Chapter 54: Chapter 52 – The Interview

Shisui, Kanna, and Miyamoto returned to Konoha a couple of weeks after Jun. They had bruises everywhere on their bodies, and the Hyuga even had a broken arm. Jun couldn’t help feeling guilty. With one member missing, the team had lost part of its strength. Completing the mission mustn’t have been easy.

They went to report to the Hokage, and Jun waited for them to come out. When his comrades exited the building, Jun greeted them.

“Are you guys doing well? What did the old man say?”

“As we expected, it was our last mission. The team no longer exists, but we can still see each other. We are all members of the Ninjas Sensor Department.” Shisui replied.

“What about the mission?”

“Shisui’s expression darkened. It was Miyamoto who answered.

“We did abandon our task… Nothing major happened when you guys came to rescue me, but our team did violate a rule. Shisui sweet-talked the old man and gave him some reasons so he could save face. But we’re all suspended for a month, including you. No missions whatsoever.”

It was a light sanction, but it also made it clear to other ninjas they had screwed up. Jun grimaced. He would have to wait even longer to start going on missions again. But, he didn’t complain. It could have been worse.

The Uchiha massacre was approaching. Jun was sure he had less than a year left. The tensions between the Uchihas and the village didn’t improve. Shisui had been integrated into the Police during his month of suspension by the village. He looked miserable when Jun saw him. He could tell it wasn’t by choice that he temporarily joined the Police.

The Uchihas were probably trying to have him support their idea of a coup. Shisui couldn’t hide his anguish during the rare times he managed to free himself to train with his old teammates. He smiled less, was tenser, and was often lost in thought. Kanna and Miyamoto noticed something was up, but they didn’t know what exactly. Jun felt like the secret weighted like a boulder on his back.

A month after returning to Konoha, Jun and Karin went for the pre-arranged evaluation. The girl went first alone to be questioned. Jun was allowed to enter the office half an hour later. Apparently, it had gone well. The chunin in charge of their case told them that Karin’s trial period had gone smoothly. She could now enroll in the Academy. Moreover, Karin had the option of asking to live alone or continuing living with Jun.

“What do you prefer?” Jun asked.

“I want to stay with you. I want to learn Fuinjutsu.”

Jun nodded. It wasn’t the first time she had shown interest in Fuinjutsu.

“I can mentor her and teach her,” Jun said to the chunin.

Their apartment was starting to feel a bit small. Jun should probably move out… He was almost sixteen now. It wouldn’t be strange for him to live on his own. The paperwork was quickly completed. The teenager officially became her mentor. He was also responsible for enrolling her in the Academy within the next few weeks.

“Does this mean I have to call you sensei now?” Karin wondered after they left the office.

“Hmm… All the senseis I know are way older than me… Well, you can call me however you want.”

“Alright, Jun-sensei.”

“You brat!” The teenager muttered affectionately.

Jun discussed with his mother the idea of moving out. He explained that the apartment was too small for that many people. Hazuki was reluctant, but she had to admit her son was right. They barely had room to put beds for five people. If Jun and Karin moved out, Kazuma could have his own room. The idea would please the boy. He was almost five years old and was no longer a baby.

Jun’s punishment ended. It was time for him to decide his next step. He had a few options. He could ask for more patrols outside the village. He could request to be assigned to a special department. Entering the ANBU was also a possibility, or he could just stay within the village. However, the teenager needed to consider the fact that he had someone under his responsibility. He also wanted to keep an eye on his siblings because of the upcoming massacre. He didn’t want to choose anything that would send him away from the village for a long time.

He needed to consider the massacre as well. Itachi and Shisui acted strangely. He wanted to keep an eye on them if possible. He couldn’t afford to be away during the massacre. It wasn’t just Itachi’s doing, but Danzo was also manipulating things behind the scene. Jun wanted to cement his connections to Konoha to be able to resist Danzo. Therefore, he requested to be assigned to the division led by the jonin commander Shikaku Nara.

It was a special division that only accepted jonins and occasionally Tokubetsu jonins. Its members were in charge of the military organization of the village. It went from organizing patrols to creating war strategies and fighting on the front line. Almost all the other departments were connected to the division. It was also the entity evaluating the jonin-senseis.

Moreover, they dealt with treaties and alliances. They also interpreted and used the data collected by the Intelligence Section. It was a large division with a lot of power within the village. It was as important as the Police, the ANBU, or the Root. It fit perfectly what Jun was looking for… An entity capable of standing up to Danzo.

