Joining the Anbu

In the 54th year of Konoha, the peaceful Konoha Village welcomed a new variable. At only 11 years old, Uchiha Itachi, relying on his own exceptional talent and ninja aptitude that far surpassed his peers, not only graduated from the Ninja Academy early but also successfully joined the Anbu directly under the Hokage.

This news was like a boulder thrown into a lake, stirring up layer upon layer of ripples throughout Konoha Village.

Within the Uchiha Clan, when Fugaku heard this news, a flash of complex emotion crossed his eyes.

It was an expression where pride and worry were intertwined; he felt proud of his son's excellence, as being scouted by the Hokage to join the Anbu was a tremendous recognition of Itachi's strength. However, he also knew well the dangers of Anbu missions—a place filled with classified secrets and unknown perils.

Mikoto wept silently on the side; she was happy for her son's achievement, yet she could not help but feel heart-wrenching anxiety for the dangers he was about to face.

Izumi's reaction was more direct. When she heard the news of Itachi joining the Anbu, her heart was full of worry. She had already been somewhat reluctant when Itachi graduated early, and now that he had joined the Anbu, she figured it would be even harder for them to find time together.

Beyond that, Izumi also knew that Anbu missions were often accompanied by life-and-death risks. She was afraid of losing Itachi, and she longed to go find him, yet she feared disturbing him. She could only harbor her sorrow in a corner of the Uchiha compound, her eyes always carrying an unshakable melancholy as she silently prayed for Itachi in her heart.

Sasuke did not yet fully understand what the Anbu meant; he only knew that his older brother was becoming busier and busier. Every time Sasuke full of anticipation sought out Itachi to guide his training, Itachi would always decline using the excuse of being busy.

One time, Sasuke found Itachi again, his eyes full of expectation, "Brother, can you teach me a new ninjutsu today?"

Itachi looked at Sasuke's longing eyes, a sharp pain piercing his heart, but he still said helplessly: "Sasuke, forgive me, let's do it next time. I have a very important mission to carry out right now."

Sasuke's little face fell instantly, and he said somewhat angrily: "Brother, you always say that, it's always 'next time.' Do you not want to teach me anymore?"

Itachi crouched down, placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, and looked at him earnestly: "Sasuke, it's not like that. Brother has joined the Anbu now, and Anbu missions are urgent and concern the safety of the entire village. When brother finishes this period, I will definitely teach you properly. You must trust your brother."

Although Sasuke did not quite understand, he still nodded, "Then brother, you must keep your word."

In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Itachi with a serious expression. "Itachi, do you know why I recruited you into the Anbu?"

Itachi replied respectfully: "Lord Hokage, I believe it is because the village needs my strength."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slowly, "You are very clever. Although Konoha Village appears peaceful now, many dangers lurk in the shadows. Naruto and Menma, as Jinchuriki, are important assets to Konoha Village and are also targets coveted by many enemies. You have a good relationship with them, so I am entrusting you with a long-term mission: to protect them in secret. This mission is extremely important and concerns the safety of Konoha Village."

Itachi's heart tightened; he knew the arduous nature of this mission. As an Anbu member, he had to hide his emotions and devote himself wholeheartedly to the task.

The smiling faces of Naruto and Menma appeared in his mind, and he secretly resolved to protect them well. At the same time, he understood that this meant he would be even busier, with less time to spend with his family and Izumi.

"Lord Hokage, I understand. I will definitely do my utmost to complete the mission, even if it costs me my life," Itachi said firmly.

From then on, Itachi's life underwent a tremendous change. Like a shadow hidden in the darkness, he silently followed Naruto and Menma. Whether they were training in the village or going out to execute simple missions, Itachi was always guarding them from not far away.

The first time Itachi protected Naruto and Menma in secret, it was Tenzō, also known as Yamato, who led him.

Tenzō said to Itachi: "Naruto's whereabouts are easy to track, but Menma is a different story, because that little guy knows the Flying Thunder God, and no one knows if the one we are protecting in secret is his real body or a Shadow Clone."

