Naruto, are you all so good at self-seduction

"I'm heading back now, Itachi."

"Thanks for your hard work today."

Itachi changed out of his ANBU attire as he exited the building. The people beside him greeted him, and he merely smiled lightly in response.

Although he was in ANBU, its members still possessed quite a bit of humanity. Aside from being questioned about his age when he first joined ANBU, Itachi's displayed talents and strength had long been accepted by others.

"See you tomorrow," Kakashi said as he bade farewell.

"See you tomorrow, Captain." Itachi slightly bowed in return.

He glanced back at the place where he had just worked—a surveillance station where his task was to monitor the activities of the Uchiha clan.

How absurd.

Ever since joining ANBU, Itachi had gradually understood the relationship between the village and the Uchiha clan.

Uchiha Fugaku had made him a link between the family and the higher-ups in Konoha, quite simply, a spy to inform Konoha of the shift in attitudes toward the Uchiha.

Danzo had also approached him, wanting him to act as the village's eyes and ears within the Uchiha.

His father told him he had taken over the position previously held by Shisui. He had asked Shisui about the village and clan situation, but the reply he received was that Shisui believed there would come a day when the village and Uchiha would co-exist harmoniously.

But how could that harmony be achieved if neither side was willing to make changes?

Dusk.

The receding daylight glowed red with melancholy, like the flushed cheeks of a girl on her deathbed.

Standing at the entrance of the Ninja Academy were many parents waiting to pick up their children. Winter had arrived, and everyone was dressed much more warmly.

The school bell rang, and countless little figures poured out from the school, joyfully rushing out through the gates.

"Brother!" Sasuke's face lit up with surprise as he spotted Itachi standing at the entrance.

"Let's go home together, Sasuke." Itachi also smiled slightly.

Sasuke quickly ran up to Itachi, walking alongside him as they left.

"Did you finish your mission?"

"Yeah, it wrapped up early today."

"Brother, have you seen a cat on our wall?"

"A cat?"

"A particularly beautiful black cat."

"Does Sasuke like it?"

"Uh-huh, I want to keep it, but it seems like it doesn't like me. It often appeared on our wall a while back, but it suddenly hasn't been around lately."

"If I see it, I'll let you know."

"Okay!"

"By the way, brother, I got first place again on today's shuriken test! The teacher praised me too!"

Sasuke couldn't help but share his experiences at school, narrating his joy to his older brother.

Itachi simply smiled softly at him, quietly listening and occasionally offering a few words of praise, which delighted Sasuke.

While Itachi envisioned the worst possible future for the Uchiha, he was determined not to let that come to pass.

Night.

Itachi quietly slipped out of his home and arrived at the edge of the village, near the Naka River, a waterway flowing through the entire village.

The river cascaded down the rocks, forming a waterfall, rushing vigorously.

By the waterfall stood a figure.

"It's pretty embarrassing to call you out this late."

"Let's skip the pleasantries," Itachi replied.

"I'm serious." Shisui shrugged, appearing somewhat innocent.

"What's on your mind?" Itachi inquired.

Shisui smiled but did not immediately answer, instead asking, "How is the surveillance mission going?"

"It's fine, just feels a bit odd," Itachi contemplated.

"Because you're also an Uchiha?" Shisui chuckled lightly, before his expression turned serious.

He sighed, "Anyone would feel strange or resistant in this situation."

Itachi shook his head. "I can accept it."

The two stood at the edge of the rock, gazing into the rushing waters below; the nearby waterfall roared loudly, drowning out most of the sounds of the deep night.

Shisui glanced at Itachi; at twelve or thirteen years old, he was growing rapidly and was now taller than Shisui.

"You've grown quite tall," Shisui remarked suddenly.

Itachi froze for a moment, slightly embarrassed and helpless. "Shisui."

Shisui chuckled again. "Honestly, I never planned to involve you in this."

"How could I possibly avoid it?" Itachi replied.

"Yeah, how could you avoid it?" Shisui said with a hint of melancholy.

"You are Uchiha Fugaku's child. Your talents and abilities are impossible for some to overlook."

"I've known about these matters; there were others who advised me as well."

