Red and Black

Naruto dreamt of swords and precious faces.

Disjointed images faded in and out.

Kakashi-sensei teaching him to polish a sword with a silver wig.

Tsunade-babaa brandishing Zabuza's giant Kubikiri Bouchou instead of her jug of sake.

Light filtered into the dream-Hokage's office from the oddly large window, blinding him, forcing him to shut his eyes. Behind closed lids, he began to feel something scratchy under his arms and something soft under his head.

Wherever he was, it was quiet with one non-hostile in his immediate surroundings. He slowly blinked his eyes open, squinting in the light, confused as to why he was on a bed. He hadn't slept indoors in over a week, and though it felt wonderful, it was a reason for caution. Moreover, this couldn't possibly be his room, since his always kept his window curtains closed.

Sitting up, he looked around the room. Naruto recognized it as ANBU quarters, similar to his own except for the personal effects scattered around the space. He followed the chakra signature of the non-hostile and recognized it as Minato's from somewhere on the floor.

Oh crap. Minato.

He remembered everything from the night before and flushed in embarrassment. He'd cried like a baby in front of a stranger who was his kind-of-father. You're supposed to show strength in front of fathers, right? At least that was what he heard according to the Hyuuga clan. Lee was strong, too, in front of his kind-of-father Gai.

But Kurama, his kind-of-father, never required him to be strong in front of him…

Hmm, puzzling.

Naruto studied the other man's back curiously as he groaned from the floor. Minato slowly stretched his arms above his head and curled his toes. As he relaxed, he turned over to face Naruto and stopped.

They were both frozen in awkward silence with Naruto sitting up halfway and Minato's arms still halfway above his head.

"Uhh…" Naruto started to say, his flush from earlier deepening. "Thanks for the bed. I'm guessing you brought me back?"

Minato unfroze and mumbled groggily, "You're welcome." Then he furrowed his brow as if thinking hard to remember something troubling. "…Naruto, you don't weigh enough. Are you eating properly?"

"What?" A bemused Naruto wondered if he'd heard correctly, his earlier embarrassment replaced by exasperation.

"Oh, sorry, Uzuhara-san, I didn't mean to be rude." Minato sat up smiling apologetically. "I haven't had my morning shot of milk yet."

"Milk?" Now he wondered whether the guy was missing a few screws in the head. "Isn't it usually a stimulant like coffee or tea?"

"Nah, coffee is for lunch. Milk is a healthy jump start to a day." Minato stood up and stretched again. "That aside, good morning. Help yourself to whatever you need. Then I'm dragging you to breakfast."

"I should probably go to my room. I haven't been there since I started training."

"Oh, of course! Here's your clean uniform. I'll get you for breakfast in half an hour. Does that work for you?" He wondered if the older blond had forgotten his humiliating breakdown last night. He had been sure Minato would reprimand him about it.

"Thanks, that sounds great…" Now it was Naruto's turn to furrow his brow. "Can you tell me where your room is in relation to the main stairs?"

"What for?" Minato tilted his head in sleepy confusion.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, feeling like a toddler lost on his way home. "I need to find my room…"

Minato snorted with laughter. "Uzuhara, we're neighbors!"

"Neighbors?"

"Yeah, your door is actually about two feet from mine."

"Neighbors…" Naruto stared at the ANBU Captain incredulously and pondered his luck – in this case, bad luck. What a coincidence. "Um, Namikaze-san, I'll just get going, then. Thankyouforlastnight!" He escaped the room, barely acknowledging Minato's comment about calling him by his first name and the reminder about breakfast. Oh god, his door was really just two feet away. Rooms 613 and 614. This just made his life more difficult in more ways than one, as both Uzuhara Naruto and Akashiori. These two identities were supposed to stay separate, but how was he going to maintain that with Minato trying to become his best friend and mother hen from right next door?

