The office was dimly lit, the smell of burning incense mixing with the faint scent of old parchment. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, pipe in hand, his eyes scanning the report Kakashi had handed him. The Jounin sat across from him, posture relaxed, one leg lazily resting over the other.
Hiruzen hummed as he read, his brow furrowing slightly. "Your thoughts?"
Kakashi flipped a page in his little orange book but didn't read it. "On which one?"
"Sasuke Uchiha," Hiruzen said, glancing up.
Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temple. "He's strong. Driven. But he's too focused on revenge. It makes him predictable. He doesn't trust others, which is a problem for teamwork. He sees allies as obstacles, not assets. He fights alone because he believes no one else is worth his time. He will either get himself killed or make an enemy of his comrades if that doesn't change."
Hiruzen nodded, expecting as much. "And Sakura Haruno?"
"Academically sharp, but physically average. Good chakra control, but lacks combat experience. Too emotionally invested in Sasuke, to the point where it clouds her judgment. She doesn't take Naruto seriously and underestimates him. She sees shinobi life as a game, something to prove herself to Sasuke rather than a responsibility."
Hiruzen exhaled through his nose, the smoke from his pipe curling into the air. "And Naruto?"
There was a pause. Kakashi shut his book.
"...He's too abnormal."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Kakashi leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against his knee. "It's not just his stamina, though that alone is unnatural. It's the way he moves. The way he fights. It's… animalistic. Instinctual. Unpredictable."
Hiruzen watched him carefully. "Go on."
"He doesn't fight like a human. He fights like something that was never taught how to be human in the first place. It's subtle, but it's there. When he lunges, it's not the way a trained shinobi would—it's the way a predator would. Low to the ground, shoulders tense, waiting for the right moment to strike. When he kicks, it's not controlled; it's wild, raw power, like the way a kangaroo would lash out. His reflexes… they're too sharp. We know he can talk with animals, but he can even fight like them, it seems."
Hiruzen frowned, deep in thought. "You believe it's the Kyuubi?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No. It's something else. The Kyuubi's chakra would feel more violent, more malicious. This is different. It's not aggressive, just... instinctive. Like he's lived through something we haven't. Like he remembers things he shouldn't. There were moments during the bell test where I could swear he was analyzing me the way a hunter watches prey."
Hiruzen said nothing, merely taking another long drag from his pipe.
"He's always been quiet," Kakashi continued. "Not shy, just… observant. He doesn't speak unless he has something to say. Doesn't react the way normal children do. When I taunted him, he didn't get angry. When I hit him, he didn't flinch. When I appeared behind him, he didn't even seem surprised, like he expected it. His eyes—those glowing sapphire eyes—always watching, always calculating, but almost... hollow."
Hiruzen set his pipe down. "You believe he struggles with human interaction?"
"We know him, he barely tried to intitate human interactions." Kakashi exhaled. "He interacts with people like someone who isn't used to it. Like someone who never learned how. He doesn't joke the way kids his age do. He doesn't react to insults, doesn't get flustered, doesn't even brag. He accepts things as they are, no complaints, no expectations. When Sakura or Sasuke bicker, he doesn't chime in. He just listens. He watches. And when he does speak, it's often something simple but meaningful, as if he's not used to wasting words."
Hiruzen sat back in his chair. "He was raised alone. He was around ANBU more than civilians. It makes sense that he would struggle to understand normal social interactions."
Kakashi nodded. "Still, he's a good child. Polite, thoughtful in his own way. He has his mother's hair and his eyes. And despite everything, I think he has the heart of both his parents. But there's something else about him, something I can't quite place. A weight in the way he moves. Like he's older than he looks."
Hiruzen folded his hands together. "What do you recommend?"
Kakashi was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I want to push him further. See what he's capable of. Whatever this... Taijutsu is, it's not normal, but it's not necessarily bad. He fights like someone who's survived things we can't imagine. If we can understand what makes him different, we can guide him in the right direction. If left unchecked, though... I don't know what he'll become."
Hiruzen hummed. "Very well. Continue to observe. Guide him, but do not pressure him. We will see where his path leads."
Kakashi picked up his book again, flipping it open. "Understood, Hokage-sama."