Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters because if I did, which once again I dont, it would be only be made available on Pay Per View... during the late hours... the very late hours. I also do not make a lick of money off of this fic. It's all for my own sick twisted amusement.

"I will bear the mark with honor and pride and protect this village by all means... I will stand my ground beside my brothers and sisters..." -Section 1.2; ANBU Oath

Branding...

It was the well known aspect of ANBU's initiations and rituals, always has been. It was supposedly a top secret process. And though more than enough ninja had a pretty good idea of what went on, they just pretended as if none of them had a clue. But he was pretty sure that most of it was just idle gossip. Besides, he didn't really care how it was done, just as long as it was. He was a ninja for crying out loud, he could take whatever they threw at him. Anyways, the only thing that he really cared about was that this was a tradition; a meaningful and honorable tradition. He looked to his bare shoulder as he thought.

The mark that would soon embed itself there beneath his skin was more than what met the eye. It wasn't just some tattoo that made others treat you with the respect and give you the recognition you deserved. No; it was much more than that. It was a symbol for every ninja... for all ninja. To see an elder with that mark still bearing strong and proud on their skin, decades far from youth, it spoke of the strength and pride and honor they possessed. It spoke of stories long past, and of how they fought hard to gain the world in which they saw it today. But to see said mark on a young one was even more gratifying... it showed promise; a promise that they too would protect their village at all costs, and that they would do so with the utmost pride and courage so as to save the very things and people that they loved.

He tried to look around the mysterious field that ANBU had carried him to, but to no avail. The pitch black skies played against his favor he realized. He could barely see anything past the nose on his face, let alone something 50 yards away, and that was only because of the few torches set up around him. In his opinion, they did a sad job of illuminating anything farther than 12 inches, he could see nothing other than what seemed to be a few dozen cat masked ninjas staring on. He had sensed a few familiar chakra signatures hours ago and found himself a bit relieved at the fact.

"Kakashi, Genma, Gai," he mused in thought. "Hn.. even those two came..."

It had always been his life long dream to become and ANBU and now that he was here he was rather glad his friends were too, to witness the day. The day that he would finally become one of them and all his childhood dreams would come true.

In the last month he had undergone difficult tasks, life-threatening missions and numerous hazing techniques that probably could leave him scarred for life, he knew. But he'd worked hard and persevered to see this day, so he'd be damned if he would fail to pull through now.

He stood at the center of the gathering making sure to stand tall and proud as a man from the crowd stepped forward.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he beckoned him forth. "This is the final night of your initiation into the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai." He paused. "Tomorrow, you will no longer be simply considered a Konohagakure Jounin level ninja, but you will be seen as the member of the elite. You know all the responsibilities that come along with this honor Sasuke Uchiha. Are you ready to accept them?"

He nodded, "Yes."

He felt everyone's chakra flare in a silent agreement, telling him that they approved of what was to come as he stood to face the mysterious man once more.

"Very well then Uchiha. Brace yourself," and faster than he could see he felt a hand grab firmly onto his arm as another pummeled down on his shoulder. He immediately hissed in pain as a mantra he could barely make out was chanted. All that he could wrap his head around that moment was the sheer blinding pain that swelled over his left arm.

He grit his teeth as he tried to remain strong in his composition, though every part of his being was screaming for them to hurry the fuck up.

"Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale," he told himself over and over. But even that was hard to focus on since every time that they appeared to near the end it seemed that they would simply start up the rhythm of their chant all over again, making the avenger want to rip his arm right out of its socket. It was a pain so overwhelming that he actually almost considered withdrawing his decision. Almost being the keyword.

He stayed like that for what seemed like hours, nearly doubled over in flaming hot pain. Time seemed as if it no longer applied to him those few instances and at one point he could've sworn that this was Itachi's Tsukiyomi machinations at work, though the functioning part of his mind convinced him otherwise.

"Fucking- Let this end already!" he screamed.

