Chapter Two

"Whoa." Naruto muttered, eyes widening as he stepped into the dining room after Itachi. They had left their shoes at the entrance just a few moments ago, ushered into the house after Mikoto-san's announcement that the food was ready.

Glancing over his shoulder, Itachi was both amused and saddened by the awed look in the blond's eyes. On one hand, his reaction was humorous. On the other, it was depressing seeing as it meant he was wholly unfamiliar with such a meal. Whereas Itachi found it to be the norm, causing the dark-haired man to feel more grateful than he normally would towards his mother.

"It looks wonderful as always, kaa-san."

"Thank you, Itachi-kun. Now you two come on, sit, sit."

Naruto eagerly listened to the elder woman, taking a seat to Itachi's left directly across from Mikoto. Sasuke was sitting next to her in his standardized brooding state but Naruto shoved that out of his mind at the sight of the feast laid out on the table. How the wonderful woman (because only someone who was awesome could make this) had made everything in only an hour, Naruto didn't know.

After exchanging the standard words, the foursome tucked in heartedly. Naruto attempted to pace himself, trying to deploy the manners that Neko had once taught him. The purple-haired ANBU had taken it upon herself to teach him basic etiquette, but that had been years ago. She had been reassigned, unfortunately, and Naruto only saw her every now and again. Much like Itachi, actually.

The meal was relatively quiet for a good ten minutes before Itachi spoke up, instantly gaining the attention of the room. "Kaa-san?"

"Yes dear?"

"Could Naruto have permission to stay the night tonight?"

"What?!" The elder Uchiha's ignored the outbursts of the Academy students. Naruto and Sasuke were exchanging bewildered glances, their rivalry placed aside at the current sight of Itachi's lunacy. What the hell was the ANBU Captain thinking?

"Oh? Did something happen?"

"You could say that." There was an exchange of subtle expressions once again for a few moments before Mikoto looked away from her first born. After several seconds, Mikoto turned back and smiled beautifully.

"He's under your supervision, Itachi-kun." With that the two returned to their meals while the younger two continued to act their part of confused children. After a few seconds Naruto had had enough and finally burst out.

"What the f—freak just happened?" He cut himself off just in time, nervous at the sight of an older woman. Neko had relatively scarred him by her assault on his mouth by soap. Now he was nervous to speak rudely in front of any woman, regardless of their age. Well, unless they pissed him off.

"Your apartment is in poor condition at the moment, no? I see it as only right to allow you to rest here for the night." Itachi answered easily, causing Naruto's eyebrow to start twitching in annoyance and for Sasuke to gape at his elder brother. Itachi-nii was really allowing Naruto of all people to sleep in their home. Naruto!

"Itachi-chan…" Naruto whined weakly, already accepting defeat. Itachi had a certain tone in his voice that was easily recognizable. It meant Naruto wasn't getting his way, no matter what the blond tried.

There was a delicate snort before Mikoto covered her face with her napkin, glancing between the two with sparkling dark eyes. "Itachi-chan?"

Itachi didn't react visibly while Naruto turned to the older woman and grinned smugly. "Yup! I've been trying to get under his shell for years and this is my latest attempt. At least I finally know who he is under his mask now."

"Mask? You know about Itachi-nii being in ANBU?" Sasuke questioned in disbelief.

Letting out a huff of laughter, Naruto nodded. "'Course I do, Sasuke-teme. I've known Karasu-chan for years, dattebayo."

With those thought-shattering words, Naruto turned back to his meal – completely oblivious to his gaping rival. Itachi withheld an amused chuckle as he gazed between the two before meeting his mother's curious, and amused, gaze. Itachi gave a significant 'we'll speak later' look before returning to his meal.

The night spent out the Uchiha's was amazing for Naruto. After the absolutely amazing meal – which Naruto continued complimenting much to a blushing Mikoto's enjoyment – Naruto had been herded towards the bath by an insistent Itachi.

Naruto still believed that the older man was still disgusted by his dumpster diving.

