AN: Originally posted on AO3. Co-Written by Arthuria_PenDragon.

"It's not the face that makes someone a monster; it's the choices they make with their lives."

– Naruto Uzumaki

Satsuki looked one last time into the mirror to make sure her outfit was secure. She was wearing her favourite today. A pale pink short-sleeve dress with a black sash around her waist. Black open sandals and knee-length mesh armour under the dress with mesh gloves. The brown strapping running diagonally across her chest was both good protection and a way to carry her supply of sand. She checked her weapon holsters and her medical supplies and then shoved the scrolls into another holster. (The good thing about having two budding Fūinjutsu masters among her friends is that she could carry more supplies with less effort.)

She darted out of her room and into the kitchen, where her mother was preparing food. "Morning, Tsuki-chan."

She smiled. "Morning, Kā-chan. Is Tō-san already working?"

Her mother hummed, both tired and amused. Working for the T & I took up much of her father's time. "He is. Are you excited about your first C-rank?" her mother asked, as she offered a plate of food.

Satsuki took it with a smile, glancing at the clock. She had enough time to have breakfast normally and still make it to the Hokage Tower on time. "I am." She huffed a little. "Dai's been whining about not getting one sooner… but sensei wasn't sure. But, well… it can't be put off any longer."

Her mother turned to her with a raised eyebrow, red hair glinting in the sunlight. Sometimes, Satsuki wished she had the same shade of hair as her mother. Apparently, her grandfather had had it too.

Her mother hummed thoughtfully. "I see," she said. "Well, be sure to have their backs. Outside the village, you need even better teamwork."

She nodded. "Alright, Kā-chan. We'll be careful." She finished the last bite of her food and hurriedly hugged her mother, who smiled.

"And sweetie… keep your sand dry."

She hummed. "Always." She had experienced once or twice what it was like to work with wet sand. Not fun at all. She had a slightly bigger chakra pool than average for members of the Yamanaka Clan — an effect of having had a Jinchūriki for grandfather, she'd heard, — but using wet sand for her jutsu still drained her faster than what she liked. So after that one incident during a sparring session, she swore to herself to be extra careful around bodies of water. And around Suiton users, like Shin.

She waved at her mother and hurried out the door, making her way towards the Tower. She hoped Dai would not be late.

Daiki scowled at their sensei, leaned against the wall of the building next to Satsuki. Satsuki, who'd been here even before it was time, like always.

"You're late, Genin Inuzuka," the man said, eyes narrowing.

Daiki growled, flashing his elongated canines at the man. "I'm just on time. You said we have to meet here at eight," he said, glancing pointedly at the clock across from them, hanging from a nearby building. "It's eight in a minute. Not late."

The man's eyes narrowed slightly and then his brown eyes scanned their surroundings. "Where's Genin Hatake?"

"I'm right here, Naoto-sensei," came the quiet answer, as the pale-haired pre-teen melted out of the shadows of the building, making the Jōnin tense in surprise.

Daiki and Satsuki remained calm. The girl knew her third teammate would be around somewhere, so she didn't even bother looking for him. Daiki, though, had smelled the subtle scent of vanilla that always lingered around his closest friend. Therefore, he didn't need to see the other. Just knowing he was here was enough.

Their sensei scowled a bit, muttering about shadows as he turned away. "Come on, before we're any more late. Missions won't wait around for us and you've been whining about getting a C-rank for months now."

Daiki's eyes narrowed on the Jōnin's back. "We wouldn't have been whining, if you didn't try holding us back all the time," he growled. "The three of us have the best teamwork out of all our year." (It went unsaid, that the others had been unlucky enough to be saddled with 'weaker' third teammates, who were not part of their seven-member inner circle.)

The man said nothing, as the four of them (plus Nigō, because the dog was a full-fledged member of the team, naturally) made their way to the Mission Assignment office. When they arrived, they found the Hokage sitting behind the main desk with a few other Chūnin also there.

Naoto bowed. "Kyūdaime-sama, Team 6 reporting for a C-rank mission."

The young Ninth Hokage, Sarutobi Shūzō, looked up. He smiled slightly at the three Genin, who greeted him without bows, but with wordless grins and smiles of their own. Daiki even waved at the recently appointed leader.

Sanada Naoto, of course, was not happy at seeing this 'lack of respect' towards their Kage, but he kept his mouth shut. For some reason, the young Sarutobi indulged his team like this, along with a few other notable young shinobi from the same graduation class.

It was still unknown why the young Hokage showed such interest in the seven students, even if they were talented. There was a bet going on what the answer may be, but he didn't bother joining. All seven were descendants of prominent Clans and shinobi… so perhaps the Hokage just wanted to strengthen his own position. Sarutobi Konohamaru had been a well-liked Hokage and even if Shūzō showed similar skill to his grandfather, many doubted him.

