Yamato's office was spartanly furnished—a desk, two chairs, and walls lined with mission reports and tactical maps. The man himself was younger than Kuro remembered from the anime, probably in his early twenties, but his presence filled the room with quiet authority.
"Sit," Yamato said without looking up from the report he was reading. His voice was calm, professional, but there was an edge to it that suggested he was not pleased with what he was seeing.
Kuro took the offered chair and waited. The silence stretched for long minutes before Yamato finally set down the report and looked at him directly.
"Tell me about yesterday's mission," the commander said simply.
Kuro had prepared for this moment, rehearsing his words during the return journey. "The mission was successful. Three rogue Kusagakure shinobi were eliminated as ordered. No witnesses, no evidence left behind."
"That's not what I asked." Yamato's brown eyes were sharp, penetrating. "I asked about your performance."
The direct approach caught Kuro off guard. He had expected to be able to deflect, to focus on the team's success rather than his individual failures. But Yamato wasn't interested in hearing excuses.
"I froze," Kuro admitted. "When the enemy's techniques targeted me, I couldn't react. Hawk had to save me."
"Yes, he did." Yamato leaned back in his chair. "That's the third time in two months that you've required rescue during a mission. Your teammates are starting to question whether you belong in Anbu."
The words hit like physical blows, but Kuro forced himself to remain steady. "They're right to question it."
Yamato's eyebrows rose slightly. "Explain."
"I've been operating on borrowed reputation and muscle memory I don't understand. But I want to change that. I want to earn my place here."
"And how do you propose to do that?"
Kuro took a deep breath. "By proving that I can improve. Give me a chance to show you that yesterday's failure taught me something valuable."
For a long moment, Yamato studied him in silence. Then he pulled out another file and placed it on the desk between them.
"There's a mission tomorrow. Solo reconnaissance in the Land of Waves. Low risk, minimal combat expected. Consider it your probation."
**[New Target Identified: Yamato]**
**[Bookmark Potential: High]**
**[Current Progress: 10%]**
The system's notification was encouraging, but Kuro kept his expression neutral. "Thank you for the opportunity, Commander."
"Don't thank me yet. If you fail this mission, you're out of Anbu permanently. There are no third chances in black ops."
That evening, Kuro sat in his small quarters, studying the mission files Yamato had given him. The assignment seemed straightforward enough—investigate reports of unusual activity near a small fishing village on the coast of the Land of Waves. Merchants had reported seeing lights in abandoned buildings and hearing sounds that suggested organized activity.
The mission parameters were clear: observe, document, report back. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary. It was exactly the kind of assignment given to operatives who needed to prove they could handle basic reconnaissance without creating international incidents.
But Kuro knew that in the world of Naruto, even simple missions had a way of becoming complicated.
He spent hours memorizing the local geography, studying the political situation in the Land of Waves, and reviewing the profiles of known criminal organizations that might be operating in the area. By the time he finished, it was well past midnight.
As he prepared for sleep, the Bookmark System flickered to life one more time.
[Daily Summary]
[Active Bookmarks: 1 (Itachi Uchiha - Novice)]
[Bookmark Progress: Hawk - 35%, Yamato - 10%]
[New Targets Available: 12]
[Recommendation: Focus on deepening existing connections before pursuing new targets]
Kuro smiled slightly as he settled into his narrow bunk. Tomorrow would be his first real test—a chance to prove that he could be more than just dead weight. And if he succeeded, it would be another step toward becoming the ghost this world would remember.
But first, he had to survive the mission.
Sleep eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw flashes of the previous day's battle—the vines reaching for him, his teammates' disappointed faces, the feeling of complete helplessness. The memory made his chest tight with anxiety.
Finally giving up on rest, he slipped out of his quarters and made his way through the underground corridors of Anbu headquarters. The facility never truly slept—there were always operatives returning from missions, duty officers monitoring communications, and night shift personnel maintaining the complex systems that kept Konoha's intelligence network functioning.
He found himself in one of the training rooms, a windowless chamber equipped with practice dummies and weapon racks. The space was empty at this hour, lit only by a few dim overhead fixtures that cast long shadows across the floor.
