The pill was between her teeth. The capsule was starchy, leaving an uncomfortable grit on her tongue. Narrowing her eyes at the smirking bandit leader, Miho flinched at the images that filled her mind. Not images of the future or of Naruto. Not the impending doom, the mangled bodies and the blood-red moon. No, images of how she'd tear him apart. She pressed the pill between her incisors to cut the film. The sharp cut of coppery spinach struck her tongue. Just as her teeth began to cut into the pill—

"Stop, Miho."

Feeling a presence behind her— and the all-consuming, sweltering, festering Killing Intent— Miho turned to find Genma-sensei dropping the third body of the three bandits to the ground. She could feel the pill fizzling on her tongue. Tetsuya stood behind him, winded and bloodied, but alive. He looked at their teacher in no little awe. Miho could barely process how fast their teacher had to move to kill three men in mere seconds.

Senbon still in his mouth, her teacher's eyes trailed to her. She could see the critical assessment. She turned just a bit more, so he could see the gut wound— however bad it was. His dark eyes widened just a bit before she saw his jaw set.

The Killing Intent that flooded the valley was palpable. It made her knees shake.

Pulling in a breath through her nose, Miho held up her unbloodied hand and spat the pill back out, shoving it into her pocket. It had already begun to disintegrate and she could feel the slightest rush of energy flood her upper back and arms. It felt like a rush of adrenaline and lactic acid.

In a blink, Genma-sensei was in front of her. He was so good at the Body Flicker technique that he seemed to appear from thin air. She couldn't even sense his chakra (though admittedly, she was terrible at sensing).

"You must be their teacher." Taiki surmised with a laugh. "A little late to our party."

"A party? Must've lost my invite." He switched the senbon to the right side of his mouth.

Then, with frightening calm, he reached up and pulled the senbon from his lips.

"Your girl there was about to show me a good time."

"Wouldn't have been so good for you," Genma-sensei shrugged.

"I don't know—"

Genma-sensei's fingers were empty.

Miho turned to see the man grasping his throat, eyes wide as his hands tore at the skin of his neck leaving red gouges in the skin. He gasped for air with increasingly frantic movements until he dropped. His grey eyes were wide and unseeing as foam spilled from his mouth onto the rocks.

"I'll have to get a refund for the platter I ordered."

Genma-sensei turned, lowering himself down to one knee. His right hand pressed to her stomach, brows pulled together as he flashed her a concerned look. "Considerin' you're not spilling out intestines, he just nicked you. Feeling dizzy at all?" His left hand came up to rest on her shoulder. "Any poison symptoms?"

"N-No, sensei." Miho glanced down to see that her yukata was cut and her skin blow that was sliced cleanly open— about five or six inches and enough to split the skin. The weight of her stomach drew the skin down. Not nearly as bad as she had imagined, thanks to the fat around her middle. "I— No. No poison."

"Good. Okay." Reaching down, he cradled an arm under her shoulders and flickered them over to where Tetsuya was standing. Miho stumbled a bit before Genma-sensei caught her and gently set her on a nearby rock. "Tetsuya, help her get bandaged up. This time, it really is just a flesh wound. You're putting that medical kit to good use. Princess? My Lady, you can come out now."

Tetsuya looked at the blood and blanched, eyes trailing back up to her face.

Miho forced a smile, leaning back to give him better access to the wound. Tetsuya sat his pack down and withdrew his medical kit, having been named the surest medic among them. She saw his hands shaking and reached down to press a hand to his shoulder.

"We're okay, Tetsuya."

He stilled and stopped hunting for his medical kit. Miho wondered vaguely how Koji was going to react when he found out. Not well, she figured. Tetsuya heaved in a breath and held it. Then he let it go and went back to finding his kit. "You— You almost took the pill."

Miho nodded, leaning back to pull the yukata top up a bit. Tetsuya cut her a look.

"I need to get stronger."

"Me too. I can't— I can't let you be the frontliner."

Saying nothing, Miho watched as he set out the antiseptic and bandages. Luckily, despite the deepness of the cut, it wasn't bleeding as bad. Like blood melting through the fat. When he surged the antiseptic through the slice, Miho hissed and squeezed her eyes shut.

"That— That pill— It wouldn't have killed me, Tetsuya."

"You seem to think that it might not kill me is fair game, Miho. It's not."

That wasn't what she said.

