"Anko's asleep, so you'd better not make any noise."
The Mitarashi residence.
Hakken had just returned from the hot springs and was ready to rest.
Coincidentally, Yugito chose that exact moment to push open the bathroom door.
Girls always took their time washing.
Little kittens were no exception.
So—
When their eyes met, the girl's instinct kicked in, and she almost screamed.
But before she could make a sound, the boy's hand covered her mouth.
Humiliation. Anger. Helplessness.
All of it finally melted into two silent trails of tears.
Hakken sighed, shook his head, then released her. He tossed his robe toward her and turned to leave.
Was that really necessary?
It wasn't like he hadn't seen Anko in the same situation before.
Besides, technically speaking, he was still just a kid himself.
So what if he'd seen?
He couldn't be bothered to explain—it was just a misunderstanding.
And honestly, that flat, still-developing figure didn't interest him in the slightest.
The Mitarashi household had three bedrooms: one for Hakken, one for Anko, and the last one conveniently left for the little cat.
Fortunately, the cat he'd brought back could cook—meaning he no longer had to suffer through Anko's horrific cooking experiments.
Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling.
Some people liked to think before they slept, reflecting on their day or planning for tomorrow.
Hakken was that type.
But unlike others, he didn't end up too restless to sleep. He simply liked to plan ahead—enough to give direction to his steps.
There were many things to think about, many to prepare for.
His progress toward completing the Shinigami advancement task.
His daily training, and the reforms he wanted to implement within the ANBU.
But those weren't the most pressing concerns on his mind.
The Nine-Tails' Rampage was drawing near.
Yes.
Sasuke's birth was imminent, and Naruto's arrival wasn't far behind.
Hakken didn't know where the leak about Kushina's due date came from, nor did he need to. Thinking about it carefully, aside from Danzō, who else could it have been?
Still, no matter how well-hidden the truth, what was destined to happen would happen. If Obito was determined, he'd find out eventually.
Kamui's spatial teleportation—that was the real problem.
The only thing Hakken could change was the outcome.
Two options lay before him.
Tell Minato outright that his disciple, Obito, was still alive—and that he'd soon come to kill him and Kushina?
Don't be ridiculous.
Unless Minato had completely lost his mind, he'd never believe it.
Even if their trust ran that deep and Minato did believe him, how could Hakken explain how he knew all this?
He didn't fear complications; he just couldn't be bothered to waste time explaining.
So he chose the second option.
Well…
He'd deal with it when the time came. But one thing was certain—he wouldn't let the Shinigami take Minato's soul.
Because he was the true, one and only Shinigami in the world of Naruto.
That title belonged to him alone.
He was the Shinigami who ruled over souls.
...
"What do you plan to do?"
The next morning, at Kurenai Yūhi's home.
This was Hakken's first time here, and also his first meeting with Shinku Yūhi—the man known as Konoha's Crimson Sunset, the acting Commander of the ANBU.
He was a veteran jōnin of the village.
In the original story, he had died protecting his subordinates during the Nine-Tails' attack—killed swiftly and cleanly with a single blow, yet his end remained a testament to the Will of Fire that burned in his heart.
Before joining the ANBU, Hakken had decided to visit this elder first, to get a sense of the current state of the organization.
"Reform."
Setting down the documents in his hand, Hakken calmly accepted the cup of tea Kurenai offered and took a sip.
Reform?
Shinku's brows furrowed slightly.
Those two words were easy to say, but far harder to act upon.
It wasn't that he underestimated the Hokage's disciple—but the ANBU's structure and operations were deeply rooted. Sudden reform could easily cause more harm than good.
He knew he wasn't the type of man who could lead the ANBU back to its peak. Just maintaining its current state already took most of his strength.
Thanks to Minato's efforts, Konoha had already begun its own reforms.
And now, Hakken Yoru wanted to reform the ANBU.
There was nothing wrong with that—at least in principle.
But as Shinku said, reform was not something that could be achieved easily.
Everything else could wait. The first step was to make his subordinates acknowledge his authority.
Hakken understood that, at his age, many in the ANBU would be dissatisfied seeing him as their Commander.
So the key was to make them understand that the Hokage hadn't chosen him blindly.
Then came the issue of structure.
Shinku had shown Hakken the full details of how the ANBU operated.
After thoroughly reviewing everything, Hakken finally understood why ANBU shinobi were worked to the bone, why so many of them had grown to loathe what was once a position of honor.
He already had ideas for change.
But to put them into action, he would need Minato's cooperation.
...
"What exactly is Konoha playing at?"
Inside the Hokage Building, several figures stood before Minato, all of them wearing scowls.
The Kumogakure delegation.
They had arrived.
But thanks to Hakken's earlier warning, Minato had deliberately delayed meeting them, citing an overwhelming workload.
Today, however, they had blocked the Hokage Building's entrance first thing in the morning. Out of courtesy, Minato invited them into his office.
Yet the moment they opened their mouths, their tone made him frown.
"Gentlemen, this is Konoha."
He flicked his Hokage cloak lightly as he spoke.
"So what? We came from Kumo with sincerity to negotiate peace, and this is how the Hokage treats his guests?"
The young, dark-skinned girl Karui glared furiously.
"I'm not sure what your idea of a 'guest' is..." Minato said evenly, his voice calm but sharp. "But remember—just days ago, we were enemies."
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying the Hokage doesn't want the war to end?"
This time, the head of the delegation, Mabui, looked taken aback.
"Should I take that as a threat?"
As soon as she finished, the door to the Hokage's office swung open. A figure of moderate height stepped inside, stopping before the Kumogakure delegation.
"If it's a fight you want," the boy said coldly, resting a hand on the sword slung across his back, "then I'll accept it on behalf of Konoha."
Right on cue—Hakken.
Minato met his gaze and gave a small nod before standing as well.
"Hokage, who is this? Does he even have the authority to speak here?" Mabui asked sternly.
"Brat, this isn't a place for you," Karui snapped. If Minato hadn't been there, she would've already swung a punch.
As Killer Bee's disciple, she came to Konoha filled with anger—her teacher was still lying in a hospital bed, after all.
"My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself."
"I am Hakken Yoru, ANBU Commander of Konoha."
"I'm also the one who put your teacher in that hospital bed. And when you call someone a brat, maybe check your own age first... you worthless fool."
His words dropped like a blade.
"Now," he said, lifting his Zanpakutō and pointing it directly at Mabui, "shall I ask again?"
The air grew heavy with killing intent.
"Earlier," he said, voice cold and steady, "were your words meant as a threat?"