Thirty minutes later, Naruto answered the knock on his door apprehensively; Minato smiled lazily down at him, hair still damp from his shower. Naruto was finally in a clean set of uniforms sans his dark vest and anything else identifying him as a Hunter-nin. He barely remembered to pull on a sleeved shirt to cover his Hunter-nin and Flame tattoos since even the most expert henge was never foolproof, especially in a room of elite ninja. He knew very well the long-standing animosity between the two Black Ops organizations, perpetuated by the ANBU's contempt for Hunter-nins' ruthless methods. As this was the ANBU Headquarters, he was technically at the very center of enemy territory. Naruto didn't want to deal with it this morning – or ever, if he had any say.

The two made their way through the maze-like hallways to the cafeteria.

"Hey, Minato!" Someone shouted. "How've you been?"

Many heads, some masked and some not, turned towards the ANBU Captain and called out to him cheerfully; it was obvious how well-liked he was by all. Minato waved back enthusiastically before grabbing Naruto's tense shoulders and steering him to a particularly rowdy table.

"Good morning, my dear animal friends." Minato gave a lopsided grin. The group exchanged morning greetings and someone, almost habitually, pressed a glass of milk into Minato's hand to chug. Finally fully awake, Minato dragged forward the poor Hunter-nin who was making a valiant attempt to sneak away from the unrelenting ANBU Captain.

"Everyone, this is Uzuhara Naruto. He's new here and staying in the room next to mine," Minato introduced, pushing the reluctant boy further forward. "Be nice to him."

Naruto looked like a deer caught in headlights as people crowded around to get a closer look. He had rarely been surrounded by such large crowds due to his status as a jinchuuriki. His wariness towards those not part of his group of precious people and his ugly past only increased his discomfort. Naruto was now in uncharted territory within enemy territory. Ugh, he was screwed.

"Hah! This kid looks like he's about to piss himself." One large man sneered down at the cagey blond. "Rookie, you sure you're cut out for this?"

"Hey, Boar, I told you to be nice." Minato admonished, then smirked. "Uzuhara's been in Black Ops for a year already."

The group was immediately consumed by furious whispering, everyone throwing disbelieving looks at the boy squirming under their combined calculating glances. "No way… He looks like a fifteen year-old weakling."

"It's true. He's brilliant," Minato confirmed firmly. "I did his combat assessment yesterday and we tied!"

"…" The group fell silent.

"Were you the one that caused the quakes?" Someone in the back asked.

"Um, yeah," Naruto answered uncomfortably, his eyes once again sweeping side to side for an escape route. This was too much attention, too intense, too soon.

Minato slung his arm over the shorter blond's shoulders, offering reassurance and encouragement but frowned slightly in concern when Naruto flinched. "He blew up the entire Training Ground 4. Everyone should take a look. Those explosives were wicked."

A masked kunoichi to the right let out an excited shout, "I saw it! It was completely destroyed. Demolished! Fried! Flooded! I don't know how exactly to describe it. That was really you?"

Naruto's rubbed the back of his head and offered a sheepish smile. "It wasn't me alone, but I might have gone a bit overboard. But it was against Namikaze-san so it's justified!"

The group broke into laughter, a ninja even patting his back in congratulations.

"I've had to fight him for three assessments, and I've never gotten close."

"Me neither. He's merciless!"

"I barely matched him once, but I was stuck in the hospital for a week afterwards."

"You seriously blew him up? I'd pay to see the great Namikaze Minato getting fried."

Minato's grin grew at the group's acceptance of Naruto. "And what's more, he managed to trip me in the first thirty seconds of the fight!"

The level of noise grew as more people joined the huddle. Minato could feel Naruto's shoulders relax and loosen, no longer looking around as if everyone was an enemy. He had made the right decision to force interaction, knowing that the Naruto right now would never seek anyone out for companionship.

Then, someone asked one of the questions considered taboo.

"So where've you been all this time? You've been in Ops for a year right?"

