"Hokage-sama," Sōjirō cried as he barged in through the door, not unlike how Naruto did frequently during the previous timeline, "do rescind your decision! I am perfectly fine -- I have no desire or need for a break!"
Hiruzen pressed his temples with a tired sigh.
'These Uzumaki,' he could not help but think, pure exasperation filling him.
"Sōjirō-kun, I have yet to finish talking. You're simply too much of a workaholic..." Hiruzen unceremoniously interrupted Sōjirō's tirade.
Although the redhead's expression was one of unwillingness, he reluctantly shut himself up.
"I might have informed you that you would be on vacation, but that is just the cover story. We will be alerting your subordinates that you will be given a break from ANBU activities. In truth, you will be travelling to Sunagakure for official matters," Hiruzen explained slowly.
Sōjirō felt his mouth fall open.
Abashed, he responded, "Oh."
"Due to the vital importance of this secret mission I'm conveying to you, there will be yet another pretext for this. Kazekage-dono and I have agreed for an exchange between the two jinchūriki of our villages. Out of convenience, I agreed to allow Konoha's off-duty Kitsune to facilitate this exchange programme as well as protect the two jinchūriki from forces who aim to harm them or the peace between both of our villages. I will be counting on Sōjirō-kun to give appropriate counsel to Kazekage-dono on the matter he has requested you for," Hiruzen said, strictly.
"Understood, Hokage-sama," Sōjirō replied, saluting respectfully.
Relieved by the outcome of the discussion, the redhead reconnected his link to a certain blond genin.
"Master," Sōjirō reported dutifully, "I have received a top-secret mission from Hokage-sama. I'm to meet Kazekage-sama in Suna during the exchange programme that is to occur between Konoha and Suna's jinchūriki."
Naruto perked up, casting aside the fūinjutsu device that he had been tinkering with.
"You mean I'll get to see Gaara soon?" Naruto asked, not bothering to hide his delight at the notion from his clone.
"From the documents, we will make haste to Suna in two days. We will be there for a month and return to Konoha with the Suna jinchūriki, who will stay in Konoha for a month before the Chūnin Exam," Sōjirō outlined through their telepathic connection as clone and master.
Naruto could not curb the grin that crept onto his face from the joy he felt at this revelation.
Gaara was the jinchūriki that he first met in the previous timeline and also the one that he was able to get along the best.
After a brief silence in which Naruto celebrated their upcoming reunion while a pensive Sōjirō contemplated something, the latter decided to speak up, "Kakashi-senpai is very nice to me."
Naruto snorted derisively, "He's never been so obedient before."
Sōjirō shrugged, offhandedly mentioning, "This... Kakashi-senpai might be attracted to Master."
Naruto did not even pause to ponder over this observation.
"That Kakashi-senpai of yours probably likes Takamatsu Sōjirō more than he ever cared for Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto retorted dismissively.
YOU ARE READING
Reborn!
FanfictionNaruto, Sasuke and Sakura, the last remaining members of Team Seven, as well as the last ones left in their world. They had killed Uchiha Madara and ensured that he was gone for good. However, that was not without a heavy price. It had gone wrong s...
