After Rest Day came one of the most important days in Agent 37's life. That day, instead of the final physical session, something else was planned.
The first sign that Agent 37 had of this was that he and Agent 33 were split up after ninja theory. Agent Torune took 33 to her room while Agent Fuu came with him to his.
"You have been judged to have enough understanding of the basics of chakra. Today, you will attempt to sense yours."
"Understood, Teacher Fuu." It was hard to contain his excitement, but somehow Agent 37 managed.
Before the session proceeded, they were joined by Danzo, who strode into the small room as though he owned it and the people inside too.
Agent 37 immediately copied Agent Fuu, kneeling down on one knee and bowing low, with the opposite fist placed on the ground. Carefully, Agent 37 projected thoughts of wariness and obedience, keeping his irritation in check.
"Rise, Agents."
Danzo observed Agent 37 as he stood in sync with Agent Fuu. "Agent 37, today is the true beginning of your growth as a strong and silent Root of Konoha. Agent Fuu will push his chakra into your system. You must focus and sense your internal responses. Do not disappoint me."
"Yes, Lord Danzo." He stood perfectly still as Agent Fuu laid his right palm in between his shoulder blades. He closed his eyes and meditated like before. There was his pulse, the one thing he could clearly separate. Beneath that were the rest, signals of his body's internal workings which he hadn't managed to separate yet.
Something was different, though. He could feel his hands and feet tingling. Slowly, he isolated the sense that they were emanating a kind of warmth. He tried to trace the source back inside, but couldn't go much beyond his elbows before losing hold over what he still felt as an abstract concept.
Then, he tried focusing on Agent Fuu's palm. Gradually, the warmth was calibrated into the background and he could sense the flow of another kind of energy into his system. He could perceive it to be a pure sense of invigoration.
He opened his eyes and managed to retain that internal awareness.
"What do you sense, Agent 37?"
"Lord Danzo, I can feel Agent Fuu injecting chakra into my system. I also feel that my hands and feet are leaking chakra from my active pressure points. My hands are giving out much more than my feet. More than double the flow, in comparison."
At some unseen signal, Agent 37 felt Agent Fuu stop channeling chakra, though his hand was still on his back.
"Agent Fuu has stopped giving me chakra. Flow though my feet is dropping faster than my hands. Now the flow has stopped there. My hands are still leaking chakra."
After a few seconds, Agent 37 spoke up again. "Now it is stopping at my hands too. Maybe- hmmm… I tried to keep it going, and I think I used a small part of my own chakra? I'm not certain, though the flow has stopped now."
Agent 37 finished his report and waited patiently as Agent Fuu seemed to converse with Lord Danzo non-verbally.
Danzo gave Agent Fuu the slightest of nods. He then turned to Agent 37, smiling slightly as the latter immediately snapped to attention. "You have managed to sense chakra quite quickly. Agent Fuu will continue these sessions once a week to improve your senses, enough for you to use chakra consciously."
Danzo slowly shuffled out. Agent 37 just reminded himself not to be fooled for an instant. Just before he crossed the threshold, Danzo stopped and turned back. "Do you have any questions for me, Agent 37?"
This was a test and an opportunity. Not asking anything was safe. It would make them think of him as meek and obedient. But, the right words would be a step to lowering their guard. "When will I go on missions?"
Danzo was pleased. True, Agent 37 still had traces of innocent curiosity in him. But already, his thoughts of leaving the Root base tended towards serving on missions rather than escape. "If you do your best in classes and training, then I will assign you your first mission in a month." He acknowledged Agent 37's will with a slight nod before exiting.
Agent Fuu reminded him of the altered schedule for Rest Day before following his leader out.
Agent 37 sat on the bed, thinking furiously while making sure to keep his facial expression placid. 'One month to impress. I will allow nothing to slow me down.'
