The Uchiha and The Senju

This Is Power...

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I've always been at your side."

Naruto chuckled as he slowly put on his black cloak with a fit of coughs. Taking a few breaths, it he shut his eyes, recentering himself. "I am, I appreciate your insistence but there are others that need you more right now, Shikazu. Besides, we know how these ops can go. Someone I trust needs to be the one to carry on the anbu."

"Tch, as troublesome as you are, you aren't dying any time soon." Shikazu said handing Naruto an open bottle.

Smirking, he took the bottle. "Never know." he said taking a swig. "I believe a fight that leads to my death would be quite fun. Knowing that all I can do, to try my absolute hardest, it would be nice to know that I fully got to cut loose and be met with the same."

"I wonder, Naruto. As much as you look forward to such battle, would you be as enthusiastic when it does arrive?"

"Who knows. At this rate..." he clenched a fist. "It won't be battle that I get to fall to."

"The world works in mysterious ways my friend." Shikazu said taking a swig of his own. "Just don't go rushing to death solely to escape a supposed lame one as you put it."

"Hn, Tobirama wouldn't let that slide anyways." He then strapped his arm guards over the cloak's long sleeves. There was no intention to be taking it off. The grey vest was beneath though and he had to admit. He'd missed the uniform. It was far better than the regular ones. Didn't hurt that his own personal tailor was the one to make the anbu uniforms, exactly as he'd wanted. So perhaps there was bias involved.

"Upset that she's nearly due and can't do your preferred goodbye ritual?"

He narrowed his eyes at the Nara. "You're one to speak when you do the same with your woman."

"Yeah, only I knocked her up the once and it wasn't during a time that would interfere with any kind of deployment."

"Tch, of course you'd even calculate the timing of sex. I prefer to just do."

"Clearly." Shikazu said with a smirk.

The entirety of the anbu corps stood outside the HQ. It wasn't often that all among the operatives that were currently in village would come out all at once. Only the First Division's Alpha Battalion was going to be joining this operation. The presence of absolutely everyone hadn't made much sense in all honesty.

"So, have we got our Chief back?"

Naruto smirked, chuckling. "Good to see you, Sergeant Major." Nodding to the woman, he turned to look out at all those assembled. "At ease." At once, the entirety of anbu moved their right foot to the side to now be at shoulder width, falling into a semi more relaxed posture. "I will be getting more involved once more, especially with the current operation, Greenstone."

"Just have those brats inducted, you've always been unconventional anyways." There was a pause of silence before the operative cleared their throat in embarrassment. "Sir."

With a nod, Naruto looked to him. "I would, if any of those kids were actually cut out for anbu."

"Oh? So you considered ignoring the Jonin Sensei role if they showed promise for anbu?" Shikazu said from beside Naruto.

"Yeah, just don't tell Tobirama." He said chuckling. With a sigh, he frowned. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy this night. We set out tomorrow morning, enjoy yourselves with one another. There is no guarantee that everyone standing here will all be here again. Those of you in Alpha Battalion, enjoy it but don't get compromised to where you aren't at one hundred percent combat capacity."