The atmosphere in the Hokage's office grew tense the moment another squad of Genin walked in, led by a woman known throughout Konoha.
"It turns out to be Suzuki-sensei…" someone muttered.
Suzuki Saori, the jōnin leader of Team Two, was beautiful and confident, considered by many in the village to be the most dazzling kunoichi of her generation. She was fearless, sharp-tongued, and famously adept at genjutsu and Water Release techniques.
"Oh? So it's you, Hizashi," Saori said with a sly smile, her voice dripping with mockery. "I heard you've been leading a team around. Let me guess… some slow little D-rank mission, hm?"
Her words radiated smugness, and before anyone could cut in, she continued, brushing her shimmering hair back as though basking in her own superiority.
"Just this morning, our Team Two completed a C-rank mission already. That's the kind of work Chūnin are usually assigned. Yet our Genin team pulled it off flawlessly!" She looked around the office with open provocation.
Hyūga Hizashi's expression darkened, but before he could reply, Hatake Kusuo bristled. "Hmph! Hyūga Akane might have admirers among the girls in our class, but don't think I envy her. Her team is weak—too weak."
Beside Saori, a purple-haired kunoichi nicknamed Violet snickered, her words aimed squarely at Akane.
"You hear that? That's experience talking. You've barely even graduated, and D-rank missions are all you can manage. Don't be in such a rush to leave the office—no one's laughing at you… yet."
Saori went on, grinning smugly.
"Suzuki Saori," Hizashi finally bit back, his voice like chilled steel, "don't go too far."
She only tilted her head, letting out a mocking laugh. "Oh, come now. Don't bare your fangs at me, Hyūga. I'm not desperate enough to waste energy fighting someone who relies solely on taijutsu."
"You—!" Kusuo exploded, fists clenched. "What's wrong with taijutsu? You think it can't defeat an enemy? Say that again and I'll—"
"Hatake Kusuo!" barked a bulky Genin standing in Saori's squad. His name was Matsuyama Hideichi, thick-armed and hot-blooded. "I've had enough of your mouth. If you've got guts, meet me at the Fourth Training Ground this afternoon. We'll see who really deserves to be called number one at the Academy!"
Kusuo didn't hesitate. "Matsuyama Hideichi, I'll be there!"
Seeing tempers ready to ignite the whole office, Uchiha Shigure stepped up beside Hizashi, placing a firm hand on Kusuo's shoulder. His voice was cold, but steady.
"Let's go."
The four of them left together, Shigure never looking back. But behind them, Hideichi shouted after them with childish venom: "Whoever doesn't show is a spineless turtle!"
Rivalries Within
Back in Team Two's quarters, the provocation boiled into gossip.
"Tch. Kusuo Hatake really thinks he's the top of our whole class," Matsuyama Shuichi sneered. "I can't stand that smug sense of superiority."
"And what about Hyūga Akane?" said Katori Sumire with a sharp tongue. "As if the pampered daughter of the Hyūga clan could understand the struggles of us who weren't born into noble families. I'd like to teach her a lesson myself!"
Saori merely folded her arms, watching the bickering pupils. "Enough. Save your fire for when it matters," she said sweetly.
But one Genin, Yoshida Kappei, had been quietly studying the interactions. Average-looking, with the kind of face that drew no attention in crowds, Kappei's sharp eyes caught what the others missed.
"There's one over there who hasn't spoken," he murmured.
"Hm?" Shuichi frowned. "You mean Uchiha Shigure? That guy's barely worth mentioning. He was always bottom of the class. If not for ludicrous luck during the final exam, he'd have failed outright."
Kappei's lips curved. "Is it really luck, though? Or strength in disguise…? I want to see for myself."
His tone carried a strange undercurrent, one the others ignored, but even Saori grew slightly uneasy at how intently he watched Shigure's retreating figure.
Secrets in the Mission Report
Later, when Saori went to peek into the mission logs out of nosy curiosity, her smug face cracked.
"They… completed a B-rank mission?" she whispered.
Her students gasped.
"What?! That's impossible, Teacher!" Violet's voice quivered. "B-rank missions are assigned to jōnin!"
"Maybe you misread?" Shuichi said, practically begging for her to deny it.
But Saori shook her head slowly. "I checked again. The seal marks are correct. Whatever their mission was… it was B-rank."
"Impossible. Hizashi must have done it himself just to polish his daughter's reputation," Sumire spat bitterly.
"Yes! That has to be it," Hideichi growled in agreement.
Saori didn't answer this time. To her, the truth was more complicated, and Yoshida Kappei was smirking quietly again, his unreadable smile hinting he'd seen through something no one else dared imagine.
A Quiet Homecoming
Meanwhile, Shigure had already left the noise behind. Returning alone to his small home, he noticed immediately that everything was pristine. Not a speck of dust, not a crooked mat. Strange—he hadn't been here in days.
"Oh," he realized, smiling faintly. "Hoshiko must be coming by to tidy up. That little girl… she really takes care of everything."
His eyes fell on a folded piece of paper on the table. Picking it up, he recognized her handwriting at once.
"Brother Shigure,
If you're reading this, it means you came back safely. I've started taking odd jobs! I want to help you. I know ninjas risk getting hurt—or worse. If I can earn even a little money, maybe you won't have to take dangerous missions. I'm working at 365 Konoha Street. Don't forget to visit me!"
Shigure shook his head with a soft, helpless laugh. "Hoshiko… already worrying about supporting the family at her age?" His gaze softened. "She even tries to shield me from worries I never voiced aloud."
He tucked away the note with care and set out to find her.
A Job at the Store
Konoha's high street bustled with life as he wove through crowds until he reached the address. The shop looked ordinary: a modest grocery store, goods stacked neatly by the entrance.
Inside, the corners sparkled cleaner than most shinobi barracks. And there was Hoshiko, broom in hand, beaming as she noticed him.
"Brother Shigure! You're back!" she rushed forward, her smile brighter than the lanterns overhead. "You finished the mission already?"
"Done," he replied with a warmth he rarely showed others. "But you—what are you wearing? You look like quite the shop girl." He actually chuckled, a sound she treasured.
"Don't laugh! Just wait, I'll give you a surprise later," she said, hitching up her apron. Then, as the bell above the door rattled, she scurried over. "Ah, a customer!"
Shigure leaned against the counter, watching with disguised amusement as Hoshiko practiced her eager shop greetings.
"Welcome, honored customer! Can I help you find anything today?"
The customer, a lanky man in a hat pulled low over dark glasses, said nothing. His eyes flicked over her with something darker than mere disdain.
Shigure's smile thinned. He didn't stir, but every sense sharpened.
"Trouble?" he wondered silently.
Then the man's gravelly voice cut the silence.
"I want everything here."
"…Eh?" Hoshiko tilted her head. "Everything? All right then! Please wait just a moment while I pack it up for you."
She bustled about enthusiastically, stacking boxes, humming softly as though this ridiculous order were perfectly normal. "Brother Shigure, I've got a big sale! Isn't this great?"
But Shigure's eyes never left the stranger's shadowed face. Something about the man's stillness, his oddly precise movements, screamed danger.
As Hoshiko bent to lift another crate, Shigure's hand rested unconsciously against the hilt of the kunai at his belt.
The man still hadn't moved.
Yet in Shigure's gut, every instinct told him—this wasn't a customer at all.
This was a predator who had finally chosen his stage.
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