"Clean strike, Black Shadow," Tenzo said as he withdrew his jutsu. The forcibly grown branches around them sank back into the ground, though a few stubborn ones remained, quietly contributing to the Land of Fire's greenery.
"You held him perfectly, Captain," Fujimoto Tōma replied. "I just finished it."
"That's not quite true," Tenzo said after a pause. "Even without me, you'd have found a chance."
He meant it.
If Tenzo had encountered Tōma for the first time without prior intel, even he might not have reacted in time.
At first, they'd assumed Tōma's technique was some rare variation of Body Flicker. Later, Tenzo had personally checked the ANBU archives. With his clearance, he could access far more than most.
What he found unsettled him.
There was a recorded technique that matched Tōma's almost perfectly. A technique tied to a legendary shinobi. And that shinobi was also known for a chakra-condensed sphere technique.
If Tōma really used that same jutsu, then his background was far from simple. He wasn't just some prodigy from a respectable clan. And yet… the hair color didn't quite line up.
In the end, Tenzo kept those thoughts to himself. Let everyone assume Tōma was just another gifted clan descendant. Sometimes, ignorance was safer.
"I still have a long way to go," Tōma said calmly. "If that jonin had been in peak condition, my Rasengan wouldn't have landed so cleanly. Even if it crippled him, killing him afterward wouldn't have been guaranteed."
Between the lightning kunai, Flying Thunder God, and Rasengan, he'd burned through most of his chakra in seconds.
Tenzo paused, then smiled helplessly. Brilliant as he was, Tōma was almost too serious for his age.
"Let's regroup," Tōma said. He tipped his mask up slightly and popped another soldier pill from the bottle Fox had given him, chewing with a grimace. "These things still taste awful. You'd think the medical division would've fixed that by now."
"Fox's?" Tenzo asked as he caught the bottle Tōma tossed him. "Those aren't free, you know."
Tōma froze.
"…Is it too late to spit it out?"
Tenzo laughed. "Relax. Killing a jonin earns more than enough merit. Eat as much as you want."
"That credit belongs mostly to you," Tōma said, shaking his head.
"I don't need it," Tenzo replied quietly. "You do. Especially since… you'll be leaving soon, won't you?"
Tōma fell silent.
That was answer enough.
"Then consider it a parting gift," Tenzo continued. "From a captain to his subordinate. Wherever you go next, don't forget you were once part of Team Tenzo."
"I won't," Tōma said firmly. Then, with a faint grin, "Give it some time. You'll be bragging to other ANBU that I used to be on your team."
Tenzo blinked, then laughed. "I'll hold you to that."
They returned to the craftsmen's position to find the area stabilized. Order had been restored.
Impressive.
Only then did Tōma notice the three genin's captain directing operations. That explained it.
The genin stiffened when they saw Tōma but didn't try to stop him or Tenzo.
"Captain! Black Shadow!" Fox and Hound called out as they rushed over, relief clear on their faces.
"You both did well," Tenzo said, scanning the area.
"So it's over?" Hound asked, scratching his head.
"It is," Tenzo replied. "All enemies eliminated. Including the jonin. Black Shadow handled that."
Fox and Hound stared at Tōma like he'd grown a second head.
He was barely twelve.
At that age, they'd been chasing runaway cats.
"Captain's exaggerating," Tōma said. "He'd already beaten him down. I just landed the last hit."
"Landing that hit is the scary part," Hound muttered. "I wouldn't dare get close."
Nearby, the chūnin leading the genin team overheard the exchange and froze. He looked at Tōma again, disbelief washing over his face.
Jonin kill?
That had to be a misunderstanding.
Tenzo turned to him. "You needed something?"
The chūnin snapped out of it and explained the situation. The transport leader had fled. Only civilians remained. The question was whether to continue toward the Land of Iron or abort the mission.
Tōma shared what he'd overheard earlier. The attackers had been after meteor iron.
"Meteor iron?" the master craftsman said, stepping forward. "That can't be right. We were told it would be shipped later—"
His face darkened mid-sentence.
Tenzo studied the map. They were close enough to the Land of Iron that turning back wouldn't be any safer. Abandoning the civilians wasn't an option.
The mission would continue.
After a brief private exchange, Tenzo vanished into the shadows. Tōma got to work.
He recovered scattered horses. Tenzo produced simple wooden carts with Wood Release. The chūnin watched in stunned silence.
The rest of the journey was uneventful.
With a jonin lost, the Mist Village wouldn't risk sending more forces. Tōma suspected the real meteor iron had never been here at all. A decoy. One that fooled both Konoha and the Mist.
If that was true, whoever orchestrated it was about to suffer dearly.
At the border of the Land of Iron, they finally parted.
"Black Shadow! Come see me again!" the young craftsman shouted, waving wildly. "I'll forge you the best weapon ever!"
"How old are you?" Tōma asked.
"Twelve."
"Then don't call me big brother," Tōma replied. "I'm younger than you."
Silence.
The entire team stared.
"…Then I'll call you Boss!" the boy declared. "That works!"
Tōma laughed. "Fine. I'll be waiting for that masterpiece."
The boy beamed. "It's a promise!"
"Goodbye," Tōma said, waving without turning back.
The master craftsman smiled. This connection would benefit them both.
Back in Konoha, without civilians to slow them down, Team Tenzo returned quickly and dispersed.
Tōma went straight to the ANBU exchange office and traded his merit for sword manuals. Swordsmanship was cheap compared to ninjutsu. He got everything from basic forms to advanced techniques.
Enough to keep him busy.
He stayed with the team a while longer, running missions and refining his swordplay, blending it more smoothly with chakra. The results came faster than expected.
Then one day, he finally spoke up.
He was leaving.
No one tried to stop him. They all knew staying would only limit him.
Hound clapped his shoulder. "Inuzuka clan. Come by sometime."
Fox nodded. "Medical Division. Mention Team Tenzo."
Tenzo sighed. "Everything I have is here. But if you ever need help… find me."
"I will," Tōma said.
He bowed slightly, turned, and walked away.
Ten years old.
And already moving on.
Behind him, Team Tenzo watched in silence.
They all knew it.
They'd just witnessed the rise of a true genius.