Sarutobi sat in front of the council, ignoring the general banter that went on, knowing full well that foul would be called if any rash words were spoken. Instead of paying attention to whichever policy was being discussed, he focussed his attention on the nine Genin that had managed pass their Jonin's assessment - not an easy task at all, considering that two-thirds of the graduating class had been sent back to the academy. Of those sent back, he doubted more than a handful of them would bother even trying to sit through the exam a second time. Many of them would seek the life of a civilian. A civilian able to defend themselves if necessary, but a civilian nonetheless.

He chose to focus his feelings on those who had managed to graduate, an exemplary group if there ever was one. Only two of them were not the heirs of their respective clans. He didn't know if there had been a giant prank played on him some number of years ago when all of the clan heads decided to either get pregnant or knock up their partners at the same time, but he couldn't say that the results were fruitless. The group of Genin that had joined Konoha were indeed exceptional individually, each of them more than deserving of the forehead protector that proudly portrayed their loyalty.

That was the main problem he saw, however.

With seven of them representing the future of their clans, there was no doubt that much of their spare time would be devoted towards learning all that was necessary in order to lead their clans towards greater prosperity. They were each destined for a life that would have them fulfilling the endless and burgeoning needs of their respective clans.

It was too much responsibility to place on the shoulders of children; such a future robbed them of the simplicities of childhood. They were not at war, so what was wrong with allowing the children to be children for but a few moments longer?

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sarutobi said, causing all the idle chatter surrounding him to cease. Nobody dared to say a word as all the members present within the council chambers awaited their leader's words with suspended trepidation.

"I have been thinking about the current graduates of the Academy," he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a hot kunai through flesh. "Of the nine students that have been inducted into the ranks of Konoha shinobi, many of them are restricted in their social commitments due to their status as ninja of the village."

"What are you talking about Hokage-sama?" asked one of the members of the civilian council, somebody so insignificant in the grander scheme of things that his name wasn't even worthy of being remembered.

"Nine students have managed to impress their Jonin instructors and succeeded in elevating themselves towards our lowest shinobi rank. In doing so, however, they have sentenced themselves to a life of work and forever ensuring that they are always prepared for the tasks ahead," Sarutobi began. "Such pressure towards such a promising young group of people could prove too much. Every day they finish their assignments, and every night they return to a home which demands more of them, be it physically or mentally. This system tears away at their humanity, little by little until all that is left is a soulless husk that exists to serve this village."

Eyebrows were raised all across the room, but mouths remained shut as they listened to their leader's words.

"Seven heirs. Seven children are going to be forced to undergo all sorts of strenuous tasks on a daily basis, only to return to their homes and partake in clan activities that will place further strain upon their bodies and minds. How the clans of this village deal with their own is one thing but how the clans deal with members of my active force is another," concluded Sarutobi, his words lingering in the air.

For several moments, nobody spoke as they processed everything that had been said. Eventually, it was Shibi Aburame who stood up and addressed both the Hokage and the council with his next question. "What would you have of us and, in turn, our children?" he asked.

Sarutobi took a deep breath before answering, the exhalation from his nostrils almost sending vapour into the icy room. "I am proposing that the current batch of Genin that have been accepted by their Jonin sensei be allowed private living quarters," he said, his voice exuding wisdom and experience. "Such quarters would put them in close contact with their teammates, along with their fellow graduates, in order to ensure that the children do not have to sacrifice their social lifestyles to become ninja. I believe that there is still hope for the next generation to be better than all of us."

"So you would have our pups living with each other?" Tsume Inuzuka asked rhetorically, standing tall and allowing her voice to carry to all corners of the chamber. "Although your words ring true enough, I can't imagine many will be happy to part with their heirs.

"I am merely proposing that this arrangement remains in place until Konoha's children reach Chunin. After achieving this rank, they will be permitted to either return to their clans or seek individual accommodations," explained Sarutobi. "I am not suggesting that we should restrict the Genin from spending time with their clans, either. Rather, they'll be free to spend as much time with their loved ones as they like, so long as their primary residence remains the location where all the other graduating Genin will be housed. By living together, my hope is that this will also create bonds between the younger clan members that will fuel the Will of Fire for generations to come."

"But the only restrictions you would have on our children interacting with their families would be when they go to sleep," declared Inoichi Yamanaka. "You are suggesting that by spending their evenings with one another you would help prevent them from becoming mindless weapons?"

Those on the shinobi side of the room couldn't help but flinch at what the resident mind reader was saying. All of them were at least aware of what Sarutobi's old teammate had tried to accomplish - Danzo had been determined to make a branch of shinobi who had no emotions and, as such, simply acted as they were commanded. Although the motivation behind Sarutobi's proposal was vastly different to that of Danzo's ideas, the most seasoned ninja could appreciate that it set a precedent which could prove to be a slippery slope one day.

