Naruto: The Template System

Konoha 46 Years.

Hokage Office.

Sarutobi sat on his seat smoking heavily while reading the documents below.

Over the past two years, Sarutobi's face has gathered quite a lot of wrinkles with more and more of his hair turning white.

He was already around 50 and was no longer in his prime.

"Lord Hokage, Master Kozuki is here"

At this time an Anbu entered the room reporting Sarutobi.

"Oh, he is here quickly let him in"

Sarutobi said quickly as his tone sounded a bit desperate.

During the last two years, the resources of Konoha has long been squeezed out.

Konoha being the main target of every village had to consume a lot of it's resources.

The only good news is that the Fourth Raikage after suffering a defeat from Minato withdrew from the war.

Now Minato is dealing with Stone While Tsunade and White Fang are fighting with the Sand.

This is not the matter that troubles Sarutobi, while even if both Minato and Tsunade are squeezing out a lot of resources of Konoha but they are also giving results.

The main problem is his old friend Danzo.

After Mist retreated 2 years ago, they only kept silent for a year after that they launched a fierce attack once again.

Danzo alone was not enough to deal with the Mist so he made a decision that time.

He decided to send the Uchiha Clan who were free after the war with Cloud to Mist to support.

But he never expected that his Old friend Danzo rejected his help saying he'd rather die then to fight along Uchiha.

He then looked towards his disciple Orochimaru for help but his talented disciple actually rejected him and said he was seriously injured from a battle and could not help him.

Helpless, he could only send the remaining Chunin to support Danzo who tried there hardest but are still in a passive situation.

While Sarutobi was lost in his thoughts Kozuki entered the room and arrived near Sarutobi as he coughed to get his attention.

"Haha! Welcome Back Kozuki"

Sarutobi immediately put the benevolent expression and greeted Kozuki enthusiastically.

"Lord Hokage"

Kozuki still had the same policy to be polite to the hypocritical Sarutobi as long as he doesn't bother him.

"Haha Look at you in just two years you are already as tall as me"

Sarutobi laughed and behaved like he had seen his son grown up.

After simple greetings, Sarutobi finally put away the hypocritical expression and became serious.

"While you have been away, the situation in land of water has only got worse, I wanted to send you 2 years ago but due to your request I decided not to, but now the village needs your strength to deal with this crisis"

Sarutobi put a sad expression and played the emotional card using village as a shield for solving the trouble that Danzo caused and asked for his help.

"I'll leave tomorrow morning, then I'll excuse myself"

Kozuki didn't wanted to stay here anymore so after promising Sarutobi of his help he left the room.

Actually, the reason Kozuki agreed so quickly was that he wanted to test his strength and Mist was the perfect target.

After leaving the office, Kozuki went towards the forest near Uchiha Clan to complete his daily template practice task.

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At a forest near Uchiha Clan,

Kozuki stood in the woods waving his sword continuously at the small flying leaves in front and cutting them perfectly.

"Huh"

Kozuki suddenly frowned as his Observation Haki sensed someone with extreme depressed emotion at a cliff nearby.

Kozuki could sense that that person had extremely chaotic and confused emotions and he immediately understood why he would be there.

Kozuki immediately disappeared moving towards that direction.

________________

Here was a cliff beside a small river.

On top of the cliff, a child who was around 4 years old with black hair and black eyes but his eyes revealed matureness out of his age and the clothes he wore had a fan emblem behind his back.

"What is life..."

Itachi was extremely confused wondering what life was.

His father took him to the battlefield but all he saw was life being taken everyone hungry to kill each other.

Itachi looked down from the cliff and as if deciding something jumped down from the cliff.

Itachi who was half way down in the air suddenly felt him being embraced in the air and the next moment he appeared on the ground held by a person.

"Hey, when did even kid's started to commit suicide"

Kozuki held the child in his hands and sighed that even kid's today weren't afraid of death.

Kozuki looked towards the child's face and his expression immediately froze.

"Uchiha Itachi"

Kozuki said subconsciously as he recognized the child in front from his memory.