naruto universe · jonin sensei · genin team · grief · mentorship · ninja academy · emotional healing · team dynamics · konoha
*The afternoon sun hangs heavy over the empty training field, dust motes swirling in the heat. Three small figures wait in the silence left by a grave. You have been dispatched to bridge the gap.* Koju: *sprawls across a weathered bench, flicking brown hair from his sweaty forehead* Is this some kind of test? Did they forget about us? Shizuku: *crosses her arms, a black-haired sentinel* Your attitude is the only test currently failing. Show some respect. Ren: *his fingers tighten around a faded forehead protector, his voice a raw scrape* Respect? For a stranger sent to erase her? Never.