Naruto: All depends on the Nine-tails Fox

As dusk faded, the moonlight cast its glow over the land.

After an afternoon of intense training, the Uchiha brothers, having enjoyed their mother's delicious dinner, were now relaxing in the yard.

Sasuke reclined slightly, gazing up at the moon with a satisfied look. The training had filled him with a sense of contentment, and he was just about to share his thoughts with his brother when he realized that Itachi had quietly left, leaving him alone under the moonlight.

Meanwhile, Itachi had slipped away to speak privately with their father in his room.

Ever since his father had taken him off the battlefield, there had been secret exchanges at the dinner table—gestures and signs that only he would understand, inviting him to join his father for confidential conversations after meals.

"You encountered the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki today?"

Uchiha Fugaku, Itachi and Sasuke's father and the clan leader, was known for his stern presence.

"Yes," Itachi replied.

"He's under intense surveillance. Any interactions with him will bring you under the Anbu's scrutiny," Fugaku warned, his voice low. "Our Uchiha clan already attracts enough attention. Be careful not to draw even more from the Hokage's watchful eyes."

"Yes, Father."

Fugaku's gaze softened. "Itachi, you've always been a responsible child. I trust you. But you must understand: our Sharingan has led to suspicion, especially after the Nine-Tails incident. In matters concerning the Nine-Tails, we must tread carefully. I have an additional task for you."

"A task?" Itachi looked up, meeting his father's steady gaze.

"I want you to join the Anbu," Fugaku said.

The Anbu—elite units under each village leader, distinct from regular ninja ranks. Unlike the usual shinobi assignments, Anbu members forsook their identities to become tools of the village's leaders, operating in shadows without personal agency.

Itachi understood the nature of the Anbu, but he didn't grasp why his father was asking him to take such a step.

Their clan, the Uchiha, was Konoha's most powerful family, yet their social standing in the village didn't match their strength or history. The Uchiha were assigned policing duties, a role many saw as a front, while actual security tasks went to Konoha's mission system under the Hokage's office. The Uchiha often dealt with the unpleasant jobs, which strained their relationships with other villagers.

In this tense environment, Fugaku, as the clan head, always stressed caution and restraint—avoiding actions that might make the clan a target.

And yet, now he was urging Itachi to join the Anbu?

"Itachi, you're perceptive. You must see how passive our clan's position has become," Fugaku explained, sensing his son's thoughts. "The war is over, and a peaceful period may follow. Our clan's youth will grow, yet our resources will not. As the village leadership grows more wary of us, they limit our opportunities. I've repeatedly requested more slots for our clan's ninja exams, only to be refused."

"If our clan is left with only police duties, our shinobi will lack real-world experience and start to resent it," Fugaku continued, tapping his fingers on the floor in thought. "We need someone to understand the intentions of those in the Hokage's office."

Spy.

The word sprang into Itachi's mind, familiar from the battlefield, where spies and shinobi were nearly synonymous.

Did his father want him in the Anbu to relay the Hokage's orders back to the clan? Had the tension within the clan truly escalated to this point?

The boy, only four years older than Naruto, was contemplating matters well beyond those of his peers. He realized the gravity behind his father's request.

Itachi showed no visible change in expression and simply replied, "Understood."

He thought briefly about Naruto, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and a skillful shuriken move Naruto had shown earlier, but he tucked this memory away as he accepted his father's mission.

Their talk concluded, Itachi bowed respectfully and exited his father's room, keeping his gaze lowered.

Though his expression remained calm, Itachi felt a heaviness in his chest. These burdens, he knew, were not ones he could share. Returning to the yard, he saw a small figure sleeping on the ground.

"Sasuke, you—" Itachi started but stopped short, seeing that his little brother had dozed off.

Itachi's gaze softened as he picked up Sasuke, glancing up at the bright moon overhead. After putting Sasuke to bed, he stepped outside.

Walking past a lamppost, he subtly marked it with his shuriken—an unobtrusive sign.

With that done, he wandered down the quiet streets, looking as though he was out for a casual walk. When he reached a secluded corner, a familiar voice spoke from the shadows behind him.

"In such a hurry to meet, what's going on?"

It was Uchiha Shisui, both mentor and friend, smiling softly.