The next day, Mitsuki rushed out of her house to one of the clearings that served as a training ground. After spending a quiet night, exhausted by the emotions of the day before, she finally woke up in a hurry, realizing that their supervisor had not given any information about the place or time of their first meeting. She then passed Itachi, ready for his first day as a Genin, and visibly more confident about his destination.

"Do you know where your team is meeting?" the little girl asked him, as if this information could help her in any way.

"Don't you?" the Uchiha was surprised, stopping in front of her friend's disconcerted face.

As she answered him in the negative, he thought for a moment:

"Team 2 must go to the east of Konoha. Teams 4 and 8 are going to the southern grounds, and the northern ones are occupied by the other three teams..."

"That leaves only the western one in that case!" exclaimed Mistuki, relieved at the Genin's smile of approval, "But how do you know all this?"

"I just know it, that's all. Let's hurry before we're late! We don't want to get noticed on the first day!"

Anxiously, Mitsuki took the opposite path after quickly greeting the boy. She was apprehensive about this day, both from her teammates' side and from this strange Sensei so little empathetic. But she was sure that she would give everything she had to impress her team! When she arrived at the number four field of the village, she could only see the emptiness that surrounded her. Was she the first one? The sun was already high in the sky. Itachi would have been wrong... It seemed even less likely to her than a Sensei devoid of any punctuality. But then, where were they all?

A thud followed by a flock of birds pulled her out of her thoughts. An attack? No one could blame her for making sure, the safety of the village was at stake! She then ran at full speed between the trees of the forest bordering the field. A shout pushed her to deviate her trajectory more to the south. This time it was certain, something was going on in those woods! She quickly came to a tiny clearing, slowing as she spotted a figure hanging from a branch.
"It's about time, dwarf." grunted her teammate as he swayed pitifully, head down.

No sooner did Mitsuki come out of her hiding place to help him, than a wall of rock cut her off, forcing her to back away.

"Don't move, I'll get you out of there!" she shouted to the boy, without understanding what was happening.

"As if I had a choice!"

She took the time to think, despite the taunts of her comrade, evaluating the best way to approach him. If she went around the rocks, she would waste a lot of time, and take the risk of leaving her teammate vulnerable to their assailant. But the rock was smooth and the slope nearly vertical... She hadn't yet learned to keep the chakra under her soles, and such a climb was more likely to break her neck.

"To think you're supposed to be better than me!", Soga's voice persisted as she jumped from a branch to the top of the rocky mountain before unhooking the third one with a kunai strike, leaving it grounded on the ground.

"Damn it, you could at least warn me!" he shouted.

"Shut up the ball and chain, make yourself useful and get us out of here" replied the young redhead, "Can you hear me Mitsuki? I thought you were smarter, but you're stuck in this damn forest too. We heard an explosion, and the moment we entered it, there was no way out! Forest as far as the eye can see... What do you suggest?"

"We should regroup and..." began Mitsuki.

"You're right, we'll all search separately, there's no need for me to waste my time with two dogs! May the best win!" interrupted Soga, before the youngest heard her run off.

It took only a few seconds before she discerned the boy's taunts following the same path, leaving her to her fate. Nothing was right with this strategy. How could three freshly minted Genin deal with an experienced attacker, let alone one who wasn't working as a team? She would have liked to get out of this place and alert some village guards, but Soga had been adamant that they were prisoners. An illusion certainly... She had only to try to join them, and hope to find a solution all together.

She ran as fast as she could until she found a passage low enough to bypass the obstacle, and went in search of the traces her teammates could have left. Luckily, the eldest of the three didn't seem to care about such details! And very quickly, she saw him lying flat on the ground in the tall grass. She went down to his level to join him, but this one, invaded by fear, excitement and surprise, tackled her with a sudden gesture against a tree, a kunaï under the throat of the girl.

"It's me, Mitsuki..." the girl wanted to reassure him.

"You embarrass me Mitsuki! You're going to get us killed with your chakra that can be seen for miles around! Get lost!" the boy scolded.

"We shouldn't split up, it's too dangerous..." the brunette tried to convince him, when something suddenly caught his friend.

Mitsuki's blood did not make a turn and she dashed in pursuit of his teammate trained through the forest. She deftly sent a shower of shurikens, managing to destroy the threads of chakra that had trapped the boy's ankles.