He had been loaned some clothes to change into and he later discovered, much to his chagrin, that they had been the teme's. Sasuke was off sulking in his room, so he thankfully didn't see Naruto sporting the red and white symbol of the Uchiha on his back.

Itachi personally thought it was an amusing sight, especially when Naruto squawked at the realization of just whose clothes he was wearing. He had practically begged to burrow some of Itachi's, if only to not wear the same clothing as 'the teme', as he so boldly proclaimed. Itachi relatively ignored him though, seeing as it made more sense for Naruto to wear the better fitting clothing of his otouto.

When it came time to sleep, Itachi hit a slight snag. While traditional, the Uchiha clan more often than not invested in modern beds. This meant there wasn't an extra pallet for Naruto to bunk down on. With a resigned sigh, it was his idea after all, Itachi pulled the struggling blond into his own bed. Reaching up, the eighteen year old turned off his bedside lamp before adjusting himself under the sheets.

Naruto had been ridged, unable to relax at the fact that he was sleeping in the same bed as another. That Itachi had willingly shared such a private place with him was startlingly. Naruto didn't know what to think, or what to do. He'd never slept with another before, in any sense of the term.

So the blond lay awake.

Naruto didn't know how much time passed, but he was guessing it was about an hour. His eyes were half-lidded in exhaustion and despite the confusion or apprehension he felt, Naruto eventually fell into a blissful state of unconsciousness.

As soon as he heard the transition into deeper breathing, Itachi's own eyes opened. He was an extremely light sleeper – as most seasoned ninja were – and every shift and grumble of the blond awoken him. Now, though, the blond was sleeping. This allowed Itachi to finally succumb to a deeper level of sleep, submitting to REM.

When morning came, Naruto was annoyed by the bright rays of sunshine seeking to burn his retinas. Why the room was so bright he didn't know. His own bedroom stayed perfectly dim, no matter what the time. This was mostly due to the dingy sheets he had hung over his windows, but Naruto was thankful for them. Especially right now, when he was otherwise blinded.

Or he would be, had he actually opened his eyes. Instead he buried his head deeper into his pillow, trying to hide from the sun despite his futile attempts.

On another spectrum, Itachi was having a hard time hiding his amusement. The blond wasn't a morning person, apparently. It was rather surprising, considering his sunny personality. Peering down at the blond who had, at some time in the night, snuggled up to his side, Itachi considered the results of properly waking him. One would be Naruto's embarrassed demeanor, and that was always an amusing sight. Two would have the added benefit of having the blond start off for the Academy, seeing as he had just about forty minutes until it started. Third, it also meant that Itachi could get a start on his own day.

He wasn't on active duty today, seeing as it was Thursday. His squad always took Thursdays off for a relaxation day. It was mostly for the purpose of avoiding a burnout, but Itachi was just thankful that it meant he didn't have to wake up at five AM and train with his rather boisterous teammates.

He was an introvert, thank you very much. He was perfectly fine in solitude, and putting him around many loud-mouthed people in the morning was ill-advised.

He needed to talk to the Hokage about becoming Naruto's sensei, though, so Itachi knew he would have to get up eventually.

His decision was made for him, however, as Naruto took that time to let out a loud groan. "Why the fuck is it so bright…?"

Itachi was amused, and it was hard to hide the suppressed chuckles when the subject for such laughter was lying on top of you.

Naruto was confused. His blissfully warm and comfortable pillow was moving. That didn't make any sense, though, seeing as pillows don't move. His sleep-addled brain was having a hard time processing the movement before he finally willed himself to pry open sleep-crusted cerulean orbs.

Everything was fuzzy for a few seconds before Naruto slowly flowed his pillow up, only to meet Itachi's amused gaze. Blinking slowly for several seconds, Naruto took a second to process this development. Oh, so my pillow is Itachi. Okay.

He closed his eyes again, preparing to drift back into dreamland and ignore everything around him before his own thoughts caught up with him. Snapping open sharply, Naruto's eyes once again focused on the amused Uchiha.

