The Roots That Nourish the Trees

by SharinganSandwich

DiscontinuedThis Story From AO3 The Roots The Nourish the trees by Thunderbirdswolvesandlilacs:

6. Chapter 6

Danzo resisted the urge to sigh as Team 10 made their way into the office he'd temporarily commandeered.

Two Teams left.

Though Team 10 had a slew of their own issues that made Team 8's pale in comparison.

He had a feeling his throat was going to be killing him by the end of these evaluations.

Fortunately he knew a few mild water releases to rehydrate his throat to keep that from happening.

As the next trio of problematic clan heirs took their seats a small wisp of smoke circled almost imperceptibly around his skull.

Danzo shifted his gaze from the unusual lingering smoke to the former member of the Twelve Ninja Guardians.

Asuma stood casually behind his Genin team, for all rights looking completely at ease and nonchalant, no tension in his shoulders or posture visible whatsoever as he exhaled the cigarette smoke from his lungs.

If Danzo hadn't worked with Hiruzen for so many years he would have dismissed the smoke as a petty disrespectful gesture.

But he did know better.

He knew what that smoke really was.

An imperceptible setup for a much more devastating fire release jutsu.

Asuma's warning was clear: "You threaten my kids, and I blow your head off".

Yuhi (and maybe even Gekko) must've forewarned him.

No matter.

He'd planned as much, and Asuma's knowledge was inconsequential in the long run.

"You are aware smoking is prohibited on Academy grounds, correct?" Danzo reminded, unphased by the other man's posturing, though he had to admit he was doing a slight bit better at threatening him than his longtime crush had not too long ago.

"Bad habit" Asuma shrugged, putting out his cigarette on his chakra covered palm, a sharpness to his gaze as he glanced at the Elder, "But rules are in place for a reason...And no one is exempt...Otherwise there'd be chaos"

"Agreed. Though some rules are meant to adapt and change. However...Smoking here isn't something even the Hokage's son would be able to get away with" Danzo exclaimed, his tone casual and unassuming...Though the hidden warning behind his words were not.

Not even the Hokage's son would be able to walk away from killing him without facing consequences.

"I'm aware" Asuma retorted casually, sliding into his chair with an almost laid-back slouch, "But this isn't about me, you, or the smoking restrictions of the Village. We're here for a far more interesting reason. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I wouldn't describe properly facilitating the growth of the future generations of the Konoha as interesting" Danzo challenged, raising an eyebrow to the ballsy Jonin.

"That so? Cause I've heard through the rumor mill some of these evaluations have gotten plenty interesting" Asuma nonchalantly rebuked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I suppose hearing the blunt candid truth can be" Danzo replied, leaning forward in his seat, clasping his hands atop the first folder in the pile in front of him.

"Then let's hear it then. I suppose we've kept the kids waiting long enough" Asuma stated, shifting the conversation direction in order to get things over with.

He never did have much patience for politics.

"Very well then" Danzo agreed, assessing the trio of Genin between them who had kept silent through the entire exchange.

The shrewdness in the Nara's gaze as he was no doubt reading and assessing the hidden context in their dialogue, trying to piece together what he was missing from the knowledge he did have.

The Yamanaka girl was suspicious as well, her eyes narrowed as she looked between the two of them. She knew a silent standoff had taken place. Why, she couldn't determine, but she could read in-between the lines enough to know they'd been threatening each other...And that he'd won.

The Akimichi on the other hand was stuffing his face with chips in anxiety.

He didn't yet have the degree of analytical skills necessary to fully comprehend what had just occurred, but he was able to feel the undercurrent of tension in the room, and it made him nervous and uneasy to be stuck between two growling predators.

"Like with all the other squads we will begin alphabetically" Danzo stated, taking note of the Akimichi's wince.

The boy quickly shoveled a handful of chips into his mouth, the resounding (grating) noise of the crunches echoing like a bomb in the silence of the room.

Danzo raised an eyebrow at him, "If you're quite finished?"

Choji's hand froze before unconsciously dipping back into the bag, looking much like a deer in the headlights.

With great effort the Akimichi pulled his hand away from his security blanket and instead harshly gripped at his leg instead.

Shikamaru gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back, a gesture the boy returned with a nervous quirk of his lips.

"Choji Akimichi" Danzo began, his tone neutral, "I am recommending that you be placed under probation"

The bag of barbeque chips crumpled, chip fragments flying out of the top and falling unnoticed onto the floor as the Akimichi gazed at him in sheer soul-crushing horrified sadness and disbelief.

"And before you go on a no doubt well planned tirade of all your best friend's good qualities and potential as a shinobi, the probation is a compromise. A way for Choji to prove he has the skills it takes to be a member of the Shinobi Corps" Danzo immediately cut in, his voice sharp and commanding as he met Shikamaru's furious challenging gaze.

Choji silently wished that he'd just meld with the floor and disappear from this situation entirely.

"...Did Choji...fail the evaluation?" Ino hesitantly inquired, giving Choji a pitying side glance.

"Why don't I go over the final determinations and further explain my reasoning that way?" Danzo suggested diplomatically.

Choji just gave the Elder an acknowledging nod, not even bothering to look the man in his eyes.

"Unsurprisingly you have a talent for ninjutsu, specifically your clan's yang released-based body expansion techniques. As such, due to your heritage your body has the natural ability to convert the calories you digest into chakra, giving you the second highest chakra stores in the class" Danzo began, mentally deciding that, like the Hyuga girl it would be best to start off with the Akimichi's positive points.

"And despite what your ignorant or inconsiderate classmates might say" Danzo stated, his eyes narrowed sharp in a clear reprimand in Ino's direction, causing the girl the wince shamefully, "You are in overall good health and weight. Though I would personally advise you to consider healthier snack options. I understand consuming high fat and calorie dense foods are crucial in the utilization of your clan's techniques, however they have little to no nutritional value and the noisy packaging doesn't benefit you in situations where stealth is a necessary component to survive"

Choji couldn't help but briefly look down at his hand that still contained the crumpled chip bag in embarrassment, fighting the sudden overwhelming itch to open up the hand and start snacking again.

He wanted to at least keep some of his remaining dignity.

"As such I recommend you learn how to tailor storage scrolls to suit your dietary needs. While fuinjutsu is a complex art, one that you did not demonstrate a talent for, you would be able to tailor the seals to allow you to store however much food you would need, and you can even learn how to alter the seals to keep the food cold so they don't spoil" Danzo advised, his tone neutral.

"Seals can do that?" Choji asked in surprise, his eyes wide as saucers, his mind whirling with all the different possible meals he would be able to pack on missions.

"That and so much more" Danzo affirmed, a small amused smirk quirking at the edge of his lips, "Having pre-made food stored away in noiseless containers would also be an extra boon during times when creating a fire is too much of a risk on a mission. The same goes for having extra drinking water should clean water be inaccessible to you"

Choji's mouth dropped open in awe.

He'd never been more dumbfounded in his life!

A Village Elder was giving him advice on how to pack food and snack properly.

He thought for sure I'd be the other way around! That the Elder would tell him that he needed to eat less like everyone else!

Seeing the Akimichi's shock Danzo continued, "You are not an Academy student anymore. You have to start adjusting your perception and ways of thinking from that of a schoolchild, to that of a shinobi. Even the most innain things can be a fatal misstep"

Choji snapped his mouth shut before he made a bigger fool of himself in front of the Elder, his attention zeroing in on every piece of wisdom the man was willing to impart upon someone like him.

"I also recommend that you focus on further building your ninjutsu arsenal to both supplement your clan's techniques and protect your body from opponent's you cannot touch outright or who specialize in using elemental techniques" Danzo proposed, though when the Akimichi just blinked at him owlishly he resisted the urge to sigh and further explained his reasoning, "Keep in mind your clan's techniques revolve around expanding your body parts and engaging your opponent in either close or mid ranged combat. Enemies who specialize in using elemental jutsu such as fire release, or weapons such as poison or swords would leave you at a severe disadvantage, one that may be potentially fatal, unless you have other techniques to combat them instead"

"That makes sense," Choji exclaimed, impressed by the older man's foresight.

"What are his affinities?" Asuma inquired, popping the unlit cigarette back into his mouth.

Danzo eyed the younger man curiously.

He was different from Yuhi.

The Genjutsu Mistress's presence was more imperceptible, allowing herself to fade into the background as she silently took in information, only interjecting when needed. Asuma on the other hand was more akin to a campfire. A constant presence that can quickly go from warm and inviting to a raging inferno if stoked properly.

"Choji's chakra natures include a primary affinity for earth release and a minor affinity for fire release" Danzo replied, folding his bandaged hands together in front of him.

"I can work with that. Both mesh well with the Akimichi fighting style. And fire is definitely up my alley" Asuma stated, giving Choji a friendly wink and coaxing a small smile out of the boy.

"Indeed" Danzo deadpanned, "Though despite your affinity for ninjutsu and larger chakra stores for a Genin, you possess virtually no refinement in chakra control and will not be able to master anything until you improve your skills in the area"

"Trees and water. Got it" Asuma stated nonchalantly, toying with the unlit cigarette in his mouth.

Danzo resisted the urge to glare at the man for his intentional unnecessary interruptions.

"The next point of contention is your taijutsu skills" he continued, drawing the Genin-hopefuls attention back from giving confused eyebrows at their future sensei's statement, "Your taijutsu skills themselves are actually fairly good. You have a handle on the Academy combat style and unsurprisingly you are even better with using your clan's boxing-reminiscent style of fighting and are the strongest physically out of all your cohorts"

Choji's eyes lit up in joy at hearing that he hadn't actually completely failed the taijutsu portion of the exam.

"That being said, unlike boxers you are neither quick nor agile on your feet. In fact, you are one of the slowest in terms of raw speed, bested by even your civilian-born peers who had neglected their physical conditioning" Danzo lightly chastised, giving the boy a disappointed look, "Though that has less to do with your weight, and more to do with laziness and complacency"

The Akimichi went from elated to depressed so quickly Danzo almost had half a mind to test the boy's DNA to see if he were somehow distantly related to Lord Hashirama.

"Just because there is a stereotype that husky people cannot be fast or agile does not mean that it is true. I would hardly call your father or your experienced clansmen slow, would you?" Danzo soldiered on, throwing his unwanted nostalgia to the wind.

"No sir" Choji replied immediately, his cheeks red in embarrassment.

"No. But instead of facing your bullies head on and shattering those stigmas and stereotypes you decided to embrace them and did not bother training to overcome your inherent weak point" Danzo lightly reprimanded, still managing to keep his tone from being too accusatory, "Which brings me to another issue altogether...Your lack of self-confidence"

An eerily understanding gleam sparked in the Nara's eyes as he gave his friend a sad knowing glance out of the corner of his eye.

"You are extremely sensitive to how others perceive you and are just as easily discouraged. You take in what people say about you as an inescapable truth even if it is false. Due to this you thoroughly believe that you are weak and pathetic and will not be a great shinobi and as such you don't bother to train outside your mandatory clan training days with your Father. Inadvertently causing a vicious cycle of self-destruction which only worsens your poor self-esteem" Danzo relayed, though he paused seeing the obvious confusion on the Akimichi's face.

