A.N. In regards to the previous chapter, I made a guess as to when the Claymore and Kiri characters will finally meet people from Konoha. I was optimistic; the meeting will likely be delayed a little bit, but it will come. The point of convergence will be the Wave Country arc, which will be noticeably different compared to the canon. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

I do not own Naruto or Claymore. They are the works of Kishimoto Masashi and Yagi Norihiro, respectively. I also do not own any recognizable parts I take from Elfen Lied, which is a work by Okamoto Rin. I do, however, own the new characters that I create for the purpose of the story.

Cynthia

It has been almost a year since we came here.

As I drink from the steaming cup of genmaicha in this mountainside teahouse, I cannot help thinking of the changes in my life since departing the Continent. If anyone had told me two years ago that I would end up in another land not plagued by yoma, I would surely have laughed. Oh, Veronica…if only you are here with me. I have so much to tell you. I certainly would not have thought that after having gone through the hellish battle in Pieta, that we would be enjoying the comparatively peaceful existence here in Kirigakure.

After the initial excitement created by our arrival, the people here have gradually gotten used to our presence, and given us signs of acceptance. It is not easy, but at least no one here has any preconceptions and outset prejudices of what we are or supposed to be, unlike with the people in the Continent. It is true that part of this is due to the fact that most of the populace here does not know of our hybrid nature, and I, for one, find it refreshing to not have distrusting and judgmental looks directed at me as I walk through the streets.

The only thing that stands out for us is the fact that we look foreign, but that is not something we can hide easily. We have fairer complexions than most of the women here, and our facial structure looks different enough that we can be easily noticed in a crowd. That, and the fact we are taller than most of the women, and even some of the men. Especially Galatea, who is easily the tallest woman in all of Kirigakure, and towers over all the men except for Armand and Hoshigaki Kisame. But since Armand had apparently been an exemplary citizen here for so many years, people are more willing to give us a chance, rather than condemn us for our similar strangeness.

Every day, more people offer me a smile and words of greeting as I walk amongst them, which I reciprocate in kind. The fact that we have finally become somewhat more conversant in their language certainly helps, so that we can at least procure goods and services on our own, without the need for translators for these transactions. In fact, I quite enjoy wondering around the village on my own, or sometimes with Yuma or Tabitha tagging along. We know that there are always shinobi watching us, ready to jump in should we wonder too close to anywhere we are not supposed to. But still, I took advantage of whatever freedom allowed us. It had been a long time since we wondered around a village this size, and that last time had been Rabona, all those distant months ago. Already, that seemed like another lifetime away. Some details of our time there are already fading, but I welcome it. While the memory of our fellow warriors in the Continent will always be in my heart, the truth of the matter is we will no longer be going back. We have a new opportunity here now, to make of what we will.

We earn a living by performing odd jobs around the village. Some of the tasks are truly mundane, and not even the genin would perform them. However, since we are not incorporated into the shinobi forces, we are not allowed to take on armed escort missions for the merchants, which would have given us a much higher pay. As it is, the pay we receive from the lowly missions allow us to get the few necessities that we need, without the need to trouble our hosts.

Our prolonged stay has become increasingly embarrassing, at least for me. While Armand and his daughters do not seem bothered by our presence in his home, his wife is another story. She has not outright said anything, and because they are amongst the wealthiest households in the village, our extra presence does not cause any noticeable financial burden on them. It is the way in which she looks at us that reveals what goes on inside her mind. If only we can somehow earn enough to actually move out. Galatea has already done so, by taking on the role of a live-in caretaker for the largest orphanage in the village, to the dismay of Nana. Now only the seven of us remain.

We could, of course, set out to learn a different trade from what we have learned most of our lives. Armand has admitted that part of the reason that he has maintained his sanity is that he set out to learn different skills and professions, as he moved from town to town, which he had done for a greater part of his awakened life. Rather than devolving into a mindless creature with no other desire than to sate its hunger for human innards, he was able to recover some semblance of his former willpower prior to his awakening, and forced himself to blend into human society. When it became clear he had mastered a craft or a trade, he would move on elsewhere, and repeat the process all over again. This is a possibility for us, to completely give up our former livelihood. But, the pride inside ourselves would never allow us to seriously accept this option.