Chuckling, Miho opened her eyes and turned to where she sensed they were being watched. One of the little girls— not the princess, but the older one— was watching from where she stood. Tetsuya scoffed at Miho's disregard for his words. She figured he'd bring it up later when he had Koji to back him up.

"Are you going to die?" The little girl asked, looking both upset and fascinated at the same time. Miho wasn't quite shocked, but she was thrown a bit off-kilter as the girl approached. Tetsuya choked on nothing. "My father got cut like that, but it was…messier."

It felt like cold water had been thrown over Miho and she sucked in a breath, knowing that a few inches less fat would've made the difference between life and death.

"I'm not going to die. I'm sorry about your father though."

"It was when I was littler." She waved it off as if it was nothing and moved closer, looking curiously at the cut Tetsuya was taping shut. "Lord Hori is going to have me train to be a healer."

Miho smiled. "Do you want to be a healer?"

The girl approached even closer and nodded. "I've always wanted to be a healer. My father was a healer."

Miho wondered vaguely what her biological father did. After all, it was her biological mother that was the Akimichi. The thought made her feel a bit guilty. Her father was a great shinobi— Akimichi Chōza, who—

Swallowing down a grunt from a particularly painful pull on the wound, Miho glanced to Tetsuya and nodded at him. "Could you help him out?" Holding out her arm for the girl to see another cut, Miho gestured to it. "I think I got a few more cuts than he can handle." Tetsuya stared up at her and glared before gesturing for the girl to come closer. "What's your name?"

"Reiko. I'm the lady-in-waiting to Princess Noriko."

The princess, who was currently approaching with her hands wringing in front of her dress, heard her name mentioned and glanced up. "I am Princess Noriko."

"Hello, Princess Noriko. I'm Akimichi Miho. This is my teammate, Utatane Tetsuya. Our other teammate— the guy who took your merchants to safety— his name is Koji."

Tetsuya laid a bandage over the wound and had her sit up, bracing one end of the bandage to the front and reaching around as far as he could go. Miho went to grab the gauze, but Reiko stepped forward and helped it around to where Tetsuya took hold of it again. He muttered a 'thank you.'

"You were very brave to save us." Princess Noriko commented, stepping up to Miho's side. She bowed her head a bit. "I can't thank you enough."

Poor girl sounded tired and frightened and overwhelmed and way older than her age. Miho wondered if that's what it was like for royalty. "Glad that we were able to help. Genma-sensei, what's the plan?"

"I've already sent a notice to the River King. I would bet that a new escort will arrive by evening. We'll rest up and head out tomorrow afternoon."

Miho pulled her yukata down and looked to where Reiko was fishing pebbles out of the gouge on her upper arm. "Did Koji make it down safely?"

"He's fine. Not very happy at the moment."

"He'll get less happy when he hears you're injured." Tetsuya commented, handing Reiko the bandages. Rising up from his crouch, Miho looked up at him and waited for whatever was on the tip of his tongue. "Later."

"Later." Miho nodded.

"I'm running a perimeter check before we move to meet up with Koji in the town." Genma-sensei stated, pulling a senbon out of his pack and slipping it between his lips.

His eyes were still cold as they had been before, but, as Miho thanked the girl and pushed herself up to stand, he smiled. Tetsuya handed her the bō, which he'd grabbed from where it'd fell during the battle.

"We're okay, Genma-sensei. Don't worry about us. We'll guard the girls."

Tetsuya nodded in agreement, earning a very rare pat on the crown of his head from their teacher. Genma-sensei disappeared.

"My father will be grateful." Princess Noriko stated, demurely bowing her head. Miho could hear the emotion she was barely holding back. "I— We— My mother was…lost." Biting her lip, Miho reached into her pocket and withdrew a cookie, handing it over to the princess, who stared at her with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"When I'm sad, I eat."

Miho smiled when the girl took it, nibbling a bit at the edges. She looked more her age then, easing into being a kid rather than being a princess. Tetsuya grabbed his pack and happened to kick the head of one of the bandits as he moved.

"Stay still, Chubs. Eat more."

Saluting him, she set to work on a bag of chips. She could see his plan. She was close protection. He was intermediate. Smiling, she handed a different bag of chips to Reiko.

It was hours before they made it down from the mountain. Her head ached the entire journey, steps unsteady and uneven over the rocks. Tetsuya carried Reiko, sticking close to Miho's side in case she toppled down the hills. Genma-sensei carried the princess, telling her bits and pieces about his adventures as a shinobi.

