The black marble floors of the ANBU Headquarters gleamed under sterile lighting as the doors sealed behind them. Silence reigned in the long hallways.
Kakashi's team, flanked by their masked ANBU counterparts, walked in precise formation. No chatter. No slackened posture. Only discipline.
In the central debriefing chamber, Tenzo, now back from his temporary assignment, stood at the head of a circular table layered with sealed documents, maps, and scrolls.
His calm eyes scanned the returning team, settling momentarily on Kakashi, then flicking to Naruto and Sasuke with interest.
Behind him stood a small committee of senior intelligence officers, all clad in grey or black, their faces mostly obscured.
"Begin." Tenzo gave a short nod.
Kakashi stepped forward and spoke in a calm voice. "The target labs, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, have been dismantled. All volatile equipment has been recovered, and chakra-based defensive systems neutralized."
"Two high-priority subjects were extracted: one clone with knowledge of Orochimaru's systems, now under my direct supervision, and one mist shinobi from Beta, successfully stabilized."
"This contains encrypted research data, prototype devices, and chakra constructs deemed too dangerous for general release. They've been stored in specialized containment scrolls, per protocol Omega-12." He said as he held up a sealed mission scroll.
"Casualties?" One of the grey-cloaked intelligence officers spoke without looking up.
"None," Kakashi answered. "Minor chakra fatigue. No long-term injuries. Enemy presence was minimal; most labs were automated or abandoned."
"And the genin?" Another voice spoke up.
Now it was the ANBU commander, masked in silver, who stepped forward. He placed two single-page reports on the table and addressed the committee with efficiency.
"Field Performance Summary: Naruto Uzumaki"
Operative displayed exceptional adaptability in dynamic, high-risk environments. Demonstrated instinctual threat detection, quick recovery from strategic errors, and effective chakra disruption capabilities against unstable experimental constructs.
Noted for rapid learning during engagements, and excellent teamwork under high-pressure scenarios. Primary strength: disruptive force with scalable versatility. Recommendation: elevate to advanced tactical simulations with sensor-nin and frontline disruption training."
"Field Performance Summary: Sasuke Uchiha"
Operative maintained exceptional combat focus, applying advanced Sharingan analysis for pattern recognition and enemy jutsu deconstruction. Successfully neutralized complex chakra-based defense seals.
Demonstrated precision and strong battlefield judgment. Noted for identifying systemic weaknesses in enemy fortifications. Recommendation: elevation to advanced analytical support and coordinated strike operations. Immediate suitability for genjutsu analysis and high-risk infiltration prep."
Naruto's mouth twitched slightly, a grin threatening to emerge, but he kept it in check. Sasuke gave no reaction, though his eyes flicked toward the summary for a half-second longer than necessary.
"You've done well. The reports reflect that." Tenzo read both reports silently, then looked up at the boys.
"These evaluations will be added to their long-term files and will weigh heavily during Chunin-level assessments." He looked to Kakashi.
"Understood." Kakashi gave a curt nod.
"Now, these materials. Are you keeping them under personal containment?" Tenzo tapped the stack of secured scrolls.
Kakashi's voice was steady. "Yes. The clone has been fully cooperative and poses no threat. My expanded basement meets ANBU-grade containment standards. He and I will begin the assessment immediately. We're not submitting these for village study, yet."
The senior officers exchanged brief looks, but none objected. They had been told by Tsunade before, how dare they object?
"Then consider this operation closed and logged. You're dismissed." Tenzo spoke once more. And as he spoke he looked at Kakashi who was giving him a flat look, he couldn't help but be embarrassed after speaking in such an authoritative tone.
But when he saw Kakashi just chuckled and left, Tenzo breathed a sigh of relief, after all Kakashi-senpai was the person he respected the most.
…..
Kakashi's Basement Lab–Later That Night
Beneath the quiet calm of Konoha, far below Kakashi's modest home, the hidden sublevels pulsed with renewed life. The once-spacious basement had been transformed once again.
It was now a full-blown underground research center.
Four long glass workstations glowed with embedded seal arrays, used to stabilize chakra residues and prevent cross-contamination.
Scroll racks lined the walls, each labeled with encoded tags. Recessed storage compartments flickered with containment seals, some housing volatile materials that gave off soft, eerie hums.
In the center of it all stood a vertical containment pillar, currently holding the most dangerous of the extracted samples. One vial floated inside, sealed in a stasis bubble, a swirling orb of tailed beast chakra.
Kakashi stood with arms folded beside the Orochimaru clone, now dressed in standard black. No robe. No symbol. Just practicality. He moved with careful precision, gloves tight around his wrists as he examined the newly organized space.
"This," the clone said, gesturing to a sharp, obsidian-edged device, "is a prototype chakra excision blade. Used to cut and separate living chakra channels. Dangerous. But if refined… could become a surgical tool."
"Or a weapon." Kakashi raised a brow.
"Same thing, depending on the hands." The clone smirked faintly.
Together, they moved to the far corner, where a wall panel unfolded to reveal what Kakashi had added for himself, a private medical workbench integrated with chakra diagnostic tools.
Inlaid on the table was a glowing diagram resembling the Genesis Seal, the rotating, spiky red diamond embedded in Kakashi's palm.
He placed his hand on the table. "With what we recovered, I can refine it. These enzyme samples, especially the regenerative cores from Lab Gamma, could allow me to stabilize the seal when absorbing new bloodlines."
"And with that stability comes speed. You could reduce synthesis time from hours to minutes." The clone nodded.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed, calculating. "We'll prioritize three areas. One, testing the interface between the Genesis Seal and tailed beast chakra enzymes. Two, repurposing the chakra siphon device for low-scale energy recovery. Three, isolating the hybrid DNA samples from Lab Alpha."
"The hybrid subjects were unstable, but their cell regeneration rates could be useful." He turned slightly.
The clone walked over to a set of cryogenic scrolls, storage scrolls modified Kakashi's his Formula Reconstruction Technique.
"We'll need to synthesize stabilizer enzymes. The original data indicates that Orochimaru attempted to solve the degradation with artificial senjutsu. It failed." The clone said.
"Then we solve it better. No shortcuts." Kakashi pulled out a different scroll.
He placed the scroll on the stasis workbench and activated a viewing screen above it. Dozens of Orochimaru's encrypted files scrolled past, and Kakashi tapped his fingers against the metal lightly.
This wasn't just a secret archive. It was a future lab, for both of them.
He looked toward the corner, where another room waited, sealed for now, but ready. The second chamber was an isolated lab. That's where the real work would begin, reengineering. Testing. Evolving.
A low beep drew his attention. One of the sensor panels flashed red.
"Leak from sample unit three," the clone said. "It's minor, but that chakra enzyme's too unstable to store like this. I'll recalibrate the array."
Kakashi didn't flinch. "Do it. This isn't a village lab. No backups. No failsafe. One mistake and this place burns."
"You are different from him." The clone paused at the console.
Kakashi tilted his head.
"My inferior clone chased power," the clone said. "You're chasing precision."
Kakashi didn't respond, but he didn't need to.
He moved back to the center of the lab, his hand over the Genesis Seal, feeling it pulse beneath his skin, not wild or uncontrolled, but steady.
The lab was quiet except for the hum of chakra fields and the sound of scrolls unsealing.