"Thank you, Kakashi," said the Third Hokage, his eyes solemn as he looked across his desk in the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage, this is the detailed report from the mission. It's confirmed that Tom possesses the strength of an elite jonin. He completed the task independently." Kakashi placed a thick file on the desk, speaking with quiet respect.
The Third Hokage took a slow puff from his pipe, skimming the report. "Very well. Assign him to the Anbu. Place him in Team Six under Yamato's command."
He paused briefly before adding, "Kakashi, I'd like you to take over a class of Academy students for this cycle. It's time you guided the next generation."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." Kakashi bowed slightly and turned to leave.
Outside the Hokage's office, Tom leaned casually against the wall, hands behind his head, his beloved sword "Iron Shattered Fang" strapped securely to his back. He looked like any other boy relaxing under the sun—until Kakashi emerged.
A mischievous grin spread across Tom's face. "Kakashi-sensei, let me treat you to a bowl of ramen. It's the least I can do."
Kakashi gave him a side glance. Though his mask covered his face, the subtle warmth in his eye was unmistakable. The walls around his heart—the walls built from years of loss and guilt—had started to crack just a little.
Tom sensed it. He knew he wasn't strong enough yet to melt the ice that weighed down Kakashi's soul. Only Naruto had that kind of warmth. Still, he wanted to be a part of it, even briefly.
Kakashi sighed. "Fine. I'll treat you today."
"Really?! Alright, then! I'm getting three bowls of seafood ramen!" Tom shouted excitedly, dashing off toward Ichiraku.
Kakashi watched him go, a thin line of exasperation forming on his brow. "Do I really have to pay for all that?"
Still, he smiled under the mask. Tom... thanks for these past few days.
At Ichiraku, the aroma of rich broth filled the air. Tom sat on a stool, legs swinging slightly as he called out, "Uncle Teuchi! Three bowls of seafood ramen! Kakashi-sensei is treating me today!"
Kakashi took his seat beside him, silently eyeing the steam rising from his bowl. Just as Tom was about to dig in, Kakashi spoke.
"Tom, from today onward, you are no longer under my command."
Tom froze, chopsticks hovering midair. "Kakashi-sensei, are you being reassigned?"
"It's not me," Kakashi replied. "You've been recruited into Anbu. You'll report to them tomorrow."
For a long second, silence fell between them. The steam from the ramen floated upward, curling into the air like smoke from a battlefield long after the fighting ended.
"I see..." Tom said softly, putting down his chopsticks.
Kakashi looked at the boy beside him and opened his mouth to say something, but Tom cut him off. "Kakashi-sensei, you shouldn't read books like 'Path to Ninja: Death'. They're not healthy for your soul. Here."
He pulled a small package wrapped in kraft paper from his ninja pouch and slid it across the counter.
Kakashi blinked, confused. "What's this?"
"A better book," Tom grinned. "Please read it. Carefully."
Then, with a quick turn, he ran off as if chased by a rampaging beast.
"Thanks for the ramen, Kakashi-sensei! Make sure you read it all!" his voice echoed faintly as he disappeared down the street.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, unwrapped the package, and stared at the title.
"Heavenly Love."
"…What the hell is this kid thinking?"
He flipped it open instinctively and began reading.
A moment later, Tom's payment clinked against the counter. Teuchi looked at the untouched ramen and the trail of smoke left behind from Tom's exit, scratching his head. "What just happened?"
---
Beneath the bustling streets of Konoha, in a dark stone corridor lit by flickering torches, Tom stood in the Anbu changing room.
He took his new gear—a sleek black uniform, standard-issue katana, and a porcelain fox mask.
"I'm Tom Iori, newly assigned to Anbu. I look forward to working with you all," he said, his tone respectful.
"Ah, you're the new kid. Use the innermost locker."
"Yes, sir."
From nearby, a couple of Anbu agents whispered.
"That's him? He's only twelve?"
"Yeah. One year older than Uchiha Itachi when he joined Anbu."
"Team Six, assemble at Training Ground Three in five minutes."
"Understood!"
Tom arrived at the designated site just in time.
The welcome from his seniors wasn't exactly warm.
"Genjutsu: Fox Heart Illusion."
The ground before him seemed to twist and melt away, paths coiling like snakes in all directions.
"A genjutsu?" Tom muttered, calmly forming a hand sign.
Release.
The world snapped back to clarity. Tom's cold gaze swept the gathered agents, most of whom stood in silence.
"So, to join Anbu, I must show the strength worthy of your ranks?"
He stepped forward.
"That should be enough," he whispered.
No sooner had the second sentence left his mouth than Tom vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind one of the Anbu agents, his kunai lightly pressed against the man's throat.
"Body Flicker Technique."
He stepped back.
"That wasn't the standard Shunshin no Jutsu," one of the agents said, frowning.
"No," another replied. "That was... modified."
Tom's version of the Body Flicker had evolved from his study of the Eight Gates. It allowed near-instant movement within a twenty-meter radius—swift enough to close the distance before anyone noticed.
But even that wasn't enough for Tom.
He had long been researching space-time ninjutsu, particularly the legendary Flying Thunder God Technique.
He'd discovered a report on it in the Police Force's archives and had studied it obsessively since. Yet despite months of effort, Tom had yet to grasp even the most basic form of spatial movement.
His potential was immense, but the difficulty of mastering space-time ninjutsu was beyond imagination.
Still, he was determined.
If he could one day replicate or even refine the Flying Thunder God, his speed would transcend time itself.
---
Back at the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage gazed out the window, clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
"Tom," he murmured. "You carry heavy power and a deeper heart than most shinobi your age. Let's see where this path takes you."
Far below, in the shadows of Konoha, Tom stood in his new Anbu mask, hidden from the world. He looked up at the rising sun above the Hidden Leaf.
A new chapter had begun.
And it would be written in the ink of shadows.