"Sakura! There's a letter for you!" Drowsily blinking, I staggered out of my room half-asleep, all too aware of how I really shouldn't be awake for another half-hour. However, Mama wouldn't pull me out of bed unless it was serious.

"Who's it from?" Running a quick hand through my hair I did my best to hurry down the stairs, finding that haste somewhat conflicted with my current state of 'not-quite-awake'.

"The Intelligence Department, honey."

…oh.

Well, I had handed in the paperwork after school a few days ago – to their desk in the bottom floor of the Hokage Tower, because actually entering the Intelligence building was a terrifying prospect – and perhaps they were simply following up on that. Did I fill out anything wrong? Oh gosh, that really wouldn't be setting a good tone to my future career. Hopefully it would just be confirmation, or something much less serious than – well, failure to answer basic questions.

Only once I was in the kitchen did I clock Mama's worry – her usually tan skin was a tad paler than it really should be, and instead of a heartfelt smile, instead her expression was taught, almost as if her grin had been stretched too far and cracked.

"It's fine, Mama, I was expecting it." Well, not entirely, but Mama really needed some reassurance.

Oh, but of course. She was only a civilian.

Snatching up the parchment on the kitchen table – almost innocuous, except for the fact that it was sealed with the Konoha Intelligence seal – I neatly unrolled it, carefully scanning its contents.

'To Haruno Sakura (Konoha Academy temporary ninja registration number: 012717)

Your request for access to the Genjutsu section (books registration E38102 to F19355) has been processed. Please visit the Torture and Interrogation building' and here I blanched, tightly fisting the paper, 'for a fifteen minute mandatory meeting in order to receive your permit.

The meeting will occur between 10:25 and 10:40 on April 4th 59 A.K' oh my goodness, that was today! '– as such, a pass to leave your lessons between 10:05 and 11:00 on the day has been attached. We suggest you arrive ten minutes before your meeting, as tardiness is be frowned upon.

Non-attendance will be treated as wastage of resources and a fixed penalty fee shall be imposed (Act GOR.2.3) as a first-time offender.

Yours sincerely,

The Intelligence Department

REF: KOJI/49072'

Okay. I could deal with this. Just a friendly, quarter-hour meeting inside the T+I building about a permit for some special books that I definitely couldn't back out of now and didn't have any valid reason to miss aside from being terrified of the department in general, and with good reason too-

"Sakura?" Came Mama's tentative question, clearly having picked up on my inner distress at the totally not forced meeting with T+I that I would have to be attending later today.

"Just–" swallowing, I neatly rolled the paper up again, looking through the second, smaller bit of paper that had been attached – the permit. "Just a meeting, Mama."

"With the Intelligence Department?" Scepticism laced her tone, as her cheeks regained colour and she folded her arms, employing the dreaded 'demanding parent' look that I could never refuse. "Oh yes, just a friendly little letter correspondence with Intelligence. Sakura, what is this for?"

"Permits to see some books in the Genin section of the library."

Lips tightening, she squinted for a moment, as if she could see dishonesty wafting off me. "Uh-huh. Why do you need to see these books anyway? Can't you just wait until you…" and if anything, her tone dropped colder, "…become a genin?"

"Well, yes," hedging, I dragged my gaze from my feet to Mama – and immediately dropped it to the floor again at her glare that could put Mizuki-sensei to shame for 'terrifying looks'. "I find this topic really interesting, is all. And – oh, look at the time. Got to get ready for school!" Spinning on my heel and dashing up the stairs, I listened out for any enraged shouts for answers (that, to be honest, I probably deserved) and when none came, finally let out a breath of exhaustion.

Really, I hadn't even had the meeting with T+I yet, and already felt like I had been interrogated.

.

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Okay. I could do this.

Breathing in deeply through my nostrils, I reached out a hand towards the door – and snatched it away at last moment, heart pounding.

No. I really couldn't.

Really, I wasn't pushed for time at all – having pretty much flat-out sprinted from the Academy to the squat, concrete building that housed what was pretty much unanimously decreed the most terrifying place to be in Konoha, I still had a leisurely fifteen minutes before my meeting was to actually start.

Just – it was T and I.

Every child's worst nightmare – next to ANBU, of course. Portrayed as heroes, naturally, and they all served an essential purpose for the Village – however, they were really the kind of thing that skulked around in dark corners and made little children scream.

Inhaling, I screwed my eyes shut, pushed open the door, and tentatively opened an eye when nothing scaly grabbed my arm and there was no screaming. Though, it did stink of disinfectant, which did slightly concern me.

Regardless.

Not as bad as I thought – well lit, with a few chairs scattered around, it could almost be considered cosy in a doctor's surgery kind of way. A solid block of concrete, sure, but cosier than expected.

Tentatively stepping in, I shut the door behind me, ignoring the way that several sets of eyes fixed upon me. Carefully keeping my posture and expression blank, I strode to the desk – and then felt my throat close up as the receptionist turned to me.

