"—hereby formally acknowledge your victory over the young Kotobuki. A Youkai beast, having developed seven out of twelve animals. A worthy Hunt. You, Arata, are now a true Inuzuka warrior."

I felt a cold wet paint-like substance carefully cross over my cheeks. I wouldn't see what was ahead of me. All I would hear was Rika-sama's voice.

"—Two long and thin curved red lines, representing cunning and perseverance, are added onto you. Everyone who knows of the Inuzuka symbol will know the lines you bear. Let these marks be a reminder to your allies, and a deterrence to your enemies."

"Inuzuka Arata.

Cunning and perseverance."

Other voices repeated her mantra.

"Inuzuka Arata.

Cunning and perseverance."

Ayame P.O.V.

Kaa-san had really gone all out with my kimono today. It was really pretty! Like a rock! A colory rock! Not shiny, but pretty. Kouta says he doesn't believe that anything that's not shiny can be pretty. He thinks it has to sparkle to be pretty! What kind of view is that?!

Well, my kimono is red and pretty. So there.

I wore my kimono with pride, making sure not to bounce too much from excitement. My bun would come undone, and Kaa-san would yell at me again. She's supposed to be happy now! I'm a big genin! An actual ninja! Hehe.

Other people in formal wear trickled into the meeting room, sitting down on their cushions all stiff-like. They all sorta looked like me, so I guess we're related, but they're all so blegh all the time it's hard to see the resemblance. See when I'm Clan Head, all that's gonna change! Smiling will become a requirement! As I decree, so mote it be!

Not like they need help with their presence though. They're all younger, from children to teens to jounin, but they all had this intimidating aura about them, like they'd be ready to cut you open at the smallest of slights. Can't imagine what that's like.

Ooh there comes Asuma, in his lame green kimono. Blegh. Kami, I wish I could just take a kunai and shove it so far down his—

Oh look the meeting's starting.

Hiroto-sama in all his long brown-bearded glory sat down on his throne. Two cushions instead of one!

His eyes looked out and about the five other people in the honestly really small room. Like, I'm small, but I still have no space. What gives?

We all met his eye contact evenly. At least I think. I was too busy meeting his eyes to look at the others looking at his eyes. Okay, he's talking maybe I should be serious now.

"...ou all did well in arriving on such short notice. By no means was this meeting arranged in an effort to devalue your time. Taking this into consideration, this meeting will be short and to the point."

He shifted his legs from a casual sitting position to seiza. His stare grew stronger by at least five. Suddenly it started getting hot in the room.

"My time as the Head of the venerable and honorable Sarutobi Clan of Konohagakure will not be infinite. What I seek, is a worthy heir to my position. The clan and I have deemed nine of you to have the lineage or potential considerable enough for Heirship. Currently, there are only five of those nine in the room. The rest are protecting Konoha and bringing honor and glory to the clan at the frontlines."

I looked around really quickly. Aside from Hiroto-sama, there were obviously six of us in the room. Hiroto-sama doesn't make mistakes. Someone wasn't supposed to be here, and I was the youngest...

"I have brought you all here to inform you that your progress is being monitored in the hopes that it will drive you to improve. And, to add incentives." He pulled out from his kimono a set of scrolls, waving for one to be handed out to each of us.

"This is a Sarutobi clan jutsu that I have invented myself. Learning it will greatly benefit you in your careers as shinobi. Treat this scroll well, there are not many copies."

Five of them were handed out. At the end of the line, Asuma got the last one. I didn't get one. A weird feeling came to my gut. I felt like I was sinking. I didn't want anyone to see me.

Hiroto-sama's gaze turned hard. "Asuma. Give your scroll to the last person."

Asuma looked down so no one could see his eyes. His hands turned shaky. "No. Otou-sama, this is all wrong! I'm your rightful son aren't I? None of these bozos could ever come between me and the Headship! I deserve this!" He shouted as he stood up. The others gave him dirty looks as he did so. I was fuming. How dare he!

"Asuma. Give. Your scroll. To Ayame. Now." Hiroto-sama's posture was stilled.

"No! Otou-sama! This whole thing is a scam! I—"

Killing Intent exploded across the room, my vision became blurry as Hiroto-sama yelled, "You are a disgrace! To think you could even think to speak to your Head like this, and then turn around and expect anything from me!? Do we have to go over your escapades on that Training Ground again?!"

