"No." Nara stated in a calm and decided tone, but it still sounded a bit like whining to me. His shoulders were slouched and his hands were in his pockets. Danzo-sama would have never such a disrespectful stance and my fingers twitched begging me to throw something at him. I had been given a standard genin uniform, black pants and shirt, but no weapons yet. It make me naked and uncomfortable, but I knew better than to ask… I would receive rewards when I earned them.
My hands rested behind my back, my feet shoulder width apart and stable ready to move quickly if required. I had knelt when I came into the room but the Hokage requested I stand for the debriefing… Danzo-sama would have never allowed us to stand in his presence while giving a report.
"I am not making a request." Hokage-sama's shoulders were square, staring straight at his jonin commander. Somehow even sitting down he was the largest man in the room. The first thing taught to new ROOT agents was how to hide your chakra, but I was learned how to do the opposite.
I had never been in the Hokage's office before. Danzo-sama had allowed us to visit the academy though, encouraged it, he said we would need to know what it looked like in case we were acting as Konoha-nin for a mission.
The room was large and circular, there were bookshelves covering the walls that didn't have windows. I noticed four misshapen shadows when I hand entered and at least twelve good hiding spots. I approved of the ANBU commander's choices.
"Maa, this is too troublesome." Nara's hand scratched the back of his head. He hadn't looked in my direction once since he entered the room. My handler wanted nothing to do with me… it was fine… I would endeavor not to bother him with my presence more than required. "There is no one else who could take her?"
Hokage-sama rubbed his eyes with one hand, I could see his exhaustion in his slow movements. "Shikaku, you know we have no one else to spare. Every jonin that isn't already on a mission or has a genin team has become a handler until we sort this out. That man had 147 kids stuffed into the nooks and crannies of this village, almost all of them at genin level or higher. One kid, one jonin, you were the first to agree when Inoichi suggested the process." His eyes flickered for a second to look at me before focusing back on the slouching man. "Everyone that the village can afford to spend some time on break, even some that we can't. Kakashi, the Sarutobi clan, several of the Uchiha clan, the Hyugas, Yamanaka's have all of the older teenagers, every clan has contributed jonin as handlers for our reclaimed shinobi including the Nara. You didn't think that I would just happen to forget you exist?"
Nara shrugged with a bemused look on his face, I cataloged the look. "I was hoping. I'm not the best choice for the position."
"None of us are, but we all have to deal with the hand we have been dealt. It's just unfortunate that Danzo is dead, I would gladly use him as target practice if it would allow everyone to use him as stress relief instead of me." His grin reminded me of the sun's rays peeking through the leaves. "Just think of her as an ANBU guard, warranted with your new position."
"That would be more believable if I hadn't taken over as jonin commander more than a year ago." Shikaku grinned back at the man. I felt distinctly uncomfortable with the familiarity. I knew that the two men had been friends before Namikaze-sama had become Hokage, but I still felt the urge to flinch every time Nara joked or complained at an order. Were all Konoha-nin this lax about proper protocol when in the presence of superiors? I grimaced at the thought. I don't think I would be able to fake it correctly even with a full catalog of gestures.
"Well, there was just an assassination attempt, my new found paranoia needs to make sure the village's leadership is properly protected."
Shikaku huffed, I tried not to stare, but I didn't know what to catalog it as. "I don't think that works when she was the one that made the attempt." Scoff: to speak to someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way.
I tried to remember more about the action, in ROOT they would have proper explanations of gestures before they would show them and it was hard to muddle through the motions without the proper definitions. How do the rest of them figure it out?
"Toublesome." Nara and Hokage-sama turned to me at the same time and I had to stop myself from jumping at the synchronized motion. "What is your assignation?"
The question took me by surprise, but I settled my nerves. I straightened my shoulders and faced forward again. I fought the urge to bow my head in deference. "SD34, sir."
"Maa, that's the seduction division isn't it?" Nara-sama's voice was tired, I must have missed it while staring at them, never focus too much on one sense that you forget your others. I resisted the urge to punish myself for inattention, I would find time to do it later. The Hokage didn't have time to waste watching my corrections and as… Danzo-sama wasn't around to do them anymore I would have to do them myself.
"Yes, sir." There was a pause of silence for a few seconds. It was easier to stare out the window than look at either of them. It was cloudy today, the humidity of the approaching storm coated the village. It would have been a bad day for guard duty, ROOT uniforms soaked water easily.
"Were you trained for anything else?" Hokage-sama's voice was lower than normal… anger… an emotion I had experience with… easily understood and maneuvered around.
"Yes, Hokage-sama, all ROOT agents are given basic training in all disciplines before being assigned to a division. I was on guard duty in the village while not on missions." Silence filled the room once again. There were many things they could have asked. Who was I guarding in the village? How many mission have I gone on? Were any in my division?
Sentimentality the vicious word shot through me like a knife, I was glad I was looking at the windows… eyes were the windows to the soul… best keep them away from those that would use yours against you.
