Everyone knows that ANBU are the best of the best. Behind their masks lie individuals dangerous enough that, together, they could bring down entire countries. Of course, just because they're capable and strong doesn't mean they're always the wisest of ninjas. In fact, one could argue that with the amount of danger they put themselves in, usually of the deadly variety, their ability to act entirely normal vanished a long time ago.
Unfortunately, none of this explains why Mikoto is trying to fill her mouth full of marshmallows.
"Eight," Nara Yoshino—another ANBU who Mikoto has only worked with briefly, although they are friends due to their positions outside of ANBU—calls as Mikoto manages to push one of the pink ones into her cheek and take another one. "Can you get it to nine? That'll be a new record!"
"For who?" Mikoto attempts to say, only for the marshmallows to go flying. Her Sharingan automatically activates, catching the horror story to see it unfold, but then she blinks and her eyesight returns to normal.
In a simple quick movement, Minami Tomiko—one of Mikoto's teammates—nails each flying marshmallow with a senbon, pinning them to the wall where no one's sitting, thankfully. Mikoto doesn't want to think about receiving another reprimand from the ANBU Commander just because they tried to do something only for someone to get into the way.
Last time, they'd gotten in trouble for dying someone's scalp—not their hair, largely because they were lacking it—a bright pink that wasn't very useful in the field.
Personally, Mikoto is of the belief if you can't do your job with pink hair, then you aren't doing a very good job. Then again, most people don't grow up trying to deal with their hair constantly being dyed red as a result of their friend's pranking.
Perhaps they should make that part of their ANBU training.
"So," Yoshino draws out as Tomiko pulls back the senbon by connecting her fingers to them with chakra strings, "what did you say?"
Mikoto watches as Tomiko jerks her hand, only for the senbon—and attached marshmallows—to scatter across the ground. "Who's the record for?"
Drumming her fingers against her arm, Yoshino shifts. "An Akimichi chūnin who was part of ANBU I believe… three years ago? There's a record up in the lower breakrooms."
Mikoto grimaces at the word breakrooms. They're in a breakroom, but one of the upper ones which see regular cleaning and quite a bit of action—although no one tries to enter while they're there, which definitely has nothing to do with Mikoto's Sharingan and Yoshino's terrifying planning capabilities. Nope. Nothing at all to do with them.
The lower breakrooms, however, see less cleaning and tend to collect both dirt and mould. Last time Mikoto had gone down there, searching for a pair of chopsticks since all of the ones in the normal breakrooms had been used to build a rather impressive bridge in a training ground, she thought she'd stumbled upon a dead body just from the smell. It had ended up being rotten eggs, but there's a very good reason for why all the Inuzuka ANBU refuse to go down to the lower breakrooms. Mikoto really can't blame them.
"I'm definitely not going to check that," Tomiko announces, and Yoshino readily nods in agreement—before freezing as the head resting on her shoulder shifts. Likewise, both Tomiko and Mikoto also freeze, eyes on the final member of their group.
Tamura Kanako grumbles something inaudible, before sighing. Her eyes remain shut and Mikoto finds herself breathing a sigh of relief. Kanako is the newest ANBU of the four of them, only a few months into her probationary period. In contrast, Yoshino's been around for four years, Mikoto for two, and Tomiko for three.
Despite being the rookie of the group, Kanako has more than earnt her mask and Mikoto would definitely hesitate going against her in battle, so long as she couldn't use her Sharingan.
Yet, with how she's sleeping on Yoshino's shoulder, mouth partly open and snoring softly, Kanako doesn't look dangerous at all. She just looks young and unburdened. This is what Mikoto wishes all her friends looked like at all times, her teammates and all those she's with at the moment. Instead, they only get harder, sharper, become wearier—and Mikoto sees the same changes reflected in herself.
"Where are her teammates?" Tomiko asks with a frown, voice kept quiet. She'd been the last to join them today, after Kanako had already fallen asleep leaning against Yoshino.
Mikoto feels her heart twist in grief, and she lifts a hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear. "One in critical condition, hospitalised, and one asleep in the team's bunks. The last is resting down below."
Down below. It's such a small thing, but it means so much. Every ANBU knows someone resting down below, someone whose name has been etched onto the stone they all look at and mourn. No one here speaks of death, not without using some other terminology to describe it. Perhaps ANBU shouldn't be a superstitious lot, but they are. Then again, considering their line of business, perhaps such things are to be expected.
"Three months," Tomiko says, and the devastation is clear in her voice too. "Do you ever think the teams are lasting less long these days?"
Mikoto glances at Yoshino who frowns. "The missions are getting more dangerous as tensions rise once again."
War, Yoshino doesn't say, but Mikoto hears it all the same. They're all wandering dangerously close to it and Mikoto knows it's only a matter of time until it breaks out again.
"Don't think about it." The sleepy mumble comes from Kanako, who doesn't open her eyes. "It'll come if it comes and we can't do shit about it. Just gotta grow stronger. Lotta training."
"Hey rookie," Mikoto says, and finds herself smiling as Kanako opens her brown eyes, shifting so that she's slumped against Yoshino but no longer resting on her shoulder.
As always, Kanako's nose scrunches. "Not a rookie," she complains, like she isn't still on probation as a new member to ANBU. "Better than you."
Mikoto laughs as she always does. Kanako is always willing to provide banter, will eagerly exaggerate her skills in conversation—and one day, Mikoto knows, she's going to be one of those few ninjas who get called battle-breakers for her strength and skill, so long as she lives long enough.
"Not yet short stuff," Tomiko says, grinning. "You've got a while to go yet."
Eyes crinkling, Kanako smiles back. "Well," she says, lifting her arms in a stretch, "what do you say we go put that to the test?"
The heavy atmosphere that came from speaking of war is easily pushed aside by the four ANBU. "Two against two?" Mikoto asks, rolling her ankle and testing how stiff it is from her last mission.
"I want Yoshino on my team," Tomiko says. She narrows her eyes at Mikoto and Yoshino. "Last time, you two were together against me and Kanako and that should just be illegal anyway. Shadows and Sharingan should not go together."
Kanako laughs, leaning forward, and the shadows haven't disappeared from her eyes but her shoulders are lighter than they were before. "The younger ANBU versus the older ones? We'll kick your ass."
"You can try," Yoshino says, getting up, and leaving Kanako to catch herself.
And, well, that can't stand. Mikoto also stands up, stepping sideways as Kanako gets up, so that they're pressed shoulder to shoulder. She grins, sharp-toothed, at Tomiko and Yoshino. "You're going down," she jeers and, after that, it's on.
Me? Writing a fic on the day due to making mistakes and getting sucked into a fic the night before? More likely than you think!
If you spy a typo or something, feel free to point it out so I can fix it up. I'm doing this without thinking lmao. Also! If you comment, I will give you my soul and also respond in due time, just a bit busy at the moment.