Naruto: Mastered Your Strategy?

Sarutobi Hiruzen peered through the swirling smoke in front of him, his gaze falling on the mission report in his hand. It had been returned by the client, filled with praise and satisfaction regarding the efficiency of Konoha's ninjas.

Casually removing the pipe from his mouth, Sarutobi finally directed his full attention to the boy standing before him.

The boy wore the green vest signifying his rank as a Chunin or higher. His forehead protector was tied neatly in place, but his calm expression showed no trace of the youthful energy typical of his age. His long lashes cast shadows over his eyes, hiding what seemed like many burdens.

"Ren," Sarutobi called out.

"Hokage-sama," came the reply.

"The client is very pleased with you. Even for a Chunin squad, this kind of mission would have been difficult." Sarutobi spoke slowly.

Kanzuki Ren, the young man before him, possessed both skill and capability. Had he not been overshadowed by another more talented peer, Sarutobi believed Ren would have been seen as a rising star.

"You've been operating solo since becoming a Chunin, and your mission completion rate remains exceptionally high. That's quite rare," Sarutobi continued.

"Have you considered finding new teammates?"

Ren's expression remained unchanged, his gaze never fully meeting Sarutobi's. He responded, "I will follow whatever Hokage-sama decides."

Sarutobi was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected such obedience.

Previously, he had many assumptions: perhaps Ren was too proud to team up with ordinary shinobi, or maybe the loss of teammates in the war had left its mark. Besides, there were always rumors circulating in the village.

After a brief pause, Sarutobi said, "Someone came to me recently, requesting a change in your position."

Ren's eyes flickered slightly, his mind racing as he considered who it could be.

Sarutobi tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, saying, "However, there's no rush. I want to respect your wishes on this matter. You don't have to give me an answer right away. Take some time to think it over."

What does that mean…?

The vague words left Ren with a feeling of suspicion. He watched as Sarutobi once again raised his pipe, the smoke obscuring the Hokage's face and eyes.

"There's a new mission for you," Sarutobi continued.

"Someone will meet you at the village's main gate tomorrow at 7 a.m."

"…Understood."

Leaving the Hokage's office, Ren stepped out into the fading afternoon light.

He stood in front of the Hokage building, gazing at the red-streaked sky in the distance.

The sun was setting in the west, the horizon bathed in a blood-red glow.

How many years has it been since I came here…?

Day after day, it's so monotonous.

Deep in thought, Ren was about to leave when he noticed a familiar figure approaching from the road ahead.

"Hey, Ren!" The person waved cheerfully and jogged over.

"I heard you just got back from a mission," the newcomer said with a smile. He was around Ren's age, about fifteen, with short black hair and a delicate face. Like Ren, he wore the standard ninja vest, but the emblem on his sleeve—a red and white fan on a blue background—marked him as an Uchiha.

Ren stared at him for a moment before speaking, "You're the one who asked Hokage-sama to transfer my position, aren't you?"

"Eh, the Hokage already told you?" Shisui said, surprised.

"Yes, he just mentioned it," Ren nodded, starting to walk away. "But I didn't agree."

"Why not?" Shisui asked, confused, keeping pace with him.

"Why did you even make such a request?" Ren responded without stopping.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Shisui replied earnestly.

"I suppose," Ren said, his tone indifferent.

"That's not fair," Shisui said, slightly irritated.

The two walked side by side through the village's bustling street market. Evening was approaching, and many night stalls were opening early. It wasn't crowded, but there was a lively atmosphere in the air.

"Ren, think it over, will you?" Shisui continued to press, his tone insistent.

"I'm not sure I'm cut out for the work in the Anbu," Ren replied lightly.

Or should I say… the Root.

Ren thought to himself. The Root, after all, was an organization most people didn't know about.

"The Anbu might be a bit more demanding, but it's still not as heavy as your monthly mission load. You'd actually have it easier there."

"Save your breath," Ren muttered.

Shisui kept chattering beside him, but Ren just walked on, his pace slow and unhurried, showing little sign that he was even listening.

It wasn't long before Shisui suddenly stopped talking. Ren glanced to the side, confused, then turned to find that Shisui had stopped behind him.

"Ren." Shisui smiled and pointed to the nearby shop.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Ren glanced at the store's sign—It was a dango shop.

"Come on!" Shisui waved enthusiastically.

"…"

Knowing his friend's love for sweets, Ren sighed and followed him inside.

"Boss, five servings of Red bean Dango, five servings of Mitarashi Dango, and five servings of Three-Colored Dango!" Shisui shouted as they entered.

"Got it! Take a seat, I'll have them ready soon," the shop owner responded.

"How can you eat all that and still have room for dinner?" Ren asked, exasperated at the massive order.

"It won't spoil my appetite," Shisui grinned.

Now completely focused on his favorite treat, Shisui seemed to forget about persuading Ren and sat down eagerly, awaiting his food.

A few minutes later, the owner brought out three plates of dango, along with two cups of tea to cleanse the palate.

"I'm digging in!"

Shisui wasted no time, grabbing a skewer in each hand and stuffing dango into his mouth.

Ren watched him eat with complete disregard for appearances and couldn't help but smirk. He picked up his cup of tea and sipped slowly—he wasn't fond of overly sweet things.

"Ren, aren't you eating?" Shisui asked, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth.

Ren shook his head and took another sip of tea.

Seeing that Ren wasn't interested, Shisui shrugged and returned to devouring the dango.

Ren sat silently for a while, watching his friend, before finally speaking, "Why did you ask me to join you?"

"Hmm?" Shisui looked up, still chewing, clearly confused.

"Oh!" He suddenly realized, quickly putting down his food and wiping his mouth.

Staring at Ren's calm face, Shisui took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding.

"I really need someone I can rely on," Shisui said slowly.

Ren's eyes flickered.

Shisui was just an ordinary member of the Anbu—albeit a talented one. But hearing him say something like this was… strange.

Rely on him? For what? A mission?

Anyone else might have been confused by such a request, but Ren knew more than most people. He knew things that the people of this world didn't.

For example, the fate of the person sitting across from him—Uchiha Shisui.

Ren didn't want to get involved in unnecessary trouble. He didn't want to interfere.

Even if Shisui were to die, Ren might feel a pang of regret.

But that would be the end of it.

"You might find it strange, but there are things I can only explain if you agree to join me," Shisui said. "My position is going to be transferred soon."

Transferred… Does that mean Shisui will be pulled into the Root too?

Was he trying to bring Ren in as a… spy?

Ren remained silent, slowly sipping his tea, his expression unreadable. "Isn't there a talented junior in your clan? You seem to have a good relationship with him. I hear he joined the Anbu recently."

"You mean Itachi?" Shisui smiled wryly, then looked surprised. "How do you know he joined the Anbu?"

"…I heard it somewhere," Ren said, realizing he had misspoken. His face, however, betrayed nothing.

"Itachi only joined the Anbu a couple of days ago, and very few people know about it…" Shisui eyed Ren, half-believing, half-skeptical.

"But… speaking of Itachi, he's a lot like you in some ways," Shisui suddenly changed the subject, smiling.

"Really?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you both carry a lot of burdens for someone so young. You're far more mature than your peers," Shisui mused. "The difference is, you keep everything locked inside."

"And, Itachi has a much better personality than you," Shisui added with a teasing grin.

"It sounds like you have high hopes for him," Ren replied, unbothered

-------------------------------------------------

[Name]: Uchiha Shisui

[Gender]: Male

[Age]: 15

[Affection Level]: 89

[Relationship]: Close Friend

[Bond]: Not yet formed

[Bond Reward]: Kotoamatsukami

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