The pit was a large, cavernous room with overhead lights hung from its massive vaulted ceiling. The walls were metal and stone— reinforced with one another for maximum strength. A thin layer of dirt had been spread over the floor to soften the impact and the room was full of the pungent aroma of sweat and blood.
The team descended the long flight of stairs down to the pit where Ayeka and Yuuta were already waiting. Natsumi shuddered, feeling an icy gaze boring into her, and she glanced over her shoulder and saw Jiro eyeing her from beneath his mask like a predator about to pounce.
"We do a lot of training here." Kiri explained quietly to ease the tension. "This place is ideal for practicing swordsmanship." She motioned to the Ninjato on Natsumi's back. "You'll be mastering it in no time and it will be an extension of your arm."
"If..." Natsumi swallowed and kept her voice low. "If I'm supposed to just be gathering information and doing reconnaissance, then why do I need a sword?"
Kiri blinked and then bit her lip, answering slowly. "Sweetie... you do understand that not every mission will be an in-and-out, right? There will be ambushes, traps, guards... situations you will have to fight your way out of. These won't be the same types of mission normal Genin your age will do... the people we go up against... they're lethal and they won't hesitate to kill you because you're young. In those cases, you'll fight to the death."
Natsumi's eyes widened and Sena shot Kiri a look.
"Hey!" She hissed. "You could have at least phrased that a little better!"
"Sorry..." Kiri sighed.
I'll... have to kill people? She swallowed. I guess... if it's really a life-or-death situation, I'll have no choice... but I'd rather just do my best not to get caught at all and have anyone get hurt.
The stepped off the final step and Natsumi blinked as a chill settled in her bones.
Right... I almost forgot about... this. She looked around and gently tapped her feet on the floor. This floor is too solid... I won't be able to go underground here. That's my best move... If I can't do that... I'm definitely going to die.
Quick, Natsumi, think! What else can I do? She bit her lip as the team assembled along the wall and Ayeka kept her hawklike gaze on Natsumi. I've got my clones, the substitution Jutsu, transformation, body flicker... but without my underground maneuver, there's no way I can beat any of them with just that!
"Team Yoru," Ayeka put her hands on her hips with a smirk. "We've got New Blood with us. It's time to see if she can really earn our place with us."
She paced slowly with her hands clasped behind her back. "This is a tradition passed down by our predecessors and the founders of Team Yoru. Blood of Senior members and New Bloods alike will mix on this very ground until we become one blood, one team, one family."
The Captain stopped her pacing and scanned her subordinates. "Masks on, Team Yoru."
Kiri sighed softly and reluctantly turned her mask from where it rested on the side of her head to cover her face and the others followed suit. Natsumi reached to turn her own mask when Ayeka suddenly appeared in front of her and gripped her wrist tightly.
"Not you, New Blood." She lifted Natsumi's mask off and held it out of reach, releasing her arm. "This mask is something you've got to earn. You have to prove that you're more than just a snotty redhead girl; you have to show us that you are Mina. Until then..."
She tossed Natsumi mask over her shoulder and it landed in the corner, creating a small puff of dust.
"Step into the pit, New Blood."
Natsumi took a deep breath and stepped slowly forward.
Don't trip. Don't trip. Don't trip. Remember to breathe. Don't panic. Don't panic. You'll think of something.
She stopped in the center and let out a slow breath. I'm probably going to die right here.
Ayeka crossed her arms. "Now, who's going first?"
Jiro smirked behind his mask but Kiri shoved him back and met his eyes.
"Don't you even think about touching her first." She hissed under her breath.
He chuckled. "My, my. So defensive."
Kiri closed her eyes briefly and stepped into the center and met Natsumi's eyes.
"You trust me, right?" She whispered almost inaudibly.
Natsumi nodded slowly and hovered her hand over her kunai sheath in preparation. I'm glad it's Kiri that's the first...
"Now, remember Team Yoru..." Ayeka stepped aside and tapped the crimson tattoo on her arm. "Left shoulder is off-limits." She looked between Kiri and Natsumi, furrowing her brows. "Begin!"
Natsumi quickly reached into the sheath to retrieve a Kunai and gasped. Kiri was already behind her and a small line of red appeared on her right forearm.
Her eyes widened and, the longer she stared at the cut, the more she was able to feel it. Tiny beads of red gathered and rolled down her arm and into the dirt.
Kiri straightened and turned to meet the girl's eyes and held up her own Kunai, whispering. "Sorry, kid."
T-That fast?! Natsumi's hand flew to cover the cut. I didn't even see her move! Or have time to get my kunai!
Kiri returned to the side and Sena slowly patted her arm.
Right... she went easy on me. Natsumi blinked and tightened her grip around her Kunai. I have to be ready next time.
This time, it was Kuma who cut off Jiro and stepped forward, drawing his sword. Natsumi instinctively took a step back and stopped herself.
My Kunai won't be able to beat that sword in terms of distance. Her hand trembled and she gently dropped the Kunai to the ground and reached up to grip her sword, unsheathing it. I don't know how to use it, but if he's going to go easy on me, I can at least try to figure it out as I go.
She held the blade out in front of her with both hands and copied his stance and met his eyes. He winked so that the Captain couldn't see and lunged forward, obviously and intentionally slowly.
Natsumi dodged and moved her sword to block his. He's putting almost no strength behind it... She shoved back and he chuckled softly.
"Good." He lunged again, faster this time and she blocked again, struggling against the force. "You're not doing half bad."
He lunged again and again, gradually adding greater force to each strike.
"Stop playing with her!" Ayeka snapped and glared.
"But, what else is a cat to do?" He shrugged, turning to look at the Captain over his shoulder. "I thought this was supposed to be fun?"
"Hmph." She crossed her arms and fell silent and hardened her stare.
