His fears had been founded.
There were tears and outrage.
Resignation and contentment.
Surprises and fiery resolve.
He wishes there had been more of the last two.
Instead he was met with whining and childish complaints of him being "mean" and having "too high expectations''. Blaming everything on the fact they were "just kids" and "still learning" and "didn't need" to have "everything figured out". That was what "being a genin was for".
Of course, not once did they consider that it was their own expectations that may not have been high enough.
That they could have trained more and focused on their studies instead of fawning over boys or having fun.
He didn't have time for such childish nonsense.
If they didn't want to put the work in, then they could either drop out or end up canon fodder.
He really didn't care.
Those brats were part of the reason civilian-borns continued to maintain such a bad stigma.
At least the civilian-borns he took had the support and resources they needed to become adequate ninja...Vaguely he wondered how pissed off Hiruzen would be if he suggested a fostering program.
Civilian-borns who wanted to become shinobi would be temporarily fostered by either a clan or a shinobi, living with them until they graduated from the Academy, in order for them to appropriately learn the culture and expectations of the profession as well as having the support of an actual ninja to teach them.
It was a win, win situation in his books. Though he knew Hiruzen would probably gripe about parents not being happy over having to send their kids away to live with another family.
Maybe he could do a test run. Use a select number of kids and compare them to their peers who were not in the fostering program and compare them?
Things to consider for later.
First he needed to get through today.
Looking down at his list he'd already met with Teams 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.
Normally Team 7 would be next, but he knew Kakashi would be late due to a last minute mission he'd been tasked with. So…
"Team Eight" Danzo called out from the doorway, ignoring the way Uzumaki banged his head on the desk in frustration.
He could relate.
Taking a seat at the bland office desk, he waited for the Team to settle in the four chairs in front of him.
Unsurprisingly the Inuzuka all but barrelled his way over, very nearly falling over in his chair in his excitement.
And as he expected, the other three were significantly more subdued in taking their seats.
Danzo silently hoped their calmness would rub off on their rambunctious teammate.
"We will begin alphabetically" Danzo announced, moving the Aburame's file in front of him.
"Aw, come on!" Kiba emphatically complained, slumping down slightly in his seat at the realization he'd be the last one of them to hear the results of his assessment.
Danzo narrowed his eyes sharply at the pup, "Impatience is unbecoming in a future shinobi of Konoha".
Kiba flushed in embarrassment, sitting back up in the chair with a modicum of more decorum.
"Shino Aburame" Danzo began, folding his hands atop the folder, his tone neutral and formal, giving nothing away.
Shino tensed, his spine going ramrod straight in nervous anticipation of what the Elder's next words would be in regards to his future.
"You are an excellent candidate to remain in the Shinobi Corps" Danzo revealed, his tone more akin to how one would casually discuss the weather and not the entirety of someone's future career, "In fact, out of all your cohorts you are the most well rounded, possessing the best overall balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application"
Shino didn't sigh in relief, but it was a near thing.
Now he didn't need all those back up plans he had been formulating to either become an entomologist or learn his clan's civilian trade of silk weaving.
"Ha! You knocked Sasuke right off his pedestal! He's not gonna like that!" Kiba chuckled, Akamaru barking in agreement next to him.
"We are not here to discuss your classmates' performances. If you wish to compare results and waste time gloating, do so on your own time" Danzo lightly chastised, silencing the Inuzuka boy once again, though the boy's amused smile remained.
Truth be told, the Uchiha by all rights should have been first when it came to being the most well-rounded of his peers in terms of overall skill and intelligence.
However, the boy's...personality, unresolved trauma, and character flaws put his ability to work effectively in the field in question, and inadvertently dropped him down significantly in score.
But he would deal with that animal when he got there.
"Your exceptional intelligence is your greatest asset. In fact, you are among the top three of your class in regards to this aspect" Danzo continued, praising the boy lightly, "You are incredibly observant and take in information just as quickly. Your sheer knowledge in various subjects and theoretics elevates your analytical skills and allows you to deduce your opponent's weaknesses. You are patient and your strategies and decisions are practical and grounded in logic, and I have no doubt that any unit you will be assigned to will have you additionally serve as a strategist"
While one would normally be assured by his words and praises, Danzo could see the littlest nuances in the Aburame's expression that told him the boy had already dismissed a majority of what he'd said.
Shino Aburame knew he was intelligent.
That information was nothing new.
But the possibility of two others being more intelligent than him was.
Danzo could almost see the gears turning in the boy's head trying to figure out just who in their class was either as smart, or possibly smarter than him.
And Danzo knew the boy wouldn't let well enough alone. Especially once he personally reads through every note in his file and sees that he's ranked third in overall intelligence.
He doesn't doubt for a second that Shino will try, and succeed, in finding his two other peers that surpassed him in the one area of his skills he prided himself on the most.
But that doesn't mean he was going to make it easy on the boy.
Each of the file pages were coded with a special cursed seal he had created while he'd been the Head of Root, in order to encode all the sensitive information he hadn't burned outright.
The restriction seal prevented anyone other than himself, Iruka, Hiruzen, the student, their parent(s), and the selected Jonin instructor from viewing the contents of the student's file.
Should any unauthorized personnel try to read the information they would be faced with lines of code to be deciphered.
If Shino wanted that information he was going to have to act like the ninja he wanted to be and find a way to get it himself.
"That being said" Danzo continued, interrupting the Aburame's obvious plotting, "Your impressive intelligence is also one of your biggest weaknesses"
This time Shino did jolt in surprise.
Danzo was certain that if he was able to see the boy's eyes they'd be as wide as saucers.
"Like a majority of your clan you have an expansive vocabulary to accompany your knowledge base. As a result of possessing a more advanced vocabulary and higher intelligence and maturity level than a majority of your peers, you struggle with appropriate social-communication skills" Danzo proclaimed, raising an eyebrow, as if daring the boy to challenge his words.
Shino didn't.
"Due to difficulties in trying, and failing, to communicate with your peers, you are more comfortable with insects and would much prefer their company than an actual person's" Danzo relayed, resisting the urge to sigh.
Once upon a time Shino Aburame would have been the ideal candidate for Root.
But this was now, not then.
"Isolating yourself from others is never the answer. When an initial strategy fails you should not continue beating a dead horse, nor should you throw in the towel. You change tactics" Danzo pointedly exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at the Aburame, "Tell me, how does a doctor explain to a patient how an operation will go?"
"The doctor would explain the surgery to the patient, in simplified terms, how things would proceed" Shino answered automatically.
"Why?" Danzo prompted further.
"Because the patient is not a doctor and would not understand the exact medical terminology he would use otherwise around his colleagues" Shino logically replied.
"Precisely" Danzo exclaimed, eyeing Shino in that way parents gazed exasperatedly at their kids when they just answered their own question.
"Ah. I see" Shino merely stated, feeling slightly foolish.
"What? See what?" Kiba exclaimed, completely confused about what just occurred between the Elder and his teammate.
"Elder Shimura used the example as a comparison to Shino's situation. Like how a doctor has to simplify his words for a patient, Shino should simplify his words when speaking to those who are not as knowledgeable as him" Kurenai clarified, taking pity on Kiba and answering his question, knowing full well that Danzo wouldn't.
"Ohhh. That makes sense...Hey! Just because he's smarter doesn't mean he needs to dumb things down for us! We're not stupid!" Kiba yelled out in frustration, glaring at the Elder for his slight against him and Hinata.
"No one was implying that you were. Merely that Aburame needs to minimize his overly wordy and complex vocabulary as it is unnecessary and potentially detrimental in the field. What can be gotten across in a few words or sentences may take significantly longer for him to explain with his current speech patterns. A team should not have to take precious moments in order to unravel what a comrade is saying. Those precious moments can mean life or death in battle, especially if the person failing to communicate is the team's strategist" Danzo logically rebuked, his tone harsh and matter-of-fact, eyeing Shino during the entirety of his speech in order to drive home the necessity to the young man, "You need to be clear and concise. Cutting out any verbose complex language. Do that and I can almost guarantee you will find conversation with others flowing more easily"
"I will...consider your feedback wisely" Shino stated, trying to force himself to get in the habit of reducing his complex speech pattern as soon as possible.
