The lights snapped on so suddenly that Shota had to blink several times. The room was plain stone with no windows and only one door. The Anbu who had punched him looked smaller now, almost guilty.
Shota sat up slowly and rubbed his aching back. "Are you serious right now? You are ANBU. Your whole job is to know everything. Especially about a new recruit who literally just walked in from the Hospital. I was injured so bad from such an important mission and what you did after I joined the Anbu? You hit me."
The thin ANBU scratched the back of his head. "Uhm. I am sorry."
Shota saw his chance and took it. He coughed and clutched his ribs. "Cough cough. Oh no. I think something broke again. Quick, someone carry me to the hospital. I need the soft bed and the nice nurses who bring sweet rice balls."
The thin ANBU opened his mouth, clearly about to agree.
"No," said a deeper voice.
The floor turned to thick mud. A tall ANBU rose from the ground like he was being born from the earth. The mud hardened back into stone the moment he stood fully. He wore the same black gear as the other Anbu.
Shota wanted to clap at the cool entry of the Anbu but his hands were busy clutching his injured ribs.
"Raven, your injuries are light. There is no need for further hospitalization. An iryo-nin will fix you here. ANBU do not go to the normal hospital. You get treated in the base." The new ANBU spoke calmly, like he was reading a grocery list.
Shota needed a moment to remember that Raven was now his name. When the words finally clicked, pure horror spread across his face. No more soft hospital beds. No more kind nurses pulling his cheeks and feeding him food. His dream died in front of his eyes.
"But I am in pain," he tried again, making his voice small and sad.
The tall ANBU did not even blink. "You will learn to work through pain. It is good practice for your missions when you would have to complete the objectives despite being injured and in pain."
Shota gave up and flopped back onto the floor like a dead fish.
The tall ANBU continued. "This was a test. You failed."
Shota raised one hand weakly. "I just got beaten up. Can I at least get a participation sticker?"
The tall man ignored him. "We brought you to this dark room for a reason. First, we wanted to confirm your ability needs clear line of sight or not. In total darkness it does not work. We wanted to remind you that your power is not perfect. It has limits and it's own weaknesses."
Shota thought, 'In other words, don't get cocky, got it.'
"Second, remove your ability and you fight like a regular chunin. Actually, worse than some regular chunin. You panicked when you were first attacked. You also lack versatility."
Shota rolled his eyes inside his head. 'And whose fault is my tiny jutsu list? Suna never gives me new scrolls. I have no mentor. No clan. Who am I supposed to beg for cool jutsu, the sand itself?'
"Third, you walked into an obvious trap and you were not prepared for it. A shinobi, especially an ANBU, must always expect attack."
Shota almost laughed out loud. 'You are telling a professional lazy person to be ready for battle every second of the day. You clearly did not read the part of my file that says "professional napper.'
"And your awareness is terrible," the tall ANBU added. "You sensed nothing until the first strike. You did not sense me. I was watching for the whole time."
Shota opened his mouth to protest. "I am not a sensor. It was pitch black. And you came out of the ground."
The ANBU pointed behind him. "And him?"
Shota turned. Another ANBU stood in the corner of the room, arms crossed, completely still. He looked like he had been there for hours.
"He was also watching the entire time and even when the lights have turned on, you did not notice him until I posted him out. We would have to work on your perception. I don't know how you are still alive with such lack of awareness about your surroundings. Even a normal shinobi should have some awareness." The taller anbu lectured in a little angry tone.
Shota grimaced. 'Okay, that one is on me.'
The third ANBU walked out of the door leaving the three alone .
The tall one shook his head. "This is why I dislike putting children in ANBU. They lack experience. It takes years to fix."
The thin ANBU who had punched Shota looked down at his feet, embarrassed. It looked like that he himself was quite young.
The tall man sighed. "Well that was the assessment of your initial Anbu test. Time for introductions. We already know everything about you, Chunin Shota. No need to tell us about yourself. We know about your skills and your background including your mission background."
He reached up and pulled away the veil, then the turban, then the porcelain mask. A bald middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a small scar across his cheek appeared.
The thinner ANBU followed. He removed his coverings to reveal a younger face, maybe twenty, with messy brown hair and tired eyes.
The older man spoke again. "We both would be your anbu handlers."
-------Author Notes---------
Thankyou Akira light and Al for supporting me!
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