The others traded confused glances, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught. "Not only did you disrupt the entire training camp with your efforts to pit the Leaf children against each other, you tried to kill one of our own in the process! If you were a full fledged ninja of Konoha they would have you publicly executed for that! I forgave you, as you not only horribly lost your altercation, but brought shame upon the entire clan by your actions, and now you try to claim what was stripped from you not even yesterday for yourself!?"

Asuma started crying. The scroll fell out of his hands. "I.. a…"

"I let you be here to first handedly see the consequences for your actions, but it seems yesterday was not enough discipline to teach you humility. You are no longer welcome here." He said that part in a normal voice, his Intent staying. "Leave."

Asuma ran away, not even clear minded enough to move the sliding door, crashing into it and back. It was flipped back for him by a woman on the other side, and was cradled out of the meeting room, the woman closing the sliding door shut really shy-like.

A few seconds passed. It felt like a lot more. Everyone's attention was on me.

I felt like I was supposed to do something. But what? What was I supposed to do? …...Oooohh.

I picked up the scroll, and sat down where Asuma used to sit. That felt important.

"As you can see, actions that reflect upon the reputation of the clan will be judged accordingly. Bring honor and glory, and you will be honored and glorified. Bring shame and dissent, and you will be disgraced and cut off from consideration. Choose wisely the paths that are in front of you."

His Intent vanished suddenly. He started stroking his beard. Oooh I want a beard like that!

"Right now, your clan members at war are ahead of you in this respect," Well yeah. Everyone knows the quickest way to get famous is to do really good in wars. "But I expect all of you to contribute to the standing of the clan. When I deem it appropriate, I will call another meeting with a smaller pool of candidates. The next incentive will be much more generous. Don't let your name be one who remains unsummoned."

That last part rang ominously to us. To me though, it felt like a challenge. I was part of this, and I was gonna win this. Easy peasy!

"That is all. Dismissed."

I grinned.

Inuzuka Arata.

Cunning.

Perseverance.

Orochimaru P.O.V.

But then if the Yensha portion of the seal was corrupted by the eighth layer, where would the strain even find space to propagate? In the regressive parts? Stabilisation is inefficient, yes, but Jiraiya isn't coming back from Kusa until the end of the war. Or worse, sooner. I'll have to rely on existing modules until then. Go through them one by one. For years.

Unless I can find a way to isolate the Youou catalyst from its counterpart, but then I would need more test subjects, which I don't have.

Circles, meet more circles. I threw my papers down. This is exhausting.

Someone pinged the seal on the other side of the lab. I sighed. "Come in."

An ANBU opened the door, letting in light and searing my already strained eyes. "The Hokage requests your presence in Meeting Room 2." Exhilaratory. More troubles to catalogue into an overflowing list of weights and responsibilities.

"Did he say for what?"

He did not treat me with a response. "Tell him the message was received."

He stayed. "He wants your presence now, Orochimaru-sama." Of course. I closed my eyes. Imagined a better place. A red hat on my head, watching the old orphanage torn down for a newer and bigger one on my orders. Other nations, scared at the first sign of a Leaf insignia. A full laboratory with enough staff and resources to tackle any problem. Jiraiya and Tsunade, retired and happy.

Remember what you're doing all of this for.

"I will make my way over." I opened my eyes to find the ANBU gone.

I took my papers and lab coat with me as I Shunshined my way to the meeting room. I had no available brain space to think of indoor speeding as anything but expedient. If he wanted me now, he wanted me now.

I knocked.

"Come on in, Orochimaru."

I opened the door to find two couches opposite from one another. A table in between with cups of tea. I identified chamomile. Foolish Sensei. He should know by now such substances do not affect me anymore.

I sat down. "It is good to see you again, Orochimaru. Life in Konoha has kept us both busy, so I thought it would do us well to take a small break from it." He sipped from his own cup.

Ignorant and a liar? Is that today's Sensei? Can't say I'm in favor. "We both know if you could you wouldn't even stop working in your sleep. You have something for me. Give it to me now, while my schedule remains largely uninterrupted."