The most obvious solution would be to become shinobi, which would allow us to take on the higher paying jobs available only to them, and enable us to finally live independently from our hosts. That, however, would again bring back the uncomfortable question of whether we are ready to take a human life. The two older Mochizuki sisters have been blunt in their description of some of the more unsavory missions assigned to them, by their own father, no less. In the Organization's history, any warriors discovered to violate this code were ceaselessly pursued and hunted down. A prime example of this was the case with Theresa, which is still a sore point for Clare. Not that I can blame her.

Wanting to turn my head away from that unwelcome train of thought, I decided to shut my mind off, and let my eyes take in the beauty of the rolling morning mist blanketing the ground as far away into the as far away as the eyes can see, into the distant waters surrounding the island. The name 'Kirigakure' is very apt, since there is a layer of mist across the island almost every day of the year. The only difference is how much of the mist exists at any given part of the day. Even at noontime, there is a thin layer of visible moisture hanging in the air. Right now, before the sun has risen far above the horizon, the mist is thick enough to prevent most of the sunlight from filtering through, and instead reflecting off the light, and creating an ethereal splendor that I have come to love. I am not religious, but in this mystic magnificence I believe I can see the hand of a deity at work, if there is one. Though this land is not the land of my birth, its people and everything else about it have slowly wormed their way into my heart. It may be hard for some to believe this, but even silver-eyed witches can feel as human as any not touched by yoma.

My sensitive ears pick up the sound of approaching footsteps. Even though they are trained shinobi, whose steps are much lighter than the average human, such things can still be noticed by those with enhanced hearing from the influence of incorporated yoma flesh. As expected, the usual quartet step through the parting mist, as they make their way up the mountain, and towards this teahouse. After I begin coming here in the early morning, I have found that, except on the days when they have missions, Tayuya's old team uses the teahouse as an unofficial meeting spot after morning training sessions. They are all nice people, even the non-talkative one, Kimimaro. Talking with them is often an interesting experience, especially when they reveal their lives as shinobi.

"Like I said, I hate going to that place," an obviously disgruntled Tayuya tells Haku. "And it's not even like I need to be there if I'm not sick or injured, anyway."

"You know it is the rule, Tayuya. Mizukage-sama wants to ensure the shinobi are all mentally and physically well enough to be carrying out missions." Kimimaro speaks up from behind her, quick to the defense of Armand as usual. "And, really, is it such an excruciating experience? I have never had any trouble myself."

Curiosity has gotten the better of me, and I begin to wonder what it is that they are talking about. It is quite normal to see Tayuya so animated, but for Kimimaro this is quite unusual.

Soon enough, the four of them climbed up the stone stairs leading to the teahouse. Tayuya's sulking face is followed by Haku's quietly amused one. Kimimaro is expressionless, as usual, as he follows the other two. Finally, their former sensei brings up the rear. The woman turns to me, and raises her hand to give me a small wave, and a smile in greeting. I return the gestures, and soon enough the woman is leading her former charges towards my table by the window.

Umeshiro Nozomi, the only other woman, besides Hatsune, amongst the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. She is of noble birth; her father's clan used to be one of the most influential ones, both in Kirigakure and in the capital of Mizu no Kuni. Her mother was said to be a noblewoman who came across the sea from the distant landmass, a place called the Middle Kingdom. Currently she is the only member of her clan; the remaining had been killed during her childhood as a result of political intrigue instigated by rival families during the time of unrest in Kirigakure. For ten years, she hid in her mother's homeland, training herself to become proficient enough to avenge her clan. However, upon her return, all of her enemies had themselves been killed prior to her arrival, leaving her without a purpose. This was until Armand discovered her, and persuaded her to join Kirigakure, and also his cause of reforming the country through his coup.

Upon passing her jounin qualification exams, from what I was told, she was entrusted with three young, bright genin with deeply seated personal issues. They were like fragile ice sculptures—bright under the light, but easily broken if not handled carefully. And yet, she had turned them into an excellent team, passing their chunnin exam on their very first try. However, she turned down the opportunity to work with more genin teams, and had instead focused on working with and improving the team she built.

Said team had just sat down next to me, and the waitress comes by to take their orders. However, their orders have always remained the same, so it becomes little more than formality.

