The sun was at its peak when Enji and Itachi reached the nearby town.
As they reached the town gate Enji noticed Itachi was not his usual self.
Enji glanced at him. "You're quiet."
Itachi's expression was calm, but his hands were curled tightly at his sides. His dark eyes seemed dimmer than usual.
Itachi didn't answer at first. Then, he said softly:
"…That man. Sagara Ren. I keep seeing his face, his expression when he realized he was going to die, his desperation, his voice. He was weak… but he was still human."
Enji let out a slow breath, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "Yeah. First one always feels heavier. It should."
Itachi turned his gaze to him, surprised by the bluntness.
Enji continued, his voice low and steady.
"If it didn't bother you, that would worry me more.
You'll be like the Root, just another tool. But you're not. You feel it because you care , and that's what makes you different. That's what makes you better."
He smiled faintly, trying to lighten the weight. "Besides… he wasn't just some innocent man. He was a traitor, ready to sell out the lives of people back home. You didn't kill a man. You stopped a disaster before it started."
Itachi's lips pressed thin, but his shoulders loosened just slightly.
"…You make it sound so simple."
Enji chuckled, giving him a sidelong glance. "It's not. It never will be. But here's the truth, the first time is always difficult. After that, you'll either learn to carry it… or it'll break you. Anyway that's what I heard.
And I don't think you're the type to break,
If I can handle it, you can too,Itachi."
For the first time that night, Itachi let out a quiet exhale, not quite a smile, but close. "Hn."
Enji grinned, thumbing up at him with his usual warmth. "See? You're already tougher than you think."
As they entered, they observed the town.
The town was small, little more than a cluster of timber houses gathered along a narrow dirt road. Chickens rustled in pens, and the smell of woodsmoke and cheap sake drifted through the air. Farmers and weary travelers made up most of the faces, their voices low, their eyes tired.
There were no walls, no shinobi patrols , just a market square of rickety stalls, a blacksmith's forge glowing faintly, and a single dilapidated inn .
At the edge of town, tucked between two leaning warehouses, stood a small bar, its wooden sign creaked, half-faded, as though the place had stood longer than anyone cared to remember.
To a passerby, it was nothing but a poor man's watering hole.
Their disguised forms blended into crowd of scarred drifters, cloaked and unremarkable. Only their measured steps betrayed them.
The bar was grimy, dimly lit, filled with chatter of drunken men.
Behind the counter, the barkeeper polished glasses lazily, eyes sharp despite his slouch.
Enji leaned an elbow on the counter, lowering his voice just enough.
"Busy day ?" he murmured. "Give us two bottles of your strongest drink. "
The barkeeper didn't look up, only poured a cup of sake.
" Boss, how's the business going?" Enji asked, pretending to sip the liquor.
"We've had trouble with rats lately." He said evenly.
"Cats keep the streets clean"
A pause. The sake slid across the counter.
The code confirmed.
The man finally raised his eyes, nodding once toward the shelves of wine bottles. "Cellar's cooler and damp. Might find some rats down there."
Enji and Itachi slipped behind the counter, descending into the cellar, where damp stone and barrels of cheap liquor masked the faint traces of sealing jutsu carved into the walls. At the back, Wolf , their masked ANBU handler, waited. His wolf mask gleamed pale in the torchlight.
"Well done," Wolf said, voice mechanical. "And no civilian casualties. Good."
" How are you both feeling? " He asked, but this time concern seeping through his voice.
Itachi remained silent while Enji just smiled.
He observed the young boys for a couple of minutes, seeing them behave as usual, he sighed in relief.
He unrolled a scroll, about to detail their next task,when footsteps echoed.
From the entrance to the cellar, three masked figures emerged silently. They looked like Anbu but something was off about them.
"Stand down," one said flatly. "This mission is now under Root jurisdiction."
Wolf stiffened. "You overstep. This was assigned by the Hokage."
The Root ninja's reply was equally cold. "Orders from Danzō sama. His word takes precedence. This is the document authorising the mission transfer, with the Hokage's seal."
The silence stretched taut. Even through the mask, Wolf's anger was palpable. Finally, he hissed, "Tch... What are the new directives?"
The Root operative unfurled another scroll and laid it on the table.
