Kurenai had to fight a smile as she made her way to the Hokage's office to report in. Were all genin that small and adorable? She had been able to read every thought that came across their faces.
They were just so hopeful and innocent. She entered the room, and bowed when the Sandaime greeted her.
"Please, sit down, Kurenai. Tell me of your new team." She didn't bother asking how he knew she had passed them - the man seemed to know everything, and leaf jounin quickly got used to accepting that.
"They are a very focused group," she said after she had settled in her chair. "The twins are both highly intelligent, just as their files suggested. Kiba thinks more with his instincts, but was willing to listen when they stopped him to make a plan. I admit I had a few concerns about putting the Harunos on the same team, but I was reassured today that it shouldn't be a problem."
"Explain," the Hokage said, watching her closely while he puffed on his pipe.
Kurenai paused to gather her thoughts. "They are extremely close, as is to be expected of twins. My first worry was that there would be no room in their bond for a third member.
However, they easily included Kiba in their plans, and Sakura worked well with him in a melee setting as well as trusting her brother to break out of a genjutsu on his own while she assisted Kiba.
The second worry was that they would be more focused on keeping each other safe than the objective. This also proved to be incorrect when Gaara allowed Sakura and Kiba to fight me off and buy time for him to complete the mission I had given them."
The Hokage hummed. "Tell me of the mission." Kurenai straightened, and went into report mode. At the end, when she described the way Sakura had clung onto her leg like a monkey to keep her from going after Gaara, the man had a small smile on his face.
"They are a team that truly personifies the Will of Fire," he said, then sighed and looked at his desk, troubled.
"Hokage-sama?" Kurenai asked. "Is everything okay?"
"I am afraid you will leave this office in a much worse mood than you entered it, Kurenai-san," he said, and she straightened in her seat, putting her face into an expressionless mask even as her thoughts raced.
Would he force her to fail her team after all? Was she being reassigned?
"I requested that specific team formation for a reason," he began, and she cocked her head to the side. It wasn't surprising - Team Seven was always a heavy hitter, front line formation, and Team Ten would be following in their parents' footsteps as a bag n' tag and support team.
When he didn't continue, she raised a brow in question. With a sigh, he met her gaze.
"Reconnaissance and Sabotage." Kurenai stood so fast her chair toppled, eyes wide and disbelieving.
"You - you gave me a team of cannon fodder!" she said before she could stop herself, then cringed at the look on his face.
She turned away and took a few deep breaths, then calmly lifted the chair and sat back down. "Please forgive me for my outburst, Hokage-sama," she intoned, and he sighed.
"You know we need a team specialized in this, and I'm sure you can already see how they would do well in the role. Kurenai-san," he looked her right in the eye, "There is a reason I gave this team to you. I believe you can not only nurture their skills and make them extremely good at the job, but that you can make them good enough to live through it at the end."
Her jaw worked, and for a moment she didn't trust herself to speak. So this is why her team was the only one without clan heirs on it. If they all died horribly, it wouldn't have an impact on the political structure of Konoha.
Finally, she trusted herself to speak. "I understand, Hokage-sama. I would like to request extra resources for their training."
"You have them, whatever you need," he said calmly. "And Kurenai-san, I want you to know this is not something I intend to force upon them. I'd like you to give them a choice. Lay out the realities for them, and let them know that this is simply a request from me, not an order."
Kurenai relaxed a little at that. Usually teams didn't get much of a choice on where their skills would be focused on a higher level, but this way it felt a little less like they were being forced into an early death.
"I understand, Hokage-sama. Is there anything else you need?" Kurenai asked.
"No, that will be all, Kurenai-san," she would have grimaced at how tired he sounded if she wasn't trying so hard to control her facial expressions.
"And Kurenai-san," he said as she reached for the door handle. She paused, and looked back at him, surprised to see the fire in his eyes. "I am counting on you. Do all you can to give them the tools to come back alive."
Kurenai met his gaze, and felt an answering fire in her own heart. Determination filled her, and she gave one short nod before leaving. Her team would survive, and they'd be the best damn reconnaissance and sabotage team the village had ever seen.