Chapter 55
Pale green eyes held narrowed Brown. Yamanaka Inoke would not budge though. This orange haired brat was still a teenager in his books. He would not hit him, he would not hit him, he had more patience than that. He raised two brats that always tested his patience and never once broke.
"What do you Konoha Shinobi want?" The orange haired teen finally asked.
"To talk." Nara Eiko drawled lazily, but calculated as her dark eyes took in the leaders two other companions. A teenage girl with Orange eyes and blue hair. The rumored Uzumaki with the legendary Rinnegan.
"About what?" Yahiko, the leader asked firmly.
"Konoha would like to make amends with Ame for the pain we've put you through in the past." Inoke stated almost word for word from the scroll they'd been sent via summons from the Hokage.
All three of the Akatsuki leaders shared looks before once more turning to the two Konoha shinobi they agreed to meet. The rest of the Konoha team was still undercover, but would soon be leaving depending on how this meeting went.
"How will Konoha be doing this?" Konan asked with a softer voice than her loud leader.
"Our Yondaime wants peace just as much as you do." Eiko continued. "He and his personal advisor have agreed to send Six of Konoha's top Shinobi to Ame to help aid the Rebellion in defeating Hanzo."
"We don't want a war." Yahiko glared. "We've already gotten a few missives from Hanzo himself. He's agreed to meet with us in a month's time to discuss terms of our own alliance."
"It's a lie." Inoke said easily. "He only wants to meet so he can wipe out your resistance all at once. We have proof if you want it."
Yahiko's eyes narrowed on the Yamanaka, but a hand on his shoulder made him pause.
"They are telling the truth." Nagato whispered to his best friend.
Yahiko felt all their hard work start to crumble. All he wanted was peace.
"Who will Konoha be sending?" He grit out.
"All six of our Sages."
The three leaders paused before paling. "S-s-s-SIX SAGES!" Yahiko exclaimed, jumping up from the table. "But I thought only sensei was…." He trailed off as pure curiosity bloomed in his still slightly innocent eyes. "W-who?" He asked.
"Senju Tsunade, Senju Jiraiya, Senju Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato, Kitsune- the Hokage's own personal ANBU, and Uzumaki Kushina." Eiko listed off from their updated mission scroll. He then held it out to the three teens. "Here are our orders if you don't believe us."
Yahiko took it with slightly trembling hands.
"Senju Jiraiya-Toad Sage, Namikaze Minato-Toad Sage, Senju Tsunade- Slug Sage/ Medic, Senju Orochimaru- Snake Sage, Kitsune- Fox Sage, Uzumaki Kushina- Fox Sage." Yahiko said with more and more relief and disbelief.
"W-why?" Nagato asked suddenly. "Why is Konoha stepping up so suddenly?"
"When we informed the Hokage of your rebellion, Jiraiya-sama was apparently shocked to learn that his second set of students were still alive. He was already slated to be on the mission, but asked for his husband and wife to join him. They were unable to defeat Hanzo the first time. They will defeat him this time. That is their written promise. Their way to make amends for the years that the tyrant has ruled these lands."
"If sensei and his team couldn't defeat him now, what makes them so sure they'll beat him now?" Yahiko glared. It was why he'd hoped Hanzo would try to work things out with them peacefully, even though he knew that he and his friends were still too weak to fight the Salamander.
"Kitsune." The two Konoha shinobi responded together.
"Huh?" Yahiko answered eloquently.
"Kitsune-sama has turned down the Hokage hat twice if not more." Inoke smirked. "Not because she isn't strong enough, but because she's too strong. She's more useful in the field than behind a desk. She has also trained Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minashi to full Fox Sage status."
"Konoha has seven Sages?" Konan whispered in a mix of shock and horror.
"Yes." Eiko huffed. "But while our Sages are powerful, they do not want war with the Ame Rebellion. They fight for peace. They want to help free your country. Konoha wants to help free Ame."
There was a pregnant pause as the three teenage leaders soaked it all in.
"Will you let us?" Inoke asked softly. "Konoha is allied with Suna. You sit between both of us. We are also allied with Kawa (River). It would open Safe trade for Ame with all three of our countries."
"Suna and Kawa are in agreement with this?" Yahiko asked wearily.
"Yes, you were the last one we were going to talk to, but it took a while to find you and get a meeting with you." Eiko huffed.
