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"Your mission is to deliver this scroll to a contact who will be waiting for you at the Kusagakure border. Be mindful, Itachi," he said with a pointed look. "We've received some intelligence that Stone shinobi have been wandering near that area. So tread carefully, though hopefully, it will amount to nothing."
He passed the scroll to Itachi.
"You have one week to complete this mission," Minato added.
Itachi and Naruto exchanged a glance and nodded in acknowledgment.
Itachi spoke calmly, "You know the standard protocol—pack provisions for at least two weeks. Make sure you carry standard weapons, shuriken, and kunai."
Naruto nodded again. He looked at his father one last time before vanishing in a shunshin. Though he didn't actually need the technique to move that fast, he used it out of courtesy—it was something Itachi had taught him, and he'd mastered it on his very first try, much to Itachi's surprise. However, Naruto never made a big deal about it, and neither did Itachi.
After Naruto disappeared, Minato turned to Itachi. "So… what's the report?"
Itachi's expression didn't change, but he responded professionally.
"According to your orders, Lord Hokage, I met Naruto at 5 a.m. We began with our usual physical training. I wanted to evaluate his stamina."
He paused, then added with a hint of genuine surprise, "Frankly, I was shocked. It seems that the training he's been doing with Guy-sensei over the years has paid off tremendously. He can casually run 20 to 30 laps around Konoha without showing signs of fatigue."
Minato raised an eyebrow.
"To be honest, I was getting tired watching him, so I stopped the session. But I had the distinct feeling he could've gone even further. After that, we did my personal regimen—high-level physical training—and he completed everything with ease. I must say, Guy-sensei deserves credit."
Minato gave a slight nod.
"Understandable. Anyone who trains with Guy is bound to grow stronger physically. Even so… Naruto isn't just physically talented, is he?"
Itachi nodded, more solemn now.
"No, Lord Hokage. He's more than that. I decided to test his chakra affinities. And to my absolute shock, he possesses all five elemental affinities."
Minato blinked. "Really? All five? Are you certain?"
"I tested him twice. There was no mistake, no trickery involved. Your son is a true prodigy."
There was a brief silence before Itachi added, a faint note of guilt in his voice,
"It bothered me a little that I wasn't the one to help him discover it earlier. But it truly is… astonishing. I've already started teaching him the Shunshin technique. I gave him the theoretical framework—and he picked it up immediately. It seems he's already used to moving at such extreme speeds that mastering the Shunshin came naturally."
Minato listened intently, and Itachi continued.
"I also tried teaching him tree-walking and water-walking, but… he told me he already knew those."
Itachi continued, "Still, I tested him anyway—and he completed both effortlessly. I even had him try kunai placement training, and once again, he succeeded on his very first try. It's truly remarkable. For some reason, he has perfect chakra control."
Minato nodded at that with a small, proud smile.
"All right, Itachi. You already know your mission. But keep an eye on him—and your surroundings. Secrets like this don't always remain in the shadows."
Itachi understood the underlying warning. He nodded quietly, knowing exactly what the Fourth Hokage was referring to.
"There have been reports of Stone Shinobi moving near the border between the Rain Village and Kusagakure. Stay cautious."
Without another word, Itachi vanished with a Shunshin.
Minato sighed to himself. Deep down, he didn't want his children to become shinobi so early. But he also knew that Naruto had a future ahead of him—something far beyond ordinary. He wouldn't stand in his son's way… not when he was already carving out his own legend.
Meanwhile, in Iwagakure a few days earlier…
The Tsuchikage stood before his council. All of them were silently reviewing a set of documents—a detailed intelligence report on one Namikaze Naruto.
Scowls and clenched jaws filled the room as the council members stared at the boy's image. The revelation that he was the Hokage's son sent a wave of unease across the chamber.
"We have to do something about this," the Tsuchikage said grimly.
One council member stood up in frustration. "We cannot allow another Yellow Flash to rise! You assured us this wouldn't happen!"
Another member added, "Lord Tsuchikage, we were told that the Hokage was only training his younger children—Menma and Mito—so he could control their Bijuu and gain the upper hand. But it seems he's been secretly grooming this one—his prodigy son—to become the next Hokage."
Murmurs of agreement filled the room.
"I'm willing to bet he's been training him in secret techniques. According to our reports, this kid is incredibly fast—fast enough to take down chunin-level shinobi with ease. He even defeated his Jinchuriki brother in a sparring match. It looked like child's play."
"Minato is clearly teaching him his personal training regimen," another council member said, voice thick with concern. "No doubt preparing him to master the Hiraishin…"
There were several gasps and angry mutters around the room.
"We cannot allow him to pass that technique on to his children—especially not to this one," another member growled. "Imagine it… all three children—Menma, Mito, and Naruto—mastering the Hiraishin. The Shinobi World would never stand a chance."
A grim-faced elder leaned forward. "Especially if this Naruto truly is the prodigy they say. With chakra control on par with Tsunade, the speed of his father, and physical strength inherited from both lines—he's already a serious threat."
"Worse," another added, "it's said he can perform jutsu without hand seals. No hand signs. No delay. Just raw power and precision."
The Tsuchikage simply nodded at that. "What other information do you have?"
"Well, Lord Tsuchikage," the informant continued, "it seems the Hokage is assigning him to high-ranking missions. Hopefully, he'll be sent outside the village soon. When I get the exact details, I'll send the information back using my summoning technique—and then we can act."
Another council member stood abruptly. "Lord Tsuchikage, he's an apprentice of Itachi Uchiha. If we get the opportunity, we must take it—no matter the consequences! We simply cannot allow another Yellow Flash to rise again."
The Tsuchikage looked over the table with narrowed eyes. "Huh. So, what do you propose? Who do we send?"
Another member stood confidently. "We can send Han, along with our elite ANBU division and a squad of at least ten high-ranking jonin."
There were several gasps in the chamber. One elder objected, "Are you sure? Sending a Jinchūriki, ANBU, and ten elite jonin? That's overkill."
A sharp voice cut through the room. "We can't risk letting him escape. If an opportunity presents itself, we must strike. No matter how strong he is, at the end of the day—he's still just an eight-year-old kid. Even if he's at chunin level—or even jonin—we can't let him slip through. Ten elite jonin, a Jinchūriki, and an ANBU squad should be enough to deal with both him and Itachi Uchiha. And when we get the chance, we'll crush him."
There were grim nods all around. The Tsuchikage leaned back in thought.
It might be overkill, he mused, but in the shinobi world, there's no such thing as being too prepared.
Meanwhile, back in the forests near Konoha…
Naruto and Itachi moved swiftly through the trees, making steady progress. Itachi had been asking Naruto several theoretical questions about chakra, and after a while, he seemed satisfied with the boy's answers.
"Well, Naruto," Itachi finally said, glancing sideways, "I hope you don't mind, but I have a few more personal questions."
Naruto looked over curiously. "Go ahead. Shoot."
Itachi smirked slightly. "I wanted to ask—how long have you been training? I mean, seriously training. To be honest, it's quite intriguing. You're technically a genin, but your capabilities… many chunin can't use jutsu at your level, and your chakra control surpasses even some jonin."