An Assessment

In the Hokage's office.

"So, Hiruzen. The children in the elite batch... do you plan to keep wasting their time? Some of them are more than ready to apply for early graduation, and they are among the most talented I've seen."

Danzo's gaze was sharp as he continued, his voice steady yet insistent.

"That child, Sora Shiraishi, has darkness in his heart. And potential, along with an iron will. I haven't seen a child willingly train for so long—day and night—just to get stronger."

He leaned forward slightly on his chair, his single visible eye scrutinizing the Hokage.

"That kind of resolve should not be wasted, Hiruzen. Under the right guidance—"

"How many times do I have to tell you this, my friend?" Hiruzen interrupted, his tone firm but weary. "They are not tools for the village. They may become part of the military force, but it's out of their free will."

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly as he continued, "They are warned several times about the life they will lead in the future. The hardships. The sacrifices. Yet, they still choose this path. That is their decision to make—not yours, not mine. Stripping them of their humanity is not the way to power."

Danzo's expression didn't shift, but the slight tension in his jaw betrayed his impatience.

"Free will?" he echoed, nearly scoffing. "Still so naive, Hiruzen. You know as well as I do—war does not care for free will. Strength decides all, and hesitation only leads to one's demise. You speak of humanity, of emotions, but what happened to Orochimaru? You let him defect because of your own feelings for him as your dear student."

Danzo's voice grew sharper. "Your emotions clouded your judgment. You hesitated, and now Konoha suffers for it. How many more will we lose because of your reluctance to do what is necessary?"

"Do not bring Orochimaru into this, Danzo. I'm in a foul mood today, and I called this meeting simply to discuss the students of this class. Have you forgotten who keeps covering up your involvement in his experiments? Or shall we talk about Lord First's cells, the ones implanted into your body?"

Danzo's lone eye twitched slightly, but his expression remained controlled. "Watch your mouth, Hiruzen." he warned, "You speak as if my actions were for personal gain, but it is all for the village's future. Who do you think guards Konoha from the shadows?"

Hiruzen's gaze hardened as he leaned forward, the tension in the air palpable. "I don't need to remind you, Danzo, that your methods are not the only way to protect this village. Your organization is merely a branch of the ANBU, and Konoha could easily function without it."

"Hiruzen..." His eye twitched in anger.

"That being said, we are drifting off topic."

Danzo's anger flared as his lone eye narrowed, but he kept his voice controlled, though it was laced with barely contained frustration. "Drifting off topic? You think the ROOT is a mere side issue, Hiruzen? I am the one who sees what you cannot. I make the tough decisions that you avoid! Why do you think we've acquired so many talents from Kirigakure?"

Suddenly, a faint creak was heard. The door swung open fully, and a casual voice rang out.

"'Sup, old man. Did I come at a bad time?" asked Sarutobi Kenjiro, casually rubbing the back of his neck.

"Knock the door next time, Kenjiro," Hiruzen replied, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration but clearly grateful for the interruption. "And to answer you, we were just discussing your students a while ago. They are remarkable, as always. Especially Amai Hashimoto and Sora Shiraishi."

Kenjiro eyed the war hawk, a wry smile tugging at his lips. 'Huh. Still as stern as always.'

"How's life treating you, Danzo-san?" he asked, his tone casual but laced with underlying tension.

"...I see your sense of humor is as sharp as ever, Kenjiro."

Kenjiro smirked, settling into the chair with a relaxed posture. 'Stupid fossils. Always so boring.' He was used to dealing with the elders. Every single one of them was so serious that even a small joke would create tension instead of easing it.

Hiruzen glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "What brings you here, Kenjiro? Are you here for another report on your students?"

Kenjiro smirked, leaning forward slightly. "Somethin' like that. I've brought their scores from the finals, along with what I managed to analyze from their performances." He pulled a few sheets of paper from his bag and placed them on the table. "Thought that I should just hurry up with it."

Hiruzen took the papers, his eyes skimming over the numbers and notes. "I trust your analysis is as thorough as always?"

"Old man, I wouldn't be a Jonin if I couldn't properly grade a few kids," Kenjiro replied with a smile, "Despite how laid-back I seem, I'm still quite competent, you know."

"Yes, yes, of course. Magnificent work, Kenjiro," Hiruzen replied, his tone warm but distracted as he continued reviewing the papers.

