Iruka was in the middle of his taijutsu class, teaching students how to flow their chakra and fight while doing it … One of the few classes Jay Uzumaki was present for …

  Iruka wasn't sure if Jay was simply showing off to the class or using the training to fight against actual opponents.

  The gennin helping Iruka with the sparing portion of the class, was sure the boy was looking for an opponent he could actually beat, with some difficulty, to hone his skills …

  Iruka sensed an approaching figure.

  [ANBU?] - Chunin Iruka, Hokage-sama requests Uzumaki Jay's presence at the tower -

  And before Iruka could give a response, the figure left just as it arrived, leaving a small note in the air, Iruka snatched it … the note was bearing the Hokage’s seal with said request.

  Iruka released a sigh.

  *** *** ***

  When Itachi Uchiha was called towards the Hokage office without a mask, the young ambu agent was left slightly confused.

  The rising tension between his clan and the village put a lot of pressure on Itachi, especially since he would soon become the Clan head of the Uchiha.

  While his friend and war brother, Shisui, had enough power and was actually being considered for the Hokage position as a way to appease the clan, Shisui didn't feel like he had enough support inside the Clan to actually make the needed changes …

  That was something Itachi knew … something Shisui was training Itachi for …

  Being the heir of the Uchiha and a prodigy himself, Itachi had the expectations of the whole clan and village placed on his back …

  Being an ANBU operative with an identity more open than most was a small endorsement of what was being considered for the future of Konoha …

  But it was also a tight rope for him to walk on …

  Itachi couldn't benefit his own clan too much or else the other clans wouldn't support his selection, but Itachi also couldn't be seen as too ‘neutral’ or else the Clan wouldn't support him …

  It was a careful balance to maintain and something Itachi had to learn while doing …

  ***

  Arriving at the Hokage’s office, the first thing Itachi noticed was Konoha's jinchuriki … Jay Uzumaki, formerly known as Naruto …

  The child's name change came as a surprise for many, especially since for most of the Uzumaki’s life, the boy behaved like one of the broken ninjas from Root …

  The darker squad of ANBU, the disposable suicide ninja squad …

  Prisoners of war, destitute orphans, bankrupt mercenaries … all under contract and sealing to perform missions too risky for regular Konoha ninja.

  It was also the place for those looking to commit suicide by ninja … Kakashi Hatake being the prime example of that choice …

  ***

  [Itachi] - Hokage-sama … -

  Itachi bowed to the Hokage as he approached.

  [Hiruzen] - Itachi-kun, tell me, why do you think I called you here with young Jay ? -

  Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, watching.

  ***

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  Itachi’s mind ran through everything he knew was happening …

  His position, his clan, Shisui's training …

  Itachi paused briefly to reflect on what Konoha's jinchuriki had to do with his presence there …

  Itachi's eyes widened and Hiruzen gave a small smile seeing his changing expression.

  [Itachi] - Hokage-sama I … -

  Itachi tried to say but was interrupted by Hiruzen.

  [Hiruzen] - As you are well aware … -

  Hiruzen took another puff of smoke.

  [Hiruzen] - … I should have already retired … -

  Hiruzen gave a small pause, tapping the ashes out of his pipe and filling it with more tobacco.

  [Hiruzen] - … Your Clan, as a founding Clan of Konoha, is pressing more and more for their turn leading the Village … -

  ***

  The Uchiha were some of the most highly sought after artisans of luxury goods … Paintings, Watchmakers, Fuinjutsu scribes … they were the primary source of Konoha's tech, as they were one of the few that could reliably provide it in volume …

  Like the Akimichi, through economics alone, they were already a powerhouse of a Clan, and just like the Akimichi, their talents also translated well into ninja work.

  Hiruzen was already feeling the pressure coming from Nobles and other companies that would gladly take the Uchiha under their wings … And not only that, other clans from Konoha also agreed with them, Hiruzen's choice as Hokage was accepted because Hiruzen was just that powerful, the same could be said about Minato, especially after he revolutionized the transportation of goods through the Hiraishin … though he sadly passed away before passing on his insights …

  Hiruzen re-taking the mantle was accepted, once more for lack of a better option, but after almost a decade of Konoha recovering from the Kyuubi attack, the clans were restless for a new successor and the Uchiha had a majority with them, they were hedging their bets with Shisui and especially Itachi …

  ***

  [Hiruzen] - … And their eyes all look to who they want leading the Village, they are all looking at you … -

  Itachi felt the words getting stuck in his throat.