X-X
Four weeks later, Agent Fuu respectfully waited in Root's Acorn Base meeting room for Lord Danzo to address him. "Report"
"Yes, Lord Danzo. Over the last month, Agent 37 has successfully memorised our Ninja rulebook and performed excellently in all the general knowledge tests. His chakra sensing capacity has improved to the point that he no longer needs help to call up his chakra and expel them at various rates. His hand seal making speed is also up to Low Ninja standards and continues to improve."
"Any discrepancies?"
"He does not adhere to the instructed order of hand seal practice. He was not punished for it as he expressed his reasoning as wanting to be capable of doing them in any order. He also expels the chakra from his hands back into his own body, stating that he doesn't want it to go to waste."
Danzo frowned. "What is your analysis of his actions?"
"His behaviour is not beyond the bounds of possibility, but he is in general very far thinking for a child of his age. I suspect that the mental break that permanently dulled his emotional reactions also upset his hormone balance. Though there are no physical indications of the onset of puberty, I theorise that he is losing neutral plasticity at an abnormal rate as he suppresses more types of behaviours as irreverent to his current circumstances."
"Agent 37's behaviour is changing more to be as expected from Project Graduation then. Possible long term problems?"
"There could be difficulty in incorporating new knowledge or behaviour at a later age, perhaps around 30. But it is not certain and need not be adjusted for."
"Your thoughts on his interpersonal interactions?"
"He does not engage directly with the other Agents of his group but responds naturally when conversation is initiated by others. His questions towards the instructors show that he is properly internalising the knowledge gained and is forming his world view cerebrally. They also indicate an intelligence capable of linking concepts and finding interdependence that has not been explicitly stated, unlike most of his peers."
"Promising. What of his physical capabilities?"
"Nothing exceptional for his age. He does all the prescribed exercises without complaint. His approach in the spars is to take down his opponents clinically. He capitalises on any hesitation, which is common among all the other Agents. Accurate appraisal of combat skills against similar skill levels is not possible with the current limitations."
"Very well. Bring him in."
X-X
Agent 37 mentally revised his goals as he waited for Agent Fuu to appear. He had satisfied all expectations while holding something in reserve. He also did more stretching and other half-guessed, half-imagined exercises in his room till he slept, building his physical capabilities beyond what was observed.
The most important thing to him, though, was that he practised making nonsensical hand seals while channelling chakra, in secret. It was part of not tying active chakra use to the standard hand seals. He would probably develop Ninjutsu techniques slower than expected, but a part of him was sure that it would help when he came up with original techniques someday.
He was interrupted from his daydreams of coming up with his own way of using chakra by the door opening. It was, as expected, Agent Fuu.
"Agent 37. I will take you to Lord Danzo now. He is expecting you."
Even as Agent 37 was taken through the same familiar corridors and looked at the same few expressionless masks, he vowed not to forget how big and diverse the world outside was.
X-X
"Agent 37, you have performed admirably in training. As I promised, I have brought you here today to prepare you to begin carrying missions for Konoha as one of its silent roots."
"I am honoured, Lord Danzo."
"You will be, from today, a full-fledged agent of Root, a hand-picked set of exceptional Ninja who report directly to me and serve Konoha in absolute secrecy."
"In order to prevent our secrets from being revealed by force or by accident, I will now give you a seal that will prevent any pertinent information about our organisation from falling into the wrong hands."
Agent 37 stiffened a bit, though he made it seem like anticipation rather than nervousness. 'That sounded dangerous for my long term goals.'
"Would that not make us identifiable to the informed ninja?"
"Your caution is misplaced, Agent 37. This seal will be on the root of your tongue and as such, out of sight of the casual observer."
'Paranoid bastard' He thought, sticking out his tongue as Danzo approached with a brush.
The next thing he knew, he was waking up on the floor. Agent Fuu was helping him up. Danzo addressed him as he got his bearings. "The procedure is painful, so you had been sedated before as a precaution to prevent involuntary spasms."