The River King acknowledged Genma-sensei's message and was coming personally to get his girl. They'd have to remain in Rockfall village until he arrived with his contingent.

Miho held herself upright as best as she could when they entered the village limits, trying not to look too pale or sweaty or in pain. Tetsuya scoffed at her effort, shaking his head as he set the girl down. Reiko immediately went to her princess's side, leaving Miho and Tetsuya alone for the first time in hours.

"You're not gonna fool him. He's not stupid."

"Not trying to fool him. Just—"

"Koji can handle it, Miho. He can focus on the mission and be worried about you. If I can do it, so can he."

When Miho glanced his direction, she saw that his hands were planted on his hips and his eyes were narrowed and there was no way she was going to win this argument. "Fine, fine. There's something else bothering you though."

"Yeah? What else could be bothering me, Chubs?" He rolled his eyes, shoving both hands into his pockets in a manner very reminiscent of their teacher. "Could it be that you defaulted to frontliner? Or that you got hurt? Or that you almost took that stupid pill instead of taking off your weights? Or that I distracted you which gave that bastard an opportunity to attack? What part do you think bothers me?"

"I…screwed up. I forgot about the weights."

"You…forgot about the weights? What do you mean you 'forgot about the weights'?"

Scuffing her shoe in the dirt, Miho sighed. "I forgot I was wearing them. But I mean, yeah…all of this sucked, but…none of us—"

"Don't say it."

Miho looked up to see Koji.

She flinched at the expression on his face. Like an earthquake given human form, all intensity and rumbling while the surface held smooth— only a few scant cracks.

And those cracks were his eyes.

"Genma-sensei told me to come see ya." He cut Tetsuya a glance before focusing on Miho. "Said you got hurt."

Genma-sensei was playing favorites, Miho thought dryly. After all, he thought Koji could be a prodigy marksman. And he thought the bandana was cute. And Koji was slowly starting to take up his oral fixation. And throwing her to the wolves was just cruel, honestly.

Koji stepped forward, looking to Tetsuya for an explanation.

"She got stabbed."

Miho's mouth dropped open. "I did not get stabbed."

"Oh yeah? What would you call that then? Sliced?" Tetsuya crossed his arms, shifting his weight to one leg. Oh, Miho realized. He's ready to argue. She was too tired for this. "And! And! She forgot to take off her weights. She defaulted to the first dang pill!"

"Tetsuya!"

"Miho!"

"Koji, seriously!"

"Genma-sensei!" The three looked over to where their teacher stood, hands stuffed into his pockets. "You kids wanna hang out over here or you wanna help finish the mission?" He waited, watching them. "I seriously did send you to get them, Koji, not to chastise Miho. We can all do that later."

Miho felt her mouth drop open, walking a couple steps behind the two boys. They both kept looking back, as if she drop like a sake of potatoes if they went without seeing her for more than a couple seconds. "I did what I had to do!"

"No one's arguin' that."

"It's the pills. We need to figure out something else." Tetsuya noted as they arrived to Genma-sensei's side.

"This mission gave us a lot to work on." They looked up at their teacher. "We'll go over notes on the way back. In the meantime, it's time to work on your diplomacy skills. What do you know about the relationship between Tani and Konoha?"

They started walking down the main village path toward where the merchants and escort caravan where housed at the main inn. Miho pressed a hand to her stomach to keep it steady and went through the linkages in her mind.

All the constellations she'd built over years and years was now a network of old memories, Images, and information she'd read in old Akimichi scrolls.

"Tanigakure doesn't like us. However, a lot of people don't like Tani— even the River Kingdom." Miho ticked off the things she knew on her left hand. "The Land of Rivers has been a land of constant battle. It's the River Kingdom that actually holds power there. Tani had little-to-no sway."

"Read that in a book, Chubs?"

"Actually, yeah, I did."

Koji snorted.

Genma-sensei stopped, turning to face them at the corner of the inn. "The mission parameters changed because the Hokage has been working on restoring relations with the Land of Rivers since the Second Great Shinboi War. Sorry to say, we're gonna have to politic the hell outta this."

While Koji deflated, shoulders curving forward and eyes looking away, Miho and Tetsuya stood firm. Miho knew that Tetsuya had been raised to be politically-savvy. After all, he was the grandson of Utatane Koharu, a member of the Konoha Council.

Miho straightened and swallowed down a swell of exhaustion and fear. This mission wasn't over.

"Stringbean, help me get this pack off."