He screwed his eyes shut and braced himself for more pain to come... pain that never did he thanked the gods. Breathing rather heavily he slowly unhinged his eyelids, only to find the ANBU member from before staring down at his exhausted and lithe form. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand as he felt more sweat trickling its way down, watching as man gestured pointed to his shoulder.

Sasuke looked before his eyes widened a bit in shock... his skin was unmarred... not even a speck of blood could be found! It was completely unscathed! It didn't even look like he'd been touched, let alone almost disintegrated, he thought. Moving his arm a bit to check its performance he was relieved to find that it wasn't affected in the least. There wasn't even a twinge of discomfort he smirked. If he didn't know any better its like nothing ever happened, like it was all his imagination. The only thing that he did have to prove that anything ever did was the mark... his mark, he thought swelling with pride. He gazed down at the elegant swirls in awe.

"Welcome to the ANBU Sasuke Uchiha," the cat masked one spoke before they all suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving a mask of his own behind.

He stepped forward to pick up the sacred reward, using his thumb to trace the jaw of the mask. "Welcome huh?" he repeated with a smirk. "I like the sound of that."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next night the newly christened ANBU member found himself celebrating with his friends in the familiar smoky and alcohol induced setting of a bar.

"Congratulations there Uchiha," Shikamaru gave a lazy, yet meaningful greeting.

The Hyuuga nodded, "Yes, congratulations."

"Hnn... thanks. I'm glad you guys made it. I figured that I wouldn't be familiar with a majority of the attendees, so it was nice to sense some familiar chakras." He took a sip of his sake after he spoke. As he glanced sideways he could see the small, yet impressed looks on their faces at his having sensed them, though they shouldn't be. He wasn't exactly some Genin anymore.

"Moral support for a fellow ANBU," the Nara stated. "We know how important it is to have friends there."

Neji nodded once more in agreement, "Yes. Since we survive by entrusting our lives to one another we might as well be there for each other as well."

"Be there for each other?" Sasuke furrowed his brows at the words. He never thought of ANBU as that kind of organization. Since it was the most dangerous force he simply assumed that people deterred from making attachments to others. It would make certain... occurrences... easier to handle.

And let's face it; he wasn't exactly big on the concept. Heck, up until a few years ago when he first joined Team 7 he thought the whole idea was a joke, and frankly, he still sort of did. After the whole Itachi thing he just couldn't get his head around the idea that someone could truly have your back without holding a knife to your throat.

"Um... I should get going," Sasuke got up from his seat. "I still have to get some food at Tsunade's and she hates when I get there late."

"Tsunade's?" the two jounin's asked with matching quirked brows.

He just shrugged his shoulders for lack of a better reply, "She made onigiri today."

The two shook their heads at their level headed friend as Shikamaru beckoned to him as he neared the exit of the restaurant, "Hey, let's crash Kakashi's next week! I heard he just got a bonus!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"So, what exactly are you trying to tell me Genma?" the cynical Uchiha asked as he took a bite of his onigiri. "That just because I've joined the ANBU I've suddenly signed myself up for a Brady Bunch family?"

"No, no. We're nothing like that," he assured him as he waved his arms in a 'hell no' manner. "I meant that we're just... uh... closer than other ninjas. We're not exactly family, but we share a strong bond."

"Bond huh?" he glanced down at the mark that adorned his shoulder as Genma did the same.

"That's it alright. It may sound like some old ninja saying, but that mark bonds us all on a level that none of us can really comprehend."

Sasuke scoffed at the idea, "Hnn... what about Shikamaru?"

The chuunin exam proctor laughed, "Nope. Not even someone as smart as he is."

"Hnn..."

The two continued to eat their meals in a comfort, with Genma making the occasional lecherous observation and/ or remark of course. Though Sasuke didn't mind it all that much, as a matter of fact, he found it rather entertaining. Hearing Genma say things like, "That's Kira Karandang. Man, would I like her to tae-kira my Karandang," amused him, and hearing him suddenly blurt things out like "I'd fuck her in a second," made him out right laugh. At this rate he knew he would never finish his meal.

A previous joke from the gutter minded elder still had him shaking his head when a shocking question left the Uchiha rather... speechless.

