A/N: Please read and review! With an emphasis on review! Tell me what works for you and what doesn't – the speed of updates is directly proportional to the number of reviews, and I can't improve without feedback.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story
Chapter 5: A Tragic Tale
At last, a day of peace. Shikamaru sighed contentedly, wondering what he should do today. Apparently all of the team leaders were meeting with the Hokage for a special conference, so it was a holiday of sorts for all the genin. A nice, lazy day was definitely in order. Maybe a nap out at Training Area 7, which had the nicest little river with a row of trees for shade. He could stop by the markets first for food, and then swing by Choji's house. Choji would definitely join him; just say the word 'picnic' and he would come running.
They'd just have to make sure Ino didn't get wind of the plan – she would kill him if she found out he planned a picnic with Choji but didn't invite her. Shikamaru groaned, realizing that Choji would invite her anyway. His chubby friend didn't seem to get annoyed by Ino the same way Shikamaru did. Shikamaru had tried to figure it out, but in the end decided a lucky few were just born with the ability to put up with aggravating people. His dad had that ability, for sure. It was the only possible explanation for how Shikaku had put up with his wife for so long.
Just then his mother opened his door and poked her head inside. Of course she wouldn't knock, Shikamaru thought to himself while stifling a long-suffering sigh.
"Your teammate is here," she said brusquely, and left as quickly as she had appeared. Well, that was a surprise. For once, his mom was telling him something that he was glad to hear. Choji must have decided not to waste any part of their precious holiday. Shikamaru headed downstairs, only to stop abruptly when he saw that the person waiting in the dining room was definitely not Choji.
Shikamaru watched with a sense of impending doom as Ino got up from the table and approached him.
"Hi Shikamaru!" Ino said brightly. Oh god, she's trying to be nice. What's she playing at? Shikamaru narrowed his eyes and grunted, sure he wasn't going to like whatever was coming next.
"So I know it's a holiday, but I think it would be a shame not to keep up with our training. We can work on our techniques just like we do in the mornings, or come up with a new formation to show Asuma tomorrow! It's such a nice day, we shouldn't waste it just lying around doing nothing." Ino's façade of niceness slipped for a second, showing her true opinion of Shikamaru's preferred leisure activity.
"Hm, I'd love to Ino, but I have to –" Shikamaru began, but it was not to be.
"That sounds like an excellent idea, Ino," came the voice Shikamaru was dreading. His mother was standing with her hands on her hips in the doorway, looking much larger than her five feet, six inches. Her expression promised dire punishment if he didn't subject himself to Ino's little self-improvement idea.
Damn. Shikamaru could see his perfect day disappearing before his eyes. He bowed to the inevitable and went to get his gear. As troublesome as training with Asuma was, he had an idea that practice with Ino running the shots would be a hundred times worse.
oOoOo
His premonition proved to be correct. The two genin had collected Choji and made their way to Training Area 5 as usual, where Ino revealed that her true ambition was to be a drill sergeant. She ran them through all of the exercises they normally did in the morning, along with some of her own devising. Shikamaru found that completing his customary run was significantly more aggravating with Ino's high, piercing voice spurring him on.
When they paused at noon all three were exhausted and covered in sweat. Ino, for all her high-handedness, had worked just as hard if not harder than the two boys. And Shikamaru was almost, but not quite, ready to forgive her when she pulled three home-made lunches out of her bag. Choji was so excited it was almost pathetic. Shikamaru merely nodded his appreciation, but wasted no time in going to work on the simple, yet carefully prepared meal. After lunch, Ino outlined her plan for the afternoon.
"Here's what I was thinking." Ino glared at Shikamaru, as if daring him to challenge her thoughts. "We don't have a mission today, and we don't have any opponents to spar against. But we can work on our techniques. Let's try and do something that we haven't been able to accomplish before. My dad taught me a simple genjutsu, but my chakra control hasn't been good enough to get it to work yet. This is our chance to improve on our own!"
