Trope

by Lewascan2

You know how that age-old story goes. Some normie ends up mysteriously reincarnated into the world of ninja. So, rebirth that sucker as Sakura Haruno, give her a little leg to [Stand] on and watch the world change for the better? Just one problem. This isn't full canon... It's one warped by fanfic tropes, and the NINO narrative presses onward inexorably. (SIOC)(antagonist!Naruto)

5. Chapter 5: Ambition

AN: Against all odds, these chapters somehow keep getting longer. Starting to wonder how long this momentum will last before my brain decides to get obsessed with something else for a while. :V

Anyhow, I've realized that in a way, I just can't help taking the "bad tropes" part of this fic seriously in-universe… or as much as it's possible to. Of course, it was always the intent that not all the "bad tropes" are nonsensical, but really, where opportunity provides, I like to actually make the effort to alter the world or circumstances so that certain tropes actually make sense locally… or at least halfway sense. Writing people doing pants-on-head stupid stuff for no reason just isn't my style, typically speaking. So, if there's a dumbfuck element like the "Civilian Council" somehow exerting egregious power in a military dictatorship, I can't help but come up with an actual "why".

One could say that one of the weaknesses of the Narrative is that it does actually need a cause to create an effect. Stupidity doesn't typically occur in a vacuum. It needs a hook or a setup, something to work with, no matter how minute. As such, most tropes are typically "less a bug and more a feature". Still going to be plenty of full "what are they smoking" moments, but most tropes will actually have a bit of staying power.

---

Chapter 5: Ambition

[Shinobi Academy, First Year, 7th Month]

Teuchi Ichiraku waved his newest trio of regulars goodbye, as a handful of Academy students collected their things and stepped through the flaps leading outside. The pink-haired one sent him a jaunty two-fingered salute before disappearing from sight. Though… he almost thought the smile she shot him looked apologetic.

Shaking his head with a chuckle, Teuchi continued about his business, managing orders, entertaining guests and ensuring everything was on the up-and-up. Today, as with many days before it, was a fairly unremarkable day. He saw a few regulars, caught himself some new customers, and even weaseled out a bit of chatter from some foreign shinobi who were passing through and admired his willingness to not treat them any differently than a local… unlike some of the other shops around here.

The hours whiled away today as any other.

Truly, today was one like any other…

My, his pocket sure was heavy…

---

Teuchi closed up shop for the day and set about the usual routine of cleaning the kitchen. Rags and soap had their moment, and dishes, utensils and various implements of kitchenware went into the wash. As usual, tidying everything up and securing the doors took about an hour, and as usual, Teuchi waved Ayame off, sending her off to bed upstairs while he completed the final stretch alone and tallied the day's profits.

Plopping down into the lone chair at a humble little desk with a low grunt, Teuchi set register drawer down with a plunk, reaching into his pocket to retrieve and extra series of tips that he would be splitting between himself and his daughter. Sliding the tips onto the counter, he paused, before licking his lips in trepidation and anticipation, as he pulling out the small, folded piece of paper that had been pressed between several of the bills.

Staring at it for a long moment, Teuchi sighed, figuring there was no point in procrastinating longer, as he unfolded the message passed to him ever so surreptitiously by that clever pinkette.

Dear Mr. Ichiraku,

We regret to inform you that our mission was an unfortunate failure. In the "Pursuit of the Disappearance of One Naruto Uzumaki", we regretfully report that all we have found is dead-ends.

In the course of the investigation, we have discovered implications that the subject, Naruto Uzumaki, yet lives. However, for reasons concerning the well-being of all involved, we regret to say further details must be withheld, barring that the aforementioned evidence should be taken with a grain of skepticism and is not firmly proven by any means.

It is for that reason, the inability to firmly confirm or deny one Naruto Uzumaki's state of being, that we must regretfully withdraw from this mission. Furthermore, it has come to our attention that the circumstances of this disappearance may be well beyond the remit of our capabilities to safely or legally address, along with -quite potentially- the rank of this mission to begin with. This too contributes to our regretful withdrawal and the rightful rejection of the promised monetary compensation.

As we return to our Shinobi Academia to rectify the lackings that have largely contributed to this decision to withdraw, it remains our firm hope to remain comfortable and regular acquaintances with your enterprise. To that end, unless you should find this failure sufficient reason to reject our patronage, please expect our business in many days to come.

Sincerely yours, SH, HH & SA.

Folding the letter back up, Teuchi was both amused by the formality of it all and saddened at the result. Yet, he wasn't overly surprised, and in hindsight, he was rather relieved this is all that had come of his thoughtless request. Those kids… They really didn't know what they were poking at. If they had gotten into serious trouble, he would have felt wholly responsible, and it was truly a weight off his chest to know they'd gotten out while the getting was good.

Shaking his head, Teuchi sighed in resignation and relief, even as he began setting aside a tidy sum. Despite their choice to turn down the original compensation (and correctly so), for their trouble and the risk he'd thoughtlessly put them in, the shopkeeper promised himself to reward them all regardless. A sum at least equivalent to a D-Rank mission for each of them should do. It should be high enough to be worth their time, yet small enough that they wouldn't be able to reject it with excuses like concern for his financial situation.

It didn't take the owner of Ramen Ichiraku long to tidy up the rest of the restaurant's financial business, before plodding upstairs to the built-in living space to fall into a fitful slumber.

---

[Shinobi Academy, First Year, 8th Month]

The trio had adopted something of a new routine since they'd totally-not-gone-to-ground. Sakura in many ways was rather apologetic that it had come to this, but one could never be too careful in this world, especially knowing what she knew, suspecting what she did. The trio had therefore started making an effort at concealing their actions regularly.

Whenever they met or discussed potentially "sensitive" matters, Hinata would now habitually check the area with her Byakugan, seeing if anyone was in typical earshot or -if the group was otherwise alone- suspiciously nearby. Shino, meanwhile, had started having his bugs "forage" more often, ranging out around them with a focus on insectile olfactory matters. And Sakura had used her precognition in whatever limited capacity it could. No-one had shown up yet, but the trio's hackles were well and truly raised.

It wasn't paranoia if they really were out to get you, after all.

And on today in particular, the trio had gathered within the bounds of one of the many otherwise unoccupied training grounds around Konoha. They knew they were alone, of course, because the Byakugan was a truly wonderful thing. And so, the trio presently sat under the shade of a tree near which a quietly burbling brook flowed.

"Alright, I have something of a plan, and I'd like to hear your opinions on it." Sakura had a pensive -yet conflicted- look on her face.

"Yes?" Hinata said with pinch of trepidation

Adjusting his shades, Shino cocked a brow. "Naturally, we will hear you out, Sakura. Why? Because your ideas are often worth consideration."

Chuckling, Sakura's lips quirked. "Well then, what do you think about graduating from the Academy early?"

Silence reigned for a long moment, as the other two seemed to mentally reel in surprise. Hinata's off-kilter expression, of course, was far more blatant than Shino's, as she blinked rapidly, her brow pinching. "U-um, that's… rather abrupt. I-if I might ask… why?"

"And how?" Shino added, his brows raised high. "Why do I ask? Because we still have five years left in the Academy."

"Both good questions," Sakura said, grinning lopsidedly, as she rubbed the back of her neck. "But… in reverse order, I think…" She cleared her throat. "Firstly, I did a little research, and as it turns out, you can take the graduation exam at the end of every year in addition to your regular tests. If you think you're ready, which most aren't, you're at least allowed to try. There's no restrictions, but it's not exactly advertised, since we're uh… Heh, not really at war right now."

Hinata frowned, looking uncomfortable with the implications, but Shino nodded at that answer, replying, "Then it is still possible."

"Yes, very," Sakura nodded. "The current system doesn't exactly promote ambition, but it doesn't hold it back either. So, if you can objectively show you have the stuff, they won't get in your way. As for why I really think we should consider this…" Shooting both Shino and Hinata a smile in turn, she finally answered the latter's question. "I think it's the best way to ensure we end up on the same Genin team."

At that, Hinata's eyes widened, and Shino's posture straightened.

"R-really?" the Hyuga asked, inhaling sharply, a look of desire in her eyes.

"Well… I mean, nothing is truly set in stone," Sakura grimaced, "but this seems like the best way to stack the deck. I'd rather not count on any of our parents' political influence having any say in this matter. In which case, the thing to know is that the Hokage personally finalizes all the teams. I looked into the matter, and teams are always composed of three Genin led by one Jounin or an equivalent."

"Okay…?" Hinata uttered.

"Getting there," Sakura chuckled, folding her arms. "So, the thing is, right now, our class is filled with Clan heirs. That means when we get assigned teams, things are going to get real political real fast." She raised a finger. "For one thing, I bet you anything that Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji are put on the same team to form a new-gen 'Ino-Shika-Cho. Not only does this continue a political legacy, but it also serves the interests of the Clans in keeping 'the Elite' together and the 'civilian rabble' elsewhere."

"Ah…" Shino said, a note of understanding in his voice, as he adjusted his shades. "I see the issue already. Why? Because if we graduate with the rest of our class, then Hinata and I will also be paired with another member of a Shinobi Clan."

Sakura nodded, making a thoughtful noise in her throat. "Right. If I had to make a guess, then it would be Kiba they pair you both with. Your bloodlines make you excellent investigators and trackers, and if someone got the idea to form a team aimed for such a purpose, an Inuzuka would slot far too neatly in."

"And leave you to be paired with whoever is spare…" Hinata frowned, looking perturbed.

"Best case scenario?" Sakura mused. "I score high enough to get paired with Sasuke Uchiha and one other civilian-born. Even though we're one person short in class, there's no way they gip a Noble Clan by leaving his team shorthanded… unless they compensate it with a truly exceptional Jounin as a sensei." Shaking her head, Sakura chuckled. "But in an ideal world, we won't have to worry about what happens with the rest of our class." She paused, her lips pursing, as she fidgeted a bit nervously. "I mean… that is, if you two are on-board with being on the same team?"

Smiling softly, Hinata scooted up to Sakura and nudged shoulders. "Of course, Sakura. I'd…" She paused, cheeks pinking a bit, before ducking her head, grinning. "W-well, I'd love nothing better."

For his own part, Shino simply offered a nod. "I agree. Why? Because our time together has already proven our compatibility as comrades." His brow furrowed. "But I must ask if early graduation is truly the solution. Why? Because we might be shuffled amongst the other older graduates."

Sakura nodded, scratching the back of her neck and releasing a sigh. "I mean… you aren't technically wrong. Yeah, in the worst case, that could happen… but I don't think it will." Reaching over into the pack she'd brought today, which was sitting in the grass beside her, Sakura dug out a rolled set of papers and held them out to her friends with an encouraging nod.

Raising a brow, Shino took the papers and scanned their contents, as Hinata leaned over to read over his shoulder. As the Aburame read further, his other brow joined the first, and both rose higher. After all, what he was holding in his hands was a detailed catalog of all the classes above them, specifically the three that would graduate the soonest.

Well, perhaps "detailed catalog" was a slight exaggeration. Though, the list contained a glossary of names, all of them sorted by class and marked with red and green ink in several places… places which began to create a pattern. Red marked Shinobi Clan. Green marked civilian or otherwise lacking in "nobility".

…and the second class in line for graduation was simply bloated with green ink, not a single bit of legacy in sight.

Sakura reached over the paper, tapping the green-filled class. "This right here is our ticket. No Clan kids. Noone with political weight to toss around. The only way they could possibly be a threat is scholastic merit, and I intend to outscore all of them." She grinned, a competitive edge to her expression. "If we graduate at the same time as this class, shuffling us in would throw everything off, because you better believe they plan these teams well in advance."

"I see your vision," Shino remarked. "Why? Because they would have little choice but to stick us together."

"I just need to work harder still and make the match look even more enticing regardless," Sakura added. "Yet, if we actually get this far, I feel it will merely be the final nail in the coffin. I doubt anyone forming these teams will have missed how close we are. So, they will know we get along. And the further proof that we work well together will be this coordinated effort to become genin early. Not to mention, but I'll be the only one there with any political relevance. By just about all metrics, the choice we provide them should seem to be the only one."

Hinata's eyes were wide, as she finally turned her gaze from the papers to Sakura. "You… really put a lot of thought into this. How much…" Her brow pinched. "Just how long did it take you to put all this together?"

"Never mind that," Sakura chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "This is pretty important, after all, right? Nothing less than my best would be acceptable." She sighed, leaning back against the tree the trio sat under. "Honestly? I've been thinking about this in some capacity for months." She grinned sheepishly. "The issue of guaranteeing we end up in the same team is something I've considered at… great length."

And she very much had, at that.

There were pros and cons, of course, chief among the latter being the expectations and horrors that graduating early would bestow on all of them. Graduating early in Hiruzen's "era of peace", an era where basically no-one else was motivated to? It would likely saddle all of them all too publicly with that dreaded title of "Genius" and all the twisted expectations that came with it.

Sakura generally wasn't someone that craved attention. For all her loud hair color, her past life hadn't been one of ambition. She might even have called herself lazy. She did not crave greatness for its own sake. She did not crave adulation… not any more than the average person anyway. She just wanted to live a quiet, successful life, keep to herself and be content with an average middle-class lifestyle… but that wasn't something possible in this world, not if you wanted to even survive. To not strive for improvement in this twisted setting was nothing less than to consign yourself to an inevitable horrible end unless you got very lucky. To be one of the weak? The helpless? The "average"? It was a death-sentence. And so, she would pursue ambition and hard work out of necessity, and she would find ways to enjoy it, to look on the bright side.

Issues of "attention and expectations" aside, Sakura's bigger concern -at least from a modernized morality perspective- was that graduating early would be exposing two young children to the realities of being assassins in a military dictatorship. Yes, she was aware their sensei would likely soften the blow with simple missions at first… but being a pack of "geniuses" would carry an expectation that they could improve faster and handle more than others. And while, to some degree that wasn't entirely wrong, Sakura's gut still curdled uncomfortably. Children in this world were obviously more intelligent and mature on average than those from her past life, and Sakura could only guess that it had something to do with chakra's influence on the body and mind. Even so, it made her uncomfortable to consider throwing kids at life-and-death struggles. She didn't think that to be demeaning or to lessen their capabilities, but… it was just wrong.

What was worse, however, was that it was necessary.

She'd already acknowledged for a long time now that this world was dangerous. Hell, canon Naruto was dangerous, but this world? A world influenced by elements and occurrences that were normally relegated to existences known as "bad fanfics"? That was… so much worse. Sakura had known that in part, but she hadn't truly comprehended the scale of the potential future shitstorm until she'd finally gotten off her ass to investigate Naruto's circumstances. And after what she'd found out…?

The implications were rather less than encouraging.

The fact that there was a better than even chance of this world's future being ravaged by a rampaging, revenge-fueled Naruto meant that advancing early wasn't just a matter of pride or convenience. It was a matter of survival. If a Naruto-In-Name-Only decided to make an appearance, well… Sakura could already speculate on the many ways he would be disgustingly empowered. And just avoiding being collateral damage or -worse- somehow being-

She shivered internally in fresh dread and trepidation, a truly existential dread briefly bubbling up.

-subjugated or seduced into his near-inevitable harem would require far more power than playing by the rules and taking it easy could ever possibly allow. Sakura prayed she was wrong every day, truly hoped her suspicions were mere paranoia… but she didn't think she was that lucky. If a NINO was truly afoot, then his power would be something utterly monstrous to behold, accompanied by a certain self-entitled arrogance and powermad nature that made anything but worshiping the ground he walked on a risky venture in his presence.

If this was one of those universes where he would somehow get put in the Shinobi Academy after years of "secret training" and just steamroll to the top while humiliating anyone that challenged him, then Sakura hoped to avoid him entirely. The easiest way to limit the exposure of herself and those even more potentially vulnerable to a NINO's wiles -like Hinata- was to simply not meet him at all. In person, a NINO might be able to exercise any number of bullshit "seduction" techniques, whether it be some form of ridiculous animalistic or chakra-based "attraction" aura. He could also use words and "somehow" say "just the right thing" to appear "sexy" or whatever the fuck. Or, in the worst possible case, he might straight-up exercise some kind of mind-altering ability to turn anyone he fancied into one of his brainless fucktoys.

That fact that any of those possibilities might legitimately be on the table was genuinely horrifying.

It didn't even matter that they were kids and shouldn't have the capacity to really comprehend lust at this age, purely from a biological standpoint. It didn't make sense, but when had NINOs ever cared about sense if it got in the way of their power-fantasy? Frankly, Sakura wasn't even interested in men. If anything, the idea of sex with them revolted her, and the idea of personal pregnancy made her viscerally uncomfortable. The only reason she knew that, of course, was that she'd retained her past-life's preferences, even if she didn't feel any temptation to act on them at this age.