Letting out a warbled screech of confusion and embarrassment, Naruto rolled over only to spasm for a second before he fell over the edge of the bed. Itachi couldn't help it, his chuckles broke through his mask and he felt a smirk crawl of his lips. Peering over the side of the bed, Itachi peered at the cocoon of blankets Naruto had somehow become wrapped up in, wondering how he had been able to tangle himself so thoroughly.

An accusing finger was suddenly pointed, almost colliding with Itachi's nose. Blinking languidly, Itachi's gaze went from the accusing finger to the pouting blond, a perfectly shaped eyebrow lifting in question.

Raising an eyebrow at Naruto's following mutters, Itachi gracefully rose from the bed, ignoring the bright sunlight that filtered into his room. Extending a hand to help Naruto to his feet, Itachi took note that the blond was amazingly short, not even reaching five feet by his estimates.

Predicting that it was due to his still poor diet, Itachi brushed that aside as he padded over to his closet. They had to get ready for the day. "Naruto-kun, I suggest you hurry. You'll be late otherwise."

"Fuck, but, Mikoto-san took my clothes to wash." Naruto whined after glancing hurriedly around the room. Peering back at the scowling blond, Itachi let out a long sigh before motioning for the blond to approach.

"Since you're so insistent not to where otouto's clothing, you can wear one of my shirts, okay?"

The blinding grin that was directed at his person almost caused Itachi to stare in surprise. He had better control of his emotions and facial expressions than most though, so he ignored the absolute sunshine the boy radiated. Picking one of his older, and slightly smaller, long-sleeve shirts, Itachi handed it over to Naruto and went about picking out his own clothing as the blond stripped.

"I'll hafta keep Sasuke's pants, won't I?" The pout was unmistakable, and Itachi forced himself to keep from rolling his eyes.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. You can get your jumpsuit back from kaa-san this afternoon."

Satisfied, Naruto went over to the desk where he had placed his weapon holsters. Strapping them onto his left leg on a whim, Naruto looked up when he heard a questioning, "Hn?"

"I thought you were right-handed."

"What's that mean?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion, only to watch in amusement as the dark-haired man rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

"You favor one of your hands more than the other. You can throw better with one."

"Oh, I suck either way, dattebayo. I switch legs every few days."

Eyes half-lidded, Itachi observed the blond intently. He was ambidextrous? That was beneficial for a shinobi. Even he, the famed Uchiha prodigy (as everyone called him), favored his right hand.

"That's actually a good thing. Keep doing it. I'm going to go talk to kaa-san, you know where the bathroom is." With that, Itachi departed towards the kitchen. He knew that his mother, despite being the Uchiha clan head, still prided herself in making both breakfast and dinner for her family.

When he entered he found his mother standing in front of the stove, delicious scents wafting throughout the rather high-tech room. Mikoto liked to spend money when it came to functional items, and kitchen appliances counted within those terms. "Kaa-san."

"Itachi, good morning. How are you feeling?" Mikoto hustled over to stand on her tip toes, her lips ghosting against his forehead before she returned to her creations.

"Fine. I wish to speak with you after otouto and Naruto-kun leave for the Academy."

There was an acknowledging nod before Itachi turned, heading towards the dining room. There was no point in asking to help, Mikoto liked to solitarily fix food as she found it relaxing. Thirty minutes later the food had been served and hastily consumed by the rushing Academy students. As they bustled off before they were late, Itachi distantly heard the beginnings of yet another argument between the two.

After a few moments Itachi's attention was grabbed by his curious mother. Letting out a sigh and knowing he had made this decision himself, Itachi warily began to speak. "Kaa-san, you know I am an efficient ANBU. However, due to recent discoveries, I feel the urge to retire to normal Jonin status."

Mikoto's dark eyes widened, staring at her rather stoic son in shock and confusion. Itachi had never been anything but complacent about his status as an ANBU Captain. He had been in the same position since he was thirteen, so what would cause the eighteen year old to suddenly change professions so suddenly?

Catching a flash of orange, Mikoto stared down at the assembled fruit bowl before a smile worked its way onto her lips. "It's because of Naruto-kun, isn't it?"

"Yes. I have reason to believe that his entire Academy education has been sabotaged."

