It was a pristine spring morning. Shorai woke feeling energized, the air outside carrying a lingering, chilly gust that would soon yield to the season's creeping warmth.
Creak.
"S-Shorai?! You're back!"
The noisy blonde almost flew out of his room, catching Shorai mid-adjustment of his signature outfit.
"Good to see you, Naruto. How have you been? And why so early?" Shorai chuckled, offering a warm smile.
"I-I... don't want to be scolded again," Naruto admitted, his eyes revealing a sorrowful memory of a previous lecture.
"I know you'll do better," Shorai said. "Heh."
"You bet! I've been outdoing Sasuke on every... chore," Naruto declared loudly, before quickly clapping his hands over his mouth and darting a nervous look around the hallway. Lowering his voice, he leaned in. "Shorai, I'm so envious of you! You actually managed to trick that old pervert into letting you go outside the village!"
Naruto laughed, patting Shorai on the back as they began the walk toward the Hokage Tower.
"That wasn't easy," Shorai replied. "My Academy scores did half the work. The other half... well, the tricking part was the most important." Shōrai gave a hearty laugh, genuinely amused by Naruto's familiar, irreverent way of addressing Hiruzen.
They walked and talked, Naruto exaggerating his recent "victories" over Sasuke while prying for details about the world beyond the walls. Shorai offered only vague remarks—scenery details and subtle clues—prompting Naruto to find out the rest for himself.
Sleak.
The heavy sliding doors of the Tower hall parted.
They entered the grand reception area, which featured an open balcony overlooking the village. A long, L-shaped table dominated the space, occupied by various clerks and assistants moving through a mountain of paperwork. Amidst the various "Shinobi" and "Leaf" banners, a grand sign hung above the center seat: Do Your Best!
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the center of the table like a king on a throne, presiding over the morning's mission assignments. The arrival of the two boys was instantly heralded by the noise Naruto brought with him.
"Naruto! Can you be any noisier in the morning?" Sakura's sharp voice was the first to greet them. Her scowl, however, melted into bewilderment as she spotted Shorai. "S-Shorai-kun? You've returned?"
A sweet smile spread across her face as she looked at the white-haired boy. Shorai gave a slight wave and mimicked the greeting gesture of the silver-haired man standing beside the team.
"Yo," Shorai said.
He offered Sasuke a mutual, silent nod before shifting his gaze toward the man observing them with a nonchalant, slightly bored expression. Hatake Kakashi.
Shorai's eyes traced Kakashi's form, absorbing the details of the legendary "Copy Ninja" in person—his tilted headband, the relaxed posture that masked lethal intent.
"Good morning, sir. It is an honor to meet you in person," Shorai said, offering a respectful bow.
Kakashi was visibly affected. The sudden, earnest formality of the greeting caused his stoic expression to shift into a look of mild stress.
"Please, no need for such formality," Kakashi said, his visible eye crinkling. His reaction amused Shorai, while his students looked on with confusion, wondering what was amiss with their sensei.
"May I call you... Kakashi-san, then? Or sensei?" Shorai asked, extending a hand.
"Y-yes... my name is fine." Kakashi quickly collected himself and shook Shorai's hand.
"Your team? Or are you here for something other than a mission?" Sasuke asked, his piercing eyes assessing Shorai.
Before Shorai could respond, Hiruzen's voice boomed from the desk. "Team 7, duty calls. Take this scroll and read the details on the go. I need a moment with Shorai."
"Follow me, you three," Kakashi said, gesturing for his team to exit.
They left Shorai with curious, lingering glances as the hall doors slid shut, sealing the "Heavenly Prince" inside with the Hokage. Shorai met Hiruzen's eyes and, following the old man's gesture, stepped toward the desk.
"Good morning, Lord Third. I'm here for my first D-rank... mission," Shorai said, nearly catching a mental slip.
"Ho-ho! Slept well, I suppose?"
"Combat ready," Shorai answered.
"Ready is good. Though not for combat, I assure you," Hiruzen chuckled, sifting through the piles of scrolls, pushing aside the A and C ranks until he reached the D-rank assignments.
"Lord Third. May I ask a question?"
"Go ahead, Shorai."
"Can I undertake more than one mission at a time? Could I, for instance... take five or ten D-rank missions today?"
Hiruzen paused, his hand drifting toward his pipe. He looked flabbergasted. "That is... a rare enthusiasm in this hall." He took a long puff of smoke.
"I need experience, and the village needs the revenue," Shorai said, his voice dropping into a serious, narrowed-eyed tone. "I can satisfy both faster. There is also the matter of distractions. Some people have plans for me; they require my presence. I need to dive into my work as deeply as possible to avoid them. Perhaps we can talk more tonight? The 'Masquerade' has produced unexpected... opportunities. We need a private discussion before we finalize those plans."
The remark was vague enough for the surrounding clerks to miss, but Hiruzen caught the weight of it instantly. He made a subtle, loose snake seal with one hand.
"I see," Hiruzen said. "We will discuss the details later. In the meantime, I will have someone speak with Ren at Heavenly Lotus." He sighed and slid a list toward Shorai. "Pick what you can accomplish. Soon enough, you'll be doing missions suited to your true skills."