"I was doing just fine on my own!" he exploded, as he dusted himself off.

"You're my partner, whether you like it or not! If you're attacked, I'll intervene, so stop yelling and let's find Soga! The three of us will have a better chance of getting out of this!" Mitsuki grumbled, losing some of her composure.

"No way am I lifting a finger for you babies! You go ahead and go!"

"We don't have to split up! Damn it! Swallow your misplaced pride and help us out of this mess!"

Suddenly, a shadow landed between the two team members, before throwing itself towards the older one. Mitsuki ran towards it again at a speed beyond belief, driven by the adrenaline that washed over her, and parried the kunai that the attacker was about to use against the boy. He was strong, and Mitsuki struggled with difficulty, still having only a valid wrist to hold him.

"Help me..." the girl implored the boy who remained motionless, as she found herself in more and more trouble.

His face was livid, and his pupils retracted.

"Come on! This is not the time!" cried Mitsuki, feeling the fear of her teammate.

He took a step backwards, then took his legs, leaving the girl in the hands of the enemy.Mitsuki moved backwards, making the attacker fall forward, and then in an aerial pirouette placed herself at the back of him. She went back to guard, trembling, finding no other way out but to fight her opponent.

"Itachi-kun..." she worried.

"I'm here..." a voice whispered in her ear.

Mitsuki gasped, not having felt her friend coming. What was he doing here? Was the whole village in danger?

"I found the others...but they ran away," the girl explained, keeping her guard up.

"We'll find them later, right now we have other things to worry about." Itachi said, coming closer to her, as the shadows grew in number around them.

They were surrounded. Itachi took a seat on the back of his friend, assessing the movements of their enemies. Suddenly two of them attacked them, and Mitsuki managed to get rid of the shadow that was attacking her with a kunai blow, followed by a thick stream of smoke.

"Clones..." whispered Mitsuki, breathless.

"Good thinking, kid." bellowed a husky voice from the exact spot where Itachi was supposed to be standing.

The girl didn't have time to turn around, as the Uchiha lifted her from the ground, his arm encircling her slender neck. Stunned, she felt the air slowly escape her, drowned in her incomprehension. It was impossible... Itachi would never do such a thing to her! With her heart clenched in despair, she used her last strength to plant the kunai in the boy's thigh. With a grunt of pain, he released her, giving way to his true identity.

"Sensei!", Mitsuki cried out as she took several steps back.

Him! But why? Did he personally have it in for her? Although not very nice, she didn't feel any dislike for him... She didn't know his name though. Would he be one of the long list of collateral victims of the Hata clan's actions?

"How did you know?" the man replied, moving towards her at once.

"I... Itachi is not that tall and..."

Flustered, the words struggled to come out of her mouth. Itachi would never have done that... She was sure of it, and yet for a moment, doubt had invaded her. Two clones of the Sensei then joined them, each holding the other two members of team 6 at gunpoint.

"Well, here is the complete trio," said the man, with a dark look in his eyes and a toothy smile on his lips, "Mitsuki, your task is simple. Who do you want to save? Your brilliant rival Soga and that fool who will only get you into trouble... Or your own skin? Choose quickly, I'm not patient."

Mitsuki's pupils shrank. So many images came to her mind... Aruna, Itachi, those people who had taken a place in her heart... But how could she condemn her teammates? She quickly thought of an alternative to get out of this ultimatum.

"Please Mitsuki! I'm sorry I was so unpleasant! I don't want to die!" the boy begged, while Soga struggled.

"You have 5 seconds, Mitsuki. Otherwise everyone goes. 5... 4... 3..." counted down the Sensei.

"Take my life and let my companions go." asked Mitsuki, her voice sure, as the other two looked on in amazement.

"Oh...very well, if that is your wish..." the man agreed.

"Mitsuki..." the elder Genin murmured, snapping out of his stupor.

As Mitsuki closed her eyes, apprehensive of this fate, frozen in her fear-stricken body, the teacher and his clone suddenly disappeared in a new cloud of smoke.

"Congratulations!" exclaimed the Sensei coming out from behind the trees and applauding them, raising incomprehension as well as as astonishment at this unusual behavior among his students.

Soga remained motionless, shivering under the adrenaline that this altercation had provoked, while Mitsuki was soon joined by the taller one, determined to protect her, to her great surprise.