Caught off guard, Naruto breath caught and his face twisted in anguish for barely a moment before smoothing over into a fake smile. His insides churned and bile threatened to rise. With just one question, these people once again became threats. In the friendly environment, he had almost forgotten that this was not his world and that he had lost all of his own Black Ops friends when he got stranded in the past. The anonymity from the masks around him may help him forget, but it was just him in denial.

The ANBU-nin around Naruto, all trained to spot details, fell silent as they saw the flash of pain and change in countenance. All of them knew what it signaled. They'd seen it in their comrades and many had experienced it themselves. The agony of loss of those precious to you.

"I was on a long-term mission," Naruto answered as casually as possible, knowing that in this emotional wreck, the act wouldn't convince anyone. Minato tightened the arm still slung over the stiff shoulders to remind Naruto he wasn't alone and would always find a friend in him.

"Hey, we need to grab some food. We'll see you all later." Minato pulled his companion out of the crowd to an empty table in the corner.

"Uzuhara, are you alright?" Minato peered closely at the shadowed face.

"I-I'm fine." Naruto leaned away.

Minato sighed. "We've had this conversation before, in the laundry room if I remember correctly. You don't have to hide yourself, especially from me."

Naruto clenched his jaw, something he had been doing far too often lately. "I'm fine," he growled. He'd had enough. Enough of Minato, enough of the ANBU, enough of this overwhelming trauma accumulated over his entire nightmare of a life. He didn't need to get involved with people again, no matter how much he craved acknowledgement and love. In the end, he was doomed to lose everything; it wouldn't hurt as much if he didn't have much to lose.

Doomed. Fated. Destined.

He was starting to sound like Neji from all those years ago.

No, he was going to act from the shadows, away from needless distractions.

"Uzuhar–"

"Namikaze-san, I just remembered that Hokage-sama requested to speak with me today," Naruto lied. "I shouldn't keep him waiting." He straightened his spine in his chair and nodded to the ANBU Captain, so tense and so controlled. "Please enjoy your day." Without even standing, he vanished silently with barely a wisp of cloud, leaving a dejected Minato staring at the empty space.

Instead of visiting Sandaime-Jijii, Naruto returned to his empty room to plan his next step as the unseen protector of Konoha. He was unaccustomed to subtle manipulation, but he couldn't go around beating people up as he had done throughout his shinobi career. If he was to work from the shadows, he couldn't have a face.

Uzumaki Naruto felt it would be best to create four personas. One was Uzuhara Naruto, the unmasked Hunter-nin forced upon him by the Sandaime. Second was Uzuhara Naruto, Special Jounin of Infiltration & Reconnaissance, his public identity for mobility around the village. Third was the Sandaime Hokage's Personal Advisor with no outward presence. Fourth was Akashiori, the ruthless masked Hunter-nin to carry out high profile missions for the Personal Advisor.

The two Hunter-nin characters would be easiest to play. Uzuhara and Akashiori were two sides of one coin, day and night. Perhaps he could even eliminate the unmasked Hunter-nin and use the Uzuhara name solely for the Special Jounin persona. That would reduce the number of people he needed to interact with, making it easier to hide his identities and retain his sanity.

The most difficult and delicate position would be the Personal Advisor. He would have to dance around the Council, the Five Hidden Villages, Tobi, the Sannin, Minato, Kushina, and anyone else who would play a major role in Konoha's success and destruction. There were so many factors to consider and so much risk to manage. To have this responsibility crushing his shoulders was frightening.

'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.' This was a common principle in science.

Except when meddling with time and life, you didn't know what 'every action' entailed, and the reactions were never equal nor opposite.

He was scared.

But he had to begin now. Change had begun the second he landed in this time, and he and the Sandaime needed to seize the untamed strings before they moved beyond their grasp. There were an infinite number of strings to catch and pull.

