Who exactly are the ANBU? Well, I've got a solid hundred prompts to figure that out. I'm going to flesh out background characters, since that's currently my favorite thing to do. I might be liberal with canon, as I'm several dozen chapters behind what is current, though I'll try to keep as close to it as I can. The bright side is, a lot of these characters don't have a canon background, so I can be as liberal as I wish.

The first prompt ties in with the short I've started involving Tonbo and Ibiki, you can find it in my profile if you're interested. I plan on finishing it as soon as I have a better idea where I want to go with it, I'm hoping this set of prompts actually helps with that.

I promise to respond to reviews.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Prompt 1: Introduction

They came in the night for him.

He half-expected it, to be fair. Perhaps not so soon, but it was really just a matter of time. The fox had attacked a year before, and the village needed to present a strong outer face while repairing. ANBU allowed him a path to promotion. Its not like he had any family left, why not fill out the paperwork and see what happened? It wasn't like his sightlessness was a handicap at this point in his life, not as it had been.

More spatially aware than many other ninja, Tonbo knew before the wards on his apartment went down that there was someone else inside. By the time they got to his room he was already crouched, kunai in each hand, with a shuriken tucked loosely beneath his pillow, the technique that let him "see" at full. He could almost feel the smile come from the cloaked figure.

"I told you he'd be a good choice," he told an unseen figure behind him. The voice was vaguely familiar, but he shoved the thought aside for the present.

"Can I help you?" he asked as politely as any sixteen-year-old could when confronted by an assassin in his bedroom at oh-dark-thirty.

The figure in the doorway shifted, and again Tonbo could almost feel the amusement radiating off. He took half a step forward into the dim light, and the mask of a blank-eyed cat peered back at him.

"Hello, lad!" the mask said brightly. "You signed up as a potential ANBU recruit, and I've decided to take you on as an apprentice. Congratulations on signing your life away! My name is Puma, and as of today, you are mine."

Tonbo had heard that ANBU were certifiably insane. This man proved it.

The mask continued, using a kunai to pick dirt from beneath his fingernails. "Your taijutsu is passable, your genjutsu fairly proficient, your jutsu repertoire superb, and your chakra control is amazing. Before you start getting smug-"

The teen quickly wiped any trace of a smirk from his face.

"Your tracking skills are embarrassing, your kenjutsu at genin-level, and I'm personally amazed you can find your way to the Mission Room with how awful your map skills are."

Any pleasure at the compliments on his skills might have bought were ruthlessly crushed by the further evaluations of his skills, and he tried to hide any visible sign of deflation.

The ANBU, of course, saw, and chuckled. "No worries, kid. Everything is fixable, given time." He turned in the doorway, and Tonbo randomly wondered why an elite ninja like his new mentor would need to use a door.

"Show up tomorrow morning, training ground 39, 9am. Bring your full kit and some extra water. You have a long day."

Oh yeah. Like I'll be able to sleep now.