Survivor's guilt wasn't something he wanted to experience first hand any time soon (or ever).
Danzo gave the boy an approving nod, "Now, moving on to your technical skills".
Shino's attention zeroed in on whatever it was the Elder was about to saw, ready to soak up the information like a sponge and begin organizing it on how to apply it to his current training regime.
"You have a strong affinity for ninjutsu, and scored the best out of your class when it came to gathering intelligence, stealth and survival skills, and were the second best in terms of overall tracking ability" Danzo began, "Your genjutsu skills are among the better of your class. Your keen observation skills and kikaichu give you a distinctive edge in detecting illusions, and your intelligence and slightly above average skills in chakra control allowed you to figure out how to use the genjutsu release technique. I highly suggest you take advantage of your slight affinity for genjutsu in order to supplement your skills in stealth and long range combat. For example, learning some low to mid grade illusions will allow you to keep yourself hidden on the battlefield while you use your kikaichu to feast of your opponent's chakra, defeating them without even having to draw a blade"
"Bleh. That's no fun!" Kiba booed, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest in disappointment.
"Fun?" Danzo stated incredulously, his tone sharper than knives and colder than the ice in the Land of Snow, immediately causing the Genin trio to tense up in fear.
Kurenai winced sympathetically at the harsh lecture the trio was about to receive, but otherwise said nothing.
"Being a shinobi is not a game. This is not some school yard rendition of Ninja Tag" Danzo near growled out, "We are weapons. Willing tools who have vowed to protect this Village and all that inhabit it with our very lives"
Kiba flinched, sinking down slightly in his seat.
"We are killers, liars, and thieves little better than those we hold in our very prisons" Danzo proclaimed, ignoring the owl-like shock on the children's faces, "The only difference is who the crimes are done to and who orders them"
Morals are not set in stone. They change with the times.
Some are more consistent than others, though in the end they are determined by the experiences of the individuals who live them.
A great many (cough himself cough) have done things in their past that they now look upon in shame whereas back then they had not.
And laws are much the same.
Laws adapt and change because people adapt and change.
Not only that, but laws differed depending on where you were.
Then you add to the mix that the Shinobi Villages are literally military towns that primarily operate under military structure and laws...Well morals are constructs.
There were two types of people currently trapped in the Konoha prisons.
Captured enemies that have or attempted to harm Konoha or its citizens in some way.
And Konoha citizens who broke the Village's laws.
Murder, assault, theft, sabotage.
Those arrested were either executed or imprisoned for their crimes.
And yet, as shinobi they do the very same thing and they get to walk around freely every day because it was their job to do all those things.
"Shinobi are raised and bred for a single purpose. If you wanted fame or glory then perhaps becoming an actor would suit your fantastical notions better?" Danzo snides, giving the Inuzuka boy a dismissive sniff.
"What?! No way! I'm going to be Hokage someday and I'm going to make you eat your words old man! I'll show you just how serious about being a shinobi I am!" Kiba proclaimed, snapping out of his existential crisis and damn near jabbing his finger in the Elder's face, his eyes burning bright with determination.
"We shall see" Danzo challenged, his tone intentionally skeptical.
"As I was saying before this unexpected lecture" Danzo continued, his tone making it clear for Kiba to sit down, "The moment you have to fight is the moment you have failed. As a shinobi you are meant to be nothing more than a shadow. No trace. No evidence. You train so that a fight is not necessary. And if you must, you end it as quickly as possible"
"You have that potential. You would be wise to take advantage and foster those budding talents of yours" Danzo praised, turning the conversation back to the Aburame as it should be, "That being said, your taijutsu and shurikenjutsu skills are merely average with no variation from the style taught at the Academy"
"That is-"
"I am well aware that the Aburame clan are mid-to-long range combat fighters" Danzo exclaimed, bluntly cutting the boy off before he could give him the usual 'My Clan' spiel, "But just because your clan has a specific fighting style does not excuse letting your other skills fall to the wayside merely because it does not fit within your clan's mold. Tell me, if you faced an opponent like Maito Gai out in the field are you confident that you would win?"
"I am not" Shino admitted.
"And why is that?" Danzo questioned.
"Because he is fast enough to slip through my defenses and finish me within seconds" Shino detailed, relaying what he had observed during the taijutsu portion of his assessment.
"Precisely. Which is why I strongly recommend that you find a taijutsu style that works for you. According to Gai your physical conditioning is about average and he recommended for you to learn a taijutsu style that specifically focuses on redirection and using your opponent's weight against them. It also wouldn't hurt to take advantage of your clan's choice in attire and find a coat long enough to cover your hands, making it harder for your opponent to read your attacks" Danzo reported, "Do this and I guarantee you that should anyone get lucky enough to engage you in close combat they would be in for quite a surprise, wouldn't you agree? You even have the fortune of having two teammates who are already skilled in taijutsu to spar with"
"Indeed…" Shino stated carefully, glancing at his teammates out of the corner of his eyes, assessing the team dynamics in an entirely new light.
"Furthermore, it is up to you whether or not you would like to go a step further and learn an additional bukijutsu to further diversify your skills" Danzo continued, feeling confident he had made his...recommendation clear enough to move on, "While you did slightly above average in disguise, assassination, and torture and interrogation, you all but failed at seduction. Which, truthfully isn't all that surprising. Very few in your class were successful in any way in the specific portion of the exam. A fact I attribute first to age and experience, and second, as a failure on the Academy's part"
Danzo resisted the urge to scowl in indignation.
The seduction portion of the exam had been all but a joke.
Anko wouldn't stop laughing for hours.
According to her, garbage had more seductive charm than 99% of the kids combined.
"You already have a bond with your kikaichu so you opted out of checking for a summon affinity, though you did mention that it was your dream to find a previously undiscovered breed of insect, and if possible, make a contract with them. So I can understand your rationale for declining. Just remember, though atypical, you can have more than one summoning contract" Danzo reminded him, receiving a small nod of acknowledgement, "I also recommend that you expand your ninjutsu repertoire outside of your clan's insect-based techniques"
Before the Aburame could even open his mouth to comment, Danzo immediately cut him off.
He had neither the time nor the patience to deal with any ridiculous sensitivity the boy felt at his so-called insults towards his clan's pride.
"When tested for an elemental affinity you demonstrated a primary affinity for earth release, and a secondary affinity for fire release. Earth release is an exceptionally versatile affinity that has a variety of uses from defense to espionage to ranged attacks. And I'm confident you can find creative ways to combine the element with you kikaichu" Danzo suggested, hoping to appeal to the boy's logicality and the sheer possibilities open to him, "As for fire release, I am aware fire is a natural enemy of insect users. But that just means your opponent won't see it coming will they?"
Shino conceded to both points.
Learning earth release would be useful and logically beneficial.
Fire release however….Well, in order to become a Jonin one did have to know at least two elemental affinities…
Seeing the uncertain conflict in the boy's expression, Danzo decided to play his trump card...And hope that it wouldn't bite him in the ass later on.
"And at the risk of being persecuted for potentially knowing too much about clan secrets...Evolution is an amazing thing, wouldn't you agree?" Danzo pointedly alluded, emphasizing his words carefully.
Shino's eyes widened in a moment of sheer clarity...And unadulterated disbelief.
'How does he know of my clan's hiden ninjutsu?' Shino balked, his mind racing with the possibilities and what such a thing meant, and Kiba and Hinata weren't much better.
Lumps settled uneasily in their throats.
Danzo Shimura knew Aburame clan secrets.
An outsider knew of another clan's secret jutsu.
If Danzo somehow knew of hiden Aburame clan techniques did that mean he knew things about the Hyuga? The Inuzuka?...Just what other clan secrets did this man know that he wasn't supposed to?
And most importantly, how?
"And before your thoughts spiral down into an abyss of no return, I have worked with a great many Aburame in my lifetime, and though I may not know details or specifics, it has awarded me with knowledge of capabilities and techniques usually reserved for longtime team members. For example, your own father's former Genin team has more knowledge of Aburame clan techniques due to having fought alongside him. Much like your own teammates soon will" Danzo covered smoothly, trying to assuage the tense situation.
