Aisa was wearing new clothes.

I wince slightly. I hadn't taken him out to shop despite promising him I would. Then I shrug. What did it matter? Aiden took him anyways and he still got his new clothes.

"Alright, now that we're officially a team, it's time for introductions," I announce. "But we're going to do this slightly differently. Aisa is going to introduce Kento, Kento will introduce Michiko and Michiko will be introducing Aisa."

"Huh?" Aisa asked. "Introduce other people? How? Like just their names?"

"Anything you want," I shrug. "Whatever you know about them, whatever you've learned through observation."

"I don't really get it," Michiko admits. "Can you give us an example?"

I sigh slightly. "Fine. I will introduce Michiko, Michiko will do Aisa, Aisa will do Kento and Kento will do me. That's the new and final order. Got it?"

They nod. I study Michiko once more before opening my mouth to speak.

"This is Michiko," I stated the obvious for their benefit. "She was raised by her mom, single but going around," Michiko winced slightly. "She relies on others too much and knows that she does. Therefore she tries to work hard to become useful in missions. She's mildly skilled in all three jutsu's, and can work to better herself in all categories. I do sense however that her greatest will be genjutsu." I finish the invasive but very brief observational explanation and give the girl a pointed look. "You aren't working hard enough, just thought you might want to know."

Michiko's face is bright red as she nods furiously.

"Now, Michiko, your turn," I said, giving her permission to take the stand.

Still red, Michiko slightly sputtered. "This is Aisa," she introduced. "He loves ramen and his older brother Aisa. He's strongest in taijutsu, and needs to work more with his chakra. He's a nice guy," her last sentence was accompanied by a blush.

Aisa's face blushed too, but only in the slightest. I would have been the only one able to detect it. I tilt my head slightly. The introduction she had given was mediocre at best. But it seemed as though she had known more, based on her body language and posture, yet had simply not said them. Why?

Oh. Ugh. Because she cared.

Aisa was now wearing a smirk. "This is Kento, and he's an idiot." He starts out. Ah, the rivalry of two boys on a team. Camaraderie and idiocy combine. Kento playfully punched him in the arm. But they seemed to be good friends as well.

Aisa continued. "He loves sushi and macaroni and cheese! Kento is best at ninjutsu; he can do some awesome jutsu with his chakra! That doesn't make him any less of an idiot though," he finished with a little laugh. 

Kento then turned to moi. I smirked a little as he observed me carefully. Let's see what this genin could correctly observe about me, without barely knowing me.

It would also give me more insight to his intelligence gathering skill.

"You're deadly," The two words spilled out of his mouth in a moment of stunned silence.

So blunt, without fear.

My smirk widened. I liked that. "Bravo, tell me, what else?"

The air chilled a little and I could sense Michiko and Aisa getting mildly uncomfortable.

"You're broken."

In an instant, Kento was on his back, my foot being five milliseconds away from crushing his chest so that his ribs punctured his heart. He would die a death is extreme pain, gasping for each last breath, begging for--

"Cashile," Aisa whispered with trembles. Fear laced his voice.

My vision had turned red and it took a moment to adjust. Instead of showing weakness I acted along. "I may have assigned you to observe me, but I and still your sensei. Talk to me like that again and I'll crush your windpipe."

I allowed to to get up. He managed to slowly, shock spread across his face like butter on toast.

"Care to continue?" I asked.

He was smart enough to shake his head violently.

While he was completely out of line, at least I knew  that Tsunade was right about these three kids being able to meet my expectations.

"Well then, that's it for the introductions. I suppose we should do some sort of team bonding exercise," I said in a cheerful voice.

The three genin were confused by my sudden change in attitude. In the back of my mind I sighed slightly. Despite everything, they were still idiots.

"Michiko and Kento, step to the side. Aisa, come stand next to me," I ordered. They all preformed.

"Now fight, an all out battle. Use anything and everything you've got and you're surrounded by. Ready?"

A look of terror crossed Michiko's fast. "You're going to get beat down a million times before you learn to stand on your own, Michiko. You have to learn to get over your fear." I advised.

