A/N: so, this is my new fanfic, thought i'd go in a different direction than hpp but they do have some slight similarties. i already have the next chapter partially written and about three or four of hpp chapters written the only problem is that they're all hand written and i really really don't want to have to type them. well i hope you like this first chapter.
Ceri
(and i do not own any of these charaters except for the ones i do)
Viper walked through the deserted halls fo the Hokage Tower. In order to understand the importance of this fact you must understand the difference between and ANBU's description of deserted and a lower ranking ninja's or civilian's description of the word.
Now, when the latter of the two describes the Tower as 'deserted', they mean that the building has a few ninja's either receiving missions or dropping off reports, the mission official themselves, the secretary, the Hokage's aids, and the many animal masked guards stationed at every entrance and random place, not to mention inside and out the Hokage's office.
When an ANBU describes the Tower as 'deserted', it means just that– deserted. There are no missions to be handed out because the Hokage made sure that nothing needed to be picked up or handed in, so there is no need for the officials th be there either. There are no council meetings or village issues that need his actual attention so there is no need for his secretary.
The Hokage's finished all his paper work so the aids are off and the animal masked guards are needed to protect the village and it's people– tonight is the third annual festival celebrating the fall of the Kyuubi.
When shinobi or even a civilian comes the Tower and it's deserted, it usually means that business is slow.
When an ANBU comes to the Tower and it's deserted it means one thing and one thing only: the meeting is personal, and usually hs to do with their lives without the mask.
Viper climbed the eight flights to the top floor of the Tower, where the Hokage's office was located, it's footsteps on the stone floor not even making a whisper of a sound. When the Tower is deserted the elevators are shut down.
It came to the wide double doors and opened them silently; the Hokage ws expecting it, there was no reason to knock.
The Third Hokage stared at the ANBU standing utterly silent before his desk, studying it through the haze of smoke he puffed out in the dim light of the desk lamp, the only source in the room.
When a ninja became an ANBU, regardless of its gender, it lost its name, its thoughts and its emotions. It became its mask, its number and a killing machine.
Some might argue that ll ninjas were killing machines which the Hokage, given the right argument, might agree on. But a normal ninja, be it gennin, chunnin, or jounin, has the right tho turn a mission down, can say no based on their own thoughts and feelings to an extent.
The ANBU members can't. They are told what to do and do it without protest. They could be told to go on suicide mission ad leave without looking bach or a word of goodbye. They could be told to attack an enemy nations ninja academy and kill all the students to ensure that they wouldn't be a future threat and they'd slit every one of those little throats with steady hands, dry eyes, and a calm stomach.
The ninjas in the village's take pride in being what they are and doing what they do, but what most don't tell you is that they all dread getting the ANBU calling card. No ninja decides they want to be an ANBU, they're chosen. You don't just walk up to the Hokage Tower, ask for a form and sign up. They send you an untraceable card that states that you have been picked and on some random day they break into your house, drug you, and take you to some unidentifiable are and you wake up in some undescript building.
ANBU trials are usually held once a year. They're too busy with guarding or assassinating people to stop what they're doing ever time some jounin or even chunnin (it's happened before) has caught their attention. So they usually make a list throughout the year, and only know where the trials will be and who the candidates are barely an hour before said trials start.
They prefer to use the word 'cautious' over 'paranoid' when describing themselves.
When the candidates wake up from their drug induced sleep they have a full head mask on that only reveals their eyes and a baggy jump suit that makes it almost impossible to tell if they are male or female.
On their back and chest is a number, and if they pass they become that number.
They are matched against each other; each winner then matched against another winner in their bracket until between three and ten contestant are left, then they are matched aganist actual ANBU. The contestants aren't expected to win, they just want to know how the candidates can hold their own against a member and just who much training they will have to endure if they pass.
Then, after the candidates have thoroughly gotten their asses handed to them, they are once again drugged and brought back home with no one none the wiser.
You don't know if you've been selected until you receive yet another card this time with an actual location on it, which you never reach because they usually get you while you're on the way there.
The candidates are then dressed in their former ensemble from the previous kidnaping and then submitted to 'training'. They are tortured, poisoned, mentally fucked with, starved, and broken again and again only to be put back together and have the process start all over.
If they survive that, (the numbers usually range from zero to three– the ANBU don't settle.) they are then trained in taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, they art of healing, the art of poisoning, and the art of tracking. Then, and only then, they are given their uniforms, their ANBU issued weapons, and their mask, which is based on the information gathered while watching them train and, if any, personality aspects that shine through or survived the extreme de-humanization that they go through.
The other members do not know who you are outside of your mask and number. They don't know your name, your family, how you live, your occupation– nothing. Only the Hokage and the ANBU higher-ups ( the man in charge and his subordinates– the ones that kidnap/ conduct the initial tests) know just who you are, and the latter never leave the hidden headquarters.
The ANBU headquarters are located underground and each member has their own 'room'. The room consists of a standard shower, an alcove where a sink and small mirror are located, another alcove where multiple uniforms hang, a built-in cabinet for the issued weapons and a floor length built-in medical cabinet for all their injured needs. The rooms are narrow and long, fitting only one person and have a chakra locked door, allowing only the user to enter.
