Lesson number three: never question the orders. Nothing you do will change then.

It was a day when most people would feel like laughing out loud, fuck whatever the passerbyers would think, what they might say, because it was bright with sunlight, but not too bright, and it was warm, not hot, and there was just enough wind to inspire giddiness in even the most stoic of folk, but all Yamanaka Ino wanted to do right now was scream at Tsunade-sama, Godaime-Hokage, and the most respected kunoichi in the village.

"Why?" She fairly shrieked, brandishing the mission scroll. A-Rank. With a bonus to whomever chose to complete it. She should have known there was a catch. There always was, when a bonus was concerned.

Tsunade looked unperturbed at the young Jounin's antics. She had seen greater temper tantrums before, had dealt with the council members, for the sake of all that was holy. Her brown eyes were calm, voice steady. It always was, when dealing out such orders.

"It doesn't matter why. Will you take it?"

Ino hissed through clenched teeth, crushing the scroll in one balled fist. The other was curled at her side, veins pulsing angrily. "It matters to me!"

She was quieter now, though still angry. She had a right to be, dammit. Who the hell gave out missions like these? Who the hell could authorize something like this and still sleep at night, unbothered by nightmares, or at least thoughts, nagging thoughts, whispers of, what have I done, look at my hands, the blood on them, since shinobi weren't supposed to be bothered by such trivial things as nightmares. The real terror came when you were awake.

"Then don't take it. I have other Jounin." Tsunade took a sip of tea, at ease with her surroundings, the familiar clutter of unfinished paperwork and empty sake cups, and the occasionally kunai scattered in the further reaches of the room. This was her realm now, more than the field, though she often wished she could return to it.

The younger kunoichi before her huffed, weighed her options, and then snapped out a reply, still angry. "I thought only the enemy murdered innocents."

Sound Village seemed to be the scapegoat for everything. Ino hadn't thought about it much before, but it seemed important now. Some things only became clear when they hit you in the face.

"They are not innocent."

"They're just kids!"

"It does not matter," Tsunade repeated, voice cool, almost cold. Her eyes were like water after a cold night during the early onset of winter; they were frozen, yes, but you were a fool if you didn't see anything raging underneath the icy exterior. "Are you refusing this assignment, Yamanaka Ino?"

A pause. Breathing, hard and quick, hissing through a tight snarl. Then a sigh. Ino closed her eyes.

"I accept this mission, Godaime-sama."

Kami help her, but she was taking it. She was consenting to murder a bunch of little kids, and for what? A reason that wasn't specified, for a client whose name she didn't know. Someone wanted them dead, and Yamanaka Ino was going to make it happen.

Was this what she had become? Just a murderer, a fucking baby-killer? They never said anything about this in the Academy, never said a damn thing about killing innocents, no, never a word about that. Serve your village, your Hokage, and your people. Do what they order. Kill whom they deem worthy of such.

Don't ask questions.

Ino opened her eyes. Tsunade-sama was still there behind the desk, staring back at her with that infuriating look, the unshakable calm, that poise while she gave out such orders, such missions. The Yamanaka could almost bring herself to hate the woman now, hate the kunoichi who lead her village, who she was sworn to serve. Konoha's fifth Hokage, the Slug Woman. Tsunade-sama.

Shivering, the scroll clutched in one had, Ino turned to leave. She had reached the door, almost grasped the handle, when the Hokage's voice stopped her, brought her thoughts back on what she was going to do.

"Good luck to you."

Like this was a normal assignment. Like this day, all bright and sunny and too damn happy was going to end as it had begun for the children whose names were listed in the scroll she was carrying. Ino closed her eyes, and reached for the door.

God help her. God help them all.