"Thank you, Senior Shinnosuke."
Ning Feng spoke promptly, deliberately avoiding addressing him by his ANBU commander title. After all, that identity was still classified to many within Konoha.
Seeing that Ning Feng possessed such formidable strength yet remained so humble, Shinnosuke's favorability toward him rose noticeably.
"No need to thank me too much. Just focus on doing your job well."
As he spoke, Shinnosuke lightly patted Ning Feng on the shoulder, then turned and left.
Watching him depart, Ning Feng waited until no one was around. With a swift movement, he vanished and returned directly to the Uchiha compound, back to his own residence.
The moment he arrived, Ning Feng couldn't wait and immediately used the [Sarutobi Clan Secret Medicine].
In an instant, he felt an overwhelming surge of power flood into his body. Every single cell seemed to brim with chakra energy.
"Congratulations! Your chakra cap has increased by 10,000 points!"
"Congratulations! Your Blood Contract has advanced by 1 tier. You can now summon stronger members of the Monkey Demon Clan!"
Several crisp system notifications rang out.
At that moment, Ning Feng felt indescribably exhilarated—like a shut-in who had lived indoors for decades suddenly stepping into a vast, fresh forest.
"Hah…"
Letting out a long breath, Ning Feng didn't continue experimenting. Instead, he calmly entered a cultivation state, quietly waiting for the next day to arrive.
To him, life as an ANBU ninja was something he had never experienced before—and he was genuinely looking forward to it.
Meanwhile, what Ning Feng didn't know was that his very existence—more precisely, his entry into ANBU—had already shaken many figures at the upper levels of Konoha.
Among them was one particular individual: Danzō Shimura, leader of the Root organization.
The reason Danzō was alarmed was simple. Ning Feng's joining ANBU sent a clear signal—
Namikaze Minato was attempting to completely break free from the influence of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And only when the two sides fully split could Danzō maneuver from the shadows to achieve his own ambitions.
At this moment, in a dark and hidden location.
A Root intelligence operative knelt silently on the ground.
"So you're saying Sarutobi Shinnosuke assigned Kakashi's ANBU squad a mission to infiltrate the Hidden Rain Village?"
Danzō narrowed his eyes, deep in thought as he listened to the report.
"Yes. And we've confirmed that the squad leader is Kakashi. His team members include Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Peak, and a medical ninja. In short, they're all Namikaze Minato's trusted people."
The Root operative spoke calmly, a hint of coldness flickering in his eyes.
"Very good."
"It's time for you to act."
Danzō's lips curled into a faint smile as he glanced coldly at the Root operatives standing behind him.
They all nodded in unison, then vanished without a trace—like shadows that had never existed.
Watching his subordinates leave, Danzō's smile grew even more pronounced.
Ever since that day—when the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, encountered the Kinkaku-Ginkaku Force and faced mortal danger, seeking to determine the next Hokage candidate—
Danzō had not stepped forward.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had.
From that moment on, Danzō had been plagued by regret.
If only he had stepped forward back then, the position of Third Hokage would have been his—not Hiruzen's.
Over the years, he had endured patiently, biding his time. Now, with Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen locked in subtle conflict, the opportunity he had waited for had finally arrived.
How could he possibly miss it?
Kakashi's ANBU unit consisted almost entirely of Minato's loyalists.
If that entire squad were wiped out…
Minato would inevitably suspect Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And then—
The seat of the Fifth Hokage would belong to him, Danzō Shimura.
Just as Danzō was indulging in this beautiful vision, another Root operative knelt down.
"Lord Danzō, the Sarutobi clan recently gave Uchiha Peak the Sarutobi Blood Contract. We suspect the Sarutobi clan is attempting to recruit him."
"…Hmm?"
Danzō's eyes flickered with intrigue.
The Sarutobi clan was famously proud—yet they were willing to go to such lengths to recruit this Uchiha Peak?
This alone was extraordinary.
Could it be… that this Uchiha Peak possessed something far beyond ordinary talent?
After a moment's thought, Danzō gave his order:
"Wipe out Kakashi's ANBU squad entirely—
but leave Uchiha Peak alive."
"Yes!"
The Root operative disappeared once more.
Completely unaware of Danzō's scheme—or perhaps simply not bothering to care—Ning Feng cultivated straight through to the next day.
Cultivation truly had immense benefits. In just one night, his chakra cap had increased by more than 150 points.
Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, Ning Feng vanished from the Uchiha compound.
When he reappeared, he was already standing at the gates of Konoha Village.
Ahead of him, several ANBU members wearing masks were quietly waiting.
The one in front was roughly the same height as Kakashi, seemingly wearing a mask beneath his ANBU mask. The others varied in height.
However, if not for the fact that their names were displayed in red, Ning Feng might truly have believed they were his teammates.
Hyūga Rainbow — Level 29, Chūnin, Root Reserve Member, Silver-tier BOSS
Akimichi Nana — Level 27, Chūnin, Root Reserve Member, Silver-tier BOSS
Orochimaru Xishui — Level 26, Chūnin, Root Reserve Member, Silver-tier BOSS
After casually scanning their attributes, Ning Feng's heart sank.
What a brilliant move by Danzō.
Killing them quietly before they ever infiltrated the Hidden Rain Village.
Among these three, there had to be a genjutsu specialist—otherwise, he wouldn't have unknowingly walked straight into their encirclement.
Of course, Kakashi and the others were likely facing a similar situation elsewhere.
Ning Feng had never had any fondness for Root members.
"Code phrase."
At that moment, the fake "ANBU captain" spoke slowly.
ANBU operatives always verified each other with code phrases to confirm identities.
Although this was Ning Feng's first time going through such a process, he appeared perfectly composed and deliberately gave a false code phrase.
Sure enough, the three impostors detected nothing amiss.
The leader nodded immediately.
"The code checks out…"
"Let's begin our mission."
With that, the fake ANBU captain and his companions leapt into motion, rushing toward the distance.
They failed to notice—
At that very moment, a sinister glint flashed across Ning Feng's Sharingan.
He was already preparing to strike.
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