Oh my goodness. I didn't want to make a fool of myself.

"Yes?" They directed a bland, expectant gaze towards me, still somehow writing all the time.

"I have a meeting at ten-twenty-five?" Internally, I winced as it came out as a question, uncomfortably shifting on the spot as they continued staring blankly down at me. "Um…"

"Sit down." Backpedalling, I sat on one of the couches, disappointed that, despite their comfortable, spongy appearance, they were actually rather unpleasant to sit on – and no more conversation was forthcoming.

…okay.

Well.

Taking out my notes from today – strategy centred around taking advantage of being on high ground – I began summarising, shifting a little as the other residents of the waiting room continued staring.

Two minutes. Still staring. Barely moving at all, actually. Not moving at all.

Was this… a test? That level of, well, unmoving-ness was quite frankly unnatural. Humans twitched. Their attention wandered. They sneezed, their chin itched, they blinked. Yet they were still staring, their eyes blank and eerily devoid of life.

Was it all – just an illusion?

At this rate, that seemed incredibly likely. Plus, I was in T+I. Of course this was the kind of thing they'd toss at their visitors, just to try to gauge them before whatever interrogation I was about to endure. So – how would I go about breaking out of it, then? We hadn't covered that in the Academy yet.

Weren't supposed to until the last year. Clearly, they didn't expect me to know how.

So they wanted me to work it out.

Frowning, I determinedly stared back at one of the 'people' across from me – modelled after a Yamanaka, if the all-too-familiar features were anything to go by – easily identifying all the inconsistencies I identified in passing earlier. An unnatural level of stillness. No blinking. Additionally, now I realised there was no indent on the chair from where they were seated.

Well.

Someone had threaded a chakra construct over me, likely with purposeful defects like the ones I'd easily detected. Perhaps if I focused on what the room should like – namely, that they shouldn't be there – and, well, then what?

All right. Chakra, weaved over me. So, perhaps I had to use my own chakra to remove it? Well, it would be more useful than sitting here and squinting , expecting for it to unravel itself – which would be a rather miserable failure of the test, really.

Focusing inwards, I put my hands into a ram seal, just as I had when first learning to control my chakra, and expelled outwards, focusing intently on the fact that likely everyone in the room was part of the illusion – and the world rippled before my eyes, settling back into an empty room–

"Took you long enough." Squeaking, I jumped up, spinning around to face an amused looking chuunin holding a clipboard and noting something down – likely something uncomplimentary, if her words were anything to go by. "Sit down over here, now–" gesturing to the extremely uncomfortable looking plastic chair opposite her, "–and we'll get started."

Hopping over the sofa, I settled down in the chair – just as cold and discomforting as I had expected, and if I had to sit in it for a long period of time I knew my back would be aching; yet, I wouldn't even be surprised if these were all just tame tactics they used to soften people up before asking them anything.

"All right. What's your name?"

Lifting an eyebrow, I nonetheless acquiesced. "Haruno Sakura."

"Okay, Sakura-chan." Pen hovering over paper, I couldn't help but feel this was what a job interview would be like. "Can you tell me why you are here?"

"To receive a permit to access genin-level genjutsu books?"

"Which books exactly are you asking permission to read?"

Was she asking for the registration numbers of the books? Searching back in my mind (looking back at the letter to see which ones would likely be a resounding failure), I tentatively gave an answer. "E-three-eight-one-oh-two to F-one-nine-three-five-five?"

Ugh. This was like a test.

One I hadn't revised for, that is, which only made the whole ordeal worse.

"What Act of Konohan Law allows you to have this permit?" They still gave the impression of unassailable aloofness – though, if I didn't know any better, I would say they were taking some measure of joy out of watching me struggle.

This was written at the top of all that paperwork I filled out, wasn't it? "Act, uh, IAS-four-three?" Ooh – or it could be 5.2, or – heck, it could be so many other things, and I just went for the one that my gut lurched towards, and really, my gut instinct was a rather fickle thing.

At this point, I envied those who actually had dependable gut instincts. Really, I could do with some of that right now.

"Would you be disappointed if I told you that you couldn't receive a permit for those books?"

"I would ask why." Pausing, as immediately their hand began scrawling across the paper at a rather high speed (oh goodness what are they writing? A tendency to question superiors? Incapability to listen to instructions?), I hastily added, "I would be, to a limited extent, disappointed."

"Only to a limited extent?" Challenge entered her tone, and she locked gazes with me. As a reflex, I sent my own to the ground.

"I would eventually gain access to them anyway." That really was true enough. There were many more Academy-encouraged disciplines for me to study, and I still hadn't had a good rummage through their fiction section.

"What if you couldn't?"

Ah, hypotheticals. This really was some kind of convoluted exam, wasn't it? "All the more reason to ask why I wouldn't be allowed access."

"What if I couldn't tell you why?"

Pulling a face, I shrugged. Really, might as well continue with the honesty at this point. There was no getting me out of the hole I'd dug for myself, if they disapproved of my opinions. "I'd assume there was good reason for doing so, and look for something else to do."

