Natsuhiko didn't understand what Murashima Takumi was trying to do. He felt that his explanation had already been clear enough.
But the final result disappointed him.
Murashima Takumi still refused Natsuhiko's request, and he didn't even reveal where Hiruzen Sarutobi was.
This outcome left Natsuhiko very dissatisfied, but there wasn't much he could do. Murashima was his superior, and in the ANBU, blatant insubordination was a one-way ticket to a shallow grave.
Still, Murashima Takumi's behavior made Natsuhiko start paying closer attention to him.
He knew that Murashima Takumi was supposed to be absolutely loyal to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But the way he acted today completely surprised Natsuhiko.
It didn't look like the behavior of someone extremely loyal at all.
Natsuhiko wondered whether the man might actually have other intentions.
But if he did, then who would be backing him?
Could it be Danzo Shimura?
Or perhaps the man had simply been trained so thoroughly that he had become a rigid machine, someone who only followed orders and nothing else?
Natsuhiko didn't really understand Murashima Takumi.
Their positions were simply too far apart.
Besides, the Commander of the ANBU was considered one of the most mysterious figures in Konoha.
Almost everyone knew his name, but very few people actually knew anything about him.
This was the first time Natsuhiko had ever come into such close contact with the man.
And honestly, the experience could only be described as disappointing.
Natsuhiko felt that he would have to learn more about this Commander in the future.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would soon become a Division Commander, and that would give them many more opportunities to interact.
"Whatever. I thought I could use Murashima as a courier, but that's a dead end," Natsuhiko sighed helplessly.
The documents he had prepared had no way of being delivered, which put him in a rather awkward situation.
He didn't know where Hiruzen Sarutobi currently was.
Nor did he know how to contact him.
When Hiruzen left earlier, he hadn't told Natsuhiko how they should communicate with each other.
With no other choice, Natsuhiko decided to leave.
But just as he stepped out of the Commander's office, he suddenly noticed an ANBU operative waiting outside the door.
The man glanced at him, made an extremely subtle hand signal, and then silently left.
Follow him?
Natsuhiko immediately recognized the meaning of that gesture.
It was a tactical hand signal.
However, he didn't recognize the man.
Still, Natsuhiko remembered clearly that ever since he had entered the area earlier, this person had been watching him.
Before now, the man had remained hidden.
But the moment Natsuhiko exited the Follow him? office, he suddenly appeared.
That made Natsuhiko feel that this person was definitely not simple.
Natsuhiko quickly followed him, keeping his sensory perception locked onto the man.
Not long afterward, he saw the man disappear into another office.
This immediately made Natsuhiko become more cautious.
Slowly approaching the office door, he placed one hand on the door handle, while the other slipped into his ninja tool pouch.
If anything unexpected happened, he could immediately pull out a kunai to deal with the situation.
He slowly pushed the door open.
Inside, he discovered that the person who had led him here had no intention of attacking.
At that moment, the man was standing beside a desk, staring calmly at Natsuhiko.
His breathing was steady and controlled.
Moreover, through his sensory perception, Natsuhiko confirmed that there was only one person in the room.
Besides that, this man's chakra was extremely stable, showing absolutely no sign of preparing to attack.
"You think I'd choose to fight you?" the ANBU suddenly spoke. "I don't have the confidence to deal with someone who can use the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Is that so?" Natsuhiko's voice sounded gentle as he spoke calmly. "Sorry, it seems I was being overly suspicious."
"You can spare me the hypocritical apology that lacks any sincerity." The ANBU shook his head. "Close the door and let's talk. Oh, and you can call me Owl, Captain Nightingale."
However, during the entire exchange, Natsuhiko never once showed any intention of turning his back on Owl.
His right hand remained resting near his ninja tool pouch, ready at any moment.
Owl naturally noticed Natsuhiko's movements, but he simply shook his head lightly and said nothing.
Only after the door was completely closed did he look at Natsuhiko and slowly say,
"Hand over the thing you want to give to the Hokage."
"Hm?" Natsuhiko frowned slightly before asking with mild confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"Being cautious is a good thing, but there's no need to keep putting on an act with me," Owl said slowly, shaking his head. "You've already met the Commander, haven't you?"