Choji nodded slightly. "That's a good idea, Ino! I can work on my multi-size jutsu. There are a lot of ways to use it besides inflating my whole body." Ino turned to Shikamaru expectantly.
"I have something I can work on too," Shikamaru admitted. His father had recently gone over the theory for splitting his shadow and sending it in two or more directions. The problem was that it required much more chakra to split your shadow, and twice as much focus to force each branch to operate independently. It was a little like waving your arms in two different directions, or patting your head with one hand while rubbing your stomach with the other. Strict control over each branch of the shadow had to be maintained, or it would collapse into a formless blob and revert to the user. Not what you wanted happening in the middle of a battle.
They each found a spot to practice, far enough away from the others that they could focus without distractions. Ino picked a bunch of grass stalks. Shikamaru was confused, until he saw that she was trying to cut them lengthwise with her chakra. These must be the control exercises that helped with the genjutsu techniques. Choji set himself up ten yards away from a huge boulder. Shikamaru was too far away to hear what jutsu Choji was trying, but it didn't seem to be working. Choji was emitting large amounts of chakra, but they didn't seem to have any effect beyond making random parts of his body bulge for a second or two before returning back to normal.
Shikamaru focused on his own task, which was simply gathering and holding enough chakra to split his shadow. After he sent his shadow out five yards in front of him, he pulled all of his gathered chakra into a tight ball and sent it out along the path traced by his shadow. He tried to send the chakra shooting out in two different directions, but lost control. The chakra burst out in every direction, and his shadow spasmed as if from an electric shock. Shikamaru terminated the jutsu and tried again.
And again, and again. No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't get his shadow to do anything more than form a slight growth budding out from the side. It was like watching a microorganism attempt to reproduce through mitosis, only to decide at the last minute that it didn't actually want to split in two. After an hour Shikamaru was thoroughly exhausted and his chakra was drained. His shadow couldn't extend more than a few feet past its normal length. He gave up in disgust, hoping that wherever Asuma was his sensei was having a horrible time as well.
oOoOo
Asuma was bored out of his mind. The meeting had been dragging on for over an hour now, and even the unfailingly energetic Gai was beginning to show a little less enthusiasm as the Hokage brought up point after point of minutiae. He wasn't sure why team leaders and special jonin needed to know about the rising price of beef or the bridge repair progress, but the Sandaime seemed determined to inform them just the same. Maybe, thought Asuma, the Hokage finds this as boring as we do. He might have called them in that day out of pure spite, in order to have others share his misery.
He looked over the table at Kurenai, who winked at him. Asuma smiled to himself, but tried not to show any outward change of expression. They had agreed after their first date that they should keep their budding relationship secret. As team leaders of genin in the same year, they were sure to be the objects of a lot of gossip and joshing from their peers. They agreed that it would be best to see where things went on their own, without the distractions of an all-too observant audience. Plus there was the added thrill of keeping a secret from their fellow shinobi; sneakiness was part of the job after all.
Asuma looked away, only to see Kakashi looking at him over the top of one of his little orange books. His uncovered eye twinkled knowingly. Well, Asuma reflected, he'd have to be a hell of a lot sneakier if he wanted to keep any secrets from the copy nin. Kakashi probably wouldn't spread the news around; he was good that way. The worst he would do would be to drop hints when they were all drinking together. The sharingan user was a great respecter of privacy; not surprising, given his painful past.
The Hokage's voice grew a little louder, bringing Asuma's attention back to the meeting. "I see you're all falling asleep, but we've reached the most important part of our meeting, and the main reason why I asked you here today. Thanks to the efforts of our agents in other villages, we've updated our threat assessment and the state of Konoha's security."
Asuma immediately perked up, and could sense the rest of the jonin coming alive as well. This was their area: identifying and dealing with danger to the village.
