Nishira met another with ANBU instructor, who loomed like a great mountain before her. They stood outside the forest of death. His veiny bulging arms crossed across his chest. Nishira looked up and thought she must've appeared like a small child to this man. They removed their mask, painted and molded to look like a bear, and Nishira was startled to see a rounded woman's face with chiseled cheeks and voluminous eyelashes behind the mask, glaring at her. Despite the harsh expression, Nishira guessed she was quite stunning.
"Stand up straight, Maggot!"
Nishira stood up taller at attention, fighting the urge to shrivel under the intensity of the woman's focus. It emanated power and Nishira's every instinct of self preservation told her she'd undoubtedly lose a fight to this gigantic being.
"Every year you idiots get smaller. Soon they'll be sending me babies in nappies to train. Listen up, your first task is to track my shadow clone through the forest of death and eliminate it. You will have whatever is on your person right now, please these."
A black duffle bag was thrown at her feet with assorted based ninja tools and some water and rations.
"You will have forty-eight hours to find my clone and kill it. Your time starts now."

Nishira's mind raced with how she was going to complete this task with so little but made sure to grab the bag and hop through the open gate. She paused to watch as her trainer shut the gate behind her and clipping a padlock on it with a vicious grin. Nishira loaded her pack with the ninja tools and the pockets in her jacket with the water and rations and matches, discarding the bag. She looked around to see if she could spot any trace of another shinobi or predator native to these woods, before sitting down to figure out a plan.

Frustration bubbled as Nishira cursed herself for not mastering any sensory skills other than listening. Only mastering to faintly feel chakra if she concentrated, but otherwise, she was absolutely rubbish at it. She stilled herself and listened to the forest, her eyes scanning for signs of human disturbance. Her ears filled with chirps and rustling of leaves above her. Below that she could hear critters chittering beneath her and far away a lazy pair of steps thudded on the ground floor. Ever so quietly, she crept along, pausing to listen and to look for signs of creatures. Hours passed as she made her way through the forest, and Nishira started to feel overwhelmed, clenching around her throat, with the task at hand. The sun was beginning to set, increasing the welling of pressure of panic as her first day slipped through her fingers without any progress.

A sudden ceasing in the sounds a flock of birds dispersed from the trees above her, and the silence sent a clear message that something predatory was now stalking her. The briefest flick of a single strand of her hair, the movement of the air, was her only warning to roll out of the way as a gargantuan bird dove straight through the branch she'd just been perched on, breaking it with its sheer speed and strength. Nishira gapped as the hawk stopped its spiral and turned to spot its target, her. Its glassy eye turned a deep savageness in her direction, taking off towards her with no hesitation. Nishira ignored the incessant beating of her heart, weaved her hands. Disappearing, she ducked into a crevice in the enormous tree trunk. The hawk barrelled past her and kept going. Nishira let out a sigh of relief but stayed in the trunk for a while longer, just in case.

As time passed, Nishira's ears heard the faintest whisper of sounds. Freezing her breath and movement, she waited and heard it again. Too light to be one of the many giant monstrosities she'd avoided so far, too loud to be one of the many critters that scurried around. The steps sounded undoubtedly human. Hopping easily to the forest floor, Nishira pressed her ear to the ground. The ground whispered of a few footsteps and then a leap in the southern direction. Nishira took off in the direction, easily erasing her own sounds as she pursued it. The soft sounds stopped as she neared, making Nishira pause.

A solid boot made its home painfully between her shoulder blades, sending Nishira hurtling towards the forest floor. Landing with a hard tumble into a mossy mound which couldn't have been any less graceful, Nishira looked up to spot her target, the shadow clone with the bear mask, standing there with arms folded in a condescending way.
"Your tracking skills are pitiful. Hopefully your killing skills are better."
With that, the bear lady jumped from the branch, one foot outstretched to land on her. Nishira rolled out of the way and leapt to her feet.
"Are you trying to kill me?"
She could tell the Bear Lady clone was enjoying this.
"Yes. Now fight me!"
Nishira unsheathed the ninjato in one hand and a kunai in the other.

