Jun and Shisui hadn’t talked for years. They had passed each other in the street from afar and sometimes embarrassingly waved. Therefore, he apprehended a bit working with Shisui. When the Hokage summoned the teenager to give him the details of his offer. He was surprised. It wasn’t an order; he didn’t have to accept it. He could still earn his promotion without accepting the Sandaime’s proposal. It may take him a little longer, but it was still within reach.

“Lord Hokage, are you sure there will be no problem with the Uchiha clan?” Jun asked, hesitantly.

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow and put his pipe on the desk.

“Why would there be one?”

Jun rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. Then he squared his shoulders in a determined fashion.

“The Uchiha clan drove my family out when my mother had a third child with a stranger. Being half-Uchiha and a little rebellious, I wasn’t well integrated into the clan back then. But now… they are quite hostile. If I find myself in a team full of Uchihas, I’m not sure we’ll be able to cooperate efficiently.”

The Hokage watched him for a moment, seeming to weigh his answer.

“That won’t be an issue. It is not an Uchiha unit. Shisui expressly requested that the team be composed of expert trackers. Aside from him, you are the only other Uchiha in the Ninjas Sensor Department.”

Jun found it strange there weren’t more Uchihas in the department. He was sure there were quite a few of them with decent sensory and tracking abilities. Why didn’t they register themselves? Were they hiding their talents? Does the clan have its own registry solely for the Police? It was a strong possibility. Jun grimaced at the thought.

“Would it be a permanent team?”

“Semi-permanent… Each member would continue to perform missions with other shinobis or alone. This special unit would only be assembled and sent on a mission in the event of an enemy invasion. However, Shisui Uchiha is the team captain and has priority to claim you for any mission.”

A special team of ninjas sensors specialized in tracking and led by Shisui… It would look good on his resume. Jun would also like it. The truth was he wanted to see Shisui again. He considered him a mentor and a friend. He wanted to reconnect with him somehow before the end. He knew the Uchiha’s fate. The teenager didn’t want it to end without ever reaching out. He had never dared to take the first step, but fate was giving him an opportunity now.

“I accept.”

The Sandaime nodded as if he already expected that answer. It would be a four-man team. Their missions would be almost exclusively A-rank ones. They would need to deploy fast, hit the target hard, and come back just as fast. With such a small team, each member had to be quite powerful. Jun was flattered to be selected. It was a clear recognition of his talents.

The teenager informed his family of his new assignment. He didn’t fail to notice the concerned look between Izumi and their mother. He also told Iruka and Yugao. The latter was also getting reassigned. She was going to join the ANBU. The young Uchiha didn’t forget to speak to Shiba, Susumu, and Natsumi about it as well.

He was summoned a couple of days after. The special team was assembled. They met on one of the village training grounds, arriving at the same time and eyeing each other warily. The first was Miyamoto Hyuga. Jun was pleased to see him again. The second was a tracker he had seen in the Ninjas Sensor Department’s building before. But he didn’t know her name. And lastly was their captain…

They were all about the same size, but Shisui seemed more imposing to him. He stood straighter. He was calm and observant. He dressed in a standard uniform and wore his ninja headband on his forehead. His appearance radiated professionalism. His hair remained ridiculously unruly, almost curly and going all over the place. Shisui smiled, and it was like he was ten years old again. Jun saw the same delighted spark dancing in his eyes, the same face lighting up…

“Welcome to the team! And thank you for agreeing to be a part of it. I am Shisui Uchiha, your captain. I’m an expert in close combat and Genjutsu, with tracking abilities. I use smell and visual cues to track people.”

It was an implicit invitation for the members to introduce themselves. The Uchiha turned his gaze to Jun, and his expression changed a little. They looked at each other for a moment without saying anything. Jun could see his own hesitation reflected on Shisui’s face. It felt weird to introduce themselves like that, to start fresh in such a professional way as if there hadn’t been two years of friendship that had once made them inseparable.

Jun ultimately turned his gaze to the other members, preferring to address himself to them.

“My name is Jun. I’m a chunin and sensory-nin. I track people by their chakra and visual cues. My specialty is Ninjutsu, particularly Raiton. I’m also good in Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, Sabotage, and anything related to binding seals.

Miyamoto went after him. His uniform made him look younger, with his soft face and big pale eyes. Jun gave him an amused smile.

“Miyamoto Hyuga, chunin. My Byakugan allows me to track by sight over a long distance. I am very resistant to Genjutsu. My specialty is the Hyuga’s Gentle Fist and Taijutsu in general.”

They turned to the last member of the team. She was a young woman about sixteen years old with a tanned complexion. She wore round and thin-framed glasses. Her headband was tied around her left arm.

“I’m Kanna, a Tokubetsu jonin. I track people by smell and visual cues as well as by chakra. I’m a sensory-nin. My specialty is the Doton, whether it’s sweeping attacks or more subtle maneuvers. I’m also proficient in Taijutsu as well as traps and poisons.”

Shisui nodded.

“Very well! I suggest we familiarize ourselves with each other’s fighting styles through a little practice. Ready?”

All newly formed teams started with this. It was expected. When Shisui gave the go signal, Jun propelled himself forward, escaping the Doton trap thrown by Kanna, and rushed to Miyamoto. They exchanged a few blows at lightning speed. It was all done with ease and fluidity that comes from long hours of practice.