Yahiko stood up and all three young adults moved further away to discuss their options.
Eiko turned to her Captain. 'Think it worked?' She sent telepathically through the communication earcuffs the Uzumaki brat designed up a few years ago. Thankfully they are standard issue now for all shinobi. Even Suna had gotten their orders in shortly after Konoha's were complete.
'They need the help. They know they aren't strong enough for the Salamander if even the Sannin were defeated by them.' The Yamanaka responded back easily.
'But they'd also done that while defending against a small army as well.' She countered.
Inoke just shrugged. 'They don't know that.'
Eiko was about to respond when she felt a pulse of chakra. Opening her vest, she pulled out a small scroll no bigger than her palm. Opening it, she saw the scrawl of her Hokage asking for an update. The instant messaging scroll had been sent along with his summons. A new communication device that was still limited amongst the forces due to the difficulty of the seal work. Or that's what the Nara heard through the grapevine. Still, the Nara wondered at the creativity of the Uzumakis once more. They had been making infiltration missions so much easier for not only the ANBU forces, but the regular forces as well.
Pulling out the seal inscripted pen paired to the scroll, she wrote a response.
Offer has been made. Leaders informed of Suna and Kawa's protection and safe trade. Waiting for final decision.- Deer
Keep me posted- H.S.
Eiko rolled the scroll up and replaced it in her vest.
'Yondaime?' Inoke asked with only a glance.
'Update request.'
They were silenced once more from their internal chat when the trio returned. Yahiko sat down and clasped his hands together.
"The Akatsuki would like to accept the Konoha/ Suna/ Kawa alliance offer."
Inoke felt his shoulders drop in relief. 'Thank Kami, they are smart brats.' Eiko just sent a mental snort.
The Yamanaka then began to make sure any fears the trio had would be relieved before they even left the secret meeting place. "Thank you. First thing we would like to let you know is that once the Salamander is removed from his seat, the Alliance will not push for numbers on your supplies. We will offer our shinobi and supplies to help stabilize your own country until you three can get a handle of what mess Hanzo is sure to leave behind. If you will permit it, ambassadors and their guards will temporarily move to Ame to be there to assist until they are no longer needed. Then like standard Ambassadors they will only return for renewals or addition of supplies meetings. None of us will be pushing to control Ame with resources or blackmail."
"We just want-" Eiko started next
"Peace." Nagato whispered smiling softly.
"Yes." The Nara nodded.
"I think this will be a good partnership." Konan smiled now too with her two best friends.
Kitsune, dressed in her standard ANBU uniform sans mask, tapped her foot impatiently at the front gates. Her sharp eyes snapped to the clock in the guard house a few yards away. When it showed that barely ten minutes had passed since the last time she looked, the Ravenette let out a long sigh to try to calm her nerves.
She would not go into Sage mode just to check on where the party was. Kushina was leading it and had her own Sage mode to aid in sensory checks. There were two Five man squads plus an Elite Uchiha escorting the guest.
The Kunoichi perked up when the group finally entered Kitsune's natural sensory range. The ANBU didn't move a muscle until the group was finally within eyesight three hours later. The sight of the two squads surrounding the two Suna-nin released all the worried tension from Kitsune. A few minutes later the group stopped at the gate to check in. Kitsune though was smiling and shaking her head at the two Sand Siblings.
"Yashamaru, Karura." Kitsune greeted the two Suna-nin.
"Kitsune." Karura gave a smile even as her brother set her down. She quickly waddled over to the slightly taller woman and hugged her tight. Kitsune chuckled and returned the hug.
"Rough trip?"
Karura grunted. "I'm seven months pregnant, about to have my unborn child turned into a jinchuriki, my ass of a husband said that taking care of the older two kids would be a sinch, and I've had to listen to that Spandex clad Chuunin talk about Youth for an entire Week. Save me."
Kitsune burst out laughing as she swept the woman up into her own arms. "Can do. Let's get you to the Hokage's home. Since you and your son are making this sacrifice, we wouldn't want you to be set up in some cramped hotel room."
"Oh, thank kami." The blonde sighed even as Kitsune gently lept up to the roofs and headed for the Hatake compound, Yashamaru hot on their heels. Kushina and Kagami followed as the Lady's guard within Konoha. The two remaining squads headed for the tower for a debriefing.
