The ANBU headquarters beneath Hokage Tower was eerily silent at this late hour, with only the occasional shuffle of sandals against stone disrupting the stillness. Yugao Uzuki knelt before the Third Hokage's desk, her cat mask removed as protocol dictated for private meetings. The violet-haired kunoichi's face betrayed little emotion, but the slight furrow between her brows suggested concern.

  "You wished to see me, Hokage-sama?" she asked, her voice professional and measured.

  Hiruzen Sarutobi regarded her with tired eyes. The aging leader had dismissed his regular ANBU guards for this meeting, suggesting matters of unusual sensitivity. He took a long draw from his pipe, the ember glowing briefly before he exhaled a cloud of fragrant smoke.

  "Yes, Cat. I'd like your latest assessment of the Slayn boy." The Hokage tapped his pipe against a small ceramic tray. "Your reports have been... increasingly interesting."

  Yugao straightened slightly. "Sir, I believe the situation warrants elevated attention. Andrew Slayn's development has accelerated beyond anything I would consider normal, even for a prodigy."

  The Hokage nodded, encouraging her to continue.

  "His chakra control is now at least high-genin level, possibly approaching chunin," Yugao reported. "He's mastered water walking and tree climbing in a fraction of the time it takes most shinobi. More concerning is that these aren't techniques typically taught at the Academy—he's acquiring this knowledge from somewhere."

  "And the silver chakra?" Hiruzen prompted.

  "It remains unusual, sir. Unlike any chakra nature I've observed. It seems to strengthen with moonlight and respond differently to his control exercises." Yugao hesitated before adding, "He's developing techniques of his own design that utilize this silver chakra. Some appear combat-oriented."

  Hiruzen's eyebrows rose slightly. "Self-created jutsu at his age?"

  "Yes, sir. He calls them 'Moonlit' techniques. I've observed a ranged cutting attack similar to wind-style jutsu, but with properties more aligned to his unique chakra. He's also developing some kind of sensory technique that reveals trails and tracks invisible to the naked eye."

  The Hokage's fingers steepled beneath his chin. "And he's teaching himself these things?"

  "That's what's most puzzling, sir. His training is methodical and structured, as if guided by someone with extensive knowledge. Yet I've detected no contact with suspicious individuals." Yugao's brow furrowed deeper. "He trains alone or with Naruto, but his expertise seems to come from elsewhere."

  "Could he be a plant? A sleeper agent with suppressed knowledge?" the Hokage asked, voicing the concern that hung unspoken in the air.

  Yugao considered this carefully. "I don't believe so, Hokage-sama. His concern for Naruto appears entirely genuine. His loyalty to the village seems unquestionable. But..." she paused, choosing her words carefully, "...his knowledge acquisition doesn't match his access. Academy students simply don't know the chakra control exercises he's practicing."

  The Hokage observed her carefully. "You've grown fond of the boy."

  It wasn't a question, and Yugao didn't deny it. "I have, sir. Both boys. They've faced significant challenges with remarkable resilience."

  Hiruzen nodded, a small smile briefly softening his weathered features. "Your dedication to their welfare is commendable, Yugao. Which is why I'm expanding your surveillance parameters."

  "Sir?"

  "I want you to shadow Andrew during nighttime hours as well. If he's acquiring knowledge beyond his clearance, I want to know how." The Hokage's tone remained gentle, but firm. "We need to understand if there's an outside influence or if this is something else entirely."

  Yugao bowed her head in acknowledgment. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

  "And Yugao," the Hokage added, his voice softening, "this is not a punitive measure. The boy has great potential. If his intentions are as pure as they seem, we may have a remarkable shinobi in our midst."

  "I believe we do, sir," Yugao replied, a hint of pride coloring her voice.

  Three nights later, Yugao perched motionless on a rooftop opposite the Konoha Archives. The moon was a silver crescent overhead, providing just enough light to cast sharp shadows across the village. She had been following Andrew for several hours, watching as he meticulously prepared for what appeared to be a covert operation.

  First had been the surveillance check—his technique for detecting potential observers was surprisingly sophisticated. He had created a small web of nearly invisible chakra threads to alert him to movement, then circled the building twice, checking all possible vantage points. Yugao had been impressed by his thoroughness, even as she carefully avoided triggering his rudimentary but effective security measures.

