Anko took her new team to an empty section of the academy courtyard. She sat down on a swing and motioned for them to sit as well. She took out a kunai and began to twirl it about one finger. (A habit of hers her team would quickly take for granted.)

"Okay, to begin with I'll give you a quick introduction to let you know who I am. My name is Mitarashi Anko a Tokubetsu Jonin who specializes in stealth and assassination. I didn't want to be a sensei but the Hokage ordered me to accept a team and so here I am."

"If you don't want to be our sensei then why are you even here?" Naruto complained.

In a flash the kunai leapt from her hand. None of them saw her throw it and they first realized she had when they heard the soft 'thunk' of the blade going into the ground. Naruto felt a slight sharp pain and something thing warm dripping down his cheek.

Also faster than any of them could see she was suddenly bending over from behind him. She was casually holding another kunai to his throat as she licked the blood from his cut. "Watch that smart mouth of yours gaki, it'll get you killed one day." She slowly licked his cheek swallowing up every drop. "Mmmmm, fear always makes the blood sweeter."

Naruto froze, not willing to move a muscle or make a sound with the kunai against his throat.

Sakura twitched. She's drinking his blood?! What kind of sicko is she?

Shino looked on and merely raised a single eyebrow.

Satisfied she'd gotten their full attention she let go of him and returned to the swing.

"To answer your question I'm here because I was ordered to be here. As ninja you are expected to carry out all orders from those above you in the chain of command. Whether you like them or not, even if you hate them and think them wrong you are still expected to obey. If you can't handle that hand in your hitai-ites right now and quit."

She waited for a moment but no one responded. Naruto was rubbing his cheek and openly glaring at her.

"No takers huh? Well that's fine, but remember what I told you, as ninja you're not allowed to pick and choose which orders you're going to follow. Now let me set you straight about something right from the start. Up until this point you've all just been playing at being ninja. You've been coddled and shielded from all the harsh realities of shinobi life. Well that ends now. You're not students anymore and I'm under no obligation to keep you safe. My own sensei was a sadistic bastard, but he was also a genius and a great ninja who taught me a lot and made me what I am. He always got results no matter the cost."

She looked the three of them over.

"If you remain my team you won't always like me. Hell I can guarantee you'll hate me a lot of the time, but I will make you powerful ninja." She chuckled. "Or I'll get you killed, one or the other though, you definitely won't be weak and ordinary with me as your sensei."

"What do you mean 'if' we remain your team?" Sakura asked cautiously. "Does that mean we might be assigned another sensei?"

"That would be good," Naruto muttered beneath his breath.

"Don't get your hopes up pinky, it's me or nothing."

"Then what did you mean by 'if?'"

"I'll explain in a little bit. Now normally the sensei would have each team member introduce themselves and talks about likes dislikes and that sort of thing. I'm not one to follow the normal path though and anyway I've read all your files so I think I have the basics covered."

She looked at Sakura. "Haruno Sakura," she said so sharply the girl jerked. "Class rank 4th, top kunoichi, taijutsu average, ninjutsu good, weapons average, chakra control excellent, chakra reserves low, physical stamina average, academics excellent. It's safe to say of the three of you you're the best student."

She straightened up a bit. "Cha, thank you sensei."

Anko gave her a wide smile. "Too bad you're not a student anymore. You're the weakest ninja and the most likely to get killed."

"What?"

"Academics aren't of much use in the field. It is good to be smart but you're going to need to work on your physical skills."

She shifted focus. "Aburame Shino, class rank 12th, taijutsu average, ninjutsu average, weapons average, chakra control good, chakra reserves medium, physical stamina average, academics good. You're just about middle of the road, like a lot of clan members you rely on your clan techniques. It's good to have them as an ace in the hole, but don't neglect your more general abilities."

Shino gave a single slight nod.

"Uzumaki Naruto, class rank 28th, taijutsu poor, ninjutsu poor, weapons poor, chakra control average, chakra reserves," she chuckled. "Damn near unlimited, physical stamina excellent, academics poor. You are by far the worst student, but like I said school is over. You are already the strongest ninja here and with my help you can be really scary before long."

Sakura's eyes widened a bit. She loved her boyfriend to death, but it felt as though the whole world had been flipped upside down. She had always been one of the best; her teachers had always been full of praise. Naruto had always struggled; it had been a challenge just to get him to pass each year. Now she was the weak one and Naruto the strong one? She didn't resent it as much as she found it hard to comprehend.

"Well, now that we've got that out of the way it's time for me to give you your test to see if you're actually ready to be ninja."

"Huh?" Naruto chimed in. "What are you talking about we've already passed our test to be ninja. See?" He jerked a thumb towards his hitai-ite.

Anko snorted a laugh. "Yeah right, that little test you took was just to see if you were at least competent to be a ninja. This one determines whether or not you get to be Genin. Oh, and it has a 66.66% failure rate. So only three of the ten teams formed today are likely to pass it."

"What happens if we fail?' Sakura asked nervously. No one had ever mentioned a second test, it didn't seem fair.

