[Naruto] Saga of Tanya the Kunoichi

'Eh? What's ANBU?', Naruto had a questioning look on his face as he stuffed toasted bread with jam into his mouth.

Tanya is certain Naruto should have known from previous conversation with Itachi years before. But well, she won't bring Itachi, a missing nin up. It seems the conversation went over his head back then.

"It stands for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad)".

'Assasination…?', Naruto stops chewing his bread. His face seems to be reading Tanya's expression. The word itself doesn't sound… good.

'Um. What's the difference with regular guys?', Naruto had a hidden strange feeling towards his sister. He felt like, it's 'wrong'.

"Perhaps nothing much. Regular shinobi act as hired mercenaries mostly. Completing requests. As for ANBU, it's the same. But every 'request' is directly proposed or processed by the Hokage and council; the ANBU is then tasked for it. As for what the missions entailed, it involves sensitive missions and information that are kept secret", Tanya explained roughly.

Naruto had a blank expression, seemingly unable to digest the lengthy words.

"It means, I do work for the Hokage directly. While regular shinobi do work for, well, others - like escorting people who need them or stuff".

'Ahh! I got it now, Tsu-chan'. Naruto swallowed the food in his mouth finally. 

…

Naruto wants to say or ask something, but he's not sure how to put it into words. It's just, if he wants to put it, it's unreal that his sister is a shinobi now. And knowing what ANBU is about, the 'killing' part, Naruto felt uneasy and uncomfortable.

Regular shinobi will always detain or incapacitate first when it involves fighting people. Even deaths aren't intentional but a result of having no other choice. Unless it's some wild beast. 

ANBU is different. If the mission entails killing someone, they kill. Naruto can never imagine himself killing someone who never hurt him or any of his comrades personally. Even if on paper the person did harm someone from Konoha, it's different. Naruto wouldn't be able to do it easily...

And that's why he doesn't like where Tsuyu is going. And he even wants to ask if Tsuyu is sure about where she is going. But he can't put it into words to voice out his opinion.

"I would not have much time to train together from now on. But even without me you should keep it up if you want to become Hokage". Tsuyu said with a light hearted tone, a small smile on her lips.

Tanya stood from her seats, taking up the plates to wash them.

'Oh…'.

Naruto almost forgot about that part. Or rather he assumed Tsuyu would always at the end of the day train with him. Naruto suddenly felt a looming sense of loneliness…

No… I still have others. I don't need to trouble Tsu-chan…

Naruto thought. But then, Kiba at times trains within his clan. While Guy-sensei took interest in Lee and took him as his 'apprentice' despite Lee not even being a graduate yet. As for Sasuke…

Naruto had this feeling Sasuke wouldn't want to train with him once Tsuyu is not there… He felt anxious at being lonely again. But he shook his head. He's just overthinking. 

I am strong! I can train by myself even if others aren't there!

Naruto tried to reassure himself. Tsuyu takes the bento box for Naruto and hands it over before taking off her apron.

"If by 6 I am not at home yet you should get dinner by yourself". Tanya said as she went to take the holster with a kunai in them from the table onto her thigh. She checked her bag to recheck her stuff before wrapping it on her waist.

She made her forehead protector into a hair band and wore them there like Sakura did. She doesn't really want to cut her bangs or use gels just to let the symbol visible.

Naruto looks at her sister with her complete outfit. The jacket that's black and dark green already gives Tsuyu a more serious vibe. Coupled with her serious expression as she adjusts the hairband, Naruto feels like he's seeing a real shinobi. Not just in terms of talent or results; but temperament.

As if it's something he can never be.

"I am going first. Later nii-san".

'Ah. Yea. Later, Tsu-chan'.

Tsuyu wore her boots and left, the door creaked and closed - leaving Naruto on his own.

I should get going too…

Naruto shook his thoughts away and got ready for the academy.

***

Tanya arrived on top of Hokage Rock, the place where someone would fetch her. Just then her ears picked a sound from the direction of the forest. She turned her gaze towards them instantly. A man in white mask with monkey motives appears from behind a tree. He is seen wearing a grey flak jacket and bracers; a standard ANBU uniform.

Tanya can feel his gaze onto her, as if judging.