  Now, she watched as the boy—shadow against shadows—approached the Archives' side entrance. The building housed general public records on the first floor, scrolls and texts for genin and chunin on the second, and restricted jonin and classified materials on the third and in the basement levels.

  "What are you up to, Andrew?" she whispered to herself, genuine concern mingling with professional curiosity.

  To her surprise, Andrew bypassed the basic lock on the side door with practiced ease, slipping inside without triggering any of the standard security seals. He moved with the confidence of someone who had done this many times before.

  Yugao followed, maintaining a careful distance. The boy's chakra signature was masked—not perfectly, but remarkably well for an Academy student. She tracked him through the darkened first floor and up the stairs to the second level, where higher-ranked techniques were stored. But he didn't stop there.

  Her eyes narrowed as Andrew continued up to the third floor—the restricted section requiring jonin clearance. He paused at the security seal guarding the entrance, produced a small brush and ink, and carefully modified the existing seal with precise strokes.

  'He's circumventing the security seal without breaking it,' Yugao realized with astonishment. 'That's chunin-level fuinjutsu knowledge at minimum.'

  The modified seal accepted Andrew's chakra signature, allowing him entry without triggering an alarm. Inside, he moved with purpose toward a specific section housing scrolls on advanced chakra manipulation and elemental techniques.

  Yugao observed from the shadows as Andrew selected several scrolls, carried them to a small desk, and began meticulously copying their contents into a notebook. He worked with efficient precision, his silver-touched chakra occasionally manifesting to enhance his vision in the dimly lit room.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  For nearly three hours, Andrew worked steadily through a surprising number of scrolls—some containing techniques that wouldn't typically be taught until chunin or even jonin rank. He was systematic, taking detailed notes on chakra theory, hand signs, and practical applications.

  What struck Yugao most was the care he took with the materials. Each scroll was properly resealed after use, returned to its exact position, with no evidence it had been disturbed. He even wore thin gloves to prevent oils from his skin transferring to the ancient papers.

  'This isn't random curiosity,' she thought. 'He's following a research plan, building knowledge systematically.'

  When Andrew finally gathered his notes and prepared to leave, Yugao noticed the fatigue in his movements. The boy was pushing himself hard—too hard for someone his age. Despite his obvious exhaustion, his eyes showed fierce determination as he carefully reset the security seal and slipped out of the building.

  Yugao followed him home, watching as he stumbled slightly from tiredness on the final approach to Naruto's apartment. Inside, she observed through the window as he hid his notes beneath a loose floorboard before collapsing onto his futon, still fully dressed.

  "Oh, Andrew," she whispered, a maternal concern washing over her as she watched the exhausted boy. "What are you preparing for?"

  The next morning, Yugao stood before the Hokage once again, delivering her report on Andrew's nocturnal activities.

  "Library raids, you say?" Hiruzen looked more intrigued than alarmed.

  "Yes, Hokage-sama. Highly organized, methodical. He's accessing jonin-level material, carefully copying everything without removing anything from the Archives." Yugao's respect was evident in her tone despite her concern. "His knowledge of fuinjutsu is particularly surprising—he modified security seals without damaging them."

  The Hokage puffed thoughtfully on his pipe. "And you're certain he hasn't been taught these skills by someone else?"

  "The only regular contact he has outside the Academy is with Naruto, the Ichiraku family, and more recently, the Higurashi family," Yugao confirmed. "None would have the knowledge or authorization to teach these advanced techniques."

  "Yet he's teaching himself fuinjutsu—one of the most complex shinobi arts—well enough to bypass Archive security," Hiruzen mused, impressed despite himself.

  "Sir, I'm concerned about his well-being," Yugao admitted, her professional detachment slipping slightly. "He's pushing himself to exhaustion. Last night he could barely make it home."

  The Hokage regarded her with gentle understanding. "You've come to care for him."

  Yugao didn't deny it. "He's just a child, Hokage-sama. A gifted one, certainly, but still a child who's driving himself beyond reasonable limits."

  "For Naruto's sake," Hiruzen added softly.

  "Sir?"

  "I've watched them too, Yugao. Everything the Slayn boy does is ultimately to protect Naruto." The Hokage rose from his desk, walking to the window that overlooked the village. "His determination suggests he knows something—or believes something—that drives this relentless preparation."

  "What should we do, sir?" Yugao asked.

  Hiruzen was silent for a long moment, watching the villagers below going about their morning routines, unaware of the extraordinary circumstances unfolding in their midst.