However, admission was difficult. Jun was worried about it. It didn’t talk long before he received an interview with Shikaku Nara, the jonin commander himself. The teenager was nervous, but Shikaku looked relaxed as usual. He was very laid back like he didn’t care about a thing. But his eyes sparkled with an icy intelligence when he observed Jun.

“Jun Uchiha… I remember you. You were appointed jonin recently. What will you bring to the division?”

Jun feared this type of questioning.

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“I’m one of the most advanced ninjas in Fuinjutsu in the village. I’m also a great fighter…”

“The division doesn’t base its recruitment criteria on brute force. Can you bring more than that?”

He was taken aback for a moment, then he understood. This division was totally different from other organizations. They could command most jonins if not all of them. There wasn’t necessarily a need for great fighters. They put more importance on intellect than strength.

“I’m intelligent and observant. I’m indeed a front-line fighter, but above all, I know how to collaborate with a team, to develop a strategy exploiting the strong points of each person while covering their weaknesses. I always seek to save as many lives as possible and plan for the long term. Also, I’m not a member of the Uchiha clan, I just carry the name. That detail could be important in a diplomatic mission.”

The jonin commander raised his brows.

“I didn’t think you were attached to your surname.”

“I’m not. But I do know the power it can carry. I can make use of it if necessary.”

Shikaku nodded. He got up, crossed the room, and returned with a shogi board that had been placed on one of the shelves. The pieces were already lined up at both ends. Jun guessed what awaited him and held back a grimace.

“Do you know how to play?”

“I can manage.” The teenager replied cautiously.

Shikaku said nothing and simply advanced a piece. Jun stared at the board. He was going to lose; he knew it. He had no chance of beating the Nara in a strategy game. They both knew it. The jonin wasn’t expecting him to win, but to show what he can do. The teenager advanced a piece as well.

“You don’t like confrontation?” Shikaku asked, a few rounds later.

He was analyzing the Uchiha’s moves. He had captured one of the teenager’s pawns but left himself vulnerable. Jun attentively examined the board. He tried to detect a trap, then ultimately made up his mind and capture a piece from the jonin. Shikaku moved his bishop, and Jun then realized that he would lose in a few turns. There had been a trap, but he had failed to see it. He suppressed a groan before answering the question.

“It depends. I like to settle my problems permanently, and confrontation is often the most direct way to achieve this. But I don’t think it’s the answer for everything. It’s not the only possible path.”

Shikaku nodded without taking his eyes from the board. The game progressed. Jun was torn between being as careful as possible and being reckless. In the end, he lost a couple more pieces while playing carefully and decided to stop being passive. He preserved his pieces as much as possible but began to take more risks. He tried to compensate for the Nara’s superior intelligence by being unpredictable.

“Which Hokage do you admire the most?” The jonin suddenly inquired.

The question took the young Uchiha by surprise. He looked at the jonin with a puzzled look. Shikaku was amused by his reaction.

“I ask this question to everyone. The answer usually reveals a lot about an individual’s values.”

Jun frowned. It was a good question. The Hokages were different from one another. Hashirama, the Shodaime had been idealistic. Tobirama, the Nidaime was stricter and put a lot of importance on a sense of duty, strategy, and the organization of the village. Hiruzen, the Sandaime had a milder character. He tried to please all parties. He was the voice of reason, knowledge, and benevolence. Minato, the Yondaime had represented hope, success, youth, and sacrifice.

“The Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju. He took on the role of Hokage because it was his duty after his brother, Hashirama, passed away. I’m guessing it was mentally tough for him as he had big shoes to fill. In my opinion, he did a decent job. The village developed greatly under his reign, that’s an indisputable fact. He has the reputation of being a cold person, but he was also one of the best Hokages we have known. I feel like the village owes him a lot.”

Shikaku moved a Gold General and blocked Jun’s momentum. Even though Jun knew he was going to lose, he was frustrated to be losing so badly. Since he was going down, he decided to take as many pieces as possible from his opponent.

“One last question… Why do you want to join the division?”

Jun would have liked to tell him the truth. That he wanted to join to be able to stand up to Danzo and Fugaku.

“Because I want to do more. I’ve gotten strong, but I want it to be useful… I want it to go beyond my ability to kill people. I want to be a capable person, not just dangerous. I want to help and make a difference around me.”

The teenager’s answer wasn’t a lie. It may not be his main reason for desiring to join Shikaku’s division, but everything he said was true.

The jonin nodded. Jun’s last attempt of trapping Shikaku’s general failed. The latter captured his king and placed it next to the board. The teenager felt his shoulders sag. It was a total defeat, but the Nara showed no signs of disappointment. He just leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look.

“I don’t have any other questions. Jun, welcome to the division.” He said with a smile.

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