Kitsune landed in the back yard after flaring her chakra for the ANBU team she felt there. She wasn't surprised to find Minato and Jiraiya already sitting on the engawa waiting.
Setting the Kazekage's wife down, she linked arms with the woman and led her forward.
"You know Minato and Jiraiya, and you got to know Kushina on the way over. All four of us will be doing your seal." Kitsune explained as she helped the Suna mom onto a cushion. Even while talking, she made sure Karura's feet were elevated, a habit kicking in more than anything.
"Is it really going to be that dangerous?" The blonde asked worried.
Jiraiya huffed. "It's not a matter of it being dangerous."
"It is dangerous." Kushina grunted. "All bijuu sealing is dangerous to Sealer and Host."
Minato cleared his throat interrupting the two. "Both Kushina and Jiraiya are correct. While this is dangerous, it's not dangerous in the sense that the Ichibi has a chance to get out."
"What's dangerous then?"
"How delicate of a sealing this is." Kitsune stated grabbing her friend's attention. Kitsune could smell and sense the fear on the mother-to-be. "If it was just you or him alone, it would be a standard jinchuriki seal. Because your son-"
"Gaara." Karura interrupted. "His name is Gaara."
Kitsune paused and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out with all the bottled up feelings of finally hearing one of her Best friend's names.
"Because Gaara will be the host, we have to be careful with the seal. This involves not only sealing the bijuu but making sure that Gaara is protected from the bijuu's influence. Shukaku does not have a reputation of keeping his hosts sane. Being stored in an object will have worsened his mentality. We need to keep them separate, yet allow Gaara access to his filtered chakra so he can one day control it."
"Then there is making sure that after we put the seal on your stomach that it will not sink in and attached to Gaara in the wrong place." Minato added.
"That, is the dangerous part." Kushina enunciated. "I still firmly think this should wait until after he's born."
"The tea kettle won't hold much longer." Kagami spoke up for the first time, Mangekyou eyes on the kettle in his hands. "I can already see the Bijuu's chakra working faster to eat at the containment seals. It knows it's about to get resealed."
"Nutty as Shukaku is, he isn't stupid." Kitsune grunted, moving to Kagami and eyeing the kettle for herself. "At the rate he's going we'll have a max of three days to set the Sealing room up and get Karura and Gaara ready for the ritual."
"Then we'll get going." Jiraiya announced. "Minato, Kushina." he called. "You got her and the Tanuki, Kitsune?"
"Yeeep." Kitsune drew, grabbed the kettled and narrowed her eyes as it flared with Shukaku's chakra. Kagami twitched along with the three other sages. Karura wasn't as strong of a sensor but her eyes still shot to the kettle.
Humming Kitsune went absolutely still and instead of blue eyes, violet eyes stared at the kettle. Channeling her Sage chakra around the kettle, Shukaku's own corrosive chakra settled down.
"Go." Kitsune ordered. "I'll handle Shukaku. Kagami, you are still on Karura's guard right?"
"Hai."
"Help her in then." A Shadow clone of Kitsune popped up. "She'll give a tour and get you comfortable. I'm going into Sakumo's office to guard this guy."
Two days later Kitsune found herself in a meditative seat on cold stone. She ignored the cold, she ignored the hushed voices of her Clone and the other three Seal Masters double checking the seals in the room.
She felt when the Yondaime, Sandaime, and Tsunade joined to observe. Kagami Uchiha was still on guard duty leaning near Kitsune's own resting spot.
The meditating Raven felt when Karura was escorted in and Tsunade helped the four seal Masters in positioning the seals across the mother's stomach.
All this she noticed but did nothing about. No, her focus has been to keep Shukaku calm with a mix of hers and Kurama's chakra, but the latter enough that no one noticed but the trapped Bijuu.
It had also been time she had spent with the Bijuu on their higher mental plain, sharing the Chakra Gaara had sent back with her. Shukaku's mental state had first denied the memories, calling them fakes, tricks, and hallucinations. Kurama and Kitsune had only shared a look and instead worked to heal Shukaku's mind first. It took the full two days that Jiraiya, Minato, Kushina, and her clone needed to prepare the Sealing room.
"We're ready." Her shadow clone called, knowing better than to pop when Kitsune was so focused on using a mix of hers, kurama's and Nature's chakra to ease Shukaku's mental state. Forty-eight hours straight without stopping, and the bijuu was only a small fraction saner.