  "Continue your surveillance, but don't interfere," he finally said. "I sense no malice in the boy's actions, only determination. Whatever knowledge he's acquiring, he seems intent on using it to protect, not harm."

  "And the security breaches at the Archives?"

  The Hokage's lips twitched in what might have been amusement. "Let's consider it practical training for now. He's done no damage, taken nothing physically from the Archives. In fact," he added with a chuckle, "our security teams could learn something from reviewing how a mere Academy student has been circumventing their systems."

  He tapped his pipe thoughtfully, a grandfatherly smile spreading across his weathered face. "You know, Yugao, in all my years as Hokage, I find it rather ironic that Andrew might be the first true ninja in our ninja village in generations."

  "Sir?" Yugao asked, confusion evident in her voice.

  "We've become so accustomed to our structured Academy, our formal training methods, our carefully regulated ranks," the Hokage explained, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "We sometimes forget the original meaning of 'ninja' – those who moved in shadows, who stole knowledge rather than being handed scrolls in a classroom."

  He gestured toward the window, toward the unseen Archives building. "In the warring states period, before the hidden villages were established, ninja would risk their lives to infiltrate enemy compounds and steal techniques. They'd copy jutsu in secret, adapt them, improve them. Knowledge was never given – it was taken, at great personal risk." His smile deepened with genuine appreciation. "Young Andrew is operating in that ancient tradition, perhaps more authentically than anyone else in Konoha."

  "Sir, with respect—" Yugao began.

  "I understand your concern, Yugao," Hiruzen interrupted gently. "And I share it. But sometimes extraordinary shinobi require extraordinary allowances. For now, we watch and wait."

  Yugao bowed in acknowledgment, though her brow remained furrowed with worry.

  "And Yugao," the Hokage added as she turned to leave, "off the record... perhaps ensure he gets home safely on these late-night excursions. A shadow to guard the shadow, as it were."

  The subtle permission to continue her protective watch over Andrew wasn't lost on Yugao. She nodded gratefully. "I understand, Hokage-sama."

  As she departed, Hiruzen returned to the window, his gaze drifting toward the Academy where both Naruto and Andrew would soon be starting their day's lessons, appearing to all the world like ordinary students.

  "Silver chakra, self-taught fuinjutsu, and a determination beyond his years," the Hokage murmured to himself. "Andrew Slayn, just what do you know that drives you so?"

  That night, as Andrew once again slipped out for another knowledge-gathering expedition, Yugao shadowed him with a new perspective. She watched his methodical preparation, his careful security checks, his efficient movement through the village—all executed with a skill that belied his years.

  When he stumbled from fatigue after several hours of intense study, she moved close enough to steady a bookshelf he nearly knocked over, her presence ghosting just at the edge of his awareness—a protective shadow ensuring his safety while respecting the Hokage's order not to interfere directly.

  As Andrew made his way home in the pre-dawn light, weaving slightly from exhaustion, Yugao felt the maternal concern that had been growing within her intensify. She understood duty and sacrifice; every ANBU did. But seeing it embodied in one so young stirred something protective in her warrior's heart.

  "Whatever you're preparing for, Andrew," she whispered from her hidden vantage point, watching him finally reach the safety of the apartment he shared with Naruto, "I hope it's worth the childhood you're sacrificing."

  The silver-streaked darkness provided no answer, but as clouds parted to reveal the waning moon, its light seemed to fall specifically on the modest apartment where both boys now slept—one the village pariah with a burden he didn't yet understand, the other a mystery with knowledge beyond his years and determination beyond his age.

  Yugao settled into her watchful position, a silent guardian chosen by fate and duty to protect two children who might, in their own ways, shape the future of the Hidden Leaf in ways no one—except perhaps Andrew himself—could yet imagine.

  Author Note:

  Update shedule:

  first week every month:

  -Naruto: The Silver Hunter of Konoha

  -Sailor Moon: Earths Guardian

  second week every month:

  -Highschool DxD: The Draconic Knight of DxD

  -Fairy Tail: Blacksmith of Fairytail

  third week every month:

  -Dragon Ball Z: Secrets of Time

  -Digimon: Shadow Tamer

  fourth week every month:

  -Final Fantasy X: Another Summoners Path

  -Naruto: Crimson Eyes

  -Pokemon: Soulbond