Agent 37 bowed in silence, even as it felt like his whole mouth was on fire, like after eating a really spicy chilli. 'Wait, chilli? When did I ever taste that?. Was I just imagining things again?' He forcibly concentrated on the taste of ink instead, trying to memorise it as much as possible.
"The pain will fade over a day. Rest and report back here at 0600 tomorrow for your first mission, Agent 37. Dismissed."
Agent Fuu watched as Agent 37 walked stoically back to his room. "He did not cry out after waking, Lord Danzo. It is a sign that Project Graduation is feasible."
Lord Danzo frowned. "Agent 33 does not show similar signs of progress in her training. I cannot be sure that the effects can be replicated."
"Agent 33 has progressed to consistently suppressing her pain responses. However, she still fears all the adults around her."
"Plans to improve her subconscious responses?"
"She shows keen interest in learning about chakra and how it all applies to her capabilities. Increased guidance on that should build better rapport with older adults."
"Very well. For the duration of Agent 37's mission, prepare Agent 33 for the next phase."
"Understood, Lord Danzo."
X-X
Back in his room, Agent 37 took out one of his class notes. Danzo did not provide any information on how the seal works, but he was confident that no design could be perfect.
"I am a member of…" That was all he got out before his tongue swelled enough to prevent speaking while burning like it had before. He could still think about the rest of the sentence, though.
He then tried to write it down. His hand cramped painfully till he directed his thoughts elsewhere. No kind of clever wording changed the consequences in any way. 'Well, if the seal alerted Danzo of its triggering, I would truthfully say that I was testing it out for flaws. I would, of course, say I was planning to report to him if I found any.'
By the end of the night, all he could do without triggering the seal was make a drawing of a tree with amorphous blobs hanging from its roots. It might indicate to other Root Agents what he was trying to say, but it definitely wouldn't tip off anyone who didn't already know. Agent 37 destroyed the page anyway.
X-X
The next morning, Agent 37 was standing before Danzo in the same room as yesterday, which now had a desk behind which he was seated. There was a folder kept ready.
"The primary objective of this mission is to observe the activities of Hajime Fujii, a general goods merchant. He is suspected to be involved in the trade of restricted merchandise. You are tasked to verify the accuracy of this information and, if true, obtain details of the goods involved and transaction procedures that can be used to take appropriate action."
"Understood, Lord Danzo."
"The time frame for this mission is one month. He restocks his inventory around then which could be a feasible cover for acquiring or selling contraband."
"As preparation for our investigation, he has been incentivised to provide labour opportunities to orphan children. You will be a part of a group of six children selected from three different orphanages to join his workforce."
"The details of your cover identity and procedures to follow in case of emergencies are in this folder. You are to memorise the information and destroy the folder before leaving this base."
Despite the mercenary undertones, Agent 37 was excited to be out in the sun, stretching his legs.
"What happens if I don't find anything suspicious? Or if I find something before the month is over?"
"At the end of the month, you will drop out from the job due to a possible adoption by an interested couple. If nothing is found by then, your mission will be over. If, however, you find incriminating evidence before the month is up, you will return to the orphanage in your records and talk with the head about being bullied by another employee. An Agent will meet with you discreetly to follow up and you will be brought back to the base."
"Understood, Lord Danzo."
"Agent Torune is in charge of you till the end of this mission. Dismissed."
He felt the room and, sure enough, Agent Torune was waiting outside. He was one of the rare few other than Agent Fuu and Lord Danzo himself who freely showed their faces to the other Agents. Though in his case, he wrote another mask beneath the Root mask that hid everything except his spiky black hair and his fair-skinned nose and mouth.
"Agent 37, follow me."
Torune was a weird Agent. Though his personality was more or less as dead as any other 'well-trained' agent, he engaged in conversation much more than expected. 'I think he was compensating for never touching others without gloves.'
"Will you be coming with me on the mission, Agent Torune?"
"No. I will make arrangements at Golden Summer Orphanage for you to make contact. Others will observe you to report on your performance." He showed me a room with nothing but a small steel table and a desk lamp.
