Uchiha Clan Grounds.
In a wide, open training field, two boys, one older, one younger, were practicing shuriken throwing together.
Their appearances were strikingly similar: dark hair, dark eyes, and refined features. They looked about five or six years apart.
Kunai flew through the forest, striking cleanly into every target, even the ones hidden in the blind spots.
The younger boy let out a gasp of admiration, his eyes sparkling with awe.
"That was amazing, big brother! How'd you do that?"
But Itachi, who had effortlessly landed all his throws, responded with a calm tone, "You'll learn soon enough."
Just then, he seemed to sense something. He turned and spotted a figure leaning casually against a nearby tree, watching them.
"Shisui?"
Caught, Shisui chuckled and raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Itachi. Sasuke."
"Shisui-nii!" Sasuke quickly turned and greeted him politely.
Shisui strolled over to them with an easy smile. "Hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all," Itachi replied with a light smile.
"Sorry, Sasuke. Mind if I borrow your brother for a bit?" Shisui said as he turned his smile to the younger boy.
Sasuke glanced up at Itachi.
"Sasuke, why don't you head back for now? I'll practice with you again later," Itachi said at once.
Sasuke puffed his cheeks in protest but turned and walked off obediently.
Shisui chuckled at the sight. "Having a little brother must be nice."
Itachi gave a faint smile. "What's going on?"
"How's ANBU treating you?"
Itachi thought for a moment before replying, "No official missions yet. Mostly just standing guard. But Captain Kakashi is easier to get along with than I expected, not like the rumors say."
"Rumors?" Shisui raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. I heard he once killed a comrade for the mission."
It took Shisui a moment to realize what Itachi meant, the incident in Kirigakure, where Kakashi had killed Rin during a mission. That story had circulated in the village for a time, especially with Kakashi's notoriously cold demeanor. Though Shisui didn't know him well, they had always been aware of each other.
"Rumors are never reliable," Shisui said calmly. "But it's good you're adjusting. ANBU does tend to be busier than regular shinobi work."
"I don't mind. It's good training for me," Itachi replied. "And it feels like I'm finally able to contribute."
"Hm?" Shisui looked at him curiously.
"Father told me yesterday… he wants me to be the Uchiha's eyes and ears within the village," Itachi said with a small smile. He didn't hide things from Shisui.
Shisui stopped, as if unsure how to respond.
"…Do you know why Lord Fugaku wants that?"
Itachi nodded. "Somewhat. After the Nine-Tails attack, the Uchiha were forced to relocate. Father believes we must reclaim our power."
He'd heard it many times, how he was an Uchiha first and a Konoha shinobi second.
"And what do you think about that?" Shisui asked.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Itachi looked confused.
"Are the clan and the village… truly separate things?" Shisui's tone was unreadable.
"Reclaiming power isn't as simple as a student making up for a failed test."
Itachi stood silently. He wasn't foolish, Shisui's words made him realize there was much he still didn't know.
"It's okay," Shisui said with a smile. "You just haven't seen the full picture yet. You only just entered ANBU, and I doubt you've had more than a couple interactions with Lord Hokage."
His tone was casual, as if he were talking about something trivial.
After a pause, Itachi's gaze firmed. "I want to understand."
"..."
"I want to help Father. And I want to help you, Shisui," he said seriously, his young face full of conviction.
Shisui found himself thinking of what Oboro had said to him… and sighed quietly.
He couldn't tell whether he felt comforted or troubled.
Root missions, what were they like?
Assassination, surveillance, tracking, intel delivery, these were the basics, no different from ANBU. The only real distinction was allegiance: Root reported to Danzo, ANBU to the Hokage.
The more specialized tasks Shisui had hinted at, Oboro hadn't been allowed anywhere near them yet.
His current handler, Kaku, rarely stepped in. During missions, he mostly left the fighting to Oboro.
They'd yet to face any real emergencies, and Oboro had never even seen Kaku use the Aburame clan's signature insect jutsu.
"You seem pretty comfortable with these kinds of jobs."
As they submitted their latest report, Kaku suddenly spoke to Oboro.
"I've trained a lot of recruits before. Not all of them were strong, but none adapted as quickly as you have."
"If I didn't know your background, I'd think you were transferred from ANBU."