For what seemed the millionth time, Nishira lay panting in the dirt staring up at the looming foliage found in the forest of death. Nishira surely felt like dying, her body bruised in an endless combat with the clone she was sent to kill. Looking down at her prone form was a person of large stature, more muscular than Nishira had ever seen, their legs too muscular to be hidden in the standard joggers assigned to ANBU operatives, every strong line defined in the fabric. The bracers appeared diminished in the presence of scultped bare biceps and forearms. Those arms were crossed over a wide chest with a flak jacket that must have been custom made. The owner of this impressive and intimidating body just sneered down at her, making Nishira wish to be back in the lab and reeking of formaldehyde and intestinal goo instead. This teacher was responsible for survival skills and physical skills and had been serving a hard dish for the past month.
"You done already? Shame. I was just warming up. You're not cut out for ANBU."
The devilish voice was that of a rich sultry voice that took pleasure in Nishira's exhaustion. Nishira growled in frustration, about to fail yet another track and kill scenario, having failed dozens of times before this. The rage unfreezing her tongue.
"Finish it then! Put me out of my misery! Send me packing!"
"Oh I will, and I'll tell the bosses what a mistake it was to recruit you."
Nishira's opponent took an almost lazy hop off the branch and come roaring down, aiming her foot right for Nishira's chest. Nishira's breath quickened as she approached like a flash. At the last moment, she held her ninjato up and infused chakra into it, making it a wind blade that tore through the woman's body, splitting the pieces to rain down blood, splattering all over her.

The pieces of the body disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Nishira, still bloody, was left huffing in the dirt, alone. Breathing a sigh of relief, she took a few moments before getting up and hobbling towards the gate of the forest, limping the whole way. Nishira hissed at the sting of her swollen ankle, reminding her of her tumble, hitting every branch on the way down.

Eventually the gate came in sight and with it, sunlight, it had been three days since she'd been locked in. Nishira breathed a sigh of relief before breaking out into a wobbled version of a run. Bursting through the open gate she saw the strict form of the original Bear Lady.
"You did pretty good, for an imbecile! Your tracking and hunting skills have improved and are now passable. My grandma can still hunt better than you! However," she deliberated. "You did complete the mission. So, good job, but don't get a big head. You'll have a new task next time. Dismissed!"

Nishira watched the Bear instructor hop away out of sight before she started to hobble towards the hospital in the village, something was definitely broken. She didn't make it very far before needing to sit for a moment. Tempted by a patch of grass and sat before laying down and staring at the clouds above her, promising it would only be a moment. As she nestled into the soft ground a little more, it appealing to stay there for the rest of the day. Her thoughts drifted to pleasanter things; Her comfy bed and the smell of old scrolls, the hot scalding heat of a shower to wash off the dirt and grime from the last couple of days. Smooth clean skin, perfumed, lotion and some hands that kneaded the knots out. As Nishira lost consciousness, she thought how nice a massage would be, she moaned lightly at the thought of Kakashi's hands on her before frowning, chastising herself for such a thought, and then nothing.

When she came to, Nishira was surprised to see the ground above her. Only then did she noticed the feet, a pair under her walking on the upside-down sky and then she realized she was slung over someone's shoulder.
"Oh! Are you awake?"
A second body walked beside her, it lowered to display its face, and Nishira recognized Toma's toothy grin.
"Hello sleepy head! How ya doin?"
Nishira felt some nausea, an intense whirling in her head.
"Let me down please, before I leave yesterday's ration on someone's back!"
Nishira was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground, and she looked up to see Sekawa glaring coldly at her. Nishira rubbed her throbbing head, the world still spinning.
"What happened?"
"Well, Kawa and I were training nearby and were heading back to meet up with some friends. We thought you might have been dead, but your snoring! Ha ha! It was hilarious, and then Kawa said, she said…"
"Enough, Toma!"
"Right! we were going to drop you off at the hospital if you didn't come 'round. But since you're awake… well, where do you want to be dropped off?"
"Hospital, please."
"Oof, what did you do? You look pretty beat up!"
"I- I can't really talk about it."
Sekawa, who had been cold and detached, couldn't hold it in any longer, her eyes flaring with intensity.
"Of course, you can't talk about it! Poor little orphan Nishira with such a wounded mysterious past that only important people know about! Stop being such a stuck-up snob! We know you think you're better than us!"
Nishira shook her head.
"Oh give those doe eyes a break! I said what I said, it needed to be said! You-you just surf by because everyone feels sorry for you and and… You know what? Forget it!"
She stomped off, Nishira thought she could see smoke coming from her ears.
"What's with her?"
She looked into Toma's face, scrunched with awkwardness.
"I don't feel comfortable talking about it. Sorry! Do you need help still? I'll take you."
"No, that's ok, I can make it from here! You go on! Thanks, Toma!"

