In the corridor, Shikaku pushed himself off the wall with deliberate slowness, his expression thoughtful as he fell into step beside Ibiki.
"Well?" Shikaku's voice carried the weight of a man who had seen too many interrogations end badly.
"I am sure you heard the conversation," Ibiki said as his scarred fingers drummed against his coat sleeve.
"It sounded like there was more going on in there"
They walked in silence until they reached the administrative wing, where the steady hum of activity suggested the village's machinery was grinding through its daily crises.
Once they confirmed they were not in proximity to any listeners, they continued.
"The sensory ninjas confirm he has a foreign energy signature, not like chakra; there was no chakra reading. And he was able to summon an ethereal existence to break the sealing chains easily on him with a word and without weaving hand signs or a jutsu, additionally, the kid himself is quite experienced in combat and mental warfare" Ibiki said
"Summon an ethereal existence?" Shikaku asked
"We didn't get to see her full form but only a palm that made the chains lighter than wet paper," He said.
"What makes you suggest it's a she?"
"Because she talked, which matched the report given to me by the bystander, a female monster."
Shikaku thought for a while, and the information the bystander provided did match a little, plus he did indeed hear a feminine voice from inside the room. What separated them was only a door; if they did not want him to eavesdrop, they had enough means at their disposal.
"What did she say?" Shikaku asked.
"His name," Ibiki said, afraid it may mean something if said out by another person.
Shikaku's eyebrow raised slightly.
"Oh?"
He indeed heard such.
'A ghost summoning technique that doesn't need one to use hand signs nor have chakra' Shikaku thought.
"I plan on arranging and compiling a report on this investigation as well as his request and submitting to the Hokage, maybe some points may interest her," Ibiki said cryptically to Shikaku as they walked.
Shikaku understood his underlying message and nodded.
"I'll send my input as well, thank you for your time," Shikaku said and with understanding, they split
'So it's that? She will definitely be interested, I am just not sure if it's a good or bad thing' Shikaku thought
---
Across the village, Tsunade stood in the emergency command center, her jaw tight as she reviewed the intelligence reports scattered across the table.
Maps marked with red ink showed breach points along the village's eastern perimeter.
Images depicted strange markings carved into trees, symbols that matched no known jutsu or clan technique.
"How many?" she asked without looking up.
"Three confirmed infiltration attempts over the past week," reported Asuma
"Different locations, different methods, but the same objective, for intelligence gathering."
Shizune appeared at Tsunade's elbow, a fresh stack of reports in her hands.
"The pattern analysis is complete. Someone's mapping our patrol routes and sensor grid placement."
Tsunade's fist clenched, causing the papers beneath her hand to crumple.
"Danzo."
"We can't prove..." Asuma began.
"I don't need proof for what I already know." Tsunade's voice carried the authority of someone who had spent years cleaning up political messes.
"Deploy additional ANBU teams to reinforce the village periphery, Double the sensor coverage. If he wants to play games, we'll make sure he loses."
The afternoon wore on with methodical precision, reports filed, teams dispatched, countermeasures implemented.
But beneath the administrative efficiency, tension simmered in her head
---
As evening shadows stretched across Konoha, Tsunade finally returned to her office to find Ibiki and Shikaku waiting.
The day's crisis management had left her drained, but the sight of their serious expressions told her the evening's challenges were just beginning.
"Report," she said, settling into her chair with the weariness of someone carrying too many burdens.
Ibiki placed a thick folder on her desk.
"The boy, Yuta Okkotsu. Initial assessment complete."
"Threat level?"
"Unknown. Possibly significant." Ibiki's scarred face remained impassive.
"He possesses abilities that don't conform to known shinobi techniques except one. His energy signature registers as not chakra, corrupted somehow. Dark." Ibiki said as she opened the report and started going through it
Shikaku leaned forward.
"The entity he manifested showed similarities to Dan Kato's Spirit Transformation Technique."
The room fell silent.
Tsunade's fingers stilled on the desk surface, her expression carefully neutral despite the emotional landmine that name represented.
He didn't want to be the bearer of this news but he was the one who forced this kid's appearance to be relevant to her regardless
"Explain."
"Ethereal manifestation, independent consciousness, physical interaction capability despite spiritual nature," Ibiki listed methodically.
"But the execution differs. No jutsu formation, no chakra molding. He simply called a name 'Rika', which is suspected to be the entity's name, and she appeared."
"She?"
"Female voice, according to audio analysis and first civilian contact. Disappeared immediately after neutralizing our restraints."
Tsunade absorbed this information with the practiced calm of a leader who had faced impossible situations before.
But the comparison to Dan's technique created complications she wasn't prepared to address publicly.
"Your recommendation?" she asked.
"Continued observation under controlled conditions," Shikaku replied.
"The boy seems willing to cooperate if we respect certain boundaries. His abilities could prove valuable, but they need understanding before deployment."
"Or elimination," added a new voice from the doorway.
Danzo stepped into the office uninvited, his wrapped eye and cane marking him as clearly as any signature.
"Unknown entities with unidentified abilities represent unacceptable security risks."
Tsunade's temper flared.
"This is my office, Danzo. Your input wasn't requested."
"My concern is for village security, as always." His tone carried the reasonable patience of someone convinced of their moral superiority.
"Today's perimeter breaches demonstrate the consequences of allowing unknowns to operate freely within our borders."
The accusation hung in the air like poison gas.
Tsunade stood slowly, her chair scraping against the floor.
"Are you suggesting this boy is connected to intelligence gathering operations?"
"I'm suggesting we eliminate possibilities before they become certainties." Danzo's visible eye fixed on the folder containing Yuta's assessment.
"The village cannot afford another surprise attack because we chose sentiment over security."
Ibiki and Shikaku exchanged glances.
This confrontation had been building since Yuta's arrival, but the timing suggested coordination, Danzo had been waiting for the perfect moment to press his advantage.
"The boy remains under observation," Tsunade declared with finality.
"Any action against him requires my direct authorization."
"Of course, Hokage-sama." Danzo's bow was precisely correct and completely insincere.
"I merely hope your decision proves... adequate."
He departed as abruptly as he had arrived, leaving tension thick enough to cut.
Shikaku broke the silence first.
"This isn't over."
"No," Tsunade agreed, her gaze fixed on the folder containing Yuta's fate.
Outside the office windows, night settled over Konoha like a blanket, but sleep would be elusive for those who carried the village's burdens.
In the hospital ward, Yuta sat by his window, watching the stars and he wasn't alone.