"First is the Sound Village, which has been increasingly active in recent years. We have received disturbing reports from our agents, which are even more significant because of the scarcity of information." Asuma nodded, remembering how suddenly the Hidden Sound Village had risen to prominence in the past few years. "Please give your attention to Ibiki, who will outline what we have managed to learn." The Hokage gestured politely to the commander of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Squad. The scarred jonin stood up and took a place at the head of the table, spreading out a few scrolls in front of him.
Asuma had great respect for Ibiki, although the idea of torture made him feel unclean. Information was key, but Asuma preferred his enemies on the battlefield. Not that he suffered from any delusions of honor in battle; no, Asuma was as quick to kill by stealth as any shinobi. But he preferred to kill as quickly and cleanly as possible, and the deliberate infliction of pain was alien to him. Thankfully Ibiki took on such jobs, and he had an undeniable flair for his work.
"We have a limited, but frightening picture of the Sound Village" Ibiki began promptly. "The village itself is in shocking disrepair, and peopled by the poor and destitute. Corruption runs amok, and gangsters rule the streets. The shinobi take almost no responsibility, from what we can see, and even live in a separate compound away from the village. But our agents have had no luck in getting any information from the villagers; for the most part, they are too scared to even mention the shinobi who are supposed to protect them. Most of the missions carried out by the Hidden Sound are from people who have been turned away by other villages. They run protection for disreputable merchants, and have been rumored to take on illegal activity for a fee. But we have no one willing or able to offer more concrete knowledge, and so no official complaints or investigations have been made."
"This is abominable!" Gai burst out. The green-clad jonin had been growing more upset as the description wound on. "This goes against everything shinobi stand for! Even our enemies in The Hidden Mist and Hidden Sand villages know what a village is due from its guardians, thought they don't grant the villagers the same rights that we do. How can these Hidden Sound ruffians get away with such neglect and wanton violence?" The other jonin remained silent, but Asuma could see the slight nods reflecting Gai's sentiments. He had to agree – a shinobi village that didn't care for the people who sustained it was little more than a gang of thugs.
"What is to be done about this?" Kurenai asked quietly, breaking the angry silence that followed Gai's outburst.
Ibiki looked toward the Hokage, respectfully letting him field the question.
"We have sent several ANBU members who are skilled at infiltration. They have orders to join the village posing as craftsmen, without doing anything that might betray their true allegiance or give away their abilities. As useful as our informants are, I prefer to get solid information from our trained operatives before we take any action. If the truth is half as bad as the rumors, we may be able to get the other villages to cooperate with us in an effort to bring the Sound village to heel." Asuma grimaced, thinking about the headache it would cause to coordinate a joint ultimatum. If it actually came to a fight with the Sound village, soliciting help from other villages might even cause more problems than it solved. Whenever shinobi of different villages gathered, there was always tension as old scores were settled and new ones created. From his many years of war, Asuma knew that a mixed camp was just asking for trouble. Hopefully the Hidden Sound village could be handled peacefully.
"As it happens," the Hokage continued, "we have a singular opportunity this year to learn more about the Sound village and judge what is best to be done. The Chunin Exams are coming up, and we expect to see a large showing from the Hidden Sound. If nothing else, they will use the exam as a means of showing off their strength to the world. We will observe carefully, and confer again once we have evaluated their conduct and ability."
If the Sound was sending a lot of genin this year, the Chunin exams promised to be exciting. Asuma made a mental note to intensify his team's training. They would take the Chunin exams this year or he would know the reason why.
"That brings us to our final item, which is security and preparation for the Chunin exams. You all know how important this is to the village, and how vital that we bring it off without a hitch. I hear our genin have been progressing splendidly," here the Hokage nodded with a smile to the new team leaders, who never missed a chance to brag about their genin. "However, their ability is only half the battle. All of us, from the youngest genin to the village elders, have to keep in mind that we are representing Konoha. Our enemies will not miss an opportunity to test our defenses or take offense at any imagined slight. We must all be in a state of full readiness once the Chunin exams begin."