Miyamoto was one of the two Hyugas with whom Jun often trained. They knew each other well. Their blows were devastating, often dodged by a hair. Miyamoto was a very aggressive fighter with the Gentle Fist. Usually, he had a kind personality, but the Hyuga changed when fighting. He became a real demon, methodical and brutal like a predator tearing his prey. He pressured his opponent by aiming at the vital organs. If he had been facing someone less gifted in Taijutsu, he would have undoubtedly killed him in a matter of seconds. However, Jun was also strong.

The teenager had been developing his own fighting style, and it suited the Gentle Fist perfectly. It was a mix of the Uchiha Taijutsu style and Gai’s style. The way Jun leaped high in the air and attacked from above was definitely from Gai. He had developed his own way of fighting by sparring with Shiba and his Futon, Genma and his senbons, or Anko with her snakes.

Jun dodged with cat-like agility, contorting himself in mid-air, or sometimes bending at weird angles without slowing down to slip under an attack. Most Taijutsu experts had something brutal about the way they fought, like a striking bear, a charging bull, or an attacking wolf. Jun was a bit different. He was just as wild, but with more flexibility. He preferred dodging rather than blocking, like a beast running under a kick to tear its prey’s throat.

Miyamoto and Jun parted suddenly, having both sensed their captain charging at them. They went instantly from adversaries to allies without exchanging a word. Shisui was strong. Even outnumbered, the Uchiha gave them a hard time. His Sharingan was activated. Shisui reacted to their attacks at full speed, anticipating them and blocking them at the last second. He returned blow for blow. Miyamoto was less mobile, mostly attacking with his hands and remaining firmly anchored to the ground. On the other hand, Jun was leaping, punching, and redirecting Shisui into the Hyuga’s striking range.

Kanna joined in the dance. The ground exploded under their feet, breaking their clash and throwing them in the air as they tried to land on a stable surface. Shisui switched targets and attacked Kanna. Jun attacked Shisui, and Miyamoto attacked Jun. It became every man and woman for themself. It was a bit chaotic.

Jun started throwing explosives tags everywhere. Shisui began using Genjutsu, and Kanna used more destructive Doton techniques. It was hilarious, exhilarating, and brilliant at the same time. Jutsus were flying in all directions, accompanied by battle cries, muffled curses, and explosions. Jun was smiling like a maniac. He felt alive.

An hour later, the four of them were lying on their backs in the middle of the devastated training ground. They were covered with bruises and dust. Shisui even received a black eye; they had to attack him three against one to manage that.

“It was fun. Are we doing another one?” Jun commented.

Kanna groaned. Miyamoto threw a twig at the teenager in an exasperated gesture, and Shisui laughed.

“You really haven’t changed.”

Jun smiled. He got carried away by his emotions.

“Won’t the Uchiha clan get mad if you associate with me?”

Miyamoto and Kanna froze, looking interested. They probably didn’t know what was going on. Shisui paused, not expecting him to be so straightforward. He ended up shrugging.

“It was inevitable that we would end up in the same sphere. They might complain, but time has passed. Besides, it’s no longer a clan affair. We are two Konoha ninjas working together to protect the village.”

Jun found it a bit ironic. In the past, they met and became friends only because of the clan. It was because his grandmother wanted to keep tabs on him that she sent Shisui to monitor him. It was also because of the clan that their friendship suffered. What the Uchihas had given, they had taken away. However, Shisui was right. They were Konoha shinobis. Shisui still had to obey the clan, but he was above all a ninja of the Leaf.

“Do you have a problem with the Uchiha clan?” Kanna asked hesitantly.

“Just some family issues, nothing serious… Let’s just say my immediate family was kicked out of the clan because we do not do things their way.”

There was a short silence, then Shisui turned his head to the Hyuga.

“You almost didn’t join the team. What made you change your mind?”

Jun didn’t know that. He turned to Miyamoto, interested. His friend had tensed up.

“There has always been a rivalry and a certain distrust between Hyugas and Uchihas. Sir Hiashi initially refused that I joined a team commanded by an Uchiha. Your good reputation wasn’t enough, Shisui…” Miyamoto explained.

He paused. Shisui didn’t interrupt him. He waited patiently for the Hyuga to finish. The latter sighed.

“He changed his mind after learning the identity of the other members. Kanna is a skilled kunoichi, and she is related to the Hyuga clan through her grandmother. As for Jun, not only he is a friend, but the clan also trusts him.”

Jun immediately thought of Ise Hyuga, of how he had to destroy his corpse and the way his father thanked him for preventing the Byakugan from falling into the enemy’s hands. He thought of the politeness of the Hyugas towards him, his friendship with Madoka, his complicity with Miyamoto…

Then, he thought of Neji, Hizashi, Kazuma, and the coldness with which he was prepared to plunge their clan into chaos. He felt bad. He hated Hiashi, his clan, and their rules. But apparently, the Hyuga leader trusted him. It made things worse for him. The teenager would rather have Hiashi dislike him.

“Looks like I’m surrounded by people the Hyugas like. Anyway, I’m glad Sir Hiashi changed his mind. It’s a pleasure to have you with us.” Shisui laughed, unfazed by the revelations.

Jun wanted to make every moment count. He knew Shisui wouldn’t be around for much longer. He wanted to enjoy the time they have left.

“We should practice again tomorrow.” He said with a smile.