6 Enter Uzumaki Naruto!!!

Today was the eleventh of October, the sky is clear, the sun is shining, a cool breeze rustling the autumn leaves, and the menace named Hana nowhere in sight. All in all a perfect afternoon.

A nine-year-old Itsuki happily hummed to himself, looking cheerful. And why would he not be, he just got himself an internship at Konoha General hospital.

'And a rather generous pay lets not forget that. The geezers at the hospital looking doing their best fish impression when I performed the Mystic palm Jutsu was also quite a bonus.' Mystic palm despite being the most basic Medical Ninjutsu was notoriously difficult to perform. So when a nine-year-old performs it exceptionally, medics at the hospital would be fools to ignore him. Giving him an internship is only an excuse to reel him in. With this, his future as a medic is quite secure.

All of a sudden I sense a strong chakra signal following me covertly. I show no outward reaction but actively focused on sensing.

'Yup, Definitely an Anbu. His emotions are not stunted enough to be a Root ninja. But why I am being followed?', Along with Anbu, I sensed another, smaller chakra following me which I was subconsciously ignoring due to the signal being much smaller than Anbu's.

A blond mop swiftly ran from behind the trash can and hid behind a street light's pole.

'So this Anbu is playing baby-sitter to our resident jinchuriki.', I chuckled to myself, relaxing a little knowing I am not the Anbu's target.

This goes on for a few minutes. I walk through the village enjoying myself, Naruto following me, Anbu, and me ignoring both of them. At one intersection while trying to hide, Naruto bumped some grunt looking academy kids.

"Hey, watch where you going.", A tall buff looking kid about twelve years old exclaimed. But when he saw Naruto, his expression changed.

"Hey you, I am talking. Apologize now", kid nearly screamed at Naruto.

"I am sorry.", Naruto quietly said.

As if in mutual understanding, another kid screamed "Is that a way to apologize?"

I knew this wouldn't end well. I wanted to help him but Naruto was too high profile. Being close to him is a surefire way to attract the attention of every bigwig in the village. No way I would even change

But the sheer loneliness and pain radiating from him broke my resolve. Sighing, I move to the side and hiding in from plain sight; I form three hand-signs and transform myself into Fusao-sensei.

I appear at the back of kids who looked like they were seconds away from beating Naruto to the ground. Gently coughing, trying to change the pitch of my voice to emulate Fusao sensei's voice and gain the attention of kids.

"What is happening here", I spoke in my best imitation, simultaneously controlling the chakra my chakra to move the mouth of to move according to my voice, maintaining the pitch in my voice and maintaining transformation technique.

Kids looked startled. They tried to stammer a response but I directly cut them.

"Get lost", I said and they readily followed.

I immediately release the Jutsu after seeing them vanish around the corner. Naruto looks a little startled upon seeing me.

"So why are you following me?", I asked.

Naruto immediately goes a little red. But his response was conveniently cut by the rumbling of his stomach.

I sighed, looking at his body, he looks barely fed. Knowing the hatred village has for him, it is not surprising.

"So anything you would like to eat?" Naruto's eyes went wide at my question and immediately shouts "RAMEN!!!" with such exuberance that it seemed his previous downtrodden expression seemed an illusion. But I could clearly sense in his emotions; pain, loneliness was still there along with a bit of hope, relief, and happiness. My heart really goes out to him.

I nodded. Might as well celebrate a little for getting an Internship. But that I remembered I don't know of any restaurant. And to be honest, between all the training, research, and studying; I barely had any time, and almost all my stipend was spent on weapons and other supplies.

"Uh, so where can I get this Ramen?", I asked, a little unsure. Naruto looked at me like I may as well be from another planet.

"You do not know of Ramen?" Naruto looked at me with surprising intensity. All I could do was nervously shake my head.

"You do not know of Food of the Gods? Blesphiemy!" I inwardly chuckled at his poor attempt at pronunciation, "You do not know what you are missing" He held my hand and pulled me towards I assume where Ichiraku Ramen stand is.

Reaching a wooden ramen bar build on side of a small building labeled Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto immediately pulled me inside. Inside I see Teuchi the chef but no customer. Naruto looks expectantly at me, I smile and give him a go-ahead to order anything he wanted, while I order miso ramen.

While we wait for ramen, I asked,

"So kid, what is your name?"

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto Dattebayo" He replies in excitement.

" Nice to meet you Naruto, I am Itsuki"

He looks at me weirdly and asks "You have only half a name? That's weird."

"That's coming from someone named after ramen topping" I fire back without any heat. Before he could reply back, Teuchi arrived with our order. With a customary greeting, we dig right into our food.

The food was delicious, perhaps the most delicious I have ever eaten in this life. It is something which could be sold in most high-end restaurants of Konoha for ten times the current price and it would still sell like hot potatoes. 'But for this place to be deserted despite being in the middle of the most popular shopping district, that doesn't make sense.'

I look towards Naruto devouring his second bowl of ramen and Teuchi smiling at Naruto. 'Civilians can be explained by the store's willingness to serve Naruto, but Ninja's; seems like I totally underestimated the power of the civilian council or is it something else.'

The civilian council is the board of influential civilians which was formed to safeguard the interest of civilians in Konoha as well as govern civilian matters. But the truth of the matter is council comes directly under the Hokage office and Hokage has full say and veto rights in any council decisions.

I hope that I was just overthinking the matter, if not the then through my association with Naruto, I was making another powerful enemy.

Finishing my bowl of ramen, I pay Teuchi and promise to visit again. Along the way, I learn that since yesterday, Naruto has been transferred to my orphanage. As we reach the orphanage, I sense Anbu following us leaving.

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After Anbu completed his mission of observing and guarding village jinchuriki, he returned to Anbu headquarters and went to his quarters. Removing his crow mask, Itachi Uchiha wrote his mission report.

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The next day, the mission report was presented in front of Hokage. He read the report and asked for the file on Itsuki. After reading the file, Hokage pulled out some forms and started filling them.

After a few hours later, Hokage visited the Namikaze Orphanage and personally brought Naruto to his new apartment.

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A copy of the Anbu report was delivered to Elder Danzo Shimura. After reading it Danzo took Itsuki's file and read through it.

"Hachi(Eight)!", A Root appeared and kneeled in front of Danzo.

Throwing Itsuki's file in front of him, he ordered, "I want you to find everything about this boy, especially his time before the orphanage, and names of his parents."

Root Anbu took the file and vanished via shunshin.