Meeting the team

The corridors of the Hokage’s tower are always filled to the brim with people. The smell of sweat and paper, both new and old permeates the air, making an unpleasant smell take over every nook and cranny of the building.

Even in the night, this fact doesn’t change. Although she prefers coming here overnight instead of during the day, it is less unpleasant at night because of the colder air. For anyone else, it is bothersome to come to the Hokage’s very office in the middle of the night.

However those in the know, and involved in the direct running of Konoha’s many facilities, and business affairs know the esteemed leader of the village has many nightshifts to complete and finish a day’s paperwork in time.

Sacrifice a night of sleep to get a week free down the line. With silent steps, she comes to the office, without making a sound, even as she opens the doors. Private even to the eyes of the anbu — not that those amateurs can see a fox sage like her in the first place — however, the Kage’s eyes fall on her immediately.

“For what do I owe the displeasure, Ikari?” A thin smile creeps to her lips. For someone as old as the Hokage, he can still bite and snark like a young man. Such a waste herself hasn’t been born a decade or two earlier, for tormenting him when he was young would’ve been wonderful.

Bowing out of courtesy, the vixen greets her leader with polite and sharp words, fitting a kitsune like herself. “It is good to have a reunion with you, great leader. I’ve come here to show my assessment for a genin team.”

A delightful frown blossoms on his face, horrified before reverting to a completely sterilized blank expression. With a flick of a finger, a fox jumps out of her many details, a paste with the paperwork already filled and ready to be approved. His frown deepens.

“Why now? You have been a jounin for almost five years now. You haven’t even bothered with anyone or anything regarding genins outside of your clan’s jurisdiction.”

“This is true, but this time is different, oh Hokage. I have come here for the express of keeping an eye on our prized jinchuriki. I doubt there is anyone more capable than I in the handling of her and her tenant.”

While Taiki is a good option, the doofus lacks the mind and the hands to handle something as delicate as the vessel of a beast. The other one available to handle their little jinchuriki is the Hokage.

Everyone who knows even a little about the running of the village knows his hands are tied to his feet. “A team is not composed of one person. Who are your other two-thirds of a team?”

“Eisei Hokan and Takatsukui Inukusai.” Grabbing the paste the fox had delivered, the Hokage reads through it. While his eyes are attention, he is no longer young, nor has the patience for such affairs coming from a Hakumo

He read just what was necessary to get the gist of her plans. This is good, more leeway to let them make their cocoons when the time comes. “... I will approve, despite not agreeing with your methods, Hakumo.”

Grinning like a fox, she bows again. “Thank you for your thoughtful decision, Hokage. I will make sure the kits are treated well by yours truly.”

The only one automatically worthy of being approved immediately is their resident beast vessel, she can’t hold her back even if she wants to. Smacking her lips, the fox runs back to her tails, jumping on them.

‘That boy Eisen has the drive to go further. I wonder if the other one will have such a thing too?’

A brat prone to a tantrum as far as the academy’s records care to write about a clanner’s temper. From her many tails, the fox crawls to sit on her shoulders. “I do agree with the Hokage, although. Don’t you think you are going too far against them?”

Her companion whines a bit. As if she isn’t going to laugh and enjoy they squirm like worms pierced by a hook. “I won’t maim them. They are still flesh out of the academy, thinking cowardice and bravery are different things. I will teach them.”

Picking a scroll from her ninja bag, it vanishes in a puff, revealing a fox treaty. “Now shut up and accept my bribery.” Giving the fox the treat, she returns to lying on her tail. To say she isn’t excited or waiting for it, even if her students turn out to be boring and without much potential, is a lie.

How much mischief, pranks, and knowledge can she impart unto them? How much wisdom or knowledge? A teacher’s role is more than just imparting knowledge, more so the leader of a genin team.

Is to prepare them for the world, for their first kill, and life outside of the village, politics, and abilities. Like a defenseless kit, their lives are in her hands, as is her duty to make sure they will have enough skill to survive missions and unforeseen events.

Like a ghost, she vanishes from the corridors, as if melding in the air, all of her traces fading from the building.

(...)

The promised day for them had come. The time they will become genin, or try to. In the classroom, many children are eager to finally “become ninjas”, their naivete almost palpable. The dreams are soon to be crushed like a fog.

Children happily babble about their future and what they will accomplish, going from a simple classroom to the highest heights. Their voices drown in the other sounds even as their teacher announces the teams. Such a bitter taste that makes her lips curl.

‘Oh truly… their exasperation and despair is too much to be found fun. Even to our standards.’

Yet it is better this way. Better alive and with your dreams shattered, than lying dying a meaningless death. The former you have a future ahead, a new road and path to trial, the other is the end of a path.

Her new team, team 9, catches her eye immediately. The teacher finishes announcing them as a team. Good thing they were already announced, it would be too much of a bother coming there before they know from what team they are. Entering the room, her students are the first thing she focuses on.

The white-haired young lady with golden eyes, her appearance of anything but a Nara. She lacks confidence in her posture, almost motionless like a mannequin, a glass sculpture ready to burst and break with any touch.

The other, your standard black-haired young, fitting more the image of a Nara than his companion. A more lackadaisical posture, but with clear attention and focus. ‘This i why they think he will make a great med-nin?’ Only time can tell, but calm and focus are more than needed in that line of work.