"I approve of the Hokage's proposition," stated Shikaku Nara, immediately silencing all of those who may have had doubts about the Hokage's stipulation. None of the council members dared to publicly question the reasoning of the normally stoic head of the Nara clan because engaging in intellectual debate with the man was akin to trying to burn out a bushfire with a simple fire jutsu.

"I second it," said Choza Akimichi, the ever loyal member of Shikaku's team standing up for his teammate.

"Very well," said Sarutobi, knowing that with backings of such influential clans there would be little rebuttal if any at all was given. He simply wanted to get this over and done with and he was determined to have it done sooner rather than later. "All those opposed to integrating our recently graduated Genin into new accommodations raise your hand."

Understandably a few hands were raised amongst the civilian part of the council but considered against the number of votes that were yet to come on the opposite end of the spectrum, they were of little consequence. "All those in favour?" asked Sarutobi before a majority vote took place.

"So now that we know that our children will be living in close quarters to one another, where will you have them live?" asked Shikaku once the decision had been made, excited chatter bursting out through the room.

Sarutobi couldn't help but smirk. They had all fallen into his trap. Now he just had to deal with the fallout.

…

The new Genin who had succeeded in making an impression on their Jonin instructors found themselves lined up alongside the others who had managed the same. They had been instructed to pack all of their belongs, so some had multiple rucksacks slung over their shoulders while others had little more than their shiny, new forehead protectors and the clothes on their back.

"Alright," said Kiba, breaking the silence as he turned to face his fellow graduates. "Does anybody know what the hell's going on?"

"All I was informed was that my new living quarters would be found at this location," stated Shino, the other male member of Team Eight chiming in.

"So all of us are expected to live here?" asked Ino, two cases of luggage behind her, ready to be transported to her new bedroom. Although they wouldn't know it yet, her question was more important than most would have first thought.

From what she could see in front of her, there were only about a dozen rooms spread over three floors, four on each. What was apparent though was that each of their new homes was a fair deal smaller than what they all used to. She couldn't see much from the outside, but it seemed that they were each not looking at much more than a single bathroom, one bedroom and a communal kitchen that doubled as a dining area.

"I guess so," said Shikamaru as he scratched the back of his head, wondering hopefully if living here would be less troublesome than living under his mother's thumb. No matter what was to come, the freshly minted Genin couldn't help but feel that it would hardly compare to what he had been subjected to at the Nara compound.

"If what Kakashi-sensei, and I'd imagine your sensei too, told us is true, our new landlord is meant to meet us shortly," said Sakura, trying to make the quiver in her voice less noticeable. She was one of the only two members to not hail from a prominent clan that had decades - if not centuries - of history behind it.

"And I have," said a voice unfamiliar to all those present. All eyes were focused on one of the closest doors near the stairs as it opened up. All of the present Genin felt lumps form in their throats as they watched their new landlord walk towards them, a clipboard in one hand and a handful of keys in the other.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, your new landlord, and before you move into my residence, there are a few ground rules you need to know about," declared the blond haired teenager who looked no older than the Genin present. Meanwhile, all of them were thinking the same thing as their new landlord looked them over.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

...

The nine Genin blinked a couple times as they tried to comprehend the sight in front of them. Kiba went as far as shouting "Kai" in order to dispel any active genjutsu to no avail.

"Rule number one," said Naruto as he ignored the gazes he was receiving. "Anything that you break in your room will have to be repaired or replaced at your expense. If you choose not to pay back what you owe, I will send the bill to your respective clans or families. You have been warned."

"Excuse me, landlord sir," said Sai as he raised his hand as if he were still sitting in the academy. The other two members of Team Seven looked at their socially awkward teammate and prayed that he didn't say anything insulting that would jeopardise their accommodations. "I am without a family or clan. Who would my bills be forwarded to?"

"You are Sai, correct?" asked Naruto, earning a nod from the pale teenager. "Your circumstance is not dissimilar to that of some of my other tenants. Please note that if you fail to pay up, your bill will be delivered to the council. Ducking the council to explain why you owe me money would be ill-advised."

"And if something were to break by accident?" asked Shino as he pushed the bridge of his sunglasses up.

"If something happens that is out of control, I will gladly pay for repairs and maintenance. For example, if the cooling unit on your fridge were to break, that would be something insurance would cover which makes it easy for me to replace or repair. Telling me that, somehow, your table was mysteriously launched out your window without your knowledge is not an acceptable excuse and will have you foot the bill."

All of the Genin could tell that there was a story there but refused to pry any deeper.

"Considering that there'll likely be questions after every question and I still have to go grocery shopping today, please know that everything you need to know regarding your stay can be found in your contract which is located in your apartment. One thing that you won't find on your contract since it's specific to the nine of you is that the Hokage's orders require you to live under my care until you reach the rank of Chunin or reach sixteen years of age - whichever comes first," continued Naruto. "That does not mean that you will be evicted once those conditions are met, though. One of my tenants is ranked as a tokubetsu jonin and has been living here for nearly two years. There is no discrepancy between rank or age here and you would do well to remember that."

