Chapter 18: Solving the Problem
"I think you might be overthinking it, Neji," Lee offered consolingly.
Neji whirled on him. "Overthinking? Do you have any idea what my life has been like, being raised to obey the Main Family's every command?"
His fists clenched. "The way they used to look at me... like a tool that could be discarded at any moment! And now, suddenly, they're smiling at me, asking if I'm okay? If it's not for Hinata's sake, what else could it be?"
"He's afraid I'll be a threat to Hinata in the squad, afraid I'll outshine her. So he's using this fake kindness to buy me off! To make me go easy on her in training, to protect her on missions, and in the end, to make everyone see: 'Look, no matter how strong the Branch Family is, they're just an accessory for the Main Family's heiress!'"
In the nearby woods, Kakashi and Might Guy watched the emotional Neji.
They hadn't opposed this 12-person super-squad, but they weren't exactly supportive, either.
Even with their future memories, knowing these twelve would become great friends, the sudden change in teaching methods was jarring. After all, this was the system they had been raised in.
They had no idea how to teach so many students at once.
Guy leaned against a tree, scratching his head as he watched Neji and Lee. "I never knew Neji was carrying so much," he said. "Back on Team 3, he never once mentioned the 'Caged Bird' seal to me."
Kakashi had one hand in his pocket, the other holding Make-Out Paradise. "The rift in the Hyuga clan can't be fixed with just a few words. Before, we just had to watch one or two kids. Now, managing twelve... it's a drag."
"A drag or not, we have to do it!" Guy suddenly straightened, slamming his fist into his palm. "These kids are Konoha's future! The future has so much in store for them."
"What's more troublesome," Kakashi lowered his voice, "is that right now... everyone except Neji and Naruto is probably just like us."
Guy's fist froze in mid-air, a look of confusion on his face. "You mean... aside from Neji and Naruto, the other kids... they all have their future memories?"
"It's highly likely. I've noticed something... off about all of them," Kakashi explained. "I'm only certain that Naruto and Neji don't."
"I know Naruto too well. If he knew something, he'd just blurt it out."
"As for Neji, his obsession is too deep. He's completely bound by the 'Caged Bird' and his grudge against the Main Family. I don't believe a man who, in the future, would die for Hinata, would come back and act this way."
Guy followed his logic and nodded in realization. "You're right! If Neji had his memories, he wouldn't be rejecting Hinata like this. On the future battlefield, he protected her with his life."
"The others are a different story," Kakashi continued. "During training... their movements... you don't get that polished unless you've been through multiple battles."
Guy scratched his head. "So what do we do now? Just tell them we know?"
Kakashi shook his head. "We observe, for now. If they really came back with their memories, they definitely have their own plans."
He gave a meaningful glance toward Lee. "Besides, I suspect some of them... might not have returned for purely simple reasons."
"Then what do they want? To come back with memories, not say anything, and just pretend to be normal? Do they have a plan?" Guy pressed.
"Hard to say." Kakashi leaned back against the tree. "Maybe they want to fix their own regrets. Like Sakura wanting to stop Sasuke from leaving. Maybe they want to protect the people around them, like Shikamaru wanting to avoid future dangers. Or maybe... someone wants to change something much more critical."
He didn't finish the thought, but a chill ran down Guy's spine.
He thought of the world-ending war, of the comrades they'd lost. If someone tried to change the course of the war... could it trigger an even worse chain reaction?
"Should we warn them?" Guy asked, anxious. "What if their plans go wrong and they end up getting hurt?"
"Wait." Kakashi shook his head. "We have no proof. Warning them now will just tip our hand. Besides, look at them. They all have their own agendas, but they aren't doing anything to hurt each other."
He paused. "And... they've all lived through the future. They know better than we do what they want to protect. If we interfere, we might just mess up their rhythm. It's better to watch. If things really go wrong, we can step in then."
In the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado rubbed their tired eyes.
They had been staring at the crystal ball all morning.
CRASH!
The office door was kicked open by Tsunade.
She strode to the crystal ball and slammed her palm down on it. "Spying on the kids? You really need to change this nasty hobby, Old Man."
"This is necessary moni—" Homura didn't even finish before a scroll was thrown into his lap.
"Moni-what? Monitoring?" She braced one hand on the desk, looming over the three elders. "While those kids are working their asses off to change the future, you're still using old-world thinking to spy on your comrades?"
"This is a necessary security measure! Who's to guarantee that one of them doesn't have ulterior motives?" Koharu argued.
"Ulterior motives?" Tsunade sneered, grabbing a scroll from beside the crystal ball. "And your 'security measure' is to... stare at a bunch of kids all morning?"
Homura clutched the scroll in his lap, his face pale. "We don't suspect the children. We're afraid someone will use the 'future memories' as a pretext to make other moves! You know the dangers of the future. What if someone tries to use the children to change something, and ends up destroying Konoha?"
"Whatever. I didn't come here to fight with you. Open the scroll and look."
When the scroll was unrolled, it listed the members of the Akatsuki. Beside each name were their abilities and weaknesses.
"This is...?"
"Intel on the future enemy."
"These... these are all the people who will threaten Konoha?" Homura's voice broke the silence.
His earlier justification about "security measures" suddenly seemed pale and pathetic in the face of this heavy intelligence. Like a joke.
"I brought this intel here, not to prove how redundant your spying is, but to make you understand: the real danger has never been those children. It's these enemies, hiding in the shadows."