Bonus chapter
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After the three-day break ended, Iwagakure launched yet another offensive.
Anko had been expecting a summons from the village any moment.
But it never came.
So, restless, she decided to track down her captain and ask directly about their next assignment. She still remembered the way from when she'd helped him move scrolls last time.
"Not here?"
The old woman in the house shook her head. "He went on a mission."
A mission?
Her stomach dropped.
He left... without us?
A wave of loss and frustration surged up inside her, tightening her chest. For a moment, Anko's face went pale.
She almost ran the whole way to the Uchiha compound. The guards at the gate gave her cold, disinterested looks—neither stopping her nor acknowledging her—until a soft voice cut through the silence.
"Izumi, thank you."
"You're welcome. Anko-senpai, right? You're Itachi's teammate," the girl said with a polite smile. "I'm Itachi's friend. He's mentioned you."
That little brat actually has friends his own age?
The thought barely passed when she spotted Itachi approaching.
"Captain went on a mission?"
The flicker of surprise and confusion on Itachi's normally calm face strangely eased her heart a little—it seemed she wasn't the only one left in the dark.
"Brother?"
"Sorry, Sasuke. I have something I need to take care of."
Without their Jonin leader, getting an audience with the Hokage suddenly became a long and tedious process. The two waited in silence until Hiruzen appeared.
"Hokage-sama! Captain Roshi—did he go on a mission?!" Anko blurted out. "Why didn't he take us? Is Team 5... disbanded?!"
Her voice was strained with anxiety and anger.
The Third Hokage didn't scold her. His kind gaze lingered on the agitated Anko and the quiet, sharp-eyed Itachi beside her before he finally spoke:
"Yes. Roshi went on a mission."
"The mission's rank is extremely high—and very dangerous. Currently, only he from Team 5 meets the qualifications to participate."
"I'm sorry for reassigning your captain so suddenly. But rest assured—he's not alone. He's accompanied by capable comrades."
"This mission requires Jonin-level strength. When it's over, he'll return as your captain, and you'll remain members of Team 5."
So we were left behind because... we're too weak.
Anko's shoulders slumped slightly.
I'm too weak.
Back in her small, silent apartment, she absently touched the side of her neck. Beneath her fingertips, the Cursed Seal that the Third Hokage had sealed personally gave off a faint, burning ache.
—
Outside Konoha Village, deep in the vast forest, three shadows darted silently between the trees at blinding speed.
The standard Anbu uniform was a masterpiece of stealth and practicality—and surprisingly comfortable.
The only thing Roshi wasn't too fond of was the tattoo on his arm. The design was simple and elegant enough, but…
Well, it's not like I'm sitting for a government exam. Still, I guess it's part of the identity.
"You're a bit more animated than I expected," Kakashi said dryly.
Though Roshi's movements were precise and efficient, that faint hint of curiosity—his quiet fascination with every detail of the Anbu uniform—hadn't escaped the veteran's sharp eyes.
"Kakashi-senpai," Roshi said suddenly, "have you ever considered dyeing your hair?"
"...Huh?" Kakashi blinked.
"Anbu are supposed to conceal their identities, right?"
"In theory, yes."
"But silver hair, plus a Sharingan—it's not exactly subtle. With all due respect, doesn't that defeat the purpose?"
Behind them, Tenzo stumbled slightly, letting out a muffled "shhh".
Kakashi's voice carried a trace of embarrassment. "Well, uh... not all Anbu missions require anonymity. Some are... more administrative. Or internal."
He tried to recover quickly. "And when I do need to hide, I can always wear a trench coat. Or use a Transformation Jutsu."
"Understood," Roshi replied blandly.
"Cough." Kakashi cleared his throat, forcing the conversation back on track. "Focus on the mission, Mori. No more chatter."
Mori—that was Roshi's codename for this operation.
The Kakashi of this era hadn't yet developed the smooth, foxlike composure of his later years—when he'd handle every situation with lazy confidence and a pocketbook of adult reading material.
Roshi thought this with mild amusement, unaware of the faint spark of admiration from beside him.
"Mori-senpai, you're incredible," Tenzo said quietly.
"Huh?" Roshi turned.
Tenzo nodded earnestly. "To so quickly find Kakashi-senpai's weakness and strike without mercy—truly inspiring."
"Shut it, Tenzo," Kakashi said flatly.
The Tailed Beast interception squad returned to silence, save for the steady whoosh of air as they raced through the trees.
Through Konoha's desperate defense, Iwagakure's advance had been halted roughly ten kilometers from the Land of Fire's border. The enemy could go no further.
But the cost was steep.
Both the Kannabi Bridge and Tenchi Bridge—the twin arteries between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire—had fallen.
In war, logistics are everything. Even though shinobi could store supplies in scrolls, a full army still depended on stable routes for food and weapons. Losing those bridges meant losing the front-line barrier—and Iwagakure knew it.
This time, the rapid collapse had one clear cause: Iwagakure's two Jinchuriki.
Had Jiraiya not arrived when he did—single-handedly stabilizing the front—the Stone's army might have already pushed deep into the Land of Fire's heartland.
If that had happened, even the aging Third Hokage might have been forced to personally take the field.
Upon reaching the command post, the trio went through verification and were led into the operations tent. Inside stood two figures—Jiraiya, his wild white hair unmistakable, arms crossed before the map table; and beside him, Nara Shikaku, brow furrowed, tapping the map edge as he calculated strategy.
"Yo, Kakashi," Jiraiya greeted casually, recognizing the silver hair immediately.
A strangled sound escaped from Tenzo's mask—half-laugh, half-snort.
"Huh? What's funny?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled.
Roshi said nothing.
Kakashi, his posture stiff for a fraction of a second, straightened. His voice came out low and serious through the mask.
"Special Tailed Beast Combat Squad, reporting for duty, Jiraiya-sama. Shikaku-san."
Jiraiya frowned. "Kakashi... what's he laughing about?"
"No special circumstances!" Kakashi barked quickly. "Please—assign us our mission, Jiraiya-sama!"
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