"Well, it's a great thing that you are getting your permit today, Sakura-chan!" Startling – that abrupt personality change could have given me whiplash, seriously – I simply stared dumbly as she pushed a small card into my hand, name and photo already printed on it, Intelligence's seal of approval in the bottom corner.

This was certainly a turn.

"Also, the T and I department would like to give you an offer of a sponsorship!"

…what?

Blinking, I gazed at the card, searching for a lie, and then meeting her eyes – that were quite clearly brimming with barely-concealed amusement. "Clarify, please?" Came my weak response, fully aware that I was about six steps behind at this point.

"Normally, you would've just picked up your permit in Intelligence and have been good to go. However," and the word was stretched out, the entertained curl of her lips clearly pushing for a reaction, "what you just went through was a preliminary test to see if you had the attributes we look for in T and I officers – which you did, I am pleased to say. The fact you were slow to break the genjutsu can be attributed to the fact that you have never encountered a genjutsu before," how, exactly did they know that? "and therefore a little over three minutes wasn't too bad of a time."

"Right." This was – incredibly surreal. Pinching myself, I confirmed it wasn't a dream. "What does this sponsorship entail?"

"Well, we give you specialist instruction in the ninja arts – focused on skills used in Intelligence, of course, but it's still fairly well-rounded – and a bursary of around 150,000 ryo per year." At this point, my eyes must have been the size of dinner plates. They had that much money just to – what, throw around on apprentices?

Seemingly anticipating my question on how much money do you have just languishing in this place, she gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, we have quite a budget. T and I isn't exactly the go-to place for genin, you know?" Pausing, her gaze briefly sharpened again, before her expression softened again. "Naturally, if we sponsor you, we expect you to do two years of work here too, starting from when you graduate. Flexible scheduling, of course, so you can go do all your genin team stuff on the side. After the two years, you can go work elsewhere if you want, though we still might call you back for the odd job now and again."

Okay. That sounded – amazing, actually. No more struggling along by myself, a bursary, and all that was required in return was to briefly work in T and I? That was a guaranteed job, too.

Still, caution kicked in. "Could I decide later, or do I have to give an answer now?" There was no way I was being pressured into a contract with T+I, no matter how sunshine and rainbows she was making the deal seem.

After all, she was part of T and I too.

They were quite literally the department of psychological manipulation.

"Within the next week – that is, final deadline is the 11th." Abruptly standing – I hastened to follow, brushing down my pinafore and face scrunching up at the aches running down the backs of my legs and spine (what a horrible chair, really – you could've sworn they designed it to be uncomfortable) she began leading me to the door.

Strange. I could've sworn it was further over to the right when I entered.

"Remember that being sponsored by T and I doesn't limit you to this department or the Intelligence Division. Having our seal of approval is respected by all the other departments, as it is an indication of logical problem-solvers, well versed in psychological tactics." For a moment, it seemed she was sizing me up for a moment, before giving me a wicked smile. "I know that ANBU in particular value it highly, if you aspire to be one of that illustrious group."

"A-ah. Yes." I think I really needed to sit down and think. A lot. About everything. "Thank you!" With my emphatic parting, I exited the building, hoping that I was actually outside and not having been unwittingly dumped into another genjutsu-verse for the kicks they probably got out of making Academy students squirm.

That place really was screwing with my perception of space. Was this further right than how I entered?

Briefly looking over my shoulder, I confirmed that it at least appeared to be the door I entered through.

You know what – I just wasn't going to think about that. At all. No thank you. In fact, I was going to spend my walk back to the Academy not thinking about T+I at all – no, I'd be enjoying fresh air and sunlight and not being encased in a concrete bunker.

Huffing, I began the walk back, significantly slower and somehow far more concerned about my future leaving the building than I had been before entering.

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word count this chapter: 2,815
words so far: 8,590

notice: the 50,000 target, I have decided, is unsustainable for me. I mean, I would be able to do it, but not without sacrifices from all my other work, which isn't really an option for me. honestly, I already regret not revising enough for my french last week bc I was writing, and the consequences are 100% going to come back to haunt me, so.
new target of 25,000!
effectively halving the amount of time I need to spend writing per day, which should be sustainable.

target word count for today: 4,200
(target words per day: 840)

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AN:

so! as I have already said, I have no idea where I am going with this! it's actually quite liberating ngl but is also probably the reason I spend so long writing since I'm constantly deleting sections where I don't like what it's doing to the plot haha
happy guy fawkes day!
I saw some rlly great fireworks yesterday and the music was all disney songs which imo was a good decision 10/10

I keep on putting it off but I will be editing ch2 and replying to reviews tommorrow, since I was so unproductive yesterday and now have way too much to do today orz

thank you so much for all your continued support! even if I haven't replied to your review, I guarantee I've read it and they always encourage me to keep on writing. a big thanks to everyone who has followed/favourited ILY ALL

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- rosinban