He smiled. "Always so biting. Sometimes I feel my students are the most hard on me. An interesting observation, considering my title." Yes, yes. You're the Hokage. Everyone and their mother's mother's dead cat knows you've held the position for this long.

"What I have for you, Orochimaru, is an assignment." He slowly produced a file from his robe and handed it to me.

They listed profiles. Of genin.

"I don't see how newly graduated genin are in any way, shape, or form, relevant to me."

He smiled again, an annoying mirth. "As you know, S-class nin are, in times like these, one of our most valuable resources. Just a few can turn the tide of a war in less than a day. But, if I sent everyone out to fight Iwa as of now, we would leave ourselves exposed to all the other nations, starting another Great War. So, we have to prioritize. Send out enough to keep Iwa at bay, while having enough at home to deter any would-be aggressors from other countries. Of course, Iwa is not without its strengths, so I believe this conflict will last for quite a while, still."

I refused the urge to leave. "Are you going to regurgitate even more basic information, or are you going to get to the point?"

"My point is, that the remaining force of S-class nin can't be sent on missions out of the country willy-nilly. It will be seen as a pre-emptive move into more territory. No, they must stay where they are for the moment. But, that will reduce their efficiency, and usefulness. Since we are still rebuilding from the last conflict, we are going to need to turn their efforts elsewhere."

He put his tea back down and crossed his legs. "At this very moment, the Hyuuga twins, Jiraiya, and Uchiha Kenzou are at the frontlines in Kusa. That leaves us with Uzumaki Kushina, Sarutobi Hiroto, myself, Uchiha Fugaku, Aburame Aiko, Shimura Danzou, Tsunade, and…" ANBU members, most likely.

"Me." How many times will I have to entertain him until he gets his message across?

"That's right. You especially, Orochimaru, are one of this village's most valuable assets. A fact I do not take lightly."

No. Do not trap me in more of your empty praises. Enough is enough. "Why. Am. I. Here."

His easy smile finally dropped. "Those genin profiles I have handed you are of a recent Acceleration Program I put in place. Those are some of its younger graduates. They have potential." He put his tea cup back on the table. "Together they form Team Eleven, with you as its Jounin-sensei."

Denial. Firstly, denial hit me harder than any kind I've felt before. He would choose now? Now?! "Sensei! I am working on the most important research of my life! I do not have time to teach children not to drown in puddles!"

"You will find a way. This must be a priority for you, Orochimaru."

I stood up. "My senjutsu research could revolutionize warfare! It could change the tide of this war in an instant! Imagine every Konoha-nin having access to natural energy! Our foes would last two days! At the most!"

"You have been working on the Gifted Seal for years now, Orochimaru! It is time to lay it to rest!"

Did I hear that with my own ears!? "Sensei!? Have you forgotten what I have done for this village?! Epidemiology, Genomics, Toxicology, Electrical Engineering! All of these were barely fields before I made them be. This nation's technology and expertise have made leaps by my talents! These didn't all appear in a day, sensei! They took years of—"

He slammed the table. "I understand Orochimaru! But at this moment, I need you in places other than a lab! This village needs you! These children need you! You think you would have gotten anywhere had I decided to ignore Tobirama-sensei's orders to teach you?!"

"Then why didn't you?"

He stopped. The room was quiet. The hall was quiet. Not even birds chirping through the window could be heard. He sat back down.

"You will teach them, Orochimaru. And that's final. Tomorrow, at 9 A.M. Academy grounds. You will meet them, and teach them."

"But sensei—"

"You will, or I will pull all funding from your lab, including any test subjects you would have been eligible for."

How— How dare he!? I—

"Please, Orochimaru. For yourself, if not for me. The only person you speak to anymore is Tsunade. You're spiralling out of control. This Seal is eating you alive, and a man cannot live on his own."

I… He'd presume..?

"Yes. Hokage-sama."

I stormed out.

Arata P.O.V.

'You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.' Shiromaru suggested. I looked at the gi laying on the floor of my room. I had used it as sleepwear until now. Next to it was my brand new headband. What did I use it for before now?

'No. I know that I have to.'

'Well. Go on then.'

'I watched Nobuyuki and his partner die. They were killed right in front of me. By my sister, and Kuromaru. I watched their slaughter.'