Naruto knew what made being a leader difficult. Leaders had to set priorities, and many times, the 'greater good' clashed with what you yourself wanted. His role as an advisor to the leader automatically made him a leader as well, basically meaning he had to decide who would live and who would die.

He was terrified.

Stop thinking and do something, Naruto scolded himself. Dropping into the chair at his desk, he pulled out blank sheets of paper and began writing in the elegant handwriting that Tsunade-babaa and Iruka-sensei had pounded into him. "What Hokage writes to the Daimyou in chicken scratch?" was what she had yelled before dumping on him a huge pile of her paperwork and proceeded to take a nap.

Naruto listed all that he knew of the next several years, limiting himself to six years, ending at the day Tobi summoned Kyuubi and Uzumaki Naruto was born. That had marked the end of an era which had set in motion the disastrous events of the following eighteen years. If he could eliminate the major catalysts and those responsible, much of the destruction Konoha had suffered could be avoided.

He worked straight through lunch and finished right after dinnertime. It was only a rough draft, but that was enough for now. The stack of sheets now bound by five layers of security seals contained the beginnings of a conspiracy, and Uzumaki Naruto was the one orchestrating it.

Taking the next step, Naruto pushed chakra into his Flame seal to contact the Sandaime and request a secret meeting as Personal Advisor to the Hokage. Seconds later the seal warmed, signaling approval.

It was time.

From this moment on, he was Hokage's PA first, and everything else was secondary.

"Hokage-sama, thank you for meeting with me on such short notice." Akashiori materialized in front of the Sandaime's desk. "I felt it prudent to commence our preparations for coming times as soon as possible."

Sarutobi placed his elbows on the desk and set his chin on his clasped hands. With sharp eyes, he took in the deadly ninja positioned in front of him wearing the Hunter-nin uniform and mask. "Akashiori, I have prepared something for you for use as my Personal Advisor. I am in agreement that you should keep your identities separate, especially this one."

He reached into a hidden compartment to pull out three objects. The first was a folded uniform, design not yet discernible, but he could see it was made from a light fabric of complete black. The second object was an equally black cloak to protect him from prying eyes. The third and final object, presented by a pair of steady hands but accepted by a pair of hands trembling almost unnoticeably, was a mask of black matte porcelain.

After a moment of silence, Sarutobi spoke again. "You will be addressed as the Haikage, the Shadow of Ashes of Konohagakure, fitting for one who will operate unknown and unseen behind the Hokage, the Fire Shadow."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Akashiori dropped to a low bow before straightening and presenting the Sandaime with an object of his own. "This collection of notes contains the historical events of the next six years. It is currently bound and sealed, only accessible by myself for the sole reason that we have not yet determined our strategy for what is frankly referred to as 'meddling with time'."

Sarutobi stared down at the blank cover, rolling ideas back and forth within his mind. When he looked up several minutes later, the man in front of him was no longer Akashiori but the Haikage in full uniform with the mask positioned over his face and the cloak hanging over an arm. His entire body was encased in black, similar to the Black Ops uniforms but with full sleeves and closed toed boots, and Sarutobi knew that underneath the porcelain mask was another cloth mask covering the three scars on each cheek. The Sandaime smiled proudly before holding out the last piece of cloth with which the Haikage covered his bright hair, leaving blue eyes as the only distinguishable features.

"Haikage-kun, now we are ready to begin."

Naruto returned to his room late that night, exhausted and hungry from a full day of non-stop work. He had forgotten to eat after the breakfast debacle, instead utilizing all of his angry energy on protecting Konoha. The meeting with the Hokage had been grim as he gave the Sandaime a rundown of the future. He thought back on the first issue he had raised.

"I am certain you have been informed of the skirmishes along the borders, yes?"

Sarutobi nodded. "They have been increasing in frequency over the past several months. I have begun to send teams to investigate, such as Team 21 which discovered you, but the incidents have been minor."

Haikage pursed his lips. "There is never a clear-cut beginning to any war, Hokage-sama."

