In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly moved his gaze away from the crystal ball, fatigue unmistakably etched onto his face.
He leaned back slightly, gently rubbing the bridge of his nose, the things he had just seen in the crystal ball adding to his worries.
Naruto nearly lost control and unleashed the Nine-Tailed's power, while Chizhao was almost taken away by Mizuki and fell into Orochimaru's hands.
Either of these two incidents, had they fully occurred, would have been enough to cause alarm.
Thanks to his meticulous arrangements, the crisis was finally resolved, and they averted danger.
It was just unknown how long such a situation could be maintained.
In the empty office, a figure suddenly appeared in the center.
He knelt on one knee, a vibrant green leaf adorning his shoulder, standing out conspicuously against his black tight-fitting suit.
"Hokage-sama, Mizuki has been apprehended, and the scroll of seals has been recovered."
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "You've worked hard, Kakashi."
He then straightened his posture, his gaze falling on Kakashi's lowered face, recalling the scene of several Jonin jointly petitioning earlier.
He slowly rose and walked towards Kakashi on the floor, his hands clasped behind his back, his aged voice revealing a hint of concern:
"Speaking of which, Kakashi, how long have you been in the Anbu?"
Kakashi answered almost without thinking: "More than fifteen years."
Hiruzen sighed softly, as if in lament, his hands still behind his back:
"When Minato became Hokage, his original intention was for you to erase the darkness in your heart and keep you by his side."
"I arranged for you to monitor Chizhao also hoping that you could pay a little attention to things beyond missions....."
"However, starting tonight, your duties in the Anbu will be terminated. Go and become a Jonin in charge of teaching students. You no longer need to execute the mission of monitoring Chizhao."
Upon hearing this, Kakashi looked up, the indoor light shining on his eyes, reflecting a hazy glow.
A complex emotion flashed in his widened right eye, then he quickly lowered his gaze again, asking in a low voice:
"Are you going to replace me with someone else for the mission?"
Picking up his pipe from the desk, Hiruzen took a deep puff and slowly exhaled.
He paced to Kakashi's side, helped him up from the floor, picked up the green leaf attached to his shoulder, and twisted its stem between his fingers.
"It's no longer necessary. Excessive protection is not beneficial for her; she also needs to grow to face future threats."
"Indeed....." Kakashi responded in a low voice.
After tonight's incident, he knew that if he hadn't been by her side, she might really have been abducted by the enemy.
"So, Kakashi, after a long period of observation, how do you think Chizhao should be arranged after graduation?"
Hiruzen turned and walked to the window, extending his hand out, and the breeze carried the green leaf in his hand into the dark shadows.
Kakashi pondered for a moment, then replied:
"After graduation, she should be like other Genin, forming new teams and accepting missions....."
Watching the green leaf fly away outside the window, looking at the twinkling lights of countless homes, Hiruzen's eyes gleamed with an inscrutable light:
"Even you think so?"
"However, she is a person with rather special abilities. If she openly carries out missions and is then abducted by Orochimaru, or that Akuma, it would not only endanger the Village but also potentially result in the loss of an important combat resource."
"One could say, Chizhao, this trump card, can be the key for Konoha to turn the tide in future wars."
Vaguely understanding Hiruzen Sarutobi's meaning, Kakashi's heart turned cold.
He deeply knew that the Third Hokage's decisions were all based on the Village's interests, and as a Ninja, he should uphold and support all their decisions.
But that emotion, which he had long suppressed, seemed to quietly melt at this moment, like ice and snow in early spring.
"Chizhao... she's not suitable for the Anbu....."
What kind of place is the Anbu?
It's a place specifically for training killing weapons.
Ruthlessness is its synonym , and once that tattoo is carved onto an arm, it signifies a period of dark, suffocating memories, like falling into the deep sea.
That girl with the bright smile should not be categorized there.
Noticing Kakashi's concern, Hiruzen walked to the table, took a stack of documents from the drawer, and placed them on the table.
"I understand your thoughts, but this time the Anbu is somewhat different in a certain sense."
"After I absorbed Danzo's Root Organization, I plan to integrate them into a new intelligence department to expand Konoha's intelligence gathering capabilities, and Chizhao can also hide in the Anbu, using her skills to contribute to the Village."
Kakashi remained noncommittal, looking at the scattered documents on the table, hesitating for a moment:
"Why are you telling me this? You could have arranged it according to your own ideas."
Hiruzen smiled slightly: "She's still a child, and sometimes she gets lost. I hope you can guide her appropriately when she deviates from the right path."
Deviate from the right path.
Is it the right path arranged by Konoha's higher-ups?
Or is it another kind of "will of fire"?
After leaving the Hokage's office, Kakashi took all the intelligence about Shiratori Chichao and squatted on a high rooftop, carefully reading it under the moonlight.
No Chakra......
Seeing this surprising text, Kakashi let out a soft chuckle through his nose.
He had thought his Sharingan had problems from being used too long, but he didn't expect it to be true.
Her ability was indeed of a type he had never seen before.
Could it be another type of Kekkei Genkai?
After a moment of thought, he used a Body Flicker Technique from the rooftop to appear before the hospital window.
Inside, Chizhao lay peacefully on the hospital bed.
Seeing no one around, he quietly entered through the window, as silently as the night wind.
The scars on the girl's cheeks had already healed, and she looked much more radiant.
Her even breathing caused her chest to rise and fall, and her beautiful eyelashes trembled slightly.
She must be having a wonderful dream.
He gazed at the girl's clean and gentle face.
He recalled various scenes of monitoring her over the past few years, that natural beauty gradually pulling him out of the muddy swamp.
Unhurriedly observing her life seemed to have become his best way to divert his attention.
Sometimes he would even go up and chat with her for a few words, treat her to some delicious food, and she would light up with a smile and be happy for a long time.
However, this life he had been watching was now going to embark on the same path as his own.
It felt as if something was tightly gripping his heart, making his inner world suddenly muddy again.
But this was the Village's command; he could not interfere, nor did he have the right to interfere.
Withdrew his hand that wanted to touch her face, Kakashi took off the white fox mask from his face and gently placed it by her pillow.
The only thing he could do was to let this protection continue in another form.
I truly hope you live well.
Next time we meet, I'll treat you to something else to eat.
After seeing Naruto off, Keiko slowly entered the house, inadvertently noticing that the window had been quietly opened at some point, and the soft curtains danced gently in the breeze.
She quickly went forward to lock the window, her gaze then falling on the white fox mask by Chizhao's pillow, her heart tightening.
An Anbu mask.
Her brow furrowed slightly, an ominous premonition rising in her heart, and countless possibilities flashed through her mind.
But her slightly furrowed brow then relaxed as if in resignation.
What could she do?
She walked to the bed and gently stroked Chizhao's cheek, her eyes filled with both love and helplessness.
She was now an old woman, her years increasing, just as she hadn't immediately noticed when Chizhao was in danger tonight.
She had abandoned her past, and with it, her vigilance as a Ninja.
All she could do now was prepare a delicious meal for her granddaughter every day and pray that she would return home safely after completing her missions.
If only all the children in the world could live ordinary lives, far away from the dangerous Ninja world.
How wonderful that would be.....