"The failures go right back to the academy for six months of remedial training before they're allowed to test again."

"No way!" Naruto said angrily. "No way did I finally get through all that just to go back! I'm going to be a great ninja that everyone respects. Then one day I'm going to be Hokage and everyone will have to acknowledge me."

Anko looked at him closely. "Is that what you want gaki? To be Hokage so that everyone will have to acknowledge you?"

"That's right!"

"Then what?"

"Huh?"

"Becoming Hokage is very difficult, it's damn near impossible. Though you might have a real shot at it."

"You think so?" Naruto asked her. In the whole village only Sakura and the old man ever said they believed he could be Hokage. Even the small handful of others who were nice to him; Iruka, Ayame, Teuchi, and Sakura's parents tended to just smile and nod when he talked about it. They obviously thought it just a childish dream he would one day grow out of. That was why it surprised him when his new sensei nodded and sounded serious.

"Yeah I do, even if you're a bit of a screw up now I can see in your eyes that you have the one thing you need to make it that far. The sheer will to do anything you have to. You'd be amazed how far that alone can take you. You also have the chakra reserves from hell and the little stunt you pulled the other day shows you're definitely more than you seem to be."

Sakura looked at him questioningly. Little stunt? What is she talking about?

"What I want to know though is what are you going to do once you are Hokage and everyone has acknowledged you. Are you going to use your authority to make the villagers suffer for ignoring you for so long?"

"Of course not," he snapped. "I'll protect them just like the old man does. I love Konoha! I just want the villagers to love me the same way, that's all."

"Glad to hear it, if you really mean that I doubt I'll ever have to assassinate you."

"What?"

She stood up. "On your feet gakis!" She barked at them. "It's time for us to go and begin your Genin test."

"What sort of test will this be sensei?" Sakura asked.

"There's no set test for this. Unlike with the academy each Jonin instructor creates a test designed to teach a particular lesson that ninja need to understand."

"Which lesson do you intend to impart on us sensei?" Shino asked in a dull monotone.

"You'll see."

XXX

"This is some kind of joke right?" Naruto asked. "You're giving us rabbits?! What the heck does that have to do with being a ninja?"

Anko had taken the three very surprised nin into the village to a local pet store. There she had instructed each of them to pick out a bunny rabbit to keep as a pet. She had then bought them the rabbits along with cages and feed.

"Never underestimate the power of the cute and furry." She began to pat the brown and white one in Naruto's hands. "He's soooo adorable. What's his name?"

"Mr. Floppy." Naruto said, even as he looked a little embarrassed.

Anko smirked but kept petting Mr. Floppy.

"Sensei I have to agree with Naruto." Sakura said. "I know from Kiba that animals can be used by ninja, but none of us have that specialty and from what I hear from Kiba it takes years of training to develop the necessary bond."

"True," Shino spoke without meaning to. He was looking at the rabbit in his hands without any special interest.

"You'll understand tomorrow pinky. You'll all bring your new pets with you to training ground fifteen by 8 a.m. Oh, and what have you named yours?"

Sakura sighed, not understanding at all. Unlike the academy this had no rhyme or reason. "I'm calling him 'Chibi.'"

Anko nodded her approval. "What about yours?" She asked looking at Shino.

"I will not be giving him a name," Shino replied dully. "I suspect it would be pointless as would be developing any sort of attachment."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"I see one of you has the ability to look underneath the underneath," Anko said sounding very pleased. "However keep your thoughts to yourself until we take the test tomorrow."

"Yes sensei."

"Well then, you're all free for the remainder of the day. Take good care of your new pets and be sure to play with them. I'll see you all tomorrow for your test."

She vanished in a swirl of wind and leaves.

"What was that about Shino?" Sakura asked. "Why don't you want to give your rabbit a name?"

"You heard sensei's order. I will explain my reasons at the test, if they are not already evident by that point." Taking his rabbit, cage, and feed he walked away.

"Whatever," Naruto said. "Hey Sakura-chan want to bring Chibi over to my apartment to play with Mr. Floppy for awhile?"

"Sure," she said. "And what was that, 'little stunt' sensei mentioned?"

Naruto looked uncomfortable. "I'm not allowed to talk about it until sensei says I can. Sorry."

Sakura frowned. "Since when do you keep secrets from me Naruto-kun?"

"Since I got orders to," he answered truthfully. "I'll tell you when I can I promise."

"I don't like this; all of a sudden everything is a big secret."

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Welcome to ninja life."

"I guess."

"Come on let's go play without new pets!"

Neither of them had ever had a pet before and they spent most of the afternoon at his apartment playing with them.

XXX

The following morning the three ninja met up at training ground 15. Sakura and Naruto arrived together about fifteen minutes early. Shino was already there waiting for them.

All three had brought along their rabbits as instructed.

At precisely 8 Anko arrived in a swirl of wind and leaves. "Glad to see all of you came here on time and with your rabbits. It's good to see you can follow instructions. Since that is the point of this test."

In a flash she threw three kunai into the ground at their feet.

"Now I want each of you to take that knife and chop off your bunny's cute little head."