Standing in one fluid movement, Kitsune headed for her place near the altar where Karura was laid upon. Seals were all over her body, but heavily on her stomach in tiny and fine ink.
"He's calm for now." Kitsune reported. "Let's do this."
Four different chakras flared, three went through the needed hand signs, Kitsune remained with just her larger reserves present to contain Shukaku. The ink in the room lit up, stabilizing all the chakra. With a synced clap, the Three seal masters held their hands over Karura's belly. She hissed in discomfort, but the paralysis seals kept her from moving.
Kitsune focused her chakra into the seal she was standing on. It latched onto her hungrily with the focus of the three seal masters controlling it. Grunting at the odd feeling, she let the connection stay before connecting her chakra to Shukaku's, guiding it from the tea kettle and through the seal.
Blue chakra, followed by red, flowed from the pot onto the seal. The Chakra infused ink pulled it towards the seal on Karura. Four sets of sharp eyes watched for any twitch in the Bijuu's chakra. Time flew in a blur of silence and the hum of chakra.
Finally the last of the red chakra left the tea kettle and Kitsune made sure that her chakra covered the tail end of the Bijuu chakra so that it couldn't struggle and mess up the sealing.
No one moved even as the last trendles of blue covered red chakra sunk into Karura's belly. Kitsune only moved closer and added her own hands to the three other sets. Together the four seal masters closed and locked the seal resting on the tiny baby's back, encompassing the entire expanse of his skin there. Their chakra did not let up until they felt the last 'lock' click into place. Slowly and carefully, each chakra from the Masters, took a turn retreating from Karura's body. Kitsune was last to pull her own chakra.
Lowering her hands, her violet eyes remained sharp on the bared stomach of her friend. When her senses confirmed ten minutes later that there was no bijuu activity she let her shoulders drop and tilted her head back in relief.
"Done."
"My turn." Tsunade said and moved to Karura's side to make sure the long ritual didn't send her into early labor.
The room was tense for five long minutes until Tsunade stepped back with a smile, Karura returning it with one of her own.
"Both you and little Gaara-kun are healthy and stable. The paralysis seals can be removed now." Kitsune was quick to follow through and pull the tag off the back of Karura's neck. With Tsunade she helped the Suna-nin to sit up.
Both of Karura's hands went to her protruding stomach. "He's really okay?"
"That seal is tighter and one of the most complicated ones I've ever seen." Kushina huffed with a proud smirk. "There are so many locks and restrictions, that the Tanuki will have little wiggle room."
"Did you say though that those types of seals harm the bijuu and make them worse?" Karura asked, looking to Kitsune. Calm blue eyes held teal.
"Shukaku is not trapped in total endless darkness. That is what the tea kettle did to him. This seal currently is an endless expanse of sand, his domain. It's a sense of security and home for the tanuki."
"Where is his cage then?" Karura asked.
"The sand is his cage. He cannot move from his spot." Kitsune said. "Until Gaara is older and ready to work on befriending the tanuki, his seal will keep Shukaku from influencing him."
Tension left Karura. "Thank you."
"I did this not just because of the treaty between Konoha and Suna, I did this because I consider you and Rasa some of my precious people. I will never accept some half-wit seal specialist, claiming to be a master, attempting something so delicate like this. They would never have thought of seal placement on the unborn child, or keeping the Bijuu's influence from Gaara's mind." Kitsune stated heatedly.
Karura just smiled and hugged the Kunoichi. "Thank you. I'm happy to call you my friend as well. It's sad that we haven't gotten as much time together because of your missions and the war. But that is over now. You better be making more of an effort to visit. Temari and Kankuro are missing their Aunt Kitty."
Jiraiya and Tsunade snorted in unison. "Kitty?" Jiraiya asked with a twinkle in his gaze.
"Even our brats just call you Oba-san." Tsunade grinned. "Maybe we should get them calling you Aunt Kitty as well."
Sharp blue eyes snapped to him. "Shut it. They couldn't pronounce Kitsune. I told them they could call me Nee-san, but Rasa said Kit and it was interpreted as Kitty."
Kushina snickered. "I'm telling Masumi. I'm sure her and the other Vixens will get a kick out of your nickname."
Kitsune felt fond annoyance fill her even as they all headed out of the dark sealing room. She'd let them tease and make fun of her. If it kept them smiling and all laughing she'd endure it.