"Good morning, everyone. So what are you guys talking about, if you don't mind me asking, Nozomi-san," I begin the conversation, hoping to learn something new.

"Good morning, Cynthia-san. Tayuya is being very vocal of her dislike of the main hospital, and of the need for the annual checkup required of all shinobi."

"They are just a bunch of useless snobs with the worst professional attitude," Tayuya complains, "and that one I saw last year, Sato, was a pervert, who probably only became a med-nin so that he can feel up kunoichi."

Haku nods in agreement. "Yes, I have also noted his questionable behavior around female patients. But he is careful to not do anything overtly, so as of yet the hospital administrators have no real reason to dismiss him."

"You have got to be kidding me," the girl looks at Haku with incredulity. "I've talked to a bunch of women who had experience with him, and let me tell you, none of them liked him. And they all agreed that he is a pervert."

"Regardless," their former sensei speaks up, "we cannot simply have him dismissed, when we already have a shortage of skilled med-nin. Despite what you feel for that man, he is still a competent medic."

"And that's why he acts the way he does, Sensei, because he knows he has enough leeway to get away with it." Tayuya growls, her displeasure evident. "Are we really that desperate, that we must have people like him working in the hospital?"

"How bad is this shortage of skilled healers?" I am interested, and I leaned in closer to the table to participate in their conversation.

"Not completely desperate, but years of infighting have helped to drive off some of our most skilled personnel to other places in Mizu no Kuni, to protect themselves. And because of the many islands that make up the country, it is easy for each one of them to move to their own rural island away from Kirigakure, and set up practices amongst the civilian towns. Guaranteed income with the decreased competition, and also less chance of them being killed." Nozomi replies, while thanking the waitress for the food that had just been brought to the table.

The conversation takes a pause, as the newly arrived Kiri nin begin taking their morning meal. After a suitable amount of time has passed, I decide to continue it once again.

"And…how difficult is it to become a healer?"

As soon as I asked, all four of them turned their eyes towards me. My face becomes flushed for a few seconds, noticing that I now have their undivided attention.

"Well, you most certainly would need an education in medicine," Haku begins, speculatively, while gently blowing on his miso soup, "on top of the regular shinobi training."

"How interested are you in becoming a med-nin?" Nozomi asks. "To do this, you would need good chakra control...and you have not even had experience in drawing out your own chakra yet."

"Which will not be taught to you, until you decide to actually become a shinobi first," Tayuya helpfully adds, with a smirk. "In case you forgot."

I inwardly frown, though I am careful not to show it on my face. How can I forget, when it seems every other person decides to remind me every single day? I do not really care that much for the shinobi training, but healing sounds interesting. If I can already do so using yoki manipulation, why can I not do the same using another energy source? It is true that we have not been told yet how this thing called chakra precisely works, since there has been no need for us know. But it seems like just about all the people can learn how to use it. Even Armand has been known to use it, so why can't we, warriors who have yet to become fully awakened?

"I have begun some training in becoming a med-nin, Cynthia-san," Haku smiles encouragingly, "and it is entirely doable, even for someone who had not been trained to use chakra at an early age." I cannot but help reply with a smile of my own. I would not mind working with him, not at all.

"If you do it, it would be a godsend for all the women," Tayuya adds, "there are not enough women serving as med-nin, even though women typically have better chakra control than men." While her reasoning is selfish, at least I can understand it.

"I would welcome any new addition to Kiri…it would certainly help us." Kimimaro calmly gives his input, seemingly unperturbed, and not caring whether I do it or not. At least he is being somewhat supportive.

"In the end," Nozomi says, drawing everyone's attention back to her, "the decision is yours to make. Let no one put pressure on you. You have to be willing to put in the effort, and live with the choice. Also, despite the fact that med-nin are valued mainly for their healing skills, they are still called upon to fight, if the situation demands it. Would you be able to handle the task of both taking a life and healing one?"

I think over her words quietly to myself, even as the conversation ceases, and the five of us begin to partake in our meal in silence.

Afterwards, when I bid good day to the others, I begin walking back towards the compound. Hopefully some of the others are there, so that I can broach the topic of a meeting with Armand, so that we can finally decide whether to join the shinobi of Kirigakure.