The Sandaime drew a sharp breath. "War, you say?" At Naruto's clipped nod, he dropped his face in his hands, lost in recollection and did not move for a long time. The younger man waited patiently as a fellow war veteran, understanding the horrors he must be recalling.

"I have fought through two Shinobi World Wars, Haikage-kun." He directed a haunted gaze across the room to nothing in particular. "In the first, I was a participant. In the second I led Konoha to battle as the Sandaime Hokage. A general must be sure and ruthless to lead his army to victory, but with every fallen comrade, I only felt pain mounting in my heart."

"Now you hint at a third, and once more must I send them to their deaths." His world-weary eyes traced the Haikage's half-masked face. "I feel as though I have aged a decade in mere minutes."

The man in black said nothing, knowing it would not be the last time the elder would feel as such.

"How much time do we have?"

"Two and a half years at most before it is officially recognized as a war."

Sarutobi straightened his spine, the Will of Fire reigniting with fearsome intensity. "Then we must move swiftly. There is much to be done."

The two Kages had unsealed Haikage's notes. Even after reading the horrifying truths, it was unnecessary to remind each other that not everything could be changed and not everyone could be saved.

All you can do is protect those who are precious to you, like you've always done. This time it is Konoha as one entity.

Some events, like the Third War, were unavoidable. Not only was it almost impossible to separate Konoha from the decline of all Five Great Countries, but the treaties and alliances formed as a result of the war were crucial to Konoha's future peace. They could only reduce casualties and possibly shorten the duration of the war.

As the meeting concluded, Naruto had raised the request to eliminate the Hunter-nin Uzuhara Naruto persona. He had laid out the benefits and drawbacks, arguing that having too many identities would risk exposure of the entire operation, only to be told that his placement within the ANBU Headquarters had a purpose.

"You cannot deny that you are emotionally stunted, Naruto," Sarutobi replied. "As Uzuhara Naruto within ANBU Headquarters, you will have the chance to interact with people of similar experiences and caliber. The Hunter-nin Corps lacks definitive headquarters since they have fewer agents and prefer secrecy even among their ranks. The Hunter-nin lounge and office in the Hokage Tower will not be enough for you. However, I will reconsider after the results of your next Shinobi Assessment."

Naruto could not disagree with the logic.

He groaned in dismay. He was starving, but there was nothing open in the village at this time of the night except for bars. He would have to decide between the cafeteria and the Forest of Death's rabbits but neither seemed appealing.

With a heavy sigh, he changed into something comfortable and ventured out of his room. He didn't encounter anyone in the halls, but as he neared the cafeteria he could hear voices and sounds of movement from beyond the entrance. Naruto strolled into the room as inconspicuously as possible, but he had gained too much fame that morning to be ignored by others.

"Uzuhara, right?" A tall man with some sort of canine mask approached. "The rumors say you tied with Namikaze-san in a fight."

Naruto nodded warily.

"Don't let it get to your head, kid." He had the distinct impression that the man was sneering down at him. "Namikaze-san may like you, but you haven't convinced everyone. You better keep out of our way if you know what's good for you, Rookie." The man sauntered off, leaving Naruto with the thought that humans just weren't worth it.

'Kit, do not lump him in with all humans.'

'But he can be lumped in with 'most humans' along with the villagers who hate me.'

'There are good humans as well.'

'Like who, aside from Sandaime-Jijii and Ichiraku owners?'

'You forget that although you have lost your precious people from our proper time, they still exist in this present and will grow into good humans.'

'That doesn't mean humans are worth interacting with.'

'What about your future father? There is also the mindwalker, as well as the man from this morning who invited you for a drink.'

'I don't want to deal with my father!'

Kurama did not reply.

"Hey, Uzuhara-san." Naruto flinched at the touch on his shoulder.