Steel-grey eyes settled on Naoto. "A C-rank, you say? Are they ready?"

Naoto almost said no. He would have liked to say no… the Inuzuka was still too cocky and it would get him killed. (And then he would get blamed for that.) And the Hatake still freaked him out. But… he knew he couldn't say that. The Hokage knew his students personally, perhaps better than anyone in the village. Trying to downplay their skills would only get him into a tight spot, just like if one brat had died on a mission gone wrong. (Besides, reluctant as he was to say it, his students had admirable levels of teamwork. The three of them were like seasoned shinobi, working like an oiled machine, whenever the situation called for it.)

He nodded instead. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage threw an appreciative look at the three young shinobi, eliciting a grin from the Inuzuka boy, the malamute sitting back on his haunches. It was smaller than what one would deem acceptable for an actively working ninken puppy, but still bigger than an average dog, its icy-blue eyes filled with intelligence. It barked happily, and the Hokage looked between the two boys, as Hatake scratched the dog.

The man shook his head in disbelief. Inuzuka and Hatake had been two Clans at each others' throats since the dawn of shinobi. Even when both Clans joined Konoha, they had been, at best, cordial to each other. He had thought that putting the Hatake and the Inuzuka on the same team would be a disaster. (But he also knew the team split up had ended up as it was, because this class of graduates had no Aburame member.)

It was a disaster, yes… but a different sort. Instead of wanting to maul each other, Hatake and Inuzuka worked together well. And while Sanada would not admit it out loud, his hold on the Inuzuka wasn't the best. But the wild boy at least respected his teammates and listened to the cold logic of the Hatake.

If the boy bothered to speak up. His Nara genes were not visible in his physical appearance, but his mastery of Kagemane no Jutsu and his tendency to not get involved in things certainly showed his laziness.

The Hokage hummed, looking at the pile of papers in front of him. "Then, Team 6, you have a C-rank escort mission to Cha no Kuni. A merchant requested an escort to protect himself and his wares."

The three shared a few glances and Naoto was ready for an outburst of protests, especially from the Inuzuka. Instead, all three of them showed various levels of satisfaction. Cold, blank eyes settled on him and the Jōnin barely stopped himself from fidgeting. There was something unsettling in the Hatake Heir. "When do we leave?"

The teen was looking at the Jōnin, but anyone with the smallest bit of brains could tell that the question had been directed at the only person the blank-eyed brat respected in the damn room. The Hokage.

Sarutobi Shūzō looked slightly amused as he took a drag of his cigarette. "You leave tomorrow, Tetsuya-kun. Prepare for the mission to be several weeks long. Your destination is Degarashi Port, which is quite far from Konoha."

Naoto tried not to take offence at the fact that while he was usually ignored, all three of his Genin listened to the Hokage calmly. Even the Inuzuka's midnight eyes (midnight blue, a colour usually not present in the Clan; proof that the brat was not a pure-blood) were trailed on the village leader.

He tried not to take offence at being ignored while they hung on the Hokage's every word. He knew how the brats were. It didn't work.

They fell into an easy formation the moment they left the village. But then again, Daiki thought, they'd been close since the Academy and all seven of them had learned each other's strengths and weaknesses and they'd learned to work together because of the survival exercises the Academy had held.

(For a moment, he wondered how their four friends were doing. He hadn't seen them in a few days. Were they stuck in the village, doing boring D-ranks or had they been given C-ranks too? And how were they faring with their respective 'outsider' teammates? Sei had probably scared the kunoichi half to death, even before she could start fangirling over him.)

He was at the front, leading the client — a... civilised, not-shinobi-hating merchant, — through the path. Tetsu was on his left, Tsuki on his right, both slightly behind him, flanking their client. Their sensei brought the rear with mini Tetsu trotting silently next to the client, who had, to his credit, only tried to pet the soft-furred dog once.

He sniffed the air periodically, looking for foreign scents, though nothing came his way. He glanced over his shoulder at his Nara friend, who shook his head. Nothing.

Everything was peaceful.

A part of him was happy that their first C-rank was starting so easily.(He remembered the talk his Clan Head had given him, when he told her his first mission outside the village had been approved.) Another part, though, was grumbling at the boredom. He wanted some action!

It was during their tenth day on the road, close to the border of Fire and Tea, that the peacefulness of their journey was disturbed. One moment, they were still walking along the marked path in silence with their sign-language conversation ongoing. (It baffled their sensei, how they could keep quiet, yet still talk so much. It baffled him even more that they created a versatile, simple yet complex sign language that put ANBU communication means to shame.)

One moment they were walking and the next, both boys faltered, sharing a glance. Dark blue slits met icy blue. They nodded and signalled to each other and continued along the way. A few metres ahead, a group was hiding.

