Mei Terumi was deeply apprehensive.
She had imagined many things about her life now, but joining the Crown Guard had absolutely never been one of them.
What was the Crown organization? It might represent the Empire's strongest military force. Mei did not consider herself strong enough for such a position. Everyone in the Empire knew the legends of the Seven Mianwei, and many people knew each member's story by heart.
Hyuga Homura, leader of the Seven Mianwei, had defeated the famed Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato, when he was still a teenager. And who was the Yellow Flash? A supreme expert who had single-handedly wiped out Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
Kakashi Hatake, Son of the White Fang, was a genius ninja who had become a jonin at the age of twelve.
Of those who came later, aside from Anko Mitarashi, whose reputation was less prominent, every one of them had several stories circulating among the people.
Mei felt worried. She did not think she could handle this position. If she performed poorly in the Crown, the one embarrassed would still be herself... Most importantly, she would let down His Majesty the Emperor's trust in her.
That night, she wrote a letter about the news and asked someone she knew to deliver it back to her family and Karatachi Yagura in Water Province.
She went to the house Konoha had arranged for her. As the champion of the first Imperial Ninja Martial Arts Tournament, the house she had been assigned was the best one. It was more than one hundred and fifty square meters, far more than enough for her to live in alone. It came fully furnished and stocked with all necessities, and its minimalist style suited her tastes very well.
Yet Mei had trouble sleeping that night. She tossed and