Well, speak of the devil…

Naruto reluctantly turned to face Namikaze Minato standing behind him. "Yes, Namikaze-san?" He did his best to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"I'd like to apologize for this morning. I overstepped my bounds; let me make it up to you, please." Minato looked truly repentant, evident from the miserable expression and hunched posture.

Gloomy doesn't suit him, Naruto couldn't help thinking. This man had been sincere in everything he'd done in the short time they had known each other, and this morning wasn't even his fault. It was impossible to remain angry. "Forget it, Namikaze-san. It wasn't your fault, and it really isn't a big deal. I just blew it out of proportion so there's nothing to make up for. I'm the one who should apologize."

A bright smile grew on Minato's lips as he sighed in relief. "I thought you'd hate me forever..."

Naruto's own lips quirked into an amused half-smile.

'See kit, here is a human who is worth your efforts.'

He hadn't felt this calm since he'd arrived. 'You're right, Kyuu. I've been forgetting the goodness in people. Maybe the old man was right about living here.'

"Well, Namikaze-san. If you insist on making it up to me, could you show me the path to food? I haven't eaten anything today."

Minato grabbed Naruto's shoulders as he had done in the morning and again steered him across the room. "So, you go through here and you'll find the hot and cold food over there. The cafeteria is always stocked since there isn't a set schedule for mission departures or returns. There's always a hungry mouth." He grinned.

With a nod of thanks, Naruto piled food on his plate, very pleased at the selection. The two sat opposite each other at a table as he devoured his meal.

"Are you going to just sit there and watch me eat?" Naruto asked between bites.

"I've been thinking about the request you owe me for the ramen yesterday." Minato chuckled at the fearful expression forming on the younger blond's face. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I just want you to call me by my first name from now on, and without any honorifics."

"Er…that's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. You kept ignoring me when I asked before, so with this you can't back out." Minato looked like the cat that got the cream. He was grinning triumphantly, very pleased with himself. "Now, repeat after me. Mi. Na. To."

Naruto glared at the smug bastard. "…Mi. Na. To."

"Very good, now string it together. Minato."

The Hunter-nin now looked like he wanted to set the man on fire with his eyes. "Minato." He grit out.

"Good boy! Now say it again!"

"Minato, I'm going to gut you." Naruto growled. "Next, Minato, I'm going to feed you to the Inuzuka dogs. Then, Minato, I'll take your bones and grind them to dust."

The ANBU Captain laughed, loud enough for nearby shinobi to look their way in amusement.

'I take it back. You were wrong, Kyuu. This guy is definitely not worth it.'

Kurama chuckled. 'You are just being stubborn.'

After Minato calmed, though a grin remained, he led Naruto out of the cafeteria with a small bounce to his steps. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Do you play poker?"

"I do…but I don't like to since I usually lose, even with my incredible luck." At Minato's questioning tilt of the head, Naruto elaborated. "I sometimes call out my fox summons for fun, and they always insist on playing poker. And you know how foxes are tricksters, right? No matter how lucky I am in casinos or the lottery, I can't win against them. I've never caught them cheating either – trust me, I've checked – but somehow, if I have a flush, they'll have a straight flush."

Minato broke out into laughter again. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. Friday nights are Poker Nights at Headquarters. You have to join us. There's a minimum buy-in, but the money and prizes are pretty good and even if you don't win, it's worth the good time."

Naruto hesitated, not sure if he could handle another crowd like this morning.

'Kit, at least give it a try.' The fox added his own thoughts. 'You can leave at any time.'

"…Alright," he agreed cautiously.

"Great, it's at eight, after dinner, and runs pretty late. We'll go straight after we eat." They arrived at their rooms. "Well, good night. Oh, and let me call you by your first name." Minato gave a hopeful smile.

Naruto shrugged. "Sure. Good night."

He entered his room without waiting for Minato's response, feeling slightly embarrassed at how easily he had given in when just that morning, he had resolved to withdraw from society. Looks like I'm stuck here for the next eight months; might as well make it pleasant.