Kakashi raised his hand languidly. "Hokage-sama, I hear that the Village Hidden in the Sand has been unusually confrontational of late. Is there anything in the wind?"
The Hokage shook his head, but it was more an expression of his weariness that a denial. "The Kazekage has assured me that he wishes for nothing but harmony between our villages. He is sending a team made up of his own blood relatives, and will visit with a large portion of his shinobi force to observe. While I do not expect any trouble, it is best to be prepared. Do your best, all of you, not to ruffle any feathers. If any trouble arises, it had best not start with us. That is all for today, and thank you for your patience."
The Hokage got up slowly, acknowledging the seated bows of respect with a wave of his frail hand. After he left for his study, the meeting broke up and the jonin departed in groups of twos and threes. Asuma waited until he was the only one left in the room, and then set off after the Hokage. He reached the small study in which his father spent far too much time working, and knocked quietly on the door.
"Come in." Asuma entered, noting with no surprise that the Hokage was already starting in on a thick stack of papers.
"You should take a break. It's late." Asuma had never been concerned for his father's health before, but then a lot had changed in the years they'd been apart. The lined, weathered face in front of him reminded Asuma that those years had not been easy on the Hokage. The aftermath of the Kyuubi's attack had thrust him back into a job that he had already carried out honorably for a long time. Yet he had shouldered the burden left to him by the Fourth Hokage, and served the village without complaint.
The Third Hokage smiled at his son. "I appreciate your concern, Asuma. But I'm sure you didn't come to visit me just to enforce my curfew. What's on your mind?" Asuma blushed a little with shame that he had been so transparent, but steeled his resolve.
"I'm here to request a mission, sir. I believe that my team is ready for a C-rank mission, and moreover, that keeping them back for much longer would negatively impact their development and combat readiness."
"I wondered if that might be it. Are you sure it's your team that needs this mission? Or are you just itching to be back out in the field? You know Naruto made the same request the other day. Practically demanded that I send him on a C-rank mission, in fact. Sakura had to take him in hand." The Hokage chuckled softly. "Why should I treat your request any differently than his? I'll give your team a harder mission when I think they're ready."
"Please let me explain myself, sir. I know it's early for them to take on a mission outside the village, but I think they need it. They're growing complacent, sure that they know everything they need to know from the training field. And Shikamaru is worrying me. He masters everything I teach him about tactics without blinking, and I've still never managed to beat him at Shogi. He isn't being challenged, and doesn't even know how green he still is. I'm not sure how to beat that damned laziness out of him, but it may be that the added danger of a mission outside the village will be the extra kick he needs."
Asuma waited as the Hokage puffed a few times on his pipe. His pack of cigarettes was calling, but he wasn't about to light up in the Hokage's office.
"I understand where you're coming from, and I'll keep your request in mind. There's nothing at the moment, but I respect your judgment and I'll look for something your team might be suited for."
The Hokage said nothing more, and Asuma knew this interview was at an end. He bowed low, and made his way out the door. Not quite what he'd been looking for, but it would suffice. And he'd make sure his team didn't grow complacent with only D-rank missions. Maybe he should bring in a fellow jonin to test his genin. It would be fun to see them try and deal with Kurenai's genjutsu. Or maybe he could enlist Gai's help; the man was always willing to help build up the "fires of youth". He left the Hokage's Tower and returned home, his mind revolving rapidly around different ways to put his team through their paces.
oOoOo
Choji's back, knees and elbows ached abominably. His head was growing woozy from the fumes wafting from the bucket of cleaning fluid at his feet. Only three more hours, he told himself sternly. Three hours until they could wave this mission goodbye. He pushed the mop with a little more vigor, but soon felt his arms settling back into a more sluggish pace. Even his patented technique of imagining the food he would eat after the mission failed to give him energy. It was the fault of the fumes; they tainted his imaginary food and made it smell like ammonia.
Just a little spring cleaning, Asuma had said. Spring cleaning indeed! This mission was rightly D-ranked, Choji thought. D for Disaster. Team 10 had been mopping, sweeping, dusting, scrubbing and doing all manner of household chores since nine that morning.
