"This year's genin are monsters," Nijimura tells the Hokage. Shirogane gives him a look of such affable disbelief, Nijimura wants to punch him in the face – which of the two of them is the Chuunin teacher that was stuck with these brats for the past few years? He doesn't, because even he wouldn't go that far against the Hokage. And also because he'd get his butt kicked.
The disbelief fades into confusion as Shirogane makes his way down the list of new Academy graduates. "There are a lot of branch families on here," he notes. "Aomine is a branch of Inuzuka, Kuroko is Nara…and Murasakibara is an Akimichi branch house, isn't it?"
"Keep going," Nijimura says grimly.
"Haizaki! That's the Uchiha boy with his mother's name. I remember the fuss the Uchiha clan made when his mother took him and left the Uchiha compound. To think he's old enough to have graduated the Academy," Shirogane sighs nostalgically.
"Keep going," Nijimura says again.
"Ah." Nijimura can tell Shirogane has reached the most important graduate from the way his mouth sets in a harsh line. "Akashi. Is he really as his father boasted? Does he possess the Rinnegan?"
"I don't know," Nijimura says honestly. "I've kept my eye on him like you told me to, but I've never seen him use anything like the Rinnegan's powers. He's good; he always gets top marks in everything. But not in a way that makes me suspect the Rinnegan." Nijimura's lips twist. "It's just the genius of talent and hard work."
"Hmmm." Shirogane narrows his eyes. "I will take on Akashi myself."
"Really?!" Nijimura can't help but exclaim in surprise. The Hokage himself taking on a genin team? Even if the entire village has been on pins and needles waiting for the Hokage's verdict on Akashi Seijuurou and his possible Rinnegan, to go that far…! "You're taking on a whole genin team?"
"Why not," Shirogane says, and anyone might have thought he wasn't taking things seriously. "I'll take the Murasakibara on my team as well; Akimichi tend to be pretty stable, so hopefully he'll be a good influence."
Nijimura thinks about what he knows of Murasakibara Atsushi; stable isn't really the word he'd use. But the kid is pretty close with Akashi, it's probably fine. "Why not put Midorima as your third? I know that messes up the way we usually do things, all three of them scored really high, but if you want stability you might as well choose the other person who gets along with Akashi."
"Midorima. He's the boy from the commoner family." Shirogane sighs. "Right, of course," he says wistfully.
Nijimura rolls his eyes. "You realise your soft spot for Aomine Daiki is really obvious and embarrassing?"
"Genius needs to be kept an eye on," Shirogane says frankly, straightforward the way ninja aren't supposed to be.
"Yeah, well," Nijimura says, "Aomine works well with Kuroko Tetsuya. It's a good idea to keep them together. Kuroko's scores are pretty pitiful on their own, but working in concert with Aomine and they're capable of some pretty amazing stuff."
"That's good to know," Shirogane muses. "I was thinking having Sanada taking on Aomine, I suppose I should recommend Kuroko too."
"Sanada?" The scepticism slips out despite Nijimura's best efforts. "He's alright for a jounin and all, but is it really a good idea to have him take on Aomine?"
"Root has been raising a fuss," Shirogane says resignedly. "Obviously I am not going to let a Root member take on a genin team, so Sanada is a compromise."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Nijimura says quietly. There's no point raising a fuss of his own.
Later, drowning in his own blood, with Akashi crying over him as the Rinnegan swirl crazily in his eye, Nijimura wishes he had raised a fuss. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way. Feeling his life drain out of him, Nijimura wishes he can go back in time and smack both Shirogane and his past self for their complacency. Too bad it is far too late for regrets. "Don't cry, Akashi. I leave everything to you."