The birth of Hakage!

Learning Gokuhi Byousatsu Juuin
Progress: 3/12

Adding salt to his stew, the man looked up as the door opened, two apparent ANBU stepping inside, with a group of young Genin on tow. The ANBU walked closer and moved down on one knee as the shadow had done minutes before. The Genin followed suit, also dropping to one knee in respect to their elder. There were a total of five. Five new recruits. Not bad. If it continued like this, he would be able to set his plans in motion far earlier than expected.

“Welcome,” Shinokage said after a few minutes of pure, excruciating silence. He placed his hands on his knees, his legs folded beneath him, and looked on with a stern expression. His eyes passed from one of the Genin to another in swift succession, as if he was trying to spot the weak link in the flock.

Learning Gokuhi Byousatsu Juuin
Progress: 5/12

“Oh? Is that so?” Shinokage asked, though the boy knew better than to answer. Picking up the ladle, the old ninja took another taster. It was good, just the right amount of salt. Putting the ladle in the pot again, he looked up at the boy. “The pot. Take it off the fire.”

“The pot... you mean--?” the boy started, but he immediately understood and almost ran to the hearth in the middle of the room and removed the pot from the heat. He then scurried back to his friends and sat down on his knees, bowing his head.

Looking at the kids again, he spotted a girl in the crowd, the only one. “You there, girl,” he spoke, the girl immediately looking up. “Fetch me a bowl.”

Learning Gokuhi Byousatsu Juuin
Progress: 7/12

“Hey!” the Genin finally called out, and Shinokage stopped his movements, opened a single eye and looked at the child, unamused. “What is this? We come here to join up with you and you're just going to sit there and eat right in our faces? What the hell is up with that? I'm outta here!” With that, the Genin walked towards the door, though before he could reach it, he froze.

“W-what the?” he said, even unable to look down. A bit from him, one of the ANBU was sitting, his hands in a seal. His shadow had seemingly connected to the Genin's, causing him to freeze up. Then, slowly, the shadow moved upwards, until it reached the boy's neck.

Learning Gokuhi Byousatsu Juuin
Progress: 9/12

“This plan could take weeks, months, even years,” Shinokage continued. “Therefore you will have to learn to bide your time and wait! Is that understood?” The boy did not answer. “Is that understood, I said!” “Yes, Hokage-sama,” the boy finally said, before Shinokage did a movement of his hand to signal that the ANBU should release him.

Once he did, the boy fell to the floor, breathing heavily, not because he had been choked, but because he was afraid. However, Shinokage simply walked back to the hearth and resumed eating. Once done, he placed it on the floor and stood again.

“It is time.”

Learning Gokuhi Byousatsu Juuin
Progress: 11/12

“Well said.”

With that, Shinokage pressed his finger against the boy's chest, right above his heart. There was a sound, like branding, and the boy winced and gritted his teeth, as a seal appeared on his chest, looking like the thirty-sixth hexagram meaning “Darkening of the Light”. This seal would forever keep his mouth shut – or cause him to instantly die...

He did this to all the Genin, before stepping back. “You have all been initiated. Go home, rest, and await my orders. Act as if nothing happened, and do your duty as a shinobi. I will tell you when the time is right to do what must be done,” Shinokage said, siting down by his hearth again, before uttering one word: “Dismissed!”