The smile was instantly gone and Mikoto stared at her son seriously. That was a major claim, and they both knew it. "Explain."

Explain Itachi did, and after half an hour Mikoto was shuddering in repressed rage. The child of her best friend, Uzumaki Kushina, was so hated for his Jinchūriki status that his own sensei were ruining his education? They were leading him to his death bed!

Letting out an uncharacteristic growl of anger, Mikoto stared deeply into the eyes of her mildly surprised son. "I'm guessing you wish to become his sensei so that you can destroy those bastards' efforts?"

"Yes, kaa-san."

"Good. As the Uchiha clan head, I give you my full support. Go speak with Hokage-sama, please."

"Hai, kaa-san." Bowing, Itachi excused himself from the table, leaving his empty plate behind. He quickly slipped on his sandals at the door before exiting the home, taking to the roofs in an effort to decrease his travel time.

The sun had set only twenty minutes ago, but Naruto ignored the waking sounds of the forest creatures. It had been a week since he had stayed the night at the Uchiha's, and it was still the best that he could remember in several years. If he ignored the teme's presence throughout the experience than it was almost heavenly.

Time had passed however, and he had returned to his apartment the next night. The weekend and following week had progressed rather slowly, but Friday had finally dawned bright and cheerfully. It was still Friday, but several hours and events had passed since the morning. The graduation exam had been held today and, just like his previous two attempts, Naruto had failed.

"Bunshin my ass, this will be so much better." With those sworn words, Naruto turned his full attention back towards the Forbidden Scroll. He had stolen it that afternoon after Mizuki-sensei had promised he would pass. While waiting for the white-haired man to appear, Naruto had decided to take a peek and use the limited reading skills that Itachi had bestowed upon him in their last week of study sessions.

He was now attempting to perform the Kage Bunshin Jutsu, which was a lot better than the weaker Bunshin clones. These were tangible, whatever that meant. Naruto was guessing it meant that they were solid, so he was trying hard to perfect the technique.

In the next hour, Naruto had been able to summon ten solid clones, much sturdier and definitely not mush like his previous attempts at the jutsu. Lifting a fist into the air proudly, Naruto resisted screaming out in joy. He didn't want to attract attention, after all.

"Naruto? Naruto!"

His celebration was cut short at the sound of Iruka-sensei's voice. Dispelling his clones with a grin, Naruto got ready to perform the jutsu again so that the Chunin would have to give him his own hitai-ate.

He wasn't prepared in the slightest for the following events that transpired. From Iruka-sensei's confusing words to Mizuki-sensei's betrayal. Worst of all was the revelation was that he, Uzumaki Naruto, was the Kyūbi. He was the destructive beast that had destroyed Konohagakure and killed thousands in his rampage.

Everything seemed to be happening in fast-forward as events kept playing and increasing in revelation. The battered form of Iruka, Mizuki's Fuma shuriken speeding through the air, the thousand Kage Bunshin that he somehow had the ability to summon.

By the time that both he and Iruka-sensei had been found by the deployed ANBU squad that had been attracted by the fluctuating chakra levels, Naruto barely had time to mumble a nervous 'hello' before he collapsed into Itachi's arms in a dead faint.

Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen stared down at the report sitting so innocently in front of him. It was the assignments for the next generation of Genin, and he was distressed to notice the fact that there was no room for Naruto. Twenty-eight strong, Iruka's class had been split into perfect squads of three seeing as Naruto had failed. He had now passed though, after his amazing display in the outskirts of Konoha.

Letting out an exasperated breath, the Sandaime wondered where he could place his honorary grandson. Hatake Kakashi had requested both the blond and Uchiha Sasuke, seeing as he was once again being pressured into the role of a sensei. Hiruzen had agreed to his request seeing as Naruto was the son of Kakashi's former mentor, the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato. The Uchiha was easily explained, seeing as he was the closest cousin that Uchiha Obito had other than Itachi. Then again, all of those within the Uchiha clan were related. They were the closest by blood, though, and Hiruzen could see no issues in allowing the Jonin's request.

