Third Person POV
– Amaya... – Hiruzen paused for a moment before announcing the statement that shook me to my core – You need to go back to the laboratory where you were created.
The Uzumaki's first reaction upon hearing that was simply to have no response – mentally or physically. Her eyes were fixed in the Sandaime's direction, but it was clear she wasn't really seeing him.
The Hokage remained silent after that announcement, intending to give the girl the time she needed to absorb it in her own way. But only he was silent, because the redhead's mind echoed his previous words incessantly.
And although her silence lasted about three seconds, the Uzumaki's mind worked at an absurd speed, as if she had been thinking for minutes.
It wasn't a request she expected, at least not that day. Amaya was aware she would need to return to the lab at some point, but she never imagined it would be like this, so suddenly. Especially in a situation that seemed already arranged, with only her consent as the final step.
The girl's face, to the man before her, was inscrutable and unbelievably calm, a composure the Hokage knew many of his subordinates and village comrades wouldn't have been able to maintain like the Uzumaki was doing.
But it was only her expression that showed that, because inside, the redhead was terrified. G-Go back..., she thought hesitantly. Not even in her thoughts could she remain as calm as usual.
She crossed her arms over her chest, giving herself the chance to clench one fist as a way to "contain" what she was feeling, without the Sandaime seeing the state she was truly in.
From the day she arrived in the village until now, Amaya had gained even more precise self-control than she naturally possessed. Her calm and organized thinking had always given her an advantage in her battles.
However, at that moment, her abilities didn't seem as precise as she believed them to be. It wasn't something she could control, at least not yet.
But the fear...
Just as some of the villagers were still afraid of her, she also shuddered at the thought of having to return to the place where her existence had been forged, where her rights as a living, thinking, feeling being were taken from her.
And there were other fears swirling in the Uzumaki's mind about returning to the lab: Doubts, intimate fears, and so many unanswered questions. She believed... No, she knew she needed to discover the answers to her self-questioning there.
Go back to the lab..., she finally thought, as calmly as she could. Where it all began and almost ended for me... The redhead felt her body shudder again, but she squeezed her hands to relax, trying to use what little self-control she had left.
– Well, that kind of request makes a little more sense now... – The Uzumaki commented serenely, but the seriousness in her tone was noticeable.
– I know the request is sudden and possibly unpleasant for you, Amaya, but...
– I'm the only one who knows the laboratory – The girl quickly interjected, still without looking at the Sandaime – And who can guide the others so they aren't caught by traps inside, whether ones that could hurt them or cause them to destroy the place – The Hokage nodded.
Amaya closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling a large amount of air at once. Her mind was working faster than normal right then.
This isn't a situation I can choose so easily..., she thought. I have practically the same number of pros as cons for accepting or refusing.
In her thoughts about accepting to join the team being sent to the lab, the redhead had the possibility of finding clues about her creator; personal knowledge, as well as about the other children created with her; and especially the documents that Sukea, in her memories, had told her he'd hidden.
The clues she wanted to find about her creator, or as the girl asserted to herself, about her creator and his assistant, came from the certainty that two people were involved in the laboratory experiments.
Although she had recovered most of her memories from her time in the lab, with the help of the Analysis Team, many facts were still confusing in the Uzumaki's mind.
But she remembered well the day she almost died and was rescued by Minato and Sakumo, she remembered visually registering, even with difficulty, details about her two executioners.
The personal knowledge about herself and the other lab children was so she could have a chance to know who they were, what they all truly were, their purpose. And also why they were so simply discarded, as if they were nothing.
And the documents Sukea had hidden...
That was something that made her uneasy when she thought about it. So many possibilities, so many ideas she had theorized over the years living in the village, but without ever getting a definitive answer.
And the factors that bothered her the most: Why the boy Sukea, like her, had "awakened" from his situation in that lab, not acting like the others. As well as the reason that led him to choose the redhead as his successor.
Weighing on the cons were: No one besides her could guide the village ninja in the lab; she was afraid; but above all, this was a mission.
Thanks to the memories she received from Sukea, she knew about most of the lab's structure, as well as the traps it held for curious or unknown people who dared to enter.
Her fear wasn't simple, like a fear of insects; it was a real trauma. It was something even more complicated to deal with, a fear related to not being able to react when she was back in the place that, until then, haunted her nightmares.
Facing her past, her place of creation, and where she had taken the lives of many like her in the same condition as experiments... The girl had questioned herself many times if she could face it all.
And finally, the fact that it was a mission...