Torune then produced a thin set of papers from inside his cloak. "This file contains all the relevant information. You have one hour to memorise it."
Agent 37 didn't have any difficulty with it, though he did wonder why no one raised an eye at finding a four year old capable of this much. 'Arata, huh? I'll have to choose my own name before I get these fake identities mixed up in my head.'
The merchant, Hajime Fuuji, was obviously a shady character. For one, he didn't care that 'ANBU' provided him orphans as long as he could pay them less than his other employees. For another, he was observed to spend regular time with paid escorts though he had a wife and kid. The file only mentioned that 'The target can regularly be found alone waiting for a companion at the alley behind his warehouse', but he could read between the lines.
When he finished with the file, he tried writing down details about his mission, but the seal paralysed him. Eventually, he figured out that he could write a vague story about a boy on his first ninja mission that no one would actually accept as proof.
'Still, it was a start. Enough of such stories would convince anyone who wanted to take Danzo down. I'll have to find a hiding place before I store any records.'
'Leaves, even as paper, can nourish silent roots.' Agent 37 kept himself from smirking at that thought as he chewed and swallowed his notes. Sometimes, the part of him that was really five years old shrieked in fear and denial. Sarcasm helped keep that broken little boy from rising up.
X-X
Hajime Fuuji was a simple man. Ill luck had saddled him with a shrewish wife and a daughter who had inherited her mother's square jaw and heavyset build.
He did his duties as a father and husband by taking good care of the shop his father-in-law had passed on to him, but surely no one could begrudge him for seeking pleasure elsewhere once in a while.
His eyes lit up in excitement on seeing his petite, soft spoken Aiko, waiting for him and him alone at their usual meeting spot. "Fancy seeing you here today, beautiful lady!"
"I couldn't wait to see you again, Lord Hajime! You know just how to brighten a girl's life!"
"Then come, I have something special planned for us today!"
Aiko, as she was known to this particular customer, tittered as she made her way into the warehouse. 'Hajime is usually more careful than this. Why not just go to my place, as usual?'
She stopped short as they came to a small space hidden from casual view by stacked boxes. There was a small table with cut fruits and a pitcher of water, but the obvious main attraction was the large bed, complete with a couple of pillows and rose petals scattered over the sheets.
"Oh my! All this, just for me? You shouldn't have, Lord Hajime! What would your poor wife think?"
Hajime chucked in a satisfied manner. "You know very well that the old biddy never steps outside the house if she can help it. Besides, I let my workers off early today. We have all the time in the world."
Aiko gave him a sultry smile as she sat on the edge of the bed, holding eye contact as she untied the sash holding her dark blue robe closed. "Should I expect such a special welcome every time? I'll be sure to step up my efforts too." She gave a practised giggle as the man's breathing sped up on looking at the tiny cow-print leather bikini that covered just enough to tantalise.
Hajime thought he was a lucky man as Aiko laid back and let him caress her smooth, milky thighs. With the money he was saving from his new found source of cheap labour, he could step up his effort to woo this siren into becoming his permanent mistress.
Unbeknownst to the two lost to their passions, 'Arata' watched from on top of the boxes. Root did cover the basic sins and weakness civilians and even some ninja could be trapped with, but a practical lesson was enlightening. 'An extra weakness only adults have, huh. It looks kinda icky.'
Even as he thought that, a part of him insisted that the act can feel really good. 'Where do these flashes of insight come from? How do I even know these words?'
Arata quietly shook his head as he slunk off to note Fuuji's sale and contact details from the 'secret' ledger in the shorthand Root agents were taught. The man kept it in the same place he kept the money he skimmed off his family. All Arata had to do was lurk around for Aiko's next visit.
X-X
The next day found Hajime in a contented mood as he made his way to the shop. 'Sugawara Goods' read the sign over the storefront. The usual irritation he found as he glanced at that reminder of the lack of appreciation his honoured father-in-law had for his efforts was absent.