The last one is a boy with white hair and red eyes. A problem child who is prone to tantrums and fits. What to expect from a clan’s youngster who never knew limits? His posture reflects this, an indifferent and apathetic expression, great confidence in his posture, arms crossed, back straightened.

Her team won’t be so bad, after all.

“Team nine. Nara Suzura, Eisen Hokan, Takatsui Inukusai. I’m here to take you for your last test. Come with me. I’m your new teacher.”

Her presence shut up the classroom, staring at her with surprised and awed eyes. The three children look startled to the door, while their teacher loses a bit of color from their face.

Suzura is like a scared kit startled by an adult and mischievous fox. While cute, it reflects how she was raised, startled, and scared. Working on herself, her heart and her emotions will be more than needed. Worse than a jinchuriki is a woman jinchuuriki with emotional weakness.

Her heart clenches a little. If only the beast had been sealed by Hakumo’s hands instead of the power-hungry Nara, maybe this child’s fate would be different. ‘There is nothing I can do for what has passed, but I can change the future.’

To work on her emotional side, defrosting the cold born from apathy is the top priority. As a jinchuriki, Suzura’s fighting potential is already top-notch, there is nothing to worry about in that area. Although her emotions, from what she can see, leave much to be desired.

Eisen like a child caught red-handed doing something wrong, despite not doing anything out of the ordinary. Probably the only one on her team with stability and posture for her to not worry about him while training.

His problem is a lack of combat prowess, the easiest to fix of the trio. Training in direct combat won’t do the cut for this boy, if he indeed becomes her student, teaching the ways of fighting without seeing the enemy will be ideal for him.

Inukusai with a surprised face, that soon turns to a scoff while he appraises her. That kid will need some correction later on, lest he becomes someone with a black heart. Who appraises their teacher like that upon their first meeting?

Explosive, overconfident, and can’t hear a no. Another one with emotional issues to fix, despite his character. The amount of work to get him on track leaves her mouth dry, the hardest student to train and get to the full potential will be him, more so if someone else starts to surpass his fighting capacities. Envy is a poison everyone should avoid.

“She is right. She is your new teacher, Team Nine.” Without wasting time, she exits the room, her new kits following after her tails.

“What do you mean with our last test? We are genin, are we not? We passed the academy’s test.”

Surprisingly, the one inquiring is Inukusai, rather than Eisen. Yet it should be expected, that he is the one with a stronger temper. Glancing at them shows their personality.

Suzura is nonchalant, bolstering a great poker face for someone of her age, but it is not enough to fool a fox’s keen eyes. Beneath her mask, turmoil and fear are there. The fear of failing and being on the receiving end of her father’s wrath was made worse by being a jinchuriki.

While the black-haired boy is just confused, the implications quickly settle in, and fear and anxiety start to show. Reflects an emotional intelligence fit for a boy of his age.

Inukusai shows outrage at first, but it boils down to a barely weaved-together poker face. “You can’t do this, we—” Before the white-haired boy has his chance to speak, the vixen gives them a stare, a serious and threatening stare. Despite not leaking any aura or intention, it shuts them up, canceling any bargaining mentality.

“Right now I’m not your teacher or fellow Konoha-nin but the one doing your application. Kind of an enemy of sorts, although I will not partake in your test. Remember this: Never bargain with an enemy. The results are never worth it.”

Despite their surprise and confusion, they nod in unison, absorbing, or appearing to understand the lesson. Only time will tell if they learned it or not.

“You have one last test before I can pass you as genin properly and as my students. Otherwise, you will only fall on the genin corps.”

This does the trick, all of them focusing on her and those words. “I see. What is your test, then?” Again, Inukusai takes the front to ask.

“You will have to entertain my summons and endure their onslaught, it is nothing hard.” Giving them a sweet smile, she lets a little “playful intention” leak out, forcing a shiver to run across their backs, even the Junchuriki trembles a little.

“Do your best, and I will decide if you are going to pass or not.”

Her tails move from here to fro. Excited to see how her foxes will toy with them, and how far they will go to go past their limits, to achieve their best selves. “We are going to the training field 4.”

The determination to not lose shows on their faces. Despite being a vixen, she likes being straightforward, it saves her from headaches. “I sincerely hope you will pass the test.” As a way to reassure those kids, she looks at them, with a sweet and reassuring smile, a genuine one, or as genuine as a fox can be, showing only for them.

She is by no means a good person, far from it, but to be mean to children, and threat them as heartless dolls or unthinking soldiers is too much, even for her.

• Endure as long as possible against the foxes and the traps Ikari laid across the field
• Do your best, be it individually or as a team. She doesn’t care about teamwork as much as long as they do their best to defeat the challenge.
• She won’t partake in the challenge against her students but she will talk and pass messages to the fox about their locations and strategies.
• The foxes will push them into corners and traps, as well as using genjutsus and simple jutsus against them if possible.
• They will focus on pushing the team to the limit, baiting and feigning attacks and strategies, as well as neutralizing and forcing the team to adapt strategies beyond what they are accustomed it.
• Pushing Suzura to fight in close combat and needing to drop the coward’s strategy, or not giving time for Inukusai to prepare his drawings.
• They are mischievous and malicious but won’t cause grievous bodily harm to them, however, they will not shy away from causing great hurt without causing a great injury. The same things for traps.
• The traps main objective is to inconvenience, bind, or make them feel pain. They are nonlethal but are very annoying to deal with.
• The only passing condition is to do your best to strive and become better. No strings attached.