I have made my decision, but it remains to be seen how the others take it.

Kisame

It is a rare sight to see Armand excited. Or as close to excitation as his body language reveals, anyway.

But, here we are, waiting in his office, and he seems full of anticipation.

"You look like a child who has found a secret stash of sweets," I drily comment.

"I will disregard the comparison of myself with a child, but I think you will feel the same, when you find out why it is I have called you here." Armand replies, without bothering to look at me. "Trust me, this is going to change your life."

"Usually when someone says something like that," I narrow my eyes in annoyance, "it does not bode well."

Finally turning his head to look at me, I can see the sign of mirth in his eyes. What is he planning now, I wonder?

"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, so you are just going to have to wait a bit longer."

Grunting a response, I decide to look at the other occupant of the room. Hatsune seems unperturbed, and seems to be taking everything in stride. Whether it is because she is used to her father's behavior, or because she already has knowledge of this supposed great surprise, I know not. But I do know I hate being the one left out of the loop.

Fortunately, I do not have to wait for much longer. Eight new chakra signatures appeared, walking sedately towards the Mizukage's office. Over the course of the year, I have committed to memory the unique chakra of these women. Though they are no longer complete strangers, as they have taken to wondering around more often, rather than staying inside the Mochizuki compound, there is still much mystery around them. And I would dearly love to find out more.

A knock is sounded, and Armand calls them in. All three of us turn to watch them enter the room.

Not much has changed from their initial appearance. But then again, all of them seemed to have reached equilibrium in terms of their physical appearance due to their inner yoma. There is no denying that all of them are great beauties, and any man would give an arm to have one of them by his side. It is not surprising that a secret betting pool had been set up some time ago, to see which one of these women would finally break out of her shell, and at least show an interest in one of the men in Kirigakure. It is amusing, to be sure, especially the fact that Galatea has attracted the highest amount of fervent attention. Despite the fact that she is a nun, none of them are deterred. Her sizeable following is convinced that one of them would finally be the one to convince her to give up her holy vows, and join the secular world. I wish them luck, because I certainly do not believe it will happen anytime soon.

When the doors to the office are finally closed, Armand sits up straighter, and beckon all of us to gather around him.

"Now, as I understand it, the eight of you have finally reached a decision in regards to your future here?"

Oho, so this is what it's about. Looks like the subliminal messages directed at them over the course of the past year has finally gotten to them.

"We have," admitted Miria, their voice once again. Her face shows no unease, and her tone does not betray any uncertainty. Evidently they have had enough time to contemplate this.

"So, what have you decided?" Armand looks each of them over, and raises his eyebrows in question.

"I will remain a civilian. I have chosen this path long before we even left the Continent, and I am content to work in the orphanage." Galatea speaks up, without hesitation, with her eyes closed. "And I am sure it would have been almost impossible to be a shinobi without the use of my eyes."

"That is so," Armand responds, with a slight raise on the edges of his lips, "but you and I both know it is possible to rectify that. And it is actually not as difficult as you make it out to be, as long as you desire to effect the change."

Now that is an interesting thing to know. I had heard about Armand's extraordinary healing abilities using the yoki in his body, and I had assumed these women also have them. But this is the first time I have heard of actually restoring one's sight. I always thought the loss of one's eyes is irreversible. If this is not the case, then why had she not taken advantage of this yet? Why reason could there be to continue living with this deficiency?

The nun is now frowning. "Perhaps one of my reasons is because I do not want to be drawn into another conflict away from the Continent, especially any of your devising."

"If that is the case, I will not push you." Closing his eyes in resignation, Armand releases a sigh. I suppress an urge to grin. It is no secret that he has been more interested in Galatea than any of the other women. I am surprised that Kaede has not throttled him and banned him from the compound for this yet. Even though the woman has moved out into the orphanage, probably because she knows of Kaede's distrust of her as a possible home wrecker, he still stops by her orphanage now and then.

"But I still think you should be trained in at least chakra detection. It will make your life easier as well." Armand continues on, apparently undeterred. "There are no guards assigned to the orphanage, so you would be the only one protecting the children there from any possible harm. The least you can do is to learn some basics so that you can at least hold off any intruders, until help arrives."

Well, I must give him points for persistence.

