A Murder Wizards Adventure

The next two weeks passed by in a flash, probably had something to do with the fact that I slept through the majority of it, though my parents made me a cake in celebration of my early graduation, which was nice, we had a little party and everything, just the three of us.

I had fun.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I love them, perks of being a sociopath, but they have certainly grown on me, kinda like a retarded cat with three legs and a fucked-up face, spend enough time around it and its earnest failures and stupidity will eventually start being endearing.

Anyway, enough about them, my very important rest and relaxation is rather rudely interrupted by my mother calling for me.

"Hana-Kun!! One of your ninja friends is here!"

I walk downstairs wondering who it is, only to still...

Did my mother just refer to an ANBU as 'one of my ninja friends'?

My father gets me into motion again by slapping my back.

"Go on and have fun son, and stay safe, we love you."

...

My parents really are stupid, who is just 𝘰𝘬 with their six-year-old going off to places unknown with ANBU? well whatever.

"I probably won't be back for a week, maybe longer."

...Forgot to tell them that earlier.

"Oh that's fine sweetie, ninja missions must be time consuming."

...

I don't really know what to say so I just walk to the ANBU, where he grabs me by the shoulder and in a blur of movement that leaves me too sick to even enjoy the adrenaline of such fast movement we are now in a small room. it has one bed a wardrobe and a desk and nothing else.

ANBU-san just tells me to get changed and stands outside, rather than standing around inspecting the room, I head straight to the wardrobe and get changed into the only set of clothes there which consisted of a black sleeveless top and a matching pair of black bottoms that I tied the available bandages around by the ankles, a grey flak jacket, metal arm guards and gloves that went up past the elbow, ninja sandals with spikes, for travelling in unsteady terrain I assume.

There was also a plain white featureless porcelain mask except on the inside which was covered in what looked like foam, for comfort I assume, and extra protection if we get hit in the face, also there were what I can only assume are fuinjutsu seals which is 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 interesting.

The mask didn't have any straps, but it only took a moment for me to realise we were supposed to stick it to our faces with chakra.

However, once I put it to my face and pulsed my chakra, I felt the mask react and stick itself to my face, which in hindsight makes a lot more sense, it'd suck to reveal your identity just because you lost concentration for a moment.

Once I was done, I briefly stretched and just left my old cloths on the bed and headed for the door and the ANBU behind it.

"well, what now"

Wow ok, I wasn't expecting my voice to sound like that, my voice came out completely flat and with a distorted tinge to it. I suppose it adds the intimidation tactics.

As I was pondering my new voice ANBU-san had approached me again and put his hand back on my shoulder without a word. 'Not the talkative type hu-'

The world blurs for a second time only this time I don't stumble despite still feeling slightly nauseous from the far too fast travel.

When I take in my surroundings however, I find that I am in a line of men and women, maybe fifteen, in similar dress to my esteemed self, standing in a dark forest. Though from the body language of the few closest to me, I somehow don't think they were expecting anyone of my, admittedly lacking, height.

Understandable really, but there isn't time to contemplate further and with a rush of movement, the empty clearing in front of us is no longer empty and is instead filled with five ANBU. The suddenness of which startled a few of the people in the line.

The one in the lead, with a mask that looks kinda like a cat but with a lot of hair speaks up.

"greetings kiddies, I am lion and you maggots are here to prove to me that you belong in ANBU, if by the end of these tests, you haven't impressed me then you will either be sent home or dead."

Pushing past the uneasy shuffling his rather ominous statement caused, Lion-san keeps talking as if he didn't just indirectly threaten to kill us.

"Your first test is simple. Survive."

And suddenly chaos, ANBU appear out of nowhere attacking everyone, some of my fellows are immediately captured, others manage to escape the initial rush, most don't make it far.

As for me? Well as soon as people started moving, I made a clone overlapping with myself and simultaneously used the only other two techniques that I know and henged into Lion and swapped places with a rock behind his little group that had yet to move.