"...Huh?" Choji muttered, his expression one of complete cluelessness as he tried to decipher just what the Elder had said.

Sigh.

"For example, you told Inoichi that you are aware of the whispers within your clan questioning whether or not you are a suitable candidate to be the next Akimichi Clan Head" Danzo tried again, quickly determining how to tackle the matter from a different angle.

However he didn't quite expect the near physical jolt of surprise Asuma, the Nara, and Yamanaka gave at hearing the information, looking at the Akimichi in disbelieving shock.

Especially the Nara.

But he wasn't about to waste time and wait for them to be done demanding their answers.

"You are aware of the whispers and know that you are not completely taken seriously by your clan, however because you don't have a sibling or direct cousin to pass the title off to they are "stuck" with you. You know it. They know it. And knowing your clan's uncertainty, rather than training even harder to prove them wrong, you fold and don't do more than you need to. Causing the whispers to continue and your self-confidence to lessen which in turn lessens your motivation to train even more and the whispers to only continue. Now do you understand what I mean by self-destructive?" Danzo questioned the boy imploringly.

"...Yes" Choji muttered, his voice little above a whisper.

"You are your own worst enemy. If you are to be a successful shinobi you need to put a stop to your self-destructive tendencies and improve your self-worth" Danzo asserted, his tone firm and unmoving.

"You can be sure that I-"

"We" Shikamaru cut in, giving his Sensei a resolute glare.

"That we will make sure Choji sees just how great he actually is and the amazing Clan Head he will be" Asuma announced, his tone resolute and encouraging as he clapped the young Akimichi on the shoulder.

"Thanks" Choji muttered, his voice wobbling as he tried to fight back the tears stinging his eyes.

"To conclude with the taijutsu portion of his exam I am recommending 2 things. First, speed and agility training" Danzo resumed, seeing that the previous issue had been mostly resolved, "And second, desensitization training"

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"What?!"

"...What?"

"An unusual recommendation I am aware-"

"That's one word for it" Ino sharply cut in, crossing her arms aggressively across her chest, "My Dad uses desensitization training as a way to help shinobi overcome their phobias, PTSD, and as a way to slowly expose them to ending a life so that the experience of a first kill isn't so traumatic. What the hell would Choji need that kind of training for?"

Danzo hummed to himself for a moment, picking up the pencil next to him and quickly jotted down a note for himself to circle back to later on:

Academy students. Desensitization training. First kill. Animal. Prior to or during the Graduation Exam?

"Hello?" Ino's irate and impatient tone breaking through his thoughts.

"He needs the training because he was almost incapable of sparring with Maito Gai during the taijutsu portion of the exam, even when goaded or threatened with the possibility of failing" Danzo replied coolly, deciding not address the girl's blatant disrespect for the moment, "It took Gai almost a half an hour to convince Choji to spar with him seriously in order to properly gauge his skill level. And not because he was too scared to face his instructor, but rather because he didn't want to hurt an ally"

"Hm. That could be a problem" Asuma muttered, raising his hand to scratch through his beard as he chewed on the cigarette in thought.

"What? Why? Isn't it a good thing that Choji doesn't want to hurt his fellow Konoha shinobi?" Ino exclaimed, confused.

"Indeed. In fact his sheer loyalty is an overwhelming plus in that aspect" Danzo proclaimed, "When it comes to serving his Village, and following the commands of his superior officers on a mission Choji is one of those rare few who can be counted on as a loyal subordinate. Following any order and mission directive his is given without concern he will deviate from the plan. However, his loyalty isn't the issue"

"It's his empathy and kindness" Asuma continued, following up with the Elder's line of thinking, "Choji doesn't want to hurt his comrades, but in turn that also means training will be difficult if he constantly holds back and doesn't spar to the best of his ability"

"Meaning Choji's skills won't improve and consequently neither would ours since he wouldn't be able to spar with us, hurting our training as well" Shikamaru surmised.

"Exactly" Danzo confirmed.

"But I just-"

"We're not telling you to punch your teammates in the face as hard as you can. We're telling you to spar with them seriously. That doesn't mean going for fatal blows and knockouts, but rather striking them hard enough that they understand that in a real battle scenario that strike could have been fatal" Danzo emphasized, his tone serious, "Especially keep in mind that your teammates are not straight taijutsu types. Your placement on the team is also to help them improve their own taijutsu skills, so that if faced with an enemy in close combat the experience they received from their spars with you would help keep them alive. But if you're not taking the spars seriously and don't fight them with the best of your ability, then that inadvertently puts them at risk too doesn't it?"

Choji paled, his skin whiter than milk.

"Having a kind heart doesn't have to be a weakness. But right now you need to weigh the costs of your inability to fight your comrades versus watching them perish in battle later down the line" Danzo implored him, his tone firm with a slight harsh undercurrent.

"...I don't want to be the reason Shikamaru or Ino are killed" Choji exclaimed, the chip bag crinkly further under his white-knuckled grip.

"Then the motivation to improve is there, wouldn't you agree? That is the first and most important step" Danzo encouraged him, and the Akimichi responded with a confirming nod, a spark of resolution in his eyes.

"Moving on to a similar vein, you do not currently have any additional bukijutsu skills. Something I found intriguing merely because I know for a fact training in bojutsu is a common practice in the Akimichi clan" Danzo deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

Choji blushed in embarrassment.

"Though I suppose your lack of initiative is connected more with your lacking self-confidence rather than an actual disinterest in the art. As such I am recommending that you also start training with your clan's special bo staffs in order to further diversify your versatility and give you another option against combating blade users" Danzo suggested, his voice casual, almost wistful.

The Akimichi clan's bo staffs have always been a point of interest for him ever since he observed Torifu use his in battle for the first time when they were kids.

He knows the staffs' construction are an Akimichi clan secret, but from years of observation he's hypothesized that the Akimichi somehow infuse their staffs with their yang chakra in order to make them expand and shrink with them when they use their Clan techniques.

If he had to guess the staffs themselves likely contained at least some measure of chakra metal, but Torifu was always wise to keep his staff where he could see it, so he never had the opportunity to test out his theory.

And temporarily misappropriating an Akimichi's staff was out of the question.

His ex-teammate had made it very clear to him that each of the staffs were keyed in to a specific clan member's chakra and would be easily identified as a fake should someone try to switch them out.

Perhaps he'd never know.

But he was a patient man.

And never was a strong word.

"As for the rest of the exam, you displayed a variety of skills in survival, from knowing how to locate and distill water, what plants and herbs were edible for consumption, how to start a fire, and cook without pots or pans, and how to hunt and skin your own game" Danzo continued on, before he lost himself too much in thoughts of the past, "That being said, there were some gaps in your practical application like not minimizing the smoke from your fire, or even considering whether or not it was safe to be creating a fire in the first place and give away your position"

Choji scratched his face sheepishly.

"Though I will relent that you will begin to shift into the necessary paranoid mindset once you receive more life experience. However" Danzo emphasized, "As I stated to you earlier, you need to be mindful of your surroundings and consider the pros and cons of every decision you make and frame them in the mindset of a ninja and not a civilian camper"

"Understood" Choji nodded, his expression serious and focused.

"In addition, though you have absolutely zero talent in medical ninjutsu I do highly recommend that you learn the foods and edible plants and herbs that possess medicinal properties. Like Mullein leaves-"

"Can be placed in hot water to help with congestion" Choji cut in, before shrinking into his scarf slightly once he realized he just cut off the Elder mid-sentence.

"And dandelions?" Danzo prompted, pushing forward curiously.

"Can be used as a diuretic" Choji confidently replied, lifting his head out of his scarf once he realized he wasn't going to be scolded.

"Turmeric?"

"A spice also used for inflammation"

"Do I have to state the logic behind why knowing these could help save your teammates' lives?" Danzo stated, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"No sir"

"Good" Danzo nodded, mildly pleased at the boy's answer.

After a moment's hesitation Ino raised her hand.

Danzo eyed her curiously, slightly amused by the fact she was trying to be polite now.

Taking the Elder's attention as her cue Ino spoke, "Okay so, all this stuff just sounds more like personal things Choji needs to work on. You haven't really said anything that would qualify for putting him on probation".

"I'm not done" Danzo exclaimed unimpressed, "While you are correct in that nothing I have stated thus far would be enough to place him on probation, I merely started on the areas he did the best in. It was his poor performance on the remaining sections of the exam that ultimately led to my decision to place him on probation"

This time all three of the Genin-hopefuls winced.

"He has no ability in genjutsu and when tested he only managed to detect the first few low levels of illusions before succumbing to their effects, and was not able to demonstrate any method to break free of any of the illusions, including the lowest level ones" Danzo proclaimed, his tone stern yet impartial, using similar tactics to his evaluation of the Hyuga girl and hitting the Akimichi with all the faults at once, "When tested in Tracking he demonstrated basic common sense on what he needed to do in theory, however when it came to the practical application he was not able to pick up the correct trail at all and ultimately never located his "captured ally" in the timeframe he was given"

With every statement Choji began to physically sink further and further into his chair.

"He demonstrated similar deficits in espionage as well. While he theoretically understood that he was required to find ways to gather the information he needed and keep to the shadows without being detected, he ultimately failed to do either effectively. Either making noise with inappropriate snacking or leaving behind bits of food at the crime scene that could be detected and give away his position by the enemy" Danzo continued on, giving the boy a thoroughly unimpressed glare that caused him to look down at the floor in shame, "He does not possess the sublty for assassination, though that can be mildly remedied should he use his knowledge of foods and plants to his advantage and exterminate a target via poison or their own allergies"

A barely there acknowledging twitch.

"He wasn't able to provide any additional torture methodologies other than physically beating on someone until the caved, nor did he have the stomach for such implementations either, and interrogations went similarly"

The chip bag crunched once more as the boy's hand started to shake.

"When it came to disguise and acting out a role as a plant in another country he almost immediately broke character when his button points were tested"

Danzo said nothing as the bag was dropped from the Akimichi's listless hand, floating silently down onto the floor.

"Seduction virtually everyone failed at so your scores there were unsurprising and ultimately dismissed...Though that does not mean the skill is not necessary in a basic form"

By this point the Akimichi's expression was one of acceptance and defeat.

Danzo resisted the urge to sigh in frustration.

Building up someone's emotions and confidence in a positive way was not his strong suit.

Remembering to use positive reinforcement was trying.

"The only other area you did not completely fail in was Care for Ninja Animals" Danzo continued on, folding his hands in front of him.

"We have a lot of farmland and livestock that we're in charge of and oversee" Choji muttered, his tone depressed, not even bothering to look the Elder in the eyes.

Danzo mentally sighed in relief that the boy was still listening to him.

"When tested for a summoning animal you were noted to have a high compatibility with bears. Knowledge I highly recommend you take advantage of" he implored.

Choji just gave him a numb nod.

"From what I've just told you, can you glean for me the other predominant reason you failed approximately half of your exam besides your knowledge base?" Danzo inquired

"...My snacking?" Choji guessed, sifting through his memory at some of the critiques the man had given him.