And the fact that none of those factors might even matter made her feel a sort of fear she truly struggled to describe.

So!

Escaping the Shinobi Academy and, rather, spending as much time outside Konoha as possible as soon as possible was now priority number one. She needed to get herself and those she cared about into a position to be well outside any potential blast radius of NINO fuckery. And the best inoculation to being suckered by a NINO's "charisma" was to hear about their deeds from a distance. If he committed atrocities and wasn't in a position to personally stop others from forming their own opinions on him, it was possible to create a defensive bias strong enough to repel attempts to turn others to his side… Or so Sakura hoped.

It truly could not be emphasized enough how concerned Sakura was for Hinata in particular. She'd actually been losing some sleep over it lately, ever since her mind started pursuing the genuine possibility of her suspicions, the anxiety eating her up. She didn't want to see her friend warped and twisted into some slut of a caricature, existing solely to glaze the NINO as his token big-titty gf, but there were too many routes by which that twisting could originate.

Yet, graduating to Genin early would hopefully neuter the most common ones. For one, it would get Hinata out of the Academy and completely nullify that route to seduction. For another, being declared a "genius" should lessen the pressure coming from the Hyuga Clan and her family… especially if Sakura could ensure she wasn't defeated by Hanabi for the title of heiress. She would not be seen as weak, and so, the Hyuga wouldn't have a reason to replace her… Or so Sakura hoped. She could definitely see a few ways this world could be warped such that a strong Hinata would actually be directly counter to the Hyugas' interests… particularly the so-called "Elders". In which case, it was still all the better to have Hinata as a Genin. The more time she spent outside her clan's territory and off doing missions, the less time anyone had to try something untoward.

Really, the more Sakura weighed the pros and cons of early graduation against the potential threats the future might hold, the more certain she was that this was the only path forward.

"The timing will be tight, however." Shino broke through the pinkette's perilous musings, pulling her back to the present. "Why? Because the ideal class graduates next year."

"We can do it." Sakura raised one hand and clenched it into a fist, eyes glinting with determination. "If we really -and I do mean really- work our asses off, with a year and some change to make it happen, it's doable." Grinning conspiratorially, she leaned forward, adding, "Years ago, there was even someone who managed to graduate at 5 years old." Hinata's eyes bugged out at that, and Shino made a halting noise that might have been a spit take.

"T-that's-!"

"Wild, right?" Sakura grinned at Hinata, before shaking her head. "The Academy really doesn't seem to make them like they used to, but then again, that guy was something of a freak of nature even by prodigy standards."

The pinch of Shino's brows seemed to imply he was frowning, as he interjected, "You may be overestimating our capabilities then. Why? Because you speak of an exception, not the rule. It would be unreasonable to expect all of us to replicate such a feat."

Grinning sheepishly, Sakura nodded at that. "Ah… well, yeah, you're right… I mean, we're already two years behind that feat anyway. Objectively speaking, I doubt any of us can match that kind of talent." She frowned, before firming her expression. "But still, hard work can match and even surpass talent. Talent is only useful if you actually use it, after all. It's like an effort multiplier. You still need to put in the work, and if you're lacking…? Well, those without that talent can very well catch up."

Hinata looked like she was on the fence, but Shino still seemed unconvinced, as he adjusted his shades. "Be that as it may, this ambition runs into several issues. Why? Because there is only so much time for us to learn and far more content than we have time to imbibe and process."

Hinata fidgeted, lips pursing, before she nodded in reluctant agreement. "I-I'm sorry, Sakura, but Shino is right. We aren't even done with our first year in the Academy. Even if we are ahead in some aspects, we are also behind in others, if not on equal footing to our classmates. How are we supposed to successfully learn and retain the knowledge of all our classes across five additional years… and do so within the space of a single year and a handful of months?"

Shino nodded. "There are too many things to learn which necessitate time that we lack. Why? Because repetition is what truly builds reliable skill. Time is required. To hone what? Our knowledge, our bodies and our chakra, and we all further have kekkei genkai to improve on top of that. Many of these things are matters simply beyond our capacity to "cram". Why? Simple human limits."

Sakura frowned, growing more pensive the longer they spoke, as disappointment swelled in her chest, her plans meeting with the harsh roadblock of reality. In the end, she had to admit that they were perfectly correct. What her friends were saying made sense. It was the rational perspective, the voice of common sense…

But she didn't have time for common sense. Not here. Not now. Not in this twisted world.

A glint entered the pinkette's eyes, one that made Shino's pinch further, as Hinata swallowed and briefly licked her lips. "What if… I possibly had a solution to that."

"Not to doubt you, but…" Hinata frowned, shuffling anxiously. "How?

Standing up, Sakura grabbed her bag and stuffed the class lists back into it. One hand rose to briefly rub her chin in contemplation. "I've heard your concerns, and I understand them completely. You're both right. Objectively." Yet, an air of determination suffused her. "But… if I could somehow solve the issue of time, is this plan… something you would agree to?"

Hinata shot Shino a look, who met it with his typical blankness, before inclining his chin in assent. The Hyuga smiled, before turning back to Sakura. "Y-Yes! Of course. I-I mean-" She poked two fingers together. "-if you could somehow find a solution, I-I'm sure we'd be more than happy to get stronger with you, to increase the chances of being on the same Genin team. A-after all, we don't want to shoot your idea down… but right now, it's just… not possible."

Nodding firmly, Sakura grinned and turned to leave. "Alright then, guess I'll do that."

Her friends could only watch her departure in some mixture of confusion… and anticipation.

For her own part… Sakura had preparations to make.

---

Flick.

A light, airy whizzing noise sounded through the air, shortly followed by an irritated click of the tongue and the patter of an object falling in grass.

Frowning, Sakura picked up the discarded bottle cork and held it up between two fingers, brow furrowed. Her gaze drifted down to the piece of paper she had resting atop -and nestled into the crook of- her crossed legs, scrutinizing the depiction on it. After a long moment of consideration, she refocused her attention on the cork in her hand, giving her thumb a-

Flick.

-before the cork popped from her grasp and landed in the grass again.

Eye twitching, Sakura let out a slow exhale of frustration, before the light patter of water drew her gaze to the returning form of Hinata, who was striding gingerly atop the relatively still waters of a pond. Even with her excellent chakra control though, each step wobbled precariously, as she made her way back to shore and let out a whispery sigh of relief.

They'd all brought an extra dry change of clothes for this training, but the whole point of this was to not need them in the first place. But it couldn't be helped. Liquid Walking was a bit messier to learn than Surface Walking. Inevitably, it would take some trial and error, but it was a necessary process.

In the aftermath of the trio's decision to lay low for a while, Sakura had redoubled her efforts to learn the more complicated version of Surface Walking and teach it to her friends. Of course, it was not the only thing they were working on by far, and Sakura honestly couldn't help but compare the sheer amount of extra work they'd all taken up to college cramming with full courses.

There were so many ways they all lacked and too little time in the day to tackle them all, especially when Shinobi Academy attendance already ate up the better part of their daylight. Chakra control. Jutsu. Physical exercise. Weapons. Taijutsu. And all the more besides. And on top of all that, Sakura had been making an effort to find even more things for them all to work on. Specifically… well, things that could let them punch up if need be.

The padding of Hinata's feet stopped beside her, as Sakura picked up the cork again. Crouching down beside the pinkette, Hinata looked at the paper in Sakura's lap, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

Sighing in frustration, Sakura leaned back against the tree she was sitting next to and shrugged. "A new technique. Maybe. If it works anyway." At this point she was actually starting to grow less confident it was possible… but she couldn't afford to think that way, not in a world like this. Honestly, she could have even made an effort to make the process easier on herself, but…

Would she really learn anything if she didn't understand the core of it all?

"Do you have an idea what you're doing wrong?" Hinata asked, as her eyes traced the depiction on the paper curiously. One finger reached down to trace along it, her head tilting.

Sakura snorted. "I wish. I mean, it seems like it should all be visualization, but-" She froze, as a tingling sensation ran through her legs, eyes widening, before looking down. "Do that again."

Hinata had frozen in return, looking rather baffled. "I-I'm sorry? Do what?"

"That," Sakura said, reaching over to grab Hinata's hand and pull it over into her lap, earning a squeak from the girl. "Do that again."

Hinata squirmed for a moment but nodded. "U-um, o-okay?"

Obligingly, the Hyuga began running one finger along the page with a delicate surety, following the image on it, and Sakura's brows rose higher at the sensation that was somehow resulting from the movement. "No fucking way…" she whispered with both irritation and elation, as she returned her focus to the cork in her fingers.

She closed her eyes and listened to her breathing, focused on the vibrations of the sensation that was ever-so-nigh-imperceptibly rippling into her legs, leaving a tingling sensation she found hard to describe. She paid close attention, felt the way the feeling dilated the further up it went, the way it flowed into her core, up her torso… into her limbs.

It was probably cheating, but…

[King Crimson's] fingers briefly manifested around the cork in her hand, positioning it just so with inhuman precision, and then giving it a carefully angled-

Sakura opened her eyes, and a slow grin began to spread along her lips.

Hinata had stopped what she was doing, her own eyes widening in utter fascination. "What…?"

Almost holding her breath, Sakura gingery dared to move her singular raised pointer finger, twisting her head around it and letting out an actual giggle of elation. "I can finally feel it…"

Atop her finger, the cork practically blurred in place, spinning like a top… as a soft, golden light emanated from it. Sakura giggled again, grinning hard and resisting the urge to devolve into gleeful cackling, as she felt the sensation stronger than ever before, the vibrations that rippled down her finger and hand and arm and into her-

"S-Sakura?" Hinata broke through her thoughts, giving the pinkette an odd look. "Just… what is this?"

Sakura chuckled, her grin somehow widening even further, as green eyes reflected the golden light.

"Hinata? Let me tell you about a little something called the Golden Ratio…"

---

Her shoulder was itching again.

Trawling through the markets of Konoha alone, Sakura felt her hackles prickle in a way she almost couldn't properly describe. Narrowed green eyes swiveled through the bustling crowds, who paid the pinkette no attention, as her lips pursed tightly and then twisted into a frown.

It wasn't the sensation of being watched. Somehow, she could almost say that for certain. Yet…

Shaking her head, Sakura tried to refocus herself on the present, the important errand she was pursuing with a scroll tucked in a tidy knapsack hanging from her shoulder, but the feeling -as before- persisted. It was almost magnetic, but she already knew how it would end. And so she did her best to ignore it and follow her planned route. Even so…

Ducking between pedestrians, Sakura's head swiveled about in fruitless search, the itch in her shoulder almost becoming a burn the further she went, and yet, no matter how it clawed at her, she already knew she had no reasonable ability to pursue it. Her Stand bubbled beneath her skin in agitation, as her chakra writhed uneasily. Yet, after several long minutes, as usual, the sensation finally stopped, receding like a distant whimper that somehow echoed with incomprehensible pain.

Rightfully unnerved, Sakura grimaced and rubbed her shoulder gingerly, the phantom echo of the sensation clawing at her memory. A deep, pensive frown crossed her lips, considering the oddity that she'd occasionally been exposed to these last couple weeks. Ever since she, Hinata and Shino had settled into their new training routine, she couldn't help but feel a distant uneasiness, an anxiety that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Even in spite of committing herself to the reasonable path of patience and subtly, she had the strangest impulse to be doing something. She felt harried, pressured, like she was running out of time, and she didn't know why.

She didn't know what this was, but she had a bad feeling about it.

Her mind had spun several fanciful possibilities, but…

That had to be nonsense, right?

…Right?

With no other real option, Sakura again put the matter out of her mind for the time being and returned to managed matters that she could actually do something about.

---

The bell over the door jingled, and a head of pink hair dipped into the shop with a fairly deadpan look plastered on the owner's face. A fairly spacious, yet compact and cleanly organized, shop met her gaze. Racks upon racks of implements of war glinted or hung from the walls, and a wide arsenal of shinobi odds and ends seemed to be tucked into every available inch. It felt like no matter where her gaze traced, if there was a ninja tool she could possibly need, it was poking out of somewhere.

"What is this, Ninja Walmart?" Sakura muttered, finally stepping all the way inside Higurashi's and letting the door close behind her. Glancing around at the veritable armory of a store, she frowned at the lack of any employees standing watch, her lips pursing at the distant noise of clanging metal coming from somewhere in the back.

This place shouldn't even exist, she noted, walking deeper inside.

And yet, it clearly did.

The bluntly-named store was -if she didn't miss her guess- an enterprise owned by someone who was supposed to be Tenten's father, an entirely fictitious entity as far as she was aware. Frankly, Tenten didn't even have a canonical family name, much less a family apparently worth getting screentime… or even an offhand mention.

Rather, "Higurashi's" was merely an entirely fandom-sponsored existence. It was a trope that Sakura genuinely could not have named an origin of, but she could say its presence was fairly pervasive. It was usually the generic "exception" store that would let Naruto buy things without issue. Oftentimes, it was even used to catalyze a "cooler and edgier" look or loadout for him, oftentimes even used to introduce him to the possibilities of Fuinjutsu. It was a plot device that was typically there and gone; sometimes, it got maybe a single mention and scene, solely to wank off how much "better" or "elite" whatever new gear Naruto was getting was. Past that, its presence was discarded unless a story had the rare inclination to focus on Tenten at length.

In essence, as an existence, Higurashi's was typically depicted to be unfailingly "convenient". Any gear you wanted? They had it. And if they didn't have it, you could almost certainly expect them to be capable of making it with the right commission…

And it was that latter bit that Sakura was particularly interested in, when she went hunting for the strange hole-in-the-wall establishment. She was both unsurprised and half-disappointed to discover that it was, indeed, a thing here. Yet, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. After all, if this world was going to be unreasonable, she would be glad to take full advantage of that unreasonability for her own benefit. Even if it was a place that existed solely as a plot device to further Naruto's ends in the future, right now, it could be useful to her instead.

Walking up to the front counter, Sakura glanced up and lamented still being such a midget, as she stood on tip-toes to reach over and give a countertop bell several rings. The clanging of metal in the back didn't stop -or even meaningfully falter, but there was a brief, distant murmur of hushed voices.

Shrugging, Sakura prepared herself for a lengthy wait while whatever obvious smithing was happening was finished, only to raise a brow at the rapid patter of feet. There was a scraping noise from the other side of the tall counter, before a head sporting a pair of brown buns for hair popped into view. The little girl was obviously standing on some sort of stool. Though Sakura couldn't see much from her position.

Ah, Tiny Tyke Tenten, there you are.

Tenten stared back at the pinkette with an expression of surprise, before quickly plastering on a practiced customer-friendly smile. "Hiya! Welcome to Higarashi's, where we serve all your shinobi needs! Do you need help with the catalog, or are you ready to check out?"

Cocking a single brow at the speech and choosing not to ask one of several otherwise distracting questions she had prickling at her thoughts, Sakura smiled nonetheless and shook her head. "Actually, I'm here to inquire about a commission. I've got a custom project in mind, and I'm hoping you might have the means to humor it."

Tenten's mouth made an "o" of surprise, before she grinned. "Oh! Well, in that case, you'll need to wait till Da- ehem the proprietor is done in the back. He'll need to see what you want personally before we can take you up on it. Apologies in advance for the wait." Sakura nodded in understanding. "In the meantime," Tenten chirped with practiced salesperson energy, "is there anything else we can help you with today?"

Sakura opened her mouth with a denial on her lips, before pausing and glancing around the premises, a hum of contemplation leaving her. Honestly, she'd come here with a single real goal in mind, but… when in Rome? Looking indecisive, she replied, "Maybe… But I'm not really sure what my budget is going to be. Most of what I've saved up is for the commission."

"Mhmm, I got you," Tenten nodded firmly, her hands on her hips. "Well, feel free to look around or ask questions."

A small chuff escaped the pinkette's lips, but looking around, she couldn't deny the curdle of temptation in her gut. Observing the wide variety of wares, a morbid sort of curiosity struck her, and suddenly, she truly had to wonder… Just how much bullshit could she find here?

A gleam briefly entered her eyes, unseen by Tenten, as she turned back to ask, "Actually… there might just be one thing. You guys wouldn't happen to sell explosive fuinjutsu tags?"