He did as she asked as Genma-sensei kept his eyes on the road, no doubt keeping an eye out for the royal caravan. She smiled at Koji, who held the pack up for her as she rifled through to find the scarf.

Pulling it out, she double folded it and pulled it around her waist, hiding the blood and cinching the injury. The added pressure made it feel more secure and the fine material made her outfit look more presentable. "Tie me off, please."

Tetsuya set about folding the fabric. Meanwhile, Miho downed three cookies. "Koji, since you're not our diplomacy go-to, can you—"

"You sayin' something about my people skills?"

Tetsuya laughed. "Sayin' a lot about your people skills."

"Focus, kids." Genma-sensei muttered, rolling his eyes. "Tetsuya, you good?"

Her teammate shrugged, releasing the bow he'd tied with the scarf. Miho wondered if it looked like an obi with as long as he'd spent folding the fabric. "You hang around my grandmother for long and you're always ready for politics."

"Then let's get this show on the road."

The River King was a beautiful man. Miho had never thought of a man as beautiful before. It was almost unfair, she thought, as he approached on horseback. He looked like something out of a fairy tale, donning shimmering blue fabrics with brown flowing hair that seemed to catch some unfelt wind. Angular features and a strong jaw line. Miho wondered if it was even possible for such a pretty man to be a good man too.

"Father!"

Princess Noriko was obviously breaking protocol as her father swung off his horse to gather her up.

His hair was as long as his daughter was tall.

It was an odd thing to notice.

The contingent of men behind him were not shinobi, which Miho thought was strange given that the Land of Rivers did have Tanigakure.

The River King rose, his daughter in his arms. Reiko approached with more courtesy and was rewarded with a smile and a pat on the head.

"You've done well, Reiko. You were very brave, I'm sure." His attention turned to Genma-sensei. "You have my sincerest thanks. My daughter was journeying to visit the Fire Daimyo. We are working to secure peace with the Land of Fire through trade." His attention flickered down and Miho stood a bit straighter. She could feel Tetsuya doing the same.

"That's Miss Kunoichi Miho! She and Mister Shinobi Tetsuya saved us, Father!"

Reiko agreed. "Miss Miho was hurt trying to protect us."

Miho tried not to flush. Instead, she focused on cataloguing all of the ways this could work well for Konoha and for the mission. When she looked up, it was accidently into the tall king's eyes.

"Thank you for saving my daughter and niece. I, and the River Kingdom, am in your debt."

Bowing formally, Miho gritted her teeth through the pain that lanced through her abdomen. She could hide it well enough from civilians. "I am glad I was in the right place do to so, Your Majesty."

"Yes, we're happy we were able to help." Tetsuya bowed next to her, cutting her a look in the bow. He was worried.

She eased herself up and looked to their teacher. In her peripheral vision, she could see Reiko studying her stance and focusing hard on her stomach.

In other circumstances, Miho would've just passed it off as normal. When she glanced in the girl's direction, she smiled and nodded. She really was fine. Everyone could stop worrying.

"Konoha heard of the attacks on Rockfall Village and we were sent to investigate. It was very fortunate we were able to step in when we did."

The River King nodded, expression becoming grave. Miho idly wondered if anyone in Konoha had eyes like that. She couldn't remember anyone that had eyes like that.

"I, too, had heard of the Mount Kaou villains, but we do not have the resources to root out such foes. Our hope was that the Spirit Mountain band would repel them, but…We have lost all contact with Spirit Mountain."

Miho kept her mouth shut, but wondered why the royal house would have contact with a bandit gang. It was odd outside of negotiations for any government to be in direct conversation with bandits and outlaws.

"Should you ever have need of me or of the Land of Rivers…" The King handed her teacher a scroll. The blue paper was shimmery like the River King's clothing. It looked like water in sunlight. "You need only contact me via this scroll. Please convey my deepest regret to your Hokage that our previous history has been so fraught. Perhaps we can endeavor to do better by our younger generations."

That was certainly surprising. What happened to Tanigakure? Why were they— silent? Tanigakure would not be so amiable to peace with the Land of Fire or Konoha.

Miho watched as he sat the princess down and turned to his men, the gathered banners.

Miho looked down to find Reiko and Princess Noriko approaching. Slowly, Miho lowered herself down to one knee to get on their level.

"When I get older, I want to be like you, Miss Kunoichi Miho." Princess Noriko stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Miho felt a bit disoriented by that statement. Enough so that even her balance shifted. She felt Tetsuya grab her shoulder to steady her. "I don't wanna run away either. I want to be strong and powerful! That way, I can be a good princess!"

