THREE WEEKS LATER

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

Today was April 12th, Shinasui's twentieth birthday. She wasn't aware of it then, but her life was about to change for the better. The young silver haired woman woke up with a smile on her face, a dream about Konohamaru and Shisui having a weight lifting contest was fleeting in her mind. As she slowly opened her violet eyes, she turned to face a sleeping Konohamaru, the shirtless Sarutobi snoring away. Ever since her and Konohamaru started dating, they've been getting closer...more than just mentally. Shinasui reached over to Konohamaru, gently tracing his perfectly tanned and sculpted chest and abdomen. He was like a living dream, so handsome and pure in his vulnerable state. Shina noticed the curve of his long black lashes and his jaw which looked like belonged to a statue. She felt overwhelmed with attraction, wanting nothing more than to start the day with Konohamaru between her legs.

Konohamaru cracked a single eye open, glancing at Shinasui's slightly red face. He gave her a wry smirk before spooning her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Good morning." His raspy morning voice broke the restraint she had on herself, her body pressing further towards Konohamaru. She felt something poke her in the back and a low growl in her ear.

"Already babe? It's like 8am." Konohamaru said amused. Shinasui closed her violet eyes and just enjoyed his embrace for a moment. That was until she remembered he said 8am.

"Shit I'm supposed to meet Shisui in a half hour!" She gasped. She was about to lean up to get dressed put Konohamaru pushed her back down. He positioned himself on top of her, his lazy smirk making Shina's heart go wild.

"Not yet."

"Kono I have to go!"

"Not until I have breakfast." Shina was confused. She raised an eyebrow at the Sarutobi but didn't have time to react when he lifted her legs up and placed his mouth between her legs. Shina melted like butter under the feel of Konohamaru...starting her day off late...but well worth it.

~~

"Well you're late." Shisui huffed with crossed arms in his usual black Uchiha t-shirt in front of the Hokage mansion. His curly hair was unruly as usual and his dimpled smirk was to die for. Shinasui had her hair lazily tied up in a pony tail due to a lack of time to actually brush it. Her cheeks were pink in embarrassment as she passed Shisui and headed straight for the entrance of the Hokage mansion.

"Err I'm sorry...I was uh...tied up with someone-..something!" Shisui rolled his eyes before placing a hand on Shinasui's shoulder, freezing her in place.

"Don't apologize to me, Itachi's the one that's waiting. He's still Hokage remember?" Shinasui sighed, always forgetting that she won't get the leniency of having her mother as the Hokage.

"Yeah...sorry." Shisui went from serious to fun in a matter of seconds, a slight smirk greeting his tanned dimpled face.

"So...waking up with your little boyfriend again?" He teased. Shinasui stuck her tongue out at the Uchiha.

"You pervert, of course you would want details. It's like you're Grandpa Jiraiya or something." Shisui looked at her with a slightly surprised expression.

"Huh? Sensei's sensei? Is he still kickin?" Shinasui rolled her eyes while heading up the stairs towards Itachi's office.

"Of course he is. He's only like seventy or something. Plus Grandma Tsunade always feeds him chakra like the kind she keeps to stay young. Grandpa is gonna live forever basically." Shina spoke matter-of-factly. Speaking of grandparents, she needed to visit her newly resurrected grandfather. Sakumo loved his granddaughter's visits more than anything.

The Uchiha and Hatake made there way into Itachi's office, the tall raven haired male looking out the window while wearing his red and white robes.

"Took you both long enough." Shisui gave a playful glare to Shinasui who was awfully embarrassed.

"S-sorry Lord Hokage." Shinasui spoke using Itachi's title. Itachi knew she felt bad and dismissed her fault.

"I have a new long term assignment for you and Shisui. As you both know, my daughter Makoto is extremely advanced in her studies, taking after the Uchiha legacy. I wanted to test the waters with a new type of squad, beginning with her and Mirai Sarutobi. They are both around eight and nine years of age, four years young from the average graduation age. Despite being young, they both show signs of remarkable talent.  I want you both to test these girls to see if they have what it takes to pass an early exam. If they do pass, Shinasui you will be the head of a new  genjutsu specialty squad.  Shisui, you will also lead this team should these girls be capable of passing. I want you to grow accustom to the modern times so for now, Shinasui will be the head. Once you have adapted, you two will co-lead. Until the squad is fully together, I may still send both of you out on missions. Understood?" Shinasui and Shisui looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Uh...Lord Hokage, if I may..." Shinasui started. "But I cannot be affected by genjutsu, why would I lead a genjutsu squad?" Itachi smirked in response, closing his onyx eyes.