With a shake of her head, knowing that Armand will pursue the issue to the end no matter what, she finally deigns to respond. "Do whatever you like."

"Excellent," Armand now turns to look at the other women, his mood obviously improved. Being one of the few who knows his estimate of his age, I cannot but help roll my eyes. He really does act like a brat sometime. At least he doesn't throw a temper tantrum if he doesn't get his way. Is this the secret to being a Mizukage? If that is the case, then I'm glad I decided not to follow through with the jest of fighting him for the title. I have a reputation to uphold, and I do not want to sink to sweet talk my way to success. Besides, I know myself well enough to know I wouldn't be able to pull it off, even if I tried.

"Now, what about the rest of you?"

"Do you honestly care? It looks like we are only needed to fill the background or something," Helen speaks up, with sarcasm dripping heavily. "As long as you can have Galatea, we may as well not be here at all."

"Nonsense, what gives you that idea?" Armand turns his eyes to her, with a smile. "I appreciate your opinions just as much as anyone else."

"That doesn't always seem to be the case, but whatever." Deneve speaks up, with her arms crossed in front of her. "Both Helen and I would like to become shinobi, so yes, we will pledge loyalty to this village."

"Hey! I thought I was the one to let everyone know what we decided on!" Helen cries out in mock annoyance.

"You are taking forever with your dramatics, and the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get on with our lives." Deneve calmly responds, not falling for her histrionics.

"I will join also," Miria speaks up, tuning out the sideshow between Deneve and Helen. "After a year of reflection, I have realized that after seeing the fall of the Organization, I no longer had a purpose in life. While I do not know if I can learn to live as you obviously have done, I honestly would not mind protecting the people here."

"As will I," Tabitha quickly adds.

"I will also," Clare's eyes lock on those of Armand. "Although you will have to let me go, if I do hear anything about Raki's whereabouts."

This Raki, I was told, was someone she had left behind from their travel here. Still, what could she possibly do, now that there is such a distance away from their original point of departure, and it has been so long since they last met?

"Shinobi do not always get to choose such things for themselves," Armand sternly looks at her. "And it really does not reflect well on you, the fact that you openly admit that you are likely to leave someday."

A tense silence follow, as everyone else looks on at the two of them.

"I can simply reject your request, and send you out of here on a ship back to the Continent," Armand slowly continues, while tapping his fingers against the desk. "If you really want to find him, why not simply leave? Why not leave your companions behind? None of them are part of your personal quest."

Silence once again greets his words. All the humor has left his face, and he is focusing his eyes on Clare.

Finally, she opens her mouth, with a reluctant response. "No, but I cannot leave them now, until I know for sure what has happened to him. I made a promise to him, and I want to be able to see it through. I have already lost enough, and until I know for sure he is dead, I will not give up on my promise. But at the same time, I am unwilling to leave right away, having gone through so much in the last few years with my fellow warriors."

"If you don't mind me asking," Hatsune asks, "just how important is this person to you?"

"He is one of the reasons why I have remained human so far, rather than going off the deep end, or end up dead." Clare affirmatively answers, without a shadow of a doubt in her response.

"Clare," Miria shoots her a note of warning, while looking towards me.

"He already knows, so it doesn't matter." Armand answers for me, preempting the need for me to explain. "It is kind of hard to hide this from him, anyway, since he can detect the differences between your chakra and that of a normal human being."

"You told him?" Miria's voice holds a certain level of incredulity, and her eyes betray her shock.

"Is this supposed to remain a secret?" I gruffly ask in response. I am standing right here, and there is no need to talk as if I'm not here. "If it puts your mind at ease, the number of people that know of this is limited, so you have no need to worry about it. Only one other person besides Armand's family and me knows about your condition, and neither of us will talk. We have enough sense not to."

Seven pairs of grey eyes, and one set of white, turn towards me. Silently evaluating my trustworthiness.

I give a cocky grin in response, knowing full well the kind of effect it usually has on people. "Do I look like someone who will easily cave in and gossip?"

A few of them turned away, while some remained focused on me, doubtful. It's not like I can really change the way I look. If they don't think I can be trusted, then it's too bad for them; I already know their secret, whether they want me to or not. I had been a part of the Intelligence squad in the past, and I had always protected vital information, for the good of Kirigakure. There is no need to prove myself to anyone.