It was only after a full meal and sleep before Kitsune was escorting Karura back to the gates. Kagami was the main guard again, but instead of the two Chuunin teams, two ANBU teams had been assigned with Karura's increased security level.
Kitsune looked to Kushina who was technically in charge of the mission as the Seal Master of the group. She was talking to the ANBU medic who had also replaced Shizune. When they split, the Fox masked ANBU got the Uzumaki's attention. They walked away from the group for a moment and Kitsune let the privacy bubble surround them.
"You were briefed by Sakumo last night right?" The ANBU double checked.
Kushina nodded. "Hai, after securing Karura's return trip to Suna, i'll send you a Summons that i'm headed out to Ame. You and the others will then leave from Konoha to meet me in Kawa where we will then meet with the Akatsuki Rebellion."
Kitsune nodded. "We'll have a few days to recover once we get to their base. Make sure you stock up on any supplies while you are in Suna."
"Hai." Kushina nodded before shocking Kitsune by pulling the Kunoichi into a hug. In all the years they've known each other, Kushina had never hugged her. Kitsune was stiff before Kushina started talking.
"You might be older than me, but I still think you are not only a dear friend, but family. We are part of the same pack. We share summons, village, friends, and brats to teach. You said that Rasa and Karura are you precious people. You've been my precious person since you took my imouto under your wing and protected her and her burden."
Kitsune finally returned the hug. "You are a precious person to me as well Kushina. It's why I so easily trust you with Karura. I know the lengths you will go to protect her and Gaara-kun."
"That's a promise dattebane!" The Redhead exclaimed and slowly they pulled from their hug. "Just make sure you don't tease Minato too much while I'm away. I won't get to tease him about it if i'm not there to witness it."
Kitsune snorted a laugh, smirking behind her mask. "You got it."
"We're ready!" Yashamaru called out with Karura once more in his arms.
"Safe travels…." Kitsune started before pausing when she remembered something her Tou-san had once told her about her mother. An old saying the Uzumaki had taught him and only him, but had hoped to pass onto their children. "May the swirling eddies guide you gently and true." The old uzumaki saying came out of her mouth before she could stop it.
Kushina, already halfway back to the group froze. Violet eyes snapped to Kitsune's masked face with shock plastered all over her own.
Kushina gave a shaky nod in return. With a shallow bow of her own head, Kistune disappeared into a swirl.
"Minashi, he's not going to let us." Kakashi grunted even as he was practically dragged to the Hokage tower.
"Yes he will."
"Why do you even want to join?"
"To get stronger, just like you. Plus, ANBU get the better missions."
Kakashi couldn't refute the blonde on that.
"You sure this isn't just because Kenji and Ryouta told us that they were accepted to take the ANBU exam?"
Minashi hummed. "That's partially it but I also remember those days where our teachers had a hard time putting the four of us in a team that would work. So, now that we are all strong enough, why not shoot to be on a team together. Plus we've always worked the best together in all of the combinations of the four of us. So why not just make it official. Personally i think we'll be Konoha's strongest team that way."
Kakashi deadpanned the back of her head. "Are you trying to convince me, yourself, or are you practicing a speech for Tou-san?"
Minashi sent him a beaming smile. "A mix of it all?"
"If you are scared of joining ANBU-"
"I'm not scared of being ANBU. I'm scared to leave some of my best friends alone and taking on the darker missions of the village. I want to be there for them to remember that there are good things."
Kakashi bit his lip behind his face mask. "Fine." He grumbled and picked up his pace to be even with her. "Let's try to convince Tou-san."
"No." Sakumo said sternly five minutes later. The council of Elders was also there, even the Kitsune Blood Clone.
"Told you so." Kakashi pouted looking away.
"Why not?" Minashi asked, tilting her head contemplatively at the Hokage.
"You two are too young. I told Kakashi this the first time he asked to join a few years ago."
"Kenji was the same age as Kakashi is now when he was recruited." The blonde Uzumaki argued back.
"Kenji Uchiha remained Chuunin until he was Sixteen so he could continue to refine his skills and prepare for the ANBU exams." Sakumo shot back evenly.
"Kakashi is just as easily as strong as Kenji, and even Ryouta who we also learned is going to be taking the ANBU exams."
The room was silent as Sakumo's dark eyes narrowed on the preteen blonde.
"Would it really hurt to let them take the exams? While we know that Minashi could possibly pass them, Kakashi is just as strong as her, Kenji-kun and Ryouta-san."
