Introduction 3

"I have compiled the report on Hayashi Mika." The ninja's even tone and hidden face betrayed no emotion, only the loyalty of duty. He places the manilla folder at the center of the table, avoiding the gaze of those who sit on the other side, and then sinks to one knee.

The shadowy figure at the center opens the folder and spreads the papers and photos to the other four - two on each side. "Thank you, that will be all."

As the ninja backs off, the five consider the information packet before them.

"She is powerful," a man on the side says. "Too powerful to be so reckless."

"Agreed," the man at the center says. "This is why I have called this meeting. Between her arguable charisma and her inarguable abilities, she could easily become a problem."

"She is ALREADY a problem," the lone woman at the table clucks. "She may accomplish the missions set before her, but she is careless. She is cruel, and enjoys inflicting needless violation and humiliation on her victims. No matter how talented she is, this sort of behavior will get her killer ... or worse, captured!"

"Agreed," the man says again. "So, knowing her abilities and her proclivities, what are we to do?"

"We assign her a mentor. Someone of Jonin rank who can ... guide her," the woman says.

"By 'guide' you mean keep a leash on her."

"Yes," the woman replies. "And we have several candidates who can do so." She places a small stack of papers on the table before the man at the center. "She has gotten this way because she has not been properly given discipline. Like any child, she is testing boundaries at this stage, and her testing has only now started to crop up, doing missions solo."

"Then she needs a team."

"No," the woman replies. "She has become too unmanageable for a team. Yet. First, we need to drag her back to acceptable behavior."