Hikaru was, in a sense, a spy.
Not the kind planted by another village—but a clan spy.
In some ways, he resembled the future Uchiha Itachi. The difference was that Hikaru had never become a true double agent.
Perhaps the Third Hokage felt a trace of mercy.
Or perhaps he believed the Senju had already declined so far that they could no longer stir up any real trouble.
Either way, Hikaru's entry into ANBU had been smooth.
But he never believed for a moment that Konoha's upper ranks were ignorant of who he really was.
The elder who raised him had used connections that were, on the surface, trustworthy—but Hikaru would never insult the village's rulers by assuming they were fools.
They could see everything.
Or they could pretend to see nothing.
The only question was which option served their interests better.
After a solid night's rest, Hikaru and Kakashi rose early. According to the ninken's report, there had been no incidents overnight.
Either Kakuzu hadn't caught up…
Or he'd lost the trail entirely.
Either way, for now, they were safe.
They erased the last traces of their presence and quickly headed back to Konoha.
ANBU didn't return via the same routes as ordinary ninja. Konoha had more than one entrance—only the others weren't guarded by regular shinobi.
Those checkpoints were manned almost exclusively by ANBU or Root.
No one else was allowed through.
After a round of inspections, Hikaru and Kakashi passed smoothly into the village.
But as they approached the ANBU compound, Hikaru suddenly stopped.
"What is it, Captain?" Kakashi asked, confused.
Hikaru thought for a moment before lowering his voice.
"After the mission is closed and we're dismissed… you're going to see the Fourth Hokage, aren't you?"
Kakashi frowned. He didn't quite understand where this was going.
Still, Hikaru's tone remained as gentle as ever—warm, calm, unthreatening.
Combined with the mild smile he always wore when unmasked, it was the kind of presence that naturally put people at ease.
After a brief pause, Kakashi nodded seriously.
"In that case," Hikaru said quietly, placing a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, "try not to mention what I told you last night—especially the first part."
"If you have to report it, submit it in writing. Don't say it out loud."
"And tell the Hokage one thing for me."
"His actions… have been misunderstood."
With that, Hikaru fell silent and walked on as if nothing had happened.
Kakashi was left standing there, completely at a loss.
He had no idea what Hikaru meant—and no real way to ask.
He could tell his captain wouldn't explain. Worse, Hikaru might just look at him blankly and ask, What are you talking about?
Still full of questions, Kakashi followed Hikaru to settle the mission.
Because of the mission's unusual circumstances, they'd only brought back a head.
The ANBU captain overseeing the debrief was clearly displeased.
But he didn't blame Kakashi.
Instead, he criticized Hikaru.
According to him, Hikaru was an ANBU elite—and with a prodigy like Kakashi under his command, this kind of outcome shouldn't have happened.
Hikaru didn't argue.
He accepted the fault calmly, saying it was his responsibility and had nothing to do with Kakashi.
Then he delivered a detailed mission report.
And the moment Kakuzu was mentioned, the captain frowned deeply.
That legendary bounty hunter?
If they'd truly run into Kakuzu, then recovering the target's head could already be considered a perfect completion.
With that realization, the captain dropped the issue.
In truth, he hadn't really intended to make things difficult for Hikaru in the first place.
But watching all this unfold, Kakashi felt a strange chill.
Hikaru's earlier words echoed in his mind.
He didn't fully understand—but he wasn't stupid.
It seemed the pressure hadn't really been aimed at Hikaru at all.
It had been aimed at him.
After the paperwork was done, Hikaru and Kakashi left the ANBU compound together.
They exchanged few words before parting ways.
Watching Kakashi's back disappear, Hikaru finally let the gentle expression fade beneath his mask.
He'd worn that warmth for so long that even he sometimes believed it was real.
But someone who'd spent years in ANBU…
How could he possibly be kind?
A single day working alongside Kakashi—feeling that suffocating coldness, despair, and lack of vitality—had left even Hikaru struggling to keep smiling.
He shook his head.
Kakashi's current state was terrible.
But precisely because it was terrible… it created opportunity.
"He's the teacher of a future savior. And Minato's disciple."
"If he hadn't been assigned to my squad, fine."
"But now that he is… doing nothing would be a waste."
Hikaru steadied his breathing.
Behind the mask, the gentle smile returned.
Even if no one could see it, maintaining the habit mattered.
If he truly intended to become the greatest boss in the shinobi world, then he had to step onto the center stage of this turbulent era.
And to do that, he needed a persona.
He had no intention of copying Uchiha Madara's image—cold, tyrannical, ruling subordinates through fear and brute force.
That was the classic villain archetype.
Hikaru didn't think he was a good person.
ANBU work wasn't meant for good people.
Five years of blood and shadows had burned that illusion away.
But that didn't stop him from playing one.
His ideal template was the First Hokage… and the Fourth.
Strong. Bright. Humble.
Firm when necessary.
Low-key when not.
That was the role Hikaru had chosen—and he'd committed to it completely.
And it worked.
Among former classmates and within ANBU, his reputation was excellent.
His squad trusted him completely—the kind of people who'd help count the money after he sold them out.
"Too bad Kakashi's been added," Hikaru thought mildly. "That means someone has to leave."
He didn't dwell on it.
His squad members weren't famous. Their abilities were average at best—mostly orphans.
But they were loyal. Reliable.
The only problem was that every one of them carried the Third Hokage's label.
"That's fine," Hikaru decided. "With Kakashi here, a few things can finally change."
He lifted his gaze toward the Hokage Rock, the smile beneath his mask widening.
"Warning the Fourth and Kakashi…"
"Helping the clan."
"And helping myself."
"One move, two gains."