Now, though, he had a dilemma. Instead of Naruto, the second lowest ranking Genin had been placed in his stead. Uchiha Sasuke was the Top Rookie after all, and Haruno Sakura was the second highest kunoichi in her class, only outclassed by the Yamanaka heir by a few points. After Naruto had failed to pass the graduation exam, the second lowest scoring Genin had been placed with the two within Kakashi's team. Hibachi was a mediocre student from a civilian family, and Hiruzen internally despaired at the fact that he would most likely easily pass the second exam due to Sasuke and Sakura's smarts alone. Then again, Kakashi had never passed a Genin team before, so there was a possibility all three would be sent back to the Academy.

This still left him with the fact that Naruto didn't have a Jonin-sensei.

A memory, repressed by the constant meetings in the past seven days, flashed through his mind and he let out a long sigh at the reminder. Itachi had requested for a meeting on last Thursday, with heart-breaking suspicions that he believed Naruto's entire education had been sabotaged. The fact that the blond couldn't even read fluently had left Hiruzen in a near-apoplectic rage. He had promised the Uchiha prodigy that if Naruto passed, he would be assigned to him. This came with the consequences that Itachi would leave the ANBU force and become an active Jonin instead. Now that Naruto's late graduation had come to pass, Hiruzen realized with a proud smirk that he could keep that promise. What was better was that the council couldn't even complain seeing as Itachi had both requested the Jinchūriki and there weren't even enough students to form another proper team. This meant Naruto could be registered as an apprentice, even if it was a rare title. The last that he could remember off-hand was Anko Mitarashi, or Shizune Kato. Ignoring the fact that both had mentors that were his former students, Hiruzen shuffled around in the avalanche of papers that cluttered his desk. When he finally found the form, he allowed a triumphant smile to spread across his wizened face.

He knew Itachi, and he knew just how much dedication the boy could have. If all went well, Naruto could very well be the strongest of his generation. He could even triumph over the generations of the past, of that Hiruzen had no doubt.

"Okay class, settle down. Class. Class! CLASS!" Umino Iruka let out a semi-embarrassed cough in the resulting silence, ignoring the slight aching in his throat from yelling so loud. Dark eyes looked around the classroom, smiling slightly at the sight of Uzumaki Naruto who was proudly adjusting the hitai-ate that Iruka had given him three days ago. The rest of his students looked just as eager, leaning on the edge of their seats as Iruka began to speak.

"From this day forward, you are no longer Academy students. You are Genin. Proper ninja. From now on, you have a responsibility to not only your comrades but to the entire village. From this point on, you will face hardships. If you strive to succeed and improve, though, there is no predicting what sorts you will be able to overcome…" Iruka continued his speech, thrilled to be delivering it to his entire class. He knew he would be seeing their faces again, but they would be transferred to another class if they failed the second graduation exam that their Jonin-sensei's deployed. It was the norm, but that didn't leave Iruka hoping that they would all pass, no matter the odds against such an outcome.

By the time that his speech was finished, Iruka had stepped up to the edge of the platform that his desk and podium sat on. Looking around at their grinning faces once again, Iruka smirked and cleared his throat once again. "Now that you know all that...it's time to announce the teams."

Uzumaki Naruto had never paid attention in class for such an extended amount of time before. It was the most important lecture though. They had graduated. This would be the last lesson Iruka taught them as his students. He sat through the assignments of his classmates, ears straining for the sounds of his name being called. By Team Ten however, he was scowling in annoyance, wondering why he hadn't been called. He took a quick look around the classroom before realizing he was the only one that hadn't been called. He could already feel the smug glares and smirks and he repressed the urge to curl into himself. Why hasn't Iruka-sensei called me?!

"Uzumaki Naruto has been requested for an apprenticeship. Naruto, you are to go to Hokage-sama's office to meet your new sensei."

Cerulean eyes widened in sync with most of the class. There were a few exclamations of shock but Naruto was too busy quivering in success to care. Jumping up, Naruto let out a successful 'dattebayo!' before rushing down the steps to the front of the class. "Thanks Iruka-sensei, see ya!"

