Interlude Shikaku:
As a curious man by nature, I can't help but smirk when I get the Uchiha 'inferior' twin at the genin team selection. No doubt my high level of interest attracts Danzo's attention and other clan heads, but mah, he has better things to do like spy on Itachi for example.
But if I'm right, and lord 3rd's instincts are correct as well when talking about their strange talk, there's more to this girl that meets the eye. It just hides underneath the all-encompassing shadow which Itachi shines as the genius everyone knows him as.
As I had a shadow clone(grumbling but can't disobey) take care of the obstacle course and another for the introduction, I set aside a nice ice cold lemonade with my lawn chair as I prepare to torture some brats. As I wait, I can't help but chuckle at the memory this petty 7 year old gave my clone.
The fact that she caught one of our Nara principle stances with a gaze, which although is an open secret amongst enemy villages from war, was a pleasant surprise...what a nice puzzle this one seems to be.
When she shows up 5 minutes early, instead of the unaccounted 1-3 minutes I calculated, I raise an eyebrow.
But that's when she moves the course like a Black Swan on Ice. Dancing through pointed rocks with the grace of a heel, shifting through poles symbolizing the wild wilderness and grace with movements that high/elite chunnin have, which comes from tap dancing on rivers instead of regular water walking that ANBU are made to run through, that I can't help but Wonder...
Is Fugaku Blind from sharigan overuse? Because this is an Itachi itself in the making.
That she actually finishes on record time, not that she can hide chakra or stamina from someone in my eyes, makes me realize she's smart enough to not try to play dumb in front of THE Jounin Commander of Kohonagakure. Oh well, time to See why Mikoto smirked my way(more specifically at Yoshino's, but women are just too troublesome to break down) when she sent me her quiet hellion in the making.
*Back to present
S: you can't hide forever, and lord 3rd needs to know about his forces' strength as chief-in-command
Mi: (*responding for first time) Him or His "faction"
Chuckling in response,
S: Kushina's plea and your will with Mikoto goes farther than you think. He'll appreciate a neutral-leaning peaceful side that Mikoto is trying to create.
You can keep your trump cards, but I'll need to where you stand for missions and compared to your squad. I'll talk to Lord 3rd without his guards around to keep it private for now.
As the other genin get Ready for another run at the course at the other side of the learning. I catch a wooden sword out of the peripheral of my vision. With a grimace of him realizing, that this jig too is already up before I even started, I hastily block 3 REAL shuriken that, while 4th one scrapes the top my foot.
My howling scowl at his well-placed smirk and trap, that was undoubtably, shows me for the Beast I truly am when no one's watching and drop my feigned kunoichi Mask in the form of "manners" and "proper goodness" instilled in me.
And judging by his knowing look, which involves a slight twitch on his lips, biting his thumb while spinning a kunai on his pinky on same hand while STILL laying down on his other side's fist 30 degrees off the lawn chair, he Knows it too.