Danzo watched as literal sighs of relief were exhaled from the Genin trio.
Though they were no longer in borderline panic, there was still wariness and a small note of skepticism and mistrust in their eyes.
'Good' Danzo thought, 'Seems they aren't completely naive and blindly trusting after all. Maybe there is hope for this group yet'
Naturally Kurenai didn't buy his pretty words, the warning and mistrust in her gaze was still as razor sharp as when he first opened his mouth on the...sensitive subject.
While the Genin (aside from the Aburame) likely wouldn't probe further questions from anyone, Kurenai would not be keeping her mouth shut.
But he would deal with that bridge when he got to it.
"Sadly you do not have much of an affinity for medical ninjutsu, however I do recommend that you seriously consider shadowing members of the Medic Corps" Danzo recommended, his tone calm and collected, as if he hadn't just nearly tilted the world on its axis.
"...Why?" Shino reluctantly questioned, still seriously debating whether or not he should further question the Elder on the knowledge he shouldn't have rights to, or let him finish the summary of his assessment.
"While it is rare to see an Aburame acting as a medical ninja in an official capacity outside treating members of their own clan, there are a variety of medical treatments involving insects are there not? In fact, your father in particular is well known for his poison-consuming parasites" Danzo replied, ignoring the reluctance in the Aburame's tone, and the further tension caused at the mention of the boy's father, "Kabuto recommended that with your intelligence you should shadow one of the Medic Corps poison-experts and learn how to craft some poisons of your own and use them alongside your kikaichu"
Shino fought the urge to frown at the suggestion.
It...was a logical suggestion.
His session with Captain Kabuto Yakushi had been...memorable to say the least.
The overall experience had given him a new appreciation for medical ninja...And the poisons section had been...interesting.
Particularly when they used poisons from insects...Though he supposed that was Captain Yakushi's plan to capture his interest from the start.
"The contact information of the medic who has agreed to allow you to shadow them is listed in your file. The decision will ultimately be left up to you" Danzo exclaimed, tapping the folder lightly with his fingers for emphasis, purposefully redirecting his attention back to the assessment.
"...I will give the recommendation careful consideration" Shino stated, deciding to thoroughly review the more in-depth details of his testing and Kabuto's reasoning when he had the chance and base his final decision on that.
"Very well" Danzo accepted, seeing that he had successfully distracted the boy and finally had his full attention once more, "Overall you would serve well in the Tracking Units or even in the Konoha Cryptanalysis Team. Though personally I believe your talents best serve the Intelligence Division with a future in the Anbu"
Danzo fought the urge to smirk at the smug pride the Aburame boy was trying to hide as he imagined himself as an Anbu operative.
The boy would serve well in the Division.
Aburame always did.
"You have the potential to be quite the accomplished shinobi with a variety of areas to choose from in terms of specialties. Mind your weak points and you will go far" Danzo concluded with a flourish, giving the boy a final dose of positive reinforcement and social praise.
Despite the small amount of wariness that remained, Shino gave the Elder an appreciative nod, gingerly taking the file from his hand, careful to not even so much as crinkle the folder as he did. Treating the assessment as if it were an assortment of precious gold and gems.
Though Danzo supposed the assessment was far more valuable than any of that to the young genin-hopeful. The Aburame clan prized knowledge and respect for the ecosystem above all else. And being handed an in-depth assessment of one's strengths, weaknesses, potential, and recommendations of how to improve and grow was like winning the lottery.
Danzo was certain that if the Aburame's eyes were visible he'd see the gratefulness shining in them as the young man gently placed his file down in front of him, one hand almost protectively splayed across the top.
"Next, Hinata Hyuga" Danzo announced, sliding his attention to the right of the Aburame as he moved the young kunoichi-in-training's file in front of him.
He resisted the urge to scowl.
The girl already looked like she was about to start crying and he hadn't even started talking yet.
Her hands were clenched into fists in front of her, and she was so tense he could see the occasional tremors she was trying so desperately to hide. Her pale pupilless eyes were glazed over, terror sparkled in them, unable to even meet his gaze.
But he also saw something else.
Resignation.
She had already determined what he'd say.
And she was merely waiting for him to confirm what everyone else has told her.
"I believe you were taught to look those addressing you in the eyes" Danzo bluntly declared, causing the young girl to wince at her error.
With great effort, Hinata sucked in a steadying breath, straightening her spine and shifting her gazes from the grains of the table to the Elder's eyes.
"Better" Danzo lightly praised, his tone neutral, "Let's get started shall we?"
Hinata nodded, if a bit reluctantly.
"Hinata Hyuga. It is my recommendation that you drop from the ninja program" Danzo unapologetically proclaimed, his hand poised in front of him.
Like a marionette after its strings have been cut, the small bit of courage in the girl's eyes died out, immediately hunching in on herself in resigned defeat, no doubt praying for the Earth to swallow her whole.
"Hey!" Kiba burst out, growling at the man's callous words, "Hinata might be shy and stutter, but she'd make a great ninja!"
"If your touching little tirade is finished, I was not done speaking" Danzo chastised, narrowing his eyes sharply at the Inuzuka in a firm and clear warning that Kiba reluctantly heeded.
"The recommendation was made, not because Hinata is talentless or does not have potential. Quite the opposite actually. No. I recommended that she be dropped from the program for one singularly evident reason" Danzo explained, eyeing the Hyuga girl with a carefully assessing and unwavering gaze, as she slowly lifted her head back up.
"And that would be?" Kurenai prompted curiously.
"She does not want to be a shinobi" Danzo proclaimed, his voice-matter-of-fact.
"T-that's n-not-"
Danzo leveled the girl with an unimpressed glare, immediately silencing her.
Taking a quick glance Danzo saw that the Aburame and Inuzuka were actually stunned silent.
Good.
Kurenai on the other hand held a spark of sad understanding in her eyes, not seeming surprised by the revelation at all.
Interesting.
But none-the-less.
"You are a shinobi because it is all you have ever known. Because it is expected of you as the first-born of the Main Branch of the prestigious Hyuga clan. You never considered another option because it has never occurred to you that there was one. Or rather, that there was an option you felt that you could feasibly take" Danzo detailed, his tone softening slightly, "You desire for your father to be proud of you. To be who your clan says you need to be. To force yourself to fit inside the mold your clan is trying to relentlessly crush you into even though your shape clearly doesn't match. You want to prove to them that you are not a failure, but in trying to do so on their terms, based on their ideals, and using their old fashioned standards as a guideline, you have only proved what they believe to be true...And it cost you your position as heiress"
Kiba and Shino sucked in horrified breath, their spines ramrod straight, and eyes wide in complete and utter disbelief.
'No way…' Kiba thought numbly, 'Hinata was...Hinata was disinherited?! That, that, that almost never happens!'
Hinata slumped down into her seat, silent tears rolling down her cheeks, "I-I just d-don't know how to b-be b-better. H-how to be w-what they n-need me t-to be".
"You start by being you" Danzo declared, his voice so confident, so sure, that Hinata couldn't help but look up into his eyes with such blazing hope and vulnerability it almost made him uncomfortable.
People didn't come to him for hope. They came to him for the cold-hard truth.
So this was...almost warming in a way he'd never felt before.
"And before you resign yourself to your supposed fate, you do have options" Danzo assured her, his tone matter-of-fact.
"Options?! You just told her to drop from the ninja program and now you tell her she has options?!" Kiba shouted in indignation, annoyed with all the whiplash the Elder was giving them.
"Correction, I recommended that she drop from the program. She always has a choice" Danzo pointedly corrected.
"W-what o-options?" Hinata inquired curiously, a faint sparkle of hope in her eyes.
"Why don't we start going through your evaluation first, and then after you've heard the results we can circle back and I can tell you some of the options I think would be best?" Danzo suggested, his tone carefully neutral and calm.
"Yes s-sir" Hinata agreed, giving him a nervous nod.