Tenten's brows shot up to her hairline, before she crossed her arms, her mouth twisting into an expression of consideration. A moment later, she jabbed a finger to a rack behind the counter, one out of a typical browsing customer's reach. The rack itself was encased behind some kind of glass cover, and a number of squiggly markings that must have been fuinjutsu ran up the sides.

"Yeah, we do actually, in bulk mainly," Tenten replied, before shaking her head and smiling apologetically. "Unfortunately, we only sell those to registered shinobi. It might get um… a little messy if we just gave those out to anyone?"

"I'm both relieved and disappointed," Sakura drawled blandly at the small spark of common sense.

Tenten chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "You wouldn't be the first."

Chuckling, Sakura shook her head. "Well, it was a long-shot anyway. Out of curiosity though, do you make them in-house, or do you rely on suppliers?"

Tenten tilted her head, brow scrunching, before shrugging. "A little bit of both?"

"Hoh? Do you help make any of them personally?" Sakura asked.

At that, Tenten pouted, crossing her arms. "Ugh, noo." The response came out as a bit of a whine. Seemed an old frustration had been touched upon. "Dad won't let me. Dunno why. I can totally make explosive tags, and mine are better." She grinned somewhat devilishly, miming a popping motion with her fingers. "Baboom~."

Sakura already understood why the little pyromaniac was held back.

"Now now, Tenten-" The girl in question startled a bit, as a tall, brawny man strode out from the back, wiping his hands on a grease-stained apron. "-let's not go sharing company secrets with all and sundry, hmm? I'll take it from here. You can go finish the quenching." Tenten pouted but nodded and clambered down from the stool to scamper into the backrooms. Shaking his head, her father turned to Sakura. "Now then, how can I help you, little lady."

Sakura frowned at the address but refrained from commenting, as she pulled a scroll from her pack and set it on the table. "I'm not much of an artist, but I know what I need. Can you make this?"

Mr. Higurashi unrolled the scroll across the countertop, and his brows shot into his hairline. For a long moment, he looked over the scroll's contents, both the drawings and the worded specifications. "Hmm… rather odd request. The shape could be an issue." One finger traced across the paper, before tapping a spot. "Are the indentations so important?"

Sakura nodded. "Very. Much as it might not seem it, this is a weapon." At Mr. Higurashi's look, she added, "Well, I am a shinobi-in-training, after all. This is for a technique I'm working on, and there's some math involved. So, it's gotta be precisely to specifications to work right."

Rubbing his chin, Mr. Higurashi frowned. "This may require a specialized mold… a custom one made from scratch, which may cost extra."

"That's fine," Sakura replied. "The product itself shouldn't cost too much though, right, given the limited amount of material required?" Mr. Higurashi shook his head, his lips quirking into a smile. Sakura grinned back. "In that case, wonderful. I hope to commission several."

Chuckling, the smith and weapon seller took the makeshift blueprints and rolled them up. "Alright, I'm intrigued, but I will warn you: this will be an atypical venture for me, so I cannot truly promise perfection. Typical smithing methods may not be wholly reliable here, so I may need to improvise. The result may be as much as only… 80-90 percent on-target?"

"That's better than I was expecting, to be honest," Sakura said, one brow rising. That was actually crazy good even. "That you're even willing to make these is already exceeding my expectations."

"In that case," Mr. Higurashi said, getting to business, "Let's talk pricing. You tell me how many of these you want to make, and I'll quote you an estimate for materials and labor. Labor I charge up-front, but materials I can mostly recycle. So, if you aren't happy with the finished product, I can just keep it and scrap them. For now, you can leave this blueprint with me and come to the back, where we will make a clay model of your desired result. I've got some special clay for this purpose that shouldn't be too soft to get into a decent shape. That way, we can get a better visualization of the product, and I have a starting point for making a mold."

Sakura nodded, grinning. "Sounds good to me."

And so, began roughly an hour of negotiations and working out the fine details.

When all was said and done, and Sakura had finished washing her hands of the gunk accrued by handling materials in the back, Mr. Higurashi waved her farewell.

"Alright, with all that in order, I'd say fairly confidently that I can fit your order in within a week or two. Between business and other commissions, only so much daylight, yeah?" Sakura nodded. "Well, come back in a week, and I'll hopefully collect the other half of the payment from a satisfied customer."

"Will do," Sakura chuckled, adjusting the strap of her knapsack.

"Anything else we can help you with today, kid?"

Sakura began to shake her head, before pausing, as a devilish thought occurred…

"Say… you wouldn't happen to know where I could buy balloons, would you?"

---

[Shinobi Academy, First Year, 9th Month]

Staring at her reflection in the still waters of a pond, an uncanny facsimile of Hinata Hyuga turned her face back and forth several times. Even for an image of the Clan princess she was, the Hinata standing there almost seemed too perfect at a glance, airbrushed beyond natural reason, to the point it entered uncanny valley territory. Her brow furrowed in an uncharacteristic scowl of displeasure, before she was engulfed in a puff of smoke. Snorting, Sakura rolled her shoulders and waved the remnants of the already mostly dissipated chakra cloud away, shaking her head.

Shaking her head, Sakura stepped away from the effective "center-stage" of the field to change places with Hinata, who shot her an encouraging smile.

"T-that one was your closest yet… maybe?"

Chuckling at the awkward tone, Sakura briefly clapped a hand on the Hyuga's shoulder and gave it a squeeze of thanks. "Alright, Princess, you're up." She grinned and did a little pose, winking. "And time for me to get my model on."

Flushing, Hinata loosed a quiet little giggle, before starting to weave her own handseals, taking her own turn at the training routine the trio had developed to fine-tune their use of the jutsu.

The Transformation technique was, indeed, in a word: "complicated".

Oh, casting the justu itself wasn't necessarily the problem. There were only three handseals to manage: Dog, Boar and Ram. The actual chakra shaping was a task that could almost be called trivial for someone whose only peer competitors in that matter seemed to be a Hyuga and an Aburame. Rather, the issue with Transformation was that it relied on more than any amount of chakra control or finesse. No, what made the Transformation difficult was that the caster controlled every aspect of the result. Every aspect. For better or worse.

In short, the results of Transformation were only as good as the caster's imagination and memory could sustain. They had to manually and successfully replicate every single aspect of a subject to feasibly pass as another person. That meant not just getting their looks right, but also replicating their weight, voice, smell and even taste if necessary.

Oh, it was absolutely true that the technique could allow you to turn into an inanimate subject and replicate all its physical properties, but the act was… difficult. One might even say it was actually uncomfortable. It was like squeezing into ill fitting clothes, and the sensation only got worse the greater the size difference between the caster and their chosen form.

Furthermore, the Transformation had several natural limitations.

For one, it did not actually alter the user's chakra or genetics in any way. It could not increase your chakra capacity, nor decrease it. Nor could you use it to transform into someone with a kekkei genkai and use their unique abilities; though conversely, the Transformation didn't really hinder kekkei genkai usage if you turned into a different form. A Hyuga could still use the Byakugan even while looking perfectly normal otherwise, and the Transformation would entirely conceal the phenomenon. In short, you couldn't just transform into someone with better chakra reserves and effectively manifest an endless well of chakra for nothing. Building off that incapability, it logically extended that the Transformation lacked the ability to alter or conceal one's chakra signature. If faced with a Sensor, it would be seen through in a heartbeat, so the user would require alternative means of hiding their chakra.

Secondly, Hinata had demonstrated through testing that the Byakugan could easily discern the presence of chakra coils, even through a Transformation; though, conversely, the trio had learned that because the Transformation was otherwise entirely physical, it couldn't be seen through like a Genjutsu. Even as far as the Byakugan was concerned, a target transformed into a chair just happened to be a chair with chakra coils. Obviously suspicious, but they still wouldn't be able to tell who was hiding behind the guise until it was dropped.

Thirdly, Shino's bugs could apparently eat through a Transformation and cause it to collapse and forcibly revert. In hindsight, this wasn't exactly a surprise, given that high-level Aburame swarms could quite literally eat elemental jutsu out of the air. It was, in fact, rather inadvisable to try and burn their swarms to death with katon. All you were doing was feeding them more.

And lastly, the chakra cost of the technique also increased proportionally to the size difference being initiated between forms, along with a bit of contextual minutiae, depending on the form. Overall, the easiest thing to transform into was another human of roughly the same size.

Very useful information.

All together, Sakura had found that her intuition had been all too correct. Transformation was -in theory- every bit as broken as she had suspected. The "in theory" was important there. In practice, however, it was obvious that the road to mastering this jutsu would be long and arduous compared to its fellow Academy Three, but putting in the effort promised to be very worth it. In the meanwhile, however, it was clear this jutsu wasn't about to break the setting over its knee anytime soon.

The Replacement jutsu on the other hand…

---

Tiger, Boar, Ox, Dog, Snake-

A log that had just been chucked high into the sky by [King Crimson] plopped to the ground.

Heart in her throat, Sakura's eyes involuntarily widened, as the earth yawned out below her in a flicker of movement and cloud of smoke. For a moment, she hung suspended dozens of feet above the ground… before gravity finally exerted itself.

Shoulder-length pink tresses trailing behind her, green eyes flicked to the sight of blur of grey hurled by Shino across the surface of the trio's favored training spot's burbling creek. Ignoring her impending impact with the earth, Sakura focused on doing this right, her hands moving with steady surety, as chakra buzzed beneath her skin, suffusing her being and lashing out to-

Sakura yelped, as a spray of water sprinkled her, the water underfoot wobbling unsurely, as her chakra changed gears and focused on stopping her from taking an impromptu dunk. Infused with her chakra, the water rippled and bucked underfoot akin to jello… with about similar amounts of stability, but she didn't have the luxury to regain her bearings without opposition.

Lurching onto all-fours, Sakura ducked under a series of projectiles, as Shino did his due diligence trying to tag her with a number of training kunai. Staggering forward somewhat unsurely, Sakura tucked into a roll to dodge yet more kunai, her chakra rippling across her body

Oh, the weapons being thrown at her were very real, in a sense, but they were purposefully dull and unsharpened. They were unlikely to do more than badly bruise unless they hit something especially important, and Sakura had been using her precognition during these exercises to specifically ward against any accidents. None of them knew any medical jutsu, after all…

…not that she wasn't working to rectify that.

But in the meantime, they couldn't afford to fuck up, even while doing their best to train by trial of fire. There was only so much reward any given risk was worth.

Drawing her own kunai, Sakura flinched involuntarily, as she deflected one shot off it and set to running for the shore as fast as she dared. This was, needless to say, not the easiest thing.

Between the three of them, she could say Shino easily had the best weapon throwing skills. He had a mind that was quite good at staying chill under pressure, carefully calculating every move before acting. Each kunai was therefore thrown with intent in mind, and more than once, Sakura had learned he had a natural grasp for both leading his shots and "herding" a target with attacks that were merely meant to bait them into accidentally dodging into his followup.

It made the process of evading his efforts while out in the wide open…

…somewhat stressful.

Diving for the shore, Sakura's hands slapped onto the water, somewhat slowing her movement enough to allow the latest brace of projectiles to whizz past her face instead of hitting her back and legs. Lurching forward in the interim, the pinkette tumbled onto dry land and scrambled away from the designated "Shino Zone", breathing heavily and left eye twitching.

"Ah-" She took a second to catch her breath, as she lay in the grass, recovering her nerves. "G-good throwing."

Shino's shades merely glinted in the noonday light, and Sakura imagined he would have been chuckling menacingly if he were prone to such outward expressions. Hinata, for her own part, just looked understandably concerned about her upcoming turn… as one should when Shino was on "obstruction" rotation.

The exercise they had come up with was fairly simple in concept.

It was a combined test of justu, chakra control, evasion and weapon handling. Most of the strain was naturally on whoever was "running the course", as it were, but whoever was the designated "pointy chucker" also got to train their weapon-throwing skills against a target that could actually resist.

And this was just the beginning. In the future, Sakura hoped to add further elements, like using Transformation to turn into a kunai midair, swap with the thrown one, and then transform back to successfully land on the surface of the water… assuming one didn't just do that while still transformed. Furthermore, she looked forward to adding the Replacement to ways to dodge while on the water. Doing so under pressure would be a fruitful experience to attain outside an actual live-combat situation. But for now… Well, this was simply the limits of their ability.

Or at least what they could do "safely.

I really need to lower the number of handseals I'm using somehow…

Grumbling, Sakura stood and arched her back, moving the step over beside Hinata and pick up the log she'd swapped with before. Beside her, [King Crimson]'s arms manifested to grab the log and prepare to chuck it. Shooting a glimpse Hinata's way, Sakura asked, "Ready?"

In response, Hinata closed her eyes and sucked in a calming breath, apparently steeling herself, before meeting Sakura's gaze. "Now." A whistle of a soaring log and puff of smoke later, and Hinata was now proceeding through Shino hell as the pinkette had before.

Watching it all from the sidelines with crossed arms, Sakura smiled outwardly, but inwardly, she couldn't help but lament.

It's still too slow… We need to improve faster. Even at this rate… they're right. We can't reach Genin next year at this pace, and we definitely can't match up to a NINO's growth rate. It's been two months, but we're nowhere close to the mastery we need -or perhaps, that would be preferable- of the E-Ranks. If even our chakra control and jutsu are taking this long to master, things we know we exceed most of the class in, what does that say about our purely academic prospects? They're right, at this rate, with five years of material left to absorb and retain, this isn't practical.

But even though she'd told her friends she would find a solution to that problem, Sakura had held off on her plan. She had an idea… but she wasn't foolish enough to try it without preparation. There was one last thing she needed to gain at least basic proficiency in before she could truly feel safe making the attempt…

---

One thing it was easy to overlook about Hyuga, or rather the Byakugan specifically, was that, as a culture, they were not all that adept at subtlety. There was often a certain "bluntless" to them, and oftentimes, this was because they made a habit of weaponizing their capacity for "revelations". Yes, the Byakugan was an excellent tool for revealing all the little dirty secrets everyone around you tried to hide. All it took was an idle curiosity for most Hyuga to uncover the most compromising things, and the more "interestingly" something was hidden, the easier it seemed to draw their all-seeing eyes.

This is all to say that most Hyuga had the concept of "shame" well and truly beaten out of them. They were straightforward and open, because they grew up in a culture where there was often little to no point in trying to hide anything. A Hyuga saw every quiet little sin and indiscretion around them, whether they wanted to or not. It was their blessing and curse. In all of Konoha -in fact, in just about all the Elemental Nations, their eyes truly were unrivaled in the capacity of investigation and seeing the unseen.

Your secret porn stash? They saw that.

Padded your breasts? Your lack of confidence couldn't be more obvious.

What you ate for lunch today? They knew it. Even if it was in your stomach.

Quiet wholesome sex with your significant other? Hyuga took notes and judged your form.

And heaven forbid you went without undergarments. The Hyuga gimlet eyes would follow you all day.

Rather, the moment a Hyuga first activated their Byakugan, often one of the first and most awkward things they usually discovered was that everyone around you was now effectively a nudist. For eyes that saw through anything and everything at all times in all directions simultaneously, it was the ultimate in unrivaled flashbangs, and life would never be the same from then onward. To say the least, some Hyuga dealt with this better than others…

Hinata squirmed in place, quietly sipping from her cup at the table of a charming little open-air teashop. Ever so subtly, she shifted to avoid a customer that was walking past the back of her chair brushing against her, trying desperately not to follow their departure and scrawl across the… impressive number of tattoos that only she seemed to be seeing, some of which were…

The Hyuga's cheeks flushed red, as she desperately redirected her mind to the present, focusing on the sweet tea on her tongue and the aftertaste of the cinnamon roll that sat half-eaten on a small plate before her.

Hinata Hyuga was a girl who'd never quite dealt with what her Byakugan showed her too well. She'd already had something of an aversion for crowds before, but her Byakugan hadn't helped make such experiences any less awkward. It was almost enough to make her feel a spark of envy for the Uchiha sometimes, to be so sure that their eyes didn't carry such an inherent sense of mortification. Of course, she recognized -in a tactical sense- the objective asset her bloodline was, but truly, some days she wondered about what that had cost her in the long run. Certainly, she was a girl far more… "well-informed" on matters of a… crude nature than many of her peers, but that was simply a natural consequence of the sort of mortifying questions she'd regretted asking about as a Hyuga and an Heiress. Her father was many things, but tactful in such matters, he apparently was not.

So, Hinata was a girl well acquainted with the concepts involved in "the birds and the bees", a prospect that surely would have horrified no small number of parents, but in the end, it was a matter that couldn't be helped. Being a Hyuga meant there were too many things it was impossible to avoid exposure to, and thus, the only path forward was to take them head-on.

