We stood outside the Hokage Tower, glancing at each other in silence.
Kagenori broke the silence, "Well, introduce yourselves. Just make sure to add your dream to the introduction."
Well, that's fairly standard. At least for Souta and Rina, it was. I, on the other hand. Do I introduce myself as a clan head? Or a member? And more importantly, what is my dream?
At first, it was survival; now progress for the clan. But the most major reason for all that was to gain power and resources to survive the upcoming upheaval. Sure, I had small goals marked out regarding the clan and the system, but a dream. I had no dreams. No grand vision. No Superior purpose. All I wanted was for me and those whom I consider mine to live in peace. I guess that's it then, huh?
Baah! I'm 10, almost 11. I have my whole life to dream.
Our friendly, energetic beastmaster took the lead. "Hello, I am Inuzuka Rina, and this is my ninken, Shiro. I am a taijutsu specialist and ninken-justu specialist. I like Spicy foods and fashion. My dream is to make my father proud."
She had an infectious, optimistic smile on her face. But somewhere in there, I felt grim determination. Souta continued, "I am Hyuga Souta. I am a scouting expert and a Gentle Fist Expert. I don't have any hobbies. My dream is to bring glory to my clan."
Both of them had daddy and mommy issues. During the mission, they had referred to themselves as failures of their clan, although we had never gotten into specifics. Now, since we were officially a team, it appears that their backstories will need their own chapters.
"I am Kurosawa Ren. I am a Fuinjutsu specialist. I also know taijutsu and kenjutsu on a basic level. I am also the clan head of the recently established Kurosawa clan. I don't really have any hobbies either. But I guess you could say I like to eat different kinds of foods. My dream is" I paused, "Peace.' I said simply.
Except for our sensei, who was definitely briefed beforehand, both Rina and Souta raised their eyebrows at the term Clan head. But before they could ask, our sensei introduced himself.
"Good, I am Aburame Kagenori. I am a Chunin specializing in insect warfare and information collection. I served as the vice head of the 3 logistics division during the war. I like reading and raising new insects. My dream is to write my own novel."
Huh, he seemed pretty laid back.
"Usually, we take the test right at the meet and greet, but since you all just came back from a mission, I will let you rest. It is not to pass or fail you, but for me to assess your levels so that I can teach you properly. Meet me at 10 at the training ground no.12 on the day after tomorrow. We'll do the test and then I'll treat you to lunch. Dismissed."
We parted ways.
"Ren-kun!" I turned back to see Rina staring at me with a serious expression. She suddenly bowed, "Thank you!" then turned around and ran away. Which I found kind of funny because the full-grown Shiro imitated her.
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Rina's POV
As I ran back toward the clan compound, the early afternoon sun filtered through the trees, making the village shimmer with warmth. But inside, my chest felt heavy — like a storm barely contained.
Even if it was just coincidence, Kurosawa Ren had given me and Souta a gift we could never have earned alone. A real team. An instructor. Recognition.
When we said we were "defective pieces," it wasn't self-pity — it was fact.
Shiro, my partner, padded alongside me with his tongue out and tail wagging. His paws were quiet, but his chakra wasn't. That was the problem. Shiro's species usually possessed the ability to mask their chakra completely, making them ideal for infiltration or ambushes. But Shiro… couldn't. He was loud — a bright flare in the senses of any trained shinobi. It made us useless for stealth missions, and since his species was relatively weaker than others in the clan, it made us vulnerable in combat in the clan's eyes.
And Souta — Souta had it worse. He'd lost his left eye in an accident years ago. The Hyūga elders had replaced it with an ordinary one. The clan didn't say anything openly, of course. But behind closed doors, they whispered: a Byakugan user with only one Byakugan.
That's why he wore those dark glasses — to hide the difference.
If we had been mediocre from the start, it might've been easier. But we weren't. We were both talented. Not prodigies like those main family heirs, but strong enough to earn envy… before we became objects of pity.
"Broken dolls."
That's what they used to call us when they thought we couldn't hear.
But today — today was different. Today, I had something no other "broken" shinobi could boast about. In fact, many branch members couldn't either. Most clans trained internally, but their finest were sent to the academy to show presence and get official assignments. Now I was also one of them.
An official team.
A Chūnin instructor.
And the Hokage's personal oversight.
It wasn't really mine, I knew, but it was recognition. After all, the Hokage chose us to accompany Ren, right? To me, that was everything. I had been chosen.
I turned down the main path toward the compound. The usual cluster of older genin and teens from the branch family lounged near the gate, sharpening kunai and gossiping. I was halfway through before one of them called out.
"Oi, Half-Heart! What's with the rush? Did you find the rest?"
The laughter that followed was sharp and familiar — too familiar.
I slowed, meeting their smirks with an even stare. "Actually, no. I am rushing to ask my mom for advice on instructor tests."
The boy who'd spoken — Arata, a smug cousin of mine — raised an eyebrow. "Instructor test? Don't joke. You haven't even—"
"Lord Third personally assigned us a Chūnin instructor," I said it calmly, but the words tasted sweet.
The laughter died immediately. Arata's smirk faltered, replaced by disbelief. "You're lying."
"Go ask the mission desk if you don't believe me." I adjusted my gear and started walking again. Shiro gave a low growl as we passed them, and no one dared stop me.
For once, their silence felt better than any victory in the training fields.
By the time I reached home, the nervous energy in my chest had turned to warmth. The familiar scent of herbs and cooked rice greeted me as I slid open the door.
"Mom, I'm back!"
My mother, a small woman with the same sharp brown eyes, looked up from cutting vegetables. "You're back, how was the mission—" She paused when she saw my grin. "What happened?"
"We got assigned a team. Officially. Souta, me, and our new teammate Kurosawa Ren — with a Chūnin instructor."
For a moment, she just stared — and then her eyes softened. The knife paused midair, and her lips trembled into a smile. "Really?"
I nodded. Shiro barked once, tail thumping against the floor.
"Then…" She wiped her hands on her apron and turned toward the cupboard. "Then I'll make something special tonight. Your father's on a mission, but when he returns, he'll want to hear every detail."
Her voice wavered slightly at the end — not from sadness, but pride. Real pride.
And for the first time in years, I didn't feel broken. I felt like a shinobi.