The Hokage's Warning
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat unusually silent as the Storm Division kneeled before him. Finally, he placed a scroll on the table, its seal marked Classified.
"The black-market hub you destroyed… was only one limb," he said gravely. "Its head is someone called Kaien—ex-ANBU. He knows our tactics."
My fists clenched unconsciously. An ex-ANBU running a chakra cartel?
"Orders?" I asked.
"You're authorized to find and dismantle this network at its root. But be warned… Kaien has ties in every major village."
---
Storm Division's Resolve
Later, I gathered my team.
"This won't be like before," I said. "Kaien isn't some thug—he's trained like us."
Kai grinned. "Finally, a challenge."
Hana stepped closer, hand on my shoulder. "And we're with you. Always."
Her words lingered longer than they should have, warmth seeping past the cold ANBU mask I wore.
---
First Lead
Sera tracked a cartel courier to a river crossing. We intercepted him, but before we could speak, a poison-tagged kunai flew out of nowhere, killing him instantly.
Out of the shadows stepped a masked man—his ANBU tattoo faintly visible.
"Kaien sends his regards," he said, before vanishing into smoke.
---
Cliffhanger
Hana knelt beside the corpse, chakra glowing on her palm.
"He's gone," she said, looking up at me. "What now?"
I stared at the fading smoke. "We hunt Kaien. And this time, no mercy."