Kuma returned his attention to Natsumi and winked again, leaning in to nudge the tip of the sword at her. "You're having fun, right?"
She pressed her lips together and gripped the sword more tightly, lunging quickly. He parried easily and she staggered forward, nearly losing her balance.
"Stance's too rigid. Loosen up a bit."
"What are you doing? This isn't a lesson." Ayeka snarled.
"She's got no skill with a sword and watching her is just embarrassing. There's no honor in beating someone completely incompetent."
Incompetent? Natsumi narrowed her eyes. Maybe that's true, but he doesn't have to say it like that!
Natsumi lunged again and almost fell to her knees as he stepped to the side.
"Stop overextending yourself. The Ninjato should be a part of you."
That's easy for you to say!
He brought the Ninjato down in an arc and she held up her own to block, wavering under its strength. She moved a had to support the back of the blade, taking a step back and lowering her stance.
H-He's too strong! Even without trying hard at all!
She grunted and struggled to hold the Ninjato steady. With a twist of his wrist, he slid his blade down the length of hers, drew it back, and then slashed at her belly.
Crap!
She turned and try to knock his sword away, losing grip of her own and it clattered to the floor. The tip of his blade grazed the back of her hand.
Another red line formed on her skin and he immediately drew his sword back.
"Not too shabby." He patted her shoulder. "We'll start lessons as soon as possible."
Sheathing the Ninjato, he returned to the side of the room. Natsumi exhaled slowly and before she could return her own sword to its sheath, a cold, invisible blade pressed itself to her throat and she froze.
"My turn now..." Jiro whispered in her ear from behind and a shudder ran through her.
H-He's invisible?! How am I supposed to fight him like that? She swallowed and stayed rooted in place as his breaths caressed her neck.
"You're trembling... good. Fear makes the most marvelous perfume."
Slowly, slowly, he moved the Kunai from her neck, keeping it just close enough to her skin to feel as he brought it up to run over her lips and slide across her cheek, applying light pressure.
Stinging spread through her cheek and she felt blood bead and roll down her cheek.
"Over already... what a shame..." He chuckled in her ear and vanished.
Natsumi covered her cheek, flinched, and pulled her hand back to examine the blood there. I don't want to be on the same team as him... he's terrifying...
"Stop whimpering!" Ayeka snapped. "You're an embarrassment and you have absolutely no right to be here. You're weak, pathetic, and timid. You belong on a playground, not in the ANBU."
The Captain stepped forward and glared and lowered her voice. "You and your brother both are abominations. I don't care if you have the Hokage's favor or recommendation... If it were up to me, you two would have been left in the woods as infants to save everyone the trouble of dealing with you."
Heat spread through Natsumi's face and she blinked. What did she say?! She clenched her fists and rage blossomed in her chest.
"Take that back... or else." She muttered at glared at her superior.
"What did you just say, New Blood?"
Natsumi formed a hand sign and her expression darkened. "If you talk that way about my brother... you're going to regret it."
Mutli-Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Fifty clones appeared around the Pit and Ayeka's eyes widened slightly. "What?! How can she—? She shouldn't know this technique, much less be able to create so many!"
The Captain's eyes narrowed. "Are you challenging me?"
"No." Natsumi's tone went icy and the clones spoke simultaneously. "That implies that it will be a fair fight."
The clones gripped their Ninjato tightly and rushed at Ayeka, who Flickered skillfully and dodged and struck several clones, dispelling them.
"You're slow and sloppy." Ayeka scoffed and drew her own sword. "Even a hundred clones would be useless."
The clones lunged and attacked as Ayeka defended and blocked. Natsumi stood protected by two clones as Ayeka made her way to her.
Let's try... that Jutsu. She closed her eyes to channel her Chakra and concentrate. Even though I've never been able to do it successfully before, it's worth a try.
Kicking off the ground, Natsumi leapt onto the wall and touched it, moving around the room quickly and narrowed her eyes at the Captain as she studied her movements. She held herself carefully in place on the ceiling in a crouch, sheathed her Ninjato, and observed her clones nearly striking the woman as she moved impossibly fast and already dispelled all but a handful of clones.
If she's that fast... then I'll have to be faster!
"Now!" She yelled and one clone feinted, prompting an empty parry and the clone grabbed Ayeka's wrist with a smirk.
I got her!
Natsumi dispelled the clones and Ayeka caught her breath quickly and looked up.
"You're stupid if you think that you can beat me without numbers. Just admit that you're weak already."
Natsumi closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, drawing a Kunai knife and focusing her Chakra.
I'm not weak!
She exhaled and vanished, reappearing behind Ayeka and slashing at her quickly.
Ayeka's eyes widened and she quickly drew back, blinked and turned quickly to see the girl behind her. "W-What?! Teleportation? But that's..."
"Where did you learn that technique?" She snapped. "Tell me!"
Natsumi smirked faintly and glanced at the Captain.
"You're bleeding."
"What?!"
Ayeka touched her cheek and discovered an identical line on her cheek as Natsumi and scowled. "I was sure that I dodged! Unless... she used a basic wind skill to increase the range of the blade."
"You little—" She hissed and raised her sword, bringing it down only to have it blocked by Kiri's as she smirked.
"She won. This match is over."
"T-That's impossible." The Captain shoved away from her sister and stared down at her wrist, where a glowing blue symbol was visible for a moment before it faded away, and her face twisted in anger. "Where did you learn that technique?"
Natsumi laughed quietly under her breath and her legs wobbled beneath her. I used too much Chakra... but... I won.
Kiri's eyes widened and she caught Natsumi as she collapsed to the ground. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?"
Sena rushed over and touched her forehead, closing her eyes briefly. "Chakra exhaustion. Really bad case. Let's get her to the Infirmary quickly."