"Very well"
"Hinata Hyuga" Danzo began, his tone firm and formal, causing Hinata to suck in an uneasy breath, "As I have already stated, regardless of my recommendation for you to drop from the ninja program it is not because you are talentless"
"In fact, the strength of your chakra was determined to be among one of the purest and most potent of your clan" Danzo proclaimed, a wry smirk making its way on his lips at the absolute astonishment on the girl's face.
Honestly, he didn't know who'd been more shocked by the revelation, Iroha or her.
Frankly he'd love to be a fly on the wall when Hiashi found out. Or better yet, the girl's grandfather.
The old bastard was more stubborn than him, and had always been far too caught up in outdated clan traditions to see the potential he had right in front of his face.
For a clan that prided themselves on their superior eyesight they truly were blind where it counted the most.
"Your current ninjutsu skills are slightly above average, assisted by the fact you are third in the class when it comes to chakra control" Danzo continued, seeing that the girl was still stunned speechless by the fact that she was top tier in anything and baffled by the fact he had yet to criticize her.
"Captain Yakushi reported that you had the potential to learn medical ninjutsu, and that you already possessed a good foundational knowledge in basic field aid. She even noted that you had surprised her with the fact you knew how to craft your own healing ointments. Though the recipes were clan specific" Danzo relayed, mildly testing the waters with a light critique.
And he was not disappointed.
With all the other praise she hadn't even fully registered the feedback being negative in any way.
Perfect.
"Your taijutsu skills and stamina are also above average. Unsurprisingly you have the most skill in using the Gentle Fist style, though you are among the best in your class when it comes to utilizing the basic Academy style forms" Danzo continued, ignoring the fact Hinata's mouth had all but dropped open at having been told she actually had talent in her clan's taijutsu style.
Well then she was going to be floored with Gai's full assessment when she actually read it.
Yes Maito Gai was not a Hyuga, nor can he use the Gentle Fist. However he was not a taijutsu master for nothing.
The man knew countless styles of taijutsu and bukijutsu, and through his extensive life experiences he was at least familiar with all the Konoha clans' fighting styles in some basic form, even more so in the case of the Hyuga clan since becoming Neji Hyuga's sensei.
Hiashi wouldn't be happy upon that revelation either.
But he could honestly care less.
It wasn't as if Gai was interrogating Neji and dissecting his fighting style in order to try and replicate it, or trying to figure out its weaknesses in order to use it against the Hyuga clan. The man was to honorable for that.
If parents wanted the best training for their kids then they don't get to complain about the "necessity of clan confidentiality" bullshit.
"You are above average in detecting genjutsu even without your Byakugan, and your innate chakra control was good enough to allow you to eventually figure out how to free yourself from the illusions your instructor trapped you in. And if you so choose to, you have the potential to utilize the art yourself" Danzo praised, seeing that his strategy of bolstering her confidence with positive reinforcement was working.
Hopefully he is able to build up her confidence enough that when he got to the...recommendations she wouldn't crumble like wet tissue paper.
"Unsurprisingly, you did exceptionally well during the tracking portion of the exam and with your Byakugan you have the potential to develop your sensory abilities further as you continue to train"
Hinata merely looked at the man as if he hung the moon and the stars.
The only other person she'd ever met who'd praised her abilities so highly was Iruka-sensei.
But he was nice and fair to everyone...
"You are average in your shurikenjutsu skills, and possess the basic knowledge of traps and survival know-how from the Academy. And unsurprisingly, your Byakugan gave you an advantage in the information gathering portion of the Espionage assessment which assisted in elevating your overall scoring on that specific test" Danzo relayed, noting a wince at the mention of the Espionage section of the exam (he would get to that later though), "Despite your affinity for taijutsu, you have no additional training in alternative bukijutsu, and despite your kindness translating over to ninja companions you opted out of testing for a summoning affinity despite the advantage of having a partner to fight loyally beside you"
Hinata looked away sheepishly, her cheeks coloring in embarrassment.
The fact she was still sitting upright though was encouragement enough for him to continue.
"You are dedicated and consistently get back onto your feet no matter how many times you are knocked down. You do not give up easily. A fact which extends over to your training. You continue training long after others have finished and well past the point your hands start to bleed. When asked why, you proclaimed that 'never giving up' was your nindo" Danzo proclaimed, his words echoing through the girl and reminding her of her own silent resolutions, allowing her gaze to meet his once more.
"And as good as it is to have an excellent work ethic, be aware that prolonged exposure to such high intensity training with little to no breaks can be detrimental to your chakra pathway systems. Resting is just as important for the body as it is during the recovery period that muscle and chakra builds" Danzo advised, his tone clear that scheduling in time to rest was not as optional as he made it sound, giving Kurenai a subtle glance, one she returned with a stiff nod.
"You have the ability to specialize in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, and you already have the makings to be an excellent tracker. That being said, I can tell that you are already falling into the common trappings of the typical clan-born mindset. And that is the misbegotten belief that you need to solely focus on mastering the techniques of your clan in order to be a successful ninja. And that will get you killed" Danzo firmly exclaimed, soldiering on despite the girl's flinch.
"Should you single-mindedly focus on improving your Gentle Fist you leave yourself vulnerable to those that specialize in either ninjutsu and genjutsu and can easily circumvent facing you at close range, leaving you to flounder and try to come up with a plan to force your opponent into close combat. As such, I strongly recommend you learn some mid-to-long range ninjutsu to compensate. According to Shisui and Iroha's report you have a strong primary affinity for lightning release and a secondary affinity for fire. Having either elemental techniques in your arsenal would benefit you greatly" Danzo recommended, hitting the girl with everything at once so that she had less time to focus on the individual critique and instead had to focus on what he was saying, "As for genjutsu, many Hyuga vying for Jonin discover the benefits of using the Byakugan to cast long range illusions on targets without them even knowing they are nearby. You'd be wise to learn from their mistakes and take advantage of said benefits sooner then they did"
Hinata blinked at the man owlishly, her mind swirling with all the new information.
"I would also recommend you choose an additional weapon to specialize in aside from the common ninja tools. Specifically archery" Danzo pushed.
"Archery? Isn't that a little random? I mean, Hinata's a Hyuga-" Kiba began, voicing his confusion, though unexpectedly it wasn't Danzo that cut him off.
"It is for that very reason Elder Danzo wishes her to learn archery. Why? Because it will give Hinata the element of surprise against an opponent trying to combat her at long range" Shino explained, his tone matter-of-fact, as if he were merely pointing out the obvious.
"Precisely" Danzo nodded, mildly delighted that he didn't have to be the one to prompt the Inuzuka into thinking more deeply.
"Ohhh now I get it. Nobody in their right mind would ever expect a Hyuga to be good with using weapons, let alone one that is literally the opposite of their clan's fighting style" Kiba smirked, the rationale finally clicking for him.
"Predictability means death for shinobi. The moment an opponent can read your attacks and guess your next moves is the moment you have lost. Having a wide range of skills allows for a diversity and adaptability in combat that will keep the enemy on their toes and prevent you from becoming too predictable" Danzo lectured, hoping to drive the lesson home early for the trio.
And though the Aburame and Inuzuka seemed understanding and content, it was Hinata's expression that seemed uncertain and wary.
And he could understand why.
"I am aware that it can be...scary to go against the norm and learn techniques and combat styles outside of clan traditions. And that in doing so may leave you ostracized even further" Danzo stated, his tone almost gentle as he tried to sympathize with the girl's plight, "However..."
"Your dream, your goal, is to one day unite the Main and Branch families of your clan and permanently remove the Caged Bird seal is it not?" Danzo questioned, narrowing his eyes at the girl, as if to challenge her dream, to challenge her resolve.
"Yes" Hinata proclaimed, her voice free of its stutter for the first time since the conversation began.
Interesting.
"That's a pretty radical ambition to have, wouldn't you agree?" Danzo inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.
"E-even so. It is still my dream!" Hinata declared, her tone spoken with a firm and confident finality he hadn't heard from her before.
Maybe she wasn't a lost cause after all.
"Then I'd say officially breaking out of your clan's mold would be a good starting point to showing them that change isn't necessarily a bad thing, wouldn't you?" Danzo stated, playing devil's advocate, a smirk making its way into his face.
"Y-yes sir!" Hinata proclaimed, her face flushing in embarrassment.
