Kageyama Katsuki didn't join the pursuit of the Sand shinobi. He stayed with the other ANBU instead. As ANBU, guarding the Hokage came first.
"Everyone, you've worked hard." Sarutobi Hiruzen, clad in light armor and reeking of smoke, came over and spoke solemnly.
"Not hard at all," the group answered in unison.
"Katsuki, you rushed back from far away and then fought fiercely again. Well done." Hiruzen's kindly smile was full of approval.
The other ANBU felt a stab of envy. A personal word from the Hokage was an honor.
"Protecting home and village is our duty."
Kageyama's face was resolute, chest high, voice ringing. Spattered head to toe in enemy blood, he all but radiated the Will of Fire.
"Good. Spirited." Hiruzen nodded, very satisfied.
"But even the spirited need rest. I'm giving you special leave. Go recuperate."
"You all don't mind, do you?"
The wounded ANBU shook their heads together.
He'd come from afar to help and fought through the blood, and he was a colleague favored by the Hokage. Who would object?
"Hokage-sama, I can still go. This blood is all the enemy's. I can still do what I can," Kageyama "insisted."
"That's an order." Hiruzen's face firmed.
"…All right." Kageyama "relented."
"Hokage-sama, seniors, I'll head home."
He bowed and turned away.
At least he knows to say goodbye. Not arrogant or impatient. A polite prodigy, the ANBU thought.
Hiruzen was also pleased by Kageyama's modesty. Only with that attitude could he shoulder real responsibility.
Perhaps, before the war fully ended, he should bump Katsuki up. His strength was there.
If nothing changed he would retire after the war. Leaving a little legacy for himself, for Konohamaru, for the Sarutobi was no bad thing.
With Kakashi as precedent and special jōnin as a bridge, a few more reported merits would make the promotion feel natural.
No… better not chase merits.
On the eve of peace, a stray blade could still take him. If they lost him and the Byakugan, the loss would be huge.
A little short on merit was fine. Those filing the reports could season it on his behalf. That would still make sense.
With that, Hiruzen made up his mind.
Such were the benefits of Kageyama's humility, low profile, and steady work.
For an ordinary shinobi, making jōnin was like scaling the sky. Even those with a foundation struggled. Take Yūhi Kurenai—her father had standing and connections in Konoha, yet she stayed a chūnin through the Third War and only made jōnin shortly before the story began.
Kageyama had always liked the saying: those best at war show no dazzling feats.
Scheming in the open and the dark, grinding through hardship, forcing things through with face torn—at best that was decent. Accomplishing things quietly, as if water flowing downhill, that was true mastery.
He knew he hadn't reached that realm yet, but he was working toward it.
Back home, he bathed, changed, ate, and then slept like a baby.
Other able-bodied shinobi were still slogging: pursuing Suna, cleaning the field, interrogating prisoners, ferrying the wounded, guiding civilians.
…
After the Battle of Kikyō Mountain, Kageyama's schedule eased. Most days he stood guard around the village in ANBU blacks.
With Suna routed, Iwa and Kumo stopped dragging their feet and pulled back. Suna withdrew quickly too, but Konoha didn't mean to let them off. The village mustered forces across the Land of Rivers and pushed to the Wind Country border.
Konoha's strength had been bled, but for a Suna even more battered, the troops they needed weren't many.
Of course Namikaze Minato was pulled in. For a credit like his, Hiruzen wouldn't fail to feed him.
He hadn't fully decided whom to choose, but that didn't stop him from preparing two hands of cards.
Facing Konoha's army at the gates, Sunagakure postured hard on the surface while bleeding heavily in secret for the sake of a pact.
Even with Chiyo and Ebizō stepping up to take the blame, the new Fourth Kazekage Rasa still had to shoulder crushing pressure if they lost. Internal rivals, malcontents, and the displeasure of the Wind Daimyō and nobles were no easy load.
Rasa wanted a shred of dignity, to shift from defeated foe to allied partner.
Suna needed it too—easier on the face, and a hedge against factional strife under a shaky new Kazekage.
The biggest cut: handing Konoha twenty percent of Wind Country's mission share, open-ended.
In practice, the promise died the day they tore it up—unless they lost again.
During the Konoha Crush years later, Suna did lose again, but with Konoha beset within and without, the village didn't press it and kept the old pact going.
As Konoha and Suna were reaching terms, Shimura Danzō returned from the Land of Rain.
Before he arrived, carrying Hiruzen's will and fresh off splitting Iwa and Kumo, Danzō had been escorted and radiant.
Now he slunk back nearly alone, and the drop stung.
Still, news at home soothed him a little.
On hearing that Kageyama held a Byakugan and Hatake Kakashi bore a Sharingan, Danzō's heart stirred.
If he could pull both into Root and wash their brains into his loyal hands, Root would be stronger once it recovered.
Danzō acted fast. He changed clothes and went straight to the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen, Root took heavy losses. I need personnel," he said as soon as he stepped in.
"What happened?"
"Akatsuki was stronger than Hanzo and I expected. I wasn't present, and both sides bled hard."
Hiruzen thought a moment. "You can recruit, but don't overdo it."
"They've earned merit, and Konoha can't take more turmoil."
"Relax. I'll lead with incentives. No forced conscription," Danzō promised.
At least not right away. Once Konoha recovered some strength, he could force it and be safe.
"Good."
"I also want two from ANBU."
"Who?"
"Hatake Kakashi and Kageyama Katsuki."
Hiruzen's face changed. He set down his pipe and snapped, "Impossible."
"Hiruzen, only in Root can they reach their full—"
"Let me say it one last time. Impossible."
"I warn you. Don't set your sights on them. Or I will cast aside old ties and grind your face into the floor."
Anger flared in Danzō. "Stubborn fool. Hiruzen, you will regret this."
"Doesn't a Hokage have the right to be stubborn?"
"Danzō, I am the Hokage."
"You—"
He choked on the rank. One level higher crushed the lower. A Hokage beats a Hokage's aide.
"Hmph."
Danzō could only snort and slam the door.
Hiruzen curled his lip and calmly returned to his papers.
Outside the tower, Danzō lifted his gaze, thoughts churning.
Uchiha and Hyūga shinobi under their direct control were too rare, especially those with Byakugan. He'd expected Hiruzen to refuse, but it still rankled to be suppressed by the Hokage's title again.
He would have to find another angle and tame the two.
First, go home and figure out how to raise funds. He couldn't let Hiruzen squeeze Root's budget forever.
Perhaps he should throw more weight behind Orochimaru. If Orochimaru took the seat, funds would be plentiful.