The man benefiting from their work was Toshiyo Mishima, a retired jeweler. He was relatively spry for an old man, but his joints gave him a lot of trouble so he had requested some help with the housework. You would have thought that since Toshiyo was profiting from Team 10's labor, he would have had the decency to leave them to work in peace. But he instead seemed determined to give the young genin the benefit of his years of experience; with that in mind, he was following their work with a critical eye and a ready voice of disapproval.
"Put some elbow grease into it, kid!" he bellowed at Shikamaru. "I've never seen anyone move so slowly in my life!" Shikamaru stifled a grimace and tried to move a little faster. Choji felt bad for his friend, who had borne the brunt of Tiyoshi's "helpful advice." Shikamaru no doubt hated this mission with every fiber of his lazy being, but he had managed to keep his frustration bottled up and remained respectful to their elder. Choji was proud of him.
"And you tubby! Let's get a move on with the mop there!" Choji winced, hastening to push some more speed into the mop with hands that were refusing to cooperate. Now, if it had been anyone else referring to him as "tubby" or similar derogatory weight-related slurs, things would have been different. But Toshiyo reminded Choji of his grandfather, who never missed an opportunity to poke fun at everyone and everything. Also, Choji had a theory about Toshiyo; he thought that behind the crusty exterior the old man was a little lonely, and was relishing the opportunity to spend some time with young people. It was probably bringing him back a few years to when he had been in charge of one of Konoha's most famous jewelry stores – in fact, he had probably yelled at his staff in exactly the same way.
Choji was confirmed in his hunch when Toshiyo called for a break two full hours before they were scheduled to stop. "You've done good work, kids" the old man said, breaking into a smile for the first time that day. "Would you care to join me for a quick snack before you go?"
They agreed with alacrity and filed into Toshiyo's dining room, where he had apparently prepared a small feast during the few moments he had taken a break from overseeing their work. Yes, Choji thought, the old man was a softy at heart.
The hungry genin set to with a will, while Toshiyo contented himself with a cup of tea. "Thank you for the food!" Ino said belatedly, through a piece of fish. Toshiyo gave a dry little cackle of laughter that crinkled the lines around his eyes.
"Don't bother with politeness, I know how hungry you young folk get. My daughter was just the same." Choji thought he saw a shadow fall over the old man's face at the mention of his daughter. He wanted to caution Ino about pursuing that conversational opening, but didn't know how to begin sending that signal. Sure enough…
"What's your daughter's name, sir?" Ino asked.
"Midori. Midori Mishima." The old man answered. His eyes seemed unfocused, looking at the table in a way that made Choji think he was really looking at his own memories. "She was a beautiful girl, smart and quick with her hands. She could have been the best craftswoman in Konoha, or even the entire Land of Fire. She was that good."
Choji often felt a little slow, probably because his best friend was the smartest shinobi in their class, but even he was capable of picking up on Toshiyo's use of the past tense. "Was, sir? Did anything happen to her?"
Again, he saw a shadow pass over the man's face as his eyes seemed to fill with a centuries-old pain. "She… is lost to us now."
Ino was already close to tears at this tragic story. "How… how did she die, sir?" Choji could have punched her. He was sure now that this line of questioning wasn't wise. Toshiyo turned away, almost as if warding off a blow. When he turned back toward them, his eyes showed anger instead of sadness.
"That's none of your affair! Nosy youngsters asking disrespectful questions to their elders, I shudder to think how you've been raised. Get on back to your sensei, I'm tired of your impertinence!" Ino was really in tears now, ashamed of having forced the man to relive what had to be terrible memories.