She swept forward and threw her arms around Miho, not realizing that the pressure made Miho want to scream out in pain. She bit her lip and pressed it down and out, away. She controlled it.

"And I really like your cookies!"

Miho laughed.

Hours later, she sat on a bed at the inn. Genma-sensei was redressing the wound while the boys were finishing their repacking on the floor. His senbon hadn't moved in thirty minutes, a pretty dangerous sign.

"Remember what I said about taking hits and getting up and that leading to overconfidence?"

Miho cringed. "Yes, sensei."

"You need to get better at thinking on your feet. If you took that pill today, you might've died."

She heard the boys stop packing, all movement in the room ceasing. While she knew that dying was a risk, it also wasn't likely. The spinach pill would've only consumed 25% of her reserved calories. Her genetics- from her biological parents, whoever they were- somehow made her weight distribution different. Two pills was all she had. It was the yellow pill that would kill her, not the green one. It shouldn't have been her first choice, but—

"Stop thinking about how to justify it and just listen."

Eyes snapping up to her teacher's face, she watched as he sat back on the edge of the bed and looked to his bloodied hands. She was still bleeding, though it was mostly staunched. And, for the first time, she realized that her teacher had the blood of a student on his hands.

Her heart stuttered.

Tetsuya, earlier, had her blood on his hands.

She felt sick.

"You're gonna be a frontliner. There's no way around that, Miho. Just because you can take hits, doesn't mean it's smart. You need to think more strategically."

Taking hits was her plan.

Being a shield.

Miho bit the inside of her lip and screwed her eyes shut.

Strategy had never been her strength. She relied a lot on Ino and now, Shikamaru, for strategy. Focus and thinking during battle had always been something with which she struggled. And now, she'd paid the price for it.

How could she be a shield? How could she best guard the backs of the people she cared about?

"Training."

It almost seemed as though Genma-sensei was reading her mind. He glanced down at her and nodded.

"When we get back, your training doubles."

"Okay, Genma-sensei."

"Koji, you've got the steadiest hand. I want you to take additional medical courses at the hospital. We need someone proficient in medical treatment."

She glanced over to see Koji nodding. His bandanna was off and his dark blue hair fell into his face.

"Tetsuya, you're starting hard-core kenjutsu training. Not the half-ass stuff you've been doing with me. I'm calling in a favor."

Tetsuya smiled, an eager tint to his eyes. "Alright, Genma-sensei."

"And Miho?" She looked up at her teacher and waited. He turned and stared down at her for a long moment before sighing. "You're a heavy hitter and you're smart. Now, we need those two things to actually work together. I've got a colleague I think can help and you start with him as soon as we get back."

"Okay, sensei." For some reason, she felt the next words come out without thought. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, senbon moving to the other side of his mouth as his eyebrows quirked. "Don't apologize. You're learning."

"I worried the boys."

"Eh, yeah, they're cute like that." She ignored their screeching, but knew it was all playful ribbing. "I'm sure they'll pay you back in spades somehow."

Koji held grudges.

For some reason, Miho'd never realized this. When it wasn't directed at her, she'd never really paid attention to it. Like how he would rudely ignore when someone was talking or act like he couldn't understand them. Or when he stuck a pinky in his ear and acted as if there were some physical reason why he couldn't hear them.

"What was that you were saying, Miho?"

Shooting Tetsuya a look behind Koji's back, she sighed. "I said, I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Sorry, but it sounded a lot like ya just said ya don't need ta go to the hospital. But I know I ain't hearin' ya right because that's stupid."

Miho heaved in a breath and held it, ignoring the searing sensation across her stomach as she turned to face their teacher. He looked calm-as-you-please, head upturned to the bright blue sky.

"Is this what you meant, sensei? Koji's gonna mother-hen me into compliance?"

"Saw it comin' a mile away." Genma-sensei shrugged.

"Tetsuya and Genma-sensei treated it yesterday, Koji. It's fine. It's not even bleeding anymore."

Koji turned around and gave her the harshest look she'd ever received from him and it sent shivers down her spine. "Look, sweetheart, your good ol' buddy Koji's just tryin' to look out for ya. Tryin' to be a good teammate. And you're not makin' it easy."

Guilt-tripping too. Koji was really coming into his own with this.

Miho sighed.