Naruto-kun got an apprenticeship…? Hyūga Hinata wondered in surprise, pale eyes watched the door that had been left open in Naruto's rush to leave. Smiling faintly, Hinata covered her mouth with her sleeve, internally cheerful for her former classmate and current crush. Turning to look over at her new teammates, she listened as Inuzuka Kiba complained to a silent Aburame Shino, whining about why he wasn't assigned an apprenticeship.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Hinata prepared herself for the arrival of their sensei. She wanted to impress them, whoever they were.

Across the classroom another set of eyes had been watching the door. Brooding, Uchiha Sasuke wondered how the dobe had been able to rope in an apprenticeship. He wasn't anything special, so why had the dead-last been picked? He should've been picked, dammit. He was the Top Rookie, he was better than all his classmates. So why was he ignored?

Ignoring the argument between his two new teammates, Sasuke continued glaring at the exit. Sakura and Hibachi barely noticed, considering the pink-haired girl had just engaged the latter with a quick punch to the head.

In the back of the classroom another mind was focused on the door. This is so troublesome. Nara Shikamaru thought in annoyance. Yamanaka Ino was on his left, talking at a rapid pace about how 'Forehead' Sakura was so lucky because she had been assigned to Sasuke's team. Why she didn't predict her placement, Shikamaru could only guess. Both their fathers and their clans were tight-knit and had been even before the founding of Konohagakure. It was a given that the clan heirs would be placed in a team together, just as their fathers had. The Ino-Shika-Cho formation was famous, and far from secret. Hell, they regularly practiced together in their formations at the insistence of their fathers.

Akimichi Choji, his best friend, was on his other side and already down to his fifth bag of the morning. After a few minutes Shikamaru snapped to attention as the rotund boy spoke.

"I wonder why Naruto got an apprenticeship?"

Shikamaru was also wondering. There were many situations that could call for such an occasion. It could be his late graduation, but it could have already been planned as well. Due to the unknown variables, Shikamaru could only sum up the situation in one, simple word. "Troublesome."

Uchiha Itachi adjusted his Jonin flak jacket once more. He hadn't worn the garment in years. He had actually had to trade in his old one for a replacement, since the previous had been suited to an Itachi that was stuck in his pre-teens. Now the normally black-clad ninja was sporting the hunter-green vest, adjusting the various pouches to and fro. Honestly, he was thinking of just divesting himself of the flak jacket entirely, but he had just received it. He would drop it off at home after his meeting.

Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled at the faint uncomfortable air Itachi was emitting. It wasn't surprising, considering the eighteen year old was most suited to the ANBU uniform. His retirement was enacted an hour ago, though, so he was now just a normal Jonin. A highly respected Jonin, but one nonetheless.

"Iruka informed me he would send Naruto-kun over after he assigns the teams. He wanted to make Naruto's apprenticeship sound rather important, I suppose."

"It would stop most rumors that he lied and hadn't actually graduated, at any rate." Itachi agreed.

Silence descended on the office once more as Itachi turned to peer out the window and Hiruzen returned to his paperwork. Approximately ten minutes later there was a scuffle outside of the office before the door flew open. A bundle of yellow and orange skidded to a stop in front of Hiruzen's desk, punctuated by a yell of, "Hi jiji!"

"Naruto…what have I told you about ignoring my secretaries?" Hiruzen asked in amusement, beginning to gather tobacco in his pipe. He had a feeling he would need a few puffs.

"She's annoying though, jiji. Anyway, I got an apprenticeship? How did that happen, dattebayo?" Naruto was once again a bundle of excited energy, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he sent a wide grin towards the elderly Hokage.

Chuckling, Hiruzen motioned towards Itachi's still form that was leaning against the windowsill. "Itachi-kun had requested you, actually."

"Karasu-chan!" Naruto chirped happily, grinning at the dark-haired teen before the Hokage's words registered, "Wait, you requested it? Huh?"