The three genin left wordlessly and stopped in the living room. "I'm sorry… that I asked him," Ino hiccupped through her tears, "but he didn't have to… to be so mean!" Shikamaru met Choji's eyes, and Choji was relieved to see that Shikamaru had picked up on the same signals he had. There was something the old man was hiding, and it seemed to cause him much more pain than he had caused Ino. Choji surreptitiously slipped his pack off his shoulder and let if fall behind a chair in the corner. Shikamaru nodded slightly, tacitly approving Choji's plan. Then the three left, with Shikamaru patting Ino on the back awkwardly.
A block from Toshiyo's house, Choji let out an exaggerated cry of dismay. "I think I left my pack back at Toshiyo's! I'll have to go get it. Ino, can you let Shikamaru walk you home? I'll see you both at the training ground tomorrow." He waved and watched the two walk away, reflecting that when it came down to it Shikamaru was much fonder of his blond teammate than he let on. After all, he hadn't once mentioned how troublesome it was to look after a crying girl.
Choji checked the front door and found it still unlocked. He picked up his bag and went to find Toshiyo. The house was small, and after a minute Choji found a door off of the main room which had been left ajar. He knocked, tentatively.
"What the devil? Who is that?" the voice was loud and querulous, but Choji could tell from the way it wavered that Toshiyo had recently been crying.
"It's Choji Akimichi, sir. May I come in?"
"Do as you please, I can't stop you." Taking that as permission, Choji walked into the small study. Toshiyo was sitting in front of a low table, his back to the door. On Toshiyo's left was a picture of a young woman a few years older than Choji, and on the right was a bottle of whiskey. Luckily it looked mostly full; Choji had no confidence in his ability to look after an emotional drunk.
Toshiyo turned around slowly, and the few streaks left on his face confirmed what Choji had inferred from the quaver in the old man's voice.
"What are you doing here, boy? Didn't your team leave already?"
Choji cleared his throat hesitantly, looking down at his feet. "I saw your face before you started talking about your daughter, and how sad and hurt you looked. I… I don't think she's dead." He looked up, and saw his guess confirmed in the incredulous look on Toshiyo's face. Choji rushed to get the rest of his thoughts out before that surprise could turn to anger.
"I thought maybe you might want to talk about it, sir. I know that always makes me feel better, when I tell my friends what's wrong."
"Am I your friend, young one?" Toshiyo asked quietly.
"I'd like you to be," Choji answered honestly. "Please, tell me about your daughter."
"You humble me, Choji. I doubt I deserve a friend as good as you." Toshiyo's voice was barely a whisper. Choji waited while the retired jeweler collected his thoughts.
"My daughter Midori was all that I said before. Beautiful, clever, and with a laugh that made you rejoice at the sound. I taught her my craft almost before she was out of the cradle, and she promised to surpass me. Her skill with precious gems and was something to behold. But one day she came to me and told me she didn't want to follow in my path. I couldn't understand it; she was born to this task, and would do it better than anyone. My shop was hers, and she would never want for anything. But she remained firm, telling me that her wish was to start a bakery. A bakery! From precious gems and fine jewels to baking the morning loaves! I couldn't understand it then, and I don't think I understand it now. I grew angry with her, and told her she would take over the shop or I would cast her out. But even in her stubbornness she surpassed her father." Toshiyo chuckled darkly.
"She packed her things and walked out the door. And I, in my foolish wounded pride, told her never to return or even contact me again. 'You are dead to me!' That is what I said. And it has been eight years, with no word or sign from her." Toshiyo sighed, his shoulders bowing under the weight of his grief and guilt.
"Many times I've considered looking for her," he admitted, anticipating Choji's next question. "But for years, I was too proud. Her decision continued to anger me, and I wouldn't lower myself or admit I was wrong. And now I fear to ask. What if she is dead? Or what if I find her, only to have her reject my apology? I left her alone after all, to fend for herself for these eight years. What right have I to ask forgiveness, when I cast her out?"
Choji's mind was racing, processing this story of anger and guilt and misplaced expectations. He experienced a whirl of emotions, but as he looked at the frail old man in front of him they all converged and combined to leave only sympathy. He put a hand on Toshiyo's shoulder, hoping his eyes conveyed what his words could not.