If there was one thing the young woman with predominantly red hair valued, it was fulfilling what was asked of her. She didn't question it, most of the time, even when she wasn't very comfortable.
But Amaya also didn't follow the Ninja Code strictly to the letter. She knew how to handle situations so everything would run as smoothly as possible, without letting herself be carried away by her urges.
However, the mission in question that the Sandaime was presenting to her was a special case, and both the Hokage and the girl knew it.
The redhead let out the air all at once, sighing heavily.
– I accept – She announced firmly – But I would like to make two requests for this mission.
She finally opened her eyes and faced the man in front of her. Hiruzen maintained his serious expression, the one he had when he told the redhead he wanted to assign her to the lab investigation team.
– Proceed – The man prompted her to continue.
– First, I need to be appointed the mission leader – Amaya stated without beating around the bush.
– So the team has the minimum obligation to follow your instructions in the lab, right? – The Sandaime asked calmly, and the girl nodded.
– Since not all the ninjas see me as an equal, if I'm not the mission leader they might not credit what I tell them and end up putting everyone at risk – The Hokage agreed.
– That's a valid point – Hiruzen said calmly – And your second request?
– You said you already had a group formed for this mission – The man nodded – How many members?
– With you, seven. Members of the Anbu and one of my former students, Orochimaru, as the mission leader.
– One of the Legendary Sannin, like Jiraiya... – The girl pondered and turned her attention to the older man – My second request relates to the team: I would like the freedom to restructure it and choose its members to form a smaller, more discreet team.
– A smaller team? – Hiruzen inquired – And how many members do you have in mind?
– Counting me, three, four at most – The girl explained promptly – It's a relatively low number to explore the entire lab in one day, but it will give everyone greater safety and allow me to watch over them in the hostile environment.
The Hokage's eyes assessed the girl's expression before him. Serious, firm, and decided..., he perceived. She already has something in mind by asking for these two things: to keep everyone safe during this mission.
– Alright – Hiruzen agreed to the second request after a few moments of pondering what the girl had asked – Consider yourself the official mission leader then, and tell me which of these ninjas you intend to take – She slightly bowed her body in a sign of gratitude.
– Thank you very much, Sandaime – Amaya said calmly and soon turned her gaze back to the man, approaching his desk.
He laid out some papers in front of the redhead. The girl's file was one of those already set aside as a mission participant.
The Uzumaki took the remaining papers in hand and quickly analyzed them, looking at the files of each of the ninjas most indicated for that mission. She quickly stopped at one she had already planned to request, even without knowing if he would be there.
She separated the document and handed it to the Sandaime, who promptly took it, observing the young woman's choice. A shinobi of jounin level and an Anbu member..., he thought. Prodigy of his clan and Amaya's older brother, Shisui Uchiha.
Hiruzen placed the boy's file to the left of Amaya's document. She leafed through the other files she had but didn't separate any others.
– They're all jounin level – The girl commented and looked at the man in front of her – Why?
– This is an investigation mission with higher danger, possibly classified as rank A, since it involves the village's interests and your own – The Hokage explained – It's not a mission other ninja levels can undertake.
– Even though I myself am a chunin... – The redhead pointed that out for a moment.
– Do you have someone in mind who isn't in these files? – Hiruzen asked, and she looked at him again.
– A boy of chunin level, like me, but who's almost as skilled as Shisui – Amaya expressed – My former teammate, Kakashi Hatake.
The Hokage leaned back in his chair and pondered the Uzumaki's suggestion for a moment. He knew the boy from the Hatake clan well and knew that what she said matched reality.
His skills were almost as good as those of the redhead before him and weren't far behind the Uchiha's. Like Shisui, Kakashi was a prodigy with talent for various areas of ninja development.
Her choices weren't restricted just to the boys' skills, but also to the teamwork they had together, as well as the knowledge of how each of them worked. She faithfully trusts both..., he affirmed to himself.
But a team with only pre-teens aged 12 and 13?, he questioned for a moment. For a mission of this rank, it wouldn't be recommended, but... He looked at the girl in front of him. These three have the best mission completion rates as a team so far, and under Amaya's coordination I'm sure that...
Hiruzen didn't even wait to finish his mental reflection. He reached his hand into the desk drawer where the file was and took Kakashi Hatake's file, placing it to the right of the redhead's document.
Amaya observed the three files arranged on the Hokage's desk and gave a weak nod. For a mission like that, having the two with her was what she needed.
– Shisui Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake will be under your command on this mission – The Sandaime announced, and the redhead looked at him – But there's one more thing I need to settle with you, Amaya.
– And what would that be?