Naruto belongs to others.
The morning sun bloomed into the sky once more, shinobi started to leave their various homes for the day's work and even some academy students were waking up from their previous nights training and playing with their friends.
Hiruzen was leaving his abode that was given to current hokage's of the village, but he had an odd feeling that something was wrong. He did not know what it was, but his feeling was answered when he saw Uchiha Itachi and Shimura Danzo waiting for him inside the hokage tower.
"What brings you two so early in the morning? Danzo Shimura-san, Itachi Uchiha-san?" He greeted, but they both appeared to stiffen around each other, almost like there was something going on between them, but what?
Danzo spoke briefly, "I will say my case at a later point, it's a topic not necessary for certain clans to hear…" He spoke, which Itachi did not react, but seemed to shift in a way to say, he knew the subtle jab was there for the Uchiha.
Once Shimura Danzo left, even muttering about training a relative of his, whether it was a grandson or a great nephew or niece was still debateable.
"Lord Third Hokage…" Itachi started, kneeling before the elderly leader in respect, spoke of what had occurred quickly and briefly about the mission he received from Shimura Danzo and the upheaval that Aburame Shiori done of taking over the mission he was assigned.
To say Hiruzen Sarutobi was surprised, maybe even startled was a small thing to how he felt to the information given to him from the young Uchiha. He looked over the village, his back facing the Uchiha as he considered the information given to him.
"It seems Aburame-chan did the mission under the impression she'd be saving a particular Uchiha…" He took a drag of his pipe for a few moments, before looking at the Uchiha and ask, "Did she mention why she was taking such drastic actions?" He watched the boy seem to consider the question, maybe from the varied gatherings they seemed to have could be a hint to why she did what she did.
After much silence, Hiruzen gave a sigh, "Very well, from what it sounds like… There are a couple young Uchihas still hidden with Shisui… perhaps should bring the Uchiha that are in hiding out and back to Konoha." Hiruzen suggests as a change of topic and pace, for they need to take care of the displaced and orphaned Uchiha children.
Uchiha Itachi gave a firm nod, and left to find his friend Shisui, Izumi-chan and the children that were there. He knew going to Nekotama fortress was a task on occasion, but it was going to be a task in itself to explain to both Izumi and Shisui that Shiori took out a majority of the Uchiha clan to prevent a probable coupe.
Shimura Danzo did leave the tower in favor of a few different tasks, one of them was to check on a relative of theirs' current training and to instill a tougher regime. Shimura Kashi was rather eager to try and please his elder of the clan, but then he had another matter to attend to.
A personal visitor, who was a particular masked individual waiting for him in a room he walked into that appeared more like a living room with a fireplace and a couple couches strewn about. The being was calling themselves Madara Uchiha, they wore a mask and had shaggy black hair that seemed to sprout all-about their masked being.
"What happened?" came the unusually calm question from the masked individual, for he saw the Aburame girl at the Uchiha compound the previous night and taking down nearly every single Uchiha that was breathing within its walls.
"I gave Itachi the task, but I do not understand why the Aburame girl would take the task on herself." Danzo spoke beside himself with confusion over why she did the 'secret' mission, but also how she knew about the secret mission at all.
'Madara' was slightly amused at the situation, the girl Aburame Shiori, took on the task of ending the coupe forcefully and bypassing Itachi entirely, whereas He had hoped he could get the Uchiha, maybe getting the Aburame would be worth more to him?
"Do not disappoint me in the future, or you will not be seeing the hat you so desire." 'Madara' warned, while knowing the 'hat' he mentioned was hopefully hinting at the Hokage hat, the title as well.
Itachi, Shisui and Izumi Uchiha started guiding the many young Uchihas back to Konoha, some of them were mere toddlers and were being held by Shisui as he slowly followed behind his two friends. His grip on the younger Uchiha firm, as his sense of chakra wavered from capable to only able to tell his friends were near, Shisui braving his blind situation as he managed more on his own.
Izumi was helping a few of the Uchiha's along, while Itachi lead them at the front, and kept an eye on whether it was safe or not.
It took a while to get all the Uchihas back to Konoha safely, but it gave Itachi time to process what had happened, why Shiori knocked him out and seemed to try and save as many Uchihas, and not at the same time.
Izumi and Shisui were growing impatient with Itachi and wanting to know what had happened, why they were missing their fourth friend, Aburame Shiori? Why was he more quiet than usual around them?
The time seemed to drag on, but Shisui and Izumi both felt an array of feelings, some were anger at their friend for doing what she did, some was sadness that Itachi and Shiori were stuck with that type of choice, and a mix of other emotions trying to figure out what to really feel about their friend now missing, and possibly turned missing-nin.
"What about Naruto and Sasuke?" Itachi heard one of them ask, he could not really discern who, but knew it was a question coming from a place of care and concern for both him and them. He knew Shiori introduced Naruto to the Uchihas, but felt to cut the blonde Jinchuriki out because of what the Aburame did would be the wrong action.
"I will..." Itachi considers things carefully, remembering how Naruto and Shisui seems to have bonded, even Sasuke started turning to the blonde as a friend and trying to be more social at least with the friends the blonde made, strugglingly so, but still made.
"Naruto and Sasuke are good for each other." Itachi finally said quiety, softly and Shisui seemed to go limp from the decision, almost relieved from the decision.
This chapter is to leave people guessing on whether Shiori is just a rogue, an Akatsuki member, or something else? Which would you all want, may or may not?
I also wanted a bit of a outer perspective on the Aburame and the living clanmembers, how they are doing... for example, if were 1000 Uchiha, now there may be 100 uchiha left, maybe? (Some on missions)