"Fine! I'll go to the dang hospital."

Tetsuya held up his right hand, balling his fingers into a fist. Koji answered with his left, tapping their knuckles together.

"They're tag-team mother-henning! This isn't fair!"

Genma-sensei chuckled. "If you don't want your team to mother-hen you, then make good choices." They arrived at the front gate desk, stepping into the shade to see two chūnin guards with the sign-in roster already prepped. "Kamizuki, has Hagane run off again?" Miho tried not to smile at the expression of utter defeat on the guard's face. "Team Five returning from a C-rank."

"Kotetsu is off on his lunch break." Kamizuki responded as Miho and the boys signed into the roster. "But if you happen to see him…loitering, kick him for me."

Genma-sensei saluted, turning to face Team Five after they stepped a few feet into the village. "Koji, Tetsuya…Take Miho to the hospital to get checked out. Tetsuya, write the report this evening and submit tomorrow morning. Koji, Miho, write yours and get it to Tetsuya tonight so he can compile." Miho nodded, fingers itching for potato chips.

"I will report to the Hokage. Rest tomorrow. We'll meet at Training Ground 5 the day after— usual time."

That said, he disappeared.

Miho deflated, grabbing the bag of chips from her pocket and sliding one onto her tongue. She let it sit there for a few moments as Koji glared at her to start moving. The salt was comforting.

"We're not mad at you. We're worried."

Koji folded his arms behind his head and looked away. She felt Tetsuya on her other side, hovering. Just as he'd done the entire trip back.

"I already apologized for worrying you. I get it— defaulting to the pill was a bad idea."

"That's not—"

"You really don't get it, do you?"

Miho stopped, turning to stare at her teammates. They both were so different in their anger. Koji was outright with it. It boiled over and spiked. Tetsuya's was a roiling seethe just under the surface.

"We're not idiots, Miho. We're all gonna get hurt. To be mad at ya for that would be stupid. We're not stupid."

"It…We've gotta get so much better. We can't be in that kind of situation again. The only reason we survived was because of Genma-sensei. What happens when he's not there?" Tetsuya heaved in a great breath and held it. After a moment, he brushed his bangs out of his face and squared his shoulders.

Koji reached forward and grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. Miho wondered if he'd somehow gotten taller on that mission. He seemed taller somehow.

"You can count on me. We'll all get stronger."

"Me, too. Soon, three bandits like that will be nothing. Trust me, Miho."

"Team Five can't lose a member, Miho. We can't lose each other. You have our word. Do we have yours?"

Miho swallowed, nodding before she even realized what she was doing. Agreeing to something like that was…heavy. It was terrifying. It felt like a sentence. It felt like the scariest thing to promise.

With what was coming, was it even possible?

"Now, c'mon. I seriously think you need stitches. Those pieces of tape aren't gonna cut it."

In the shadow of the Hokage Monument again, Akimichi Miho walked through the streets of Konoha seeing flashes of ruin— of a future that was approaching with frightening speed. And she promised her team that they wouldn't lose a member.

She just prayed that she didn't just seal their fate by agreeing. She prayed that the narrative forgave her.

Because when telling a story, it was often those kinds of promises that got broken first.

"And you believe they are not ready?"

He tried very hard not to hear the disappointment in the Hokage's tone.

Shiranui Genma knew what the old man wanted: a showing of each new genin team in the upcoming Chūnin Exams. International prestige, a demonstration of strength.

While some of the other teams may have been ready, his was not. He wasn't about to throw them into something for which he felt they were ill-prepared. After all, he just returned from a situation where he did just that. The ripple effects of that FUBAR mission would be far-reaching.

Especially now that his students now had a B-rank in the books instead of a C-rank.

He didn't like it.

Not at their age. Not during peacetime.

"They're not ready, Lord Hokage."

"That is…unfortunate. It may be useful for them to experience the exams without pressure to reach the chūnin level. As a way to diversify their knowledge. After all, they will be able to witness the fighting styles of various regions."

The Hokage was trying to sell it, which was far more effort than Genma was expecting. Especially when Lord Sarutobi could just order Team Five to participate. Genma could sense it in the air of the office, especially with the way the other teachers were shifting. The only one that seemed to be on his side was Iruka-sensei. And that was for the entirely wrong reasons. Everyone else knew what was coming and pitied him for thinking he could get his team out of it.

"With what you have told me, Genma, they exhibit strong skills in teamwork."