Itachi paused, glancing at Shisui in surprise.

"There's nothing surprising about it, Itachi. You need to understand your position. As a Uchiha genius, the son of the clan leader, many people are watching you from the shadows," Shisui explained.

Itachi listened thoughtfully.

"I have a mission to attend to, and it might take a while," Shisui added.

"What kind of mission?" Itachi asked.

"The Kirigakure harassment unit has been causing trouble at the border, but their intentions are unclear. Lord Hokage dispatched me to deal with this matter," Shisui clarified. "If anything happens while I'm away, you can consult someone named Kanzuki Oboro if you don't know who to talk to."

"Kanzuki Oboro?"

"He's my good friend; he knows everything about us, and he can be trusted to help you."

Itachi nodded. "I understand. Be careful during your mission."

Shisui laughed lightly. "No worries; I'm Body Flicker Shisui."

Time passed swiftly, with each day bringing different occurrences, yet when looking back, they often felt mundane and monotonous.

As Oboro spent more time beside Danzo, he encountered more and more of the workings within the ANBU.

It was precisely this that led him to realize Danzo's reckless behavior.

Some blatant abuses of power were completely disregarded by Danzo, who acted unilaterally without considering the Hokage's opinions.

And afterward, when questioned by the Hokage, Danzo would gloss over everything, presenting his justifications, claiming everything he did was for the village, delivering grandiloquent rhetoric.

Yet each time, the Hokage refrained from punishing him.

At times, Oboro couldn't determine whether the Hokage had tacitly approved of Danzo's actions or if Danzo simply hadn't crossed his bottom line yet.

Snowflakes fluttered outside the corridor, akin to countless butterflies flying toward the windows; Oboro stood at the door of the Hokage's office, assigned to guard duty while Danzo was inside discussing something with the Third Hokage.

On the other side stood Kakashi.

Shisui had been away from the village for some time, heading to the eastern border of the Land of Fire to carry out his mission.

"How pure the snow is..." a voice suddenly resounded beside him, belonging to Kakashi.

"We're on duty; it wouldn't be awkward to stay quiet," Oboro stated, stopping Kakashi's inclination to engage in small talk.

Kakashi smiled lightly, his gaze downcast, but his mask obscured his expression.

"It's good to focus on beautiful things sometimes," he said to Oboro.

"Hmm."

"Why did you choose to enter Root?" Kakashi questioned.

"On the request of a friend."

"A friend?" Kakashi looked surprised.

"Do I not seem like someone who has friends?" Oboro replied coolly.

"Ah, no. I just found the whole thing surprising," Kakashi stated.

"Did you have anything entrusted to you by a friend?" Oboro asked calmly.

"...Yes."

"The wishes of friends should always be responded to."

"..." Kakashi fell silent, pondering something.

Snow continued to fall outside, and the corridor remained unusually quiet; the murmurs coming from the office behind the door hinted at an unknown discussion.

"You seem a bit different from my impression of you."

"Do you know me well, senior?"

"I've seen you before; I vaguely remember you being quite cheerful back then."

"...Is that so?"

"But that was a long time ago; many people had heard of you back then, and you were quite active on the battlefield."

"I can't compare to you; you were a Jounin at twelve," Oboro complimented.

His praise did not elicit any visible reaction from Kakashi, who continued, "Afterward, I heard some not-so-good things about you."

Kakashi turned his gaze toward Oboro.

"Are those things true?"

"Yes," Oboro replied succinctly, his voice calm.

Kakashi looked away. "I see."

"Everyone makes mistakes," he said slowly, as if addressing both Oboro and himself.

Silence fell again in the corridor.

"Senior," after a lengthy pause, Oboro initiated conversation once more.

"Even those who err can be redeemed."

"Have you been redeemed?" Kakashi retorted.

Oboro didn't directly answer the question, instead saying, "It's good to focus on beautiful things sometimes."

Kakashi paused, then smiled silently.

Only those who harbor hope can be redeemed; Kakashi, who had long dwelled in darkness, did not know whether he still had that right.

[Name: Hatake Kakashi]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 21]

[Affection: 59]

[Relationship: Friend from the Same Village]

[Bond Route: Not Selected]

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