In the Hokage's office, smoke from the pipe lingered in the air.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, listening to Minato Namikaze's mission report.
His expression remained unchanged, only occasionally nodding.
"...During the mission, we encountered three missing-nin from Kusagakure, all of whom were eliminated. The client, Mr. Furukawa, was delivered safely, and the transaction was completed without issue."
Minato's voice was steady, and his report was concise and clear, revealing nothing unusual.
But Hiruzen's gaze passed over Minato and landed on the three children behind him.
Tokuma Hyūga's expression was very serious, his posture rigid, but a lingering heaviness remained in his eyes.
Yakumo Kurama kept her head down, her small hands clutching at the hem of her clothes, as if a bit uneasy.
As for the child named Roy, he was the strangest.
He had maintained a gentle smile from beginning to end, appearing the most relaxed, but Hiruzen, who had lived long enough to read people well, saw at a glance that the gentleness was feigned.
This kid was hiding something.
"All of you did well." Hiruzen put down his pipe and spoke in a gentle tone.
"To handle things so cleanly and efficiently on your first mission outside the village shows you're a worthy team for Minato."
"That's praise they've earned." Minato replied with a smile.
"You're dismissed." Hiruzen waved his hand. "I'm giving you three days off. Get some good rest. The path of a shinobi is still a long one."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
The three responded in unison and followed Minato out of the office.
After the office door closed, Hiruzen picked up a file on his desk.
It was the personnel file for the three members of Team Eleven.
His finger tapped lightly on Roy's clear-featured photograph.
After leaving the Hokage Tower, the sunlight outside was almost blinding.
"Alright, you're dismissed." Their teacher, Minato, announced. "Meet at Training Ground Eleven at nine o'clock in three days. Don't be late."
With that, he ruffled Yakumo's hair, patted Tokuma on the shoulder, nodded to Roy, and vanished with a Body Flicker Technique.
Left behind were three half-grown children, staring at each other in an atmosphere thick with awkwardness.
"I, I'm going back first." Yakumo was the first to break the silence, murmuring softly before fleeing as if escaping.
Tokuma also felt the discomfort. He glanced at Roy, who looked as composed as ever, opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing and turned towards the Hyūga clan grounds.
Roy stood there, watching the backs of his two teammates.
He knew this wouldn't pass easily.
What had happened in the forest that day was like a red-hot brand, searing a deep mark into everyone's heart.
He returned to his small apartment and locked the door.
The room was as it always was, almost too clean.
He didn't start training as he usually would.
He unsheathed Raiga from his waist and laid it horizontally on the table.
He gazed quietly at the blade.
Its pitch-black surface reflected no image of his face, only a profound, empty void.
He reached out, wanting to touch the blade's edge, but stopped just as his fingertip was about to make contact.
He thought of how the scar-faced missing-nin had looked when his body was severed.
There was no blood.
Only a patch of charred blackness.
At the time, he hadn't felt anything at all inside.
It was like crushing an insect.
He felt that there might be something wrong with him.
A normal person, killing for the first time, shouldn't have such a reaction.
He sat at the table, just staring at Raiga for the entire afternoon.
The next day, Roy woke up early.
He didn't go to the training ground or the library.
He went to Konoha's shopping district.
At a confectionery shop, he bought a box of beautifully packaged sweet bean paste dumplings.
Then, he walked to the entrance of the Kurama clan grounds.
He didn't go inside, just handed the box to the guard at the gate.
"Please give this to Yakumo Kurama." He said with a smile. "Tell her it's from a friend."
The guard looked puzzled but accepted the box.
After doing this, Roy turned and left without any hesitation.
He knew Yakumo might not eat them, or might even throw them away directly.
But that wasn't important.
What mattered was that he needed to do something.
Something a "normal" team leader would do in this situation.
That afternoon, he appeared outside the Hyūga clan's training ground.
He didn't go inside, just watched from a distance.
Tokuma was sparring with an elder from the main family, getting beaten back relentlessly, knocked to the ground time and again.
But he got up immediately each time, his eyes filled with stubborn defiance.
After watching for a while, Roy turned and left.
He knew Tokuma didn't need comfort.
That guy needed a target to chase.
And Roy felt that, right now, he was probably that target.
On the third day, the last day of the break.
Roy stayed in his apartment, spending the entire day wiping down Raiga.
He didn't channel any power into it, just used the softest cloth, passing it over the pitch-black blade again and again.
He was getting familiar with it.
Learning its weight, its balance, its edge.
He was telling himself, and the blade, as well.
You are just a tool.
So am I.
The three-day break ended.
At nine in the morning, Training Ground Eleven.
Roy arrived first.
Soon after, Tokuma arrived too. There were dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept well, but he seemed full of energy.
Neither spoke, just stood there.
Yakumo was the last to arrive. She still seemed a bit scared of Roy, standing far away from him.
But in her arms, she held an empty box of sweets.
Teacher Minato appeared right on time.
He looked at the strange distance between his three students and smiled.
"Alright, break's over." He clapped his hands. "Starting today, we begin new training."
He didn't mention the previous mission, not a single word.
"Today's topic is teamwork."
Minato took three weighted vests from his ninja tool pouch.
"Put these on." He said. "Then, run one hundred laps around the training ground. No stragglers. If one person falls behind, everyone starts over."
Tokuma and Yakumo's faces instantly fell.
Roy showed no reaction, silently picking up a vest and putting it on.
It was very heavy.
"Start." Teacher Minato leaned against a tree and pulled out his novel again.
Tokuma gritted his teeth and put on his vest.
Yakumo looked at the vest, her small face turning pale. With her stamina, forget one hundred laps, even ten would be a stretch.
She glanced unconsciously at Roy.
Roy was looking at her too.
His gaze was very calm.
He didn't say anything, just extended a hand.
Yakumo was stunned.
Then, she seemed to understand.
She hesitated for a moment, then reached out her own small hand and grasped Roy's.
Tokuma, watching beside them, snorted softly, but walked over and grabbed Yakumo's other hand.
The three stood in a row, holding hands.
"Good." Teacher Minato said without looking up.
"Now, run."
---