As the path narrowed slightly, they all tightened the formation around their client and Satsuki threw her teammates a meaningful look as she pointedly pulled on the taut wire with her foot. It set the trap off and they ducked, Tetsuya tackling the client with him.

There was a surprised gasp and the Hatake Heir looked up to see their sensei gone. He pressed his lips into a thin line as a snarl escaped Daiki. This was not exactly the moment to test them... but if the man wanted to do it this way, fine.

"Tsuki, shield the client," Tetsuya said. "We'll take them out."

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded, already opening her small gourds to bring out the sand, making a half-bubble around herself and the merchant to protect their backs. Let her teammates only be worried about taking the enemy out.

Meanwhile, Daiki already found the first man and grinned at him. "Sorry, but you're not getting the old man."

"Check again, kid!" the mercenary growled, as he aimed a low kick at the dark-skinned teen. The Inuzuka jumped over it and cocked his fist back, aiming a blow at the man's face. The man caught it, but with the same momentum, Daiki twisted around to deliver a kick.

The man fell with a cry and the Inuzuka used that moment to flare his chakra. Ninken by his side or not, he was more effective with the jutsu active. "Shikiyaku no Jutsu." [1] As his chakra flared, he crouched on all fours, his teeth and nails lengthening.

Meanwhile, Tetsuya was also fighting an enemy nin, though the man, because of his bulkier stature, had the upper hand. "It'll be easy to get you…" the man said cockily, as the icy blue eyes stared ahead.

"Is that so?"

The man scoffed and tried to leap at the Genin with a kunai in hand only to notice he couldn't move. Blue eyes glinted triumphantly as the pre-teen held his hand in a Rat sign. "Kagemane no Jutsu[2] complete."

"Wh- What the…?!"

Behind them, Daiki was struggling with three more enemies and Satsuki's sand was also swirling, trying to protect the client while also trying to stay offensive to help them. There was no time to hesitate. (He remembered the words the not-yet-Hokage told them, while they were still in the Academy. "Hesitation will cost lives — your client's, your comrade's, yours. Don't hesitate if you want to live.")

He lifted his empty hand towards his throat. The enemy raised the kunai to his own throat, panic overtaking his features. "Wait..." the mercenary tried. A simple move was enough, and the bandit fell to the floor, dead.

Daiki felt his irritation growing as the two shinobi dodged him. Increased speed or not, the bastards used their greater numbers to escape him. Tetsu was still preoccupied with his own opponents and Satsuki had to ensure the ones that slipped past the two of them didn't reach the merchant. Besides, her sand was their best way of protecting the man, so Daiki didn't begrudge her for staying put. Plus, a tendril of sand occasionally snaked around mercenaries that got too close and flung them against the surrounding trees. Mini Tetsu was growling, helping Satsuki locate the ones, who tried slipping past them to get to the civilian, paralysed by fear.

Clawed hands ran through eight hand seals with practised ease and he felt his chakra heat up. "Katon: Karyūdan." [3]

Fire flowed from his mouth, shooting towards the mercenary before him. All the man could do was gasp in shocked pain as heat erupted before him and overtook his body. Daiki didn't stop moving. He fell forward. Hands planting themselves on the ground as he kicked his feet out, effectively hit the mercenary, trying to sneak up on him in the face. "If you want to get rid of me, you're going to have to try harder," he taunted as he landed again on all fours.

"Tsūga." [4] Daiki shot toward his third assailant, catching the man off guard as he barreled into him. Raising a clawed hand as they both hit the ground, he swept it across the man's throat and rolled to the left instinctively to avoid his former target's attack.

"Not trying hard enough." He growled, turning to face the man.

The one that was still standing narrowed his eyes on the Genin. "You brat! Time to end this!" The assailant threw several shuriken, which the Inuzuka expertly deflected with a pair of kunai he quickly pulled from his holsters. The man's eyes narrowed in anger, but Daiki didn't give him time to speak. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent one kunai towards him, which the man tried to dodge. In that same moment, the Inuzaka threw the second weapon, boosting the throw with a tiny burst of chakra.

The first only grazed the bandit, but the second hit the man, making him groan. Daiki felt a flash of satisfaction — the blade landed where it was supposed to, exactly how he'd spent hours practising.

Hilt deep into the stomach.

Satsuki shifted her stance as she found herself face to face with the attacker. The boys were dealing with most of them while their sensei was nowhere to be seen... but she had to pull her own weight. She was not some damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. She was a kunoichi of Konoha.

She glared at the man as he leered at her, stalking ahead. With a flick of her wrist, she released her remaining sand, and it encased the man as she manipulated the chakra with which it had been infused. "Subaku Kyū," [5] she whispered, as she felt it tighten around the man.