"There will be no use for your division skills in the village, do not attempt to use them on a Konoha-nin without approval from me. Understood?" Orders… I could understand orders. I nodded, I would never use any seduction techniques in the village without approval. I heard a small sigh, I couldn't see which of the two men released it, but I had a feeling it was Nara. "Alright, that's all I have the time for, hopefully Naruto hasn't destroyed anything irreplaceable today. Dismissed."
I gave a small bow and exited the room in a flash of body flicker jutsu. I waited by the door for Nara-sama, my standing orders were to follow Nara-sama and follow his instructions as I they were the Hokages… failure wasn't an option. Nara exited after a few more minutes. What did they have to talk about without me there? The little spark of curiosity that their conversation caused was squashed without prejudice.
Nara didn't say another word as he slouched away. I followed him a step behind, matching pace easily and making sure to observe our surroundings. The Hokage tower was full of long hallways with small offices and nooks. I made sure to memorize the path that Nara took through numerous false walls and dusty passageways, but I was still surprised when we exited behind the bookshelf in the jonin commander's office.
I wouldn't have expected it, but the room was small, cozy, and decidedly clean. There was only one stack of papers on the desk that I saw. It was organized… I didn't expect that from the perpetually slouched figure.
As Nara settled behind the desk I settled into one of the rooms corners. It was comfortable, relaxing to disappear into the shadows. There was no need to attempt conversation or answer questions… I was nobody here.
I couched slowly into a familiar position, best for long hours of stillness, of alertness… I calmed… there were no windows here… no sun or clouds or breeze… no pretty eyes… no distractions… just me and the mission.
"I have a son about your age, did you know that?" The voice startled me out of my calm, but Nara didn't say anything else. He was still glaring at his paperwork when he said it. Was he talking to me? Must have been.
"Yes." He didn't look up. Did… did he want me to continue? Danzo-sama would have asked for a full report… maybe my new handler was the same? "Nara Shikamaru, heir of the Nara clan, best friends with Akimichi Choji, genius level intelligence, and perfect average test scores in the Academy. Just good enough to be ignored." It was the duty of all ROOT agents to know notable civilians and shinobi in the village… and their weaknesses. His son was Shikaku's weakness.
"Maa, you know it's a little creepy when you do that right?" Nara-sama looked up from his paperwork to stare at me for the first time. I filed the comment, I would try a different method to answer him next time he asked. "Though, it's good that I don't have to spend time to tell you about me. You probably already know all there is." There was a strange tone in his voice that I couldn't place, false somehow.
I nodded slowly unsure of a correct response. "Sir?"
"Never mind." He turned back to his paperwork, but paused again after a moment. "He's a year younger than you. Always sleeping through class and tricking people into playing shogi with him."
"I… I don't…"
"He wouldn't have been able to stay in the same place for as long as you have unless he was asleep or watching clouds." I… what is he looking for? Nara-sama shook his head. "Do you really want…" He sighed and scratched the back of his head. What I want…
"I want to be here, sir." Because this is where I was ordered, this is what the Hokage wants me doing and I will do better this time than the last… I will be better.
"Of course you do." The strange tone was back, but… I couldn't ask him what it meant… they didn't do that here. "What do you know about me?"
Alright, time to try something different. "You are Nara Shikaku, jonin commander and second in command to Hokage-sama. You are the head of the Nara clan which is known for its shadow jutsus and medical research. You were on a team that was infamous for its intelligence gathering and are classed as an A ranked shinobi in the bingo books. You have one son, Shikamaru, and a wife, Yoshino. You like playing shogi and napping in your free time." Slower and more descriptive. I could continue, but it was best to get to the point quickly. Danzo-sama never liked time wasters.
"Did you ever have an order to kill me?" The question took me by surprise… what was he looking for?
"If the Hokage were ever to die you were to be delayed or compromised so you would not be fit to take control of the village." He didn't ask how he was to be compromised, which I appreciated, because I didn't want to tell him that even though I didn't have a kill order for him I did have one for his son and wife.
"Would you like to be called something?" My eyes widened. I knew it was coming, Hokage-sama had told me that I would be reassigned, renamed. It was for the best, it would hide my failure, but… but I didn't deserve it yet.
"I have not earned it." They didn't understand… maybe if I explained they would. Amaya had earned her name, she had been forged in fire and had forgone all emotions, she… she deserved the name. "I could not suppress my emotions…"
"If I am to introduce you to my family I can't keep calling you SD34." Nara-sama said with a soft smile, like he was laughing at something. I know that those outside ROOT have names given by their parents, but I have no parents… I have to earn my name. I shook my head. He gave a small nod. "Very well, if you can't decide on one then I guess I will call you something in the meanwhile. Is that okay?"
Of course, he could call me whatever he wanted. I had been gifted names before… borrowed… for mission… I didn't want to make him or his family uncomfortable. "Of course." I stepped forward to kneel in front of his desk, head bowed. Even a mask name was serious, I would treat it with as much respect as it deserved.
"Shizu, because you are the quietest person I know." Nara-sama placed his paperwork down. "Now then, Shizu, I think we have spent enough time working today, let's go laze about." He smiled as he stood.
Shizu… I had a name… and a new handler… and I didn't feel worthy of either.