"Correct" Danzo exclaimed, his tone significantly (and intentionally) more gentle than when he was reviewing his poorer sections of the exam.

"We have already addressed ways to improve your stealth while still ensuring you maintain the calories you need to support usage of your clan's techniques. That being said, you do use food as a coping mechanism for your anxiety and your constant regular snacking is so unconscious and habitual you didn't think of the effects opening a crinkly bag of chips would have when breaking into a building or scouting through a forest when spying on the enemy. Not only that, but when Anko goaded you by trying to eat the last potato chip or using less than flattering terms when discussing overweight individuals you immediately broke character and lashed out at her in anger" Danzo detailed, his tone mostly neutral though one could her the undercurrent of disapproval, "You need to be more self-aware and work on not letting yourself get riled up over inconsequential things such as those. Should that have been a real undercover mission in another country you would have potentially gotten yourself and your teammates killed over a potato chip"

"I understand" Choji exclaimed, gripping his legs almost painfully.

"And finally, your intelligence testing" Danzo proclaimed, watching as the Akimichi winced, his shoulders slumping even further if that was even possible

"As you have already guessed your intelligence scores in regards to academic and concrete factual knowledge were exceptionally low. A fact that is supported by your low written grades while attending the Academy" Danzo reported matter-of-factly, "You have basic general knowledge of facts and theory, but your in-depth knowledge of subjects, theoretics, and practical application is lacking. Something that showed during a majority of your testing in areas of specialization and assisted in part to your poor performance in those areas. While you had a general idea of what you needed to do in theory, you did not have the expansive knowledge nor practical experience to back you"

Danzo swore that at this point the Akimichi could give even the worst of Lord Hashirama's depressive moods a run for their money.

"That being said, you are far from a simpleton. You merely need to apply yourself more and not dismiss the academic side of your shinobi career as unimportant. If you would focus on the 'boring' subjects half as much as you did on the topics involving food perhaps you would not have been placed on probation at all" Danzo advised, leaning forward to prepare himself for the next part of the boy's assessment, "That being said...What you do have is emotional intelligence"

Blink.

Blink.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

"...What?"

There it was.

"You know people. Their character and intentions. You didn't avoid Naruto because you saw past the whispers and loud bravado and saw that he was just a lonely orphan who was bullied just like you were. You advocated to let Kiba skip classes with you, Shikamaru, and Naruto even though he made fun of you all because you knew that deep down he was insecure as well. You don't need to verbally communicate with Shikamaru to understand one another because you know him" Danzo proclaimed, an intentional impressed smirk adorning his lips, "You may not have the characteristic intelligence of a shinobi, but where it counts, you do see more than others do"

Choji looked back up at the Elder in complete shock.

No one...had ever called him...smart before...

"You see underneath the stigma and stereotypes. You see the potential. You see people who they truly are at their core. Especially once you get to know them" Danzo continued on, trying to keep the relief and smugness out of his voice, "Tell me. You never liked your teacher Mizuki did you?"

Shikamaru's eyes immediately narrowed at the sudden topic change.

Good.

Let's see how smart the Little Shikaku Junior is.

"No" Choji firmly confirmed, though his eyes still held a note of confusion.

"Why?" Danzo prompted.

"He just seemed...fake. Like he was trying too hard to be nice sometimes...And then he would say things that really weren't nice at all. Especially to Naruto, me, Kiba, Shikamaru, and the girls in our class...But he would always try and explain it away as us misunderstanding him because we were just kids or something" Choji tried to explained, struggling to find the right words to describe why he just didn't like the Chunin professor.

Shikamaru suddenly went ramrod straight in his chair, his eyes widening in a frighteningly knowing way, his expression one of disbelief, as if he just figured out an answer to a question that was previously puzzling him.

"Mizuki-"

"Do well to remember that Konoha has secrecy orders in place for a reason" Danzo firmly proclaimed, immediately cutting the boy off before he could say something that would get him in trouble.

Shikamaru immediately shut his mouth, his lips thinning into a straight line, his eyes smoldering with a decisive anger that promised the recipient a calculated and appropriately painful demise.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

He would have to rethink some of his plans in light of this new...information.

But first things first.

"Understanding people and being able to socially interact with them in functional ways that do not jeopardize a mission is a crucial skill to have and it will serve you well moving forward" Danzo praised one final time, ensuring that the Akimichi continued to look him in the eyes, "Now that you fully understand the results of your assessment, I'm sure you can understand why I suggested placing you on probation. With your Jonin sensei you will work on improving the deficits in your skills and education and in 6-12 months you will be reassessed to see if you've made the progress required for you to continue being a member of Team 10"

"Why 6-12 months?" Choji inquired curiously, his nose scrunching up in confusion.

"The Chunin Exams" Shikamaru hypothesized, his eyes sharp as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"That is correct. Should your Sensei decide to have you participate in the Chunin Exams approximately 6 months from now then you will be tested prior to the Exam. Should he opt out of recommending you then you will have the full year to develop your skills before you are tested again" Danzo detailed.

"Just a reminder that while Chunin Exams may require a team, you each have to individually decide whether or not you believe you are personally ready for the Exam. And there is absolutely no shame in wanting to wait and develop your skills more before testing yourselves at the next level" Asuma quickly assured the boy, not wanting him to get the wrong impression or feel pressured into doing something before he was ready, a notion Choji greatly appreciated.

"And as for future prospects...You are the typical frontline assault type, and with your teammates you function as the next generation Ino-Shika-Cho scout and capture Unit...And as the heir of the Akimichi clan I will bet you haven't thought much in regards to what direction you would like to take your shinobi career" Danzo pushed forward, his tone confident and knowing.

"Direction?...I mean, I'm going to be the next Akimichi clan Head…?" Choji stated uncertainly.

"That is what is expected of you, yes. But what about your goals and interests?" Danzo emphasized, raising an eyebrow at him.

"..."

"Have you ever considered joining the Ninjutsu Research Center and becoming a scientist?" Danzo inquired.

Rancorous laughter filled the room as Choji fought to breathe.

'Well. I suppose laughter is better than depression' Danzo mentally grumbled.

When Choji's laughter finally subsided to giggles he took another look at Danzo's unimpressed gaze and immediately silenced himself.

"Oh...You were serious"

"I'll have you know I rarely jest" Danzo stated pointedly.

"But you just went through how poor my academic knowledge was!" Choji exclaimed in disbelief.

"You have an unrivaled passion and knowledge for food, and when it came to crafting things such as food pills, yours were the best of your cohorts. Why not take things a step further and take that passion and improve upon the food pills currently in the market, or figure out ways to create something like a protein bar that contains the caloric equivalent of say, 10 bags of chips, and thereby cutting down the amount of dietary supplies your clan members would need?" Danzo challenged, unconcerned with how he was making the boy's head spin as the possibilities.

'Me?...A scientist...No way!...But...Could I...Could I actually create something as great as the Three Colored Pills someday?' Choji thought dumbfounded, his eyes warring between hope and self-doubt.

"Do not be afraid to escape the tunnel vision of your clan's expectations and walk outside the path that is supposedly already mapped out for you. This is a new day and Era and you are your own person. Remember that" Danzo encouraged, giving the boy his last bit of two cents as he pushed his assessment file in front of him.

"Yes sir!" Choji proclaimed, fumbling slightly as he picked up the folder.

With a quick glance, Danzo noted that Asuma's eyes were narrowed at him in suspicion, but otherwise the man said nothing.

Well. One down, two to go.

"And now, Shikamaru Nara" Danzo proclaimed, shifting gears as he placed his hand atop the Nara's file, "You, young man, were an exceptionally complicated case. And I'm sure you've already deduced exactly what I mean"

"I have a pretty good idea," Shikamaru stated, his eyes sharp.

"If I had just assessed you based off of your scores from your time in the Academy I would have recommended that you drop from the Shinobi Corps" Danzo bluntly declared, ignoring Asuma's surprise, "But you knew that didn't you?"

"Your intentions were pretty clear. Those who couldn't hack it would be cut" Shikamaru stated matter-of-factly, his tone cold.

"The Village doesn't have time to waste on those only 'playing' Ninja" Danzo affirmed unphased, "You knew that you wouldn't be able to pass my Exam the same way you were able to skate by in the Academy, and you could deduce the consequences if you even so much as tried"

"And the results?" Shikamaru inquired almost nervously, though his expression was as hard as stone.

Danzo smirked.

"Based on your performance in the Exam I can report that you are in fact, second place out of all your cohorts in terms of possessing an overall balance of skills"

"WHAT?!" Ino roared in disbelief, standing up out of her seat in outrage, "There's just no way! Me, Sasuke, and Shino were the top of our class! Shikamaru's grades were almost as bad as Naruto's!"

"Did you completely miss the fact that your teammate just admitted to purposefully throwing his grades at the Academy?" Danzo inquired, folding his hands together in front of him as he felt with the unruly girl.

"You don't just go from 26th to 2nd place at the drop of a hat! That's impossible!" Ino exclaimed, smacking her hands down on the desk, her voice just shy of growling as she glared at her teammate.

"Are you accusing Shikamaru of cheating?" Danzo casually inquired.

"Well…"

"Do you honestly think he could have fooled the instructors into boosting his scores?" He questioned again.

"Well no but-"

"Then are you telling me my Exam is faulty?" He prompted further.

"No!"

"Then tell me what your logical explanation for this could be?" Danzo demanded, it clear in his expression that he expected some kind of reason or justification.

"...I don't have one" Ino reluctantly gritted out.

"Then sit down initiate" Danzo commanded, the icy order causing a shiver up Ino's spine as her body unconsciously followed the order and immediately sat back down into her chair.

"As a tip for the future, unless you have the mental flexibility and quickness to either back up your accusations or bullshit your way through a theory or excuse, keep your mouth shut. Lest you find yourself in trouble for accusing the wrong person" Danzo harshly advised, the icy barbs in his tone making Ino gulp slightly in fear.

With the girl's disrespect effectively dealt with, Danzo turned his attention back to the Nara.

"Shikamaru Nara, you are an excellent candidate to remain in the Shinobi Corps" Danzo began, his gaze just as fixated on the Nara as the Nara's gaze was fixated on him, "In fact, you were able to score 2nd in terms of overall skills due to one single factor"

"Your intelligence"

Ino's mouth thinned into a straight line, the objection clear in her expression, though she wisely said nothing.

Good. Maybe she can learn after all.

"With an IQ of over 200, you are by far the most intelligent of your cohorts and I'd even go as far to say the only person in this Village who truly rivals your intelligence is your own father" Danzo praised.

He fought not to laugh when Asuma bit off the end of the cigarette he was chewing on and started coughing.