Naruto was confused, and Hiruzen felt the obligation to explain. "Let me explain, Naruto-kun. An apprenticeship can be requested at any time by Jonin. If they find a student they believe they can essentially turn into their heir, they fill out various forms that make it official in the village's records. There is a certain amount of privacy between the two, a privacy that not even the council can intrude upon. Itachi may teach you his most secret, battle-ending jutsu and you have absolutely no responsibility to share it with anyone unless you yourself gain an apprentice. As such, not even the council can demand any information about your training schedule. Do you understand?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, his face scrunched in faint confusion. "Pretty much...so this means that those toads in the council can't bother me anymore?"

"Exactly, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen announced happily. "This is as much a political move as a convenient one. Oh, Itachi had already requested to train you, but with the odd numbers of your Academy class, the council can say nothing about the fact that Itachi will only be teaching you. Do you remember Rock Lee? He was a year ahead of you in the Academy."

"Bushy brows? Yeah, what about him?"

Ignoring the nickname, Hiruzen took a quick hit off the pipe before continuing. "Rock Lee was observed by one of Konoha's Jonin, Maito Gai. Gai came to me to request an apprenticeship after he discovered the Lee could not use chakra. He has a disorder that leaves his chakra coils underdeveloped so he can't do anything more than the Tree Climbing or the Water Walking exercise, leaving him with only Taijutsu." When Hiruzen noticed that Naruto was quickly zoning out in the face of unknown words, the Sandaime hastened to his point.

"When Gai-san came to me for the registration papers, he also had the misfortunate that Lee's graduating class had exactly thirty individuals. This meant on top of receiving his apprentice, he also received two other Genin to create a complete team."

"So since we only had twenty-eight kids instead of twenty-nine or thirty, I don't have to share Karasu-chan with anyone?"

Hiruzen coughed slightly at Naruto's words, sending a sly look over to the silent teen. Itachi appeared unfazed and after a second the Sandaime turned back to the blond. "Essentially, yes."

"Yatta!" Naruto cheered, raising a fist into the air with a large grin. Turning to Itachi, Naruto adopted an eager expression as he asked, "When are we gonna start?"

Casting a glance at the Sandaime and receiving a dismissive nod, Itachi gazed at his new apprentice in consideration. After a few seconds of thought, the Uchiha smirked faintly. "Do you know where Training Ground 11 is?"

After receiving Naruto's confirming nod, Itachi glanced at the time. The Hokage had a clock hanging over the entrance to his office and Itachi found that they had ample time to get started.

"Now. Get to the training ground as quickly as you can." Letting out an excited yell, Naruto scrambled over to the open window beside Itachi, jumping out. Blinking slowly in surprise, Itachi turned to see that Naruto had jumped from the roof to an electric pole across the road and was speeding across the rooftops.

There was a deep chuckle from the Hokage and Itachi turned to see the elderly man looking at him in amusement. Holding out a small collection of papers, Hiruzen spoke. "Make sure he signs the important things and understands the information. I would have done it myself, but I have a meeting in a few minutes with the village council."

Allowing a grimace to cross his feature, Itachi tucked away the papers and offered a bow. "Good luck."

At Hiruzen's dismissive wave, the dark-haired teen disappeared in a swift Shunshin.

Translations

Bunshin Jutsu – Clone Jutsu
Kage Bunshin Jutsu – Shadow Clone Jutsu
Shunshin Jutsu – Body Flicker Jutsu

Author's Note

No one is more shocked than myself that I finished another chapter so quickly. This is a few hundred words shorter than the last one, but it's still over five thousand words. That's two thousand more than normal. Twenty pages in word, twenty-two for the first chapter. Wow it's been so long since I've been motivated. Hopefully (I don't want to jinx myself but) this trend will continue. I like Itachi - I have a wall scroll of him on my Arceus-damned wall, along with Sasori - and I like Naruto. Or, well, I like making fanfics that change Naruto completely but that still retains his mostly base character.

Then again I also like reading, as evident by the amount of fanfics on here I can plow through. Four ItaNaru fics and one GaaNaru in the past three days. Rather impressive, I'd say. Anyway, we'll see how soon the next chapter comes out. I've been writing this during my online class - mostly because I don't want to do work, but tis life. Soon, though, soon. Thirty-four days left.

~Mew