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'Person thinking'

"Person talking"

"Jinchuriki talking inside his head with Bijuu"

'Bijuu thinking'

"Bijuu talking"

"Bijuu talking inside jinchurki's head"

Chapter 7 - Mission Report

Upon finishing his shift, Crow made his way to the Hokage's office to give his report. The Hokage had been adamant that evey ANBU member operating on this assignment turn in their reports to him personally, immediately after finishing their shifts. Crow guessed that this was one of the ways in which he desired to watch over the boy and ensure his safety, as well as monitor his progress discretely. He was fairly certain that none of the reports given to the Hokage ever made their way to the other council members and he couldn't blame him for it. He knew all too well that the council was peppered with quite a few snakes.

As he reached the Hokage's office door, Crow knocked to make his presence known. When he heard the Hokage calling him in, he entered and knelt a few meters away from his leader's desk.

"Hokage-sama. ANBU agent Crow reporting."

"While I appreciate my shinobis' observance of decorum, I am also keen on discussing with my subordinates face to face from time to time. It helps me remember that behind every ANBU mask there is also a person. So, how about you take that mask off and take a seat on the couch before you tell me how things went today, Itachi-kun?"

Crow, now known as Itachi, was not unfamiliar with the Hokage's habit of acting in a familial way towards his soldiers on occasion. That said, it always made him feel a bit out of place, as if he was once a again a genin talking for the first time with his Jonin sensei. Regardless of his feelings however, he decided to do as his leader instructed. Taking his mask off, he let his tan skinned face and droopy black hair be seen. Of note were his very pronounced tear-troughs and dark eyes that held a look of a man wise beyond his years, calculating and yet caring. Itachi was nothing if not complex. It's that mix of wisdom and empathy that the Hokage liked most about Itachi. He always felt as if he found a kindred spirit in the young man. Were he a bit older, he would have named him his successor.

Sitting down at his desk and lighting his pipe, Sarutobi broke the silence: "Ah, much better. Now, tell me young man, how did the watch go?"

"Sir, as you know, I have been taking the day shifts this week. The first two days, Naruto has been staying in his house, mostly studying and, as mentioned in the previous two reports, meditating. Up until now, I was not sure why he would do such a thing, but an incident that occurred today provided me with a hint as to what he was actually up to."

Hearing this, the Hokage leaned forward in his chair, showing that Itachi had his attention. "What incident?" the old man asked.

"Sir, I have reason to believe that he has been training some sort of sensing ability though I did not have a chance to determine its exact nature and scope."

"Now that is most curious. What makes you think he did that?"

"Sir, he was able to tell where I was hiding during my watch. I was positioned in a tree about 40 meters away from his location. He called me out from my hiding spot to ask me about a place where he could train."

"This is indeed an intriguing development. You also said he asked you about a place to train. Why did he ask that?"

"He mentioned he was afraid of the villagers because of the incident from a few days ago and wanted a private spot where he could train in preparation for the academy without having to fear the violence of the villagers."

"I see… Please continue."

"I guided him to the training ground close to training ground 44, mainly because it is mostly abandoned. I considered that this would enable me to protect him more easily while also observing Naruto's true capabilities."

"Your reasoning for choosing that training ground is sound. That said, it sounds to me like the surprises don't end here."

"No, sir, they do not. While observing him train I noticed that he conducted what can only be considered an initial evaluation of his physical capabilities, as if he was testing his current level so as to accurately measure his progress in the future. Not only that, but with no former training that I know of, he performed each physical exercise with a precision that made it seem like someone had been coaching him on the proper form."

"Itachi, I know you well enough to see when your wheels are spinning. What is on your mind?"

"Sir, this may be far-fetched but, do you think he is in contact with the Kyuubi? More importantly, do you think the Kyuubi is somehow acting as his "sensei" so to speak?"

"Ah, I knew this wouldn't escape you for long. I was wondering which of the ANBU watching over the boy would figure it out first."

"Sir, are you saying that it's true? Naruto is in contact with the Kyuubi?"

"Kurama, if I am to believe what the boy has told me."

"Kurama?"

"Yes, it appears that is the name of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox."

"Sir, please excuse my indiscretion but you don't seem nearly as alarmed as I would have expected you to be."

"Tell me, Itachi, has the boy shown any signs of evil?"

"I have not seen anything of the sort, nor felt an ounce of killing intent from him or anything else that I could describe as evil for that matter. Not so far at least."

For a few moments, the Hokage closed his eyes, looking as if he was pondering on a decision. After a while, he opened them and looked at Itachi straight in the eyes, conveying to the ANBU agent that what he was about to hear was important and, most likely, classified.

"According to Naruto, when he was on the brink of death, it was the Kyuubi who prevented the him from succumbing to his wounds. If what Naruto says is true, it was at that moment that he and the Kyuubi met and, apparently, became… friends. According to the boy, their stronger bond has increased Naruto's healing factor, allowing him to survive the night of bleeding until Natsumi Unohana, his neighbor, found him and took him to the hospital. I have seen the effects of the upgraded healing factor with my own eyes so I know that that part is indeed true. If what you say is also true, it is possible that, when they connected, the Kyuubi also bestowed upon Naruto this sensing ability. If he has been meditating for two days, it is quite possible that Kurama has been coaching Naruto on how to control it so he would not be overwhelmed were he to go through crowded areas unprepared. If you think about it, his neighborhood is quite depopulated, making it an ideal spot for training such a skill. And, again, if we think about how our best sensors train, they tend to go through a similar training regimen, for the exact same reason."