"Sakumo." Kitsune called gently.
"You don't have to say it Kitsune." The Hatake didn't look away from his son.
"You know he's Jounin level. He's fought in a war, if only through the pocket battles and missions his team was assigned."
"I know."
"You can't keep holding him back."
"I know."
"He'll resent you if you don't start letting him reach for his goals, which might I remind you, are to surpass you. He can't do that if you continue to hold him back-"
"I KNOW!" Sakumo snapped, turning to her. "That is enough."
Kitsune didn't flinch, but did raise a brow at him. "No, I will continue until you stop being stupid."
The room was quiet as the Hokage and his personal ANBU had a stare off. The tension was released when Sakumo looked away first and met his son's single visible eye, his hitai-ate hiding the left red one beneath it.
"Kakashi, Minashi, report in three days time for your ANBU assessment exam. You will be testing with this year's recruits. Understand this: You fail the exam and I will not approve of your requests to try again until you are at least eighteen."
"Hai!" The two preteens bowed to their waists.
"You are dismissed from duties to prepare for the exams. Go."
The Blonde grabbed Kakashi's wrist and pulled him out the open window.
Kitsune took a couple steps forward and placed a reassuring hand on Sakumo's shoulder.
"Minashi will never let harm come to her precious people." She reminded him.
"I know. He's all I have left though of Kaede." Sakumo whispered. Kitsune's hand tightened on his shoulder.
"Kakashi is strong for his age. This will make him stronger to where you will worry less because you will know he will return back from his missions."
"I hate it when you make sense." The Hokage grumbled and shot her an annoyed look. Kitsune just eye-smiled in return.
Kakashi landed beside the familiar blonde head of Minashi. They were the two shortest applicants of all the Shinobi and Kunoichi that had arrived at the clearing in front of the Forest of Death. The day before they had already picked up temporary uniforms and blank masks with their application numbers on their foreheads. The first day had been written exam after written exam. Then test after test on decryption, stealth, information gathering, and so much more it almost made his head spin. With that alone half of the recruits had already been cut.
Now, they were going to be put to test in survival, trapping, strategy, and all around combat skills.
"Good luck." A voice said beside him. He didn't need to look to recognize it.
"You as well." Kakashi sent to the masked Ryouta, the Hyuuga only having a couple inches on him. Kakashi couldn't wait for his own growth spurt to finally kick in. He was tired of being so damn short.
The Hatake didn't need to look to Minashi's other side to see that their last friend Kenji was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"The one that gets injured the most buys dinner." Minashi challenged.
The three teen boys paled. They all knew how much their blonde friend could eat.
"Deal." They whispered still. They would not back down from a challenge from the blonde.
A month later and Kakashi was once more surrounded by his Blank ANBU masked comrades. All of the rookies were covered in dirt, dried blood, and new markings on their masks depending on how they did during the survival part of the exam. The Hatake wasn't surprised to see Minashi with very few marks on her mask, signifying how many hits she had taken. He felt proud to see that he only had four more than she did. When Ryouta and Kenji joined, it surprised him a bit to see that they had all tied instead.
Minashi just continued to grin like a cat that got the cream under her mask.
With his left eye finally covered once again behind his mask, because while it wasn't as draining as it could be, he'd still used it a lot in the forest and had been practicing with it the entire time. He'd never get over how clear it was. He'd talked to Obito after the accident and compared the eye to the Uchiha's sharingan. While it lacked the copying aspect like the Sharingan held, it was just as precognitive as the Sharingan. Because of the gifted eye, Kakashi had been able to complete his Chidori without tunnel vision affecting him.
The Hatake though, had yet to talk to his childhood friend about the eye. He didn't know how to approach her about it. He knew what she had done. Rin and Obito had told him the sacrifice she'd made for him.
Kakashi was shaken from his thoughts when their group of twenty arrived into the bowls of Torture and interrogation. He swallowed a little nervous. The last test; surviving interrogation tactics, minor torture, pyschological manipulation, and much more. All to test their loyalty, mental status, and psychological strength.
Itsuki Morino, once known as ANBU Bear, stared down at the preteen Kunoichi that sat before him. He couldn't believe that the hokage had actually let not one, but two children apply for ANBU. Yet...they'd made it this far.