"Kisame is very good at keeping secrets," Hatsune speaks up for me, in reassurance. Not that I really need it, but it is good to see I am appreciated. I had actually fancied her, despite our age gap, until the Kaguya boy came up to me and none too subtly told me to keep away from her. I kept at it for awhile, just to annoy him, since we both know he still cannot best me in combat, but in the end decided to put a stop to it. Why bother, when there are plenty of fish in the ocean?

"Anyway, we are getting off topic here," Armand draws their attention away from me, "but I would also like to assure you Kisame's trustworthiness, as well as that of Ao, the other one who also knows."

A few nods in response, and Miria finally looks like she is willing to let go of the issue.

"Now then, what about the two of you?" Armand asks of Cynthia and Yuma, the only ones yet without a response.

"I, um, I would also like to join," Yuma offers a rather lackluster response. Going with the flow, I guess.

"I will as well, but I also have a condition," Cynthia looks on, with a benign expression.

"Oh, man, not you too, Cynthia," Helen groans in response. "What issues do you have? We never heard you telling us anything that you have left unfinished."

"Well, then, let us hear it," Armand prods, with a neutral look. Though it cannot hide the curiosity evident in his voice. I too am curious, though I try to rein in my interest.

"I would like to specialize to become a med-nin."

I blink, and I turn to see that both Hatsune and Armand also are fascinated by this response. Does she even know what she is asking?

"I spoke with Haku-san and his team earlier this week," Cynthia confesses, "and they explained to me some of the challenges of becoming a med-nin. But I am confident in my abilities, and I have an interest in healing."

"Well, this is somewhat unexpected," Armand murmurs, while thinking out loud. "But med-nin is a very demanding occupation, and the key to it is a keen mind and good chakra control."

"I understand." Cynthia looks undeterred. "I was told that there is a shortage here of med-nin, and I would like to help."

"So you have heard about that," understanding now dawning on Hatsune's face.

"You have a need for healers?" Galatea asks, her curiosity awakened.

"We do, actually. Have you decided to reconsider your earlier decision?" Armand is quick to ask. "I do not want to unduly influence you though, of course."

"Since you put it that way," Galatea's face turns sardonic, "then I will say, no."

Armand's face fell, but honestly, did he expect otherwise?

"Otou-sama…" Hatsune finally speaks up, mild censure found in her voice and her eyes.

"Yes, daughter of mine, I will lay off." Armand waves her off. After schooling his face again, he turns to Cynthia with an intense look. "I will most certainly welcome a new med-nin, but please understand that not just anyone can become one. As it is, the training will take time, and not all of the people in the hospital have time to spare. You will have to do most of the work on your own, with probably some pointers here and there from whoever has time available, unless I can find a person who can dedicate more time to supervise your training. Will you be able to do that?"

"Yes," Cynthia responds with a smile, "and Haku-san has agreed to help me, teaching me what he knows."

"Well, that certainly is convenient," Armand nods. "Very well, seeing as he is apprenticed to the head medic, and his skills are already notable, I will agree to this."

"Hey, that's great, Cynthia!" Helen enthusiastically congratulates her. "Although I have no clue whatsoever how different this med-nin thing works. Will we still be able to see you?"

"You will," Armand assures her. "Even though she will be doing much more self studies and individual work compared to the regular shinobi, she won't be hidden away in a hospital, at least just yet."

"Before we continue, are all seven of you sure about your decision to become shinobi?" He gives a searching look at the seven black-clad women. "You all had a year to think this over, since the last time we discussed this. Remember, you are likely going to be asked to take human lives during the course of this career path. Not every mission will necessarily involve bloodshed, but you have to be prepared for it if the occasion rises. Will you be able to follow through?"

I had heard something about their code of not taking human lives, so the question is not surprising. If they aren't, then they best give up any ideas of becoming shinobi.

"We have thought it over," Miria speaks up once again for the others. "We may not like it, but for the protection of those that are defenseless, we will do it."

Seeing no signs to the contrary from the other six women, Armand opens up a drawer, and takes out seven head plates. "Then, I welcome you all to the service of Kirigakure no Sato."