"Excellent" Danzo praised, sitting back slight in his chair, "On that particular vein. While you didn't display a particular talent for it, considering your dream is to remove the Caged Bird seal I recommend putting more of an emphasis in studying juinjutsu and fuinjutsu"
Hinata blinked in surprise.
She hadn't even thought of that...But it did make sense.
"Both are exceedingly complex forms of ninjutsu that take years and years of studying and training to master and even then very few still manage to do so" Danzo warned her, not wanting to give the girl any kind of false expectations, "And if you truly are interested in taking that path...You have the option of apprenticing under myself to learn if you so wish"
Silence.
Dead. Silence.
Then, just as suddenly, for the briefest of moments killing intent burst forward like a firework, fiery and explosive...and just as momentary before Kurenai quickly smothered the flames of her fury.
With a deep breath Kurenai mentally cursed herself for playing into the conniving warhawk's hands and letting her emotions get the best of her.
Unlike her new students, who were suddenly a shade paler and shaking their heads in disorientation, the Elder had been completely unphased and even had the gall to glare at her like a parent scolding their child.
This was not the time or place to...discuss her...concerns.
But make no mistake. She will be speaking with Danzo about this.
"You?!" Kiba exclaimed after he recovered a modicum of his mental faculties, completely flabbergasted by the man's offer.
"The Shimura clan specializes in cursed seals and hiden wind techniques. It was through my clan that the first correctional and holding facilities were created in the Village" Danzo lectured, unable to hide the pride and slight offense and exasperation in his voice at the boy's ignorance and unintentional offense.
"...We never learned that at the Academy" Kiba stated, his voice significantly calmer as he narrowed his eyes at the Elder in suspicion.
"The Academy has done a poor job at properly teaching you the history of the very place you call home and all those that reside in it. A failure I am having corrected as we speak" Danzo deadpanned, the disapproval evident in his expression, before turning his attention back to the original topic that had spurred all of this in the first place.
"I do not expect an answer now. It is merely another option for you to consider" Danzo informed the girl, neither pushing nor prodding.
Hinata nodded silently, baffled why an esteemed Elder would ever ask someone like her to apprentice under them, her goals aside, he was a Shimura and her a Hyuga.
Him teaching her anything, especially a trade his clan specialized in was almost unheard of!
Though she did feel oddly...touched that he would offer such a thing despite full well knowing that fact.
Maybe he just didn't care?
Or maybe he just had the authority to go over everyone's heads...
"Now, despite all the good I have said this far, I will be blunt with you. Your scores on your intelligence testing had your IQ and overall intelligence rated rather high. You are observant and have fairly high analytical skills. You have good critical thinking skills and ensure you take others into account when making strategies or plans. To a fault in fact" Danzo emphasized.
It was now or never.
"You don't like to hurt others. I am confident that you will do what you need to do in battle against an enemy, but intentionally causing harm is not something that you enjoy. In fact you completely failed an entire section of your Espionage test because you were unable to follow through with any kind of method of torture or interrogation, even upon a perceived enemy" Danzo relayed, making sure that his tone wasn't accusatory while sure ensuring that he emphasized the key parts to take away, especially since he could already practically see her wilting.
"Your greatest weakness however is your confidence. As in you have none. You are painfully shy and submissive due to the abuse you have endured physically, emotionally, and psychologically by your clan and bullies at school. You have severe anxiety whenever you have to actually speak, hence the stutter, and your self-esteem is non-existent. In short, you young lady are a trauma victim. And while you will not find a single shinobi that does not have some sort of trauma attached to them like a leech, it is still currently unsafe for you or any teammates you will work with for you to be out in the field if you are unable to communicate effectively and do not have the confidence to voice opposing viewpoints or ideas. Can you see why something like this would be detrimental in the field?" Danzo implored, bringing her into the conversation and halting the spiralling vortex of self-deprecation that was likely swirling in her mind.
After a few seconds Hinata gave him a solemn nod.
"Then answer" Danzo sternly prompted.
"I-If a commanding o-officer is s-suggesting a s-strategy I d-do not agree w-with a-and I h-have another, a b-better i-idea and not v-voice it, I-I could be p-placing the rest o-of the t-team in d-danger" Hinata forced herself to ground out, trying the best she could to push past her anxiety and negative thoughts.
"Exactly" Danzo confirmed.
According to Inoichi's report, due to the constant harsh and borderline abusive training Hinata had been enduring since she was three years old, the constant criticism for everything that she said or did, and never being able to measure up to her clan's standards and expectations, has caused severe anxiety in the girl to the point she feared offending people in any way, and expected to be criticized every time she so much as spoke. Even looking someone in the eye for her was difficult as she was constantly made to feel like her worth was beneath others.
Needless to say Hiashi was now officially ranked lower than him in Inoichi's eyes.
That in itself was an accomplishment (even if it was only temporary).
"A shinobi, a leader, has to be able to speak up. Shinobi cannot afford to second guess themselves in the field. If you know that you are right you must have the confidence to say it. Otherwise you may find yourself kneeling beside the corpses of your comrades" Danzo forewarned, not holding back the realities of her situation.
Hinata shifted her gaze to the ground, clenching her fists in her lap, ashamed, she couldn't bring herself to look in Elder Danzo's eyes anymore.
Seeing that the girl was reaching the last vestiges of her inner-strength, Danzo quickly continued on.
"You do not like violence. You are a naturally kind-hearted person who wants to make everyone happy, and in doing so you've only achieved making yourself miserable" Danzo announced, noting the girl was so caught in her own thoughts that she failed to notice the sad, pitying looks of her teammates, looks that promised comfort is she would just reach out and ask for it.
"I told you at the beginning you had options" Danzo pointedly reminded her.
Hinata nodded numbly.
Good. She was still listening.
"You can take my recommendation and drop out of the ninja program" he began, ignoring Hinata's white knuckles.
"You can choose to continue being a shinobi and a member of Team 8"
A twitch.
"You can choose an apprenticeship, serving directly under myself"
An intake of breath.
"Or, instead of joining the primary military force, you can instead opt to join one of the other Corps that do not involve directly fighting on the frontlines"
Slowly, Hinata raised her head to look at him in surprise.
Good.
"In fact I have it on good authority the Medic Corps would love to have you join their ranks" Danzo confidently assured her.
He could practically see the gears in her head spinning.
The uncertainty.
The fear.
The possibilities.
The gall of the suggestion.
If him offering a Hyuga an apprenticeship was scandalous, than this was pure blasphemy.
Hyugas didn't become medics.
Despite their chakra control, and how useful a diagnostic tool the Byakugan would be, the only Hyugas that ever learned medical ninjutsu were Branch Members. The attendants who weren't allowed to learn the higher techniques of the clan and whose sole purpose was to serve the members of the Main House.
It was clear from Hinata's own knowledge that she wanted to learn more of the medical arts. Inoichi even made note of an increased interest in the health profession after the girl's mother had passed away of an incurable illness when she was young.
But Hinata was a member of the Main Family.
The former heiress and now the secondary heir.
Never once had it crossed her mind to actually consider becoming a medical ninja because it just wasn't done.
Well, he says to hell with that.
But considering Hinata looked like her brain was overfrying by the mere thought of such a blasphemous audacity, he should probably move on before she passed out.
"If you do choose to remain in the Shinobi Corps and a member of Team 8 then I will be recommending you for additional tutoring sessions in seduction with Anko Mitarashi and therapy sessions with a non-active Yamanaka shinobi in order to improve your confidence" Danzo cut in, making sure her eyes had re-focused back on the conversation, and was cognizant enough to understand the conditions if should choose to remain in the Shinobi Corps.
From the serious frown on her face it seemed like she did.
Considering she failed both the disguise and seduction sections of her Espionage test because of her anxiety and lack of confidence, the thought of suddenly being assigned to someone as confident and comfortable in her own skin as Anko (and unashamedly showing it off as she pleased) was likely very daunting.
"You do not have to give me your decision now. Take time to think things over and review your assessment in more depth. You have until tomorrow morning to make your decision" Danzo stated, giving the girl the out she so desperately needed.
With a sigh of relief, Hinata nodded, though the wariness in her shoulders remained.