"I knew you were going to ask that. Shinasui, you may not understand my reasoning now but it will one day come full circle. Your father, Kakashi, is the only person not of Uchiha blood to wield the sharingan. Your sensei was an Uchiha. Your mother trained the Uchiha.  You come from a long line of experience and natural efficiency with the Uchiha clan. From an emotional stand point, as Mikoto's father, there are no other shinobi I trust more than the two of you to teach my child." Shinasui's heart suddenly swooned at the warm smile Itachi gave her. She truly saw why Itachi was such a wanted man and how lucky his wife was to have him. He trusted her, he knew her potential. Shinasui finally received some recognition and wasn't going to let it go to waste.

"I understand Lord Hokage." Shinasui smiled. Itachi kept the smile on his face, turning to Shisui.

"Any questions old friend?" Itachi asked of Shisui. The young dimpled Uchiha looked excited to finally receive a worthy mission.

"Just wondering when we can start!" Itachi spun around in his chair, smiling to himself as he looked out of the window inside the Hokage mansion. He gazed across the Hidden Leaf, the place he and his family have always called home.

"Get going."

"Yes sir!" Both of the young Shinobi responded, quickly leaving the building. Itachi's smile dropped as he stood up and looked out of the window. He was alone and watched as Shinasui and Shisui ran together towards the academy, ready to begin the next chapter of their adventure.

"Hopefully...hopefully building an attachment to a team will help you with your loss. We cannot afford to lose you Shinasui. I fear a greater danger lurks on the horizon...and I need you to protect my daughter. You're the only one who can." 

~~

"So...Shisui...how are we going to do this?" Shinasui asked the Uchiha as they shared some dango outside of the academy. Shisui ruffled his messy black hair before taking a green dumpling into his mouth.

"Hm...I'dbe beenffs fthinking-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full dummy!" Shinasui giggled. Shisui revealed his dimpled smile at the girl he learned to adore. It was like being around Minako, but a much more laid back version. Shina was darker for sure, but her heart seemed lighter after she lost the nine-tails chakra. It was like the evil that was plaguing her was finally diminishing. Shisui knew what happened, no one else did. Minako tried to pressure him into talking but Shisui would never break Shina's trust. Friends never let each other down.

"I was gonna say...I've been thinking. I think we could put them through a trial of teamwork like your mom did for me and Itachi." Shinasui thought about it.

"There are only two of them. I think we should test them individually before testing them together." Shina replied. 

"How about you and I put them in a genjutsu together and force them to figure a way out?" Shina continued. Shisui raised an eyebrow.

"But you're immune. How would you be able to tell that it worked?" Shinasui snorted.

"It's true I cannot see my own genjutsu, but I know how to make em, especially ones strong enough for an eight year old." Shisui smirked.

"I guess so. Let's try it." The two of them waited until lunch break where the students had an hour to do whatever they needed to do. Mirai came outside first, the girl the mirror of her mother Kurenai. Her crimson eyes and long spiky black hair billowed over her shoulders. Her confident smile and round nose were pure Sarutobi however, just like her father Asuma. 

I wonder if she's fire affinity like Kurenai or wind affinity like Asuma. I guess there's one way to find out... Shinasui thought

Mirai was sitting in the grass while holding her bento box, prepared to dig into her lunch Kurenai had packed for her. Her crimson eyes were focused only on her food, her stomach growling loudly. She was about to take a bite when suddenly a kunai grazed past her face.

"Let's test your genjutsu skills Shina." Shisui whispered. The Uchiha didn't realize Shina cast a genjutsu on Mirai from the moment she exited the building. The kunai, the bento, the stomach growl was all an illusion. Now it was time to up the danger.

"You! Kid!" A scary and beefy man stood in front of Mirai in her genjutsu world.  The girl looked up with wide eyes, the nine year old spooked by the large man.

"You...tell me where the other kids are or I'm gonna beat it out of you." The man grinned with fat cheeks and wide teeth. Mirai was nervous, but she didn't let it show. Suddenly, she grasped the kunai tossed next to her and threw with precision at the man.  He knocked it away, distracted, while Mirai readied her fists.

"If you want my friends, you'll have to get through me." Mirai watched as the man grabbed her foot and threw her backwards, forcing the student to fall on her back.

"You're weak." The man grinned. Mirai looked at him in fear as she scooted backwards. Suddenly she froze, feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"Get up, it's an illusion." Mirai looked up to see a violet haired girl with a bow in her hair, her eyes were a dark obsidian but they were focused. Her fingers were in a reverse seal handsign, the little girl closing her eyes.