I watched Kento smirk and I rolled my eyes. "Go," I commanded.

Immediately Michiko flew back in a defensive manner and observed Kento from afar. Good, that was a smart move.

But Kento didn't give her the time to settle down. He sprinted forward, throwing a barrage of kunai towards her. She flipped upside down on the branch, dodging neatly. But Kento didn't  stop there.

He sprinted up the trunk of the tree using wall running and pushed off just as he began to lose momentum, thrusting himself towards Michiko. He sounded in midair, catching her face with a round house kick. She allowed the force to push her backwards, away from Kento.

Kento pursued in the air and dipped down to increase his speed. He flipped in the air and kicked down, hard into Michiko's back, sending her straight to the ground.

And Michiko stayed down.

"What a shark," I murmured, taking notes. No feelings to spare for his teammates in battle.

I can see why Tsunade wanted me to train them. So much promise.

But so many bad habits they were buried under.

Like Kento now. He had continued his barrage, despite the fact that his advantage was used up. Michiko had recuperated from the sudden attacks and calmed, eyes flicking back and forth across the clearing, assessing, studying, laying the groundwork of a plan as she defended against Kento's all out assault.

Michiko and I saw her opportunity at the same time. As Kento lunged towards a dummy opening, overextending himself in the effort to land a hit, Michiko countered. She slid to one side, striking him hard in the side and sending him stumbling towards a low hanging tree branch. His head slammed into the branch and he fell. Michiko was on top of him in an instant, fist pulled back in preparation for the end blow.

She glanced toward me uncertainly. I raised an eyebrow, staying silent. "Are you going to call the match?"

"I don't see a winner yet," I all I responded.

"You want me to knock him out?" She asked.

"I want you to guarantee your win," I replied emotionlessly.

Kento took opportunity of her distraction to buck her off, switching their positions. He placed a kunai to her throat and glared at me. "Call the match or I slit her throat."

"Kento!" Aisa exclaimed in horror.

I smirked. "You would never. But still. Match over, Kento wins. Yay, congrats, whatever it is you normally do."

They shook hands and stepped away from each other. "That's cheap!" Michiko complained. "I won that match!"

I stare blankly at her. As the Claw, with the Rising Phoenix, matches ended in one or two ways.

One: a knock out, or the inability for the opponent to continue.

Two, and the more common: death.

These kids weren't used to such harsh rules. Maybe I did need to hold back more.

But then they would never learn, or worse; they would learn the harder way, like me.

Not that I cared how they learned.

Everything was the same to me. Aisa was the only one I was concerned about, for my own selfish reasons.

"Kento and Aisa, you're up," I said nonchalantly.

"Alright! A real fight," Kento said enthusiastically.

Michiko glared. "I'll make you pay for that you bastard,"

"Douchebag," Aisa agreed.

"Enough," I cut. If these two were Claw trainees they'd be starving, beaten down and in metal cages by now. "Focus on the fight at hand Kento. Start," I said.

***

Aisa had given Kento a beating for his money. I was proud of him. Evidencing self defense lessons from his brother since forever couldn't hurt. Aisa not only smart, but physically strong enough to hold his own against his teammates.

It was dusk and the three genin were sweatily plastered all over the grass.

"Nice job today, guys. Prepare for worse tomorrow. Same time, same place. C'mon Aisa, let's get home." I ordered.

He let out some type of groan but picked himself up off the ground.

"Cya guys," he said.

"Sensei's pet," Kento muttered bitterly under his breath.

Aisa's eyes hardened. "Cashile was part of my family before she became our sensei Baka so just shut your face and get over it," he snapped.

I raised my eyebrow.

Family.

"Let it go, kid," I said firmly, though I was proud on the inside.

"Yes, Cashile," he complied and followed. "Can we get ramen?" He begged.

"No," I replied firmly.

"Ramen with pork and vegetables?"

"No," I repeated. "Ramen is--"

"Poison, toxic, yeah, I get it. But it tastes good! C'mon, I just officially became a genin! Let's get Aiden and go out for dinner!"