Or at least, that seemed to be Hiashi's attempt(?) at a comforting response when she asked.

Dragging her wandering thoughts back to the present, Hinata focused on the now and the matter she had come here today for: people watching. Anyone that knew her well would have looked at her askance, but today was… somewhat of an exception. Because what she was truly focused on watching was less the people, themselves… and more their chakra systems.

The Byakugan was one of the most adept tools in the world for viewing chakra. As far as Hinata was aware, only the Sharingan truly rivaled it. And right now, what she was doing was getting a measure of what it looked like to observe varying chakra levels, doing her best to estimate a decent "average" for the usual untrained civilian.

And why?

Well…

Across from Hinata, Sakura sat with her eyes closed and brow scrunched tightly, seeming deep in thought. Yet, a closer look might discern that the girl's hands were presently clasped in her lap in a meditative handseal, and to the Byakugan in particular, the eddies of the pinkette's chakra revealed a fair amount of action bristling under the surface. Sakura's chakra moved in ripples, almost like a tide, radiating out from her core with pulses like a heartbeat, before almost seeming to… pull back, struggling against the constant rhythm of the outward pulses.

Leaning closer, Hinata's eyes narrowed, the short curtain of her hair swaying forth to conceal the bulging veins around her eyes at a casual glance. Observing the phenomenon, the Hyuga's brow pinched, her lips pursing in consideration. "It's…" She paused, considering her words, before murmuring, "working… I think." She shot a glance back at the crowds and compared what she was seeing amongst the majority to what Sakura was doing in front of her, before frowning. "Or perhaps not… If you could draw back… just a tad more, you might surpass them."

"It f-feels…" Sakura twitched, strain in her voice, as her chakra wobbling dangerously in her metaphysical grasp, before gradually settling down. "...f-feels like I'm holding my breath and wearing ten-ton w-weights..."

"Well, yes," Hinata murmured somewhat dryly, appreciating her friend's usual form of foolhardiness. "That tends to happen when you deliberately restrict the chakra flow of your body." Frowning, she added. "I imagine it's somewhat like how chakra exhaustion feels."

Sakura grimaced but held onto whatever she was doing for a few minutes longer, before releasing it with a groan, slumping back in her chair and remaining quiet for a while.

Taking the opportunity for what it was, Hinata deactivated her Byakugan and set to finishing off her cinnamon roll, licking her lips and quietly washing it down with more tea. She remained silent in return, allowing Sakura her surely whirling thoughts. It really felt like the pinkette often had too much on her mind, but the Hyuga wasn't about to interrupt her while she was brainstorming.

Eventually, Sakura raised one hand and ran it down her face, eyes opening with a glint of frustration in them. "There has to be an easier way to do this."

"You could always ask around? Maybe a shinobi would be willing to teach you unofficially?"

Sakura snorted. "And they'll probably doubt I can even do it. Might even ask why I want to learn something like this to begin with."

Hinata tilted her head. "Well… it's just a good skill to know, right? Sure, it might be a tad niche, but the times it is useful…? Well, those are the most important, aren't they?"

"So you'd think…" Sakura sighed, her jaw working in dissatisfaction. "It just feels like… There's no way what I'm doing is the way it's supposed to be done, right? If you really needed something like this, just near entirely disabling yourself as the cost would be too much, right?"

Taking another sip of her tea, before setting down her now empty cup, Hinata thought about that for a moment, before shrugging, earning an exasperated look from the pinkette. "Depends on the individual perhaps?" Her lips pursed. "But… maybe you're overthinking this?"

Sakura paused, frowning, before leaning forward, elbows on the table, and propping her chin atop interlaced fingers, her gaze intent and attention wholly the Hyuga's. "Okay… Explain that to me."

Flushing slightly, Hinata took a moment to gather thoughts before replying, "W-well… m-maybe you're overextending?" Sakura raised a brow. "T-that is… I mean, you may be…" She paused, looking for the correct word. "...getting diminishing returns?" At Sakura's frown, she sighed. "Look… the way it sounds like this works, I think, well… you may have no choice but to accept the downside of lacking jutsu while using it. However… Well, as long as your chakra remains sufficiently contained, I doubt you need to pull it back so far as to become physically disabled." Hinata shook her head. "In that, I'm sure you're quite correct."

Sakura looked pensive for a while, before sighing and rubbing the back of her neck. "So, it really doesn't matter, huh? As long as my chakra can't leave my body, that's as good as it gets…" She frowned and rubbed her chin. "Well… I guess that's not completely unmanageable."

Hinata grinned widely, nodding. "Y-yes!" She flushed at the outburst and cleared her throat. "I-I mean, with… that, it shouldn't be as bad as it could be anyway."

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Sakura clicked her tongue and shook her head. "I guess I'm just being greedy." She snorted and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look at me, getting so miffed just because the answer isn't perfect."

"Well…" Hinata shrugged, "was that ever truly going to be the case anyway? It still wouldn't block the likes of the Byakugan or Sharingan."

Sakura got a funny look on her face, before chuckling and closing her eyes. "Thanks, Hinata."

"You're welcome?" Hinata smiled back.

Chuffing, Sakura arched her back in a stretch, giving a little grunt before clapping her hands to her knees. "Whelp… Looks like I know what I'm spending all our homeroom hours doing from now on."

Hinata just shook her head in amusement. It never ceased to be humorous the things Sakura would try to come up with to do on the sly during Academy classes. Of course, it was good training regardless, even if -in principle- it was probably a little rude to poor Iruka-sensei to not be getting his students' full attention…

But what he doesn't know won't hurt him~, a sly little voice giggled in the back of her head, earning some measure of conflicted amusement from the Hyuga heiress at acknowledging the thought. Sometimes, it seemed like that voice -a snarking, sassy thing- was getting louder every day, and she wondered just how many people would say Sakura was a bad influence on her.

But as usual, she dismissed the thought.

Looking down at her empty teacup a bit forlornly, Hinata smiled up at her best friend, "Do you think we need to stay here longer? Should we order seconds?"

Shaking her head, Sakura smiled gratefully. "Nah, I'm good. And hey? Hinata?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for helping out with this… again. I really hate to impose, but you've been a huge help."

Smiling all the wider, Hinata simply ducked her head. "I-it's fine… Really. Anytime."

"If you ever need help figuring out some new techniques of your own, don't hesitate to give me a holler, alright?" Sakura grinned. "I owe you quite a few by now."

"Sakura, I've already learned so much from you. We're far from uneven, you know?" Hinata giggled. "And besides… ours is not a connection built on material exchanges…"

Blinking rapidly in recognition of her own words thrown back at her, Sakura's brows shot to her hairline, before a laugh barked from her throat. "So, it isn't!" She smiled brightly. "So, it isn't."

Sakura might have been a bit rough around the edges… but she was a good person.

---

[Shinobi Academy, First Year, 10th Month]

I might only have one chance at this.

Such was the predominant thought in Sakura's mind, as she clung to the shadows of darkened streets and empty alleys, the gleam of moonlight casting the night into visibility. In the distance, she could already see the looming structure of her target, a large, round building simply referred to as…

…The "Hokage Tower".

And there were quite a number of things wrong with that picture.

For one thing, though there had been a "Hokage Residence/Mansion" in canon, as far as Sakura was aware, no such "tower" was used as a primary specialized point of governmental matters. Rather, the Hokage's office in canon had been located inside the Shinobi Academy. That was the place he spent the majority of his time in the original series, managing Konoha and personally effectively standing guard over the future generations of shinobi. In canon, the very idea of the Academy being sabotaged (as was often the case in many fanfics) was absurd. For what better security and assurance was there that the personal overview and protection of the Hokage?

Needless to say, in this world, that wasn't the case by any means.

For one, the Academy did not have any such "Hokage Office" in it at all. It had teachers' offices and a principal at the top. Yes, they answered primarily to the Hokage, but they did not operate under his direct oversight at all times.

For another, in place of the Academy, the Hokage's Office could now be found in the towering structure that resided near the Hokage Monument. It was easily the largest building in the area, if not all of Konoha, and it housed the vast majority of the structures and bodies that formed the wheels of government. It was here that the administration of the Leaf Village was carried out, where missions were obtained and reports submitted. Conjoined to it, there was also a large building that's primary role was housing the Council chambers, one for Shinobi, one for Civilian and one for combined meetings.

Sakura, being the daughter of a member of the Civilian Council and having been brought to this building on occasion, was well-acquainted with the area and approximately where everything was located. Even though she had no particular ambition to succeed her mother on the Council, she'd found herself educated as if she would anyway, and in time, she'd at least been bored enough to ask questions, both about the Council Building and the Hokage Tower beside it…

Which was why she knew exactly where she should be going.

Her chakra was pulled inward so tightly it felt like she was perpetually holding her breath, and it was not exactly the most comfortable sensation in the world. Even so, at least with this much practice over the course of the past month, it didn't quite feel like she was strangling herself or strapping lead weights to every inch of her body. With this, she was now -as far as she was aware- suppressing her chakra signature. On the off-chance (though, in a rational world, it would have been a given) there were any sensor-types lurking out and about, she should be able to successfully fly past their watch.

Of course, that wouldn't help against physical exposure…

But that's what the rest of her precautions were for, like the disguise she was wearing.

This is the dumbest thing I've done yet.

It probably was, at that. As far as risk versus reward went, if she got caught doing this… well, it wasn't something she could talk her way out of. At that point, it would genuinely be a matter of leaving no witnesses unless she was prepared to end her Konoha arc right here and now.

So, the number-one priority was suppressing her chakra signature. Unfortunately, she wasn't actually 100% certain she was doing it right, but it wasn't like she could just walk up to random Shinobi and ask them to test how good she was at it. There would be questions she wasn't sure she could answer, especially if she was wrong about how well she was doing… since sensors could also be effective lie detectors. The one thing she knew for sure about the technique was that when you pulled your chakra in like this, the natural consequence was being unable to actually send chakra out. Ergo, you couldn't use jutsu. In any form. That meant even the most basic stuff, like Surface Walking, was completely out of the question if you wanted to maintain the technique.

It also meant that her original plan of using the Transformation jutsu to wear a different face and body was relegated to a secondary resort by complete necessity. After all, looks were something she could change by other methods. But a chakra signature? If any sensor successfully got a feel for hers, they'd probably be able to hunt her down later with relative ease, like a spiritual bloodhound.

In the end, Sakura wasn't even sure if all these precautions were actually necessary, given the precedent set by… so many iterations of this situation, but she would be a fool not to make every possible effort to leave no holes in her plan.

Sakura was a bundle of tension, as she took her time circling the Hokage Tower, flickers of Epitaph's precognition preceding nearly every movement she made. Her skin was practically crawling with unease, eyes darting between shadows, as she made the stealthiest approach she could manage. The further she went and more she failed to see any shinobi patrolling the area, the more anxious she paradoxically grew. After all, all that could really mean was that she was simply too weak to perceive the ones hiding yet.

Never before had she truly simultaneously lamented how short and long 10 seconds was.

Never before had she truly so dearly lamented not being a Sensor.

And to think… her own precognition was even more developed than Diavolo's. Yet, the sheer amount of paranoia this whole operation was inducing in her was practically fit to give her heart palpitations. She couldn't imagine living like Diavolo had, obsessed with being a non-entity and murdering anyone that even had the possibility of revealing him, no matter how benign.

When her precognition finally spotted a few shinobi lurking around the perimeter of the tower, perched atop a building, it was almost a relief. Yet, at the same time…

It's now or never. Time to see just how much I can fuck this timeline in the ass…

[King Crimson] manifested in a flare around her body, the ghostly figure overlaying her form with the firm grip of its selective tangibility, as the world fell away into the grips of erased time.

Her Stand's feet slammed into solid not-ground, sending Sakura hurtling through open space, as the world around her rippled with visions of what wasn't. Epitaph flared from her like a sonar, her gaze lighting up with the bounty of the immediate future, as she ducked into the side of the Council Building, phasing through as if it didn't exist before-

-time moved again.

For a moment, Sakura froze in place, pressed against the wall of a familiar hallway. Her heart was hammering in her ears, as her eyes flicked about wildly, ears cocked in anticipation of her action somehow being noticed. Her Stand was hardly idle, manifested over her body as it was, and [King Crimson] added its own senses to her efforts. She double -then triple- checked that her Chakra Suppression technique was still holding strong… and then held still, flaring Epitaph several times.

Yet…

Nothing appeared.

Yet, her mind traitorously told her.

At this point, if there was a Hyuga or Inuzuka on-duty here for some reason, she was completely fucked. No disguise would matter against the former, and the latter could get her scent and track her anywhere. This was such a gamble… such an unbelievable gamble… with such terrible consequences for failure.

But the prize of success…

She had to believe that would be worth the risk.

There must be no sign of my presence. None in the slightest. If anyone so much has reason to even investigate a break-in, I'm fucked. Why does this village have to have so many good tracking bullshit bloodlines, again?

It really was a different experience to be the one on the potential receiving end of Hyuga, Inuzuka or Aburame bullshit, and Sakura could definitely say she wasn't exactly charmed by it. This was fucking terrifying. No wonder Konoha could be so secure from espionage even without investing much in security fuinjutsu.

[King Crimson] erased time again, and Sakura took off like a shot, hurtling down familiar hallways, propelled by the super-speed and strength of her Stand, something that still quite well outstripped her physical training. As if a ghost, she blurred through all structures as if they didn't exist, passed by a few guards even, as she followed her pre-planned route through a building she knew… decently well. She tucked herself into another nook that should be out of sight-

-as time resumed.

Pressed up against another wall and all but metaphorically sweating bullets, Sakura did her best to control her breathing, to keep her charka from writhing in unease and escape its leash. She… She needed to be calm, stay rational and follow the plan. Because now was the part where things had the potential to be dicey, the point where she entered unexplored territory…

She flared Epitaph again, visions splaying out before her of insertion routes. She saw herself phasing into a room where several shinobi were already drawing th- Nope. A hallway, where someone was walking with their back turned, only for them to whirl around in a blur of super- Nope. Ducking into a closet that was just now being op- Nope. A room filled with the smell of food and stare- Nope. A long hallway with open windows… which were now getting crashed through- Nope. And that one was just the front lobby, and why was there an alarm-? Nope.

Okay, so screw the first floor. And Kami above, how the fuck did he do this again?

Not for the first time, Sakura wondered if she had actually overprepared or if she was seriously just overcomplicating this whole operation with a simpler solution staring her in the face.

She phased upwards, her Stand's grip sending her flying freely through the air. She peeked into a hallway, where-

Nope. Oh, this looks like a closet. Maybe. And this one's an administration room, unoccupied but has windows… Bigger maybe.

In the end, after a few more checks, it wasn't too hard a pick, and time resumed inside the apparent janitor's closet. A few flares of Epitaph confirmed Sakura was alone for at least the next few moments.

Okay, the Hokage's Office should be right at the top, practically a straight shot. Got a big window that overlooks the Hokage Monument and a rather unfortunately large non-zero chance there's hidden ANBU posted perpetually in the ceiling or walls or some shit.

Which meant no jumping straight in there under any circumstances. She'd need to find a room -on the floor just below preferably- that was close enough to do some extended Epitaph fuckery.

I can't fulfill my ambitions without getting closer.

And so it went. One increasingly paranoid time erasure after another, interspersed with truly industrial amounts of Epitaph spam, as Sakura slowly but gradually ascended the tower that was growing increasingly too large for her liking. Until finally…

She huddled inside another closet, surrounded by the acrid scent of cleaning chemicals, which really just figured at this point. For this time of night, it was ridiculous -but unsurprising- just how many Shinobi were lurking about in inconvenient places at all times. Whether they were on guard duty or simply coming or going from a mission for whatever reason, there was seemingly always something moving inside the epicenter of Konoha's governance.

Inconvenient, and also ironically threatening her suspension of disbelief.

No seriously, how the fuck did he manage this? Oh wait, this place shouldn't even exist, right? So, like… if nothing had changed, then how was he supposed to get in and out of here unnoticed? Sheer audacity? I guess the Hokage Mansion would be easier to get into somehow…? Err… if anything, shouldn't that place be even more secure, since it was supposed to contain tons of sensitive information and jutsu?

Shaking her head of those thoughts, Sakura steeled herself and activated Epitaph.

She flew through the ceiling, and the world resolved into a spacious office with various banners hanging from the walls. A collection of framed pictures hung across one wall, several of them depicting the past Hokage, adding a certain almost personal touch. At the far end of the room from the door and near to the wide window, rounded that occupied the majority of said far wall, there was a wide desk that was presently stacked with hoards of paperwork. And sitting at that desk-

Burning the midnight oil, are we, Lord Hokage?