Her sand was like Tetsu's shadows. It allowed her to sense her surroundings, within a certain range, and she could now feel her target squirming inside, like a fly caught in a spider's web.

The boys approached from behind the sand and looked at the one caught in her grasp. She could see that the claws on Daiki's hand were dripping with blood and the kunai which Tetsuya was holding was also sticky with the crimson liquid.

"You caught one?" Daiki asked, slightly surprised. Tetsuya looked briefly pleased, probably thinking along the same lines as her. A captive could give them information.

She nodded as her teammates flanked her. Satsuki glanced briefly behind her, to see Nigō, backing away slightly, to get the civilian farther from the scene, but still within their protective range. She threw a grateful smile at the dog and turned to the man again.

"Now, tell us why have you attacked," she demanded.

The man scoffed, anger rolling off of him, despite the sand which encased him. "As if I would answer to a bunch of green-behind-the-ears gremlins!"

Daiki growled loudly at the insult. "You bastard. If I were you, I'd speak quickly. That sand won't always be so comfortable.

"Of course it won't be," Satsuki muttered, extending a hand. She flared her chakra and fisted the extended hand. "Subakku Sōsō." [6] The sand rapidly contracted around the captive and the man cried out in pain.

"I advise you to speak quickly..." Tetsuya called, tone deceptively calm, as he gazed at the trapped man. "The tighter that sand around you, the more bones it breaks... and you may never move again." The captive whined, terror settling on his face, as the meaning of the sentence sunk in.

"We — we didn't have a reason!" He rushed out as the sand constricted around him. It was becoming uncomfortably tight, and his breath quickened.

"Bullshit! Tell us the truth," the Inuzuka hissed.

"Daiki," Tetsu admonished lightly. "Language."

Satsuki shook her head at the Nara's casual reprimand as she applied more pressure to the mercenary's body. "Do you think we're stupid?" She asked the man while scowling. "Unexperienced, maybe, but even a child has reasons for their actions. Now tell us the real reason you've attacked our client... or else."

The man began to panic as it became harder for him to breathe and tears started to form in his eyes as he realised that he really could lose his life. "No. No! Really, I promise. There was no reason! We were just bored. I swear! Now please let me go," he cried out.

She looked at the man in confusion, unknowingly loosening her grip on the sand for a moment, causing the mercenary to think that he was being let go. 'Bored,' she thought. 'We were just bored.'

"Bored." Tetsuya spoke aloud, mirroring her thoughts.

"Yes," the man replied easily. "Bored."

Daiki couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Seriously?" He asked, hoping the man was kidding and just biding his time until he could escape.

"Well, yeah." Their captured assailant responded, not catching the shift in the atmosphere. "One day, a bunch of us decided it was more fun causing trouble than waiting for it to happen and that's how our group was formed."

They could only stare at the rambling man in shock as he continued to gush about his wrong doings with something akin to pride. It was disgusting.

"You mean to tell me," Satsuki said softly as she squeezed her fists loosely. "That you and your friends went around attacking innocent people because it was... fun?"

It went eerily quiet all around them and, for a moment, Satsuki felt numb. Her connection to the world shattered in that instant. All she could think about were all the possible victims these bandits had killed. And for what? A little bit of fun. A pass time to keep these — these criminals entertained.

How dare they treat human lives this way?

How. Dare. They.

Anger pulsed through her, and suddenly her face was splattered with a red sticky liquid. Satsuki blinked once, then twice. The world around her returned, and she realised Daiki was shaking her shoulder as Tetsuya called her name.

"What? What? Did something happen?" She asked, looking around until she spotted the mangled body riddled with sand laying on the ground before her. "He — You — I — What? Di—Did I do that?"

Tetsu could only nod as his friend ‒no, sister‒ stared in horror.

"I didn't mean to. I was just — I," she looked down in sadness.

"It's okay. You did what you had to do." He told her, squeezing her shoulder.

"No, we did what we had to do. And we'll continue to do what we have to do until our mission is over. Right?" Daiki corrected him.

The blue-haired shinobi opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, then closed it quickly. He bit his bottom lip as he snuck a quick glance at Satsuki, then took a deep breath and nodded to himself. Closing his eyes, he counted to three, then opened them again.

"I never thought I'd be saying this, but Daiki is right. Mission first. We'll deal with this..." He said, gesturing towards the bodies. "…when we're done. Now Tsuki, let's get you cleaned up while Dai and Nigō get rid of all evidence we were here."

Just as those words left the Nara's mouth, Satsuki, though still shaken — her sand heavy with blood, — looked around. "Where's Naoto-sensei?"