'I just have to save up a bit more money and wait for Goro to put me in touch with the right people. Soon, this will be Fuuji Goods and I'll have a devoted new wife to go with it.'
His good mood was dampened a bit when he found one of the new hires being manhandled by a couple of his regular employees.
"Hey! Hiroto! Souta! Why are you bullying that kid?"
Souta, the skinnier of the two, quickly spoke up. "Wasn't bullying, Sir Fuuji! We caught this little urchin trying to steal things from the warehouse when we went over to stock up!"
The little kid, probably five or six, was holding back tears. "I didn't steal anything! I was just sweeping the floor like I was told to!"
Hiroto spoke calmly, not wanting to scare the kid too much. "Don't lie, Arata. We saw you hide something under your clothes. Go on, give it to us without making this any harder."
The kid, Arata, gave him a pleading look. "You have to believe me, Sir Fuuji. I wasn't stealing."
Hajime narrowed his eyes. There was something strange about this Arata. He didn't act like a five year old at all. "Alright you two, go do your jobs. I'll have a talk with little Arata in private and settle this matter, all right?"
He let Arata follow him behind the counter. The kid was so short that only a bit of his head could be seen from the other side. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I found something, but I was going to return it to you when you were alone." With that, the kid calmly took out a cow-print leather bra from under his shirt.
Hajime hissed and stopped the kid's arm before the incriminating piece of clothing could be seen above the counter.
The kid just blinked as if he immediately understood his mistake. "Oh. Sorry. Here." He passed the bra at his chest height. Hajime frowned before discreetly slipping it into his pocket.
"This isn't mine, er, Arata, is it? But I'll make sure it's returned to the right owner."
Arata gave him a look that said he clearly wasn't fooled. "I wasn't going to say anything, Sir Fuuji. I was just hoping you'd give me a better job and stuff if I prove my loyalty. Haven't got anyone to look after me, after all."
Hajime couldn't believe it. The little shit was actually blackmailing him. 'What are the street kids getting up to these days?'
"Is that so? Well, I've got a special job for you this Friday. Continue to work hard at keeping the warehouse clean till then and stay back on Friday, alright?"
Arata beamed at him as though he'd promised him the world. "Thank you, Sir! I'll do my best!"
Hajime watched as the kid scampered back to the warehouse. He decided to let Arata carry a few boxes to deliver to Goro. That way, it would be simple to update the list of people he wanted taken care of when the time came. Or, just maybe, he'd keep Arata around as a loyal hand. It all depended on how the kid turned out.
X-X
Danzo took a moment to contemplate the future as he waited for Agent Torune's latest report on Agent 37.
The village was slowly recovering its strength after the disastrous attack by the Nine Tails. His loyal agents had obtained the name Uchiha as deathbed testimony from Biwako Sarutobi, but Hiruzen didn't trust even his wife's last words when it came through his lips.
'I have never trusted the Uchiha, but it was your weakness, old friend, that has forced my hand. My Root will bear the burdens that are too much for the Hokage's shoulders. If the Uchiha can be made to see reason, that cooperating with the village to earn back the lost trust is the best way forward, then Konoha will remain strong with the Uchiha clan within it.'
'However, if the worst happens, the rot has to be cut out before it kills the entire tree. Even then, perhaps, a few seeds can be nurtured. Away from the light.'
Danzo put his plans for the future aside to better focus on the present as Agent Torune entered. He surveyed the agent as the latter patiently waited to be addressed. Reassured once more of his choices on witnessing clear stoicism and obedience, he beckoned. "Report, Agent Torune."
"Agent 37 has updated the status of his mission. It is confirmed that the merchant Hajime Fuuji routinely smuggles kunai, shuriken and other ninja tools out of the village for profit through a travelling salesman named Goro. He also has in place a plan to kill his father-in-law and wife and thereafter take full control of Sugawara Goods. His plans for his daughter are unclear. He also plans to take a local prostitute as his new wife afterward."
