Three days later.
The midsummer cicadas cried out sharply, their shrill chorus nearly cutting through the air like kunai.Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting fragmented shadows on the forest floor like scattered shuriken.
Behind a low bush, Uchiha Rin crouched low, breath steady, a single tomoe spinning slowly in his scarlet Sharingan.Every movement in his field of vision was crystal clear—nothing escaped his eye.
"This is Rin. I've reached the observation point. Target is within range."
His voice, though low, crackled clearly through the old-fashioned walkie-talkie clipped to his vest.
"This is Hizashi. In position."
The Hyuga's voice came through with typical composure.
"Nonou. In position."
Cool and crisp as ever, Yakushi Nonou's reply was brief.
Not far from them, lounging lazily against a tree, Furukawa Itoshiki smiled faintly, a worn book in hand, but clearly listening.
"Excellent, Team One. Proceed with the capture," he drawled, almost too casually.
"Collapse the perimeter to within five meters. Capture is authorized—but I'll remind you one more time…""This mission requires a live target. No techniques that might cause harm. Understood?"
"Understood."
Three voices in unison. The air grew taut.
"I'm going!"
With a sharp whisper, Uchiha Rin burst from the underbrush like a loosed arrow.
A startled yowl split the air. The brown blur of fur bolted away—but its path had already been predicted.
From the front, Yakushi Nonou sprang silently from the grass, quick and precise. Her arms extended just as the terrified animal leapt——and in one smooth motion, she caught it.
The cat struggled briefly in her arms, claws twitching, then… surrendered, utterly defeated.
From the rear, Hyuga Hizashi emerged, pale eyes scanning carefully.
"Red ribbon on the right ear—confirmed, target 'Kaori' secured."His voice was as precise as ever over the comms.
A sigh of satisfaction followed.
"Excellent," Itoshiki's voice said through the walkie-talkie, tinged with dry amusement."D-Rank Mission: Locate and Retrieve Lost Pet 'Kaori'—complete."
Nonou gently stroked the now-docile cat, her expression softening for a rare moment.
"What a peculiar little thing…" she murmured to the cat."To think you required both Hyuga and Uchiha effort to catch you. You'll be a legend among kittens.""Better boast to your friends back home."
A rustling in the underbrush announced the arrival of their instructor.
Furukawa Itoshiki stepped out, still holding his book under one arm, his other extended.The cat, 'Kaori', leapt onto his shoulder with practiced ease, and—astonishingly—began grooming its own fur as though nothing had happened.
"Appreciate the work, Senior Kaori," Itoshiki said, nodding to the feline with mock solemnity."Mission complete. Let's report in—today's labor ends here."
Kaori, with an air of pomp, flicked its tail and puffed out its chest.
Rin's jaw dropped.
"S-Sensei! Wait—what's going on?! That thing understood you!"He pointed, incredulous."Is it a ninja cat?! I've never seen it at Grandma Cat's shelter!"
Itoshiki chuckled softly, waving the students to follow as they began the walk toward Konoha.
"Not all ninja cats belong to the cat clan, you know.""Senior Kaori here? She's... a veteran."
He adjusted the cat on his shoulder, who responded by shifting smugly.
"Even back when I was a Genin—maybe even before that—Kaori was already gracing the mission board as a 'lost pet.'"
Kaori struck a pose as if to say You brats better respect your elders.
"She's seasoned. Maybe someday, when you're leading your own Genin teams, her descendants will be the ones making a break for it."
They laughed—well, Rin laughed, Nonou smirked, and Hizashi's lips twitched very slightly.
The group reached the Mission Hall and filed their report with the familiar ease of routine. Soon after, they made their way through the village toward the Senju estate.
The sun was beginning to dip, casting warm gold over the rooftops.
By the time they arrived, the dining room in the Senju compound was already set.
Tsunade, seated at the table, waved them in with a smile—surprisingly gentle, given her usual blunt manner.
"You're back. Come, sit."
She glanced at the students, who still carried the stiff posture of those who weren't sure if they truly belonged.
"Oh, come on. I've told you a hundred times—don't be so formal."Her voice was patient, not annoyed."This house is open to all of Sensei's students."
Before they could mumble a reply, Itoshiki walked in behind them and clapped each one lightly on the back.
"No excuses. Sit down."
He guided them into their seats like a weary herder with his first flock.
"You're my students. That makes you family."