Root, being an official covert division, wasn't made up solely of Danzo's personal picks. Many members were reassigned from ANBU or the regular shinobi corps.
Kaku's comment was based on how Oboro always executed missions with brutal efficiency, clean, focused, and never wasteful. Every move he made was in service of the objective.
"Maybe I just have more experience," Oboro said simply. He had done an enormous number of missions before joining Root. Though he always worked alone, he had never lagged behind any team in results.
The only downside?
Joining Root meant giving up the generous payouts from previous solo contracts, in exchange for a fixed salary.
I'll make Shisui compensate me later.
When he got home in the afternoon, Oboro slipped in through the window, standard practice thanks to the Root uniform.
After a quick shower and changing into casual clothes, he heard a knock at the door.
When he opened it, Tenten was standing there with hands on her hips.
"Oboro-niisan! Didn't you see the note on your door?" she demanded.
"Note?" Oboro blinked.
"Look!" She pointed to a slip of paper that read "Come to my place for dinner tonight – Tenten."
"Mom made your share too! If I hadn't seen your lights on, who knows how long we would've waited!" she scolded.
"I came in through the window," Oboro replied.
"…The window?" Tenten stared blankly. "Why not use the door?"
"Too much trouble."
"..."
"Just come with me already!" She grabbed his wrist to drag him toward her home.
"I need to change shoes," Oboro sighed.
Their homes were right across the hall. Tenten's mother had always looked out for Oboro, knowing he lived alone. Though he had tried to refuse her hospitality, her warmth was relentless.
Compared to his spartan apartment, her home was much more lively. It felt like a home.
The table was already set, the dishes plentiful enough for three.
"You're just in time, Oboro," Tenten's mom called from the kitchen with a smile. "Everything's almost ready."
"Shoes off," Tenten ordered from the genkan.
Seeing her act like such a little adult, Oboro couldn't help but ruffle her hair.
Smack! She slapped his hand away and glared at him.
"Go wash your hands!"
Whoever said head pats raise affection clearly lied…
"I just showered. I haven't touched anything dirty," Oboro said.
"You touched your shoes."
She was sharp, and now physically pushing him toward the sink.
"No boy will like you if you're this mean," he muttered.
"Mind your business!" Tenten's face turned beet red as she pounded a fist into his side.
The Tenten family ran a ninja tools shop, so they weren't short on money. Oboro often shopped there and got a discount thanks to their friendship.
By the time he returned from the washroom, Tenten's mom was placing the final dish on the table, and Tenten was busy setting bowls and chopsticks.
"This looks amazing," Oboro remarked.
"Had some free time today, so I thought why not?" Tenten's mom replied gently. She had a very warm and approachable presence.
"Come on, try it and tell me what you think."
As they ate, they made small talk.
"You're never around during the day anymore. Don't work yourself too hard, even if you're young," Tenten's mom said kindly. "Most ninjas your age seem to have a lot more downtime."
"Oboro-niisan's different," Tenten interjected proudly. "He's in ANBU now."
"You knew?" Oboro blinked.
"I saw the uniform and mask on your wall," Tenten said, as if it were obvious.
So much for sneaking in through the window…
Oboro silently shoveled rice into his mouth.
"I heard ANBU's made up of elite shinobi. That's really something," Tenten's mom said admiringly.
"Of course!" Tenten beamed, as if the praise were for her.
"There are many who are far more skilled than I am," Oboro replied.
Tenten's mom nodded. "True enough. I know quite a few ninja your age who already have girlfriends."
"…Another bowl, please," Oboro deadpanned.
Tenten giggled into her bowl, clearly enjoying herself.
Oboro glanced at her. "Hey, Tenten."
"Mm?"
"There's a boy in your class named Hyūga Neji, right?"
"Eh? Huh?" Tenten blinked, confused. But seeing the faint malice in Oboro's gaze, she froze.
"I heard the girls in your class really like him."
Her mother shot her a curious look. Under the double scrutiny, Tenten lowered her head sheepishly.
[Affection -1]
The system prompt appeared. Oboro ignored it.
"Auntie, your cooking's getting even better."
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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• TL/N •
Hello guys Fanfic recommendation!
Check out my other work:
> Naruto: Mind Control
If you like smart and strong MC, this fanfic is for you.
It's Peak.
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