayame or Uchiha Shin.
Ayame raised a brow slightly.
She could tell that Hikaru and this Uchiha girl had an unusually deep connection.
Still, she said nothing. Her attention had already shifted toward thinking through what she herself needed to do next.
Uchiha Shin, meanwhile, had his eyes shining.
He had known his granddaughter and Hikaru were on good terms.
But how good? That he had never been certain about.
After all, Hikaru had left the academy too early.
And before later events, Uchiha Shin had not truly known much about him at all.
It was only because he had needed to establish contact with ANBU—and had started by looking into Kakashi—that he had unexpectedly learned about Hikaru.
But now it seemed their relationship was even closer than he had imagined.
If that was true, then this was extremely good news for him.
Of course, he was not arrogant enough to think that he could control Hikaru through his granddaughter.
Someone who had risen to this position would never be soft-hearted.
Trying something so foolish might only provoke Hikaru and drag his granddaughter into disaster.
But—
if he could use this existing bond to strengthen future cooperation, then at the very least he would no longer stand completely on the passive side.
And perhaps—
just perhaps—
what if the two of them could actually end up together?
Yes, Hikaru was a Senju.
But Uchiha Shin had already decided to cast hatred aside.
Back then, the alliance between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had been built on mutual regard.
Yet in Uchiha Shin's eyes, that kind of alliance—those kinds of feelings—had not been secure enough.
The most secure method might well be the oldest one.
"All right, Elder Shin," Hikaru said, unaware of the storm of thoughts in the old man's mind. "Now we should talk about our business."
"There are some matters. Have you decided? I didn't want to rush you—but you should understand that I won't give anyone too much time."
"I understand, commander Hikaru."
Uchiha Shin immediately straightened up, his expression solemn.
"I've already made my decision. If nothing unexpected had happened, I intended to come to you tomorrow. But since we've met tonight, I'll tell you my answer now."
"Grandfather..." Saya quickly tried to interrupt.
They were in a public place.
And her grandfather was not even lowering his voice.
But to her embarrassment, it seemed as though her grandfather had not noticed any of that at all. His expression remained serious and resolute.
Uchiha Shin knew very clearly that Hikaru was no longer just a unit captain.
He was the ANBU commander now—the true master of ANBU.
That change in status meant many things had changed as well.
Yes, Uchiha Shin would be in an even weaker position than before.
But on the other hand—
what Hikaru could offer had also grown far greater.
He drew in a deep breath and said, word by word:
"commander Hikaru, I have decided. I wish to cooperate with you on a deeper level."
"Before, I hesitated because of the hatred between the Uchiha and the Senju."
"But now I've understood something. If I continue to drown in that hatred, then that would not only insult you, commander—it would also reveal my own lack of capacity."
"You were willing, like our ancestors once were, to cast aside hatred and extend your hand to me."
"If I reject such cooperation simply because of those old grudges, then I know I would regret it for the rest of my life."
"And more importantly—"
"If I did that, then the Uchiha clan itself would lose your trust."
"And that kind of consequence, that kind of price, is not something the Uchiha can afford to bear."
"The Uchiha must reintegrate into Konoha. And to do that, we must stand alongside the other clans."
"Just like in the past."
"What our ancestors achieved, we of this generation can also achieve!"
...
Hikaru watched Uchiha Shin quietly.
When the old man finished his somewhat impassioned speech, Hikaru gave a slight nod.
A declaration like that was, at the very least, a good thing.
Of course, speaking well was one matter. Acting well was another.
But Hikaru did not care much about that yet.
The real answers would only come later.
For now, this was a promising beginning.
And since that was the case, he could afford to show a little more trust.
Not true ANBU secrets—
just things ANBU itself already knew.
Strictly speaking, such matters should not be disclosed to outsiders.
But Hikaru was the commander now.
What counted, and what did not, was for him to decide.
"All right. I've heard your resolve, Elder Shin," Hikaru said. Then he turned toward Ayame. "Now then... where were we?"
"You said that if I failed to satisfy you, the consequences would be unpleasant," Ayame replied at once.
She had immediately understood Hikaru's meaning.
He was now willing to extend a certain degree of trust to these two as well.
To her, that trust felt almost extravagant.
This was ANBU.
Yet she still would not question him.
Her role was to support him, not to make him uncomfortable.
Uchiha Shin's eyes brightened further.
Saya, meanwhile, looked even more bewildered.
She understood what Hikaru was doing now—
he was revealing some degree of ANBU information to them as a sign of trust.
But another phrase was still echoing in her mind.
