"Hehehe..."
After a brief pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out an awkward chuckle, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
After all, this was a time when they were short on manpower.
Even if he wanted to deal with Itachi, it would have to wait until the replacements were in place.
Right now, Itachi seemed to show some promise, but he lacked the foundation and the power to pose a real threat.
Promoting him to Jonin? That would depend entirely on Hiruzen's mood.
With that thought, Hiruzen's mind finally settled.
He could still control this situation...
---
"Alright, you can go now. Just wait for further notice," Hiruzen said dismissively.
Seeing Itachi's indifferent expression, Hiruzen felt a headache brewing. He waved his hand, signaling that this troublesome junior could leave.
What had once been admiration for Itachi had now turned into a mix of wariness, impatience, and regret.
If only he were five years younger, Hiruzen thought, such worries wouldn't weigh on him so heavily.
Without realizing it, he had grown old. He had become hesitant and overly suspicious.
---
"Back so soon?"
As soon as Itachi entered the house, Kakashi opened the door to the guest room and looked at him in surprise.
Based on his understanding of Hiruzen Sarutobi, a conversation with him usually lasted at least a few hours.
"It wasn't too bad," Itachi replied nonchalantly, showing little interest in Kakashi's question. He gave a casual response without much sincerity.
---
Time flew by, and six months passed in the blink of an eye.
After Itachi's new identity as Asura raised Hiruzen's suspicions, Gai and Kurenai were brought in to fill the gaps in the ranks.
As a result, while both Itachi and Kakashi were promoted to Jonin, they were essentially sidelined, left in a state of inactivity as if they'd been shelved.
Since Hiruzen didn't summon them, neither Itachi nor Kakashi took the initiative to accept missions.
The two spent their days relaxing in the courtyard, drinking tea, watching sports, and enjoying the breeze—day after day of leisure.
---
One day, while Itachi and Kakashi were barbecuing in the yard, a small snake slithered up to Itachi's feet.
Itachi's expression shifted slightly. He set down the bowl of seasoning he was holding and walked toward the house.
The snake followed closely behind, its body swaying as it trailed him.
Kakashi, noticing the scene, narrowed his eyes briefly before returning to his relaxed demeanor. He grabbed the seasoning bowl Itachi had left on the table and continued basting the food.
"So, Roran has been found…"
In his room, Itachi murmured as he read the letter in his hand.
He had thought it might contain news about the fusion of Naruto's cells with Hashirama's.
But it turned out to be about the discovery of the Roran ruins.
He didn't feel particularly excited about Roran—it didn't seem very interesting to him.
Still, since it had taken so long to locate, he might as well take a look. After all, he'd spent the past six months in idleness.
---
"Lord Orochimaru needs something?"
When Itachi emerged from his room again, Kakashi asked softly.
His voice dropped slightly when mentioning Orochimaru's name, as if worried about being overheard.
"We're heading to the Land of Wind. There's work to do," Itachi replied, picking up a chicken wing from the grill and inspecting it.
Noting that it wasn't quite done, he flipped it over and placed it back on the grill.
"Oh, so goodbye to the good times, huh?"
Kakashi, now slightly out of shape from months of idleness, sighed softly.
Life without missions had been too comfortable.
He couldn't remember ever being this lazy—he'd spent so many years running back and forth at Hiruzen's command.
Now, under Itachi's lead, every day was filled with food, relaxation, and entertainment. Compared to his previous life of barely managing one or two meals a day, this was like heaven and earth.
---
"Kakashi, this isn't sustainable…"
Itachi was silent for a moment before speaking in a calm tone.
He couldn't believe Kakashi had become even lazier than he was.
If anyone had the right to laze around, it should be him—not Kakashi! Kakashi was supposed to be overworked like a dog. That would balance things out…
"What are we going to the Land of Wind for? It's just endless sand and desolate villages," Kakashi said, pretending not to hear Itachi's remark.
He quickly changed the subject, diverting Itachi's attention.
He didn't want to risk being sent to the desert to dig in the dirt while Itachi stayed behind in Konoha, watching the local beauties bustle about.
As he continued thinking, Kakashi glanced with amusement at the commoner crouched on the ground. Beneath the thin fabric of her dress, her rounded posterior formed an exaggerated curve, as if it might break free at any moment.
Of course, all of this was just Kakashi letting his imagination run wild.
While other matters could be delegated to Kakashi, dealing with the Dragon Vein wasn't so simple. There was no way they'd let Kakashi handle it alone.
...
After enjoying a delicious barbecue, under the commoner's pitiful gaze, the two strolled leisurely out of Konoha Village.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi first noticed the two frequently spending time together, he was perplexed and even assigned a few Anbu to keep an eye on them.
However, the reports from the Anbu left him completely dumbfounded.
They were too lazy.
It was a complete waste of Anbu resources.
The two spent their days idly watching maids bustle around. Occasionally, they'd help out in the village, but more often, they sat together in a small courtyard, watching a voluptuous beauty busily working right under their noses.
If it were him, he'd definitely feel bad about it. After observing a few times, jealousy twisted his expression, and he eventually chose to forget about those two altogether.
Two men, freshly registered and promoted to jonin, were essentially shelved and forgotten.
Barring any surprises, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't be remembering these two anytime soon.
...
A day later, the two trudged into the Wind Country, covered in dust from their journey.
They wore headscarves to cover their heads, sunglasses shielding their eyes, and carried packs on their backs. They looked just like passing merchants or travelers.
"Itachi, you're here…"
Guided by the letter, Itachi brought Kakashi to meet their contact.
As soon as they entered the small hut in the desert, they were greeted by a familiar voice.
It was none other than Orochimaru.
With his distinctive appearance, slitted pupils, and chilling voice, he was unmistakable.
...
"What brings you here? Weren't you busy with something else?"
Itachi asked, his tone tinged with surprise.
From his perspective, Orochimaru should have been working against the clock to study the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku.
After all, in his impression, Kimimaro should either be showing symptoms of his illness or have already been diagnosed with it.
Although Itachi wasn't privy to the details, he knew Orochimaru had always been fixated on the Shikotsumyaku, especially since Kimimaro was the last living person with the ability.
"I've hit a bottleneck in my research, so I decided to take a break and refresh my mind. Besides, my current work is at a stage where all I can do now is wait for time to do its part," Orochimaru replied with a faint smile, his tone calm and measured.
At some point, Itachi had become his confidant, someone he trusted and confided in.
Perhaps the only person with whom he could share secrets and have meaningful conversations.
Even someone as brilliant as Orochimaru, who often reveled in solitude, found himself cherishing this inexplicable bond.
Although Orochimaru thrived on his isolation, he couldn't deny the strange comfort of these fleeting connections.
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