| abstract | - Genshirô surveyed the ceremonial chambers, trying to suppress the whirlwind inside. At first, he wasn't sure why his heart and spirit troubled him so. Maybe it was the eerie quiet earlier during the final preparations for the ceremony. Only a room full of shinobi could generate so much activity with so little noise. Now, even though the preparations were over and the room was almost empty, things were about to get a hell of a lot noisier when the Academy students rolled in.They were untrained, undisciplined, and supremely cumbersome. This was to be expected. They were barely shinobi after all. Or at least, they would be in a few more moments. He decided that the environment had little to do with his state of mind. And so he considered his inner turmoil. He was equal parts ecstatic beyond belief and severely stressed out. Today was the day his charges graduated. That they'd all passed, in and of itself, was enough to send the swell of pride to his chest. But what's more, he'd finally begin to fulfil his primary function, the reason he'd been sent here in the first place. He would train and watch over the future of his clan in the service of Konoha. In that moment of realization, his sensei's words came to him across the many years of separation. And he closed his eyes to quiet his mind with his clan's most secret technique, Chakra Breathing. Observing the events as they were occurring what the man older than time himself, Yūrei. "These children are leaving the Academy to become Genin, which is a progression that all other shinobi have followed. The greatest of Hokages progressed in similar manners. The Sixth Hokage himself held the lowest test scores of his entire class but grew to become the greatest Hokage, but most of all the savior to the shinobi world. That proves that anything is possible for these children", Yūrei stated; eventually noticing that Genshirô was a little disturbed. "Are you okay? You look a little troubled...", Yūrei inquired. Genshirô sat deep in meditation. Chakra Breathing requires absolute concentration. Foretunately, he had the presence of mind to focus on Earth Breathwork and not Heaven. Otherwise, he wouldn't have heard Yūrei calling his name. Yet, somewhere in the recesses of his trance state, he heard it. After a rather long moment, he clawed his way out of meditation to reply. "Yūrei? Ah... yes..." He paused before continuing. "Just nervous, I guess. My experience with solo operations and battle ready troops seems so far from that of a sensei of a team of Genin. This is my first important long term command. My Oyabun's daughter, Kyrgyzishi Yuriko, is on my team..." Genshirô hesitated. He couldn't openly discuss what else troubled him, which only came to light in meditation. A Hyūga had been assigned his squad's last spot, instead of one of his own or that of another Zuigakure clan. Highly irregular given his team's status as special operatives. Despite faithful service to the Leaf these several years, he held the nagging suspicion that the Hokage still didn't fully trust him. This disturbed him, as he had come to admire him and Yūrei above all others in Konoha. He glanced at Yūrei, wondering if his suspicions were true. And if so, how far they reached. After the ceremony, he thought he might take Yūrei aside to catch his ear... Yūrei reflected on Genshirô's statement for a few moments. He processed all the memories of himself when running a team and even memories of himself being a member of a team. He could remember the stressful moments while being in a team, the continuous disagreement between teammates and the burdens that some teammates offered. Most of all, he recalled the time where he abandoned the mission to save his teammates from death, and the consequences of his actions. "I was once a member of the ANBU and I ran solo operations across the entire land of Lightning multiple times, so I can understand why you're worried. When you're alone, you only have to worry about yourself and you know the extent of your abilities. This enables you to make quick and easy decisions. However, when you're accompanied by a team, everything instantly changes. You must move slower and accommodate for everyone's needs. The issue that I possessed with working with a team however, was the pressure of actually being responsible for the lives of other people. The pressure is nearly unbearable, but a shinobi must contain his composure. But it seems to be more pressure for you right? The daughter of your Oyabun is on your team. And now you must protect her most of all, to prevent the exile and continuous hate from you clan. You are in a very stressful situation and have the right to be extremely nervous. However, I along with the Hokage have placed our faith within you. We believe that you can become the leader of this team, and you can lead this team effectively. These teams aren't chosen by random you know. It's a reason that these children were placed under your care. You are to discover the reason for our actions." Despite himself, he found Yūrei's words brought stillness to his spirit, which meditation hadn't. He decided to keep his misgivings to himself for now. He was sent here to cement bridges with this nation, not compromise them. "...I don't want my focus on her to spell neglect of my other pupils. I'm an expert in my clan techniques, but not well versed in theirs. It's a tricky little balancing act, like dancing on a chakra string. It'll be... challenging... to meet all of their needs, but I'll take your advice to heart. I see the path I need to walk now." Gozen Tomoe smiled at Kansui unpacking the loads of forehaed protectors, her smile interrupted when Kaiza Sarutobi and Nao entered the building. Meanwhile Shinji and Yuchi were running straight to the academy and meeting each other near a ramen shop. "Shinji, have you seen Tanochi"?
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