  [Hiruzen] - … While you are still too young to take the mantle … we can start your training effectively immediately … Jounin Itachi of the Uchiha clan, you are as of right now, my immediate assistant … Show me you can balance your clan’s needs with Konoha's needs … and please teach young Jay well. After my conversation with him, I see that it was a mistake of mine to confine his growth to the academy … You both do have a lot on common after all -

  Itachi bowed down.

  [Itachi] - I won't disappoint Hokage-sama -

  Itachi then turned to his new charge and responsibility … Konoha's resident jinchuriki and prodigy … who was simply standing there, waiting for them to finish.

  *** *** ***

  Jay observed the scene with mild curiosity.

  As far as Jay could gather, his position as Konoha's jinchuriki was being used as an extra bargaining chip to smooth the tension between the Uchiha and the other Noble clans over who would lead the coalition that was Konoha …

  Everyone wanted a shot at leadership, but after the Senju brothers, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the one who took the lead and then Minato Namikaze after that, both members of minor clans, both directly related to the previous leadership …

  They being the strongest people of that generation didn't change the fact that every Hokage was somehow related to the previous one as apprentices in one way or another.

  [Jay] “ Nepotism at it's finest don't you agree ? “

  Jay asked his mental partner …

  Kurama was currently giving Jay a cold shoulder for simply accepting to work under an Uchiha.

  [Jay] “ Really ? Do you even have anything against this one ? “

  [Kurama] “ Their eyes can control me, you should never trust them … “

  [Jay] “ Eyes or not, they are using chakra to control you … You are literally made of chakra, have you tried to actually learn what you can do with it ? Because I'm pretty sure your immunity to genjutsu is simply a function of how much chakra you have … The Uchiha eyes just make it easy for them to dump absurd quantities of power in their genjutsus I think, the eyes just do the heavy lifting of the technique … “

  [Kurama] “ … “

  [Jay] “ What's the problem now ? Stop mumbling and speak up Foxy “

  Kurama turned towards his jailer and snarled.

  [Kurama] “ Ninjutsu is a perversion of my father's Ninshu, I REFUSE to use it … “

  Jay simply rolled his eyes.

  [Jay] “ Magic is Magic, stop being a baby and learn the goddamn thing, your own father used ninjutsu, even if he used it through his genetics … “

  Jay saw Kurama huffing and grunting.

  [Jay] “ Look, if you learn the thing, it will probably make it so that controlling you again will become much harder and if you at least dabble a bit in Fuinjutsu, sealing you will also become much harder, can you at least try ? “

  ***

  The Fox's refusal to learn the things humanity discovered over the centuries was a constant source of headache for Jay … Kurama was incredibly stubborn, but Jay had an ace up his sleeve.

  After ‘developing’ his own version of the Shadow Clone jutsu, Jay could actually let Kurama ‘pilot’ the clone, effectively giving the fox a disposable body to inhabit.

  A body with the full sensorial set that Kurama never had …

  And to the surprise of no one, Kurama immediately went on a binge of indulgence, junk food, sleep, and running around …

  But Kurama's addiction had at least one good side to it.

  Kurama was a junkie … and Jay was the only available ‘dealer’ … If Kurama wanted his ‘fix’ he would need to pay the price.

  ***

  [Jay] “ Learn to dispel genjutsus or I'm taking away your body privileges “

  Jay saw Kurama's eyes narrowing and a small snarl rumbling out of his throat.

  [Jay] “ To sweeten the deal, despite me knowing better, I'll show you other ways to indulge … As long as you promise to do it in moderation, if I see something like you eating until the clone literally pops again, I'll revoke your rights, deal ? “

  Jay extended a hand towards the fox, who still refused to see himself any smaller than a towering beast.

  [Kurama] “ … Acceptable … “

  They both shook hands and Jay could only shake his head at the thought of teaching the Fox ‘self-pleasure' … Foxy would definitively get even more hooked with how hopeless he was at controlling himself … Well, that would only make Kurama easier to deal with anyway, Jay warned about the risks, if Foxy refused to listen … Well, that’s not Jay’s problem now, is it ?

  In the real world, Jay was being addressed …

  ***

  [Hiruzen] - … from now on, Itachi will be the one responsible for your education, you will still attend the academy to take weekly tests to track your progress, but officially, you are now his apprentice, your training with Maito Guy may continue as is, understood Jay-kun ? -

  [Jay] - Yes Hokage-sama … -

  Jay said before turning to Itachi.

  [Jay] - Please take care of me, Itachi sensei … -

  ***