Danzo was uninterested in the man's marital plans. However, no Konoha ninja would accept a mission to kill their own civilians. "This Goro must have a way to contact a missing ninja willing to kill a civilian within their own hidden village. Possibly B-class."
"That appears probable, Lord Danzo."
"Very well. I will make official arrangments for Goro to be captured and presented to Torture and Interrogation the next time he leaves the village. For all his weakness, Hiruzen isn't particularly soft towards outsiders."
"Understood, Lord Danzo. Is Agent 37 to be recalled for debriefing?"
Danzo paused in thought. Normally, he would simply put the corrupt merchant under watch in order to catch other potential security threats the man might deign to make contact with. However, Agent 37 was quickly proving ready for the next step on Project Graduation.
"Leave the reports and have Agent 37 brought to me at 2300 hours tonight for an update. Dismissed."
X-X
Arata reflected on his recent experiences as he retreated to his bed at the Golden Summer Orphanage. His cover identity was supposedly orphaned a few days ago when his civilian parents fell afoul of a previously unknown trap left over from the Third Shinobi World War. Subtle emphasis was put on their decision not to hire any ninja for protection.
Supporting that line of thought made him feel dirty, so he compensated by cheerfully participating in all the games the other children played. He took particular pleasure in never winning a single game. 'Whoever is watching me probably thinks I'm maintaining my cover identity.'
On the whole, he was happy with what he saw as a short release from jail. His mission had also gone well. As expected, Fuuji let him be present when he sold contraband for exorbitant prices, just so that the other man could know him by sight. 'Pushing chakra through wire and sticking it to that bra was a success. A simple application of the leaf sticking exercise. My speed and range could be improved a lot, though.'
He didn't startle when his musings were interrupted by Agent Torune's sudden, silent appearance. "Lord Danzo has summoned you for an update on the mission parameters."
"Understood, Agent Torune."
They made their way back with Arata clinging to Agent Torune's gloved hands while he used the Body Flicker. Arata understood it to be a measure to prevent him from knowing the way in or out. 'Whatever. They would have to trust me to operate solo at some point.'
They waited in the pose he'd privately named 'Knee-Bow' for Danzo to address them.
"Agent Torune, you are dismissed."
Agent 37, as he currently thought of himself, waited with outward patience. 'Stupid Danzo and his stupid power games. You're only wasting time that brings you much closer to death by old age than me.'
Thankfully, Danzo gave no indication that he was aware of his inner snark. "Rise, Agent 37."
He rose gracefully and removed his mask. Danzo continued. "You have performed adequately so far but based on your feedback, the mission objective has changed. Hajime Fuuji has been judged too corrupt to be left alive."
Agent 37 let genuine hesitation show on his face. He didn't care about this merchant in particular, but to be expected to kill on another's orders went against his dream of independence.
"Do you have objections, Agent 37?"
He visibly swallowed before asking. "Am I to do the killing?"
Danzo allowed the silence to fester before replying. "Yes."
He thought furiously for an argument that balanced between uncaring and disobedient. "Life… isn't it valuable? People take a long time to grow up and become useful."
"You have observed that this man plans to end someone else's life. I have chosen you to perform this act because you did the research yourself. One person, on the wrong path, can end up cutting short the life of many. Their death, in effect, can save those lives. In the future, child, you must trust the assessment of myself and your senior agents and be ready to obey."
He calmed himself. "I understand, Lord Danzo."
Danzo graced him with the slightest of nods. "Your tutors tell me you have performed exceptionally well for your age on the theoretical mission scenario exercises. Tell me, what would be the best way to arrange Hajime Fuuji's death?"
He pretended to think for a second. 'Yeah, thanks for emphasising his name. Way to really maximise the trauma.' "An accident at the warehouse, while he's waiting alone to meet Aiko."
"He only met her inside his warehouse once. At all previous times, he has visited her at her home."