'Yes. You did.' I let images of it flash through my mind, and Shiromaru shivered. He knew already of course, but seeing it was an entirely different beast. I saved him from some of the worst of it, and closed that bit of my mind.

'They died. For what? Trying to kill me? Sure. I guess. That makes sense. It's a dog-eat-dog world right? Except that wasn't what happened.'

'Mmmm.'

'Nobuyuki wanted to kill me because I was in the way of a better Clan. Or something. He died. For something I don't even have any idea about.'

'Well, I can't imagine Hisao-sama giving you any of the details on how he ran the clan. Especially not the ugly parts.'

'Still. He died because he wanted to make a better clan for his.. faction or whatever. He died for what he believed in. Right?'

'Sure?' I could tell I was losing him here.

'So he died fighting for a better future. Just like all the ninja fighting in the war. Just like Shizuka, getting herself injured like that. Just like—just like Hanako.'

'Oh.' He knew where I was going with this.

I took my gi, and stared at the grey Inuzuaka clan symbol on the back. 'Both Hanako and Nobuyuki died fighting for the people they were trying to protect. Trying to provide for. Whatever Nobuyuki's rage-induced diatribes were, he was trying to look out for Tomoe. He fought for her parents. Just like Hanako fought for me. Both of them sacrificed. For others. Against each other.' I put it on the gi. It was still a little big on me, but it fit and I would grow into it eventually.

'Isn't that what it means to be a shinobi though? Fight so the next generation might not have to? Will of Fire and all that.'

I picked up the headband. 'Exactly. But what if it doesn't have to be?'

Shiromaru raised an ear in confusion. 'What do you mean?'

'What if I said that the entire shinobi system is at fault? How could we ever have peace, if the entire economy depends on the existence of conflict? Ninja need a reason to exist. But what if that reason was gone?'

'You're saying you want world peace or something? Don't we all? Isn't that a bit unrealistic though? I mean we live in a ninja worl—oh.'

I grimaced. 'Yeah. The Cycle of Hatred is still very much a thing, remember that part of the show? I feel like it didn't start with us ninja. But they are a byproduct. Ninja, because of the need for destruction, were born, right? Basic logic. Need your enemy gone? Get an army to kill them. What's the most effective type of army? A shinobi force. So. What if we got rid of the need for destruction?'

If he had eyebrows, they would be through the roof right now. 'And how on Earth would you do that?'

'We have knowledge of the future. That means, in some capacity, we have the ability to shape it too. First, we have to start with the obvious. Root. They like starting wars, because that means they can gain more power. Just like in our clan. Danzou interfered for more power. I don't know why or what his endgame is, but it's not ours. And that's all that matters.' I dropped the headband to the floor again, then started gathering supplies for my pouch. Scrolls, kunai and shuriken. That sort of thing. 'Hiruzen's not gonna get rid of him, but Minato might. So the first order of business? Get strong enough and well connected enough to stop the Kyuubi attack. Then, get rid of Root. Next? Get strong enough so other countries won't mess with us. To do that, we need the Uchiha clan. So the next step will be preventing the Uchiha massacre. Then, once the world has finally gotten a real taste of what peace looks like, can we think of alternatives. Change won't happen unless they know it's possible.'

Shiromaru was speechless.

'I know that's a lot to process, but for even a chance that it could change things? Start us on a path to prolonged peace? We have to take it. But I can't do it without you. I can't do any of it without you.' I stopped myself in front of Shiromaru. Looked directly into his eyes. Sharp red looked right back at me. 'Will you join me for this, Shiro?'

'...Leaving aside the near-impossibility of the task of basically fixing canon on our own? The fact that such a peace would only last a few decades at most? And then not even factoring in the Akatsuki, nor Orochimaru?'

He grinned. 'Of course I'm in. What do you take me for? A coward? This is like the most exciting thing ever. Dangerous. But realigning the entire fate of the universe to suit our needs? Sounds hella fun.'

I grinned right back at him. I put on the headband, ready to go out. Shiromaru jumped on top of my head straight afterwards.

I opened the door to my room, and with it, the next chapter of my life.

I hoped we were ready.

"Let's do this."

A/N. Small revisions on 12/6/2021.