Resting his chin in his hand Genma quirked an ever mischievous brow his way, "How's your sex life Sasuke?"

"What's it to you?" he spat back around a mouthful of his food.

"Oh, nothing. I was just going to say that whatever it is now... you can expect that to multiply three fold once you start going on missions."

Well, that sure caught the stoic man's attention. Honestly, that would catch any man's attention. Well, with the exception of Gai that is. He was a completely different case on his own.

He slowly lifted his head to meet the other's gaze, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll see," he smirked. "You'll see."

But he was intent on trying to reason with the man, he never was blessed with the virtue of patience, "Why don't you just tell me now since were on the topic?"

"And miss the chance to see you squirm," he laughed to himself at both senses of the word. "Never."

"Fuck you."

He shrugged his shoulders before he gave a sinister smile, "Hey, I heard you guys are crashing Kakashi's."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The T.V. was blaring on as the three men sat comfortably before it in Hatake's living room, leaving the owner alone in his kitchen to cook up their meal. Turning up the volume when his favorite show came on Genma smiled, "Yeaaahh. You guys are going to love this. I guarantee it kiddies."

Neji rolled his eyes, "We're adults, not ki-" But he found himself too dumbfounded to form words as a... um... rather... voluptuous woman overtook the screen.

Genma cockily asked, "What was that you were saying Hyuuga?" He quirked his eyebrow in his direction expecting an incoherent answer, I mean, the young man's mind was preoccupied at the moment. "Huh Neji?"

"How do you think she does that?" he thoughtfully questioned. "I mean, I don't even thinkTen-ten can do that!"

Genma rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his soda, "Amateurs." He muttered as he continued to watch them in their own amusement. Every now and then they would tilt their heads in confusion, and it is was even more comical when they did certain things out of habit.

Shikamaru would hold his forefingers together in that circle as he pondered, he'd learned that at the Chuunin Exams. And over time he'd learned that Neji would rub his chin profusely, which fit him just fine. Sasuke? Well, it was too soon to find out. He continued to watch the three young men, finding himself a bit entertained at what seemed to be their first real view of an X rated movie. But his stomach soon called his attention with a disquieting roar.

"Come on Kakashi!" Genma called as he tried to shush the beast. "We're starving out here!"

"Alright, alright," he shot back. "Hold your horses. I haven't really gotten the hand of cooking yet." He soon came gallivanting into the room with a plate of sandwiches and a bowl of noodles in tow, setting them down before his self announced guests. "Dig in."

A round of cheers and thanks could be heard from his small audience as they began piling up the delectable food onto their paper plates, making sure to leave Kakashi some scraps in the after rush.

"Pass me some more noodles," Shikamaru directed at the Hyuuga.

"Here you go. Oh, Sasuke," he added as afterthought. "Can you give me a sandwich?" he watched as his friend reach over. "No-no can you give me the one on the right? Yeah, that one. The other one looked like it fell on the floor or something."

Unfortunately for him Kakashi was right beside him; offended and scowling, "I resent that Hyuuga. I was just in a rush was all."

Genma scoffed, "In a rush to hide the evidence."

"Why you!"

"No, Kakashi don't!"

The Hyuuga lost his sandwich in the scramble, "That was my sandwich Shikamaru! And ou-ouch, that was my foot."

"I was just kidding Hatake!"

Sasuke looked on at the ridiculous scene as a smile came onto his face. So this was what he would have to put up with for the next few years, he thought as he happily bit into his sandwich. A pervert, a deficient cook, a genius and a fate obsessed man. Great, he chuckled to himself.

"Hey Uchiha! Give us a hand!" Genma laughed as he held onto the table for dear life. It seems that Kakashi had somehow gotten a death hold on his feet as he desperately tried to yank him of his grip as Shikamaru and Neji were trying to yank him of his own.

"So this is the family you were talking about," he mused.

TBC

A/N: This is an idea I have for a new fic. If it seems interesting please let me know. I have ideas for this too, but I want to make sure people will read it. So please R&R. Reviews encourage me to write more.