"Your observation, memory, and analytical skills are nothing less than exceptional. You have virtually perfect recall of events and remain aware of what goes on in your surroundings at all times, whether it is in regards to yourself or others. Even things that most would deem insignificant and dismiss you take note of, even if you cannot deduce its importance in that moment it remains catalogued in your mind should the information become necessary at a later time. Similarly, you keep track of where everything is located in relation to everything else, and are able to notice even the smallest infinitesimal change in something's position. And this applies to people as well. You also observe and study the behavior of others around you, seeing how they react, and from that you deduce how they will react given hypothetical scenarios. A strategy that, most of the time, you use to try and avoid conflict and conversations you do not wish to partake in. Unsurprisingly your keen observation and analytical skills translate over to your style of combat. You are able to formulate complex multilayer elaborate strategies based upon the vast amount of information you are constantly taking in. Information about your opponent, what they're wearing, words spoken, your surroundings, jutsu observed, anything and everything at your disposal that may be of assistance or a hindrance. Your intelligence is so great that you are easily able to stay ten steps ahead of your opponent and devise a hundred different possible strategic scenarios, and then systematically decide which plan is the correct one to use in a matter of minutes or even seconds. You make excellent use of misdirections, use small victories just to eliminate extraneous factors, feign defeat in order to reposition your opponents, and systematically test your opponent's boundaries and limitations while you engineer conditions that will lead your opponents to ultimately defeat themselves based on the information you observed while figuring out how their techniques worked along with simultaneously deducing their weakpoints" Danzo thoroughly detailed, actually taking a moment to take in a few subtle extra breaths after his long winded explanation, "And that is not even touching your academic and factual knowledge, STEM, or your potential in Cryptanalysis"

"..."

"..."

"...My brain hurts" Choji exclaimed, actually rubbing his temples.

He knew Shikamaru was smart. Like, scary smart. But he didn't know he was that smart.

"Shouldn't someone at the Academy have, I don't know, noticed something?" Asuma stated, the mild frustration in his tone bleeding through.

Or better yet, why didn't Shikaku say something?

There was no way that man didn't know his own son had inherited his genius intellect and was intentionally slacking off in school.

"From the time Shikamaru had entered the Academy at six years old, and received his first syllabus, he had already systematically calculated the exact number of points he would have to score in each subject area across all six years in order for him to straddle the line of passing and not failing. He knew the exact number of errors he would have to make in ninjutsu, the exact number of genjutsu he had to detect, the exact amount of blows he had to score and the exact number of matches he could throw, and just how many questions he had to answer in order to pass with the most minimal amount of effort necessary" Danzo detailed, having memorized that section of Ibiki's report

"Still…" Asuma muttered.

"Shikamaru basically frustrated the teachers so much with his laziness and his habit of sleeping during class that they didn't bother with him and just labeled him as one of the class troublemakers" Ino exclaimed, coming out of her flabbergasted state and crossing her arms over her chest in frustrated exasperation.

Asuma merely frowned.

Even still…

"What I don't understand is if you're that smart then why the hell would you choose to fail your classes at the Academy in the first place?" Ino demanded, glaring at Shikamaru out of the side of her eyes.

"Because he was bored," Asuma hypothesized, "At least that was part of the problem anyway. He either already knew the information or was able to take it in so quickly that he didn't need to hear it a second time. Am I right?"

"Pretty much. Benefits of having a Father who's the Jonin Commander, and a Mom who was a former member of the Cryptanalysis Unit and takes no shit. The nanosecond she realized I inherited Dad's intelligence she had me start reading, writing, you name it, by the time I was one and half in order to "properly stimulate and engage my developing mind" and what have you. By the time I started the Academy I'm pretty sure I had almost finished reading the full six years worth of coursework" Shikamaru grumbled, painfully recalling all the work his Mom had put him through before he even entered the Academy.

"You could've been lauded as a genius like Sasuke!" Ino exclaimed, not comprehending her teammate's motives.

"Yeah. Because having fangirls and drawing unnecessary attention to myself is my life's goal" Shikamaru snorted, rolling his eyes at the other girl.

"Even so, if the Academy was so boring you could have just tried graduating earlier! I know in times of peace they usually don't allow it, but still! Exceptions have been made!" Ino retorted, not backing down.

"I think our Village's track record with child geniuses speaks for itself" Shikamaru deadpanned, his statement almost causing Asuma to choke on the other half of his cigarette.

"That's not the point! You put so much effort into meticulously and intentionally calculating every nuance of your grades just to fail! And I still don't understand why!" Ino groaned, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Because it was too much work to be labeled a genius" Choji stated simply, his tone casual and matter-of-fact, looking at everyone in exasperation, as if the answer should have been obvious.

"As Shikamaru reported to Inoichi, it wasn't that Shikamaru didn't want to be a ninja. He just wanted to be an unremarkable one. He knows that one day he will be the Head of the Nara clan. That is unavoidable. But even so, he does not want a high huss and fuss life. His goal is to live unremarkably, free of any kind of struggle or conflict, eventually make it to chunin, get married to a woman who is neither too pretty or too ugly, have a son, then a daughter, and then to die just as unremarkably as he lived, in his sleep in his old age once his daughter finally is married herself" Danzo reported, thoroughly amused at how the revelation was playing out in front of him.

"..."

"..."

"I don't know whether to be impressed by your maturity, or depressed at the cynical unmotivated nihilistic view of life you have at the age of twelve" Asuma grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Graduating early would just bring unnecessary attention and a label that's historically proven to be more trouble than it's worth. Being labeled as a child genius would've had people putting a whole bunch of expectations and extra work on me that I didn't want. Besides, graduating early would mean leaving Choji behind and causing a political shit-storm over splitting up the 16th generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. So to answer your question. No. Graduating early wasn't worth the headache it would have caused" Shikamaru proclaimed, his tone one of finality.

"Now that makes sense" Ino exclaimed, finally eyeing him in understanding.

"Having to fully explain that to you was a drag" Shikamaru groaned.

"Lazy ass genius" Ino grumbled, a scowl making its way into her face.

"That's me" Shikamaru sarcastically retorted.

"You know, now that I know that you're actually smarter than 99.99% of the people in this Village and officially ranked number two in our class, that hell will freeze over before I just let you laze around and do nothing right?" Ino proclaimed, making sure he fully understood the ramifications of her finding out his dirty little secret.

"Troublesome"

"Consider it a work in progress" Asuma stated, very nearly having to hold Ino back from clobbering her teammate.

"Shall I continue?" Danzo inquired, raising an eyebrow at the four as if they were misbehaving children.

"By all means" Asuma replied, sarcastically waving his hand over in the Elder's direction.

"As I mentioned earlier your intelligence aided you in the specialized areas that you by all rights should not have scored as well as you did in" Danzo stated, redirecting them back to the matter at hand.

"When it came to tracking your observation and analytical skills allowed you to pick up on the minute traces of the "enemy" and deduce when you were being fed a dummy trail. And though you have no skill in chakra sensing, like all Nara you have a sensory link with your shadows and you wisely made use of that in order to assist you in tracking down your "captured ally" and locating them. For survival you knew what to do in theory and applied it best you could. You had some difficulty as it was your first time implementing such practices outside a textbook, but you faired well enough and your constant awareness of your surroundings aided you significantly" Danzo stated, bulldozing through the boy's assessment in order to reach the points he actually needed to hit, "Unsurprisingly you also did well in the espionage portion of the exam, particularly in gathering information and keeping to the shadows. Your disguises were near flawless, utilizing little nuances that you had gleaned from the profile you were given of the "person" you were meant to imitate and thought fast on your feet when Anko tried pressuring you into breaking character"

"When it came to assassination, torture and interrogation Anko actually gave you a glowing review for your creative ideas and unusually extensive theories on effective torture methods despite your admittance on not having read much on the subjects" Danzo proclaimed before an amused smirk unwittingly quirked it's way into his face, "She also suggested you see both Ibiki and Inoichi weekly to make sure you don't turn into another mentally ill child genius, and that you release some of that pent up aggression you're hiding behind your lazy facade"

Shikamaru's resounding groan was deep and sincere.

"Just because I can logically deduce effective ways to assassinate, torture, and interrogate someone does not mean I am a pent up angry kitten ready to scratch everyone's eyes out" Shikamaru grumbled out in exasperated frustration.

"Kitten?" Ino questioned, her face scrunched up in a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Her words not mine" Shikamaru dismissively proclaimed.

"You really went for it didn't you?" Choji stated, chuckling to himself in amusement.

"This isn't funny. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid" Shikamaru snapped at him sharply, though that only made Choji giggle at his friend's predicament more.

"Well you're down the rabbit hole now. Might as well make the most of it" Asuma stated, patting Shikamaru on the shoulder in reassurance (and amusement).

Kid was just like his Father.

"Continuing on, seduction was your only weak point in the espionage section, but as I stated almost no one scored in that aspect anyway" Danzo dismissed.

"That still implies that someone did" Shikamaru retorted knowingly.

"And I'm sure you've already deduced who, but we are not talking about your classmates are we?" Danzo countered back.

"When it came to Care for Ninja Animals you had basic knowledge of how to handle messenger hawks, though you had no practical experience. But, like with everything else, you made due and adjusted accordingly. As an added boon you actually have knowledge on how to care for deer due to it being a part of your clan's traditions and customs. And when tested for a summoning affinity you were noted to be compatible with both the Nara clan deer and owls" Danzo relayed.

"Owls are always good to have as messenger types" Asuma stated thoughtfully, "Not to mention having an avian summon would be beneficial during scouting, especially when it comes to Ino"

"Couldn't have said it better myself" Danzo deadpanned.

Asuma resisted the growing urge to give the older man the middle finger when the kids weren't looking.

"Getting into the general studies, you have a talent for ninjutsu, specifically your clan's yin-based shadow techniques as well as a slight affinity for fuinjutsu. Though I attribute that, again, to your intelligence and recommend that you take advantage of said fact and learn how to tailor storage scrolls to contain additional surprises you can utilize in combat, and have to facilitate your strategies should you require additional supplies or resources that you don't have available around you" Danzo heavily stressed, knowing that at least Asuma would take his recommendation seriously, "You don't have a particular talent for medical ninjutsu, though your chakra control is decent enough, and unsurprisingly your expansive knowledge base included how to theoretically treat a number of injuries and conditions. However your implementation said knowledge, outside of what was taught at the Academy, requires more practical experience and training"

"And his chakra affinities?" Asuma inquired curiously.

'Getting impatient are we?' Danzo noted thoughtfully.

"A strong primary affinity for yin and fire release with a second affinity for earth release" Danzo replied, his tone neutral.

"Got your Mom's fire release huh? She's gonna be smug about that for days" Asuma chuckled.

"Learning fire release will serve you well both offensively, and for supplemental uses, like creating shadows from the light of the flames. And earth release is exceptionally versatile for a wide range of jutsu, from defense to offense to espionage and will serve to balance your skillset well" Danzo continued, decidedly ignoring the younger man's tangent.

