Stumble [Rewrite]

Intelligence

"Hm. How would you feel if we were to bring you into the intelligence sector?" he asked. Sakura blinked.

"You want to recruit me?"

::

"Recruit is a strong word, Sakura-chan," Genma said. "You're just a suitable person that we want to join our forces."

"... You realize that's the definition of recruit, right, Shiranui-san?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Sakura turned her gaze to the window as she considered their offer. She could deny it, but she had to say, an offer like this could really help her along the way and give her the extra training she needed to increase a lot of aspects about herself. For one, if she had training within this sector, she could raise her chakra capacity even further than she had done for herself. The capacity she had now wasn't satisfying, as she could only train on the water's surface for about forty-five minutes before she ran dangerously low.

"I would accept the offer," she said, "but you'd have to ask my parents first, and I don't know what they'll say."

She wasn't lying that time. Content with the answer, Ibiki stood. "Shiranui, show Haruno around the building. I'll be no more than an hour."

He sauntered out of the office, leaving Genma to smile down at the small girl. "So, Sakura-chan. Shall we get going? The building's pre~tty big."

::

It took a lot to get Ibiki genuinely interested. He had been in the T&I for a number of years and had seen his fair share of different personalities and attitudes, but never had he seen a child like that Haruno Sakura. He knew how kids acted as he once had a younger brother himself. Kids were supposed to be a bit ignorant, carefree, and have a bit of naivety no matter who they were. Hell, even Uchiha kids acted like normal kids-- and their entire clan had sticks up their asses.

Something was severely wrong with her. Really. And he was going to figure out what it was.

The particular aspect about her that bothered him the most were her eyes. They looked... tired. Not the I-didn't-get-enough-sleep kind of tired, but the I've-seen-too-much kind of tired. But what could she have seen? There was something else unsettling about her eyes. Along with that tired look was something sort of... haunted.

The only time he'd seen that kind of haunted look was from a war veteran who had seen their friends die around them. Or he'd see that look in victims of things like abuse or trauma.

Ibiki walked down a residential street to an apartment complex chock full of civilians. He quietly slipped through the small crowds of people and went to the fifth floor and the last door down the hall. It was a Saturday-- they should be home. He knocked twice. A blonde woman answered the door, eyes widening in surprise when she saw the hitai-ate on his forehead.

"What can I do for you, Shinobi-san?"

"My name is Morino Ibiki, and I have a few questions to ask you about your daughter—Haruno Sakura."

She stepped to the side and let him in. Once through the threshold, Ibiki observed the decor. It looked like any normal, caring household. Mebuki led him to the kitchen and motioned him to sit down as she bustled about to get him tea. She soon poured two cups and sat down across from him.

"So what is it about Sakura? She's not in trouble, is she?"

"Not at all, Haruno-san. It's actually quite the opposite. Your daughter has shown shown some exceptional qualities for a shinobi despite her young age. My associate and I believe she has great potential to develop her skills in the intelligence sector, and even though she has yet to start the Academy, we would like to bring her under an internship of sorts," he said. Ibiki anticipated her to give him an absolute look of disgust or shock, but she only sighed.