Sasuke let out an arrogant grunt, feeling that he had heard enough. The sheer fact that he had been forced out of his clan home was irritating enough, but now he had to listen to this dribble from a nobody who couldn't even pretend to be their peer. Even those that hadn't made Genin had at least had the decency to see the academy through to the end.

Sakura, meanwhile, was thinking over what Naruto had mentioned in passing: the nine of them weren't the only ones staying at the lodging. Judging by the fact that there were only a dozen rooms, the majority of rooms would be taken by them. At least one of the other rooms housed an elite member of the Konoha force which meant that any of Sakura's activities that were questionable in nature could be reported back to the Hokage and affect her career. Alternatively, making a good impression could perhaps put herself in a good position for later down the track.

Snapping back to reality, Sakura realised that Naruto was handing out keys and it was time to see just what her new living quarters would be like.

...

Ino opened the door to her new apartment, the initial shock of finding out that their landlord was the same age as them having finally faded away. While she wasn't completely happy with the Hokage forcing her to move out of her home, she couldn't help but wonder what living independently would do for her.

Despite having her father wrapped around her finger, living alongside so many clan members for so long had her feeling that perhaps a change of scenery was needed. Plus, if she ever needed a bit of extra spending money, she was sure that she could entice a bit of pity change out of Inoichi since he wouldn't be spending as much time with his loving daughter anymore.

Shaking the mischievous thoughts out of her head, Ino finally inspected her new living accommodations. Frankly, it was a bit plain but she couldn't really have expected much else. Not really what she was used to watching "Housewives of Konoha" on, but it would have to do.

There was also a low wooden table in front of the couch, a welcoming bouquet of galax, lilac and comfrey sitting on top. It wasn't much to look at, but for Ino who had been brought up as a florist and understood the meaning, she couldn't help but smile at how considerate Naruto was. None of those plants were particularly cheap either and if he had placed a bouquet in every room, it would have cost quite a bit of money.

Regardless, Ino turned her attention to the kitchen. Nothing special to take note of. A two-burner stove, an oven, a fridge that doubled as a freezer and a cupboard. Stock standard and she would ask Sakura after she was finished unpacking if she'd like to go grocery shopping with her. No time like the present to abuse that first D-rank pay check and ensure that she could maintain a healthy lifestyle.

As she had speculated, the kitchen also doubled as a dining room. In the centre were a standard table and a set of four chairs, which thankfully didn't take up too much room. Again, it was nothing special, but it was practical so she was grateful in that regard.

She braced herself as she entered the bedroom and allowed a sigh of relief to escape her lips. The bed was a double, which was a welcome sight considering how much the blonde haired Genin tossed and turned while attempting to get to sleep. There was also a hanging wardrobe large enough to fit the majority of her belongings, the rest of which would have to live in the bedside set of drawers.

Turning with her back to the bed, Ino fell backwards and collapsed onto the mattress. It was a touch firm, likely due to lack of use, but she figured it wouldn't take long before she was used to the adjustment.

Overall, she felt like she could comfortably get used to her new living arrangements.

"Akamaru! Stop marking your turf already!" came the voice of Kiba, the noise coming from directly above Ino and causing a shiver to run down her spine. It would seem Kiba would need to learn very quickly that neighbours could very easily become irritated.

…

Shikamaru lay flat on his new mattress in his new bedroom in his new apartment. His suitcase remained unpacked and would likely not be completely unpacked until everything within had been worn or used once.

The sun was setting, and he feared that Chouji would shortly be banging on his door. His longtime friend would be needing food soon. As far as Shikamaru knew, Chouji had only ever baked cookies with his mother years ago and such knowledge would not be sufficient to feed him this evening. Unfortunately, their funding would only last so long feeding Chouji's insatiable appetite.

Shikamaru, while waiting for the inevitable, choose to focus his thoughts on his new landlord. Naruto Uzumaki. Scrounging through his memories, he was able to recall the blond haired kid who must have grown into the teenager he met today. He was pretty sure that he joined him and his fellow new Genin in his first year at the academy.

After that, however, he had just vanished.

As such, Shikamaru could safely assume that Naruto was their age. The reason why he hadn't joined them for the rest of their tenure as students was unclear but those few years had clearly allowed their peer to find his own place in life.

He had seemed friendly enough, and the rules he had put in place seemed fair. One thing that concerned him was that there were twelve rooms in total and their group had taken nine of them. How was their landlord getting by if so many of the rooms he had under his control had only just been occupied under their tenure?

His thoughts were shattered by the banging of the door, Shikamaru momentarily pondering if it would be better to just ignore Chouji's inevitable demand concealed as a request. Sighing loudly, Shikamaru launched himself out of bed and figured it was better to just get dinner over and done with. He would resume his staring contest with the ceiling later.

…

This chapter was brought to you by kalebxdd and Razamataz22.

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