"Calm down, my boy. You passed the test." announced the teacher.

"A test?" the girl asked, gently rubbing her throat.

"Yes. I wanted to observe your reaction to a surprise attack. To see your fighting and thinking skills in real time, but also your team spirit. We can't say that it was an outright success for all of us in that respect."

Soga looked away, ashamed, before the teacher held the assessment of this experience:

"You, the little redhead, I had absolutely no doubt about your strength, on the other hand you were only thinking about yourself, and as a Konoha Ninja, you have to be careful with everyone around you, colleagues and civilians alike. On the other hand, you are the first and only one who took the time to seek help from the outside, being aware of his lack of competence is still a quality. You, the village idiot, your teammate offered you a hand and you blindly refused it, out of pure pride. You even ended up abandoning her in a fight you knew she wouldn't survive. One more slip-up like that and I'll have you back on the academy bench. On the other hand, your camouflage skills are good. I actually wouldn't have found you without Mitsuki's help."

"It won't happen again Sensei... I beg your pardon, Mitsuki." the boy apologized, his eyes fixed on his feet.

"And Mitsuki..." finished the Sensei, "Your attitude has been most noble, you have sought to find and care for each of your comrades, and you have not hesitated to put yourself in danger for them. But this is the last time I will see you seeking to sacrifice yourself without trying to fight! As for your skills, I feel a power in you, which you struggle to hide, and yet you hold back your blows... Why? Why did you stick to Taijutsu and basic Ninjutsu maneuvers when you are capable of so much more?"

"Sensei..." Mitsuki mumbled, embarrassed by the teacher's unexpected observation.

The latter seemed to be waiting for her explanation though.

"Can... we discuss this... later?" asked Mitsuki timidly.

"You have the most wonderful team spirit, it's a shame to waste it with little secrets..." sighed the Sensei.

Mitsuki felt her heart tightening at this last remark. She lowered her head, sliding her hand against her chest.

"Well... I guess today's training is over. Let's everyone think about this confrontation at their leisure... The rest of you go home. Mitsuki, let's talk" he decided.

Soga didn't mind, but the second one approached the younger one instead, a hand outstretched.

"My name is Tomomi. Tomomi Uchimura!"

Surprised, Mitsuki shyly grasped that hand, before having it firmly shaken.

"Mitsuki... Hata." she whispered.

"I know who you are, silly!" Tomomi replied with a knowing wink, before he too slipped away.

"Well, why don't you sit down and explain to me why you didn't do your best to protect your team?

- First, I must ask you to promise me that you will not tell anyone. What I'm about to tell you is only about the Third Hokage and me... Even though I think others know about it too, I'd rather not let it get out too far... Mitsuki asked, her voice hoarse.

- Mitsuki, I'm your Sensei, know that you can count on me, and none of your confidences will leave here... I promise to keep your secret."

This sweetness that transpired in his voice contrasted completely with the idea she had made of him after their first meeting. It was only with infinite caution that she dared to confide in him:

"Maeda-Sensei, you know my name ...

- And you know mine, obviously.

- Then you know all the horrors associated with it. I survived the massacre of my family. Not because they wanted to, nor because they forgot me. Only because, for some reason, it was impossible to kill me that day, or even in the years that followed, I can assure you... In time, the Fourth Hokage assumed that my parents had used a forbidden jutsu of the Hata clan, allowing me to be protected until I was old enough to defend myself... He had me secretly sent to an orphanage, away from the village, and gave me a new identity. They didn't want me to go the Shinobi way, in order to avoid any new Hata incident, and Minato-Sama's wish was that I could still have a normal life... Unfortunately, the hatred was just as present there, and after 6 years of struggle, being abused, trying to break me, the orphanage finally kicked me out. My red pupils gave me away and even though I tried to change my name, I was quickly caught up in the burden of it. The Third Hokage then allowed me to return to the village. He gave me a home and even allowed me to enter the Academy, under certain conditions... The first one was to annihilate my hereditary gift completely. And the second being to keep my chakra level at a minimum. So I can't harm the village... Only the Sandaime has the hand on the seal allowing these restrictions. I accepted these conditions because I didn't want to be a danger to Konoha anymore... I worked hard on my Taijutsu and Ninjutsu so that one day I could be a worthy kunoichi, without using my hereditary jutsu. The reason why I prefer to keep this quiet is because I don't want it to be seen as a weakness... I know that the older I get, the more people will wonder, as the power of the Hata has become a legend along with their slaughter. But maybe I will manage to prove myself before it becomes suspicious? And gain enough strength to defend myself if one day someone came to finally want to eliminate me..."