"Your mission is complete. You can return. Root will deal with the foreign ninjas involved. Hand over the body and materials obtained from Sagara Ren."
The words hung heavy in the room.
Wolf's fists trembled at his sides. Even the hardened ANBU around him shifted uncomfortably sensing the anger.
Still, the Root ninja remained the same as if oblivious to it.
Wolf finally turned to Enji and Itachi.
"Orders received." His voice was tight, brittle with suppressed fury. "Let's return."
On the way back toward Konoha, the silence broke. Itachi's voice was quiet. " … Root…you mentioned them earlier, what are they, truly?"
For a long moment, the air was heavy with silence. Before Enji could reply, Wolf immediately warned - "Remember this: Stay away from them.Root are not comrades. They are knives in the dark, wielded for one man's ambition. Be wary."
Enji's eyes flicked toward Itachi, his expression unreadable behind the mask. Later, as Wolf walked ahead, Enji leaned close and whispered low enough that only Itachi could hear.
" Itachi, never reveal anything extra to anyone, especially the Root. Always keep your cards close."
Back in the hidden depths of Konoha, the two boys were led into the ANBU headquarters. Cold stone halls, lined with sealed doors, echoed with the sound of boots and whispers. At last, Wolf stopped before a chamber where other masked figures stood.
"It's time," Wolf said. "You've passed the threshold. From this day forward, you wear the mask."
Several animal masks were set before them.
Itachi, calm as ever, chose his identity with quiet resolve. "Weasel."
Enji studied his options, fingers tracing the several masks laid on the table. Then he randomly chose a badger mask.
Wolf inclined his head. "So be it. Weasel and Badger"
---
Soon after, they were summoned before the Hokage himself. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk, the signs of age etched into the lines of his face. Yet when he looked at the two new ANBU, there was warmth in his eyes.
"You have done well," Hiruzen said, voice calm but proud. "Your work in the shadows will never be spoken of, but know that it shields the village more than any glory on the battlefield."
He rose, leading them to a sealed door below the tower.
As he placed his hand, the sealed door rumbled open, chakra-laced locks disengaging one after another until the heavy stone slab shifted aside. Rows of shelves stretched into the dim chamber, stacked with scrolls bound in seals, each marked with ranks and symbols.
The Hokage's voice was calm but firm. "You may choose a couple of techniques up to A-rank. Choose them wisely.
He stepped back, letting the two boys explore.
Itachi moved with quiet precision, eyes flicking across the labels. He ignored flashy destructive arts, gravitating instead toward control and efficiency.
As he passed by a shelf, he noticed a technique that really drew him in.
Crow Clone Technique
The Hokage explained " An advanced clone that disperses into a murder of crows,very useful for misdirection and assassination."
Itachi thanked the hokage and continued his search.
Finally he selected the crow Clone technique and a scroll with advanced genjutsu knowledge.
Itachi's fingers lingered only briefly on ninjutsu scrolls before settling on these. He wanted precision, silence, and tools that enhanced his natural talents. He could get the others from his clan library.
Enji, in contrast, wandered slower, scanning with a mix of curiosity and calculation. His earth affinity and creative combat style guided his hand.
He chose -
Earth Release: Earth Spear : Harden the body with chakra-infused earth, increasing both defense and striking power.
Enji skipped past the other jutsus when finally his eyes caught on fuinjutsu texts .
Seeing Enji focus on fuinjutsu scrolls Hiruzen explained.
"The ability to bind weapons, suppress chakra, or lock away dangerous objects. The skill with highest threshold for learning,very useful depending on how you understand and use it.
But dangerous too. If you are interested I'll arrange a teacher for you"
Enji, never the one to miss an oppertunity immediately thanked the Hokage, afraid he might reconsider.
The Hokage amused by his reaction, nodded at their choices.
"Good. Weasel, Badger ,you've chosen well."
The heavy doors sealed again, the vault's secrets locked away until their next visit.
As they returned to the Hokage office Hiruzen spoke - " Your next task has already been arranged. Someone will notify you both tomorrow.
Go and rest well. Enjoy your free time."
Hiruzen watched the boys leave and with a sigh returned to the mountain of paperwork on his table.