Naruto:This Time, I, Kotetsu Hagane, Will No Longer Be Lazy

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over Konoha's gate, yet Kotetsu and Izumo were anything but warm on the inside—they were bored out of their minds. With little traffic coming in or out, their attention had long since drifted into the realm of meaningless conversation. 

"You ever wonder if fish get tired of swimming?" Kotetsu mused, kicking a stray pebble near his foot. 

Izumo turned to him, slowly blinking. "What?" 

"I mean, think about it," Kotetsu continued, gesturing vaguely. "They're just… swimming all the time. No breaks. No sitting down. Just endless swimming. Isn't that exhausting?" 

Unknown to the two, a team of elite ANBU operatives—Team Ro—was currently watching them from a concealed vantage point. Per Hiruzen's orders, they had been tasked with retrieving the two for questioning. Hidden behind the foliage and the shadows of nearby rooftops, Yoji Aburame, Ko, Itachi Uchiha, Yugao Uzuki, Yamato, and Kakashi Hatake observed them with a mix of confusion and mild disbelief. 

Izumo frowned at Kotetsu's nonsense. "They don't have to think about it. It's just what they do." 

"Yeah, but don't you think at least one fish out there is like, 'Man, I wish I could just take a nap without sinking to the bottom?'" Kotetsu countered. 

There was a long pause from the ANBU operatives. 

"…Is this what they always talk about?" Yugao whispered incredulously. 

Kakashi, crouched on a rooftop, exhaled through his mask. "Unfortunately, yes." 

Back at the gate, Izumo rubbed his temples. "That's… the dumbest thing I've heard all day." 

Kotetsu shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying, if I was a fish, I'd want to at least float for a bit without moving." 

Izumo sighed. "That's what water does, idiot. It keeps them afloat." 

Kotetsu pointed a finger at him. "No, no, not all of them! Some fish have to keep moving or they'll just—" 

Izumo groaned. "Can we please talk about literally anything else?" 

Kotetsu smirked. "Alright, fine. What do you think would win in a fight: a hundred tiny Kakashis or one really big Gai?" 

From the shadows, Ko and Yoji exchanged glances. Even Itachi, who was usually unreadable, tilted his head slightly in bemusement. 

Yamato finally muttered, "How do they function?" 

"I wish I knew," Kakashi said under his breath before finally deciding he had enough. 

Stepping out of the shadows, he cleared his throat loudly. "Kotetsu. Izumo." 

The two chunin jolted upright at the sudden interruption. They turned to see Kakashi approaching, his single eye staring at them with what they could only assume was mild disappointment. 

"You two need to come with me," Kakashi said, exuding his usual nonchalant authority. 

Kotetsu blinked. "Uh, what for?" 

"The Hokage wants to see you." 

Izumo's stomach dropped. "Wait, are we in trouble?" 

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just… come on." 

As he led them away, Team Ro subtly dispersed from their hiding spots. The elite shinobi had witnessed many things in their time, but somehow, this simple, ridiculous conversation had left them more bewildered than any high-level mission ever had.

Kotetsu and Izumo walked through the winding halls of the Hokage's residence, each step filling them with a mix of anticipation and unease. Being called to the Hokage's office wasn't unheard of, but to be personally summoned by name—by Kakashi no less—left them slightly on edge. 

Izumo kept glancing at Kotetsu, as if gauging his reaction. Kotetsu, in turn, remained unreadable, his usual easygoing demeanor slightly stiffened. 

When they finally arrived, Kakashi knocked once before opening the door. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, the afternoon light filtering through the windows, casting long shadows over the room. A faint trail of smoke curled from his pipe, the scent of tobacco lingering in the air. He looked up as they entered, his expression calm and unreadable. 

"Ah, Kotetsu, Izumo," he greeted, his voice carrying the warmth of familiarity. "Come in, come in." 

Both chunin hesitated before stepping forward. Hiruzen's grandfatherly presence did little to calm Kotetsu, but Izumo let out a breath, his nerves easing slightly. 

"You're not in trouble," the Hokage assured them with a small smile, sensing their apprehension. "I simply had some questions for you." 

Izumo relaxed further, but Kotetsu wasn't so easily convinced. 

Hiruzen took a slow puff from his pipe before continuing. "First, tell me—how are you enjoying your duties as shinobi?" 

The question took them slightly off guard. 

"Well," Izumo started, rubbing the back of his neck, "it's good. I mean, gate duty can be a little slow sometimes, but it's important work." 

Kotetsu nodded. "Yeah, we're happy to serve the village. Even if sometimes we get stuck with the boring shifts." 

Hiruzen chuckled softly. "Boring as they may be, every role is vital to Konoha's safety." His expression then shifted, his eyes slightly sharper. "Speaking of your duties, I've noticed that the two of you have been seen leaving the Uchiha compound quite frequently. Late at night, no less." 

The mood in the room shifted. 

Kotetsu and Izumo stiffened slightly, sharing a brief glance. Izumo, caught off guard, hesitated before answering. "Uh… well, we were—" 

"We were assisting with an investigation," Kotetsu interjected, his voice steady. "Fugaku Uchiha requested our help with a matter that required outside perspectives." 

Hiruzen exhaled another slow stream of smoke, watching them closely. "I see," he mused. "And what sort of matter was this?" 

Kotetsu was careful with his words. "An issue that concerned the security of the village." 

Hiruzen studied him for a moment before nodding. "That would be the recent spy incident, I assume?" 

Izumo nodded. "Yes, sir." 

Hiruzen leaned forward slightly, fingers interlaced. "Tell me how it happened. How did you two play a role in catching him?" 

Izumo, now feeling more comfortable, recounted the events. "It started with Fugaku's suspicions. He suspected the explosion in the market district wasn't just a random attack but something orchestrated to sow discord between the Uchiha and the village. He had us investigate a merchant named Ryoji Kurokami, who had been seen frequently entering and leaving Konoha." 

Kotetsu picked up from there. "We did surveillance, tracked his movements, and eventually caught him in the act of passing coded messages. When confronted, he tried to resist, but the Uchiha Military Police were quick to step in and apprehend him." 

Hiruzen's brows furrowed slightly, though he did not interrupt. 

Izumo continued, "After we recovered a coded scroll from his possession, we confirmed that he had been gathering intel on Konoha's defenses, troop movements, and key figures. If he had left with this information, it could have been a serious threat to the village." 

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. He tapped his pipe against the edge of his ashtray, letting the embers fall before looking at them again. "And do you believe this was solely the work of one man, or do you suspect a larger network at play?" 

Kotetsu hesitated for a moment before responding. "We believe he had contacts outside the village, likely working with other operatives. But the only confirmed associate we've identified so far is another merchant, who fled once Ryoji was captured." 

Hiruzen sighed, nodding slowly. "A troubling situation indeed." He then gave them both an approving look. "You two performed well. Your efforts helped prevent a major security breach." 

Kotetsu and Izumo both straightened slightly at the praise. 

The Hokage's expression softened once more. "That will be all for now. Thank you for your time." 

As the two turned to leave, Kotetsu couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this meeting than simple questioning. Hiruzen may have been warm and reassuring, but there was always a keen intelligence behind his words—a mind constantly calculating. 

And that, more than anything, made Kotetsu wary.