The two males of the team shared a look, as Nigō trotted closer, pressing himself against the shaken kunoichi. They sniffed the air and then the ninken barked, turning to a thick part of the surrounding undergrowth. The three Genin tightened their formation, taking a few steps backwards to cover their client, who'd been shocked into silence the moment the bandits appeared.

They took various offensive stances, Tetsuya's leg briefly brushing against the malamute puppy — to reassure himself or the dog he was not sure. All three Genin's gazes followed the puppy's directions, sand snaking forth, claws poised for striking, while the Nara of the group formed a Rat seal preparing his most effective jutsu…

Only for the person to appear to be Sanada Naoto. The Jōnin's brown gaze swept the surroundings critically before landing on his Genin team. "Swift reaction, as expected of shinobi. Clear up the evidence as suggested by Nara. I will watch the client till then. Be quick. The faster we move from here, the better."

For a moment, the three Genin didn't twitch. The first one to react was Tetsuya, dropping the hand seal, as he looked at his teammates. "Dai, prepare your Katon. Fire's the fastest way…"

The civilian man looked incredulously at the Jōnin. "Shouldn't you be more… concerned? They're children… who'd just killed a group of people."

Sanada's indifferent brown eyes landed on the merchant. "They're shinobi first, children second. If one cannot deal with the fighting and killing, they should not apply to be shinobi. Besides, as a civilian, you do not have the right to criticise how I handle a situation, as I outrank you."

The civilian gaped, but then clamped his mouth shut. The two adults watched quietly — one slightly worried and the other completely indifferent, — as the three pre-teens gathered the corpses into a pile, before the Inuzaka and the Hatake both went through different sets of hand seals to burn the bodies.

Days later, when they finally arrived at Degarashi Port, the merchant led the shinobi team to his house, offering them food and a room to stay in. (The man's wife was suitably horrified to see children, younger than her own, covered in blood and carrying weapons.) Naoto agreed with a few clipped, professional words, before turning to the three Genin.

"Get cleaned up and rest. We head back to Konoha tomorrow at first light."

The three shared a look. "Hai, sensei," Tetsuya answered, tone void of emotion. As the Jōnin turned to the client once more, the three pre-teens followed the merchant's wife, who showed them to their rooms.

They got cleaned up quickly, and changed out of their bloody clothes, but they kept their weapons at hand and while one of them got ready to rest, the other two kept watch. Supposedly, in town, they were safe, but after what happened on the road, they weren't so sure anymore.

And while there were beds available for two of them, they instead chose to spend the night on the floor in their bedrolls, backs against one another, Nigō settling in the small empty spot between the three of them.

And even as they lay silently under their covers in the darkness, with only the crescent moon as their witness, none of the three slept. Only Nigō had fallen asleep and, in all honesty, the three young shinobi envied the dog slightly for it. None of them felt calm enough to sleep after what transpired hours before. They had not freaked out then, because instinct and hours upon hours of lessons drove them to do what was necessary.

But now, it was quiet, and they were relatively safe and so their minds wandered. Wandered down the lane of memories… and the most vivid memories they had were of fighting and blood. Sand and steel drawing crimson. Sand and steel taking lives. The spark, the breath leaving the bodies of humans. Because they had drawn blades. Because they (well, Satsuki) had summoned sand.

There was darkness and silence around them, but none of the Genin slept. The events from a few days ago, still heavily on their minds. Then, it was Tetsuya, who spoke in oppressive silence.

"Tsuki?" the shadow-user called quietly.

"Yes, Tetsu?" the pink-haired female whispered.

"Talk to us," the pale-haired male prompted gently. "You've been awfully quiet since... that fight."

Satsuki stiffened, burning, bitter bile rising into her throat just from the mere reminder of that fight in the forest a while back. "I — I killed him," she whispered, haunted. "I — Am I a monster?"

Daiki shifted from his position on the ground and sat up to look at the curled up, miserable girl. "Tetsu and I killed, too," the Inuzuka reminded her, voice hoarse. "You're no more or less a monster than Tetsu or I. We killed our opponents too."

"But — But they were attacking you. Mine — He was just standing there. He had already given up. And I just — just — murdered him!" She whispered with a whimper.

Tetsu rolled over and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Tsuki, you saved a life. You heard him. You understand what he was saying. Do you think he would have stopped just because we let him go?" He tried to reason with her.

"Sure, if we let him go he would have survived, but who's saying he wouldn't have found more like him? People who went around maiming innocents for fun. And started doing this all over again. Then how many lives would have been lost? How many lives had he already taken?" He squeezed her shoulder slightly as his anger from before had come back.

"Look," Daiki said as he felt the tension thicken in the room."We can't focus on the what-if's, but we can focus on what to do now. If we don't like the outcome of what happened today, then the next time we're put in a situation like this, we'll do something different. I refuse to see myself as a monster, when all I did was protect my client and the people of the future."