Shorai scanned the chores: babysitting, herb gathering, weeding, animal retrieval, and shop assistance.
"I'll take these," Shōrai said, selecting five missions.
"Hm." Hiruzen nodded. "Dismissed."
Shorai left the Tower and moved with frightening efficiency. What would have taken an ordinary Genin a full day, Shorai completed in hours. By noon, he had finished the gathering tasks. He summoned a Shadow Clone to handle the animal retrieval in the forest while the original Shorai moved toward his third task: a teaching session for a young boy from the Akimichi clan.
The teaching was dull—mostly basic chakra sensing—but by 3:00 PM, he had reached his final task: Ino's flower shop.
"Shorai! What an unexpected visit!" Ino's mother, the Yamanaka Matriarch, welcomed him before he could even speak.
"Hello, Mrs. Yamanaka. I am here for a mission assignment. How may I be of help?"
The woman stared at him, the embodiment of her clan's poise, a charming smile on her lips. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "How interesting... a lone Genin working on his own?"
"Yes," Shorai replied, forcing his facial muscles to relax. "An earned reputation must be maintained. I won't let down those who trust me."
"That is good to hear, young man." Her expression softened into a look of approval as she handed him a list of twenty chores—deliveries, pickups, and organization tasks.
Shorai worked through the creeping fatigue. An hour later, he unsealed the requested items from a storage scroll.
"Excellent!" she cried, clapping her hands. "The best help I could have asked for. Maybe Ino isn't just having 'spring fever' after all. You are a quite a find."
"T-thank you, ma'am. I'll return to my duties," Shorai stammered. He was taken aback by the comment, a rare moment of clumsiness betraying his serious front.
"He-he. Take it slow, Shorai. You're trying too hard to hide behind that mask," she teased. She spent the rest of the hour probing his plans, her interest deepening with every respectful, perceptive answer he gave.
"There. Is this alright?" Shorai asked, finishing the final placement of the flower buckets.
"This is lovely! Thank you, Shorai!"
"I'm glad to be of help. May I report back?" Shorai asked. It was nearly 7:00 PM. He needed to speak with Hiruzen, and he knew Ino's mother was stalling for her daughter's return.
"Well... that's a shame you can't stay. Ino would be delighted to see you," she said, putting on a dramatic display of sorrow.
"I am on a tight schedule, ma'am," Shorai said with a polite bow. "Leisure must come second to duty. Please, send my regards to Ino. Tell her I'm not avoiding her—there are just certain matters from the Hokage that require my presence."
He bowed and stepped out. Across the street, in the shadows of an alley, he spotted a familiar silhouette. Eagle. Shorai gave a quick glance; Eagle nodded and vanished.
Minutes later, Shorai was back in the Hokage's office. The room was empty of others now.
"How was your first day as a 'fresh' Genin?" Hiruzen asked, his pride evident.
"A grind, if I'm honest. But I finished all five, Grandpa."
"Good. Now for the serious talk." Hiruzen's tone shifted. "You spoke with Danzō."
"I did. He tried to recruit me. I managed to stall."
"And what is on your mind regarding his suggestion?"
Shorai sighed. "I now have a grasp of his philosophy. I am not interested in a leash, nor in acting without my own judgment. To most, his vision is too radical, too uncontained. He believes the goal justifies any means. While survival is a primal goal for any village, a village without a moral core or boundaries eventually consumes itself. Corruption of power becomes inevitable when you lose sight of what shouldn't be touched."
Shorai's face hardened. "He has been consumed by the very darkness he claims to represent. If he could turn every citizen into a mindless soldier just to maintain control, I believe he wouldn't even blink."
A deathly silence hung in the room.
"That is the first time someone has voiced those thoughts so openly to me," Hiruzen said, his face grave. "I appreciate your honesty. You are perhaps the second person I've known to understand him so deeply. He took after the Second Hokage's vision... but circumstances and war have hardened him."
"Grandpa, he told me about a specific spot in the Naka Shrine. He intends to use it to create a divide between us. And... he gave me a gift." Shorai mentioned the Root coin he had left in his room.
"You're a smart kid, Shorai. I'll arrange a distraction—a set of restrictions to keep you from that Shrine and away from Danzō for a while. You should focus on your missions and your intention with the Chūnin Exam."
"I would appreciate that," Shorai said.
Hiruzen took a long puff of his pipe. "There is something I must be honest about. You see this position from a distance, but the village system is fragile. Danzō's perspective is needed to balance my own... though it embarrasses me to admit it. We are neither good nor bad. I love this village, and I will do what is necessary to ensure the 'family' is protected until I can pass the torch to someone else."
"I think I understand," Shorai said.
"And that impresses me more than anything," Hiruzen smiled warmly. "I heard about your 'Dao Heart' philosophy from Iruka. I'd like to believe it will stay strong."
"It will."
"Good. It's late, Shorai. Go rest. Play along with your cover tomorrow; I'll assist you from the shadows."
"I am in your debt, Lord Hokage. Good night, Grandpa."
"Good night, my boy."