'You must be Uzumaki Tsuyu. Come with me. You can call me Badger, it's my codename. Or you can call me senpai if you prefer'.

Tanya nods.

"Yes, senior". Tanya prefers respecting seniority.

Tanya is led into the forest, and then onto a clearing.

The man turned his body towards Tsuyu, his voice almost cold.

'The test begins'. In the next millisecond he reaches out his hand towards his bag.

Tanya's pupil contracted as without any warning whatsoever, he threw out shuriken from towards her. She reacted fast and quickly flickered away, leaving the shuriken piercing the trees behind her.

'Good reaction'. He commented - but his hands danced as he made hand seals. Tsuyu saw how serious the test was and threw a kunai and few shurikens towards him immediately.

He had to stop to dodge the kunai and deflect one of the shuriken before he could finish his seals.

He nods inwardly, quite satisfied that a recent graduate of the academy can have such good combat sense against another shinobi.

Before he can comment further in his mind-

Hm?

In the split second after she threw the tools, she is already moving her fingers to make hand seals.

Earth Release: Rock Scatter Blast!

The man quickly reacted with his own jutsu the moment he saw the hand seals.

Earth Release: Mud Wall!

Blast of rock fragments shatters from Tsuyu's front towards him at high speed. A mud wall barely erected in time blocking the hits. 

Boom. Boom. Boom! The walls are crumbling and almost collapse from the blast.

Whew… she's quite good. And the scale of her attack, such high chakra. 

He thought inwardly. And the decisiveness and not giving any chance is akin to a veteran. A genius won't cut it now. It's a demon. New graduates would hesitate to hurt people or be afraid of getting hurt - but not Tsuyu. She had fought wars and killed countless in the past life after all, not that he knows.

He smiled slightly behind the mask, quite satisfied at the new recruit as he cast another jutsu - Hiding Like A Mole technique and sneakily dug underground.

Tsuyu eyed warily at the mud wall erected in front of her. She wonders what he is up to. But her senses tingled.

Below! Just as quickly Tanya already made hand seals.

Crack-

A hand instantly comes out of the cracked ground, grabbing Tanya's leg.

Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!

The hand pulled Tanya's body underground, pinning her entire body. The masked man mused as he looked towards Tanya trapped in earth in front of her- POOF! With a puff of smoke Tanya turns into a straw dummy!

Substitution technique?

Psssss…

A buzzing sound appears from the dummy.

Hmm?

The man smelled something burning. His eyes look towards the gaps in the straw dummy - what looks like a tag embedded ignited. In that split second-

HOLY SH-

BOOM!

Smoke and dust flew out of the ground from the explosion. Not to mention he is trapped inside the earth he had dug himself and should have nowhere to go.

'Cough…cough…'.

The man crawled out of the hole looking miserable and embarrassing. He felt small stabbing sharp pain here and there on his skin. It seems Tsuyu also placed shrapnels inside the dummy prior. Even though he managed to come out to dodge the explosion, some of the shards managed to hit him. Parts of his clothes burned as well. 

As he stood, he looked around searching for her - then turning his body to the back, there she is - Tsuyu is standing on the branch of a tree not far away, looking down on him.

Her gaze carries no remorse nor worry for his life at all. For Tsuyu, a person that tests her shouldn't die that miserably so she goes all out.

Though in her sharp almost angry gaze, her thoughts are elsewhere…

That's 5000 ryo! 

Tanya felt annoyed as she looked at his senior. The chakra sealing paper is expensive alright. And iron is expensive as well. It's literally burning money that she doesn't have using that Explosive Tag. She even regrets not pretending to fail during Jutsu Shiki class to hoard more chakra sealing paper.

But in the man's eyes Tsuyu is looking at him as if she had a grudge against him and really wanted to kill him. 

He gulped a saliva, feeling a little uncomfortable at the gaze.

'You could have killed me, you know', he tried to be nonchalant, but a part of him felt a little scared at how this 10 years old kid that learned and graduated under peace times is so ruthless.

"Senior, don't joke around. Such a thing wouldn't kill anyone". Tsuyu is being serious, she really wouldn't think someone in ANBU would die like cannon fodder. Not to mention a new genin like her.

'Right…'. He felt like Tsuyu is mocking him for getting pushed around. His ego and pride hurt a little.

***