All seven take their turn in picking up the head plate, but begin looking at each other, as if unsure where to place them.

"They are called 'head plates' for a reason," I remind them, "but plenty of shinobi seem to think they are more useful as decorations than as actual forehead protectors, so what do I know. Feel free to place them anywhere conspicuous on your body, as long as they don't get lost."

After an awkward moment, all seven decided on wrapping them around their left arms.

Talk about herd mentality.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Armand snaps his fingers, as he starts filling out the necessary paperwork to confirm their status as active shinobi. "For the purpose of registration, I have decided upon a surname for all of you. Galatea can also choose to use it, if she likes. Not that you actually need one, but I think it's better to have other people reference you with a name, rather than 'those foreign women,' don't you think?"

"You have chosen a surname for us, without our input?" Galatea speaks up with raised eyebrows. "Somehow I am not surprised."

"And just what have you decided upon?" Deneve asks, a frown visible on her forehead.

Knowing Armand, though, their unease is probably unfounded.

"Nishinosono."

"The Garden of the West," Tabitha carefully translates out loud. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"A rather nice way to reference the Continent," Cynthia rolls the name around her mouth, before giving a bright smile. "I like it."

"A nice euphemism, more like." Deneve shakes her head. "But I am fine with it."

"Hah, that means we are sisters now," Helen smirks, while hooking her right arm over Clare's shoulders, "Isn't that great?"

"Sure," Clare comments, non-committal.

The rest of them either nods or shrugs. For people who have lived without surnames for so long, they presumably felt no real need to celebrate having one now. Especially since they have been together before their arrival here, so probably do not need a name to connect them together any further.

Clasping his hands together, and placing them on the table, he looks them over. "Right, so now, that brings us to the second part of this meeting."

"The assigning of teams." Deneve says, more as a statement of fact than a question.

"Huh, how do you know about this, Deneve?" Helen turns around to ask her, bewildered at the discrepancy in their knowledge of how shinobi operate.

"Just through observation and hearing people talk. Shinobi operate in teams, just like we used to do in the Continent. It ensures greater chance of success."

"Correct," Hatsune nods in approval, "we now have to see how best to divide you into two teams."

I cannot help but grin. So, this is what Armand had in mind for me. He knows me well, not trusting me with sniveling brats as a genin team, knowing I would probably work them to death. Heh, at last I get to test myself against them, and see for myself just how strong they are.

"Galatea has already said she would not take part, so we will leave her out. Cynthia will take part in training exercises, alternating between the two teams, while working towards being a med-nin." Armand announces. "So, six of you remain, which can be divided evenly into two teams."

Everyone now looks at him, and the look of anticipation is obvious on a few of them. Helen is the most obvious one, while Yuma and Tabitha also seem more interested than the others.

"The first team will be Miria, Tabitha, and Helen."

"WHAT?" Helen exclaims in surprise, with her mouth hanging open. Miria looks unperturbed, while Tabitha looks relieved.

"And the second team will be Deneve, Clare, and Yuma." Having already heard the previous list, the other three are not so surprised. Though Yuma looks somewhat bothered by it. Did she want to be on Miria's team?

"Wait a minute," Helen protests.

Armand, however, continues onward as if he did not hear her. "The first team will be lead by Hoshigaki Kisame, and Mochizuki Hatsune will take charge of the second team."

Now that is a surprise, and I turn around to look at Hatsune. She, too, seems stunned. Both of us obviously thought she would be the one to have Miria on her team. Her fighting style, as seen from the exhibition fight months ago, suggest that it is similar to Hatsune's. Why would he not pair them off?

Finally acknowledging Helen's complaints, Armand wearily turns to look at her. "Yes, Helen. Do you have something you would like to share with us?"

"Yeah I do! Why did you put Deneve and me in separate teams? We are meant to be together!"

Deneve, for her part, pinches her nose with her eyes closed, probably having guessed this kind of reaction from Helen.

"While I will not say how that statement can be misconstrued," Armand drily notes, "I do have my reasoning."

"Like what?" Helen asks in challenge.

"One thing you are going to have to learn is to obey your superiors, unless you have some serious moral objections to whatever it is they ask of you." Armand responds slowly, as if he is lecturing a five year old rather than a fully grown woman. "But then again, you probably should not be a shinobi if that sort of thing happens very often."