She watched as her old teammate ran to catch up with Sekawa who tapped her foot impatiently. Sekawa's anger had been unexpectedly harsh, fierier than her normal natural state of rage. Nishira's gut was feeling hollow from the brunt and intensity of it, leaving her a little breathless. However, she admitted it wasn't completely unwarranted. She owed it to them to share the details, those two had put their lives on the line for her. It was also no secret that she hadn't passed the last part of the chunin exam but was still promoted two levels. Nishira longed to tell them it was done for self serving reasons. She had no doubt that the powers that be did so because of their want to maneuver her into the ANBU, but it wouldn't help. Nishira staggered to her feet and made her way towards the hospital, one wobbly step at a time. She made it most of the way before flumping onto a bench outside a corner shop, panting ragged breaths. She huffed and cradled her head in her hands, only looking up when the bench shifted slightly under someone else's weight.

Nishira looked up to see Sarutobi Asuma sitting next to her, Lord Hokage's son. But Nishira took in the full black beard, and a lit cigarette hanging out of his grin, and could barely see the resemblance.
"Well, hello Nishira. Nice to see you around the village."
Nishira chuckled and swayed a little.
"Asuma sensei."
"Hey, none of that sensei, Asuma only. My father is the sensei. Besides you're ANBU now, if anything I should call you sensei."
Nishira gave a wry chuckle, it was all she could manage.
"You're looking a little under the weather."
"Over trained. Just trying to get to the hospital for some bandages and an ice pack." She winced as she shifted on the seat. "Maybe more."
"Well, I'm going there myself. Why don't I tag along?"

Nishira uneasily stood up from the bench and started to ungracefully hobble along the path, Asuma seamlessly pulled her arm over his shoulder and helped her along. She caught a whiff of the cigarette smoke that always lingered around him.
"Kakashi mentioned you'd been having a rough go of it. I'm guessing that's the training you're referring to. Is it Sakino who did this to you?"
"Maybe? She wasn't big on introductions, big burly scary lady in a bear mask who could crush me with her pinky finger?"
It wasn't the worst fate she'd imagined, being crushed by a gorgeous and strong woman.
"Oh yeah, that's Sakino! She's great! You'll learn a lot from her!"
"Didn't seem like she was interested in teaching."
"Oh, just wait. If you make it past the trials, she'll warm up."
Nishira couldn't see that happening.
"Why am I doing trials if I've been accepted into ANBU, I'm assuming they know exactly what I'm capable of."
"They do, but don't forget there is always room to grow. Always something to learn. Just hang in there. It'll get better."

As they neared the door to the hospital a shinobi medic ran out to grab her other arm and help her inside. Once she'd been deposited on a bed, Asuma was about to head out, but he paused, his form framed in the doorway to the room they insistently escorted her to.
"Kurenai will kill me if I don't ask. Would you like to have dinner later this week? We're meeting up in a couple of days, she really wants to meet you."
"Oh um, sure, sounds fun. Should I bring anything?"
"We're celebrating a birthday or graduation or… something" he chuckled around an unlit cigarette. "I don't really keep track of stuff like that. No gifts or anything, just dinner and friends."
He left with a wink and excused himself as he swapped places with a medic ninja rushing in with an armload of bandages and tape.