Of course, that was about when the, indeed, hidden ANBU attacked her future self, and Sakura dropped the vision, shaking her head. Casting her future sight forth again, Sakura focused on not getting distracted by the Hokage and canvassing the room for her actual target of the night, a grin stretching across her lips, as she spotted a massive thick scroll that was easily 2-3 feet tall at an estimate, currently propped against one wall inside a case. If it weren't made of paper, she might have compared it to a log.

The Scroll of Seals…

Sakura recalled keenly that fanfic writers had a lot of interpretations of this… artifact(?) to spread about, along with the various ways in which it was meant to be secured from theft, some of which had gained a certain memetic energy in time.

Some had used it to give Naruto every bullshit rare jutsu under the sun, like the Flying Thunder God or Impure World Reincarnation. Others had used it as a way to give him some crossover or original ability or another. Still others had ignored its presence entirely and had Naruto gain the Shadow Clone by alternative means. She recalled when she first started reading Naruto fanfics, that the vast majority of the interpretations seemed to assume the scroll was located in the "Hokage Mansion" or in the Hokage's Office, the latter of which tended to be headcanoned into a separate government structure, rather than being part of the Shinobi Academy.

Sakura had taken a gamble coming here tonight, because there was a 50/50 chance her target wasn't even here, despite all the effort she'd put into getting this far. It could have just as easily been in the Hokage Mansion, and if that had been the case, she'd have most probably had to head home and start planning all over again. But regardless, it seemed her guess had been correct. And now, there was only one thing left to do.

Dropping her vision, Sakura dug about in her pack, a wholly cloth thing with no metal to potentially jingle. Carefully opening it, she reached into depths that had been stuffed with spare cloths to act as padding and pulled out a largely blank notebook, one she had purchased precisely for this purpose. She further retrieved several pens and ink wells, the first of which she silently unscrewed. The smell of ink briefly drifted across her nose, but it was quickly swallowed up by the chemical scents of cleaning materials that presently surrounded her in this closet.

[King Crimson] manifested beside her, obligingly taking hold of both the notebook and the pen, dipping the tip in the first bottle of ink. She could have waited longer, but there was really no telling how long the Hokage might remain in the room above, nor how long she had before someone happened to open this closet. Therefore…

Here we go, the moment of truth…

Epitaph bloomed into her sight, as her "future" self and [King Crimson] phased into the room above in a burst of movement that took approximately 1.5 seconds. They manifested back into proper time right next to the Scroll of Seals, which [King Crimson] tore from the glass case in a shower of glass, ripping it open to reveal the first jutsu.

In the present, [King Crimson's] hand flashed with the pen across the notebook's pages with deft, inhuman precision, doing its best to replicate what it was seeing in the future-that-wasn't into the present-that-was. And all the while, Sakura's mind was effectively accelerated beyond any normal capacity, as she piggy-backed off her Stand's senses, guiding its movements every step of the way.

The Multi Shadow Clone. Not unexpected, but nice. One hand seal though, which is surprising. I'd kinda expected that Naruto was somehow bullshitting and cutting down the true number, but it really is that easy? Let's see here… Splitting chakra evenly, clones dispel after taking any injurious damage, and you get any memories and remaining chakra back… Sweet.

Within Epitaph, Sarutobi was trying to say something, but Sakura really wasn't paying a whole lot of attention. She was a little more occupied by having [King Crimson] casually behead the ANBU that tried to come at her from behind with a Body Flicker, while lashing out with its left leg to meet Sarutobi's own lunge with a blisteringly-fast kick into crossed arms that sent him blasting into and through the far wall in a shower of shattered wood. Because, honestly, how were mere humans supposed to compete with the speed of an entity that genuinely rivaled the likes of [Silver Chariot]? At the least, it seemed like Hiruzen had escaped the blow largely unscathed. The lack of "give" in the impact indicated he'd been doing some level of body reinforcement with his chakra before impact, so honestly? Good for him.

Not that Sakura was entirely too concerned with any injury or death caused inside her vision. After all, none of this was actually happening. It was the future-that-wasn't and the future-that-would-never-be, just one of many and the first in this particular series.

Her Stand in the vision refocused on the Scroll of Seals, unrolling it further, as the Stand in the present continued to scribe what its counterpart was seeing.

Shuriken Shadow Clone. A wide grin spread across Sakura's lips. Now, this, I can get up to some bullshit with. She cocked a brow at the instructions though. Holy handseals Batman! At a grand total of eight required handseals, however, this technique suddenly looked vastly less practical. Gonna need to up my speed and get those handseals cut down, because geez. By the time I even finish casting this, the target would have already dodged the lesser number of projectiles I was trying to duplicate in the first place.

Future [King Crimson] ducked under a sword-swing from another ANBU, but his responding fist merely obliterated the Hokage's desk that the ANBU replaced with to survive. Rolling its eyes, [King Crimson] grabbed one of the still falling halves of the severed desk and hurled it forth in a whip-crack of movement that sent the ANBU scattering. Some of them responded with kunai and shuriken, but future Sakura had successfully backed up against a wall, preventing them from getting angles that would evade her Stand batting the barrage out of the air.

[King Crimson] unrolled the Scroll fu-

Sakura jerked back to the present, blinking rapidly, as her vision ended. Shaking her head, she looked down at the notebook in the present, where two kinjutsu now sat freshly transcribed. For a long moment, she simply stared, before a wide toothy smile spread across her lips.

It fucking worked. [King Crimson] carefully turned the page for her back from the Shadow Shuriken Jutsu, and she had to suppress a gleeful giggle, mindful of her position still. I have the Shadow Clone… This is the solution to everything. Licking her lips, she took a moment to bask in the glow of victory, before her eyes flickered upwards, back towards the room above and the once more undisturbed (though it had never truly been disturbed at all) Scroll of Seals. She already had what she'd ultimately come for, yet…

I shouldn't…

But when else will you get the opportunity? Her brain traitorously asked her.

If I'm caught with any of these techniques, there are no words for how fucked I am.

"If" you are caught~. Sakura had never quite imagined her thoughts could sound so sinister.

But how will I explain the others to Hinata and Shino? I won't be able to hide these from Hinata's Byakugan. And writing them in english won't help, not when I'm already teaching them that as a "secret code" I "came up with".

Do you really think Hinata will betray you? In this sort of world?

…If she were to be subverted, yes.

Then don't let that happen. She's yours. Not Konoha's. Not the Hyuga's. Not any fucking NINO. Stake your fucking claim. Ensure she will follow you to hell and back.

Sakura frowned, a little unnerved by the direction her thoughts were taking.

It's only natural, right? In this world, people you can truly trust are in rare supply. If anything, it's only healthy, right? Humans need community. You need someone you can put your fullest faith in. Could you really call that a bad thing?

…No. No, I couldn't.

Then, you will need power. Far more power than you have. Far more than you are reaching for with such hesitance. Don't stop here. Be greedy. Nothing less will do to oppose this world. Nothing less will suffice to give Hinata the ability to oppose this world alongside you. And Shino? Maybe it will take more care, but you can surely drip-feed the rest of what you've attained as is necessary to allow their usage.

…That's right. What I'm truly scared of right now. No… Yes. What's been eating at me hasn't been a fear for myself. Today, right here, right now, proved it. Even though I'm weak as a shinobi, [King Crimson] is unfair enough to close the gap between me and the big leagues. Against ANBU and even the Hokage, himself, I at least won't lose immediately… Who knew how that fight might have gone if she were to stick it out for real. But Hinata and Shino can't say the same.

That's right. And you can feel it, can't you? The Joestar blood in your veins? The star of Fate cries out in warning. You don't have time for hesitation.

Yes, I do feel it… Yet, I still don't understand how that is even possible.

You will…

What?

Sakura jerked herself from her thoughts, immensely perturbed, as she shook her head, her gaze refocusing on the drying ink on the pages before her. She really needed to stop spacing out like that. It would be a horrible habit to retain, especially in high-risk situations like this. Even assuming she piggy-backed off [King Crimson's] accelerated perceptions, there was no sense in being reckless. But still…

She stared at the two jutsu she had successfully lifted with functionally no consequences…

Be greedy.

She didn't understand why she was hesitating. Because it was wrong to steal? No, she'd actively advocated for similar actions prior. Rather, as she'd already determined, the consequences of getting caught with her bounty would be severe… But since she was writing everything in this notebook in english, no-one else here should be able to read it… at least not the people that would be actually concerning.

So what's stopping you?

If anything, if she thought she could get away with it, Sakura would have loved to destroy the Scroll of Seals outright. Stealing it wasn't an option. It would probably have some sort of tracker seal on it, and leaving her scent around the scene of the crime was a good way to have Inuzuka on her ass by morning. But destroying it? That was the best way to deny the knowledge within to anyone with fell intent, especially a potential NINO. She could hopefully deny him the Shadow Clone… though, it was probable someone else would "generously" teach it to him for whatever reason.

Still, there were techniques in that scroll that were surely a lot harder to bullshit an alternative way to access. And better still, if she did what she'd already done for the whole scroll, she could monopolize all that knowledge she'd just denied others. So, maybe she couldn't remove the Scroll of Seals as a threat right now, but it was definitely on her list of potential things to try when she was better prepared. The risk of its contents falling into NINO hands… was simply unacceptable.

If you're not cheating, you're not trying? Isn't that what you always say?

Sakura made her choice.

---

It took her weeks to get the Shadow Clone down.

Not necessarily for any reason of lacking chakra control at this point, but rather because training it was a slow slog by necessity. For all her efforts over the past year had borne fruit in spades, Sakura Haruno -different soul or not- was still a girl for whom high chakra capacity did not exactly come by easily. Even from the first time she tried the jutsu and ended up wasting half her chakra for a useless puff of smoke, she knew it would be a pain in the ass.

Rather, the very nature of the technique meant that, no matter what, she was always going to lose half her chakra capacity to cast it. At minimum. Because of this, if she failed (and she failed a lot), then she had to wait for her chakra to recover before trying again. And that could take hours on a good day, never mind that she was still upholding her arrangement with Shino to drain her chakra during Academy hours.

Which meant, generally speaking, she was only able to test the Shadow Clone right before bed and shortly after waking up, able to recover chakra freely overnight and for the short period before she got to school and Shino started doing his thing. This, needless to say, left progress as something utterly glacial to behold.

But eventually… perhaps inevitably, she finally managed it.

And once she could start reliably counting on the chakra she expended into clones returning to her through the mechanics of an actually functioning technique? Well, things started getting a whole lot simpler.

---

"This… changes everything." For once, Shino seemed too stunned to explain why.

Not that he needed to, as the two identical Sakuras stared back at him and Hinata. Laid out before the trio on a smooth rock, there was a depiction of the Shadow Clone jutsu, the instructions transcribed again in a separate scroll in the Japanese language of Konoha. Both Hinata and Shino had been given the chance to look it over already, and they certainly didn't miss the implications of its mechanics.

"Indeed," Sakura replied, her clone flicking a kunai between its fingers, before snorting and slashing one of its palms, disappearing in a puff of smoke. The real Sakura blinked hard for a second, before shaking her head, looking both amused and perturbed, as she returned to the matter at hand. "With this, we can effectively multiply our learning rate by as many clones as we can successfully manifest. Pretty much the only thing this isn't effective for is physical training, which is what our true bodies should focus on, but beyond that, you understand what this means, right?"

Hinata's eyes were wide, but she was smiling brightly. "I-it means we can do it. With something like this… we can definitely graduate early."

Shino, for his part, stared at the open scroll, frowning behind his collar, as his brows pinched in contemplation. Reading through the details again, he hummed. "This does not seem to come without risk, however. Why? Because the returned memories also carry the strain of learning."

Sakura nodded, frowning. "Yeah. The mental fatigue bit… Well, I can't really test it much, because I don't think I have the chakra to make more than… maybe two clones at best? One, if we're talking about being practical in a general sense." She shrugged. "So far, I haven't really felt anything, but I imagine if we used more than a handful of clones or used a small number for an excessive amount of time before dispelling, the strain would be larger."

Adjusting his shades, Shino adjusted his shades. "We will need to run some experiments. Why? Because there is little point in using this technique if it will negatively impact us in the long run."

Tapping her lips with one finger, Hinata looked contemplative. "Perhaps we should all start with a single clone? Send them out together under Transformation for a day? We leave them manifested for that long and then dispel to see how much strain that carries?"

"Already tested that actually," Sakura piped up with a grin. "Negligible impact. I was able to catch up on a bit of light reading at home while at school."

Shino nodded. "Then we should also test whether different activities incur variable strain. Why? Because a day spent cramming new experiences and knowledge might carry a greater backlash."

"Un," Hinata uttered in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan," Sakura replied. "Though, if I had to shoot an estimate, even if we lack the chakra right now, I suspect we could safely make use of… maybe half a dozen clones apiece?" Hinata raised a curious brow. "Besides, at this age, biologically speaking, our brains should be pretty malleable. I'm hoping that means we can adjust to it better than adults."

Hinata chuckled at that. "Here's hoping, yes."

"Oh!" Sakura piped up with a chirp. "And oh, right, just one last little thing before we get started, but uh…" She grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Due to the whole 'potentially negatively impacting your health' parts, this may or may not be a little bit of a B-Rank kinjutsu…" Shino and Hinata stared at her silently. "So, uh… You know, best not be spreading it around that you know it."

Slowly, Shino raised one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, as Hinata looked simultaneously amused and mortified. "I… Sakura, where did you even find something like this?" The Hyuga looked like she was only now starting to truly appreciate how utterly broken this justu might just be… and why it might be considered forbidden.

Sakura shrugged, ignoring the twitch that earned from Shino. "Maaaybe best not to worry about it, you know?" At the incredulous look that earned from her friends, she grinned slyly. "Hey, let's just say I've got my sources, alright?"

"Sakura, that's not…"

"Just call it dumb luck if you need to," Sakura waved Hinata's concerned words off. "Look, what's important is that this is literally the solution to all our problems… Well, physical stuff aside." She shook her head, grinning. "Anything that is remotely cerebrally dependent, this can multiply our learning of. That means most jutsu, and -more importantly- all the book-learning we need to digest to pass the early graduation exams."

Hinata looked conflicted, before finally sighing. "O-okay, if you say so…" She looked uncomfortable, before managing a smile, apparently finding some silver lining in all this, since the cat was already well out of the bag. "We're still going to need to physically train though. That's not something this jutsu can accelerate."

"Not directly," Sakura agreed. "However, the fact that we will be free to commit our true bodies full-time to physical conditioning will radically accelerate our improvement in that area regardless."

"You are taking a big risk, Sakura," Shino said. "Why? Because kinjutsu require special approval to be taught. If we are caught, it could mean severe trouble."

Sakura nodded. "I'm well aware, but that's a risk I'm willing to take." Her gaze turned resolute, as she leaned forward. "This kind of advantage is simply too good to ignore. Do you know what many shinobi would give to be able to literally multiply their learning rate like this?"

"They would kill for it," Shino replied without hesitation. "Why? Because knowledge is power, and this jutsu would be the most efficient method of attaining it possible. Why? Because with enough clones, a week of learning can be worth a month or a month an entire year. In this respect… one could say this technique is truly unrivaled… provided you are able to handle the strain of it."

"Knowing that then," Sakura said, "would you truly turn down using it…?"

Shino was silent for a long moment, before finally -with apparent reluctance- shaking his head.

Hinata shot anxious looks between the two of them, biting her lip. "T-then… we're using it?"

At Shino's lack of dissent, Sakura straightened up with a smile. "Seems so!" She sighed in relief and did a little stretch, before grabbing the Shadow Clone scroll and waving the two over. "C'mon, let's get started. I'll show you how I finally figured it out. You wouldn't believe how annoying the process was!"

---

Over the next few days, they quickly determined several things about the Shadow Clone.

For one, the chakra cost was such that, frankly, none of them were capable of making more than one. Sakura had explained, rather, that it was specifically the act of making more than one clone which was primarily considered dangerous and forbidden. Knowing that, Shino had proposed (and it been agreed to) that none of them should attempt to make more than one Shadow Clone until the first close was capable of successfully duplicating itself.

Which was another thing.

Apparently they could do that.

When the question of how to safely test more than one clone had arisen, Sakura had wondered if it weren't possible for a clone to perform the justu itself. Technically speaking, nothing seemed to really be stopping it beyond a lack of chakra to spare. And this was how Sakura finally got a first-hand (if brief) experience with what true chakra exhaustion actually felt like. Hinata had been right. Overly suppressing her chakra did feel something like that, but it didn't really fully capture the bone-deep exhaustion and sluggishness that permeated what felt like every fiber of her being.