"When it comes to your taijutsu skills you were merely average in your overall usage of the Academy style taijutsu, and displayed average in regards to speed and strength as well. What did stand out however was the fact that your intelligence allowed you to find weaknesses in your opponent's taijutsu. You did try to exploit that, but since your physical conditioning was only average your opponent was fast enough that your counters were ineffective" Danzo thoroughly detailed, "As you can already guess, my recommendation is for you to better your taijutsu skills and work on increasing your overall strength and speed so that you body is able to keep up with your mind. Gai specifically recommended that you learn the Konoha style: Bending Willow taijutsu form. A style that focuses on agility, evasion, and counterstrikes rather than strength and direct attacks"

Shikamaru just nodded in acceptance, mentally agreeing that the particular taijutsu style meshed well with his Clan's techniques (though he wasn't looking forward to the additional work it would bring).

"The Nara clan focuses on mid to long range combat and your jutsu are dependent on the shadows around you. Should you be placed in a position where there are no shadows available to you, having other techniques in your arsenal may very well save your life" Danzo reminded him, knowing that the Nara loathed additional work that wasn't justified, "The same goes for combating someone who specializes in close range combat. If you're spending more time trying to keep your distance and avoiding your opponent in order to make the hand signs you need for your jutsu, then you are wasting precious time that could be spent elsewhere and giving your opponent the high ground in the fight. If you improve your taijutsu skills that problem will cease"

Danzo resisted the urge to scowl at the low grumble of displeasure the Nara tried to hide at the thought of the work that was needed to achieve all of what he was suggesting.

"On a similar vein, Tessen recommended that you start learning how to use a tanto in order to aid in improving your close range combat skills" Danzo soldiered on, withholding his commentaries (for now).

"I'm a fan of chakra metal myself" Asuma stated wistfully, "We'll see what we can find for you"

Shikamaru just gave him a grudging nod.

"Unsurprisingly you scored the best out of your class when it came to traps and I highly recommend you continue facilitating such a talent" Danzo implored him.

Now that got the Nara's attention.

"I scored the best in traps?" Shikamaru questioned skeptically, eyes narrowed in suspicion at the Elder.

"Only due to technical skill" Danzo subtly implied, confirming the boy's suspicions.

"Ah"

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Choji inquired, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Irrelevant" Danzo quickly dismissed, moving on to a too that didn't include their peers, "And the final section of the exam we have to discuss...Genjutsu"

Danzo noted that Asuma's attention immediately sharpened in his direction.

"Like with everything else your intelligence allowed you to detect even some of the highest levels of genjutsu your instructor used and you were even able to figure out how to free yourself using the genjutsu release technique. And if that didn't work you were not shy to breaking your fingers to shock yourself out of the illusions" Danzo detailed, ignoring the way the boy's teammates cringed in sympathy as they looked down at his fingers, as if expecting there to be bandages when there wasn't before, "You have potential to use the art yourself, and I recommend you take advantage of it and learn varying levels of illusions that you can use to supplement your strategies and improve upon the skills you already possess in espionage and stealth"

"A pretty glowing evaluation" Shikamaru stated blandly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Indeed" Danzo retorted, waiting for the Nara to ask him the question he's been dying to ask him.

"That's not all you have to say though is it?" Shikamaru stated.

It wasn't a question.

"No it is not" Danzo confirmed, straightening in his seat as he pressed his fingers down on the boy's file, "This exam was an outlier. You knew the stakes so you had the one thing you didn't have while attending the Academy"

"Motivation" Asuma surmised, rubbing his chin.

Danzo nodded.

"You avoid conflict, struggles, and anything that forces you to put out more work than you would like to give, which is on average very little. You want to skate by in life without being forced to take on more responsibilities than you choose to take on yourself, or in the case of your status as clan heir, responsibilities you already have. You want to live an unremarkable life with as little to no work as possible. And as such I would like you to do something right now" he proclaimed, his tone not giving anything away.

"...What?" Shikamaru hesitantly inquired.

"I want you to turn to each of your teammates and tell them their lives don't matter to you"

"Excuse me?!" Shikamaru demanded, his eyes burning in the rages of the offense, a sneer quickly replacing the carefully woven facade of carelessness and nonchalance.

"I don't see what the problem is? Your actions already speak for themselves, or are you just too much of a coward to say it candidly to their faces?" Danzo challenged, unflapped by the boy's flaring anger.

"You think I wouldn't care if-"

"You don't have to say it. Because from this point forward that is exactly what you will imply to them every time you choose to cloud-watch instead of train. Every time you complain about how "troublesome" something is and proceed to roll over and take a nap instead of dealing with it. You are a shinobi. We live and breathe conflict and uncertainty every moment of our lives. If you are not prepared to deal with that and the work that comes along with it, then I recommend dropping out of the program now and sparing your teammates the day they will die because of your complacency and lack of motivation in the very profession that hinges upon being able to count on the very people beside you to have your back and not give up just because something is difficult" Danzo exclaimed, slamming his hands down upon the desk with commanding finality, the sound echoing eerily throughout the now silent room.

"Survivor's guilt is not pretty to say the least... Especially when you're the only surviving member of your team" Asuma sighed, harshly rubbing his temples at the reminder of just how much Kakashi had never truly recovered after he'd lost every one of his teammates and family members in horribly tragic ways.

"...It was never your recommendation that I continue with the Ninja Program" Shikamaru stated, his eyes dark and loathing.

Though whether the loathing was directed internally or at himself, Danzo wasn't completely sure.

Both probably.

"The final decision doesn't lay with me" Danzo replied, eyeing the Nara carefully, "You have to ask yourself if you should be a member of the Shinobi Corps or not"

"...And if I want to?" Shikamaru asked.

For the briefest of moments Danzo saw the hesitancy, the uncertainty and fear in his eyes before it was methodically hidden.

"Then you know what you have to work on," Danzo stated bluntly.

"And my future?...From your perspective" Shikamaru inquired curiously.

"Nara Clan Head. Jonin Commander. Konoha Chief Strategist" Danzo listed.

"That's the path lined up for me...But not the only path you see" Shikamaru challenged.

'Not anymore anyway' Danzo thought wryly.

"I do have a far more interesting prospect in mind for you" Danzo admitted, steepling his fingers in front of his face, a gesture that made Asuma narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"And that is?" Shikamaru prompted, his tone almost eager.

"How do you feel about specializing as a Sabotage ninja?" Danzo suggested curiously.

"Sabotage?" Both Asuma and Shikamaru echoed, though Asuma's voice carried a far more angry edge to it.

"There's a calculated ruthlessness to you that I don't think you even realize" Danzo stated almost off-handedly, a dark gleam in his eyes as a smirk made its way into his lips, "Just think. With your intelligence you could do so much more than come up with preventative measures, war plans, counterattacks and strategies. You take out the enemy and systematically destroy the threat at its source rather than wait for it to come knocking at our door"

And judging by the calculated gleam in the Nara's eyes as the gears started turning in his head, Danzo had no doubt that Shikamaru Nara knew exactly what he meant.

Danzo could imagine it.

A small no-name country that supplied iron ore to one of their competitors.

Rather than dispatch a squad to destroy the mine and possibly implicate themselves and start a war, they would send Shikamaru instead.

Rather than blowing up the mine, Shikamaru would make it as if the country just hit a string of natural bad luck.

First, an unfortunate occurrence of subsidence. Then, the discovery of an uncontrollable case of blackdamp. Maybe a convenient rumor of better work at another mine a country away.

Thereby causing the "unfortunate" collapse of a country's mining system and main trade, forcing their competitors to seek the necessary iron ore for their weapons elsewhere, without ever suspecting their interference in the matter.

Yes. He could definitely imagine it.

"Would this be an Anbu position or a specialized one?" Shikamaru wisely inquired.

"Yes" Danzo replied, keeping his answer intentionally vague.

Danzo fought a smug grin at the sight of a sudden smoldering cigarette.

'I guess I stoked the flames a bit too much' Danzo thought wryly.

"If you are interested in the prospect then I recommend focusing your academic studies on other countries and politics, and further specializing your skills in espionage, disguise, and torture, interrogation. Once you make chunin feel free to seek me out and we can speak more on the matter" Danzo continued on (while he still had his eyebrows), pushing the Nara's file closer to him.

"You can do a lot for your Village Shikamaru" Danzo exclaimed, seeing the uncertainty and conflict in the boy's eyes, "You yourself may not be able to live the way you would prefer...But you can make it so your children and grandchildren can have that choice if they so wish"

Shikamaru merely stared at the file as if it had personally offended him.

Danzo fought the urge to laugh.

He supposed it did.

Everything about the assessment was the antithesis of his preferred nature, and a massive temptation all rolled into one.

It'll be interesting to see what the boy ultimately decides when the time comes.

Though if the sudden smell of ash in the air was any indication, he better conclude this team review as quickly as possible and move on to the final brat.

"And last but not least we have Ino Yamanaka" Danzo continued, mentally preparing himself for the next hurdle, "Much like your teammates, you were an aggravatingly complex case. Though for different reasons then the boys"

Ino immediately straightened up at being addressed...And narrowed her eyes at the Elder for his slight.

"Tell me. Where do you see yourself, say twenty years from now?" Danzo inquired, momentarily taking Ino off guard with the seemingly random question.

"I will be married. The Head of the Yamanaka clan. And more than likely also running the Yamanaka Flower Shop" Ino exclaimed, recovering quickly.

"And can you point out to me which of those three statements is faulty thinking?" Danzo asked.

"... I'm sorry, what?" Ino stumbled, thrown for a loop once again.

"Tell me, what is your personal goal?" Danzo tried again.

"To be a strong Kunoichi without having to sacrifice beauty and style" Ino proclaimed without an ounce of hesitation.

"And what part of that goal screams, "I need to be married", to achieve that?" Danzo challenged.

"I-uh…"

"Out of everything, being married was the first thought that popped into your mind when I asked you where you saw yourself in twenty years" Danzo began, his tone stern as he tapped his fingers together thoughtfully, "Not Head of the Yamanaka clan. Not a Jonin. Not a part of the Intelligence Division or even running your clan's business. Marriage"

Ino's expression went carefully blank, her posture immediately defensive, but Danzo refused to falter either.

"You are letting some fantastical romanticized notion hold the reigns of your mind and erroneously take first priority in every aspect of your life. Steering your actions and directing your behavior when it comes to both your personal life and your life as a shinobi of this Village'' Danzo harshly reprimanded, the complete and utter disappointment evident in his tone, "This is not the Warring States Era. You will not be married off by the time you are thirteen, fourteen years old, and therefore you should not be as dedicated as you are to appealing yourself to the opposite sex in order to find a suitable husband to carry on your bloodline"

This time the Yamanaka did wince, her ice queen facade cracking at the seams as he noticed the shame and embarrassment peeking in through the edges of her expression.

Good.

"You are the Yamanaka clan heiress. At the age of twelve, finding a husband shouldn't even be on any priority list of yours. And yet in your mind you have twisted it into one of your defining characteristics that it is somehow necessary for determining how successful of a ninja you are" Danzo soldiered on, chipping away more and more of the frozen mask on the girl's face, "So I will ask you again. How does marrying a "mysterious, strong, and handsome clan heir" make you a strong yet beautiful and stylish Kunoichi?"

"...It...It doesn't" Ino stuttered, her voice almost as shattered as the cold mask she had first out up the moment he started challenging her beliefs and resolve.