As Konoha's top interrogator, besides the Yamanaka brothers that headed the T&I division, Itsuki knew it was his job to make sure this little girl knew just what she was getting into. He'd already tested her three friends. It wasn't hard to see that they were friends since ANBU had been eyeing the four kids since their graduation.
Now, he had his once Captain's little sister. He would not let his Senpai and friend down by letting his imouto into the ANBU forces if she wasn't ready.
"Let us begin." the Interrogator grinned sadistically.
Minashi just stared at him with a blank face and closed off eyes.
As the minutes turned to hours, Itsuki tried everything to get through to the Chibi Jounin. Even breaking fingers and ankles didn't do anything. They'd even brought in one of their Yamanka's for a mind probe, but all they would hit was a confusing maze of traps and horror inducing illusions in her mind.
Itsuki watched as the blonde preteen was healed by the ANBU trained medics. The veteran shinobi was slightly unnerved by the child. He'd tried all of his tactics that wouldn't dismember, disembowel, or permanently damage the girl, yet she'd barely flinched. It was like she'd flipped a switch and became just a shell. He'd not been able to get any of the information she was given before the test.
Just what had Kitsune-sama trained her apprentice in? Did Minato-senpai know how well his Imouto could survive torture and interrogation?
He did not want to be anywhere near the elder blonde when he ever found out.
Minashi skipped her way into the bullpen of the ANBU headquarters. After they had finished their final loyalty tests, they were guided to the mask makers where Dragon waited to assign their masks. While Minashi knew she couldn't get the Kitsune mask since her own Clone wore it, at least she didn't get something horrible. Her white mask was only marked on the sides with Silver and blue enhancements, giving the avian mask a feeling of her new code name.
Yosei (Fairy)
A mythical being that was always mistaken for weak. She couldn't wait to use it to her advantage.
The masked blonde followed the signature she knew like the back of her own hand.
Fairy stopped beside the canine masked ANBU with excitement practically pouring from her frame.
"Raiju."(doglike beast) She greeted, a smile clear in her tone.
"Yosei." He sighed back. "Don't say anything."
"I won't." She chuckled.
"You passed!" another familiar signature joined with another mask walking with him. The speaker was wearing a crow like mask, while the other wore a Feline mask.
"Yosei!" Minashi introduced her code name.
"Raiju." Kakashi sighed.
"Tengu." Kenji grinned behind his own mask.
"Kappa." Ryouta huffed amused. "I think someone is having fun with us."
"Well….I might have heard that the ANBU has actually been looking at all four of us since the Academy." Yosei shrugged. Which was true, Kitsune had to listen to Dragon ask for the four of them for years, but Sakumo would deny him time and time again until Ryouta and Kenji were old enough, then he continued to deny it until Minashi convinced him finally.
"You think the Commander might put us on the same squad?" Kappa asked as more of the passing recruits joined them in the bullpen. They only had their tattoos left to receive, but they would be done personally by the Hokage.
"It would be smart." Tengu shrugged. "We all know each other best and could adapt easily in battle together. But four people aren't enough for an ANBU squad."
"We're missing a medic and a Captain." Raiju frowned. "Who do you think they'll assign?"
"Someone who could keep up." Yosei hummed.
Their attention was grabbed by a flare of chakra. Walking onto the slight platform was Dragon. The ANBU fell to a knee, as right behind him walked the Yondaime in full robes.
Minashi listened as Dragon gave the opening speech to the new recruits, never personally hearing it from this side of the mask. Pride swelled within her chest. She'd actually done it. She'd risen properly through the ranks on her own strength.
Sakumo was next to make his speech and the masked blonde's thoughts turned to fondness for the elder Hatake. He truly was amazing, she was glad that she was able to help him live a full life. He was a great Hokage and she knew he would continue to lead Konoha with his bright will of fire.
Soon, Minashi was lined up with the other recruits getting their ANBU tattoos. Minashi only felt his chakra press where hers was and removed the seal she had hiding it. He just sent her a discrete nod, confirming that her Clone had given him proper instructions to remove the seal.
Stepping off the platform she paused to watch as Sakumo marked his own son before leaning close. Only because her ears were so sensitive did she hear his words to her best friend.
"I'm SO proud of you."
She saw Kakashi's throat bob with a thick swallow as he nodded sharply to his father and then joined her at the end of the platform.
After a final short congratulations the Hokage left, leaving Dragon to assign them to their new teams.