"Hinata"
Mildly startled, she turned her gaze back to the Village Elder.
"The decision is yours alone. What you want" Danzo emphasized, "Not your Father. Not your clan. Not Kiba or Shino or Kurenai. You. You alone have to make this decision first and foremost for yourself and not anyone else"
Against her wishes, tears started welling up in her eyes.
Though whether it was from nerves, anxiety, fear, gratefulness or combination of all of the above she wasn't entirely sure.
"Thank you" Hinata exclaimed, desperately trying to compose herself as she furiously rubbed away the tears before they had a chance to fall, taking her file from the Elder's hand and clutching it almost like a lifeline.
Danzo wasn't sure what decision she would ultimately come to.
But regardless of what she chose, chances were he'd be getting an irate earful from an overly strict Hyuga patriarch.
The joys.
"And finally, Kiba Inuzuka" Danzo exclaimed, moving the final folder in place in front of him.
"Oh yeah! Finally! We're so ready for this, right Akamaru?" Kiba excitedly exclaimed, anxious in a good way to hear how he fared in the exam.
Akamaru barked his agreement from atop his master's head, tailing wagging excitedly behind him.
"You are an excellent candidate to remain in the Shinobi Corps" Danzo relayed, getting down to brass tacks, and pointedly ignoring how the boy was barely keeping himself from vibrating out of his chair, "You are dedicated, loyal, and driven, as well as confident and unafraid to voice your opinions even if it means challenging your superiors. Your collaboration and teamwork is among the highest in your class. You will work with others even if you yourself do not like them. This is crucial as in the field you will be placed on teams outside your preferences and choosing. So being able to work with a variety of individuals, even those you may not like, is an excellent trait for a shinobi to have"
Kiba's chest immediately puffed up at the praise, his expression haughty and smug.
"That being said," Danzo stated, his stern tone quickly cutting into the boy's ego before his head grew any larger, "You are brash and impulsive. More often than not you do not think before you leap, and that is in regards to combat as well as social interactions. You crave acknowledgement and possess an inferiority complex that has resulted in you bullying your fellow classmates that may also be struggling in order to make yourself feel better and to take the negative attention off of your own grades"
"I'm not a bully!" Kiba sputtered in shock and offense, completely thrown by the Elder's accusation.
Danzo merely gave the boy a withering look.
"And do pray tell what you would call someone who consistently mocks a fellow classmate when they are having a harder time mastering a jutsu, laughing at them, and calling them names such as loser, and dead-last?" Danzo challenged, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.
"You mean Naruto?! But he's-"
Danzo watched in amusement as Kurenai lightly whacked the back of Kiba's head.
Not hard enough to hurt in any way, but the action was surprising enough that the Inuzuka had immediately stopped talking out of shock.
"Naruto is a human being like everyone else. You do not like it when others tease you for failing at something, why would it be any different for him?" Kurenai reprimanded, raising an unimpressive eyebrow of her own at the boy.
"Well...I mean everyone-"
"Just because many people are jumping on a bandwagon does not mean you need to get on to" Kurenai cut in sharply, "What's wrong is wrong. No exceptions"
Hinata nodded almost emphatically, "N-naruto works j-just as h-hard as you do K-kiba. Maybe m-more. You c-can't defend me a-and say I'm n-not a f-failure and y-yet mock N-naruto for s-struggling to".
"That is correct. That is because everyone has their own talents and abilities. Naruto's own talents may just lay outside the usual Academic curriculum" Shino jumped in, adding his own two cents as well.
"Precisely. The Academy does a poor job at gauging someone's full potential. Hence the purpose behind my little experiment. For example, someone could have no talent for ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu, and not do well with the Academy's textbook style learning, but be immensely talented in espionage and interrogation. Unfortunately for the student, espionage is only a subject taught during Shinobi Tactics and interrogation is omitted entirely. Which means what?" Danzo inquired, looking directly at the Inuzuka, and making it clear that he expected an answer from him.
Kiba sheepishly scratched the side of his face, sinking slightly in his chair.
"They would be dead-last or fail out of the program" he mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed.
"Exactly" Danzo exclaimed, "Underestimating others and seeing yourself above your peers will only hurt you in the long run. After all, one day you may be injured and unable to move and the only person standing between you and life and death may be someone you've insulted and mocked"
Kiba could help but wince at that.
He could imagine it (even if he didn't want to).
Him, bleeding out in the middle of a battlefield, begging for someone to help him up. Seeing the cold face of one of his former classmates...And feel his hope die as they moved away and left him on the ground…
And the sad thing was he wouldn't blame them for leaving him there either...
Kiba had to fight a shudder as an icy chill made its way up his spine.
"As an Inuzuka you have a strong pack culture mindset. And as such you instinctively try to find your place in every group you're in, typically by trying to assert your dominance in the group hierarchy in an attempt to determine who the Alpha is. As such you naturally clash with other assertive strong-willed personalities like yourself. You will also continue to try to assert yourself as the Alpha in a group even if there is someone that is better suited to lead. You need to work on tempering your dominant aggressive personality and learn when it is you need to step up, and when it is you need to step down and follow someone else's lead. Konoha cherishes camaraderie above all else, you remember that and you will go far in the Shinobi Corps" Danzo advised, pleasantly surprised by the level of seriousness on the Inuzuka's face, especially in comparison to a few minutes ago.
"Now, moving onto the body of your assessment" Danzo continued on, deciding to backtrack and return to his initial feedback plans, "While your ninjutsu skills are average, your taijutsu skills are among the best of your class and the same can be said for your physical conditioning. Your stamina is above average, you are within the top five of your class in regards to physical strength, and number one in terms of raw speed"
"Hell yeah!" Kiba unabashedly exclaimed, unable to hold in his excitement.
He worked damn hard to be the fastest in his class and do the Inuzuka name proud, he earned this moment damnit!
"That being said, your genjutsu skills leave much to be desired" Danzo cut in, fighting to roll his eyes at the boy's antics, and attempting to settle him back down with some more critiques, "You were able to identify lower level illusions, but failed to detect anything mid-strength or higher, and you were not able to escape the illusions on your own without causing harm to your person in order to shock your system out of it"
Subconsciously Kiba rubbed at his hands in the spots he had bitten them.
That part of the exam had sucked.
"This is due in part to your lack of chakra control. While you are passable and are efficient in utilizing your chakra to enhance your senses, and have quite a future ahead of you in regards to your potential as a sensor, you still needlessly waste your chakra with every technique you use. As such, I recommend you further fine tune your control by learning the Tree Climbing and Water Walking Methods" Danzo suggested, though his tone made it clear it wasn't really an option per say.
"...The what?" Kiba inquired, completely confused as to what the Elder was even talking about.
This time Danzo did let out an exasperated sigh.
"They are basic chakra control techniques that you should have learned in the Academy" Danzo near grumbled, "Nonetheless your Jonin instructor will guide all of you on how to complete the exercises when the time comes"
Kiba and Hinata merely looked at him like he'd suddenly grown another head, looking completely lost and unable to pinpoint the exact reason for his annoyance.
"Moving on. You did the best out of your class in the tracking section of the exam, and overall made good use of your enhanced senses during the information gathering and stealth portions as well" Danzo soldiered on, "You displayed average skills in shurikenjutsu and survival, and unsurprisingly you scored the best in your class in working with ninja animals"
Kiba merely gave him a 'no duh' expression, giving Akamaru a quick scratch underneath his chin.
"Like many others you do not have knowledge of other bukijutsu, though you scored slightly above average in traps and I highly encourage you further your skills in the area" Danzo continued, wrestling with the temptation to sign the boy up for etiquette classes.
"You don't have a particular talent for disguise, assassination, torture and interrogation, or seduction"
Danzo ignored the interesting shade of red coloring the Inuzuka's face.
He really didn't want to know.
"Nor do you have the chakra control for medical ninjutsu, however I do strongly recommend improving your knowledge base in regards to basic veterinary first aid in case Akamaru is ever injured on a mission" Danzo heavily stressed.
Kiba's expression went from fire red to snow white so quickly, Danzo had half a mind to call a medic.