"Is that a question? And here Iruka told me you were one of the more confident and outspoken of your peers" Danzo jabbed, purposely pushing her button points.

"Having a husband isn't what defines me as a strong, beautiful and stylish Kunoichi" Ino confidently exclaimed, her fiery gaze daring the Elder to challenge her words.

He didn't.

He had already gotten the reaction he wanted out of her after all.

"No it isn't. And frankly, you don't strike me as the type who would just sit back and be a trophy wife tending to the children in the home" Danzo confidently professed.

"Hell will freeze over before I'm anyone's stay-at-home prize! I'm the future Head of my Clan! If anything my husband will be the trophy wife! Not me" Ino righteously declared.

"Then tell me. If you are not to be married at thirteen years old, and you are not planning on immediately retiring as a ninja the moment you find a husband. Then why are you dedicating so much of your precious time and efforts into impressing boys rather than improving your skills so you can become a chunin?" Danzo demanded.

"I...I…"

"Why is impressing boys so important?" Danzo implored.

"I.."

"Why is impressing Sasuke more important?"

Ino didn't have an answer.

"Why is impressing him more important than your training? Than your goals? Than friendships?" Danzo prodded, pushing and pushing her until he had backed her right into the corner he wanted her in.

"I'm not the one who broke off our friendship!" Ino suddenly shouted, her stress, confusion, and frustrations exploding outward like a volcano.

Why the hell was her personal life getting such a third degree?

Not even Shikamaru was admonished half as badly as her.

It wasn't fair!

Danzo raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Sakura Haruno wasn't the only girl in your class" Danzo reminded her, dismissing her comment like a pesky fly, "And yet until the two of you became rivals she was your only real friend in it. Why? We're the other kids not up to your standards?"

"Because the Academy is a stunt! It's used as a vessel to shape clan relations, reaffirm alliances and to determine your worth as a shinobi. It's simple clan competitiveness and politics" Ino asserted, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

"And why do you think that?" Danzo inquired curiously.

She wasn't wrong, but he wanted to hear her take on how the Academy is.

A first account perspective if you will.

"Don't patronize me. I may have complained about not being placed on Sasuke's Team, but I've known since I was four years old that when I graduated the Ninja Academy that I would be placed on the same team as Choji and Shikamaru. No exceptions. And as clan heiress I have to make sure that I don't shame the Yamanaka name and that I do better than the rest of my peers. Especially the other girls" Ino declared matter-of-factly, "The point of the Academy is not to make friends. Sakura was an exception, not the rule. And even that went up in flames no matter how long I tried to stall it. But even then I was just stalling the inevitable. Friendships just aren't possible in a place that pits everyone against each other"

"You are absolutely right" Danzo announced, making the girl almost face-fault, "And yet you are also absolutely wrong"

Ino was ready to bang her head on the desk in frustration.

She just couldn't read this guy at all!

"The Academy does promote competition between the students and the public ranking system judges your worth in comparison to your peers. Those from a clan are expected to perform better than their shinobi-born and civilian-born peers, and clan heirs have the additional pressure of having to succeed those expectations even further. This does make forming friendships more difficult as everyone is, in a sense, competing to one up each other and prove their worth in some way. And not forming friendships makes it easier to take advantage of every opportunity to step over your fellow classmates and improve your ranking" Danzo conceded, detailing some of the many issues he was vying to change within the Academy's structure.

"Exactly" Ino nodded, her mask of confidence back in place, "Nothing personal. Just politics"

"Except a part of it is personal, isn't it? At least when it comes to Sakura Haruno" Danzo challenged again.

"Of course it is! We're rivals" Ino declared, narrowing her eyes at the Elder, annoyed at the constant whiplash he was giving her.

"Why?" Danzo questioned, folding his hands in front of him.

"Why?! Because we're…"

...She couldn't finish.

She couldn't say it.

"Because why? Don't get embarrassed on me now" Danzo taunted, knowing full well what likely had the girl tongue-tied, "If you're rivals with someone you should be able to state with conviction why and what you're competing over"

"..."

She couldn't say it.

If she did...To him…

No... Just no.

An answer like that wouldn't be acceptable to an experienced war veteran like him.

"And if you can't" Danzo barbed out, his voice as cold and sharp as steel, "Then maybe you should be questioning why you are rivals at all"

Inhale.

One breath. Two.

"We're competing with who wins Sasuke's heart first" Ino declared, looking the Elder straight in the eyes as she proclaimed the words unwavering to his face.

"Is that so?" Danzo stated, his casual dismissive tone immediately rubbing her the wrong way.

"Yes," Ino proclaimed through grit teeth.

"Are you sure?" Danzo inquired, his tone sounding like he was questioning an ignorant child.

"I think I'd know why my ex-best friend broke off our friendship and declared us rivals" Ino retorted coldly.

"Are you so sure?"

"Stop saying that!" Ino roared, slamming her hands down on the desk once again, having finally reached her breaking point, "You don't know anything! So stop acting like some smug know-it-all! Sakura broke off our friendship because she found out that I had an actual crush on Sasuke too and not just admiration! That's it. End of story. Goodbye!"

Silence.

"If you are quite done with your cathartic tirade?" Danzo questioned, raising an unamused eyebrow.

Ino clenched her teeth together and sat back in her chair.

Danzo had no doubt that if her eyes could kill he'd be dead ten times over.

But he wasn't here to be her little cheerleader.

He was here as her wake-up call.

"What if I told you that may not be the case? That while your not-so-secret crush on Sasuke Uchiha may have been the final straw and the excuse she needed, but not the real reason she broke off your friendship to become rivals at all?" Danzo inquired, proving her reactions further.

"And how would you know?" Ino bit out bitterly.

"There is a reason I had mental health evaluations completed on everyone. This happened to come up in hers" Danzo stated casually, knowing that the Yamanaka's attention was now thoroughly his.

"...Sakura…It wasn't about Sasuke?" Ino stated, her voice almost timid as she looked upon the Elder in hopeful disbelief, all traces of rage vanishing into the wind.

"No. It wasn't" Danzo confirmed, "The true heart of the issue was you and her"

"Us? But we-"

"I highly recommend that the two of you have an honest heart to heart after all the evaluations are done. It may shed some much needed light on the motivations and reasons behind what really caused her to break off your friendship two years ago" Danzo implored her, not wanting to give too much away, especially since he hasn't had a chance to even talk with the Haruno girl yet, "That being said. You entered the Academy with preconceived notions of your future squad so you didn't bother with any other "alliances'' unless it benefited you for a school project. And even then those "alliances" were fleeting. You made sure to establish yourself amongst the female population as the Queen Bee. You saw yourself as superior, but still was sure to "play nice" with your fellow female peers should they become useful to you, and ensured that they respected you through a combination of your skills and fierce assertiveness"

"Yeah. So?" Ino dismissed, not understanding how any of that was necessarily a bad thing.

She just followed what everyone else was doing and did what was expected of her.

She just did it better than everyone else (well, mostly everyone).

"While I can respect having made yourself the Alpha female of the class, where did bossing everyone around and treating them as your subordinates and lessers get you?" Danzo questioned once again.

"If I say, the original top three of my graduating class, I'm assuming that I'd be wrong" Ino grumbled, getting fed up with all the devil's advocate the older man was forcing her to do.

"You were the top Kunoichi of your class. And in the Top three in terms of overall grades" Danzo conceded.

"And?" Ino prompted, knowing there was far more to his answer then that.

"It's quite lonely at the top isn't it?" Danzo stated, almost as if he were describing the weather.

Ino blanched. Completely thrown once again.

"No friends. A bitter rivalry you don't truly understand. Teammates who don't really like you because you ignored and insulted them throughout your school years together" Danzo callously listed, though his tone and expression were neutral, "All over "politics'' as you called it. Politics and childish notions of romance"

Ino's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles white from the strain.

"Wouldn't it have been nicer to have other girls over your house. Braiding each other's hair and talking about the latest Kunoichi styles in Killer Women Monthly?" Danzo hypothetically proposed.

"Well-"

"And as the future Head of the Yamanaka, wouldn't it have been smarter to befriend talented future prospects and ally them to your clan?" Danzo challenged, not giving the girl a moment's reprieve.

He wasn't wrong.

He wasn't wrong, but Ino just wanted him to shut up.

Just for one moment.

Just one moment so she could think.

Naturally her wish wasn't granted.

"Instead, you treated everyone as beneath you. Including the girl you called your best friend" Danzo continued, bulldozing forward.

"What?! No I-"

"Are you telling me that you considered Sakura Haruno an equal two years ago?" Danzo challenged, giving the girl a withering glare.

"..."

"How about now? You call her your rival but do you consider her to be your equal?" Danzo pressed.

"..."

"So I'll ask you again. Are you sure she broke off your friendship to become rivals solely because of a boy?" Danzo questioned her once again, everything finally coming full circle.

"..."

Ino didn't know what to say.

Could...Could Elder Danzo actually be right?

After everything...The vicious name-calling. All the bitter jabs and low blows...Was it really never about Sasuke at all...

"You were so busy ensuring your place at the top that you didn't see the bigger picture around you...The people around you" Danzo emphasized, seeing that he had finally gotten through to the stubborn young girl, "You cared about Sakura Haruno like a younger sister. You treated her with genuine kindness unlike the necessary kindness you showed to your classmates, but you never thought of her as your equal. You saw her potential, and like the florist you are, you wanted to cultivate your friend so that she eventually would bloom into a beautiful flower like you were. Thus when she broke off your friendship you were bitter, angry, and hurt, and frankly you still are"

Ino winced, rubbing the back of her neck in a mix of embarrassment and discomfort.

"This is why I believe you are so obsessed with winning Sasuke Uchiha's heart. Because Sasuke Uchiha was the reason you believed your friend broke off your longtime connection for. So you'd be damned before you let her come out on top when you were the Queen Bee. And you would remind her of that too" Danzo stressed, his tone harsh and cruel in an attempt to mimic the feelings Ino likely felt herself, "If she wanted to be rivals then you would treat her like all the rest of the girls in your class. A competitor you needed to step over to prove your worth. And if winning Sasuke Uchiha's heart was how to prove that, then you would make sure you did"

Ino flinched, unconsciously flashing back to some of the more petty and frankly down-right mean stunts she pulled in revenge against Sakura for what she had seen as an ungrateful slight against her.

"Perhaps at one point you did admire Sasuke's skills and talents and thought his aloof and frankly rude personality was mysterious and cool, but winning his heart didn't run your life until you and Sakura became rivals. After which you did anything you could to get his attention and be "attractive" for him. So much so that you created an obsession and a Liar's Palace within your mind that winning his heart would make you the best Kunoichi of your year and not how skilled you were at your jutsu" Danzo snorted in derision.

Now it was the Yamanaka's turn to play eye avoidance.

"You even started adopting ridiculous civilian-born fallacies like the idea that somehow dieting would make you more attractive to boys" Danzo sneered, resisting the urge to smack himself in the forehead, "Fortunately your Father doesn't let you actually diet and thankfully put his foot down to squash the utter blasphemy as much as possible when it comes to your stubbornness and irrationality"

Ino cringed at the memory.