I sigh. "Fine," I give in. "But that doesn't mean I'm eating any!"

"Yes!" He exclaimed happily.

"Ask your brother first. If he says yes, then fine."

He barely pauses. "He'll say yes!" He laughs.

Aisa burst through the front door, screeching Aiden's name. "AidenAidenAidenAidenAidenAidenAiden!!!"

Aiden looks up from a pile of papers on his desk, and I let out a slight snicker at the reading glasses he wore. "Yes, Aisa?"

"Can we go out for ramen?!"

Aiden takes off his glasses and rubs at his eyes. "Ask Cashile," he ordered.

"I did!" Aisa grinned.

"And what did Cashile say?" Aiden questioned.

"She said fine but to ask you," Aisa reported.

"Well then, if Cashile said fine and you want to go, I guess Ichiraku's it is," Aiden squints his eyes into a soft smile.

"Yessssss!" Aisa turned to me. "You have to try at least one bowl, please?"

And that's how I ended up sitting at the ramen stand looking over the ramen they offered.

"Well, do you mind spice?" Aisa asked, trying to narrow down the possibilities.

"Doesn't bother me," I reply, scanning the menu again.

"Hmm..." Aisa ponders, taking his self appointed job as my "ramen advisor" far too seriously. "And I know you like vegetables and you probably wouldn't want a super strong broth and--" He keeps muttering to himself, most of which I admittedly drown out, until, "Got it! You'd like the spicy seaweed ramen!"

The old man glances towards me for confirmation. I shrug. "Sure, whatever the kid said," I agree.

"Coming right up," he said and turns back to him cooking.

5 minutes later a steaming bowl of noodles, soup and seaweed was set in front of me.

I eye the ramen with slight disgust as I picked them up with my chopsticks.

Eager eyes paused me in my reluctant movements.

Aisa was grinning ear to ear, staring at me. I take a slurp, keeping an indifferent face. "You should start eating your noodles," I tell him. "They start to become soggy in the hot broth after about five minutes."

"But you! Do you like it?" Aisa asked, eyes begging.

I shrug. "It's not bad. Much, much better than that sad excuse for a meal called instant cup ramen. Now that is disgusting."

"But you like this ramen, right?"

I glance over Aisa towards Aiden, who was slurping the noodles in an effort to hide his smirk. "It's not bad," I concede. "Still little to no nutritional value."

"What, and your chocolate cake does?" Aisa shot back.

I pull back, affronted. "Aisa, as your sensei I'm proud of your quick thinking and argument. As Cashile, do not insult my chocolate cake."

"As your student, I would continue the argument," he responded. "But as Aisa, I'm going to shut up."

I allow a laugh to escape. "Good idea," I praise.

After we slurped up the rest of our ramen Aiden payed, using my savings.

Well, it's not like I needed the money to open up a bakery or anything.

Where would a bakery facilitate in my move for power? Perhaps, a cover up...

Walking down the street, Aisa took my hand in one hand and Aiden's hand in the other. Rebuking him for affectionate physical contact was getting old, so I just rolled my eyes and kept walking.

Until I saw the silhouette in the shadows.

I snatched my hand back immediately and tensed up, ready to obliterate whatever was trying to harm me.

"Cashile?" Fear pierced through Aisa's voice. This would have been understandable a couple of years ago, but now he was a genin himself.

"Toughen up, Aisa. Aiden, take him back to the apartment. Lock the doors and make sure the windows are sealed. Don't open the door under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

Despite the worry that shadowed over Aiden's eyes he nodded frantically and grabbed Aisa.

Once they were gone so was I. To my stalker, I had faded into the air within the blink of the human eye.

After quickly analyzing the situation, I had pieced everything together.

It was him.

I hopped down the side of the building I was perched on top of.

My stalker was quick to recognize my presence behind him.

I stepped in line of sight and smirked.

"Hey Ibiki," I greeted casually. "Long time no see."

__________________________

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