Tenzō spoke to Itachi about the two brothers' circumstances and their daily lives, including where they often went and who they frequently interacted with, all of which were relayed to Itachi.

Itachi also felt a headache coming on; he suddenly realized that this mission was like guessing a blind box, because you never knew if you were protecting the real body or a Shadow Clone. If the Jinchuriki were to have an accident, they would certainly be held accountable.

For instance, the last time Naruto and Menma were attacked by Cloud Village ninjas, it was the momentary negligence of the Anbu guarding them in secret that allowed Naruto and Menma to vanish from their sight.

At that time, they were frantic, searching everywhere in Konoha for the group without finding a trace, and they dared not report it to their superiors, which ultimately led to the incident.

Fortunately, the outcome was good; neither Jinchuriki suffered any major harm, and the children with them were also safe.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi still held those two Anbu ninjas accountable, and the two were currently serving as forced laborers in prison.

In the process of executing the mission, Itachi's heart often rippled with turmoil. He felt guilty toward his family, especially Sasuke.

Every time he saw Sasuke's eyes longing for his company, his heart felt as if it had been heavily pierced. He also missed Izumi's gentle smile, but he knew he bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the village and could not afford the slightest slack.

When Itachi first guarded Naruto and Menma in secret during their training in the forest, seeing them work so hard, his thoughts could not help but drift away.

He thought of his own childhood, when he was also full of passion for training, but now he could only guard silently from the shadows. His gaze became firmer; he knew this was his mission. For Konoha Village, for his family, and for his friends, he had to hold fast.

At the same time, he was amazed at Naruto and Menma's training methods and intensity. After all, splitting into hundreds of Shadow Clone to train was a method he had never heard of, nor had he ever seen, and he marveled at the two's intelligence.

At this moment, Naruto and Menma were frantically consuming their own chakra. Although they knew their chakra was extremely vast, no one would complain about having too much chakra.

Therefore, the two often consumed chakra with a purpose, specifically to increase their own chakra capacity, and the results were quite obvious; compared to before, their chakra levels had indeed increased significantly.

During their training, they were not just simply increasing their chakra; they were also engaging in taijutsu contests, such as endurance and stamina.

So every time the two returned, they were exhausted, often just collapsing and falling asleep. However, the two were not like this every day; occasionally they would go out to play with Shikamaru and the others.

Because of their training, their advantages among their circle of friends were also very obvious; whether in stamina or endurance, they were ahead in many aspects.

In fact, Naruto and Menma's lives over these past few years had been quite rich, and compared to before, Naruto was much happier and more joyful. Every time Menma thought of this, he felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Furthermore, because of his arrival, the fates of many people had changed, the most obvious being that the Uchiha Clan was not wiped out.

Itachi watched Naruto and Menma's training quietly from the shadows, secretly pondering strategies to protect them. He knew well that Menma's Flying Thunder God technique increased the difficulty of protection, and Naruto's unpredictability also made the situation more complex.

As time passed, Itachi gradually grasped some patterns. He discovered that when Naruto and Menma were extremely exhausted, the Shadow Clone around them would automatically dissipate, which might be a key clue to identifying the real body. However, he still dared not relax in the slightest, maintaining a high level of vigilance every time.

Whenever Itachi returned to the compound, he could often see Sasuke practicing ninjutsu alone in the clan's training ground. Sasuke's movements were still immature, but they were filled with determination.

Itachi's heart was full of guilt. He walked up and gently patted Sasuke on the shoulder. Sasuke turned around and saw Itachi, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by stubbornness.

"Brother, do you have time today?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi was silent for a moment, "Sasuke, brother cannot accompany you right now, but I am very gratified to see you working so hard."

Sasuke lowered his head, "I understand, brother. I will continue to work hard, and one day I will become as strong as you."

Itachi looked at Sasuke, his heart filled with a mix of emotions. He knew his mission was still ongoing, and he could only temporarily bury his love for his family deep in his heart, devoting himself entirely to the protection of Naruto and Menma.