So long as her grades were good and she and Sakura's rivalry didn't end with any injuries, her Father had mostly let her do as she pleased with her life and didn't interfere with either her "crush" on Sasuke or her failed friendship with Sakura, convinced that both were just a phase that would end once she became a Genin.

But the moment the word "diet" had so much as left her mouth...Her Father had closed the lid on that so tight it would never see the light of day again, lest she wanted immediate counseling sessions with one of her retired clan members.

So her version of "dieting" was more just making sure she only took in the exact number of calories she needed to take in per day, varied by how much training she had put in. No more. No less.

And even that was pushing it when it came to her Father...

"As a clan heiress yourself, I would've thought common sense would have kicked in at some point, and made you realize that if you really wanted to attract the Uchiha's attention then you needed to train and impress him with your skills not your appearance" Danzo chastised, rolling his eyes at the sheepish expression on the girl's face, "Keep in mind the boy was raised since birth to be a warrior, and only respects those with power. How someone looks outside their combat forms means nothing to him"

Ino...Had to concede to that point.

Sasuke never did seem to pay anyone any attention unless it was something shinobi related...Or their name was Naruto…

WAIT.

………….No way…...Was it possible…?

No. No, she was just overthinking things...Maybe...Possibly...

"But that is besides the point" Danzo exclaimed, breaking Ino out of her thoughts, "You are making your entire ninja career about a boy. A boy who doesn't care nor acknowledge your existence as anything other than an annoyance"

'A boy who, as it turns out, may not even like girls...Or anyone in that way' Ino mentally cringed, suddenly feeling exceptionally guilty for all the years she had...pestered her classmate.

"You are a strong-willed, stubborn and talented young woman who has a bright potential future in front of her. Do you really want to continue throwing all of what you have left away for a boy? To be Mrs. Uchiha the housewife? Or do you still believe in your goal to be a strong and stylish future Head of the Yamanaka clan?" Danzo questioned, noting a new gleam in the Yamanaka's eyes.

She had realized something.

Though what, he wasn't quite sure.

"I am the future Head of the Yamanaka clan. And no man is taking that away from me!" Ino proudly declared, this time slamming her fist down onto the desk in firm unwavering resolution.

"Good" Danzo praised, a relieved smile on his face at whatever had gone through the girl's mind for everything to finally sink in, "Remember those convictions moving forward. Mend those bridges. Define who you are through your actions and not who you are in relation to other people"

"Yes sir!"

"Fabulous. Now that we have that headache out of the way we can get into the meat of your assessment" Danzo exhaled in relief.

Ino immediately sat up straighter.

"Ino Yamanaka" Danzo began, "Now that we have cleared up all your previous unshinobi-like misconceived notions, I am proud to say that you are, now, an excellent candidate to remain in the Shinobi Corps"

Ino's smile was radiant.

"In terms of overall skills you ranked fourth in your class" Danzo relayed, ignoring the girl's smug look, "You have a talent for ninjutsu. Not only with the yin-based mind techniques of your clan, but in medical ninjutsu as well"

"You have the fourth best chakra control in your class and like many of your clansmen you are a sensory-type. In fact, while your range isn't all that large right now, you have a particular talent for detecting changes and disturbances in people's chakra" Danzo detailed, "My recommendation is for you to cultivate your ninjutsu skills as much as possible. I am aware that you have already started mastering the Mind Transfer jutsu, however I am specifically recommending that you learn the Mind Destruction and Mind Transmission techniques as well"

Ino blinked in surprise.

Were her clan's techniques that well known...Or was it that Elder Shimura was just that old?

"While a useful tool for espionage, the Mind Transfer jutsu is not a suitable combat technique to use in a straight up fight. It leaves your body vulnerable and your teammates with the extra task of having to both guard your body and fight their own battles as well" Danzo warned, having seen the trio's Fathers in many perilous situations in the years past, "That's where the Mind Destruction jutsu comes in. It will allow you to take over your opponent's body without taking any unnecessary risks"

Ino hummed in consideration.

She hadn't been planning on learning the Mind Destruction jutsu until after she mastered the Mind Transfer jutsu...But she had to admit that his recommendation did make sense.

"As for the Mind Transmission jutsu, I should think it would be obvious why a shinobi team would benefit from being able to silently communicate via telepathy in the middle of a battlefield or enemy territory" Danzo stated, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes sir" Ino exclaimed, giving him a confirming nod.

"I also recommend that you work on developing your chakra sensing skills as much as possible. Being able to accurately detect the enemy around you will only aid you and your team in mitigating any ambushes that may be attempted against you while out in the field" Danzo continued, seeing as she didn't have any questions, "And while learning your clan's various support and espionage-type techniques will make you an invaluable member of any scouting or reconnaissance team you are on, like I stated for your teammates, learning elemental techniques will help balance out your jutsu repertoire. Your clan's techniques make you a mid-range fighter. Learning close and long distance jutsu will both keep your opponent on their toes and give you a better chance at surviving a fight with different ranged combatants"

Danzo immediately cut Asuma off before he could even open his mouth, "And before you ask, her primary affinities are yin and earth release. And a minor affinity for water release"

"Earth to shield, and water to attack. Not bad" Asuma muttered, thinking of who he could get to help him teach Ino water release.

He could probably wrangle Izumo and Kotetsu into helping him...

"That was the general recommendation yes" Danzo stated, taking advantage of the Jonin's distraction to move forward, "Lastly, my final recommendation for you in regards to ninjutsu would be to take advantage of your affinity for medical ninjutsu and become a field medic"

"A field medic? What's the difference between a field medic and regular one?" Ino questioned, confused by the clear distinction.

Danzo merely gave her an unimpressed look.

"Besides the obvious" Ino deadpanned, crossing her arms across her chest with a huff.

"Field medics are significantly harder to train, hence why there are so few of them. Becoming a field medic requires an entirely different skill set than someone vying to become a medical ninja and work in the hospital" Danzo explained, "The ninja in question needs to be able to be able to hold their own in a fight. To be evasive enough not to get injured. And most importantly, not get in the way of the other members on the team"

He resisted the urge to sigh when he was met with three owlish faces waiting expectantly for him to continue.

"A combat medic's primary duty when requested on a mission is to act as the team's healer. However, the medic also has to have the basic training of a regular member of the Shinobi Corps. They have to know how to be stealthy. To adapt quickly to changing situations and dangers. To be strong enough to protect themselves and their teammates in case they are attacked, while at the same time still carrying out the duties they were specifically requested for. In short, field medics are not to be a liability" Danzo pointedly concluded, praying he finally got his point across.

"I get it. Field medics not only have to be fully trained medical ninja, but they also have to be fully trained in everything a member of the regular Shinobi Corps has to be trained in to be on the front lines" Ino restated in simpler terms.

"That...Sounds really hard" Choji commented warily.

"Indeed it is. It takes years to properly train a medical ninja and even longer to properly train a field medic. And even fewer have the potential for it. Your proctors Nono and Kabuto Yakushi are two of the few accomplished field medics in Konoha" Danzo proudly revealed.

"And...You think I could be a field medic?" Ino inquired almost nervously, her tone in stark contrast to her usual confident persona.

"You have the potential for it. You may not be the most talented medical ninja in the world, but having those supplementary skills may very well save many peoples' lives" Danzo stated truthfully, "And while I do highly recommend that you learn medical ninjutsu, there is another branch of the medical field that I do specifically think you could potentially shine above all others in"

"And that would be?" Ino inquired curiously, almost inching to the edge of her seat in anticipation.

"Herbology and poisons" Danzo proclaimed.

"Wait like-"

"Yes. Like the extensive knowledge you already possess when it comes to the uses and meanings of flowers" Danzo confirmed, "Just think, actually taking the knowledge base you already have and applying it to something worthwhile and fruitful. You already know what flowers contain poisons. Why not go a step further and learn how to craft your own? You could be Konoha's next greatest Poison-Mistress. Maybe even surpass Lady Shizune herself"

Ino's eyes widened in shock.

"Now how does that fit into your vision of being a strong and stylish Kunoichi?" Danzo smirked, a smug sparkle in his eyes.

"I'd say I'm liking the new direction my future seems to be going in," Ino declared, a shark-like grin adorning her face.

"Nothing like rearranging a few priorities to open up a new path for yourself in life" Danzo proclaimed before centering himself again.

"Next up is your genjutsu skills. You did fairly well at detecting varying levels of illusions, though you did have more difficulty escaping the higher level ones. Thanks to your chakra control you were eventually able to use the genjutsu release technique, however it didn't always work, so you made do with freeing yourself the old fashioned way. Pain" Danzo detail, returning to lecture mode, "You have the potential to use the art yourself once you refine your chakra control a bit more, and I specifically recommend that you take advantage of your Flower Shop roots and learn how to use scent-based floral illusions. A type of genjutsu that is significantly harder to free yourself from as you are actually inhaling the toxins causing the illusions"

"How about combining poisons and scent-based genjutsu?" Ino casually suggested, pretending to find her nails interesting.

"Now that's thinking like a shinobi" Danzo commended, earning a sharp smile from the young Kunoichi-in-training.

Danzo was pretty sure he had heard the Nara mutter, "Damn scary women", but that was irrelevant.

Amusing. But irrelevant.

"As for your close combat skills, you are good with the Academy style taijutsu, but are not trained in any other variation of combat style. As such your attacks are simple, basic, and predictable to others who've also been trained in the same style. Like your teammate, Gai also recommended that you learn the Konoha style: Bending Willow taijutsu form in order to offset your predictability and give you a good way to defend yourself should you be forced into close combat" Danzo explained, refocusing the Yamanaka's attention to the seriousness of the matter at hand, "Tessen and Hayate also recommended you get yourself either a tanto or a short sword to aid you in this since you are not naturally a straight combat type"

"We can test out both and see which one you ultimately prefer" Asuma promised her, giving the girl a light pat on the shoulder.

Danzo sucked in a breath, readying his ears for the wrath he was about to invoke next.

"I also personally recommend that you change your so called, ninja attire, to something more functional and appropriate for battle"

Annnndddd

"WHAT?! What's wrong with what I'm wearing?! I-"

"Yes, yes you look stylish and cute. But your legs and abdomen are overexposed and even using ninja bandages to wrap some of those areas will not properly protect you from kunai, shuriken, and other various bladed or blunt weapons" Danzo deadpanned, his expression one of an immovable wall, "Your skirt gets too much in the way when you have to jump around. Not to mention if you are forced to fight someone at close range the material tangles within your legs and it can be used against you if your opponent decides to use it like a handle and yank you around, or pin the loose fabric to a surface in order to momentarily trap you"

"That's…"

"No one is saying that you have to wear the functional and bland shinobi uniform that you typically see those chunin and up wearing. But you do have to be smart and actually consider the functionality of your outfit. At least until you are strong enough to get away with wearing an outfit like Kurenai or Anko" Danzo assured her, "I think that's something else to strive for don't you?"

