Chapter 63: Bait
Morning sunlight filtered through the tree-lined avenues of Konoha, dappling the ground with light and shadow.
Naruto, a strawberry lollipop in his mouth, strolled past the dango shop on the corner, hands in his pockets.
This was day three of his "wandering mission." From the Hokage's office to the commercial district, from the training grounds to the riverbank, he had practically walked the entire village.
"What gives? Why is there such a boring mission?" Naruto complained, kicking a pebble.
Whiz! The pebble shot through the air and SMASH!—shattered the glass window of a second-floor shop.
Naruto flinched, shrinking his neck. Before he could react, an angry roar erupted from above. "Who was that?! Which brat has no manners?!"
"S-Sorry!" Naruto yelled, bowing quickly before sprinting into an alley.
As he turned the corner, he glanced back to see the shopkeeper leaning halfway out the window, feather duster in hand, red-faced with rage. Only then did Naruto relax, clutching his chest and panting.
"Just my luck... why did it have to hit the window?" Naruto leaned against the wall, muttering.
This three-day "wandering mission" had long since worn his patience thin.
At first, he thought it was an easy D-rank mission—just walking around the village.
But aimless wandering all day with zero excitement felt like a waste of life.
The more he thought about it, the more depressed he got. He squatted down, resting his chin on his hands, and stared blankly at ants crawling on the ground.
"Wait a second..." After watching the ants for a while, Naruto frowned. "D-rank missions are usually finding cats, watering plants, or cleaning up trash, right? Since when is 'shopping' a mission? And the way Grandpa Hokage acted... seemed weird..."
He remembered three days ago, when he accepted the mission. The Third Hokage's pipe had glowed and dimmed, his gaze drifting out the window several times. He had specifically instructed, "Don't look for anything specific, just wander normally."
He hadn't thought much of it then, but looking back, there seemed to be a hidden meaning in that tone.
And Kakashi-sensei... he just happened to appear nearby these past few days.
When Naruto was lined up at the dango shop, Kakashi was reading in the bookstore next door.
When he was spacing out by the river, Kakashi was sunbathing under a nearby tree, holding Make-Out Paradise as always, but his eyes would occasionally scan the surroundings.
"Could it be..." Naruto shot to his feet, eyes shining. "This mission isn't about wandering. It's about... luring someone out?"
The thought sent a shiver down his spine. No wonder there seemed to be more ANBU around lately. Every time he walked into a quiet alley, he could feel faint footsteps behind him, but saw no one when he turned.
No wonder Kakashi was always hovering. He might be secretly protecting him!
"That's it!" Naruto clenched his fist excitedly, his depression vanishing. "Grandpa Hokage wants me to be bait to lure out the bad guys! Kakashi-sensei and the ANBU are protecting me from the shadows!"
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He even started wondering if he could use the Rasengan if he ran into a bad guy.
But the excitement faded seconds later.
If there really was danger, Kakashi-sensei definitely wouldn't let him fight. He'd probably just send him back to his apartment.
And so far, he hadn't seen a shadow of a bad guy. Maybe they weren't even in Konoha, or maybe they'd already spotted the trap.
"Whatever!" Naruto took a deep breath, dusting off his pants. "Even if I'm bait, I'll be the best bait! When I lure the bad guys out, I'm gonna show them what I'm made of!"
Farther away, in a tea shop, Kisame watched Naruto's retreating, re-energized back and chuckled to Itachi. "That kid is interesting. One minute he's moping, the next he's full of energy."
Itachi put down his tea cup. "The simpler the person, the harder it is to detect anomalies. Konoha chose the right bait."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the hidden ANBU presence around Naruto. "However, getting us to bite won't be that easy."
"Konoha's ninja haven't improved at all over the years."
"So, Mr. Itachi, what do we do? The Leader is waiting for our report." Kisame looked at Itachi, awaiting instructions.
Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking. "We continue to observe. Do not act rashly. Since Konoha set this bait, they must have traps and sentries all around."
Kisame nodded, a smirk appearing on his face. "Hmph. Let's see what tricks they can pull. But waiting forever isn't a plan. The Leader won't have much patience."
Itachi tapped the table lightly. "I know. It won't be long. Konoha can't keep this level of protection up forever."
"Alright, I'll listen to you, Mr. Itachi," Kisame said. "But with that kid wandering around the village every day... who knows? He might bring us an unexpected opportunity."
After Itachi vanished the previous night, Sasuke had returned home.
He had imagined facing Itachi countless times, but never like last night.
He had thought of endless opening lines—laying out all the facts, or letting Itachi dictate the pace.
For this, he had followed Naruto day and night, knowing Itachi's purpose in Konoha was Naruto.
But when he finally stood before Itachi, all his prepared words stuck in his throat.
He replayed the confrontation in his mind, every detail branded into his memory.
Itachi's surprise, Kisame's interference, and his own declaration: "I will become Hokage."
It had all deviated from his original plan.
Actually, there was still so much he hadn't told his brother.
Like how the laughable "Madara Uchiha" was actually the "hero" of the Third War, Obito Uchiha.
Or how the Akatsuki was capturing Tailed Beasts to revive the legendary Ten-Tails and cast the "Infinite Tsukuyomi" to trap the world in a dream, creating an "ideal world" without pain or hatred.
Although he did intend to become Hokage. That title would be his best weapon.
It would allow him to settle old scores openly and protect those he wanted to protect legitimately.
As for his brother, who loved to play the martyr...
Since Itachi insisted on being a watcher in the dark, Sasuke would stand at the pinnacle of the light and personally shatter this ridiculous cycle of tragedy.