"Yes." Natsuhiko nodded. "If you have something to say, just say it directly. There's no need to beat around the bush."
"Although the Commander is the head of the ANBU, he still needs people to help him handle matters."
Owl looked at Natsuhiko indifferently, his voice devoid of emotion.
"You have documents to deliver to the Hokage. Naturally, something like that can't be handled personally by the Commander.
As his subordinate, it's only natural for me to help share the burden for him. Is that so strange?"
Actually, yeah. It's very strange.
Natsuhiko silently looked at Owl.
Instead of relaxing because of Owl's explanation, his vigilance only grew stronger.
He had already suspected that Murashima Takumi might have some issues.
Now, he was one hundred percent certain of it.
Could it be that the ANBU Commander—who was said to be absolutely loyal to the Third Hokage—was actually a traitor who had secretly pledged loyalty to someone else?
Or perhaps this was simply a test?
Natsuhiko didn't know.
But he knew it was time for him to take a stance.
This situation wasn't easy to handle, but it wasn't particularly difficult either.
What Natsuhiko needed most right now was information.
Only with enough information could he make the most accurate judgment.
"It might cause some trouble… but if the commotion gets bigger, it might actually benefit me," Natsuhiko thought quickly.
Through his sensory ability, he had already noticed that some people were approaching this area.
He had to make a decision quickly.
On the surface, he simply nodded silently.
Then he picked up the document and walked toward Owl.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you," Natsuhiko said gently, his voice carrying a trace of friendliness.
"I'll deliver it to the Hokage for you."
Owl reached out his hand to take the document.
But in the very next moment, his expression suddenly changed.
"You—!"
The document in Natsuhiko's hand fell to the ground.
At the same time, a kunai silently appeared in his right hand!
The blade shot forward toward Owl's chest, while azure chakra erupted instantly.
Owl had not expected Natsuhiko to attack.
But he was an elite ANBU ninja, and at the most critical moment he used the Substitution Technique.
POOF!
With a sharp sound, smoke filled the entire office.
The wooden desk that had taken Owl's place in the substitution was completely pierced through.
The cold-gleaming kunai stopped right beside Owl's face.
Natsuhiko's sudden and ruthless attack truly gave Owl quite a fright.
He truly hadn't expected this guy to be so decisive—to openly make a move inside the ANBU headquarters of Konoha. It completely exceeded Owl's expectations.
For a moment, he even wondered if Natsuhiko had gone mad. But Owl was extremely sharp-minded, and in an instant, he understood why Natsuhiko had acted.
This damn kid… does he think I'm a spy?
Owl immediately considered this possibility—it was the only thing that could explain why Natsuhiko would suddenly attack.
He also knew that his earlier behavior, from a normal person's perspective, might have seemed excessive—but that had truly been his duty.
One of his main responsibilities in the ANBU was communicating with the Hokage.
The internal affairs of the ANBU were extremely complicated, and such matters were never disclosed externally.
It was normal for Natsuhiko not to know—but acting directly inside the ANBU headquarters, leaving no room for explanation, was that really wise?
Natsuhiko, of course, had no idea what Owl was thinking. Even if he knew, it wouldn't have mattered—because he had already decided, when he acted, this would serve as his excuse.
The reason he acted was twofold: partly to test the ANBU's limits, and partly to gather intelligence.
Of course, he also had an ironclad justification—he was protecting the Hokage's interests within the ANBU.
Without giving Owl the slightest chance to speak, Natsuhiko quickly drew the kunai from the desk and kicked forward.
The desk, used as a substitute through Owl's Substitution Technique, couldn't withstand Natsuhiko's kick and was instantly shattered into pieces.
Owl was forced to roll violently to the side, barely avoiding the blow, but that also put him right back in front of Natsuhiko.
Without any hesitation, Natsuhiko threw the kunai directly at Owl, while simultaneously drawing a ninja blade from his back with his right hand.
This move immediately made Owl realize: this Nightingale would never let him escape. And the worst part—he couldn't explain anything.
Clenching his teeth, Owl drew his own blade and quickly raised it to block Natsuhiko's deadly strike. But even in doing so, his hand tingled from the force.