They way to get in and out of the room without revealing your true identity is that each room has a fixture built into it that will only allow the ninja with that specific chakra signature to 'poof' in and out.
They say that once you become an ANBU, you never truly stop.
Viper was small; barely five-foot-five and had a slender, lithe body made up of delicate bones and lean muscles. It's physique was deceiving.
Viper was one of their more... violent and brutal ANBU. Its taijutsu was flawless, in ninjutsu deadly and its ganjutsu infallible. Its movements flowed like water and its body bent like the wind blowing through long grass, hypnotizing and mesmerizing those who watched like its namesake.
"Sit, and remove your hood and mask." the Hokage ordered, his voice rough and scratchy from years of puffing away at a pipe.
Viper did as ordered without hesitation.
Now before the Hokage sat a young girl of fifteen who had the white hair and red eyes and fair skin of an albino. Just below each of her large, almond shaped eyes was one lavender dot and another at each beginning of her pale almost none existent eyebrows. She hd full pink lips and ong thick lashes. Looks most definitely could be deceiving.
"Chizuru," he said in greeting.
The girl now known as Chizuru gave him a soft, warm smile.
"Hokage-sama."
It was like a switch had been flipped and the little girl he had wtched grow from the little waif that was left outside the village gates eleven years ago was back before him. Her shoulders were relaxed as well as her posture and she had a contented look in her bloody eyes. He could understand Asuma's attraction to Kurinea...
Mentally giving himself a shake, the Third let out a stream of smoke.
"Chizuru, you've been an ANBU now for two years, yes?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
Sarutobi looked at her closely for signs fo strain; she was, after all, only fifteen and in his mind just a tad young for the ANBU. But Hatake Kakashi was doing fine and he'd been in it for going on four years. Not that that didn't stop him from worrying; even though it was expected of the children of this village to become the next generation of ninjas he still believed they deserved to keep some of their innocence until they were older.
Chizuru's psych. Tests, which all ANBU had to take every six weeks, all came back with scores in the rang of sane. The nin in charge of monitoring ANBU civilian lives wre reporting that she was sleeping less, stating that she spent most of her nights wandering the village, just walking around. They reported that her eating habits had changed as well. The Third hoped that the decision he had made would br the right one.
"Chizuru, I'm going to take you off active duty." the Third so no reason in beating around the bush on the subject.
The girl blinked up at him, surprised.
"... What, Hokage-sama?"
The old man leaned tiredly back in his chair and not for the first time in three years wished the Fourth was still alive to make these sorts of decisions.
Of course, if the Fourth was alive this particular decision wouldn't have had to be made.
"I've decided to take you off active ANBU duty," he repeated, "and give you a long in-village assignment instead."
Chizuru looked down at her hands, "H-hai, Hokage-sama."
Sarutobi couldn't help but hear the dejection in her soft voice.
"Your assignment is to care for and raise this boy." said, sliding a scroll across the wide desk to her.
He watched her reaction as she broke the seal and read it, hoping to catch any sign of her emotions on the mission.
Chizuru blinked then looked up at him, surprise in her eyes.
"You want me to raise Naruto?" she asked, the fact that he was the Kyuubi container didn't need to be said.
"Yes, you will be given an apartment and a monthly allowance, though you will need to have a plausible cover story."
The red eyed girl bit her lip in thought, showing more emotion that was common for an off-duty ANBU.
"A chunnin adopting him is more plausible. Maybe a medic-nin or a teacher, something stationary so I'll be near him the majority of the time instead of leaving him alone while I'm on lengthy missions," she narrowed her eyes in concentration, "both the hospital and academy have in-building daycare so I can check on him anytime."
Sarutobi suppressed a smile as she worked it all out, unconsciously accepting the mission. She hadn't even made a fuss about Naruto being the Kyuubi vessel.
"When he's older you will be taking the occasional ANBU mission seeing as you're only being taken off active duty, you can be called on when needed."
Chizuru nodded absently, still going over the cover story and debating the pros and cons of both occupations in her head.
"Do you accept this mission?" the Hokage asked.
That question made Chizuru jerk her head up and give him her full attention. ANBU weren't given choices.
"If Naruto can't be raised with the proper care every child should have, then I would rather you decline now," he explained, "Though I do believe you're the best choice for this assignment."
The young girl, for a girl she still was, looked down at her hands once again, thinking it over.
Could she really give him the love and acceptance he needed to grow up happy? Could she be a parent? She couldn't even remember the parents that had abandoned her at the gates of some unknown village. Could she raise this little boy? She was only fifteen, she was still raising herself. She understood that many ninja tended to start families young because of the high death rate but was fifteen a bit too young to be called 'Mommy'? The ANBU didn't think fourteen was too young to start recruiting.
The two of them sat there for some time in silence before Chizuru slowly raised her head, determination burning in her red, red eyes.
"I accept."
so, whata'ya think, huh, huh? like it, love it, hate it, review it. (please?)