"I just want to know your reasoning, that's all."

"Are you sure you want to find out?" Armand asks. "Some of you may not like my reasoning."

"I'm sure we can accept it," Miria speaks up, cutting off whatever response Helen was prepared to make. Probably a good thing.

"I see. Very well, then." Armand leans back into his seat, while looking the six of them over again, one by one.

"Miria has obvious leadership qualities, and is also one of the strongest. Clare is probably the second strongest amongst you, so it does not make sense to have the both of them on the same team."

Everyone nods in understanding.

"Clare also happens to be good with yoki detection. I do not actually know whether that means she will also excel in chakra sensing, but I think there is a correlation. Since Tabitha is the yoki detection specialist amongst you, then I cannot have the two of them on the same team either. So Tabitha goes with Miria."

Tabitha gives a small smile, obviously thankful that her trait has allowed her to be chosen for Miria's team.

"After Miria, the other person with the most sensible head on her shoulders is Deneve. She will be on Clare's team."

Deneve's eyes widen minutely, but then return to normal quickly. Clare has an annoyed look, having understood the subtle jibe.

"Exactly, so that means there's one more person for each team. Why can't I get the third slot for Deneve's team?" Helen asks once again. "No offense to Miria-nee, but I have worked with Deneve the longest."

Armand's patience is obviously wearing thin, as his eyes are narrowed. Almost half a minute passes, before he finally chooses to answer.

"I didn't want to say this because I did not want to unnecessarily offend anyone," he quietly says. "But out of all of you, the strongest, currently, are Miria and Clare, followed by Deneve and yourself."

Yuma's face fell, though Tabitha seems to accept the situation with better grace.

"If I were to place the three of you together, the strength of the two teams will be uneven. That is the reason why I decided to place Yuma with Clare and Deneve, and for you to be on Miria's team."

Well, that was awkward. And I can see that Helen is feeling sheepish, realizing the unfortunate way in which Armand's assessments were laid out in the open. But she can't say that he didn't warn her.

Now, the only thing remaining is to explain his choice of sensei for the two teams, but both Hatsune and I know we can ask him some other time.

"This is an unusual arrangement, as none of you have gone through the Shinobi Academy here, so not only will your senseis have to teach you some of the basics, they would also have to work towards building you into an acceptable genin team that can be nominated for the chunnin exams." Armand continues. "In some aspects you are already quite capable, while in others you are direly lacking. You all have above-human strength, are skilled with your claymores, and have worked together as teams in the past. But at the same time, you do not even know how to draw out and utilize chakra yet, or make use of ninjutsu and genjutsu. I will let your senseis figure out how best to approach this."

"Heh, no problem," I give a confident grin. Armand was right; I am looking forward to this. I have never bothered nominating myself for to be a jounin sensei, and most people probably would never have allowed me to take charge of one, fearing I would break the children. Still, since it is one of the few things I have yet to do as a shinobi, the least I can do is to try it out. After all, there is no way I can traumatize women that have faced off against human flesh-eating yoma any further.

Not to mention I can brag the fact I have three kunoichi in my genin team. I need to have someone with a camera with me when I disclose this to those women's fan clubs.

"Understood," Hatsune responds with a smile. Her inclusion as a jounin sensei for this lot is not so surprising. After all, she already possesses an understanding of them.

"Now then, Galatea and Cynthia can stay, while I suggest the two teams take time to get to know each other."

"Is that actually a suggestion? And I thought I made clear my decision to remain a civilian, so why have you included me when you will likely be discussing military matters?" Galatea asks in slight annoyance.

"You have, but I thought you allowed me to include you to teach you how to use chakra. Or have you already forgotten about that?" Armand responds with amusement.

I chuckle, while turning towards my new team. "Ok, the three of you, let's get going." There is still an entire of afternoon for me to work with them. Might as well get the most out of the rest of this day.

"Team, follow me," Hatsune calls on the other women, and together we leave the office.

A.N. Nishinosono = 西の園, in case anyone is curious. Genmaicha is brown rice tea, a green tea with roasted brown rice.

Please review, and offer any constructive criticisms. I have an idea developing in my head, but I would welcome any suggestions that can improve the story.