Satsuki bit her lip and looked at her two closest friends and teammates with slightly wide eyes. Tetsu — and Sei too — had a… sort of wisdom to them. They always had it, that aura of knowledge that gave people the feeling that the two shortest members of their little clique were wise beyond their years. And indeed, it often felt like both her Nara friend and the redhead were wiser than those their age had the right to be.

But the reason her eyes were wide, is that she saw the same wisdom in Daiki, which she usually associated with Sei and Tetsu. Maybe… that sudden bout of wisdom was the effect of Tetsu and Dai being practically inseparable?

She swallowed hard and leaned more into the Nara, blindly reaching towards the Inuzaka. Dai scooted closer, and they huddled together. "You're right, Dai," she whispered softly. "It's just… they warned us at the Academy. But… this was… this was…" she trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"This was real," Tetsu finished for her. "Kill or be killed — or, in this case, kill or let the client be killed, thus fail the mission. This was not theory, like it had been, when we were in the classroom."

"Yes… and I keep wondering… if we did things differently…"

"One of us might be injured or not even alive," Tetsu cut in, tone level, but hard. "We can't let that happen."

"We won't let that happen," Daiki said, eyes flashing. "A team — a pack — sticks together. And if we stick together, we survive. I don't care what I have to do, as long as the ones I care about are safe and happy."

No one spoke after that, because it was the truth. The dog-tamer had spoken the truth they held closest to their hearts.

Tomorrow, they would wake up still tired after a restless night — and they would have many other restless nights even after — but their eyes would glimmer with steel. Their eyes would glimmer with the steel of determination, because they would not let their own shortcomings be the reason for them losing people they cared about.

(They would wake at night with frightened gasps. For Daiki and Tetsuya, it would take days to get rid of the last remnants of blood from their gear. For Satsuki, it would take even longer to rid her special, chakra-infused sand of the blood.)

But they would be there for each other, sleeping back to back (and with weapons hidden under their pillows). Even when their sensei would indifferently tell them to deal with death and killing, for it was the life of shinobi… even then, they would be there for each other.

Shūzō knew something was wrong the moment Team 6 stepped foot into his office. The normally bubbly Yamanaka was quiet and the lively Inuzuka now wore a solemn look on his face. The only one who didn't look out of character was the Hatake, but the Hokage could see the slight tension in his shoulders.

Something was definitely up with his kids, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Team 6 report," he ordered as he turned to face Jōnin Sanada. The ninken sat at attention while the three Genin stood straight, hands fisted at their sides and glanced at their team leader, who nodded once at the Hokage and took a step forward.

"While en route to Degarashi Port, our escort was ambushed by a group of bandits. The Genin took the lead in the dispatch of all five men and managed to extract information from the last assailant before dispatching him as well. The Inuzuka made use of his quick reflexes, clan jutsu and Katon jutsu to dispatch his three targets. The Nara showed he had a proficient grasp of his clan jutsu when he used it to quickly and efficiently dispatch his target. And last but not least, the Yamanaka used her Kekkei Genkai to immobilise her target and extract information before dispatching of him while the ninken stayed back to protect the merchant."

The Hokage kept a straight face as he looked over his protégés while listening to the man give his account of the ambush. Their first kills. He hadn't been expecting this so soon, even the other four hadn't gotten surprised like this on their first C-rank missions. But alas, he thought, it was probably the best for them to receive theirs before the others, since they were the most emotionally stable out of the seven and could better help the others get over theirs in the future.

"I see," Shūzō responded. "And how did they deal afterwards?"

He didn't miss the flinch Satsuki tried to hold in or the short but menacing growl Nigō gave Sanada. Nor did he miss the way Daiki rocked back slightly on his heels or Tetsuya grimacing before quickly covering it up. Okay now, there was definitely something wrong, but he'd wait for a response before casting judgement.

"Inuzuka surprised me by showing a level head and getting the other two back on track when they encountered an emotional conflict. Nara showed skill in leadership when he took charge and delegated tasks to his teammates and ninken to clear the area after the ambush. And Yamanaka was quick to fall in and do what needed to be done." Sanada replied.

"Yes, that does not surprise me. I'm sure they acted accordingly," the Hokage responded with a frown. "However, I'm asking how they dealt when you spoke to them about their first kills."

The man hummed, "I didn't feel the need to approach them on the matter since they dealt with it amongst themselves after dispatching the final assailant. I was pleasantly surprised because at first I was unsure of taking them on as a team despite their admirable teamwork, but now that I've seen their work ethic first hand... I definitely believe they have the capabilities to go further Hokage-sama."

Shūzō sighed and folded his hands. 'Of course,' he thought. 'I have to do everything myself.' He smiled at the Jōnin and dismissed him. "Thank you, Naoto-san. Hand in your written report to the mission desk by noon tomorrow. You can leave now, that will be all. The others are to stay."