The clone made by her first clone had lasted just long enough to regret existing, before both it and the first clone dispelled and returned some fairly disturbing memories. Yet, in spite of the failure, Sakura found the implications of potential success fascinating, which led to her raising several further questions.

Did the Shadow Clone merely split your chakra reserves or your chakra capacity? An important distinction, because if the latter remained equivalent to the creator's but with only a partially filled "tank of gas"... was it possible for Shadow Clones to recover chakra on their own? They were perfect copies, after all. As long as they didn't take "damage", could they process nutrition?

Well… No.

The simple fact of the matter was that Shadow Clones were still only copies. They weren't real. They might have shared everything that their creator was on a surface level, memories, personality and abilities beyond that, but they didn't have souls. How did Sakura know that? Because none of her clones could manifest [King Crimson]. She could think of no more firm proof. Yes, Shadow Clones were extensions of her, but nothing more than that, for better or worse. No soul meant no ability to generate spiritual energy, which was half the requirement for chakra. And without that, it was ultimately a mostly moot point whether they could process nutrition.

On the downside, that meant there was no shortcut here to more clones. She couldn't just make a few and have them "farm chakra" to make more clones ad-infinitum like one particularly ridiculous Naruto fanfic had tried. Or, at least, there was no way for the clones to generate it naturally. Thinking back on that fanfic… what was it called again… A Drop of Poison? Well, she wasn't sure, but it had featured rather hilarious amounts of Shadow Clone munchkinry, and the biggest breakthrough in that had been obtaining a technique that allowed them to drain chakra from targets, enabling every single clone the ability replenish its reserves and even fill them beyond what they started with. On the upside, this -and the proof her Stand provided- at least ensured such a thing as a "Clone Uprising" wasn't possible… or rather was less possible than normal. Her clones might have been copies of her, but even in the worst case that they somehow went into a bit of an existential freakout, there wasn't a lot they could do about it.

Regardless, it was rather difficult to test what was and wasn't truly possible. Back on the track of whether a clone split your chakra capacity as much as your reserves… Well, it was impossible to truly test with the clones, since there presently wasn't a way to fill any reserves they might be missing. However, as far as Sakura's real body was concerned, there was no issue. She could easily recover chakra as normal, clone or no clone, and that… well now, that had started giving her some ideas.

"Hold on… did we just discover a way to store extra reserves of chakra?"

Her logic was simple. Step the first: make a clone and send it off to hide somewhere indefinitely. Step the second: Allow regular reserves to refill as normal and make another clone to repeat step one. Step the third: Continue prior steps ad-infinitum. Step the fourth: Dispel any number of clones when you need an emergency buffer of chakra and effectively wildly expand your reserves.

Unfortunately, bastion of sense that he was, Shino had -quite reasonably- pointed out many of the ways this could go horribly wrong.

For one, foremostly, the memories of any clone involved in such an experience were unlikely to be the healthiest of things to get back. Even assuming the clones were absolutely loyal and didn't suffer existential meltdowns thinking about their impending "deaths" as glorified chakra batteries, using clones in such a manner sounded like a good way to get barraged with massive amounts of memories of tedium and boredom, inducing quite seriously the mental fatigue the Shadow Clone purported as its primary downside.

For another, this would beg the question: what might happen if a clone was accidentally dispelled while it was unneeded? What would happen if you let your chakra reserves top off but tried to draw back more chakra into your body than it was presently capable of holding?

Well, being that she had studied at length the effects of chakra injected into places it wasn't welcome with Hinata during her development of the Rupture Fist… and the rather explicit warnings levied practically right out the gate in the medical jutsu texts she was currently studying about how too much chakra in the body could do a fair amount of damage and easily result in a coma… Yeah, no, Sakura had to admit that sounded like a recipe for disaster.

In the end, having weighed the pros and cons, the trio had eventually settled on maintaining only a single clone each all day, one that could continue training overnight while their true bodies rested. None of them -not even Hinata- yet had the chakra capacity to make a clone that could successfully create another clone anyway, so it was pointless considering more than that. As the rotation effectively went, they would only dispel the clones right before bed, make a new one, and then sleep off the mental fatigue with the rest of the day's wear and tear.

Occasionally, of course, they would call back clones early for training sessions when they wanted to accelerate such things as chakra control or test more "risky" training, like going for "no hit runs" in dodging and deflecting hails of projectiles thrown by the other two. It was an… interesting experience to get memories back from a clone after such things, having such an innate awareness that a single hit meant death. It really was an especially unique sort of motivation to succeed, and better still, that same sort of caution and instinct was gradually starting to bleed over into their true bodies. Sakura really saw no issue with having a more developed survival instinct, so she didn't make any effort to counteract such a development.

All told, by the month's end, the trio were already really feeling the benefits of this arrangement. The Shadow Clone not only effectively doubled the hours they had in a day, it more than doubled them, since the clone could train all night. That was approximately eight extra hours they hadn't been using at all that were now actually contributing to their accelerated progression. In effect, even with just a single clone, that was a net increase in their available time by a multiplier of x2.5…

And that was even slightly lowballing it. After all, there was a not inconsiderate amount of time that was wasted now by attending the Academy, which merely served as little more than a distraction these days. They were all quite solidly ahead of the First Year curriculum by now in pretty much all respects. They'd already all been decently high scorers, but the use of the Shadow Clone had quickly pushed them over the edge. By now, the Academy curriculum -the contents of First Year studies- was genuinely a total waste of time as far as efficient training went. And once their renewed focus on honing their physical bodies to generate more chakra allowed them to start making even more clones… that discrepancy in efficiency promised to grow even wilder.

Sakura couldn't wait.

---

[Shinobi Academy, First Year, 11th Month]

With the winter months rolling in again, Exam Day loomed right around the corner, and a certain buzz of excitement was in the air of the Shinobi Academy. Or maybe tension? Certainly, that's what some people were radiating, mostly older students. After all, for many of them, the Sixth Year exams were ride or die. For those that hadn't made any attempts to graduate prior, they didn't know what to expect, and so, this was their first and potentially last chance to make it as a shinobi.

Sakura wasn't sure if it was the local culture or a transplanted Japanese thing, but there was also an air of stiff competition that seemed to hang over everything as well. It was at this point of the year that everyone seemed to be cramming in preparation for fighting over those sweet sweet social credits and the bragging rights of saying you ranked higher than your peers. Everywhere you looked, kids were distantly eyeing the trappings of clout, some surely at the behest of competitive or strict parents.

Really, under normal circumstances, Sakura might have given about as few fucks as Shikamaru clearly still did in this situation (despite the fact that his temperamental mother was liable to wring his neck if he flunked). She couldn't have cared less about who she ranked above or below. After all, it was all meaningless in the end, a bunch of bragging rights that didn't actually amount to anything in the real world of shinobi. You'd die all the same, whether you were Dead-Last or Rookie of the Year. Normally, Sakura honestly didn't give a shit. Really.

Normally, that is…

"KYYAAAAHHH~~! SASUKE-KUN IS SO COOL~!"

Sakura's left eye twitched. Violently.

In the corner of her vision, Hinata shot the pinkette a concerned look, as they stood on the sidelines of taijutsu practice amongst the rest of their class.

Normally, Sakura didn't actually pay that much attention to the going-ons of her class and the Academy at large outside her small circle of friends. So, she wasn't entirely sure when it had started to really crop up… but once she actually started noticing these past couple months, she'd suddenly found herself having great difficulty tuning out the irritation.

The "irritation" in question of course being the "rabid fangirl horde" that just about every fanon Sasuke had dogging their shadow, singing his praises with simpery unmatched, and just generally making a nuisance of themselves at every available opportunity, usually -in those stories- with Ino and Sakura as rather foremost members. These starstruck simps were -typically speaking- regarded as useless as Shinobi and barely ever relevant, unless it was to be played for laughs where Sasuke had to escape them or to further justify a Naruto portrayal's edgy crusade against the "unjust treatment" for which the fangirls acted as empty-headed mouthpieces.

Again, truly, Sakura wasn't really sure when this had truly started becoming an issue, but by this point it seemed like just about every girl in class was gripped by this stupidity… herself and Hinata excepted of-course. She would grant, additionally, that this was objectively not the worst portrayal of the trope she'd ever witnessed. No less cringe, yes. No less disheartening in regard to the shinobi prospects of the other girls in her class? Also yes. But she'd honestly seen worse… not that she entirely expected this to stop here if allowed to snowball further.

Still, if the trope held true, then this was an issue far larger than a single class of prepubescent brats. It was a sensation that might very well be cropping up village-wide… In fact, if Sakura's parents were any clue, it may have always been there. Even if it were possible to nip this in the bud here and now, there was no guarantee that no-one would relapse.

But that didn't make it suck any less to see someone like Ami, who Sakura had felt she was genuinely making progress motivating into a future shinobi of worth, start acting like a doe-eyed simp. Sure, Sakura would grant that Sasuke was fairly impressive for his age, but was he really all that? Sure he got top marks when midterm tests rolled around, but it wasn't like they hadn't seen him have plenty of his own stumbles and falls during classes. He wasn't some natural prodigy that got everything perfect first try every time all the time, and he definitely didn't need to be praised just for winning a spar against someone Sakura was pretty sure had actively tried to swoon into his arms!

Ino, you little shit, I know you're better than that!

Even after all that, it might have been semi-tolerable…

…if not for the fact that Sasuke's ego was eating that shit up.

Now, to give the kid some credit, Sasuke was only seven years old. Generally speaking, that was an impressionable age to be, even in a society where kids averaged towards freaks of nature maturity-wise on a far more regular basis. Kids typically wanted attention. They loved to be praised. And they were quite malleable to social conditioning. The problem, of course, was that the sort of praise Sasuke was getting was empty and offered freely for even the slightest conceivable excuse. And slowly but surely, this was most definitely having an effect on the child who otherwise -unless Sakura missed her guess- suffered from a distinct struggle in the home department as far as earning praise. Suddenly, to be lavished daily with constant adulations and clamoring fans, admiring and praising his skill and supremacy?

Sasuke's prior sense of almost humble glee under such praise could only take so much before his ego started soaring to new heights.

It didn't take long after that for him to start becoming a smug little bastard. Now that she was paying attention, Sakura had started catching wind of a certain sense of snide superiority in the way Sasuke behaved, a certain condescension towards his peers the more his simps praised him and the Uchiha. It was actually getting bad enough that Sakura was pretty sure she'd caught teachers getting in on the favoritism and going as far as delegating easier assignments to Sasuke to more efficiently snuff even the slightest chance of failure, like giving him utterly lopsided sparring partners… which could honestly be interpreted as active sabotage as much as it was shameless bootlicking. It was hard to tell the difference in this situation. Frankly, the pinkette could see the formation of the "Hnn Asshole Sasuke" brewing miles away.

This… must be dealt with…

Arms crossed, Sakura's narrowed gaze followed the return of Sasuke and the giggling Ino, who was shamelessly batting her eyes at him and twirling the long blonde hair she'd been growing out lately. Sasuke, for his part, was simply smiling smugly, hands shoved in his pockets and looking for all the world like he hadn't a single care, as his fangirls squealed and whispered at his approach.

Sakura's eye twitched again.

"Um… Sakura?"

"Stay here for a sec, Hinata… I've got a piece of my mind to dispense."

Hinata gave her a look but seemed inclined to oblige, sensing the pinkette's properly roused ire.

Iruka-sensei had already called forth the next students to the ring, and as they made the seal of confrontation, Sakura released a slow, measured breath and started over towards the most recent fighters. Of course, she found Ino amongst the gaggle of girls that had formed around Sasuke's vicinity, all of them uttering various vapid expressions, as they tried to chat him up.

"Oi!" Sakura barked, loud enough to be heard by the bundle of fangirls and Sasuke but not enough to interrupt the current match. Regardless, her approach turned a few heads. "Are you actually serious, Ino? The hell was that?"

At Sakura's confrontational tone, Ino frowned, crossing her arms with a half-lidded gaze. "Huh? What are you raving about now, Haruno?"

Of course, it was natural that the two of them didn't necessarily… get along. They held their own social circles and largely didn't intersect. Sakura was something of a "tomboy" and a "brute", who carried a barbed tongue and actively, openly derided subjects like Kunoichi Arts. Meanwhile, Ino was the perfect picture of a social butterfly and queen bee, a girly girl that most certainly prized fashion and looking her best in all situations. Not to mention, but in this universe, Sakura had been fully capable of standing up for herself -and others; she had never needed Ino's sympathy or help at any point, and thus, there was no catalyst for them to bond.

"You're supposed to be the Yamanaka Clan Heiress, but that performance was just embarrassing," Sakura said bluntly. "You weren't even trying."

Ino looked mullish for a moment, before shrugging dismissively, as a wide smile spread across her lips. "Aw~, but there's not a whole lot I can do when my opponent is the best of the best, you know?" She giggled vapidly, before a scheming glint entered her eyes, as she faux-whispered. "Ah, is that it? You don't have to be jealous, Sakura-chan~! If you really want to be dominated by Sasuke-kun too, I'm sure you could ask Iruka-sensei to pair you up next time~."

The actual fuck did I just hear come out of a seven-year-old's mouth?! Oh, hell nah.

Sakura's expression darkened the longer Ino spoke, until her lips were outright curled into a scowl disdain. "Ugh. Pass. Apparently, I'm too busy trying to actually do something with my life to kiss ass." Ino frowned, but Sakura wasn't finished, glaring at the gathered girls. "Honestly, this is pathetic. Where did all your pride as shinobi suddenly go? Where's your Will of Fire? Don't think I haven't missed how all of you are plummeting in performance these last few months. Do you even want to be shinobi, or are you angling for the role of housewives? Because if it's the latter, just quit now and save us all the trouble. At least then you won't get yourselves and your future comrades killed being useless dead weight on the battlefield. You shame yourselves."

Ino leaned back at the tongue-lashing, wincing a few times, before her cheeks flushed red. Whether that was in anger or shame was unclear. She opened her mouth to respond, but whatever words she wanted to say seemed to stick in her throat at Sakura's gaze boring straight into her own.

Ami scoffed, crossing her arms. "Who are you supposed to be? Our mother? Screw off, Haruno."

"Yeah, back off, bitch!" another girl hissed. "Think you're so smart, do you? You just want Sasuke for yourself."

Another girl shot Sakura gimlet eye at that. "Oh, is that it? Trick us into not pursuing him so you can sweep in without competition? I see how it is."

More and more girls started to pile on. Yet, all the while, Sakura didn't take her eyes off Ino, the pinkette's expression growing flatter and deader by the moment. Swallowing thickly, the previous flush of Ino's cheeks started to drain into pale, before yet another voice broke through the clamor.

"Hey now, girls, it's fine, right?" Sasuke stepped forward with a smirk on his lips. The girls around him practically swooned when his gaze passed over them, and few even released quiet squeals at being the ones he'd needed to touch to push to the front. Coal-black eyes flicked to meet Sakura's unimpressed green. "After all, she's not jealous of you… She's jealous of me."

Admittedly, if it weren't for what he was implying with the switch, Sakura might have admired the way Sasuke's words defused the fangirls' rage and turned it into amusement, scorn and generally superior derision. Now, the gaggle of brats was actually looking down on her.

Cute.

Outwardly, Sakura merely scoffed. "Hardly. I don't need others to tell me how good I am." She crossed her arms and met Sasuke's gaze evenly. "Everyone improves on their own terms in their own time. As long as every day is one where you are better than the you of yesterday, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

Sasuke looked amused. "Hah… whatever helps you sleep better at night, I'm sure, but you'll never truly match up to an Uchiha Elite."

"My, but daddy's special little boy sure has a developed superiority complex for someone that hasn't had a real challenge in months." Sasuke's smug smile slipped into a glower, but Sakura just sneered at him. "Don't tell me the Uchiha Elite hasn't noticed yet?" Her lip curled in derision. "Your instructors are spoiling you. With every smear of shit they lick from your ass, they provide you trials you should be able to do in your sleep..." Her half-lidded gaze trailed over the glares of the girls around them, before flicking back to Sasuke. "...and opponents who are either too weak, too busy trying to impress you or both to actually cut your skills against. You're slacking. Getting overconfident. Sloppy."

