Living in Konoha: Picking Up Abilities Starting from the Anbu

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy reading through intelligence reports, his brow furrowed in concentration. Behind him, Jiraiya was perched on the windowsill in his usual carefree manner, looking entirely out of place. In all of Konoha, only Jiraiya could get away with such behavior in the Hokage's office.

"About the situation at Mount Myoboku… are you sure what you're saying is accurate?" Hiruzen finally asked, setting down his report to fix Jiraiya with a serious look, one laced with doubt.

"It's all true," Jiraiya replied with a wry chuckle. "I went back to Mount Myoboku this morning to check, and it's chaos there. The toad sages are all up in arms after Kazuya's… visit."

He shook his head, exasperated. "And Kazuya… well, his talent is unreal. It took him fifteen minutes to master Sage Mode. fifteen. If only I had been half that fast…" Jiraiya's face grew a shade of despondent.

It was beyond frustrating to think of all the years he'd poured into mastering Sage Mode. The process was grueling, the techniques complex.

But Kazuya?

Barely fifteen minutes. It was as though he had simply glanced at the training and decided, Yes, I'll take that.

Even now, Jiraiya still found it difficult to believe. Fukasaku, Shima, Gamabunta, Gamahiro, Gamaken—all the top toads of Mount Myoboku had been overwhelmed by Kazuya's sheer skill.

And as much as Jiraiya hated to admit it, there was no way he could have pulled off such a feat.

"Konoha's Sannin…" he muttered with a faint sigh. "I suppose that title means less now, with talents like Kazuya around."

Hiruzen nodded slowly, his voice tinged with sorrow. "Since the loss of Minato and Kushina, Kazuya's emergence may be the best thing that's happened to the village."

"Perhaps, with him here, Konoha can have the upper hand in some of its choices."

The Hokage's gaze turned thoughtful and heavy.

Minato's untimely passing had left a gaping void in Konoha's plans, forcing the village to settle for treaties with the major hidden villages rather than dominate them in the wake of the Third Shinobi War. The high command had been forced to swallow the bitter pill of compromise.

To Hiruzen and the council, this was nothing short of an embarrassment.

And that frustration, that simmering anger at their impotence, had eventually been redirected at the unfortunate Uchiha clan.

There was no denying it: wartime victories made internal tensions disappear. But without those victories, the fractures within Konoha would only deepen, risking an eruption of the conflicts that lurked beneath the surface.

The stronger Kazuya grew, the more determined Hiruzen was to reclaim Konoha's standing. With someone like Kazuya leading the charge, Konoha's fire could burn brighter than ever.

Just then, a masked ANBU member appeared before Hiruzen, dropping into a respectful kneel.

"What's the situation?" Hiruzen asked, though his brow furrowed slightly. He'd instructed that they not disturb him while Jiraiya was present unless it was urgent.

"Lord Hokage, Jiraiya-sama," the ANBU began, his voice tense. "There's trouble in the Land of Lightning. Captain Shinnosuke's squad has gone silent. It's been five days since we last received intel from them."

Hiruzen's face grew somber at the news. According to protocol, ANBU squads on missions outside the Fire Country had to report back every 48 hours, using communication points, messenger birds, or sealed scrolls.

Silence from a squad, especially one led by someone of Shinnosuke's rank, was a grave matter.

Both Hiruzen and Jiraiya's expressions shifted as the weight of the news settled over them.

"Shinnosuke is missing?" Jiraiya's normally jovial expression was gone, replaced with worry. "And in the Land of Lightning, no less…"

Hiruzen took a deep breath, his eyes betraying the turmoil he felt. It was one thing to be the Hokage, but in that moment, he was also a father, anxious for his son's safety.

"Understood," he finally said, dismissing the ANBU with a curt nod. The ninja disappeared in a blur, not wasting a second on formalities.

"Let me handle it," Jiraiya said, his voice serious as he moved away from the window. "If Shinnosuke is in trouble, ordinary shinobi won't stand a chance out there. There's no point in sending anyone who can't match his skill."

But Hiruzen shook his head. "No, this is an ANBU mission. And given how tense our relations with the Hidden Cloud are, having you go in would be too conspicuous. Peace treaty or not, we can't risk a confrontation."

"But Shinnosuke—" Jiraiya began.

"Send Kazuya," Hiruzen said firmly, cutting him off. "This is ANBU's duty, and Kazuya is more suited for a covert mission. With his skill and the Flying Thunder God Technique, he can complete the mission and return safely, all without causing any unnecessary ripples."

Jiraiya could only sigh in reluctant agreement. As much as he wanted to go himself, he knew the logic behind Hiruzen's words.

"Alright. I'll go find him," he said, dusting off his clothes before striding out of the office.

The moment the door shut behind Jiraiya, Hiruzen sank back into his chair, the mask of calm authority slipping as he felt the pang of worry settle in.

Minutes later, Jiraiya was out of the Hokage's office, a determined look on his face.

"Now then…" Kazuya murmured, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "It's Shinnosuke's turn, is it?"

At that moment, in the ANBU headquarters, Kazuya was in his office, staring thoughtfully at the intel he had received. His expression shifted, somewhere between intrigue and amusement.

"Sarutobi Shinnosuke…" he mused aloud. "Is it time for him to exit the story?"

But as he thought more about it, the timeline seemed off. If Shinnosuke was about to "exit," then Konohamaru shouldn't even be born yet. So maybe… maybe Konohamaru wasn't his son after all?

Kazuya chuckled, quickly reigning in his thoughts. Alright, maybe that was going a bit too far, he told himself with an amused sigh. Shinnosuke had been a decent colleague; there was no need to assign him unnecessary drama.

"Knowing the Third Hokage, he'll want to send someone out to rescue his son right away…" he muttered, piecing it together. "And who would he send? Jiraiya?"

He shook his head. "No, that'd be too obvious. Sarutobi cares too much about his reputation to make such a blatant display of favoritism by sending Jiraiya out on an ANBU mission just to rescue his son."

With that option ruled out, the answer was obvious.

"Oh, so it'll have to be me?" he chuckled to himself.

As the thought clicked, Kazuya rose from his chair, sweeping on his pristine white haori emblazoned with the Will of Fire. With a swift flick of his cloak, he vanished, moving in the direction of the Hokage's office. If I'm going to be roped into this mission anyway, he thought, I might as well seize the chance to put on a little performance.

After all, missing the opportunity would be a waste.

Besides, Shinnosuke had gone missing in the Land of Lightning. It was the perfect excuse to gather some valuable experience points.

With my Sage Mode and Sage Energy at level 5, he thought, it's time to start leveling up with some quality experience… starting with the Jinchuriki of the Hidden Cloud.

Yes, this was the perfect setup.