AN: Alright everyone. First, I have never finished the Naruto anime (at this point I've only gone partway through the chunin exams) or read the manga. Most of what I know comes from reading fanfiction. That said I am more than willing to research what I need and my fiancé (who HAS seen the anime and read the manga) will be helping me write this to make sure I'm not messing anything up. That being said, let's get started.

An overheard conversation (working title)

Chapter one

-Sarutobi-

Silently, the Sandaime Hokage worked on the ever-growing pile of paperwork that cursed his desk. His office had very little light as a storm raged outside, rain pounding against a window. Putting yet another request from the Civilian Council to banish Naruto in the 'denied' pile, without looking up he asked, "Are you going to speak up or are you just going to stand in the corner?"

"At least someone knows what they're doing in this village." A voice grunted as he looked up at the trio that had broken into his office, "The ANBU of this village suck! They didn't notice a giant blue shark motherfucker with a chattering sword, one of the most dangerous missing nin in the history of your village, and an albino child with red dots on his forehead walking through the streets and into your tower." The speaker was Kisame, the Tailed Beast without a tail, standing beside Jiraiya's spy in the Akatsuki, and an albino child who looked to be the same age as Naruto.

"Hn." Itachi grunted, sending a side look at Kisame.

"I'm right and you know it!" the large shark like man protested, having somehow learned to speak Uchiha. The Albino child remained oddly silent and still throughout this.

"Itachi, I got your letter to be prepared for you arrival. Now, I believe you owe me some answers." His eyes flicked to Kisame to make it clear exactly what he was talking about.

"Do you know why I defected from Kiri?" Kisame asked, a scowl adorning the man's face. When Sarutobi shook his head in the negative, Kisame continued "To me, loyalty is a very important thing. Yagura however, continued to send me on assignments where my task was to befriend, and then betray groups or individuals. Again, and again, I had to do earn their trust, their friendship, and then kill them in cold blood. I couldn't take it anymore."

"So you snapped and eventually joined the Akatsuki." The Sandaime nodded, having seen before how repeatedly sending Shinobi on missions that clashed so violently with their core beliefs could cause problems. "That doesn't explain why you've apparently defected from them as well. Or is this the power of friendship?" he remarked with dry sarcasm.

"I found out that my leader was going to send me to capture and eventually kill his cousin who's currently a child." Kisame scowled "He knew damn well why I left Kiri only to do this. I overheard him talking to his right-hand Konan where she revealed his real name. The bastard is an Uzumaki and wanted me to help kill another Uzumaki."

"I found him packing to leave." Itachi picked up the story.

-Flashback-

-Itachi-

Opening the door to the quarters he had been assigned along with Kisame, the Sharingan wielder saw his partner aggressively shoving possessions into a pile by a sealing scroll. "Going on a mission Kisame?" he asked, knowing full well that Kisame had heard him coming and that there was no assigned mission.

"Don't push me Itachi." Kisame turned, drawing the chattering Samaheda from his back, "I don't want to fight you, but I will." He could see the silent plea in his friend's eyes, not wanting to have to fight Itachi and therefore betray another friend, having long ago shared the story of why the swordsman had defected from Mist.

"…We have a lot in common my friend." Itachi slowly entered the room further, closing the door behind him "Betrayal is what got us here. The difference is that I didn't commit the betrayal myself."

"What are you talking about?" Kisame narrowed his eyes, tense and ready for a fight "You slaughtered your clan in one night. How is that not a betrayal?"

"I didn't kill them all, nor did I end them without reason." Itachi stared down his friend, unafraid of Samaheda's fangs. "My clan was planning a coup de tat against the Hokage. I was assigned to kill the traitors before they could do so and therefore further weaken the village. Someone else slaughtered the Uchihas that were not involved, leaving only myself and Sasuke alive."

"Then why run?" Kisame demanded, suspicious, but Itachi saw Samaheda lower slightly. The two had been partners and friends for long enough to tell when the other was lying.

"I am the spy of Jiraiya the Sannin, keeping Konoha aware of the movements of Akatsuki as well as looking for the Uchiha who murdered the rest of the clan, the same one who likely released the Kyuubi on Konoha those years ago."

"Why tell me this now?" Kisame demanded, the swordsman now more confused than wary.

"I have used every lead I can to find who slaughtered the innocents in my clan yet there is still nothing." Itachi's eyes narrowed "And I've heard of problems in Konoha that I would see rectified." Silently, Itachi began to seal his own belongings away, "And…you aren't the only one who doesn't wish to fight their friend."

-End Flashback-

-Sarutobi-

"So you brought him along with you." Sarutobi rubbed his temples with a sigh. Having individuals like Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigake on his side would be a gift from Kami but he dreaded the headache that he would get inducting them into the ranks of his Shinobi. "Now what concerning matters brought you back?"

"Sasuke and Naruto." Itachi frowned, silently casting his judgement on the situation in question "One is becoming the very thing I worked to destroy in our clan and the other is becoming more and more abused."

"Excuse me, but is nobody going to comment on the Albino kid?" Kisame spoke up, "I figured the old monkey would want to know about him."

"I just assumed Itachi finally got lucky." He quipped, hiding his amusement at Itachi's irritation from that comment, Kisame giving a brief snort of amusement.

"I am Kimmimaro Kaguya, Hokage-Sama." The albino child bowed respectfully, still eerily calm.

"We found him on our way back, his clan was wiped out in the Kiri bloodline purges." Itachi explained, "He latched onto Kisame when we rescued him, even more so when we took him to Tsunade to get his lung diseased healed."

"As well as yours." Kisame sent an irritated look over to Itachi before turning back to Sarutobi "He was trying to let a disease he caught weaken himself to the point his little brother could kill him in some weird honor redemption bullshit."

"So what exactly are you expecting me to do?" Hiruzen demanded, planning to send Tsunade a thank you gift for curing Itachi. Even if she was aware that Itachi was a spy he wouldn't have been too surprised if she had refused for the simple matter of him being from Konoha given her attitude over recent years.

"Announce the truth of the Uchiha massacre." Itachi demanded bluntly, "The Village has recovered enough that the truth would not cause panic and weakness to the point of a threat anymore. Furthermore I want Kimmimaro put into the academy so both he and Naruto will be on a genin team under us after this year is up."

"Quite the demands." Sarutobi frowned, knowing that Itachi had a valid point but at the same time knowing the other villages were still likely to try something, not to mention what some of the citizens of his own village were liable to do.

"We're quite the Shinobi." Kisame leaned against the wall, "From what I've heard, you owe Itachi a lot old timer."

"True enough," Sarutobi sighed, pulling out a piece of paper as he wrote out their pardon and induction orders "I owe a great many people a great many things it would seem. You will have Naruto and the young Kaguya on a team should they both pass, as well as a third member of your choice. You have my guarantee. I'll announce the truth to the village come morning. For now…do try to stay out of sight…please."