The line her grandfather had spoken earlier—
the hatred between the Uchiha and the Senju.
Senju.
That name was not unfamiliar to her.
Even if people rarely spoke openly of the Senju anymore, everyone still knew of the grudge between the Uchiha and the Senju.
If Hikaru was truly a Senju, then his full name should be Senju Hikaru.
Then suddenly another thought struck her.
On the night of the Nine-Tails attack, there had been rumors that an ANBU shinobi had used Wood Release to stop the Nine-Tails and assist the Fourth Hokage in sealing it.
Could that shinobi have been Hikaru?
If it was—
then it suddenly made perfect sense why someone so young could become ANBU commander.
So that was why her grandfather had spoken the way he did.
It had been because of Hikaru all along.
"Yes," Hikaru said, nodding lightly. "The reality is cruel, but that doesn't make it any less real."
Then he looked back to Ayame.
"Have you prepared yourself? Or rather—are you willing to take on this challenge?"
"I am."
Ayame answered without the slightest hesitation, her cool voice as calm as ever.
Then, after a brief flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, her resolve sharpened.
"After all, this is the opportunity you're giving me to prove myself."
"And as your fiancée, if I can't even handle something like this, then what right do I have to stand at your side?"
The moment those words fell—
the entire dango shop went silent.
It lasted only an instant, so brief it was almost impossible to notice, and then the chatter resumed as if nothing had happened.
But Saya, Uchiha Shin, and even Hikaru himself all looked rather strange.
Neither Uchiha Shin nor Saya had expected Hikaru to already have a fiancée.
Saya, especially, felt as if everything she thought she knew about Hikaru had been overturned in a single night.
First ANBU.
Then the Senju.
And now—
a fiancée.
At first, she had assumed Hikaru was simply having dinner with a teammate.
Then she had thought perhaps he was recruiting a new ANBU subordinate.
Now she understood.
He was recruiting someone.
Only that someone was his fiancée.
Even Hikaru himself had not expected Ayame to say it so directly.
But when he turned to look at her, she still wore that same cool, detached expression, as though she had merely stated a simple fact.
And in a sense, she had.
After all, that engagement had been arranged long ago.
Still—
to state it here and now really was a little awkward.
"Hikaru... you already have a fiancée?" Saya asked.
Though something inside her felt distinctly unpleasant, she could not quite name what it was.
Still, she maintained her composure and simply inclined her head.
"Then... congratulations."
"Thank you." Hikaru smiled and nodded, then shrugged. "Though I only found out myself a few months ago. Until then, I had no idea I already had a fiancée."
"So it was arranged by the clan... that explains it," Saya murmured.
Of course.
That explained why Hikaru had never mentioned it before.
Great clans often did things this way.
Promising the most outstanding members to equally suitable partners was a standard way to preserve bloodlines and clan power.
There was nothing unusual about that.
If anything, for someone as capable as Hikaru, it was inevitable.
In truth, Saya herself had faced the same sort of pressure before.
Only her grandfather had refused it on her behalf.
But thinking about that only made her mood worse.
Then, suddenly, she remembered what Ayame had just said—
that Hikaru was giving her an opportunity to prove herself.
Saya had no idea what the opportunity was.
Nor did she know what Ayame would be doing within ANBU.
But she did know this:
perhaps this was also her own chance to change something.
Maybe it was because the memory of childhood closeness made her want to understand Hikaru more.
Maybe it was because she did not want to be pushed by her clan into a future she did not choose.
Either way, a decision quietly began forming in her heart.
Though she still needed time to think it through.
"Hello," Saya said, politely nodding to Ayame. "Since this is our first meeting, please take care of me."
"And you as well," Ayame replied, returning the courtesy. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Ayame. Senju Ayame. Please take care of me too."
Both girls were the calm, reserved type.
Both had also been raised with impeccable clan etiquette.
The result was that neither of them could ever be called especially warm.
But neither would ever allow themselves to look rude.
Even so—
Hikaru could not shake the feeling that the harmony between them felt... a little off.
Still, he had no intention of dwelling on that right now.
His mind was already busy with future plans and the immediate issues before him.
Originally, he had only intended to bring Ayame here.
He wanted to give her an opportunity to prove herself while also reducing the burden on his own shoulders.
But since he had unexpectedly run into Uchiha Shin, then settling a few additional matters here cost him nothing.
Senju Shin was already building ties with the various clans of Konoha and establishing the necessary relationship network.
But Hikaru did not believe the old man would ever willingly approach the Uchiha.
So this was something Hikaru had to handle himself.