"Release!" Mirai blinked and looked around to see she was sitting on the ground with no man or kunai in sight. Mirai's scarlet eyes looked at the little girl with a thankful expression. 

"Thanks Mikoto! You really saved my butt!" Mikoto gave her friend a soft smile, nearly identical to Itachi's. This threw Shina and Shisui for a loop to see how alike Mikoto was to her father. 

"Don't thank me. Whoever put you in that genjutsu is still here." Shisui and Shinasui looked at each other, impressed by how quick witted and talented Mikoto was with spotting genjutsu. Itachi wasn't kidding, Mikoto was talented.

"Phase two." Shisui whispered. He quickly made a shadow clone of some random guy and placed him behind the trees near where the girls were standing. The clone stumbled out of the trees with an annoyed look on his face, pointing a kunai directly at the girls.

"Hm...you brats saw through my genjutsu. No matter. I'll just beat the info out of you with my own hands!" Kurenai and Yumi's daughters looked fearfully at each other.

"Please tell me it's genjutsu again!" Mirai whimpered. Mikoto swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Not this time. Run Mirai!" Mikoto stumbled back ready to run when Mirai took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and looked directly at her opponent. 

"I'm not gonna run. Get somewhere safe Mikoto and warn Shino Sensei! I'll hold him off!" Mikoto looked scared, her legs shaking.

"I-I can't leave you!"

"Mikoto you and I both know you can use taijutsu! Leave it to me!"

"Can't use taijutsu?!" Shinasui and Shisui whispered to each other in shock. 

"B-But Mirai...!" 

"Too late brats!" The man charged straight for the easy target, Mikoto, the young girl shaking in her sandals. Mirai jumped in front of the kunai at the last second, facing off by blocking the blade with another kunai. 

"You aren't gonna hurt my friend. I promise you." Mirai's fighting style was identical to Asuma's minus the chakra blades. Shinasui noted Mirai's strengths and weaknesses perfectly mirrored Mikoto's. Itachi did well picking these two together.

"I'm gonna kill your friends after I hurt them! You won't do a thing!" The close grinned. Mirai's eyes flashed brightly, a protective gaze hitting the clone. 

"Get away!" Mirai swung a kick around the clone's ankles, knocking him down on the ground. Her taijutsu was nearly flawless for her size and age. She twisted the clone's wrist, dropping his kunai into her open hand before taking both kunai up to the man's throat.

"Who are you?! And why did you attack us!" Mirai yelled out, her confidence through the roof. Mikoto was still scared, the little girl unsure what to do. The clone smiled again before disappearing in smoke, confusing both girls.

"Huh?! A clone!?" Shisui and Shinasui looked at each other before nodding, then jumping down to greet their future team. The two girls whipped their heads to look at familiar faces, Shisui Uchiha and Shinasui Hatake. Both of them were considered some of the most powerful shinobi of the current generation. 

"S-Shina-san? Uncle Shisui?" Mikoto gasped. Mirai tilted her head a bit, confused. 

"What are you two doing here?" Shinasui smiled at the two.

"You girls went through the first phase of testing to see if you're ready to graduate early. Should you pass, Shisui and I will be your senseis." The girls looked surprised before getting really excited.

"Do we pass? Do we pass? Do we pass?" The two of them spoke in unison.

"We need to talk about it more. Although we have a pretty decent idea of your strengths and weaknesses." Shisui replied. Shinasui followed up.

"Mirai. You're confident and collected in the face of physical danger. You put your comrades before yourself and brought up getting help when you thought you couldn't win alone. You never gave up the information you were threatened for, a key component of being a shinobi. Your taijutsu was impressive, but reckless. Had that clone been a real person, he could have gotten the best of you. Your genjutsu knowledge and identification is weak." Mirai looked at her feet, ashamed she didn't notice the genjutsu earlier. Shisui moved forward slightly to speak.

"Mikoto, you instantly identified and ended the genjutsu in a single moment without waiver. That was impressive. You came to help your friend when you didn't need to, a very good trait of a shinobi from the Leaf. However, you simply froze in the presence of a real danger, unable to help Mirai at all. Your lack of taijutsu training is evident." Mikoto rubbed the sole of her sandal into the dirt, embarrassed.

"But the teamwork and thoughtful process you both had towards each other was strong. The other parts can be roughed out with proper training." Shinasui spoke. 

"Does that mean we passed?" Mirai asked excitedly. Shinasui and Shisui looked at each other wordlessly, both knowing what the other was thinking. The two of them turned towards the two little girls who were nervous about their future.

"Welcome to Team Shi." Shisui smiled.