"They do, sir. However, they have not yet fully developed their individual skills. I aimed to specialize their training upon our return."

Genma hated being cornered like this. He walked in from one hell of a mission into a jōnin teacher meeting, blind-sided by the Hokage's questions regarding his team's exam nomination. He'd never intended to nominate them. Not the first time out.

"I will defer to you, sir, but I do not recommend them for the exams."

"The experience will be good for them." Genma didn't roll his eyes at the final tone. He knew as soon as he initially refused that the Third would still make them participate. The old man wanted the theatre of all new teams participating. The Konoha 15. The Rookie 12. "Team Five will participate and I do hope for a good showing from them."

Just because his kids had to participate didn't mean that they had to make it past the first test. They didn't even have to make it to the first test. Genma nodded easily, flicking his senbon with his tongue.

"And they will try their best, for the good of Konoha."

Damn it.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Genma bowed and stepped back in line with the other teachers. Keeping his face completely devoid of emotion, he fell back into his mind and tuned out the remainder of the meeting. Team Seven, Eight, and Ten, as well as Gai's team. Gai's team— who already had a year of preparation under their belts! Eight and Ten— full of clan heirs. Seven— which was politically-stacked and required to participate out of principle. Teams Two and Four were hardly prepared. No way they would make it past the first round.

But his kids?

Individually, his team wasn't ready for this. Together, they'd make it far enough to be in danger. There was already so much to work on with the kids. This expedited the timeline by weeks. If they made it past the second round...

If they were to have any chance of surviving...

Genma didn't even spare the door a glance when the meeting was dismissed. He took off out the window and headed for ANBU headquarters.

Miho had every intention of keeping her injury a secret. After all, it was already healed.

There was no reason to concern her family with something that was in the past. She was welcomed home to a spread of absolutely scrumptious food: noodles and grilled meats and pickled cabbage and beautiful, beautiful deserts. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek for the effort and dug in, excitedly telling her about the Mount Kaou bandits and the beautiful River King.

Chōji arrived from his missions looking exhausted until he glanced up from slipping off his shoes and saw her sitting at the kitchen table. Miho nearly spat out her mouthful of noodles with the force of his hug.

"You're back! We were all so shocked that you got an overnight mission! But then it ended up being longer than you said and we got worried. Are you okay? What happened?"

Miho gulped down the mouthful and grinned, batting at the red scarf he wore. He beamed, hopping into the chair by her. Their mother sat a plate of steaming pork buns on the table and sat down as well, ready to listen to the stories again.

She skipped the part about getting sliced in each telling.

Sure, it would've added some dramatic flair, but she really didn't want them to worry. After all, she was healed. Chōji really didn't need to distraction either, especially with all the progress he seemed to have made in family jutsus while she was gone. He was worried enough as it was— what with the world-ending knowledge of the future and all that.

"Miho, you're back!"

Her father swept her into an embrace, pulling her fully off the floor and walking over to the porch. He sat her on his knee as if she were still just a little girl. Chōji hurried into the kitchen at their mother's call for help with dinner. Miho grinned, pleased to have a sense of normalcy.

Normalcy wasn't going to last much longer.

She forced that thought into the back of her mind.

"How was your first distance mission, sweet bun?"

In the third telling, Miho threw in additional details. The leader of the Mount Kaou bandits was hauntingly pretty with hair the color of moonlight and eyes like steel. He was quick as a viper and absolutely batshit insane. She told of how the mission parameters changed and how they rescued a princess. And how Genma-sensei destroyed at least half of a mountain gang.

"It was so cool!"

"I thought they were joking with the hero worship of Genma." Chōza patted her bandage-wrapped leg. "Kakashi has been spreading the rumor that you're all brainwashed."

Just because his team wasn't as cool…

"Genma-sensei is awe—"

"MIHO— MY BEAUTIFUL, YOUTHFUL FRIEND OF THE AGES! ARE YOU HEALED FROM YOUR GRIEVOUS INJURY? YOUR FIGHTING SPIRIT NEVER CEASES TO—"

Miho felt her heart stop as Lee landed in the clearing.

Grievous injury.

Those words rattled around in her brain. She felt her father tense.

His eyes widened, immediately sensing a shift in the air. Miho pushed herself off her father's lap and stepped away, focusing on Lee instead of her father. Lee was a good distraction, even if all of what was to come was his fault. "Hi, Lee! Do you want to stay for dinner? See? I'm totally good!"