"As if I'm going to believe ridiculous lies like that." Sasuke scoffed, yet there was an edge of concern that flashed across his features, before his expression settled into stubbornness. "Do you really think the opinion of a Civilian-Born comes from a place of authority? You obviously don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I don't, do I?" Sakura's said levelly, her eyes narrowing… before a slow, menacing smile began to spread across her lips. "Alright then, how about a bet."

Sasuke snorted, shaking his head. "What? You think you can prove me wrong? As if I'd humor such a waste of time." He sneered. "Isn't it like you said? I've nothing to prove to you." Clicking his tongue, he turned to go. "Hnn." Sakura twitched. "Go wallow in mediocrity elsewhere. Or feel free to watch my back… Maybe you might learn something."

For a moment, there was silence from the pinkette… only for her expression to suddenly twist into something… unnervingly pleasant. "Running away? How predictable. Guess I was naive to expect better from you, but you're just another bottom-feeder like the rest of the Uchiha."

It was such a little thing. If anything, the bait couldn't have been more obvious. Just about anyone thinking rationally would have rolled their eyes and left -if they even gave that much reaction. Yet… the wounded ego in question was already far too large to let it go.

Sasuke froze, turning a slow glower over his shoulder.

Sakura smiled smugly. "Oh? Does the truth sting? I guess that's the blessing of having cheat eyes like you guys do. You don't have to work hard a day in your life." She chuckled and shrugged. "You can just watch someone else do the hard work and copy off them, right? It must be a luxurious simple life. See and do… like a monkey."

Hands balled into fists but still somehow remaining relatively composed, Sasuke was by now standing in front of Sakura, his glare meeting her carefree, taunting gaze. His lips curled into a derisive sneer, even as he seemed to bite out the words he spoke. "Name. Your. Terms. Haruno."

Sakura's smile was sharklike, as she leaned forward to whisper. "Exam Day. You and me." Green eyes bored into coal-black. "Everyone 'knows' you're going to score the highest. When the class rankings roll in, it's Sasuke Uchiha that everyone expects to see at the top of the board."

"Of course," Sasuke scoffed. "What of it?"

Sakura smirked, leaning closer, as she hissed. "I'm going to demolish you." Sasuke stiffened. "In every possible category, I'm going to completely surpass you. I, the Civilian-Born girl, who only bothered to start training a handful of months before entering the Academy, am going to completely humiliate you, the son of the Uchiha Clan Head with years of extra training, on every conceivable field of academics or at minimum equal you where such is not possible." A single finger rose to poke Sasuke in the chest. "I'm going to take the Number 1 ranking, and I'll even actually give a shit about Kunoichi Arts for once, just because I can and so no-one can justify lowering my average." She pulled her hand back just in time to avoid a warding smack away by Sasuke, who she'd never quite seen so angry.

Good.

"As for your job?" Sakura chuckled, before giggling. Coming from her, the noise was fairly disconcerting. "Why, all you have to do is stop me."

Sasuke, to his credit, didn't actually take a swing at her, despite looking like he really wanted to for insulting both his and the Uchiha's Clan's honor. Which, honestly? Good on him. He was already doing better than a disturbingly large number of his fanon counterparts.

"And the stakes?" he quietly seethed.

"If I win?" Sakura almost playfully mused aloud. "Hmmm~. How about, you invite me over for nice dinner with the fam, eh?" She grinned widely at the squawks of outrage that raised from the surrounding fangirls. "I've already been to the Hyuga Clan compound, and I've just got to see how their so-called rivals compare. You wouldn't deny a poor, ignorant soul like this one the opportunity to be reeducated on who the truly superior clan is, now would you?"

Sasuke bristled, before sneering. "Fine… But if I win…" he glowered, brow briefly scrunching in consideration, before a smirk crossed his lips. "-you get to publicly retract every slanderous thing you've said about me and the Uchiha… and gracefully, quietly withdraw from the Academy, finally acknowledging your place for once." His smile was a vindictive thing. "That sounds like a fair trade to avoid… trouble between our parents… right?"

It was a completely unreasonable and greedy response, beyond the pale and even -quite possibly- an empty threat to boot. But then again, should she have expected any different from this kind of Sasuke? To resort to actually political -if not physical- threats over a bunch of heated words in a schoolyard disagreement? It was the height of arrogance, and unless the Uchiha were vastly more flanderized than basically anyone ever portrayed them, there was very little chance Sasuke could summon that kind of backing in response to mere schoolyard humiliation. Not to mention, it wasn't really wholly up to Sakura whether she dropped out, legally speaking. After all, it was the very reason she was even here now, that her parents had the final say.

On the other hand… if she supposed -pessimistically- that there was an actual chance Sasuke could back up his threat? Well, something like that might be worth calling off the bet entirely…

Sakura grinned ferally. "You're on."

Sasuke's smile was all anticipation and malice. "Good. I'm actually looking forward to this now, so don't disappoint me."

"That's my line," Sakura chuckled, flicking her hair, before turning to leave, shooting the Uchiha a smirk. "It would be too boring if you made this easy for me… not that I'm expecting much from a slacker. Hey…" Teeth flashed goadingly. "...surely, it wouldn't be too hard to ensure we get paired in the sparring tests with a few careful suggestions. That is… if you've got the guts."

"I'm going to enjoy this…" Sasuke said simply, dark eyes glinting.

"Masochist, eh?…" the pinkette grinned. "Hey, I don't judge."

Sasuke's fresh glower bored into her back, as Sakura left, smiling widely and brimming with satisfaction at getting the last word. In her wake, she left fuming and boggling fangirls, and before her…

Hinata was looking even paler than usual, eyes wide and back stiff, apparently having overheard the entirety of the mostly hushed confrontation.

"S-Sakura, you-!" She squeaked, as Sakura threw an arm over her shoulders and gave her a squeeze, grinning confidently. Yet, the Hyuga seemed ready to work up further nerve. "You should apologize!" she hissed. "He-" A finger from the pinkette briefly pressed against her lips, cutting her off and earning a flush.

Sakura leaned closer, meeting the Hyuga's eyes with a smirk. "Hinata, you might not yet understand… but I'm not just going to win this bet. I'm going to crush Sasuke Uchiha." One hand rose before them both, before clasping tightly into a fist. "I'm going to destroy his pride and nip this insufferable bullshit in the bud."

"S-Sakura, I understand being ambitious, but-"

"Hinata," Sakura said flatly.

The Hyuga froze, seemingly taking a moment to compose her scrambling thoughts, as she shuffled anxiously, biting her lip unsurely and clasping her hands together tightly. Her lips pursed tightly, before she released a quiet sigh and frowned. "It's not like you to invite needless trouble…"

"That's right."

"Then why…?"

Sakura frowned, murmuring, "Surely, you haven't missed it?" She gestured broadly. "I don't understand the cause, but it feels something… odd has been happening to our classmates in the past few months." Her eyes narrowed. "Tell me… if you compared how they acted at the start of the year to how many of them behave now… would you say the changes feel… right?"

Hinata stiffened, her shoulders hunching, as she seemed to resist the urge to glance about furtively. "I… I'm not sure." Licking her lips, she swallowed thickly. "I- We don't really talk with most of the rest of our class, so…"

"Maybe it's nothing…" Sakura whispered. "But I can't help but notice lately how many self-destructive tendencies have started to flourish amongst our peers. It's so weird how it cropped up, and some things in particular…" Her gaze traced over to the still clamoring horde of fangirls. "...are more egregious than others."

Hinata frowned. "Is… there really more to it? It really could just be normal behavior." She swallowed again, shuffling in place. "I mean… how do you know we're not the weird ones? The… outliers. I mean… it's not like anyone else really seems to share our methods or… enthusiasm for training."

Sakura did actually pause at that, a disturbed, yet amused, expression overtaking her visage at the notion. Man, that would be a real bizarro world concept to acknowledge… but the pinkette wasn't quite ready to abandon her faith in sanity yet.

"Maybe… but that's not what my gut is telling me," Sakura replied. "And yours agrees, doesn't it?"

Wincing, Hinata looked quite reluctant for a long moment, before finally nodding. "Then… what are you going to do about it?"

Sakura chuckled. "Heh, I'm doing something about it right now." She grinned lopsidedly. "Ever heard of shock therapy?"

Hinata sent her a dry look and earned a chuckle. Sighing, the Hyuga shook her head. "W-well… I suppose there's not really a better option right now…" She frowned. "B-but still, please tell me you have a plan for this bet… If you lose-"

Sakura poked her friend on the forehead, earning an indignant squawk. "I won't."

Hinata pouted, rubbing her forehead with two fingers. "But how can you be sure?"

Looking amused, Sakura only grinned. "Hey now, have a little faith in your bestie!"

Hinata released a sigh filled with something adjacent to fond long-suffering, a reluctant smile spreading across her lips at the pinkette's unwavering confidence. Despite her concerns, it was hard to hold onto pessimism in the face of Sakura's unperturbed smile. "Okay then… I trust you, Sakura…" She paused for a moment, before flushing deeply, as she murmured near inaudibly, "You better n-not go easy on that j-jerk after what he t-threatened."

Giving a quiet cackle, Sakura gave Hinata's shoulders another squeeze and grinned wider. "Is that a bit of 'tude I'm hearing from the perfect Princess." At Hinata's deeper blush, she chuckled. "Truly, we'll make a spitfire of you yet."

The Hyuga pouted and turned her head away, but she couldn't entirely hide the smile creeping onto her lips, as she fiddled with her bangs. After a moment, as the two finally lapsed into a comfortable silence, simply watching the ongoing sparring matches, an idle thought saw Hinata holding her bangs out a bit with a pensive expression.

"Hmm?" Sakura uttered questioningly.

"O-oh," Hinata exhaled and shook her head, letting her bangs fall against her cheek again. "It's nothing… Ah, it just seems about time to get a trim."

Cocking a single brow, Sakura leaned back for a moment, panning her gaze intently up and down Hinata's visage. The Hyuga, for her part, felt a small flush pinking her cheeks, as she resisted the urge to duck her head under the attention.

"Hmm," Sakura finally seemed to conclude, shrugging and returning to her prior position.

Yet, the noncommittal nature of her response only seemed to make Hinata more anxious, judging by the tensing of her body underneath the pinkette's arm. The quiet between them abruptly was gaining a strangely indeterminate sense of awkwardness, until finally…

"If you ever wanted to try letting it grow out, I think you could totally rock long hair." At Hinata's widening eyes, Sakura grinned encouragingly, before chuckling and flicking her own shoulder-length locks. "It can be a bit of a hassle to wash sometimes, but hey, I can drop you some tips if you want." She shrugged at that, before grinning cheekily. "Up to you really, but I could definitely see you being a regular heartbreaker in the future. You got the makings of a real beauty, Miss Hyuga Princess," she teased lightly.

Hinata's face was cherry-red, but there was undeniably a smile on her lips, as she ducked her head, waiting for her complexion to return to normal. "I-I u-um…" She fidgeted, before flashing Sakura a brief, bright smile, then ducking her head to murmur, "I'll certainly c-consider it…"

And she would, at that.

---

Hinata's cheeks didn't stop aching from repressed smiling until long after she returned home.

For Hinata Hyuga was not a vain girl. Rather much the opposite. This past year… had been filled with new experiences for her, including a growing renewed familiarity with self-esteem. Sakura Haruno… The loud and proud pinkette had also reacquainted Hinata with the concept of genuine praise and encouragement, of being encouraged to push herself to her limits, yet not admonished when she failed to overcome them, merely offering a hand to help her up to try again…

Believe in yourself. Or if not that, believe in the me that believes in you.

In so many ways, it boggled her mind to understand how Sakura could be as bold and confident as she was. It was almost enough to inspire envy, but Hinata felt only unfettered admiration.

Sakura… was everything Hinata had once felt she could never be.

Sakura was strong… Perhaps not the most physically, but spiritually? Mentally? She was indomitable. Unwavering. Committed to her word and dedicated to her goals. Hardworking, determined and intelligent enough to think outside the box and even develop brand new jutsu… Despite her protestations to the contrary, by the very standards she defined what was called a "genius", Sakura Haruno qualified most splendidly.

Something that Hinata imagined would become quite more readily apparent if -or rather when- the pinkette won her bet with Sasuke. Hinata still wasn't happy about that, of course, but she recognized already when she was arguing a lost cause. Sakura had made up her mind, and there was no diverting her now. It was almost enough to elicit a groan of fond exasperation from the Hyuga Heiress. Yet, somehow, she found herself truly trusting that it would all work out. Sakura wasn't right all the time, but here and now?

There were still several weeks before the Exams, and now that she had access to the Shadow Clone, Hinata expected the level of cramming Sakura was capable of to be inhuman. The trio were already past the first-year curriculum in book-learning regardless, so there was very little chance of Sakura scoring anything but perfect on every test… It was the physical, practical portion that would be the deciding factor.

In that respect, Hinata was still concerned, unsure how close they could really be sure the gap was even if Sakura devoted the entirety of her time to polishing those subjects before the big day. If anything, given the glint in the pinkette's eye… Well, Hinata would not be surprised if Sakura cheated aggressively on the sly using her secret bloodline limit… and the prim and proper heiress and loyal shinobi of Konoha within her really wished that idea bothered her more…

If you're not cheating, you're not trying.

She also wished the idea of witnessing Sasuke's imminent misfortune didn't… appeal to her so highly.

Hinata released a quiet little giggle, unable to see the glint in her own eyes.

Sakura really was a bad influence on her, wasn't she?

Oh, don't lie to yourself. You love it.

Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, Hinata fiddled with her chin-length hair, recalling how Sakura's own hair was perhaps the loudest and proudest physical feature she owned. If she were to let her own hair grow out as well, could she too…?

Staring into the mirror for a long while, Hinata tried to picture what Sakura must have seen in her, the potential for true stunning beauty… but the Hyuga's mind stubbornly refused to conjure more than whisps. So, maybe… Maybe, if she let it grow out, she could finally see for herself what Sakura did… and just maybe, she too could… express herself the way her friend already did so freely.

The trim she would later order was but a simple cleanup… and didn't remove a single inch.

---

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt like he had aged a decade in this past year. Really, in the past better part of a decade, it felt like he'd aged more than he had all his life. These days, he truly felt the aching of his bones, the way time was slowly but inexorably catching up to him, and not for the first time, he lamented the fate of his once-successor.

Minato… Konoha truly needed you to wear this hat.

Times had changed, and in many ways, Hiruzen was aware he had failed to change with them. He had done his best to adapt, to preserve Minato's legacy, but the policies the Yondaime had set in motion -and many he had helped truly gain momentum- were something the aged "God of Shinobi" had rapidly found himself unsuited to manage.

The Civilian Council… At one time, they had been a relatively benign entity, created to manage mercantile matters and delegate less important matters of internal finance, but Minato had seen fit to push forth ways to give them more influence and say in Konoha's governance. In principle, Horizon agreed with the ideas the Yondaime had proposed, looking to see all of Konoha flourish under equality in the era of peace they had been building. Yet, the Fourth Hokage's demise had spelled the end of a smooth transition to such a state… and facilitated a level of corruption and divisiveness that pained Hiruzen's heart to witness.

What Minato had ultimately set in motion was a move to earn greater favor and funding from the Daimyo through turning Konoha into a prosperous place that could benefit the Land of Fire even in the drought of shinobi missions caused by the end of the war. To this end, Konoha entertained motions to raise much of the civilian populace's influence to equal that of the military. In doing so, they furthered Konoha's image of "peace" and became an entity that could actually engage in more mercantile trade.

The Daimyo had, indeed, been pleased with this idea and had responded by funneling even more missions and funding Konoha's way. More and more, Shinobi were becoming increasingly acquainted with "harmless" and "non-combat" missions, as efforts were put forth to provide them more ways and greater encouragement to make use of their supernatural powers for purposes other than violence, slaughter and destruction. On a surface level, Konoha -as a result- was vibrantly flourishing. In a financial sense, they wildly outstripped practically every other Hidden Village on the continent. Yet, as a consequence…

These days, the level of influence the Civilian Council held was unprecedented, and it did not escape many in the political sphere that their favor often was synonymous with that of the Daimyo. Which, for many of the old generations of shinobi, was a problem. After all, these civilians were far too prone to pushing forth with reckless changes, regardless of the consequences. Tradition? Prestige? What were those? Did they taste good with the Daimyo's ass?

Both behind closed doors and in Council chambers, voices of discontent were rising ever louder by the day on both ends of the spectrum. Stubborn, resolute figures upheld their side and refused to negotiate, often turning many matters into a simple matter of votes that always left a hefty chunk of bitter losers.