The silence fell, leaving a pensive Maeda. He had not interrupted her throughout her story, although he was not unaware of its content, and decided to confide in his turn:

"Everything is not black or white, Mitsuki. There are shades between the two extremes. Did they tell you my name, did they tell you what was behind it at the same time? Sometimes we have to do things that don't make us proud, just to preserve what should be preserved. This is how the Ninja world exists. Our world. Your powers can be coveted by many, just as they can bring great things, so isn't it dangerous to take away your defenses in case of trouble? Why didn't you try to control them instead?"

Mitsuki looked at him suspiciously. She didn't dare ask him to elaborate on this mysterious past he was half-heartedly telling her about, and was suspicious of his interest in what she might be able to do without the seal that was binding her.

"My family had mastered the power of the Hata until that fateful day. The Konoha Council didn't want to take any chances... The ANBU were ordered to neutralize me at the slightest misbehavior. I won't get a second chance," Mitsuki explained bluntly.

The Sensei then turned away from her, not very convinced by these decisions. It was all a waste, so he would have to be satisfied with the natural potential of the girl in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu to hope to get something out of this team. Who knows, if he trained her well enough, maybe the Council would change their minds, and then he would witness the power of the Hata again? The clock ticked and Mitsuki hurried home. She quickly put on the Uchiha dress that Aruna had given her and joined him in front of the Hokage building.

"Hello, Princess. I thought you were going to stand me up!" laughed Aruna when she saw her coming.

"No way!" the girl grumbled as they walked up the stairs.

"You put it back..." murmured Aruna as she stroked the fabric of the dress.

"Of course, it was de rigueur!" replied Mitsuki proudly.

They arrived in front of the office door, still framed by the ANBU guards, and Mitsuki couldn't help but cheerfully grace the gray-haired man with a :

"Hello Kakashi-san!"

"Hello Miss Hata" Kakashi answered soberly, to the great surprise of the girl.

She even thought she could see a glint of mischief in the shinobi's right eye. She smiled at him with all her teeth while entering the office.

"You don't waste time!" remarked the Sandaime, guessing the reason of their visit.

"The deal is done, Master Hokage! Now I'd like to be able to enjoy my big brother to the fullest" the girl announced proudly.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your promotion to Genin, Mitsuki. From what I've been told, you passed hands down ! And Maeda came by earlier to tell me about the test he made you take, you should be proud of her, Aruna! Now let's move on to what interests you. For this adoption to be effective, you'll have to sign these papers. Aruna, by taking Mitsuki under your wing, you agree to provide for her needs, to take care of her education and her safety. Mitsuki, on your side, you accept to submit to Aruna's parental authority, and to carry his name in addition to yours. If it suits you, let's do it quickly, I have an urgent business to do" the Hokage said quickly, taking out a huge pile of papers.

Aruna and Mitsuki signed without further delay the contract binding them for life.

"Let's go celebrate, Miss Mitsuki Hata-Uchiha," Aruna said proudly as she grabbed the girl's good arm.

"Goodbye, Miss Hata." greeted Kakashi as they walked past him again.

"See you later, Kakashi-san." replied Mitsuki with a wink.

They went to a teahouse to celebrate their new bond over a nice snack. Mitsuki took the opportunity to tell her tutor about the surprise attack of her Sensei, and the way they had handled the problem with her teammates.

"You've got your work cut out for you, it seems. I'm glad you did so well, but do me a favor... Don't ever try to sacrifice your life again! I won't stand for it," Aruna asked her, keeping a warm smile.

"Do you think we'll have assignments soon?" asked Mitsuki.

"It shouldn't be long now. But you have to train well before and learn to work together. You should never have lost sight of each other so easily with Soga and Tomomi. But it will come quickly, don't worry" the sensei reassured her.They went for a walk in their favorite places, enjoying each other, before returning at nightfall.As the days passed, Maeda called them together daily to work intensively on their techniques and teamwork. Tomomi's attitude towards Mitsuki had changed completely since she had done everything to save him, and Soga had finally gained humility, without giving up her rivalry with the one she now swore to surpass.