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"Are you senju hikaru?"
When Hikaru reached the elderly Uchiha's table, the old man looked up and asked the question directly.
Hikaru studied him while his mind rapidly sifted through relevant intelligence.
ANBU's archives were thorough—especially when it came to Konoha's major clans. Information on "special families" was documented in far greater detail.
Soon, Hikaru smiled politely and gave a small nod.
"Yes. I'm senju hikaru. And you are?"
In truth, he already knew who this man was.
According to ANBU records, the elder's name was Uchiha Makoto, an Uchiha clan elder. In his youth, he'd been close with Uchiha Kagami, though Kagami had died early. Makoto later raised Kagami's son.
But that branch of the family seemed cursed—more than ten years later, Kagami's son had also died in the war, leaving behind a child of his own.
Hikaru hadn't looked closely into the identity of that child, but he knew Makoto's file well enough. Still, he wouldn't say any of it out loud.
He wanted to know why an Uchiha elder had sought him out—especially when, on paper, he was nothing more than a civilian-born shinobi.
"My name is Uchiha Makoto. I hope you won't take offense at the manner in which I invited you today."
Makoto looked gentle, smiling the way Hikaru did.
"It's our first meeting. I look forward to your guidance."
"Guidance?" Hikaru's expression turned faintly strange. He seemed to guess something—then shook his head.
"How could I possibly 'guide' a member of the Uchiha? I'm afraid you've received incorrect information. I'm only an ordinary shinobi."
"Captain Hikaru is being modest."
Makoto sighed softly. The moment he saw Hikaru's face, he understood.
"Someone that Kakashi calls captain… is that truly an ordinary shinobi?"
At that, Hikaru's expression softened.
His suspicions were now confirmed.
So the old man really did know something—and the source was… interesting. He'd gotten it from Kakashi.
Hikaru had suspected something like this might happen. Even though he'd tried to patch the leak back then, if someone investigated deliberately, a few threads could still be pulled.
What Hikaru didn't know was how much Makoto had managed to learn about ANBU itself. ANBU's secrecy was strong—but no secrecy was absolute.
As Hikaru himself had told Chiyo:
If you want no one to know, don't do it in the first place.
The Uchiha clan hungered for influence within ANBU. Whether it was the faction plotting a coup or the faction pushing for reconciliation, ANBU was territory they had to fight for.
But targeting him…
That was almost funny.
Hikaru didn't know whether Makoto belonged to the hawks or the doves—but why did this elder believe he could persuade Hikaru?
Did Hikaru really look like that much of a turncoat?
Hikaru tilted his head slightly and noticed movement around the teahouse. Not large—but deliberate.
The ANBU had begun to act.
"Perhaps I am. Perhaps I'm not." Hikaru shook his head and lifted his teacup, swirling it slowly.
"And either way… that doesn't really concern you, does it?"
"Don't misunderstand. Please—don't misunderstand."
Makoto immediately denied it.
He poured himself tea, then poured Hikaru another cup as well, smiling the entire time.
"I wouldn't dare pry too deeply—least of all into your affairs, Captain Hikaru. I only came because there are things I truly want to say. Things I want to speak plainly."
He lowered his voice.
"How you interpret them isn't important. You may even report this meeting honestly afterward.
But I've held these words in for a long time. I didn't know who I could speak to—until now.
And since the opportunity has appeared, I can't let it pass."
Hikaru watched him silently, as though thinking, offering no reply.
For a moment, their table became strangely quiet—especially compared to the surrounding seats where low chatter continued.
Hikaru rotated his teacup in his fingers.
His motion wasn't fast, but the arc was wide.
Yet not a single drop spilled.
Makoto saw it clearly—and immediately understood.
This young man's chakra control had reached an extremely high level.
Makoto's curiosity grew.
On paper, Hikaru was "ordinary." But his record was strangely blurred—there were stretches that were practically blank.
More interesting still: when Makoto had ordered an investigation into him, he'd encountered vague resistance—just enough to signal danger.
He could tell that if he pushed one step further, he would invite real trouble.
So he stopped.
Instead, he chose to meet the "classmate" his granddaughter had once mentioned.
He had a feeling that meeting this boy might yield something unexpected.
Even if the meeting carried risk…
For his family.
For the Uchiha.
"I think I understand," Hikaru finally said after a long pause, nodding slightly.
"But I'm curious. Why did you come to me? How did you find me? And one more thing…"
His voice stayed gentle.
"Do you truly know who I am?"
Makoto took a slow breath and answered quietly.
"You are an ANBU captain. That is… the only thing I have confirmed and inferred. I apologize."
He hesitated, then continued.
"As for why I sought you out—truthfully, I wanted Kakashi. He is the Fourth Hokage's student.
But you are Kakashi's captain. In some ways, your words carry more weight than his.
So I had no choice but to come to you.
Is my explanation acceptable, Captain Hikaru?"
Makoto's explanation wasn't unreasonable.
