Time Skip – 3 Years Later
Location: Southern Border of the Land of Fire
The mist rolled in low, thick enough to cut with a kunai. But even that wouldn't stop them.
The enemies weren't missing-nin. They weren't rogues.
They were official Kiri shinobi—too close for comfort.
They were testing the borders.
They shouldn't have.
The war was dying out, and this wasn't something they should be doing.
Speaking of things they shouldn't be doing—
Kumo tried to kidnap Kushina. So, hum, he slit their throats.
Fucking bastards.
How dare they try and attack his friend.
Plus, making seals with her was fun.
He got used to it.
She was like the little sister he never had.
As for helping her with the Nine-Tails stuff—well, he had some clues he gave her.
Such as, asking the beast for its name.
His reasoning was: wouldn't Kushina be pissed if one day, she was sealed inside someone, and every time they came to visit, they didn't even call her by her name, but one of her characteristics—like red hair?
She almost got mad there, but oh well, she did get the point.
So, trying to befriend the fox was ideal.
Maybe over time, she could loosen the seal, 'cause Kurama's current seal was having this man getting his ass fucked.
...Literally. He had a big-ass pole shoved up there.
Like come on, give this fox some dignity.
On a small totally insignificant note, Seijuro was pretty popular and with his easy to get to nature, he was often send on mission with the kids of the daimyo....This fact will 100% not be revelent again in the future.
POV: ANBU Squad Commander – Kurama Seijuro
Codename: Shiranui
He crouched on a moss-covered branch, completely still.
His mask reflected moonlight faintly—he was wearing a fox mask, which felt quite fitting.
A cunning fox.
Someone quite known for his Kekkei Genkai.
He had joined the ANBU three years ago, but now he was a captain.
Only rank above him was ANBU Commander, which Sakumo Hatake currently held, and then Hokage. Maybe the Elders—but he didn't like taking orders from them.
He was quite polite about it too.
He felt like they were too old and too outdated for this shit.
As for Danzo's Root?
He tolerated them... at best.
And they were like heaven-given bait.
Yes, he could blame everything on them if his pseudo identity did something he didn't want anyone to know.
Blame Root.
So yes, they were staying—since they were the perfect scapegoat.
Anyway, he was a squad leader now.
He had gone on countless missions with his team.
He didn't need to speak.
His squad moved with a rhythm born of bloody trust.
Below, the enemy camp was barely visible—glowing coals, silent movement, shinobi gathered around tactical maps.
Twenty of them. Elite-level. Kiri Hunter-nin, mostly. At least two swordsmen.
Seijuro's fingers twitched once.
That was the signal.
POV Shift – ANBU Squad in Motion
The attack started like this:
The Aburame clan member began by using his bugs. Since it had rained recently and this was bug season...
It wasn't too uncommon to see so many insects, so the Kiri-nin weren't worried, even when the bugs bit them.
Some of them started turning green.
"They're venomous."
As the Kiri-nin realized that, they were slightly on guard.
Their guide told them there were venomous bugs in the area.
They hadn't believed it—but look at them now.
Meanwhile, the Nara clan member, Shikaku Nara, used Shadow Paralysis to freeze some of them in place.
As they froze, the others immediately assumed it was also poison.
While the Kiri-nin scrambled for pills, they didn't even notice the Yamanaka who had infiltrated their ranks.
They were too deep in the illusion to notice, and by the time the sun was blocked—
They didn't even get the chance to look up before they were squashed by the bugs summoned by the Akimichi.
More precisely, Akimichi Choza.
Perfectly executed... with no casualties.
As for the guide they'd spoken to?
That guide never existed. That was merely one of Seijuro's illusions.
And the anti-poison they'd been given?
That was actually poison.
So yeah.
Meanwhile—
"Clear. No reinforcements nearby."
That was Hikaru Hyūga, a side-branch prodigy, Byakugan active, perched high above in overwatch.
And that was all Seijuro needed.
Ten seconds.
That's how long it took.
Twenty Kiri shinobi. Eliminated.
Clean. Efficient. No casualties.
Seijuro turned to his squad, his voice neutral but commanding:
"Check for tags, mission scrolls, and evidence. Burn the corpses."
The squad obeyed like a single body. There were no protests. No ceremony. Just professionalism.
That was what Seijuro had cultivated in them.
In three years, he'd gone from being the youngest Jōnin in Konoha to its youngest ANBU Captain—without skipping a single promotion test.
Twelve to fifteen.
He did in three years what others couldn't in ten.
He was no longer a prodigy.
He was a ghost with authority.
Hours Later — Hokage Tower
Seijuro stood in front of Hiruzen, mask removed, posture straight.
His face was calm. Clean. Composed. The faintest trace of blood remained on his gloves.
"Mission complete. No survivors. No witnesses. No alarm."
Hiruzen had come to expect this from Seijuro.
Out of the 150 missions he had conducted so far, all 150 were completed very quickly.
He never failed a mission.
Even missions that seemed impossible were done with the utmost ease.
"I expected nothing less from you," the Hokage said, looking at the boy.
Seijuro took out a scroll and handed it to the Kage.
"This is the info we found on the Kiri-nin," he said, handing it over.
The seal was still tightly shut, and it was done with way—so if Seijuro had opened it, Hiruzen would've known.
The scroll was unopened.
The boy had come all the way here and handed it to the Hokage.
"Fox, why did you not open the scroll?" Hiruzen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I was not authorized to open it, nor did I have permission to. My mission was to simply eliminate the intruders. Not this, Lord Third," he said calmly.
Oh, the dick-riding was insane, but oh well.
Hiruzen paused before nodding his head.
"You are dismissed."
He bowed to the Kage, before using Shunpo to leave the room.
A/N This chapter contain the spoiler for the future.