Well...At least that meant the boy would take his suggestion seriously.
"I also strongly recommend that you learn additional ninjutsu outside of your clan techniques. Unsurprisingly you have a strong affinity for yang release due to your heritage, however you also tested a strong affinity for earth release as well. Combining your clan's techniques with earth release would not only make for excellent combination attacks, but it will also give you the option of having short to long range jutsu in your arsenal as well as the ability to better protect your ninken should your opponent target him in order to weaken you" Danzo advised, eyeing the Inuzuka carefully as his nerves finally reached a breaking point and he stuffed his ninken in the lapels of his coat as if that would somehow shield him from the dangers of the world.
"Lastly, intelligence wise you are actually a fairly methodical planner when you are not impulsively jumping head first into a situation" Danzo exclaimed, moving on to the tailend of the boy's assessment.
"What?!" Kiba exclaimed, nearly falling out of his chair in shock.
"Unlike your teammates who are capable of learning in both practical application and textbook format, you are purely a kinesthetic learner. You learn through doing. Through seeing and experiencing the world around you. As such you are more adaptable and capable of thinking of strategies on the fly" Danzo relayed, raising an eyebrow at the boy's over the top reaction, "Nonetheless your overall basic academic knowledge base still leaves some things to be desired. As such I recommend you continue reviewing the studies you were taught at the Academy so that you improve your theoretical knowledge and have a larger well of knowledge to pull from as you experience your life as a shinobi"
Danzo didn't know whether he should sweatdrop or laugh at the level of grouchiness on the Inuzuka's face at the thought of having to read textbooks again.
Kids.
"In terms of future prospects you could very well end up one day replacing your Mother as the Captain of the Tracking Units...However" Danzo tacked on, quickly wiping the smug prideful smile off the Inuzuka's face, "I have a much more interesting idea for you to consider"
"I'm listening," Kiba stated curiously, fighting the urge to lean forward in his chair.
After what the Elder offered Hinata and recommended to Shino, this was bound to be just as awesome or scandalous or both.
And he couldn't wait to hear it!
"How would you feel about working your way up the ranks of the Konoha Police Force?" Danzo inquired, folding his hands into a steeple in front of him.
Kurenai immediately narrowed her eyes at the conniving warhawk.
"I thought only Uchihas were allowed to join that! And besides, isn't the organization like, basically defunct now? Since...since, you know?" Kiba groused out, significantly bummed out by the Elder's totally boring suggestion.
"Traditionally yes, the duties of the Konoha Police Force was given to the Uchiha clan as a gesture of good faith from the Second Hokage, and as such the organization to date has only comprised members of the aforementioned clan. However, with the Massacre having reduced the clan's numbers to a mere fraction of their original numbers there are not enough Uchiha to maintain the organizational structure and as such it was shut down until further notice" Danzo detailed.
"Then why bother-"
"Have you heard of the Hyuga Affair boy?" Danzo cut in, his tone sharp and curious.
Hinata flinched.
"Uh. Well I know about nine years ago a high up ninja from Kumo tried to kidnap the Hyuga clan heiress…" Kiba reported, eyeing Hinata apologetically, "And that when he was killed Kumo basically pretended the guy didn't just attempt kidnapping and demanded blood. My mom wasn't happy about the whole thing, but I don't know any more than that"
"Do you know how a Kumo Jonin was able to slip past patrols and make it into the Hyuga Compound in the first place?" Danzo inquired.
"Um…"
"You said it yourself, who did the Police Force only consist of?" Danzo prompted.
"Are you saying the Uchiha purposefully let the enemy slip through?!" Kiba exclaimed, mouth falling open in absolute horror and disbelief.
"I'm telling you to look underneath the underneath. Think initiate. Politics play a hand in a great much more than you realize" Danzo sharply rebuked, his words like tempered steel.
"Uh...I mean I know the Uchiha and the Hyuga didn't really seem to like each other...Come to think of it, I never really smelled any member of the Police Force near the Hyuga Compound...And if I did it was only faint traces of their scent" Kiba muttered almost to himself.
"And all that information tells you what?" Danzo prodded, trying to push the Inuzuka along just a little bit more.
"That...the Hyuga didn't like the Uchiha near their Compound?" Kiba replied, uncertain if that was the answer the man was looking for.
"Precisely" Danzo confirmed, settling back in his seat, "Due to their...rivalry, and pride, the Hyuga made it very clear to the Police Force that their assistance in patrolling their sector of the village wasn't necessary, and as such the Police Force rarely lingered in said area"
"Which gave the Kumo ninja the opening he needed to break in" Kiba realized, the implications finally sinking in.
"Exactly" Danzo confirmed once more.
"Sooooo where does me joining the Police Force fit in with all this?" Kiba inquired curiously.
"Tell me, if the Police Force had consisted of other individuals beside the Uchiha clan back then, do you think the Hyuga clan would have more readily tolerated the patrol units around the Compound?" Danzo questioned, raising a challenging eyebrow at the boy.
"That's..."
"As I stated to all of you previously, everyone is so caught up in continuing their ancient traditions that they inadvertently miss the solutions that are more often than not right in front of their faces" Danzo stated, a hint of barely there grim exhaustion in his tone.
They had missed what was right in front of their faces.
Hiruzen. Homura. Koharu. All of them.
If they hadn't been so caught up in their own out-dated ways, in solving a threat the way they had been trained how: Eradication.
Preventing a larger threat by any cost necessary.
If they hadn't been so short-sighted (cough brought in Shikaku cough) then they would have seen that there had been plenty of other alternatives then having a majority of the Uchiha clan killed.
First off, the Uchiha clan would never have gone through with the coup anyhow.
Fugaku Uchiha was many things, but foolish was not one of them.
One clan numbered in the hundreds against a Village of shinobi numbered in the thousands?
No matter how strong the Uchiha were, realistically there was no question of who the winner would have been, and any dissenters could have been easily dealt with.
If they had just focused on finding ways to reintegrate the Uchiha clan back as a respected part of the Village, the Massacre might not have had to occur at all.
But you know what they say, hindsight is 20/20.
"Okay. That's nice and all, but I don't want to be stuck in the village patrolling all day and listening to the civilians complain about stupid stuff. I wanna be out on the front lines! Not settling arguments between shopkeepers or finding some old lady's cat!" Kiba declared, his face scrunching in disgust as if he'd gotten a wift of a horrible scent, his commentary breaking the Elder out of his own thoughts.
"The Police Force are not adult Genin forever tasked with completing D-ranked missions" Danzo snapped, narrowing his eyes at the naive and ignorant child in front of him, "They function as the Village's guards and lawkeepers. They have the thankless task of protecting the citizens of the village who cannot protect themselves and upholding the very laws our village is founded on. Whether it is finding a lost and terrified child who has gone missing, settling a domestic dispute, retrieving stolen property, investigating allegations of rape or murder, or protecting merchants from mercenaries and internal or external sabatoge, they do all that and more in addition to guarding against shinobi who try and sneak into our borders"
Kiba flushed in shame and embarrassment.
"The Police Force maintained order. While regular patrols of chunin have temporarily taken the organization's place there is a power vacuum. Complaints and unsolved cases have been piling for years. It's gotten so bad that the Hokage had been placing Genin Teams in charge of handling the simpler incident reports just to close some of the cases" Danzo revealed, his disapproval of the practice evident in his tone.
"The Police Force is a necessity to maintain the Village's peace and safety. But for it to reopen it needs more members...No. For the Police Force to succeed to greater heights than it had in the past, it needs new blood" Danzo emphasized, circling back around to the point of the very conversation in the first place, "It needs future detectives who are loyal and determined. Shinobi who are affable enough for civilians to talk to, to trust, but who are also fierce and intimidating enough that the Village's...criminal underbelly will not dismiss"
The trio of genin-hopefuls blinked in surprise.
Danzo resisted the urge to sigh.
Truthfully he wasn't surprised that the three of them didn't know what he was talking about.
They were clan heirs.
Pampered. Sheltered.
They'd never gone hungry.
Never knew what it was like to not know where their next meal would come from.
To resort to digging through the garbage or sleeping on the floors of abandoned shopping districts.