But what mattered was this: he'd emphasized Kakashi and the Fourth Hokage.
That suggested "dove"—the reconciliation side.
After all, the current Hokage was the Fourth, and the Fourth's relationship with Uchiha Fugaku was… not entirely hostile.
It wasn't impossible that the doves leaned toward him.
Of course, Hikaru couldn't rule out hawk motives either.
He would have to judge carefully.
Hikaru gave a warm, measured smile.
"Then speak. Perhaps I can carry a message for you."
"Thank you for listening, Captain Hikaru."
Makoto smiled as well. He lifted his teacup and took a small sip before speaking softly.
"In truth… for me, and for a portion of the Uchiha clan, we desperately wish for the Uchiha and Konoha to return to harmony—"
"Stop."
Hikaru cut him off instantly.
"The Uchiha and Konoha have always been together. Interwoven. Indistinguishable. Choose your words carefully."
"…Perhaps my wording was careless."
Makoto showed no anger. He stared at Hikaru for a moment, then nodded seriously.
He understood the warning.
Some things couldn't be said.
Saying them would invite disaster.
Makoto sighed inwardly—because if certain words couldn't be spoken, then some realities could never be expressed clearly.
But he was not in a position to insist.
He could only continue in the way Hikaru allowed.
"Captain Hikaru, I truly mean no harm. Please believe me.
Even if the Uchiha and Konoha are one, both the village and the clan contain different voices. I believe an ANBU elite like you understands that."
His tone lowered further.
"Within the Uchiha, some… irrational voices are gradually gaining ground.
They do not control the clan yet—but if this continues, something terrible may happen.
And that 'something' would be a disaster for both Konoha and the Uchiha.
People like me—and those like me—wish to contribute.
We want to maintain communication with the Hokage.
We want to do more for both the village and the clan.
And we want to earn the Hokage's recognition through our strength and our deeds."
Makoto spoke slowly and quietly, wary of anyone overhearing.
Hikaru didn't react outwardly. He continued to idly toy with the teacup in his hand.
But his mind was already working.
This made it clear: Makoto belonged to the dove faction.
At present, the struggle between doves and hawks was still tangled. The hawks might be gaining momentum, but they hadn't seized full control.
The real tipping point—the one that would let the hawks dominate—was still the aftermath of the Nine-Tails incident, and Konoha's later treatment of the Uchiha.
But now the doves were trying to contact the Hokage?
Through ANBU?
Hikaru remembered that the doves had indeed pushed people into ANBU in the original timeline.
One was Shisui—proof that the Mangekyō wasn't invincible.
Another was Itachi—the man who butchered his own clan.
The irony was brutal.
Their intentions were never to produce "clan traitors," but the outcome still became exactly that.
Still… was approaching through ANBU truly the right path?
Was this merely a gesture—like other clans placing their members into ANBU as a statement of loyalty?
And another question:
Which Hokage were they trying to speak to?
The Third—or the Fourth?
Hikaru didn't know.
But he understood one thing: the old man likely wanted to "place people" into a pipeline.
Not to seize power outright—at least not yet—but to build a platform.
Hikaru took a slow sip of tea and set the cup down.
"I understand your meaning," he said quietly. "But I have one question that must be answered first."
"Please ask, Captain Hikaru." Makoto smiled and nodded.
Frankly, he didn't truly believe Hikaru had grasped everything.
The boy was too young.
Hikaru's smile became even gentler.
"Do you want me to report this to the Third Hokage…"
He paused.
"…or the Fourth Hokage?"
Makoto froze.
He immediately sensed complexity hidden inside that question, so he tested cautiously:
"Is there… a difference?"
"No difference," Hikaru said brightly, his smile widening. "They are both Hokage."
He had no intention of pressing further.
Whether Makoto was playing dumb—or simply couldn't see past the information blockade—Hikaru didn't care to dig into it.
Either way, it wasn't a question Makoto could answer cleanly.
To outsiders, Minato Namikaze had been elevated by Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand.
Most people wouldn't distinguish the internal lines of control.
Hikaru looked at Makoto, already knowing the conclusion:
The elder likely didn't care which Hokage heard this conversation.
To him, they were effectively the same endpoint.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hikaru lightly knocked his knuckles against the table, then stood.
"Then we'll end here. Thank you for the tea."
"No need to be so formal," Makoto chuckled—until his entire body stiffened.
Because the moment Hikaru rose, every single teahouse patron around them stopped moving…
And stood up as well.
In that instant, Makoto understood.
They were surrounded.
The entire teahouse—every last customer—had silently become ANBU.
Hikaru spoke as if nothing had happened, his voice quiet.
"But next time you wish to see me, don't do it like this."
He took one step, then glanced back over his shoulder.
"And you did guess one thing correctly…"
His smile remained warm.
"I'm not an ordinary shinobi."
His voice dropped, calm and cold all at once.
"And I'm not an ordinary ANBU, either."
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