Kuro drew his short sword and began practicing the forms Hawk had shown him that morning. His movements were still clumsy, still uncertain, but he could feel small improvements with each repetition. The muscle memory that had guided his body since awakening in this world was slowly being overwritten by conscious effort and determination.
"Couldn't sleep either?"
The voice made him spin around, heart racing. In the doorway stood a figure he recognized immediately, even without the distinctive mask. Itachi Uchiha looked exactly as he had in the anime—young, perhaps sixteen, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail and those impossibly dark eyes that seemed to see everything.
But seeing him in person was different. The anime had never captured the weight of presence that surrounded the young Uchiha like an invisible aura. This was someone who had killed before, who carried the weight of dark secrets, who moved through the world with the quiet confidence of apex predator.
"Uchiha-san," Kuro managed, inclining his head respectfully. "I was just practicing."
Itachi stepped into the room, his movements fluid and silent. "Your form has improved since this morning."
The casual comment made Kuro freeze. "You were watching?"
"I observe many things." Itachi moved to one of the weapon racks and selected a practice tanto. "Your technique is basic, but your determination is... noteworthy."
There was something in his tone that suggested layers of meaning Kuro couldn't quite decipher. But the Bookmark System responded immediately to Itachi's presence.
**[Bookmark Target in Range: Itachi Uchiha]**
**[Current Level: Novice]**
**[Emotional Response Detected: Mild Interest]**
**[Progression Available]**
"Would you like some instruction?" Itachi asked, settling into a ready stance. "Your mission tomorrow will likely require more skill than you currently possess."
The offer was unexpected, and Kuro felt a surge of both excitement and terror. Training with Itachi Uchiha—even for a few minutes—was an opportunity beyond his wildest dreams. But it was also potentially lethal. This was someone who could kill him without breaking stride.
"I would be honored," Kuro replied, raising his own sword.
What followed was nothing like his morning session with Hawk. Where Hawk had been direct and forceful, Itachi was subtle and precise. His movements were economical, each motion serving multiple purposes—attack, defense, and misdirection all flowing together in perfect harmony.
But unlike Hawk, Itachi didn't simply overpower him. Instead, he guided Kuro through increasingly complex exchanges, offering corrections that were more like gentle suggestions than harsh critiques.
"Your grip is too tight," Itachi observed as their blades met in a practice bind. "Tension creates predictable responses. Flow like water—be ready to adapt."
"Don't focus on my sword," he said during another exchange. "Watch my center of gravity. The weapon is just an extension of the body."
Each lesson was accompanied by demonstrations that left Kuro breathless with admiration. Itachi's blade work was poetry in motion—beautiful, deadly, and impossibly precise.
**[Bookmark Progress: Itachi Uchiha - 45%]**
**[Emotional Response Strengthened: Admiration/Respect]**
**[New Technique Available: Basic Tanto Forms - Duration: 1 hour]**
After an hour of instruction, Itachi stepped back and sheathed his practice weapon. "Better," he said simply. "But technique without purpose is meaningless. Remember that tomorrow."
"Thank you," Kuro said, bowing deeply. "Why did you help me?"
Itachi was silent for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. "Because everyone deserves a chance to prove their worth," he said finally. "Even ghosts."
Then he was gone, disappearing into the shadows as silently as he had arrived, leaving Kuro alone with the echo of his words and the warm glow of the Bookmark System's notifications.
[Bookmark Milestone Reached: Itachi Uchiha - Apprentice Level]
[New Abilities Unlocked]
[Enhanced Perception - Duration: 45 minutes]
[Combat Instincts - Duration: 30 minutes]
[Sharingan Echo (Incomplete) - Duration: 10 minutes]
For the first time since awakening in this world, Kuro felt truly hopeful. Tomorrow's mission would be dangerous, but he was no longer completely defenseless. He had tools now—borrowed from one of the most skilled shinobi in history, but tools nonetheless.
As he made his way back to his quarters, one thought echoed in his mind: *Even ghosts can cast shadows.*
And tomorrow, he would begin to prove that some shadows