Hiruzen and his former squadmates liked to pretend that Konoha was this perfect little paradise, pointedly ignoring the forgotten orphans pickpocketing in the streets, the existence of the Red Light district, and silent ever present Yakuza underbelly that had greatly expanded its influence in the poorer districts of the Village in the years since the Massacre and the subsequent shut down of their only deterrent.
Yes Konoha was more prosperous and fortunate than most, but they certainly weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
But that was a story and lecture for another time.
"The Uchiha were certainly intimidating enough, but their social skills left much to be desired. Now an Inuzuka on the other hand..." Danzo trailed off, his inflection immediately catching Kiba's attention, "A clan well known for their ferocity and loyalty. I can only imagine the benefits of how having such a sense of smell would side you in your investigations"
Hook.
"Well" Kiba sniffed, rubbing his nose in a cocky and proud manner, "You're not wrong. An Inuzuka always catches their prey. Criminals wouldn't stand a chance"
"The 'First Inuzuka Detective' suddenly has a nice ring to it doesn't it?" Danzo stated in almost wistful reverence.
Line.
"I'll admit I'm starting to see the appeal now" Kiba stated, a smirk making its way into his lips.
And sinker.
Kurenai's brow violently twitched. Though Danzo had to give her credit, despite the fury that was no doubt boiling beneath her skin, her expression was the picture of forced neutrality.
"In that case, your file contains the contact information for the Jonin Shisui Uchiha. Should you seriously consider this route then I recommend apprenticing under him once you achieve chunin. Until then I would study up on your knowledge of the Village's laws and regulations" Danzo recommended, making sure to keep the eagerness out of his voice at his success as he pushed the boy's file closer to him.
"Right on! Just you wait Old Man, I'm gonna make chunin in a year!" Kiba declared, swiping his file off the desk and pointing at the Elder as if challenging him to refute his words.
"Feel free to attempt to surpass my expectations" Danzo deadpanned before turning his gaze to the other two ninja-hopefuls, "And that goes for you two as well"
Shino and Hinata both gave him an acknowledging nod, both of them significantly more at ease in his presence than when the meeting had first started.
Three out of four wasn't bad all things considered.
Though to be fair he knew he would not be able to 'charm' Kurenai Yuhi to start with, so it was a moot point really.
Danzo resisted the urge to pat himself on the back for a job well done, pointedly ignoring Kurenai's frigid glare and blatantly obvious suspicions.
"And with that, your individual assessments are complete" Danzo proclaimed, folding his hands in front of his face as he settled into a more relaxed position in his chair.
"Individual?" Kiba questioned, confused what he meant by that.
"Why is it you think the three of you were placed together on the same team?" Danzo inquired, returning to his version of 'teaching-mode'.
"Despite our varied skill sets the singularly common denominator in each of our assessments leaves me to reasonably deduce that we were selected to function as a Tracking Unit" Shino quickly replied, having already long since deduced the purpose behind their team.
"That is correct. You were chosen to function primarily as a Tracking Team under the Village's genjutsu mistress Kurenai Yuhi. Your team was structured in particular so that should you be separated from your Sensei or she end up incapacitated, Shino would be next in command to lead you to safety" Danzo detailed, "As a primarily long range fighter Kiba and Hinata would cover Shino, just as he would use his insects to cover you from a distance as you attack the enemy at close range. Collaboratively, with Kiba and Shino, and Shino and Hinata each sharing elemental affinities, combination attacks are possible. In short, you cover each other's weak spots and you jutsu mesh well together"
"If I may," Shino inquired, his tone inquisitive, "Kurenai-sensei is lauded as the best genjutsu user in Konoha correct? I am...puzzled as to why she was chosen to lead a tracking team"
Danzo fought the urge to smirk.
So the boy had caught on to that after all.
"Excellent question. If you will?" Danzo stated, directing things over to the Jonin in question.
"Though I am known as a master in genjutsu, it is not widely known that I am also in fact a skilled sensor. Throughout my career as a shinobi I have created my own genjutsu techniques that allow me to leave traces of my chakra behind in my opponent's chakra network, allowing me to track them across lengthy distances with them being none the wiser" Kurenai explained, though being careful to not go into any kind of specific detail, lest she have all the hard work she put in to creating her techniques be stolen from her by the amoral bastard in front of her.
"That's badass!" Kiba shouted in amazement, thoroughly impressed with how cool and strong their sensei was.
"So glad you approve" Kurenai stated wryly, her sharp calculating gaze in contrast with her words as she glared at Danzo.
Her words weren't meant for Kiba.
Danzo ignored her.
"Your Sensei is a Jonin. One of the Village's elite. To reach such an esteemed position one must generally meet a series of requirements. Namely having a very specific degree of proficiency in all the shinobi arts. So while Kurenai is known as a genjutsu master, you best do well to remember that she is first and foremost a Jonin" Danzo reminded them, his tone returning to that of a General, and causing the trio's spines to straighten.
The message was clear.
Respect your commanding officer.
"Now that our session has concluded, some of you have important decisions to make" Danzo dismissed, the straight-laced tension leaving his shoulders.
"Yes sir!"
"It was an honor"
"T-thank you s-s much!"
Danzo watched in silence as the trio eagerly shuffled out of the room, trailing after one another as they clutched their files closely to their chests.
"What are you scheming now?" Kurenai demanded as soon as they were out of earshot, immediately standing up out of her chair above the Elder as if to give the illusion that she held the high ground in the discussion.
He fought the urge to scoff.
He wasn't the one deluding himself.
Illusions were just that, false.
Her little attempt at a power play was cute, but she was playing with the big leagues now.
And he's never lost a game of Chicken.
"Scheme is such a harsh term Yuhi" Danzo stated, intentionally skirting around the topic and feigning ignorance.
"Then what would you describe this as?" Kurenai challenged, her body as taunt as whipcord and prepared to lash out just as quickly.
"Why, as guiding the next generation to realize their fullest potential for the maximum benefit of the Village of course" Danzo proclaimed, his tone making it sound like he was speaking to a foolish child.
"The maximum benefit of the Village? Or for you?" Kurenai bit back, a sneer evident in her expression.
Anbu. An apprenticeship. The Police Force.
She wouldn't put it past him to use a public revolution as a cover for a far more subtle takeover plot.
Butter up an entire generation and unknowingly gaslight them into what he wants them to do, while at the same time have them be loyal to him out of appreciation.
"We are all citizens of Konohagakure. When the village flourishes, so does its people" Danzo retorted smoothly, unphased by her barbs and accusations.
"Your motives are in question" Kurenai stated bluntly, leaning forward onto the desk to glare directly into Danzo's eyes as she spoke.
How childish.
If she was trying to intimidate him she needed to do far better than that.
"Everyone has their own agenda. What they expect to get out of something. Tell me, why did you request to be a Jonin instructor so soon after finally reaching the coveted rank? Most wait a few years, gain some experience under their belt, before saddling themselves with such a responsibility" Danzo questioned, a vicious smirk making its way into his face as he glanced at the genjutsu mistress with a smug knowing gaze.
Kurenai immediately jolted back, her spine ramrod straight and her jaw harshly clenched, her eyes a kaleidoscope of bitter resentment and loathing.
Looks like he wins again.
What a surprise.
But if Kurenai wanted to come at him without being cowed into submission she needed to come prepared with actual information to use against him.
Information was the lifeblood of the shinobi after all.
He never went into a conversation without some sort of leverage should he need it.
Like knowing that Kurenai Yuhi only became a Jonin sensei because she was promised Hinata Hyuga as one of her students by Hiruzen.
Whatever Kurenai heard or witnessed the day she was tasked to meet with Hiashi Hyuga as a messenger correspondent from the Hokage regarding Hinata's future as a Genin spurred her to request the girl as her student.
Specifics weren't necessary. He could guess enough of what occurred.
And having a soft bleeding heart would always be a glaring weakness as much as it could be a strength.
"I don't trust your agenda" Kurenai proclaimed with a burning finality.
"No one does" Danzo casually shrugged, before his eyes narrowed dangerously, killing intent emanating throughout the room, "Just don't make the mistake of getting in my way"
"..."
"Next"