Knock Knock
Kuro knocked on the door of the Hokage's office.
"Come in," Hiruzen's voice sounded from the inside.
Kuro turn the knob and step inside to see piles of papers on the hokage desk.
"You called?" Kuro asks without any honorifics.
Hiruzen's brows furrowed when he heard Kuro's tone.
Looking up from his paper, he became confused when he saw a teen around the age of 18 standing in front of his desk.
"Kuro Nara?" He asked in bewilderment.
Kuro sighed as this wasn't the first time today someone had the same reaction.
"The one and only."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the young man in front of him. "You look… older than you should."
Kuro smirked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately."
The Hokage tapped a finger against the armrest.
Kuro didn't want to stay standing there, so he walked to the couch and sat down.
Immediately, several ANBU surrounded him.
"Oh? What's the problem?" Kuro asks in amusement.
"Problem? Did the Hokage ever order you to sit down? Such disrespect!" Shouted one of the ANBU.
Hiruzen raised a hand, signaling the ANBU to stand down. "Enough," he said firmly, his voice calm but with an edge of authority that silenced the room instantly.
The ANBU stepped back, though they remained on high alert, their masked faces unreadable.
Kuro leaned back on the couch, clearly unfazed. "Thanks. Didn't feel like getting a kunai to the throat just for resting my legs."
Hiruzen studies Kuro, looking for the reason why the boy is acting like he owns the place.
"You disappeared four years ago, and now, you show up looking… aged, confident, and with the same flippant attitude."
"When you have the power, ya. You act the same, too. Especially that Danzo." Kuro replied.
The ANBU stirred when hearing Kuro's blatant disrespect of the hokage.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly as he started to feel anger at the constant disrespect.
"Danzo is a council elder," the Hokage said, folding his hands together. "One who has done much for the village."
"Ha ha ha ha!" Kuro laughed when he heard that. "You kidding me, right? Danzo? Done so much for the village?"
Hiruzen's gaze hardened, though his expression remained composed. The room tensed again, the ANBU shifting slightly at Kuro's mockery.
"Kuro," Hiruzen said, his voice like tempered steel, "you return after vanishing for four years, with no explanation. You mock the village elders, and carry yourself like a missing-nin who's too comfortable being back in Konoha. You owe me some answers."
Kuro's smirk faded just a touch, his eyes narrowing. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced loosely.
"You're wrong. I do not owe anyone answers," he said slowly. "But someone does, and that person is not you."
Hiruzen didn't flinch, though his patience was thinning.
Kuro continued, "What happened with my parents is too suspicious. Once I find out who, I will give them a life worse than death."
"Are you threatening me?" Hiruzen finally had enough.
Kuro tilted his head slightly, "Threatening?" his voice calm, too calm. "No, Hokage. I don't waste threats on people I don't consider responsible." He locked eyes with Hiruzen, his tone sharpening like a blade. "But I am making a promise."
The ANBU stiffened again, fingers twitching toward their weapons.
The ANBU that shouted earlier can no longer hold himself as he launches an attack on Kuro.
Kuro did not even bother looking at the ANBU as he continued to look at Hiruzen.
"Hokage, you should have better trained your dogs. But then again, he's not your ANBU."
The ANBU that attacked suddenly fell to the floor before reaching Kuro. Blood gushed out everywhere as the head was no longer connected to the neck. Instead, the head was currently beneath Kuro's feet.
Silence.
Hiruzen had his eyes wide open as he could see Kuro attack, but his body was unable to reach him in time. He did not even sense that Kuro moved.
'If he had attacked me, would I also have a similar fate?' Hiruzen thought as he looked at Kuro kicking the head between his feet.
Hiruzen's thoughts raced, the edges of his composure fraying ever so slightly.
Kuro spun the head effortlessly between his feet, as if the tension in the room didn't exist, as if he hadn't just killed a living being.
"Relax," Kuro said, voice light, almost amused. "If I wanted you dead, your head would have already been at my feet."
The ANBU didn't move—they couldn't. Their instincts screamed at them to run. To get away from this monster as far as possible.
Hiruzen fell back into his chair.
"Before I forget, why did you call me anyway?" Kuro asks as he kicks the head toward the trash can.
The head went in perfectly without splattering the blood. 'Pathetic trash of the Root.' Kuro muttered under his breath.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, regaining his composure as he glanced at the surrounding ANBU. They gave a curt nod before removing the headless body from the room.
"I called you here because reports mentioned an unfamiliar person in the village," Hiruzen said. "I didn't realize it was you."
"That's it?" Kuro asked, his tone dry. "You hauled me to the Hokage's office because someone didn't recognize my pretty face?"
"When an unidentified individual with high-level chakra is spotted moving freely through the village, they need to be investigated."
Kuro stood, brushing himself off. "So basically, you thought I was dangerous. Good instinct. You're not wrong."
The ANBU tensed again.
Hiruzen's expression darkened. "Tensions with the Rain Village are escalating. For the village's safety, I have to be thorough."
"Then why summon me here?" Kuro countered. "You could've just had an ANBU tail me. I don't mind the occasional bug buzzing around."
"Sakumo Hatake said you're not a threat. That's the only reason I invited you here directly."
At the mention of Sakumo's name, Kuro gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
"Well, since I've been cleared, I'll be going." Kuro gave a casual wave and walked out, leaving the Hokage and ANBU in silence.
'You are a threat!' The unspoken thought echoed through Hiruzen's mind—and in the minds of every ANBU present.
***
Kuro's footsteps were light as he walked back to the Nara Clan compound.
Halfway there, he came across the Akimichi restaurant. The familiar scent of sizzling meat and spices wafted through the air, drawing his attention.
He stepped closer, peeking inside. His eyes immediately landed on his parents, their hearty laughter mixing with the vibrant chatter of the Akimichi clan. His mother, with her ever-present warmth, was sitting across from his father, who was already on his second bowl of food. And beside her, Kisara.
"—and then, I swear, the cat looked at me like it was plotting my demise!" Kisara said, chuckling. "I've never seen anything so sinister in my life!"
His parents laughed in unison, clearly enjoying her company.
His father caught sight of him then, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Kuro! Why are you here? Aren't you grounded?!"
With a sigh, Kuro pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Kisara noticed him, flashing a bright smile. "Join us. We were just reminiscing about your childhood… mostly embarrassing stuff, of course."
Kuro raised an eyebrow. "Embarrassing stuff?"
His mother smiled sweetly but with a knowing look. "Oh yes. Me and your father have a lot of stories we love to share with Kisara."
Kuro doesn't have anything to say other than to sit down beside his father. He decided not to tell his parents about what happened at the Hokage office.
His father grinned. "Alright then, since Kuro is here, let's eat!"
Kuro leaned back in his chair, allowing himself a brief moment of peace.