Naruto: Wolf of the Hidden Leaf

Just as my shadow clone and Umbra took their places beside Itachi, I silently began to circle the council room. I wasn't here just to show off—I wanted to see if I could extract any intel from the documents lying around.

My genjutsu, False Surroundings, cloaked me visually by blending me into the environment—near invisibility without true transparency. But as it was purely visual, sound could still give me away. That's where Sound Suppression came in. Both were D-rank techniques, but used in combination—and paired with chakra suppression—they made me effectively untraceable. Chakra suppression wasn't a high-level skill either. With enough practice, even a kid could manage it.

Altogether, this combo was tailor-made for stealth and deception. And when paired with my unnatural Yin chakra affinity, it was downright nasty. Kurenai herself had once spent an entire day trying to find me during training and failed.

So I thought I could fool the Hokage and the elders for at least a little while.

Yeah… that expectation didn't age well.

Ten seconds. That's how long it took me to get caught.

It began with Hiruzen chuckling out of nowhere.

"Kurenai told me about your genjutsu mastery. I thought she was exaggerating—but it seems she wasn't."

He was fishing. My clone, perfectly mimicking my usual tone, tilted his head in confusion and played dumb. The elders looked puzzled too; whatever Hiruzen had noticed, they hadn't caught on. I couldn't read Danzo's expression, but even he looked mildly surprised.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what—" my clone began.

Hiruzen interrupted and turned to face where I was actually standing.

"You've done a masterful job hiding yourself," he said, amusement in his tone. "You suppressed your chakra, muffled your sound, used genjutsu to blend in, and even added a shadow clone to misdirect us. Your technique is nearly flawless. But you overlooked one thing—a mistake that could prove fatal in a real battle."

I sighed and dropped the genjutsu, revealing myself. I needed to cut my losses and accept a graceful lose. Flashing a charming smile, I asked,

"And what's that, Lord Third?"

"That your enemy might already know everything about you—and predict exactly what you'll do."

"Well, that does sound a little unfair. But what if I already accounted for that? What if that's exactly what I wanted my enemy to do?"

We both knew that there was no hypothetical enemy. Hiruzen wanted to teach me a lesson or something. And I wanted him to see that he was doing exactly what I wanted him to do.

He just vouched for my abilities without even meaning to.

He chuckled again. "Talented shinobi with a smart mouth. We have far too many of those in this village."

I dispelled my clone and walked over to where it had been standing. "I'll take that as a compliment, Lord Third. But seriously—how did you find me so fast?"

"I didn't. At first, I was just guessing. Kurenai had told me how you like do little prank sometimes. So, I thought I could fish something out." he said. "But then I noticed your ninken. For just a moment, his eyes flicked toward you. After that, it wasn't hard. It isn't that hard to find someone when you know where to look for."

I nodded in understanding.

'Sorry, Rei,' Umbra said through our link.

'Don't worry,' I replied. 'You just need a few acting lessons.'

Umbra agreed. Meanwhile, the council's attention shifted to business.

Dano broke the silence with his annoying voice. My god! I hated this guy.

"Now that the theatrics are over, let's begin. From what I've seen, both of you have exceeded the academy's curriculum. You're here to apply for early graduation and we need to decide if you will get it or not."

Homura muttered gruffly, "If they meet the standards, let them pass. They're young, but capable."

Hiruzen's face darkened. His playfulness vanished. "Even so, we should reconsider. These are still children. This isn't wartime. We don't need to send kids into battle."

Danzo frowned. "You'd waste this level of talent out of sentiment? The Nine-Tails took too many of our shinobi. Konoha needs every edge we can get."

"Perhaps. But a shinobi's life isn't something to force on children."

The two continued bickering while Homura and Koharu simply exchanged exhausted looks. Apparently, this was routine.

Itachi, as usual, looked completely unfazed—like none of this had anything to do with him. Just standing there, quietly aura-farming.

Finally, Hiruzen relented.

"Very well. I can't deny their abilities. These two are capable, and they deserve to become shinobi. I can't let my personal opinion stop them from achieving greatness."

He turned to face us.

"From this day forward, you are shinobi of Konohagakure. This headband you wear is not just a symbol—it's a promise. A promise to protect this village, to serve its people, and to uphold the Will of Fire that binds us all. Being a shinobi is not about glory or power. It means standing for those who cannot fight, carrying their hopes, and placing duty above comfort. From now on, you are protectors of something greater than yourselves."

He continued with his motivational speech for some time. When he finished, he gestured toward the table. Itachi and I stepped forward, took our headbands, and accepted the weight that came with them.

Koharu looked up from a file. "Since you've graduated early, you won't be placed on a genin team immediately. Within a week, you'll receive your assignments. Until then—rest, train, and prepare."

We both gave polite bows and turned to leave.

But just as I reached the door, Hiruzen spoke again.

"Rei Inuzuka. Come to my office after sundown. We'll discuss the reward that the Fourth Hokage promised you."

I kept my expression neutral, offering a respectful nod. But inside?

I was screaming like a child in a candy store.

Thank you, Minato! You actually filed the paperwork instead of just making a verbal promise. 

This day was turning out great.

Now, I just had to figure out the coolest way to wear my headband. I might have the mind of an adult, but style still mattered.