"So, the Kyuubi is helping Naruto become stronger. But why, what does he have to gain?"

"I do not know."

"Sir, do you trust it, or him? The Kyuubi, I mean."

"I cannot say that I trust the Kyuubi, but I do believe in Naruto."

"Sir, pardon me, but he is a six-year old boy."

"And how old were you when you first joined the battlefield?"

"Point."

"Itachi, it would be a lie to say that I am not concerned, but so far, all I have seen are positives. And, more importantly, what kind of leader would I be if I did not at least try to trust in the judgment of my shinobi?"

"You consider Naruto a shinobi, sir?"

"Tell me, Itachi, what is a shinobi?"

"Sir, shinobi are soldiers under the command of the kage, trained to protect their village and nation with their lives if necessary."

"Don't play stupid with me, Itachi. On a fundamental level, what are shinobi?"

A look of melancholy crept on Itachi's face as he answered "…Shinobi are those who endure."

"And what has Naruto been doing ever since he was three and a half years old?"

"…I see. You believe in him because of his strength of will. His determination is indeed remarkable."

"I do. And somehow, I think it's that same quality that made the Kyuubi warm up to the boy."

"But a being such as the Kyuubi could be playing the long game. He could be playing all of us for fools."

"Indeed, he could. But did we ever stop to give the Kyuubi or any other tailed beast for that matter the possibility to explain themselves? Did we ever give them the benefit of the doubt? All we have ever done has been trying to capture them and use them as weapons, knowing full well that they were not mindless creatures. Even the Shodai Hokage, bless his heart, treated the tailed beasts like they were simple assets to be distributed among the other hidden villages in his quest for peace. What have we done so far to earn their trust? And, as far-fetched as it may sound, what if the peace we sought for so many years involves not just us humans, but the bijuu as well? We have seen the results of Hashirama's choice after all and it is safe to say that his plan did not work as intended."

Smiling with a bit of mischief, Itachi couldn't help speaking out his thoughts "Sir, I believe that, if the council heard you speaking like this, they would say you lost a few shingles off your roof."

After a slight chuckle, Hiruzen returned his smile "And you?"

"It seems to me that you wish to remain open to multiple possibilities, outlandish as some of them may seem at first glance. You don't necessarily trust, but you choose to have faith, whilst taking precautions where you can."

Hiruzen smiled proudly towards Itachi. He knew that this young man had a good head on his shoulders.

Itachi, however, felt like a little kid all over again, flustered at the attention he was receiving. Somehow, this old man always managed to dig up his inner child and bring it back to the surface. After a few moments, he remembered the request he wanted to make of the Hokage and decided to break the silence.

"Sir, while it may be a bit premature, there is a request I would like to make."

The caught Hiruzen's attention. Itachi never asked anything of him.

"Tell me what is on your mind and I'll tell you if it's possible."

"Sir, while I know that they have not even entered the academy, I would like to be Naruto's and my brother Sasuke's Jonin sensei. I know this may appear as favoritism, but it is not. Both Naruto and Sasuke are talented and have great potential. I could go as far as to call them geniuses in their own right. However, from what I have seen in both of their cases, they have what I would call, the optimum level of genius."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that they are talented yes, but not so talented that they don't have to work to earn their skills. I believe this combination will enable them to become exceptional, yet grounded shinobi."

The Hokage pondered on Itachi's words for a while. He could sense the hint of excitement in the young man's tone. It's a spark that he hoped to bring back to him through this very mission assignment actually. At the same time however, it was a bit too soon to commit to any one course of action. His next words had to be chosen carefully so as to not agree to something prematurely, while also fostering that spark that finally made itself seen again.

"Itachi, while I agree that your assessment has merit, I believe we should revisit this conversation near the end of their tenure in the academy. As you already know, skill alone does not a great team make. We will have to see how they gel with each other, as well as their peers and from there determine if there is indeed room for teamwork between them. Moreover, we will need to see if they can actually follow through on that potential that you have seen in them. We must do our best to nurture it, yes, but the hard work and determination to follow through on their talents must also come from them. Lastly, a genin squad is made of three team members, not two. As such, their time in the academy will allow us to see what candidates may be worthy for the third spot in what would be a heavy assault team. You and I are probably in agreement that a jinchuriki in harmony with his tailed beast and an Uchiha genius would eventually become two power houses, so it's imperative that the third member be able to keep up and complement them well both in skill, as well as in personality. I will say this however: should they prove themselves and should we find a good fit for that third member, you will be my first choice for Jonin sensei for their team."

Itachi nodded, grateful that he was not outright dismissed. He also got the hint though. The old man pretty much told him 'If you really want this team to work, it's up to you to make it happen.' He gave his leader the written report that he'd been holding in his hand throughout the conversation at which point he was allowed to leave. As he made his way out of the Hokage's office, one clear thought passed through his mind: 'Challenge accepted.'