The Hokage office meeting room, typically a place of strategic planning and calm discussion, was now a cauldron of simmering tension. Few weeks had passed since Tsunade's ascension to the Godaime Hokage, and the village, no longer reeling from the aftermath of the Konoha Crush,and has find its footing.
The room, illuminated by the warm, flickering glow of hanging lanterns, cast elongated, dancing shadows across the meticulously polished mahogany table, adding to the somber atmosphere. Tsunade, her emerald eyes sharp and resolute, sat at the head of the table, her expression grave, a deep furrow etched between her brows.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, his aged face etched with deep concern, sat beside her, his gaze thoughtful, his posture reflecting the weight of years and experience. Koharu Utatane, her expression stern and unyielding, and Homura Mitokado, his gaze thoughtful and calculating, flanked him, their presence adding to the somber atmosphere, their silence a testament to the gravity of the situation.
Danzo Shimura, his single visible eye narrowed and gleaming with a cold, unsettling intensity, sat opposite them, his posture rigid and unyielding, his presence a constant reminder of the village's darker undercurrents.
Jiraiya, his white hair slightly disheveled from his arduous travels, stood before them, his expression serious and grave, his voice heavy with urgency.
"I have returned with troubling news," Jiraiya began, his voice laced with a deep sense of foreboding. "I have got a news of the motive of this akatsuki organisation."
He recounted their encounter with Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki during their journey to find Tsunade, detailing the chilling encounter with a sense of urgency. "They attacked Naruto," he said, his voice laced with concern, "and their primary target was the Kyuubi sealed within him."
He described the black cloaks with red clouds, the Akatsuki's signature attire, and their formidable power, his voice echoing with a warning. "They are definitely consist some powerful shinobi," he emphasized, his voice grave. "Though I don't know how many members they have and about their base."
"But with Itachi and Kisame missing nin of kirigakure, who were Kage level shinobis we can understand what kind of organisation it is."
Danzo, his voice laced with a chilling certainty, interrupted, his single visible eye gleaming with a predatory light. "This confirms my suspicions," he declared, his voice hard and uncompromising. "They are indeed targeting the Kyuubi. We must place Naruto under Root's control, for his safety and the village's."
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, the resounding thud echoing through the room, her emerald eyes blazing with anger. "Absolutely not!" she roared, her voice filled with fury and righteous indignation. "Naruto is not a weapon to be locked away! He is a valuable shinobi of this village, a testament to its resilience!"
"He is village's Jinchuriki" said Danzo without care of Tsunade's reaction.
Jiraiya, equally enraged, supported Tsunade's stance, his voice filled with contempt for Danzo's methods and a deep-seated protectiveness for Naruto. "Danzo, your paranoia is reaching new heights, I suppose, huh?" he said, his voice laced with sarcasm and thinly veiled disgust.
"I dare you, say that again."
Hiruzen, his expression weary, attempted to mediate the escalating tension, his voice laced with a hint of sadness and a deep-seated concern for the village's unity. "Please," he said, his voice calm but firm, his gaze sweeping across the room. "We must remain calm and focused. We cannot allow our emotions to cloud our judgment, especially in these trying times."
Jiraiya, his expression grim, continued his report, his voice heavy with warning. "The Akatsuki's target is not just the Kyuubi," he revealed, his voice laced with a chilling sense of inevitability. "They seek all nine Bijuu."
The elders were stunned, their expressions reflecting disbelief. They struggled to comprehend the audacity of such a plan, their minds reeling from the implications.
Koharu and Homura exchanged worried glances, their faces pale, their silence a testament to their growing unease.
"All nine Bijuu?" Homura murmured, his voice laced with disbelief and a hint of dread. "How can they even consider such a thing? The implications are catastrophic."
"They might become a serious threat," Jiraiya said, his voice grave, his gaze sweeping across the room. "We must prepare for the worst in future ."
____
2 Weeks Later
After the meeting all elders and Tsunade are on alert and Jiraiya again go out of village to collect information on them.
Though this news is not shared to anyone else,So, the mission assignments given to the Konoha 12 and their sensei were mostly standard village duties, unrelated to the Akatsuki intel. The Jonin sensei were often occupied with these missions, leaving the Genins and Newly Chunins to their own devices, to their own training.
The Konoha 12 were tasked with various missions, sometimes working in four-man teams, each team led by either Neji, Sasuke, or Lee, depending on the mission's requirements and the specific skills needed.
(Name: Sasuke Uchiha)
(Age: 13)
(Chakra Reserves: 27,800/27,800 [Elite-Chunin])
(Chakra Control: 50%)
(Ninjutsu: Advanced)
(Genjutsu: Proficient)
(Taijutsu: Advanced)
(Shurikenjutsu: Proficient)
(Kenjutsu : Novice)
(Sharingan: 15/100 [Level 3])
One morning, Sasuke ready for his training but no longer with Lee. And admiring his fast Growth while looking at his Stats.
'Well, the growth of Chakra Control and Sharingan is little stops, they barley increases much in last Few weeks.'
"Though my Chakra Reserves are increasing albeit still at Elite Chunin." Sasuke said with smile on his face.
Naruto, still smarting from his defeat against Sasuke during their spar, approached him during a training session at the training grounds, his expression determined, his eyes blazing with a fierce resolve.
Naruto, his face flushed with exertion, stood before Sasuke, his eyes blazing with determination and a hint of lingering frustration.
"Sasuke," he said, his voice firm and unwavering, "train with me. I'm going to get stronger than you, I swear it!"
Sasuke, his expression composed and calculating, observed Naruto with a keen eye, his dark eyes reflecting the intensity of the moment. He saw an opportunity for training and observation, a chance to gauge Naruto's progress and assess his strengths and weaknesses. "Very well," he said, his voice calm and measured.
For the next few weeks, they trained together, their sessions a mix of intense taijutsu sparring and meticulous chakra control exercises. One day, during a break in their training, Sasuke casually asked, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity, "Naruto, teach me the Rasengan."
Naruto, his expression a mix of surprise and suspicion, hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do you want to learn that?" he asked, his voice laced with doubt and a hint of suspicion.
Sasuke, his expression neutral, shrugged, his gaze fixed on the training dummy. "It's a powerful technique," he said, his voice calm and nonchalant. "I want to see if I can master it, to add it to my arsenal."
Naruto, after some initial reluctance and suspicion, agreed to teach him the 3-step process, explaining the steps slowly and carefully, demonstrating each movement with meticulous precision.
Sasuke internally acknowledged his mastery of the Rasengan, a skill he had perfected using his past life knowledge, his understanding of chakra manipulation far surpassing Naruto's. He had been practicing in secret, perfected the technique a few weeks ago.
He thought about how he needed to create a plausible explanation for his sudden mastery of the A-rank technique, a feat that would raise suspicion among the elders, especially Danzo, who would question him and he doesn't want to do anything with Danzo for the time being.
He decided that having Naruto teach him would be the best way to avoid suspicion, to maintain his carefully crafted facade.
"This is a good excuse," he thought, his gaze fixed on Naruto, his voice laced with a hint of calculation. "I can finally use the Rasengan openly, without worrying about raising any eyebrows."