Peace, as always, was fleeting.
On the third morning, the silence broke the moment Tatsuya stepped through the iron gates of the Anbu compound.
A powerful presence stood before him—sharp eyes, authoritative posture.
"Captain Tatsuya," the man said coldly. "Emergency S-rank mission. Assemble your units. We move immediately."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Eldest son of the Third Hokage. Elite Jōnin. A man known for wielding Fire and Earth Release with lethal mastery.
And more importantly—his Chakra flared like a forest fire.
Tatsuya responded without hesitation. "Understood."
He vanished the next instant, Body Flicker leaving a faint wind behind.
—
Inside the Anbu command office, Tatsuya donned his combat gear—tight-fitted armor, hidden blades, and the pale, expressionless Anbu mask.
With the chakra suppression seal on his collar pulsing faintly, he turned toward the door.
"Kurenai," his voice was sharp, cool. "Assemble teams five through eight. Full combat protocol."
"Yes, Captain!" she responded immediately, eyes gleaming with purpose.
She didn't even hesitate now. The moment missions appeared, she followed his orders without question.
He had become not just her goal, but her standard.
—
Moments later, eight Anbu teams stood assembled in formation, the training grounds humming with suppressed tension.
Two captains stood before them: Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Hoshino Tatsuya.
Thirty-one elite shinobi.
Their auras stirred the dust beneath their feet.
"S-rank mission," Shinnosuke began. "Elite units from Kirigakure and Kumogakure have crossed into the Land of Fire."
"Your orders—track, engage, repel. Lethal force authorized. No mistakes."
"Understood!"
Voices rang out in unison.
Shinnosuke turned toward Tatsuya. "Captain Tatsuya, any additions?"
Tatsuya, behind his mask, didn't speak immediately.
Because he wasn't listening.
He was absorbing.
> [You picked up 50 Combat EXP]
[You picked up 20 Fire Release Talent]
[You picked up 20 Earth Release Talent]
[You picked up 50 Chakra]
[You picked up 40 Chakra]
…
Eight full Anbu squads and one Elite Jōnin. The field was bathed in gold.
> 🌀 System Log — Auto Pickup Activated
▸ +500 Chakra
▸ +60 Elemental Talent (Fire/Earth)
▸ +700 Combat EXP
🔸 Chakra Total: 9260 / 100,000 (Lv.4)
『With this pace… I'll break into Super-Kage within a week.』
He shook his head lightly.
"…No additions," he replied to Shinnosuke. "Proceed."
—
The teams dispersed into high-speed movement across the rooftops, heading toward the village gate.
Tatsuya ran near the middle, calmly analyzing.
『Kirigakure and Kumogakure together? This is the prelude to the Hyūga Incident.』
He remembered the original events:
Kumo's envoy tried to kidnap Hinata. They failed. Hiashi Hyūga killed the kidnapper. Kumo then demanded the body of Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, as compensation.
A victory turned into humiliation.
『Konoha had top-tier fighters back then. The Sannin were still in the village. What kind of leverage did Kumo have to force the Third Hokage's hand?』
There were still too many variables he didn't know.
But he would know soon.
—
As the group reached the edge of the village, another Chakra signature pulsed from the forest clearing ahead.
A towering figure stepped out, white hair spiking in all directions. A long red cloak flared behind him.
The man grinned, lazily adjusting his forehead protector.
"…You're late," he said.
Tatsuya's pupils narrowed behind his mask.
Jiraiya.
> [You picked up 100 Chakra]
[You picked up 100 Chakra]
[You picked up 50 Combat EXP]
『Legendary Sannin... his golden drops are as dense as the Third Hokage's.』
No wonder the system pinged the moment he appeared.
"Master Jiraiya!" Shinnosuke bowed slightly. "You're joining us?"
"The old man gave me the briefing last night. Figured I'd tag along."
"Yes, sir!"
The air shifted.
Now even the most confident Anbu agents were uneasy.
With Jiraiya deployed personally… the enemy wasn't just serious. They were dangerous.
But Tatsuya's thoughts were different.
『Another jackpot. If there are Kage-level enemies ahead, the loot's going to be massive. If I'm lucky…』
『…I could break into the Super-Kage tier mid-mission.』
"Move out!" Shinnosuke ordered.
"Sir!"
Thirty-one shadows vanished into the forest like ghosts.
—
Jiraiya's sharp gaze passed over each ninja silently—then lingered for a beat longer on one masked figure at the center of the formation.
"…Strong Chakra."
He blinked, slightly surprised.
"When did Anbu get someone like this?"
He didn't ask out loud.
But the question lingered in the wind, unanswered.
Because even the Toad Sage didn't know—
That thing in a mask… wasn't just strong.
It was evolving.
---