Agent 37 didn't hesitate. "He has extra money from hiring orphans cheaply. He plans to use that to woo her more aggressively. When he mentioned wanting to return the bra I stole, Aiko replied that she'd come by to pick it up from where it was misplaced."
Danzo gave him a penetrating look. "That final part wasn't mentioned in the report."
He maintained placid eye contact. "I mentioned arranging circumstances to reinforce his new meeting pattern with Aiko."
Danzo did not accept that answer. "In the future, mention the details of all planned interactions with targets in pursuit of mission objectives. Do not disappoint me again, Agent 37."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
Danzo sighed as he decided to forgo punishment. Agent 37 was very young and this was his first mission report. Perfection was to be expected later, not at such an early stage. "Very well. Continue your cover job. Observe the target and discreetly influence him to arrange another meeting with Aiko in the new pattern as soon as possible. It will be ensured that she does not show up too early. You are to complete this mission with the elimination of Hajime Fuuji as specified within one week."
X-X
Agent Fuu collected his thoughts carefully before he reported on his observations on Agent 37's mission. The youngest agent was an anomaly in many ways Lord Danzo has trusted him with examining his psyche and guiding him on the correct path. It was his duty to fulfil that to the utmost of his ability.
"Agent 37 showed excellent understanding of all aspects of the procedures covered in his training. He is already accomplished at compartmentalisation to a degree expected from ninja with years of service in stressful conditions."
"Remarkable. How was the kill performed?"
"Agent 37 dropped a crate containing glass jars of pickles on the target. The fall was a natural tipping that could have resulted from careless storage. The target was hit by a corner and fell unconscious. Several jars broke on impact with the ground. Agent 37 then rearranged the target's fall such that glass shards severed several important blood vessels around his face and neck resulting in death by blood loss."
"Agent 37's initial hesitance led me to predict a cleaner, more instantaneous method."
"He must have concluded that an accident reduced the chance for precision in delivery."
"Your analysis of his behaviour post assassination?"
"Agent 37 returned to the orphanage after mission completion. He did not sleep until much later than his usual routine and was surprised to wake up in the orphanage the next morning. He expected to be summoned back to Root that night."
Agent Fuu paused to see if Lord Danzo had any queries or clarifications. "However, he quickly understood the importance of not deviating from his normal routine and showed up to work at 0800 hours."
"By this time, the body had already been discovered and sent to the hospital for the autopsy. Agent 37 displayed shock and fear convincingly on hearing the news."
"Promising. Were there any complications?"
"Agent 37 was questioned by a member of the Konoha Military Police Force but managed to hold his own without arousing any suspicion.''
"That seems unlikely. Am I to understand he lied convincingly to an Uchiha?"
"The questioner was a 13 year old Low Ninja who has not yet activated the Sharingan. He did not suspect any foul play. His profile indicates a lack of skill and ambition and his service within the KMPF has been limited to investigation of civilians only till date."
"It is foolish to depend on luck. Accelerate Agent 37's training regime."
"Understood, Lord Danzo."
"How far behind is Agent 33 in comparison?"
"Agent 33's taijutsu and genjutsu are comparable to a Low Ninja graduated from the academy. Her ninjutsu skills are above average with average chakra control and sixtieth percentile chakra levels for her age and gender. Her affinity has been tested to be fire and targeted training is to begin shortly."
"What have you gleaned from her psych profile?"
"She is slowly adapting to the emotion suppression training. However, she has a tendency to become angry and vicious if cornered. I have gathered that she is subconsciously in denial of her circumstances. Open rebellion is non-existent after negative reinforcement but she occasionally cries in her room at the end of training. I recommend positive feedback to engender acceptance."
"Very well. Prepare Agent 33 to begin phase two of Project Graduation in one week's time. Instruct Agent Torune to extract Agent 37 in three days. I will supervise his first endurance test at 0700 hours on the fourth day. Dismissed."
X-X
Free from the burden of knowing what was coming for him, Agent 37 slept peacefully for another night, dreaming of strength and freedom.
X-X
