Gears Turning.

Tachibana looked around the forest.

Although he could find out exactly where the rest of Team Seven was hiding from him using spirit vision, he couldn't simply use it and walk up to them.

So Tachibana laid back knowing they would eventually come up to him for a fight since Yamato would only stop the training after there was only one person left standing.

Pulling out a chair and his recent favourite book, 'Icha Icha Paradise.' and began reading much to Yamato's amusement who was keeping watch on his team with a wood clone.

"You've done well Yamato.", Hiruzen said smoking his pipe a little and looking at him with a smile.

"It is because of their own enthusiasm that they're growing so well." Yamato said with a soft smile as he thought about his students.

"Hmm~m. That's good. Students that are eager to learn more, those are good." Hiruzen said as if he was reminiscing about the times he taught his own students.

There was a soft silence that occupied the office for a few seconds, before Hiruzen explained softly, "I have a mission for you."

Yamato nodded softly and taking the scroll from Hiruzen he unfurled it to study it.

Yamato's eyes widened a little when he read the contents of the scroll and became surprised but then he frowned.

"What do you think of the mission Yamato?" Hiruzen asked patiently as he studied Yamato's changing expressions.

It seemed like he wanted to say something but he was holding back so Hiruzen gave him a nudge, "Speak freely, I hope to learn your true thoughts on the matter."

"I don't think they are ready for such a mission. I fear it might expose them to the darkness of the world too early."

"Is that so…" Hiruzen said before standing up from his chair to look out of the window and at the large village he was responsible for protecting.

"Why do you think they won't be able to handle this?"

"I fear they might act irrationally during the mission." Yamato bluntly stated.

Hiruzen standing by the window, smoked his pipe in silence for a while before he spoke calmly, "Naruto's the son of Minato and Kushina, and he has a strong sense of the will of fire burning within him. But this burns too bright. He must learn to control it or else he will cause more danger to himself and those around him."

Yamato's eyes widened a little and he asked softly, "You intend for them to fail this mission?"

Hiruzen turned around at that point and looked right into Yamato's eyes.

"No. I hope they are able to temper their expectations from the world with this mission. I hope for them to be able to grow and learn what it takes to be able to maintain the peace of the village."

Yamato was silent for a while as he contemplated Hiruzen's words.

"I'm growing old Yamato, I don't have much longer left. And if I don't nurture suitable successors, the village might be left unprotected during the time it needs to be saved the most."

"Besides, it was Tachibana-kun who brought the first report of this incident. I want him to learn that the village takes such incidents seriously."

Yamato's eyes widened slightly but he quickly nodded and spoke with admiration and respect, "I will do as you say Hokage-sama."

As soon as Yamato walked out of the office room, Hiruzen waited for a few seconds and then collapsed into his chair.

That was when he pulled out a smaller scroll that he had been handed over by his ANBU in the morning today.

Its contents were simple and scared Hiruzen a little.

He *coughed* a little before pressing a button on the side of his desk.

There was silence in the office for a while before an ANBU member shunshined into the office.

"Are you sure that was the message the Damiyo sent in his latest letter to Tachibana Rei?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage. The message was intercepted routinely and was checked before it was sent to the post office."

"Hmm…I see. Keep doing the same for all his future letters as well. Let me know if there's anything else of notice in them."

The ANBU member nodded but didn't leave the office.

Hiruzen noticed this and looked at him with a little confusion, "Is there something else that needs to be reported?"

"..." The ANBU member was quite for a few seconds before he spoke with some fear. "We have performed a careful inspection of the girl who hangs out with Tachibana Rei in the orphanage."

"Oh? I forgot about that. Is there something important regarding the girl? Does she like him?"

".....Hokage-sama, we haven't been able to ascertain where the girl comes from…there are no records of her in the orphanage and neither are there any records of her entering the village. She vanishes after Tachibana returns her to the orphanage and returns when he comes back."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.

"Hmm…? Have you interrogated the girl?"

"....no Hokage-sama. It is almost as if she's a ghost. We can never find her after she finishes spending her time with Tachibana."

"Hmmm…? What about the detection division in the Konoha barrier team?"

"....they can't seem to pick up on her chakra either."

"So she's a civilian? Are you sure she isn't disguising herself using makeup and you've just been unable to find her?"

The ANBU member quickly shook their head, "We've tried employing even the Inuzuka and the Aburame in our group. But we've been unable to keep track of the girl. After Tachibana Rei leaves the orphanage she vanishes."

Hiruzen felt there was something regarding this matter that he was unable to immediately notice.

'This…'

'Why is it always Tachibana-kun…'

He then looked at the ANBU again and gave him a simple command, "Tachibana Rei will go out of the village for a few days. Make sure you examine his home once he is gone and also the orphanage to see if the girl appears in the village again."

"Yes Hokage-sama. It shall be done."

"You may leave."

Hiruzen smoked his pipe for a while as he looked at all the documents regarding Tachibana for a while but then he stuffed them into his desk and turned his attention elsewhere, after all there were a lot more tasks that required his urgent attention.

Meanwhile in a dark underground base some distance away from the village.

"This is all that has been noted about Tachibana Rei in the ANBU Danzo-sama. It hasn't been updated from the last time we checked."

Danzo took the scroll from the shinobi kneeling in front of him and read it quickly.

'Hmm…why is it so empty if Hiruzen is showing so much interest in him?'

'Are you simply licking his boot because he is the son of the Daimyo Hiruzen?'

'Have you fallen so low?'

Danzo looked at the shinobi in front of him as he spoke coldly, "Interfere in their next mission. I want all the details about Tachibana Rei and his abilities."

"As you wish Danzo-sama!"

In training ground seven, Tachibana finally stood up and stored away his chair and book as he looked at a random tree in the distance.

"Naruto, you can come out, you aren't suited for stealth at all…I probably won't even be able to sleep if you keep making so much noise…"

"Ahh!!" A startled voice appeared from behind a tree before someone fell off a branch and onto the ground.

"Damn it! How did you know I was here!?" Naruto shouted as he quickly got up from the ground and emerged out of the trees to look at Tachibana while holding a kunai.

"...." Tachibana gave him a dead-eyed look. "*sigh* weren't you listening to what I just told you?"