But I knew I couldn't rest so I decided to take a page out of Oni Lee's book and created a new clone of my henged self, then repeated my combo before picking a random ANBU to my left to henge into, even as I used kawarimi on a pebble far to the right.

I felt more than saw, the shadow of an ANBU's hand clenching on my neck right before I teleported and then I proceeded to chase after one of the other applicants, hoping to trick the hunters into thinking I was one of them.

It didn't work as I saw the hunter Infront of me turn on a dime and rush me, I barely had enough time to go through my combo one more time before he reached me.

'This isn't working, damnit they can sense my chakra! I can't believe I forgot about that.'

The ANBU I just evaded was closing in on me again. And the feeling of danger was making my skin tingle is all sorts of pleasant ways, but I refused to get distracted here, I can't fail my recruitment. I 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦.

The hunter is only seconds away now. Before enlightenment strikes

'Shit, ok new plan'

I don't know how to do genjutsu yet, but the clone technique is basically an area genjutsu, you can see it but it's not real, now why is this important you ask? Because you can change what your clones look like.

That in mind, first, I lock on to one of the kunai in the hunters' pouch then I run behind a tree and quickly create a clone, made to look just like a tree root, almost in the exact same moment I utilise another henge and kawarimi combo and turn myself into a kunai as I swap places with one of his, silencing my chakra as much as I am capable.

I make my 'ring' of chakra as thin as I can without losing its current, sucking the rest of my chakra into my core and hoping that this actually is how chakra suppression works. It's not like anyone has told me I'm doing it right.

And not a moment after I appear in his kunai pouch do I feel him come to a stop, presumable rounding the tree and seeing nothing there.

I don't really know what happens next, since I can't see anything from in here, it's dark, but there is a lot of shaking that I can only attribute to movement.

Eventually however my ride seems to stop running around, I can hear some muffled voices, then light blinds me as the pouch I'm in is opened, and I see the giant face of what I can only assume is supposed to be some kind of bird mask.

The bird ANBU reaches into the pouch and picks me up and holds me in front of her face like a misbehaving kitten. they, a quick check, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 just keeps staring at me silently. I resolve myself to embody the kunai and refuse to break.

*Staaare*

"Is that the last one, Hawk?"

Oh, Lion-san is here now. And I guess the one holding me is Hawk. She just nods at him instead of responding, which causes Lion to join her in staring at me in silence. A moment passes. Then a minute. Then I realise that they were probably trying to make me uncomfortable to see when I break.

Unfortunate for them that I am both very lazy and petty, and I am perfectly willing to just hang here for the rest of the day. Maybe I should take a nap? As if summoned by my thoughts of laziness, Hawk speaks up for the first time,

"Release your technique or I will see how far I can throw you"

...

Well, when you put it like that.

I release the henge, also putting my chakra back to normal, and suddenly I look a lot more like a misbehaving kitten as she holds me by the back of the neck as I look up at her.

"Hawk-sama, my hero, you've saved me, a cruel and evil witch transformed me into a kunai and ran away, they went that way-

I point deeper into the forest,

"-go get them before they can continue their dastardly deeds, my hero"

My passionate speech loses some of its effect when it's said through my mask, making my impassioned words dull and distorted, almost making it seem sarcastic. But still, I hear some of the ANBU snickering.

*thud*

'ow'

I can't believe she dropped me, how rude.

The snickering intensified, with some even outright chuckling... crap,

"I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"you did" Lion answers me, "now get back in line"

I jump to my feet, scratch the back of my head a little nervously, give him a nod and head to join my other recruits in a line- wait a minute I swear there were more of us?

Lion distract my thoughts, speaking up again.

"alright maggots, so far most of you have thoroughly disappointed me. Lets hope you do better on the next test yeah? that said, your next test is to survive in the forest of death, where we are for the next seven days. There will be ANBU patrolling the forest, and if any of you get caught then you're disqualified and will be sent home... what are you waiting for!? permission!? go!"

And like that the second exam begins.

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A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

And things are finally kicking off, also its midnight and now that ive hit chapter ten im actually going to start posting, so yaaay!

please dont be too mean :> my fragile heart can only take so much