He glanced across the table, noting how they still sat a little too upright, a little too careful.Then, inwardly, he sighed:
Trust takes time. Patience, Itoshiki. You've waited through wars—you can wait through this.
Outside, the cicadas chirped again. But inside, at that table, things were just beginning to warm.
The aroma from the dishes filled the room with comforting richness—clearly the handiwork of the Senju clan's exclusive chef.For all her improvements in domestic life, Tsunade had to admit that culinary talent was simply not among her gifts.
Furukawa Itoshiki ate with quiet appreciation, occasionally making a vague sound of satisfaction between sips of soup and the turn of a page from a small notebook at his side.
He spoke with his usual unhurried tone."This is excellent. I could almost forget the impending responsibilities that weigh down on my mortal soul."
Tsunade gave him a wry look, lips twitching.
"Itoshiki, you've had them for a few days now. What do you think of your team?"She leaned forward slightly, voice warm but curious."Need any support from me?"
Itoshiki set his chopsticks down with gentle precision, folding his hands thoughtfully.
"They're remarkable children," he said, for once without irony."Even in these early missions, their coordination has exceeded expectations."
He paused, tapping a finger against his chin in mock scholarly fashion.
"Despite being newly assigned to each other, they show the kind of synergy that usually takes months, sometimes years. It's... disturbing."Then he added with a half-smile, "Perhaps because they were classmates at the Academy—socialized into shared despair."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I'm assigning them a C-rank mission soon," Itoshiki continued, his gaze drifting toward the three Genin quietly eating across the table.His eyes, though lazy, sharpened with intent."It's time they encountered something more... visceral."
Tsunade's chopsticks paused midair.
"That soon?" she asked, slightly surprised.
"Their skillsets qualify. Prolonged repetition of D-rank missions would be inefficient—and arguably cruel in its own way."
He began ticking off fingers:
"Rin's Fire Release and taijutsu are solid. Hizashi is a born sensor and strategist. And Nonou—quiet as she is—has a startlingly delicate control of chakra. A fine candidate for medical ninjutsu, if nurtured correctly."
Tsunade nodded slowly, filing away the details. Then, her tone shifted casually:
"Speaking of nurturing... you're planning to visit the Uchiha and Hyuga clans soon, aren't you?"
Itoshiki sighed faintly, as if the thought itself brought emotional taxation."Yes. Social obligations and clan politics. My two greatest allergies."
"You'll need to go. It's expected of a Jōnin instructor, especially with heirs like Rin and Hizashi in your care."
She glanced toward him with a subtle note of warning—especially emphasized by her next words:
"Particularly the Hyuga."
Itoshiki's expression didn't change, but he nodded once.
"It's on my schedule."
"Not tomorrow," Tsunade interjected quickly, smiling."Tomorrow, some Senju branch family representatives are arriving from the capital. I'll need you here to help deflect the political debris."
"Of course."
"Day after tomorrow then. I'll go with you to the Hyuga."
Itoshiki gave a small nod, then glanced—subtly—toward Hyuga Hizashi.The boy continued to eat calmly, but Itoshiki didn't miss the rigidity in his posture, the too-controlled movements.
Caged Bird... an exquisite example of tradition strangling potential.
Itoshiki took another sip of tea, concealing the quiet tension behind a sigh.
A difficult knot. But not impossible to untangle.
Hizashi raised his chopsticks again without reacting. But his silence, like everything in the Hyuga clan, was calculated and deep.
Compared to that, the Uchiha were simpler.
Power, after all, spoke plainly.
"The Uchiha," Itoshiki mused aloud, "can be won over the old-fashioned way—through overwhelming force and irrefutable strength."
His voice had taken on a slight edge, almost amused."Fortunately, Tsunade and I are not lacking in that particular currency."
Tsunade smirked at that, taking another bite of fish.
Itoshiki, meanwhile, was lost in thought again—this time returning to the far more insidious web of the Hyuga clan.
They don't bow to strength alone. No... Theirs is a hierarchy of rules, etched in stone by centuries of fear masquerading as honor.
Even if the current clan head is sympathetic, the elders aren't so easily moved.
He didn't say any of this aloud, but a sliver of cold light flickered behind his eyes.
If reason fails... then perhaps it's time to remind them that stagnation is far more dangerous than change.
He looked again at Hizashi—stoic, restrained, unreadable.
You've waited long enough, haven't you?
The clatter of dishes and the hum of warm conversation filled the room, but beneath it, the undercurrents of fate were already shifting.
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