His attention flickered over her shoulder before he approached, significantly more subdued. His voice was more hushed, but it was only a courtesy. Any jōnin worth their rank would be able to hear his murmur. "I heard you were hurt, my friend. I came to check on you."

"Thank you. Honestly, I'm fine, Lee. Got healed up at the hospital." Miho patted her stomach where the slice had been. His eyes trailed down to her hand, eyes going a bit wide at the implication. The breath was knocked out of her in the next moment as he surged forward to grab her in a hug. "Lee, I promise— I'm okay! No way Team Five would've let me go home if I wasn't."

"It was your Rough and Tumble Koji that told me of your injury."

Miho swore vengeance.

"Miho, a word? Lee, I am sure that Aiko would love help with dinner. She might even make your favorite."

Lee took the dismissal with grace, smiling Brightly and Kindly as he made his way into the house. He glanced at her over his shoulder before disappearing from sight. Miho's shoulders rounded and she turned to meet her fate. Sighing, she raised her eyes to her father's.

"Let me guess, Miho. It 'wasn't a big deal.'"

She flinched.

"Why does it always seem that it is your Honor Brother that doesn't abide your understatements and sidestepping?"

Miho bit back her kneejerk response: "It's not in his nature." That would've been a bad tone to set, she knew. Her father's expression was severe, and it was bordering on Clan Head rather than Father.

"I didn't want to worry Chōji."

And really, that was the truth of it.

The bare bones truth.

Her brother had enough to worry about.

"Chōji is stronger than you are giving him credit for. This is another instance of you not trusting your brother."

"I trust him. I—" She told him about the future, her dreams, what was coming. She trusted him and Shikamaru with more than she trusted anyone. She didn't elect to tell Ino. She elected to tell Chōji and Shikamaru. That had to count for something. But it also meant that her brother had so much weight on his shoulders already. He was sweet and kind and good-hearted. He didn't need to know she was injured.

"No, you don't or you would trust his ability to handle your injury. Miho, this is a reality of your profession. You cannot hide injuries from your family, no matter how much you wish not to worry us."

Miho lowered her head and started down at the roll of fat that blocked her shoes. That fat had been cut just hours before. An outfit was forever ruined because of the blood stains and the severed cloth. Maybe there was more to it than that. The injury wasn't a bad one, but it seemed like the ripples just kept forming waves.

"I almost took the green pill."

She lifted her head and met her father's eyes, which were open and critically assessing everything about her stance, expression, and chakra. The last time she'd seen him like this, trust had also been an issue. She'd made her own changes because of that conversation.

She took steps to trust more, to do better.

But had he?

She tried not to let that bother her. She'd expected him to do too much— to bring Naruto into the fold more or to at least make moves to let Naruto know. But, nothing. Absolutely nothing in the weeks since then. She tried not to let that burn. She tried not to let that bother her.

But it did.

"I made a mistake. I forgot my weights. I got distracted. I got injured. And when I got desperate, I almost took the green pill. I spat it out before it took effect because Genma-sensei showed up. I didn't think."

After a long while, her father nodded, hands moving to rest on his knees as he leaned forward. His eyes were critical, narrowed. "What will you do differently?"

Miho stood there, hands tingling.

She wondered if she should list out the training regimen, she'd already worked out on the way back to Konoha. She wondered if she should describe the ideas that Genma-sensei had detailed— meditation and focus training with some unknown teacher. She even wondered if she should describe how she intended to take up the naginata, a more offensive weapon.

But, for some reason, as tired and exhausted as she was…The only thought that kept echoing in her mind was the fact that Naruto still didn't know who his parents were.

It was a nonsensical thought, but it was there- overriding everything else.

Even after she'd spoken to her father about it weeks before.

Even after she'd made it clear that her friend should know.

A rational part argued that change took time.

The louder part shouted that there was only so much time left.

"I want to know."

Confusion. That was the first emotion on her father's face. His brows knitted together and he sat back. Then, she saw the barest hint of conflict. Somehow, that only served to bolster her decision. "What do you mean, Miho?"

Swallowing down the flood of nervous energy like it was too large of a bite, Miho stepped forward and squared her shoulders.

"I want to know about my biological parents."

A/N: Thank you all SINCERELY for your reviews, favorites, and follows! My day gets brighter with each notification I receive. I've been wanting to write this story for so long and it is just so amazing to be able to put it into words at last! Also, an artist drew some fan art for this story! Please check it out on my tumblr and support the artist!

Thank you again!