The Jōnin frowned at the seemingly polite dismissal but decided to let it be and left the room, while the others looked at the Hokage in worry.

"Is there something wrong, Hokage-sama?" Tetsuya asked.

The man rolled his eyes. "At ease, Genin. You know I prefer senpai when we're alone."

Daiki released a sigh and slouched almost immediately as Nigō trotted towards the man and sat beside his feet. Tetsuya frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, while Satsuki finally allowed herself to cry — something she wouldn't do unless she felt safe and was surrounded by the people she trusted most.

Shūzō couldn't help but feel like it was his fault that his kids were hurting like this. He wanted to gather them in a hug and tell them this would never happen again, but he knew he couldn't.

He wouldn't lie to them and give them false hope. This was the life of a shinobi and if they felt they couldn't handle it then he would let them retire without another word. But he knew them. And he knew they would never give up on something once they started it, so he sat there and watched over them as they let their emotions flow.

"I wish I could tell you that it gets better, that the first kill is the hardest. But I can't. Because what's easy for one person might be harder for someone else. But what I can do is let you cry here, and tell me how you feel. You kids are like family to me, and I don't like seeing you hurt." He mumbled, making eye contact with all four occupants of his office.

Tetsu let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. "I — I almost hesitated... but then I remembered what you said. 'Hesitation will cost lives... Don't hesitate if you want to live.' So I didn't, and it was easy. I didn't think it would be so easy. One moment he was alive and the next moment he wasn't. It — It's..."

"Scary," Satsuki finished. "It's scary... Knowing that you can take a life so easily and just keep going like it doesn't matter at all. Like that, life was... meaningless. Is this what it's like? What it will always be like? Kill or be killed. Neverending madness, even during times of peace?" She wrung her hands together, tear tracks staining her face.

"It's not meaningless," Shūzō replied sternly. "You protected your client. You protected an innocent human being from being murdered. Now I won't lie to you and say that every person a shinobi has killed was guilty of a crime, because we are technically mercenaries for hire, but what you just did... What happened on your mission. That was protection. And you are not in the wrong for your actions. Killing only becomes a problem when you start to enjoy it. If that ever becomes the case, I expect the three of you to come to me immediately."

"You too, Nigō." He added as an afterthought, glancing at the canine.

Satsuki nodded as she sniffled, even if she didn't fully believe those words. She knew he was telling the truth, but it would take a while before his words actually sunk in. She just hoped they stuck before she had to take another life. Tetsu nodded as well. While he didn't feel as deeply about the situation as Tsuki did, it left him worried about his own mental state. He'd felt bad about how casually he'd been able to end a life and move on from it.

Daiki and Nigō were the most composed of the quartet. Neither felt too bad about anything they'd done, but they appreciated the reassurance that they'd protected their client. And while it saddened Daiki, he didn't regret it one bit and knew that he'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant protecting his brothers or sister.

The members of Team 6 walked out of the Hokage Office in silence, shoulders touching, Satsuki in the middle. They shared a few glances and headed towards their usual meeting spot. The Vermilion Dragon was one of the more prestigious restaurants of the village, owned by a former shinobi. Plus, it also came in handy, that said shinobi had no direct connection to either of Konoha's bigger Clans. Which was a good thing, as none of the three Genin were too keen on telling their families what had transpired during their mission. Yes, they will eventually know, of course. But that didn't mean they were looking forward to said conversations…

They slipped into the restaurant, aware of every little detail. Daiki first, then Satsuki and Tetsuya covered their backs, like always. Since their graduation from the Academy, they'd been such frequent visitors — and the biggest group too — to come here, that the owner had even reserved a corner just for them. Though, it probably helped that most of them were high standing members of their Clans, three of them even related to the previous Kage.

They slipped into their usual seats, quietly greeting the only other present. "Sei," Daiki and Satsuki muttered.

"Seijūrō," Tetsuya greeted with a nod, as he slid into the empty seat between the redhead and his female teammate. Nigō gave a small bark in greeting, settling under the desk, fur brushing against the Inuzaka's leg.

The redhead eyed the newcomers with sharp, red eyes, absentmindedly playing with a kunai. "Daiki, Tetsuya, Satsuki," he greeted, as he threw a fond look at the puppy. The three didn't speak, only grabbed the cups of tea already placed there. They knew each other's favourites, so no one was surprised that, as the first to arrive, Sei had already placed, at least, their drink orders.

The next to arrive was their green-haired classmate. Shintarō greeted his friend in the usual subdued manner, but his pale eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed just how quiet the usually fiery Inuzaka was.