Danzo, who had been quiet up until now, gave the papers a cold glance, only for his lone eye to widen in shock at the results. "Is this..."

"Surprised? I managed to give Amai a little push, and caused her to try showing a bit more of her talent."

Hiruzen's gaze flickered across the papers, his eyes narrowing. 'This is rather unexpected. It isn't surprising that Hyuuga Itsuki and Uchiha Yuuma made it, and as always, Hatake Kiyoshi is at the absolute top of his class.

But, the both of them... Sora Shiraishi and Amai Yuki. One is a mere civilian whose work ethic reminds me of Maito Gai—in a bad way—and the other an introverted girl who to my knowledge, despite giving it her all, refuses to flaunt her strength. Kenjiro managed to boost her confidence to this extent? And she knows how to walk on water. Unbelievable!'

Danzo's fingers tightened slightly over his cane as he scrutinized the results. "You're telling me that spineless child is the kunoichi of the year for your class?"

Kenjiro let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. "Spineless? She just lacked confidence. You'll see her bloom like a flower under my guidance—she's already starting to. Give her a little more time, and she won't just be the kunoichi of the year, but the best in her class.

I have no doubt that if she had the opportunity, she'd apply for early graduation without hesitation. In fact, based on my experience with them, I believe most of my students are ready. Give them one more year with me, and they'll go beyond your average genin."

Hiruzen looked up from the papers, "Are you certain? I do not doubt your capabilities as a teacher, or the abilities of your students, but they lack experience."

"Old man, I'll let you in onto a little secret. Did you know Amai already knows how to perform the Shadow Clone? Only one, but she can still do it nonetheless. I believe Itachi-kun managed this at the age of 6?"

The Hokage's eyes widened even further at that. 'That girl isn't even eight! What the hell are they feeding these children nowadays?!'

He coughed to compose himself, "I-Is that so, Kenjiro?"

"Indeed."

Danzo's eye narrowed slightly, as if assessing something more than just the words spoken. A faint glimmer of interest flickered in his eyes, and he spoke slowly, as if choosing his words carefully. "I have a proposal."

There was a brief pause, and silence covered the room.

"I do not wish to take any of these children into my organization, but..." Danzo's voice trailed off, his lone eye lingering on the papers before him, "I would like at least one of the two to work with ROOT in the future. Sora Shiraishi, to be specific."

Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly as he turned to Danzo. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

Kenjiro exhaled sharply, his relaxed demeanor vanishing. "You're not touching my students, Danzo. Give it up."

"You both misunderstand." Danzo tapped the ground with his cane, unfazed by their reactions. "I am merely proposing that one of them—Sora, in particular—work with ROOT in a limited capacity. An external asset of sorts." His gaze flickered between the two of them, before settling on Hiruzen. "They will receive additional training and gain experience beyond what life out in the open can provide."

A vein twitched on Kenjiro's forehead. His voice was sharp, laced with irritation. "Look, Danzo-san. None of them need to witness the village's atrocities firsthand. They're still children, not tools for you to sharpen in the dark and send to be torn apart."

"I'm in accord with Kenjiro," Hiruzen said, exhaling as he removed his hat and set it on the table. His tone was firm yet weary. "My friend, let's drop this subject. If you want them to work with your branch, then wait for them to develop—let them make that choice themselves."

Danzo scoffed in disappointment. "Tch. I'll settle for that, then. But don't forget this conversation, Hiruzen. As for you, Kenjiro... learn to respect your elders."

With that, he opened the door and exited the room. Once he was gone, Kenjiro flashed him the middle finger behind his back.

"Kenjiro, that's rude," Hiruzen said, sighing.

Kenjiro shrugged, completely unbothered. "What? The asshole had it coming. He talks a big game, but most of his oh-so-perfect, emotionless soldiers wouldn't last a day without someone pulling their strings."

Hiruzen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're going to give me gray hairs, you know that?"

He patted Hiruzen's back with a grin. "Old man, you're already halfway there."

"I find it difficult to believe that you're my cousin," Hiruzen muttered, shaking his head. "We've wasted enough time. Will you give me a full report, or should I expect more of your antics?"

"Yeah, yeah. So, how do I begin...? I'll start with the Uchiha."