He had heard other ANBU discussing Natsuhiko and had even seen him spar. He knew the kid's speed and strength were terrifying.
But seeing wasn't enough—he could never truly understand how frightening it was firsthand.
Now he understood: this kid's strength was indeed unreasonably powerful.
No wonder that even before using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could defeat someone from the Yamanaka clan and even hold his own against the Lone Wolf of the Hyuga clan for so long.
"That's enough, Nightingale!" sensing things were going wrong, Owl shouted loudly. "We might have a misunderstanding here, but I cannot explain this situation in detail."
"Then I'll wait until I catch you, and you'll explain it then," Natsuhiko cut him off immediately. "I never imagined I could find someone so interesting inside the ANBU."
As he spoke, Natsuhiko increased his power once again. Owl suddenly felt the pressure spike drastically, but he absolutely didn't want to be captured by Natsuhiko.
This kid's strength is terrifying… and he still hasn't used the Flying Thunder God Technique. Damn, how could he be this troublesome?!
Owl cursed silently. He knew reinforcements were on the way, but this offered no comfort at all—if anything, it made him even more worried.
The Flying Thunder God Technique—a jutsu like that doesn't fear being surrounded. Even if they tried to corner Owl, he could escape calmly.
Even Natsuhiko could retaliate at any moment if he wanted, and Owl, along with his reinforcements, absolutely couldn't withstand such a counterattack!
Gritting his teeth, Owl roared and forcefully pushed Natsuhiko away, then recklessly launched his attack. Now, all he hoped for was to buy more time, to make more noise—because only then could he escape safely.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
In the cramped office, Natsuhiko and Owl clashed violently. Ninja blades collided repeatedly, sending off sharp, metallic ringing sounds.
Both of them were fast, and both had rich combat experience, but Natsuhiko clearly held the advantage—his speed was faster.
Without the restriction of his sealing chakra seed, all of Natsuhiko's chakra was now available.
On top of that, his previous battle with the Lone Wolf had taught him a lot, and combined with his current speed, Owl couldn't keep up—he was steadily being pushed back.
The two figures weaved around each other. Natsuhiko's speed continued to climb. Even without Sage Mode, Owl was struggling to keep up.
The confined space prevented him from using his full potential, and with Natsuhiko's blinding speed, he fell behind. His wounds were increasing, and yet Natsuhiko showed no intention of holding back. He couldn't even form hand seals to use ninjutsu.
"Clang!"
Another clash—Natsuhiko slashed, and Owl's blade was knocked flying.
But Owl's reactions were sharp. Ignoring his bleeding right hand, he quickly drew a kunai.
Taking advantage of Natsuhiko's brief moment of rigidity, he made an evasive move and thrust the kunai straight at Natsuhiko's chest.
Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow. He had to admit—Owl's reaction speed and timing were impressive. Too bad Natsuhiko was even more ruthless!
With his superb body coordination, reflexes, and perception, he instantly performed a precise evasion.
Then, his left hand shot out and grabbed Owl's hand, twisting slightly—Owl's kunai fell to the ground.
Owl couldn't accept being countered so easily, but the reality was undeniable—he had no options.
He had already anticipated that he might not be able to defeat Natsuhiko in a direct confrontation—but he never imagined he could fail without Natsuhiko even using the Flying Thunder God Technique!
I can't even force him to use Flying Thunder God? Who exactly is this Nightingale?
Owl struggled to break the grip, but he saw Natsuhiko's right hand move. Blue chakra coated the edge of his blade as it leveled with Owl's chest.
At the final moment, Owl managed to fish out one last kunai to block the thrust. The impact nearly shattered his arm. If he hadn't blocked that, he would have surely been killed.
Natsuhiko frowned slightly. Owl was clearly much stronger than he initially imagined.
He knew that so far, it was stealth and terrain advantage that had kept Owl from reacting and prevented him from using ninjutsu.
If this were a normal fight—or even a previous test or sparring—Natsuhiko wouldn't have been able to force Owl into such a corner.
But ninja fights are simple: winning is the ultimate strategy.
Seeing Owl barely holding on and the reinforcements nearly at the door, Natsuhiko paused for a moment. Then, with a calm voice, he said:
"I'll borrow your hand for a moment."
...
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