"...I told you that I wanted to be a strong Kunoichi that didn't have to sacrifice beauty and style and I stand by that! Just wait! I'll show you that I can wear something both functional and fashionable" Ino swore, eyes burning in promise.

"Challenge accepted" Danzo conceded, "I look forward to seeing what you will come up with"

At the very least it may give him a laugh.

Or turn out to be something amazing.

You never can tell what direction someone will go in until they're pushed after all.

"Now. As for the areas of specialization your skills did fluctuate quite a bit" Danzo stated, recentering the conversation once again.

"When it came to tracking you made use of your sensory skills and textbook knowledge on how you were, in theory, supposed to track down your opponent. However, when that failed to work you instead made use of your clan's Mind Transfer jutsu to take over a bird and locate your "kidnapped ally" that way, showing good adaptability in an area you didn't have much skill in" Danzo praised, "My recommendation to you is to further develop your basic tracking skills should you be unable to use your sensing technique and Mind Transfer jutsu"

He could almost see the mental notes Asuma was compiling in his head when it came to his suggestions.

Well, at least he didn't have to worry about that aspect being followed.

"In survival you demonstrated extensive knowledge of edible plants, though your practical application of setting up camp, creating a fire, collecting food and game etcetera left more than a little to be desired, but you more or less made due" Danzo continued, "You didn't like the possibility of getting dirty and sleeping on the ground with the bugs and animals, though you tolerated it for the exercise. You also kept an eye on the weather for the sole reason you didn't want to be cold or rained on, rather than how it would affect your "mission" so to speak"

Danzo paused to look at the girl incredulously.

"Keep in mind you are first and foremost a shinobi. Not a fashion model. Your appearance, creature comforts, and how clean you are, come second to the mission, especially when it can jeopardize everyone's safety" Danzo stated, his tone stern.

Ino scratched her cheek sheepishly.

"Unsurprisingly you did well in the intelligence gathering portion of the espionage exam, and you did fairly well for yourself in both stealth and disguise as well" Danzo reported, folding his hands together in front of him, "Assassination you were decent enough, though you don't have a particular affinity for that specific field. Although-"

"That can be remedied if I become the next Poison-Mistress" Ino cut in, feeling slightly bold.

"Precisely" Danzo nodded, internally delighted that she was learning.

"Your skills in torture were decent, though it definitely wasn't something you enjoyed. Interrogation on the other hand you were better at thanks to your Mind Transfer jutsu and experience with how your clan trains in dealing with the mind" Danzo stated, pausing for a moment to let that sink in before bringing up his next point of contention, "Though I will say this...You are capable of so much more"

Ino blinked in surprise.

"In the Academy you used the "gossip network" to your advantage. Listening in on secrets, whispers and rumors about your classmates and compiling it as evidence to be used against them if it ever became necessary. And you do similarly when listening to the civilians gossip when they come into your Clan's Shop. But instead of searching for the answers clandestinely, you usually directly confront others in order to get the information you seek and badger them until they tell you what it is you want to know" Danzo detailed, the disappointment in his tone back once again, "And I must say, I expected better from a Yamanaka"

Ino felt as if she had been slapped, not even registering the fact that both Shikamaru and Choji had frantically shifted their chairs away from hers.

He...He...Expected better?!

No one had ever told her that before!

Everyone had always sang her praises.

Told her Father how lucky he was to have an heir who was talented and cute.

Sure she knew she wasn't perfect.

But nobody had ever said they expected more of her as a Yamanaka before…

Seeing the disbelief written clearly all over the girl's face, Danzo decided to explain before the Yamanaka gave herself an aneurysm.

"Rather than demanding information from others you should know better that as a shinobi subtle manipulations and psychological mind tricks are much more efficient ways to gather the information you need without making an immediate target of yourself or making it obvious you are fishing for blackmail material" Danzo chastised, watching as the realization slowly clicked its way into lace in the girl's mind, "You master analyzing human behavior and learning how to use psychology to subtly manipulate others into doing what you want, and I guarantee you will go far in reconnaissance"

And judging from the fiery resolution in the girl's eyes, she was going to make him eat his words.

Perfect.

"That being said, you made a valiant attempt at the seduction portion of the exam, better than most of your peers in fact. However, your attempts at seducing your "target" failed terribly, much like most of the others" Danzo continued on, ignoring the girl's pouting and indignant huff, "When tested for a summoning affinity you were noted to have a high compatibility with hawks, and I recommend you take advantage of such as have a loyal personal hawk summon to command at your beck and call to use your Mind Transfer jutsu on when needed"

Ino would be lying to herself if she said the idea of a personal summon didn't appeal to her.

Possibilities oh possibilities.

"Overall you did fairly well on the Intelligence Testing. You are bright, take in Academic knowledge and theory well enough. You are observant, and can put together your own hypotheses on how someone's jutsu works based on information that you have. You also use a lot of psychology and behavioral manipulation tactics as a part of your plans, taking what you know of typical behavior patterns or what you've observed of the person and using it to your advantage, even if it's your opponent's preconceived notions of yourself, and using it against them in order to trick them into a trap" Danzo lauded, leaning forward a bit in his seat, causing the Yamanaka girl to zero her focus in on him expectantly.

"You recall what I told you earlier about mastering human behavior and psychology?" Danzo inquired.

"Yes sir"

"That applies to this as well" he exclaimed, steepling his fingers in front of him in an almost diabolical way, his smirk causing chills to run up the trio's spines, "Mental manipulation combined with poison-based scent genjutsu and mind affecting techniques? I think you could very well be a force to be reckoned with"

Ino quickly shook away the residual trembles.

"Not think. I will be a force to be reckoned with" she declared, her voice unwavering.

"You definitely have the right attitude, I'll give you that" Danzo stated, allowing her to hear the slightly pleased note in his voice, "Like your teammates, part of your future is already lined up for you. Yamanaka Clan Head. Possibly running the Barrier Team or taking over your Father's position as Head of the Analysis Team...But-"

"You have a more interesting prospect in mind" Ino cut in, her tone almost teasing.

"I think once you become a chunin you should consider apprenticing under Captain Nono Yakushi" Danzo bluntly declared.

"To be a field medic?" Ino questioned in surprise.

That wasn't the direction she thought he'd lean towards after everything they'd discussed.

"Captain Nono Yakushi isn't just an accomplished Jonin, field medic, and beloved Head of the Konoha Orphanage...At one point she was known by another name. The Wandering Nun. Konoha's best Anbu intelligence operative" Danzo corrected, this time the immense pride in his voice was unmistakable.

So much so Shikamaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously between the Elder and his Sensei, whose cigarette was now giving off tuffs of smoke without having been lit with a lighter.

If Asuma-sensei was so pissed off he was unconsciously (or consciously) lighting his cigarette with a fire release and manipulating the resulting smoke with his chakra, then he was missing something major...And if he had to guess. It had to do with who Danzo recommended Ino apprentice under.

The real question was why?

Ino on the other hand was seeing stars and confetti, thoroughly enchanted by the idea of apprenticing under such an accomplished kunoichi.

"Captain Yakushi would not only be able to train you as a field medic and poison-expert, but she would be able to assist you in taking your espionage capabilities to entirely new heights" Danzo stressed, playing up the suggestion in the Yamanaka's mind and enticing her further.

"You think I could be a spy...A real Anbu intelligence operative. Not just a member of the Intelligence Division" Ino stated in awe at the notion.

Her! An Anbu!

"I think you have the potential to be an excellent Anbu intelligence operative...But that is ultimately for you to decide when the time comes" Danzo reminded her, fighting the urge to pat himself on the back at completing, yet another, job well done as he pushed the girl's file in front of her.

"I hope that I have given the three of you much to consider...Both personally and professionally" Danzo emphasized, glancing at the trio one last time, "What the three of you decide, and how you will grow from here on out is now up to you"

"Choose well" he dismissed, imparting his last bits of wisdom as he watched the trio silently stand on their feet, trudging their way out of the office door.

Excluding the Nara that is.

The boy had paused at the door frame, a knowing look in his eyes as he glanced between Asuma and Danzo.

"Go on. I'll be out in a minute" Asuma assured him, give Shikamaru a false smile, "I just have a few questions for Elder Shimura"

Understanding that he'd been dismissed, Shikamaru gave his Sensei a reluctant nod and slowly followed after his teammates.

"And how can I-"

"Cut the bullshit. You and I both know I don't have the patience for talking in circles" Asuma immediately cut off, all traces of his friendly, easy-going demeanor disappearing.

"Then say your piece" Danzo stated, casually gesturing for him to continue.

"I was willing against all better judgement to give you the benefit of the doubt. To play devil's advocate to Kurenai and Hayate's...concerns while still being wary of your motives and making that mistrust known" Asuma ground out, his tone gritty and dangerous.

"And now?" Danzo inquired, intentionally goading the young man.

"You really think that we're going to let you get away with this?" Asuma demanded sharply, "That we're just going to casually step aside and let you reform Root through our kids?"

"You and your colleagues love your dramatics and paranoia" Danzo huffed out dismissively, rolling his eyes at the Jonin.

It was always the same song and dance.

"You're calling us paranoid? Saying we're blowing things out of proportion?" Asuma snapped, narrowing his eyes at the Elder.

"I'm merely taking the compilation of data and making objective suggestions on where I believe each of the students' potential could best lead them. For both the Village's sake and their own. It is not my problem if you do not like who it is guiding the young prospects" Danzo retorted smoothly, pulling at the true heart of the issue, "We all have our own biases that affect each and every decision that we make. You and your colleagues' biases against myself blind you to accepting my suggestions to your students as anything remotely positive, and instead see everything in a negatively filtered lens, whereas if someone else, say Hiruzen or Jiraiya or Iruka, had made those same suggestions you wouldn't be so up and arms about it"

"Iruka and Jiraiya don't have a history of manipulative dealings behind the Village's back" Asuma unflinchingly countered right back, "Not to mention they would never suggest any of the things you are"

"And that is precisely the issue" Danzo exclaimed, his voice sharper than Asuma's wind-laced trench knives, "You didn't like being put into a neat little box. Being the well-behaved and talented second heir to the Sarutobi clan and just accepting all the expectations that came with it. Nor did you agree with everything your Father was doing as the Hokage. So what did you do? You broke the mold and against your Father and Clan Elders' wishes and you did the unthinkable. You joined the Twelve Ninja Guardians"

"You went outside your little box" Danzo emphasized, his voice ringing with a dangerous clarity that Asuma hated he understood.

"And you're telling me that's all you're trying to do here? Open up boxes and show these kids that there are other options available to them?" Asuma demanded skeptically, not fully trusting that was truly all there was to this little experiment.

"It won't happen on its own" Danzo shrugged, "And it hardly matters to me if I'm portrayed in a negative light for encouraging it"

"After all, it isn't like my reputation will suffer for it"

"..."

"Tell your Father I said hello" Danzo mockingly dismissed, leaning back in his chair without a care in the world, "And tell Team 7 they can come in now"

It was time to start wrapping things up.

Notes:

Danzo is a manipulative lawful neutral badass! But is he really plotting a takeover? Stay tuned to find out!

Next up: Team 7 Sakura Haruno!