And now it's come to this…

Hiruzen's shadowed gaze observed the gathered members of Konoha's Core Council, those who stood above even the regular Shinobi and Civilian Councils. Old shinobi, one and all, possessing experience surpassed by few, they were all veterans of the First Great Shinobi War and had survived both the Second and Third alike through cunning, skill and a healthy dose of luck in their own rights. They were all old in a profession where many all too often died young, and in terms of cultural prestige and authority, they were surpassed only perhaps by the Hokage himself, whomst they answered to alone.

Sadly, Hiruzen could not say today's gathering was anything casual, nor regarding a matter benign. No, the dangerous subject they had even gone as far as to send their normally hidden ANBU guards away for to have this private conversation was one that was detailed at length in the damning series of reports laying on the table between them.

"This cannot go unanswered," Koharu Utatane said with conviction. "Do they really think to even discuss such matters is acceptable?"

Feeling even more exhausted somehow, Hiruzen sighed, exhaling a short plume of smoke around the pipe perched between his lips. "To think they would go this far… I wouldn't have expected this from Fugaku." Certainly not with Mikoto having his ear. If anyone were inclined to speak on behalf of upholding Minato and Kushina's wishes, wouldn't it have been her? "Can these reports truly be confirmed?" A large part of him hoped not. It would be far less complicated than the alternative.

"They are unfortunately quite accurate," Danzo said plainly, ever reliably straight-forward in such matters. "The Uchiha Clan conspires to commit insurrection."

Closing his eyes, the worn lines of Hiruzen's brow furrowed, as one hand rose to stroke his goatee. "Can it really be so?" he wondered. "What is the impetus?"

"Ostensibly, they levy 'concerns' over the state of Konoha's governing body," Homura Mitokado replied, as he adjusted his glasses and frowned at the reports he was currently handling. "Within their discussions, they consider a radical alteration in governance structure, and they think it unlikely that the current body can be convinced to elect someone with their standards in mind."

Koharu clicked her tongue. "The most damning thing is that this plot only came to light due to their attempts at quiet outreach to other clans to test the waters. If not for the efforts of the truly loyal, we would not have the slightest warning until the day of reckoning is upon us." Her expression darkened. "This is not merely a matter of a single clan's uprising. Left unaddressed, they will surely inspire similar sentiment on the other shinobi clans."

Danzo inclined his scarred chin in agreement. "It would be one matter if they were to bring this issue to the Council Floor in accordance with the proper course, to set in motion the duly approved methods by which such changes may be implemented. Instead, however, their furtiveness belies their true intent." He frowned. "They are gathering martial might in preparation for a coup."

Listening to his advisors go on, Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh, as his eyes opened again. He reached down to pick up one set of reports that largely detailed the Uchiha's grievances with the present system, and his frown grew by the moment. "To think this would come from the Uchiha…" It was practically unthinkable. "Of all the Clans, for it to be the ones practically worshiped by the citizenry…"

On the surface, if anything, it would have seemed the civilian populace had the closest relationship with the Uchiha. They were the most public shinobi, after all, running the Uchiha Police Force as they did. They were the ones that citizens saw when they needed law and order enforced, the ones that protected peace at home rather than 'gallivanting into foreign lands to murder poor farmers' (or so went at least one piece of Civilian Council propaganda). In short, the civilians loved the Uchiha. Having well-outlived their ancient rivals, the Senju, they had further cemented themselves as the last living piece of Konoha's Founders.

To many of the average citizens, the Uchiha were like beholding the descendents of legends. Even to the other Shinobi clans, that prestige carried weight. The Hyuga might have become their primary rivals since the downfall of the Senju, but beyond that and the general wariness of the Sharingan's capacity to potentially compromise the secrecy of other Clans' jutsu, the Uchiha still wielded no small amount of political firepower.

The true irony of it all was that they were so beloved by the civilians that if they instigated a coup in order to restore Konoha to an unmitigated military dictatorship under their rule, the civilians would likely eat up every scrap of propaganda the Uchiha put out and would enthusiastically throw themselves blindly into the arms of tyranny, trusting in the "greatness" and "nobility" of the one Shinobi Clan they trusted wholeheartedly to lead them into a glorious future.

Simply put, if the Uchiha really tried to instigate a coup… they might actually succeed.

"We can ill afford a civil war, Hiruzen," Danzo said resolutely. "Not only shall it tarnish our reputation upon the national stage, but there is no doubt that we shall be gravely weakened by the senseless bloodshed. Not just militantly, but politically." Danzo's expression darkened seriously. "Were this to occur, even were the insurrection to be repelled, it would lay the seeds for further rebellion. Konoha has never before felt the flames of violent internal schism, but this would set a terrible precedent."

Even though he agreed with every word his old friend was saying, a pit of dread slowly formed in Sarutobi's stomach. Old experience with the leader of ROOT told him that the solutions the Darkness of Shinobi was presently concocting -and, in fact, already angling towards proposing- would not be ones he wanted to hear. Yes, Hiruzen was too deep in this profession, far too world-weary to deny that sometimes, the world only provided bad and worse options. Sometimes, there were dark, dirty and even cruel deeds that might be… necessary.

But the thing he could never truly stomach was not making every effort to find an alternative. He resented the idea of resorting to the most cynical and callous option first, solely because it was "efficient" or "practical" or "left nothing to chance". He couldn't bear to disguise cruelty as "rationality". Maybe it was naive, the sentimental nonsense of an old dreamer, but to Hiruzen, the Will of Fire was not a thing meant to be monopolized by Konoha. Was it wrong to pursue prosperity for everyone? That was the world he knew Minato had wanted as well, but the Sandaime was far too old, far too much of a relic to make it happen. The Yondaime, his successor, was supposed to be the one to make that dream a reality.

But Minato isn't here anymore, now is he?

Closing his eyes, Hiruzen took a long pull from his pipe, releasing an equally long cloud of smoke from his nose. Finally, with great reluctance, he said, "You seem to have a solution already in mind, Danzo… Out with it then." Knowing his old friend as he did, he was unable to hide the ever so clipped lean of his tone in the command, as his eyes opened to fix ROOT's leader with a firm stare.

Danzo leaned back in his chair, ever-unfailingly calm, even when he proposed his most radical ideas. "It must be with a firm, yet discreet hand that we act." As usual, his tone was so damningly level, so enticingly, seductively "rational", and Homura and Koharu were both listening intently, both slowly nodding in agreement. "To act carelessly is to invite an inevitable uprising regardless. Old friend… the Uchiha Clan are strong, valued soldiers of Konoha… but the punishment for treason is more than clear. Any conspirators must be identified and dealt with accordingly."

Hiruzen's expression darkened, as his jaw tightened around his pipe. "Words are but air, Danzo, and it is but natural to vent one's grievances to release pressure. Thus far, however, I have yet to see the action upon them."

"You and I both know more than well, Hiruzen, that there is nothing trivial about words… Knowledge… ideas can be very dangerous things," Danzo replied. "Such is a fundamental truth that permeates the very fabric of our society…"

"Knowledge is power, yes…" Hiruzen frowned, "but that is exactly why we must not act hastily. This crisis is clearly a matter requiring a delicate approach, one which I would see informed by further investigation first."

"I certainly hope you do not mean to go soft even upon a matter of treason," Homura remarked with a certain casual authoritativeness, earning a sharp look from Hiruzen, as a bristling sensation of warning began to fill the room.

"Have a care to remember who is Hokage here… lest I be obligated by those very laws you wish to laud to offer a firm reminder…" Hiruzen said with dangerous calm, and Homura stiffened, straightening up for a long moment, before giving a slow nod. The sensation of danger retreated, but the room was still bathed in tension. Danzo appeared -as ever- perpetually undisturbed, but Homura and Koharu had lapsed into a sullen, awkward silence.

Eventually, it seemed only Danzo had the guts to get right back to business. "Hiruzen… as ever, you know we both seek to do what is best for Konoha, to preserve her future." His expression softened in a manner so minute most might find it imperceptible. "Before us lies a truly ugly choice… To see such a beloved and acclaimed Clan as the Uchiha diminished would be a terrible blow… but a civil war would be a far greater one."

Finally seeming to have regained some of her own nerve, Koharu added, "All does not seem lost, however. For by good fortune, as you have surely astutely observed, many of these reports are penned by none other than the hand of the Uchiha Heir himself, Itachi Uchiha."

Stomach curdling uncomfortably in indecision, Hiruzen remained silent for a long minute. Finally, making an effort to restrain a fresh bout of resigned weariness from leaking into his voice, he said. "Bring Itachi Uchiha before me. I will see to questioning him personally."

Not just so he could obtain more detailed answers than a cold, clinical report could provide, but also because -as a Sensor- he was better equipped to discern truth from falsity in a focused interrogation. It wasn't exactly a specialty by any means and could still be foiled by extensive experience with controlling one's feelings, but in practice, it still gave the Sandaime a certain 'gut feeling' about most situations, a natural intuition for who was trustworthy. He didn't rely on it overmuch, but it was certainly a nice leg up against the unsuspecting that took his typically congenial, grandfatherly demeanor at complete face value.

"Before then, and until we know more and have explored all available solutions-" Hiruzen's sharp tone left no room for argument. "-we shall table this subject for the time being," he said tersely, his stern gaze on Homura and Koharu. The two were silent, but they clearly sensed the dismissal in the Hokage's tone, as Hiruzen began gathering all the reports together to be reviewed later… and used as aids in his questioning of Itachi.

In the meanwhile, Homura and Kohaku stood to leave, sketching stiff bows, before heading out the door. Sarutobi did not bid them farewell. He feared his temper might be roused enough to make such a parting unpleasant.

Danzo, however… remained unmoved.

It seemed he hadn't missed the furtive coded signal Sarutobi had sent him.

For a long while, the silence stretched between the two old men, as they allowed the tension of the prior subject to settle and digest. There was no danger of the topic being raised further at this juncture, not after the Hokage had dismissed it so officially. Danzo was clearly no stranger to understanding when Hiruzen had truly put his foot down, and if he wanted to remain a voice of reliable advice on the matter, he would not incur the Hokage's wrath with further opinions until the topic was ready to be revisited, likely with Itachi Uchiha present.

The shuffling of paper continued until all the reports had been compiled into a single stack. At that, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, and puffed his pipe for a while, bleeding as much tension as he could, even as his nerves bristled from what was to come.

Finally, the Hokage's shoulders slumped wearily.

"How is he?"

Danzo's gaze was almost pitying, as he replied, "Efforts to suppress the Nine Tails remain ongoing, but what we are finding appears… unencouraging." His hand briefly retreated into the depths of his sling, before returning with a scroll that he slid over the table. "It has been a trial of no simplicity to understand what has occurred, one that has even cost the lives of several good men."

Hiruzen eyed the sealed report like it was a live viper, before reaching forward and breaking the wax, unrolling it to read the contents. All the while, the premonition of dread in his stomach continued to grow the more he read.

"From what we can tell, the Fourth's seal -ingenious though it is- relies at least partially upon the vessel's own will to imprison the beast," Danzo spoke with an easy, clinical detachment. "Under normal circumstances, a vessel that remained yet unaware of their passenger could contain it through simple subconscious ignorance, and an aware vessel could usually easily suppress the demon fox by simply rejecting its desires. In fact, containment could almost be called simplistic… so long as the vessel did not do one very specific thing."

Hiruzen's eyes closed in understanding. "Which was?"

"Within the vessel's mindscape, there lies a construct representing the seal, a cage upon which there should normally lie an almost unassuming sealing tag. Fragile though it may seem, it can only be disturbed by the vessel's active and willing action. Pull it free, however…"

Hiruzen sighed. "How bad is the situation?"

"That very seal has been torn apart, and the fox has seemingly been given entirely free reign within the jinchuuriki's mind and body. Its presence borderline uncontestable, and its influence on Naruto Uzumaki frighteningly extensive, both physically and mentally." Danzo frowned. "Attempts to analyze the boy's mental state have seen two of my Yamanaka agents rendered dead, their minds rendered utterly irrecoverable. The only agent to successfully return and describe the situation managed so solely because the demon was otherwise… occupied at the moment of entrance and a moment too slow to prevent her retreat. At such a steep cost for so little gain, I have not seen it prudent to make further attempts until the conditions are improved."

Rubbing his eyes, Hiruzen took as deep pulls as he dared from his pipe without inducing a coughing fit, yet the calm of the nicotine refused to find him through the haze of despair and self-disappointment. "Then… Naruto has been entirely subverted by the Kyuubi…"

"So, it would seem…" Danzo replied bluntly. "Even without the ability to safely access his mind, the blatant alterations in temperament and personality he has undergone compared to his pre-incident assessment paint a picture of clear interference and ever-increasing malice."

Hiruzen gave a shuddering, weary sigh, running his hands down his wrinkled visage.

Minato… to think that I have failed you so grievously… To see what has happened to your child, whose future you entrusted to me and Konoha, would you hate me? Would you even resent Konoha, our home for whom you gave everything and made the ultimate sacrifice?

The nightmare had started fifteen months ago, when the Hokage had found himself awoken late at night to find out the Naruto had been accosted by a crowd of civilians, who had somehow managed to corner, hunt and assault the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki without interference. A thorough and furious internal investigation had revealed that Naruto's regular watchers had been incapacitated by Genjutsu prior to the incident and remained watching his apartment unaware all throughout it. Simultaneously, it seemed like someone had managed to successfully interfere in the following investigation and even erase the memories of involved civilians, leaving exactly zero witnesses or culprits to interrogate. It was a disgustingly clean operation.

At the time, Hiruzen could barely describe his fury, knowing this had to be nothing less than collusion from within, the malicious actions of some of his own Shinobi, and to not know who had committed this blatant act of treason, to not know how many they numbered or how deeply imbedded into Konoha they were? It filled him with shame as much as rage.

Worse still, on top of it all, there were no happy endings to be found in the aftermath for the victim. The attack had left Naruto in a critical state and -far more concerningly- the seal definitely compromised somehow, the feeling of demonic chakra leaking into the boy's body more than obvious to a Sensor like Hiruzen when he confirmed it later. Apparently, the leakage had been so bad that the boy was beginning to show signs of developing a chakra cloak and even sprout a chakra tail. He had regained consciousness and was behaving erratically, like a cornered wild animal, radiating hatred and imminent violence…

The only silver lining in all this -if it could even be called that- was that Danzo, ever reliably vigilant, had managed to make it to the scene before true disaster could unfold. The liberal application of chakra-suppression seals and the further aid of ANBU Tenzo's Mokuton, and they had successfully contained the jinchuriki's rampage before it could begin and moved him to more secure holdings.

That all of this -Naruto's suffering- had happened while Sarutobi was shamefully dreaming away in the comfort of the Hokage's Estate, a shame he felt he would carry for years, if not all his life. Yet, more potently, to call him "incensed" upon becoming alerted of what had occurred would be a severe understatement.

Naturally, upon finding out that Danzo had imprisoned Naruto, Hiruzen's first reaction was fury and assumptions, as he was far from forgetful in regard to some of the more callous comments the Shadow of Shinobi had to spare for Konoha's Jinchuuriki in the past. Yet, upon understanding the full breadth of the situation, he could only be filled with shame and reluctantly agree to leaving Naruto in Danzo's hands, as the desperate search for a solution began.

Yet, in all this time, the best they had managed was to keep the Kyuubi barely contained, little better than a primed bomb just waiting for one careless mistake to set it off. And Naruto, that passionate, rowdy young boy, had been its plaything all the while, a hostage, victim and issue all his own at once. The demon's corruption was blatant and for all intents and purposes, effectively irrevocable with their present means.

At this stage, Hiruzen truly had to wonder… was there any hope left for Minato's son?

"The Kyuubi's physiological alterations to the vessel bode poorly, but nonetheless, we have determined at least one route with a probability of non-zero success," Danzo continued, pulling out another scroll.

Wearily, Hiruzen took the scroll from his advisor's hand and opened his eyes, reading through the proposal. As expected, it was a callous plan, one with utter disregard for Naruto as a person and innocent child… At many points, he found his blood running cold, but observing the pros and cons, understanding as much as he did… He truly couldn't help feeling self-loathing, as he approved it.

And more damningly, he had to shove down the bitter thought… that there might not even be a Naruto left to save.

---

AN: As far as Hiruzen perhaps being more trusting of Danzo than he was in canon, despite this being an attempt at leaving Hiruzen largely canon-compliant himself, it's because this is early enough in the timeline that Danzo hasn't betrayed his trust by arranging the Uchiha Massacre directly against his orders. In essence, Danzo has yet failed to "overstep his boundaries" and so remains Hiruzen's trusted confidant.