Besides—
he had already taken action within the Uchiha before.
A little more pressure now might yield even better results.
With that thought, Hikaru turned back toward Uchiha Shin.
"Since Elder Shin has made his stance clear," he said slowly, "then I should also state my own view."
"Please, commander," Uchiha Shin said immediately, focusing all his attention on Hikaru.
Though he had also noticed that the atmosphere between his granddaughter and the Senju girl was somewhat strange, he did not dare pay too much attention to it.
Because the person sitting before him was Senju Hikaru.
"I heard about your actions on the night of the Nine-Tails attack," Hikaru said with a faint smile. "Very impressive. So I think we can take things one step further."
The moment he heard that, Uchiha Shin's whole body began trembling with excitement.
He understood.
He immediately understood what Hikaru meant.
He did not know what exactly ANBU's reform entailed.
But he knew Hikaru was opening a door for him.
A door through which more Uchiha could enter ANBU.
That alone was an enormous signal.
For the clan, it was close to a miracle.
Clans sending members into ANBU meant building a bridge directly to the Hokage.
And if more clan members could enter, that also signaled trust from the village's highest authority.
That trust was exactly what the Uchiha needed most.
It was also the most critical step for their reintegration into Konoha.
On top of that—
if he could place more of his own people in useful positions, then when the day came to seize control of the clan itself, those people would not be without value.
"I understand," Uchiha Shin said, forcing down his excitement and gritting his teeth. "I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer, commander. I will choose the clan's greatest talents—"
"I don't need so-called geniuses," Hikaru cut him off at once.
He smiled calmly, but his words were blunt.
"What I want are those who have seen the battlefield. Especially the younger ones—those whose personalities can still be corrected. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I..." Uchiha Shin opened his mouth, then could only smile bitterly. "I understand your meaning now, commander."
Hikaru's meaning was very clear.
He did not want arrogant Uchiha elites too full of themselves.
And honestly, Uchiha Shin could not blame him.
The clan's atmosphere had always been like that.
Since the fall of the Senju, they had rarely had true rivals.
The only clan they ever truly bothered to compare themselves against was the Hyuga.
That self-importance was built into their culture now.
Still—
in a clan that large, not every child was the same.
There were always exceptions.
Shisui was one.
And many of the children from the lower branches and weaker households were others.
"There's one more thing you need to start doing," Hikaru continued after a brief pause. "The Police Force belongs to Konoha—not to the Uchiha clan. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
"I do." Uchiha Shin nodded seriously. "You mentioned this before. I know how to proceed. In the divisions under my control, I'll begin selecting some civilian shinobi to join and have them operate in mixed teams."
"Good."
Hikaru smiled and then slowly laid out more of his plan.
"Not just that. Some of the captain positions should be given to them as well."
"You need to balance clan shinobi and civilian shinobi. Blend them together, make sure no contradictions emerge."
"And after that, keep advancing. Not just civilians—members of other clans must also be brought in."
Here he paused and glanced at both Uchiha Shin, still sitting rigidly upright, and Saya, who was listening intently at the side.
Then he continued.
"This will be a massive process, and it will take time. Along the way, you'll face resistance beyond anything you can imagine."
"If you overcome it, you'll rise to a level you once couldn't even dream of."
"But if you fail, then you alone will bear the consequences."
"Do you understand?"
"I do. I have understood from the very beginning."
Uchiha Shin nodded with complete seriousness.
"The moment I said those words, I had already made my decision."
"commander Hikaru—please take care of me from now on."
"Good."
Hikaru rose to his feet and tapped the table sharply.
In the next moment, every diner in the shop stopped talking.
Then, laughing and chatting as before, they all stood and began filing out of the shop.
Hikaru inclined his head toward Uchiha Shin and smiled.
"Then I look forward to a pleasant cooperation. Please take care of me as well."
With that, he turned and left the shop with Ayame.
Saya stared blankly after him.
She had already suspected the people in the shop were odd.
Otherwise, how could they have sat there so openly discussing such secret matters?
But now that she had seen it clearly—that the entire place had been full of disguised shinobi, perhaps all ANBU—
the impact was enormous.
Still, she no longer cared about that.
Watching Hikaru's departing back, she drew in a breath.
She knew she had to seize this opportunity.
"Hikaru, wait a moment," Uchiha Saya called softly.
"Hm?" Hikaru turned back with a smile. "What is it, Saya?"
"I have a question. Or rather... a request."
"Let's hear it. It might not be a problem."
"I want to know... do I also have a chance to join ANBU?"
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