They stood that way for a long time. Eventually Toshiyo put his hand on Choji's, and pushed it back gently toward the chubby genin. "It is late, and you should go home. You were right, young man. I needed to share this story even if only to face my shame."
"I think you should look for her, sir." Choji said, meeting Toshiyo's gaze directly. "I think she would want to hear from you, wherever she is. In any case, thank you for trusting me with your story. May I visit you again some time?"
Toshiyo smiled at the earnest young genin. "I would be honored."
oOoOo
The candles burned lower in the Hokage's study, casting strange shadows on the walls. The smoke from his pipe took on a strange glow in the candlelight, creating patterns and shapes that looked to the Hokage's tired eyes like strange beasts and shifting ghosts.
Just a few more, the Hokage promised himself. A few more reports and he would rest. He dipped his quill in the inkwell and brought it to the empty scroll before him. Just as he was about to begin his update to the village elders, he heard a knock at his door.
That had better not be Asuma again! He thought crossly. As much as he loved his wayward son, there was a limit to the Hokage's patience. He had promised to consider Asuma's request for a C-rank mission, and interrupting his work was not going to push him to make the decision any faster.
The door swung open to reveal his chunin guards, flanking a figure that was much too short to be Asuma. "Come in, Choji" the Hokage invited, hiding his surprise. It was far too late for the young genin to be up and about. Could it be that Asuma had sent his genin as an envoy, relying on the Hokage's supposed soft spot for the younger generation of shinobi? That was a low tactic if he'd ever seen one, and would get Asuma precisely nowhere.
"Good evening, Hokage-sama." Choji said nervously.
"What is it that brings you here so late, young man?" The Hokage listened with increasing surprise as Choji told him the sad story of the retired jeweler Toshiyo.
"So," Choji concluded, "I thought… I thought maybe you could send the word out to look for Toshiyo's daughter, Midori. She should be around 25 now, and has dark black hair. She might be working as a baker. I really think she would appreciate hearing from her father, and he only wants to ask for her forgiveness."
"This is a large task, Choji," the Hokage said. "She could have gone very far afield in eight years, and might no longer look anything like her description. She might not even be alive." He said this gently, but Choji was nodding in a way that said he had already anticipated these problems.
"But still, there's a chance isn't there? If you could just ask our agents in other villages, it's possible that we'll find her. It would mean so much to Toshiyo."
The Hokage nodded gravely. "I will send the word out, Choji. But it is best not to get your hopes up."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. I really appreciate your help." The young shinobi started to leave, but turned around abruptly. "And please don't tell anyone who it was who asked, or why. It was difficult for Toshiyo to admit his shame, and I don't want him to think that I betrayed his trust."
"Of course, Choji. I will proceed with the utmost discretion. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Choji nodded, and left the Hokage's study. The chunin guards closed the door quietly and resumed their post outside.
The Hokage thought about the kind genin who had just left. Every time he grew weary of his work or frustrated with the villagers in his care, he was reminded of why he held on. He was the gatekeeper standing at the threshold, guarding the next generation until they were secure enough in their power to relieve him. And if young Choji was a reliable indicator, Konoha would certainly be in good hands. The Hokage puffed on his pipe contentedly and returned to his paperwork with renewed determination. He need not fear for the future, not with such leaders waiting in the wings.
oOoOo
Three days later Team 10 received a letter from the Hokage, telling them to assemble at the tower without delay. Asuma led his excited genin to the Hokage's tower, where they were met by the chunin guards and ushered into the Sandaime's study. Inside, to Choji's growing excitement, they found that the Hokage was not alone. Sitting in a chair off to the side was Toshiyo Mishima.
"I have good news for you, Asuma," the Hokage began, his eyes twinkling gently. "Your first C-ranked mission. You will provide protection and safe transport to Toshiyo-san here, who is taking a trip to a small village about a week from Konoha. He has an appointment with the baker."