The last two to arrive were Ryōta and Atsushi, the purple-haired Akimichi munching on a bag of chips, like always. The cheery grin on the blonde's face immediately froze when he noticed the near-visible cloud of sadness hanging around Team 6.

(Ryōta almost pouted. It was so unfair Daicchi and Satsucchi were on the same team, as his favourite classmate. He had wanted to be on the same team as Tetsucchi. But... Shūzō-senpai knew what he was doing... so Ryōta didn't complain. It was good that he had at least Shinicchi. Without Shinicchi, their kunoichi teammate would have driven him up the nearest vertical surface already.)

They nodded to their friends and sat down. Ryōta waved over the waitress as he took a sip of his drink. As always, they all placed their orders.

All but Team 6.

Eyes the shade of ruby narrowed on the three, who had ordered nothing. It was clear to see something was bothering the team. Daiki ate so much that it could rival the appetite of their Akimichi friend and Tetsuya was literally addicted to anything and everything flavoured with vanilla — and this place had the widest variety of foods and drinks with vanilla. Satsuki seemed the most tense. Daiki was resolutely ignoring etiquette rules and picked up Nigō from the ground, the ninken puppy now curled in his lap. Tetsuya seemed the most normal... but Seijūrō did not miss the slight tension in his shoulders. Or how focused he was on his cup of steaming tea. Yet, the way the light blue eyes kept darting around gave him some hope.

"Tetsuya?" the redhead Genin called, leaning slightly closer to the Hatake. "How... was your mission?" He had a feeling it was connected to the C-rank they just returned from.

All three of them tensed slightly, exchanging a glance, and Nigō whined, the air feeling like it had been overcharged with Raiton chakra. Then, the Hatake gave a soft sigh and their eyes met briefly over the table.

Still, there was silence. Shintarō, Ryōta and Atsushi all turned, looking at the two shortest members of the group. Seijūrō raised an expectant eyebrow, eliciting another sigh from the Hatake.

"The first C-rank was a success," Tetsuya said in a tone devoid of any emotion, but his eyes glimmered with the vortex of things he felt, yet did not show.

Ryōta's brown eyes blew wide as he looked at his three friends, a smile stretching on his lips. "Congra—" he was cut off by their redhead leader raising a hand. The blonde whined until Shintarō lightly jabbed one of his chakra coils. Ryōta whined again, this time in pain and then fell silent, eyes remaining trailed on the members of Team 6.

"Something happened," Seijūrō prompted, his words more a statement than a question.

"Bandits tried to ambush us," Daiki said, hands buried in Nigō's soft, black fur. The puppy cuddled closer — just because they had the easiest time accepting what had happened, didn't mean they slept as easily as before.

"We stopped them," the Hatake said, tone soft and chilly, like a spring breeze.

There was a heartbeat of silence until the others made sense of what the three were implying. Ambushed. Assailants stopped. Killed.

Something uncomfortable settled in everyone's bones, and the other four shared brief glances. Well, at least... This explained why the three were acting so out of character. Their first kills.

"You weren't hurt?" Shintarō asked, breaking the silence at last, the budding medic in him rearing its head. The safety of his friends came first, and everyone knew it. The green-haired Genin may have been a Tsundere, but where he fooled others with his cold aloofness, his relatives were so famous for... he didn't fool the other six.

"We're physically unharmed," Tetsuya confirmed. That, at least, he could say. Saying they were entirely alright just days after the ordeal was... pushing it.

The group understood. Seijūrō sighed softly, as he reached across the table to put a hand on the shadow-user's shoulder. "You did what you had to."

"We know," Satsuki whispered. "But... still..." She could not finish her sentence, but she didn't have to. Her friends understood it bothered her.

"Alright... group hug time!" Ryōta called, flailing to get out of where he was sitting to reach everyone. "All that moping isn't healthy for your skin, especially you, Satsucchi!"

"Not everyone's as concerned with looks as you," Daiki grunted, as the blonde crashed into him and Tetsuya from behind. Still, he didn't resist the hug and even reached a hand for his oldest friend. Satsuki smiled and grasped his hand as she leaned into Atsushi's side, who put his snacks down to better give her a side-hug.

Seijūrō's hand was still on Tetsuya's arm, firm, yet gentle and comforting at the same time. Without looking at him, the redhead nudged their Hyūga friend close. Shintarō muttered slightly, but then reached a hand out towards Tetsuya, while scooting closer to the redhead, for better reach.

It was an odd and slightly uncomfortable hug, cramped in a small space with a table wedged between them, but no one cared. The only thing that mattered, that they were all here, ready to help each other.

No matter what happened, they were friends. They were a team.

[1] Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu

[2] Shadow Possession Jutsu

[3] Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet

[4] Passing Fang

[5] Sand Binding Coffin

[6] Sand Waterfall Funeral