As he shut his door, Naruto noticed a scroll sitting in his inbox. A mission, Naruto thought gleefully. He had been itching for something other than training. A quick glance informed him Akashiori would depart at six the next morning to hunt a rogue Uchiha heading towards Kumogakure. The estimated duration was two days, and as by Hunter-nin protocol, he was to retrieve the head and eliminate the body.

The Hunter-nin frowned. He'd just agreed to Poker Night, but with this mission there was no way for him to participate. Naruto sighed tiredly. Although he was excited about this mission, he was also disappointed in missing the event and even more disappointed at having to void the decision he had finally made to mingle with people. It was going to take a lot more effort to gather his courage the next time.

Naruto knocked on his neighbor's door, feeling a little guilty about turning down Minato's invitation. He had been so sincere and excited…it felt like he was preparing to kick a puppy.

"Hey, sorry to bother you, Namik…Minato." Naruto said awkwardly as the ANBU Captain answered the door. His father – and new friend – looked the same in casual clothing as in uniform. Whereas most Black Ops agents changed personas behind the uniform and mask like he himself did, Minato exuded the same air of kindness but also the same powerful presence. It was like Minato was his true self both on and off duty, and that was an impressive feat. Many ANBU-nin and Hunter-nin lost their sanity if they didn't separate their minds.

He gave a small, apologetic smile before lying to the larger blonde that the Hokage had requested to meet the next night, and because of that he had to cancel their plans. "I'm really sorry. But I'll make it up to you. I'll agree to go to the next thing you want to drag me to as long as I'm free."

"That's alright, Naruto. I was about to visit you to apologize myself." Minato said just as apologetically if not more so. "I just received a mission assignment for tomorrow, so I won't be able to join either. How about we both take each other to something? But you can't choose ramen, because for you, ramen seems like a given on any outing."

Naruto nodded in relieved agreement, glad that he got out of kicking the puppy. Lucky, he grinned to himself.

At six next morning, Naruto stood in the Hokage's office to receive authorization for departure. It was strange since Hunter-nin usually left for missions after checking in at the Hunter Corps office, but that morning he had been instructed to see the Sandaime.

"Akashiori, as this is your first mission, I will brief you myself. Your mission is a routine elimination. The target is Uchiha Satoru, jounin level shinobi," the Hokage repeated the information already provided. "However, for the same reason that this is your first mission, I will need to assess your performance in the field."

"You will be accompanied by a fellow shinobi who will evaluate you." At this, Naruto felt an uneasy sense of foreboding. "I would have assigned this mission to a jounin team, but seeing as you are available, I decided to take this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone."

No way…he wouldn't…

"Your partner, Cheetah, has been informed that he is to evaluate a new recruit, only stepping in if necessary."

Cheetah. Meaning ANBU…he didn't…

A bit of Uzuhara Naruto slipped through from behind the Akashiori mask. "Old man, I just told you yesterday about the risk of exposure! And if you've assigned who I think you did, I'm going to burn your desk. When I put in that request to leave ANBU Headquarters, it was mostly because of him."

Kurama howled in laughter.

"I am confident in your ability to keep your identity a secret." Sarutobi smiled serenely.

Shit, he did…

"Consider it an evaluation for your skills in deception and infiltration. In any case, you will need to be evaluated before becoming Tokubetsu Jounin. If you complete this mission with your cover intact, I will place you on stand-by for infiltration missions."

Naruto growled audibly and sent the snickering Kyuubi a mindscape stormcloud.

"Fine. But when I get back, you're treating me to ramen on Ichiraku's Annual Super Meat Day, and I expect you to treat Shiro to the sashimi I promised him!"

"That will not be a problem." Sarutobi agreed pleasantly as he watched the masked shinobi tie a piece of cloth over his hair. "Your partner is waiting beyond the door. I wish you good hunting, Akashiori."

With a final death glare from flashing violet eyes, Akashiori stalked angrily out of the room.