Tobika had been admiring his newest sketch: a tall, curvy ANBU woman with silver hair, teal eyes, and a cat mask. He congratulated himself on the artistry. It was accurate. Too accurate.
DANG! DANG! DANG!
"Black-Red!"
The sharp crack of a pointer against the blackboard snapped him out of his daydream. Tobika straightened instantly.
"Yes, Captain! Absolutely right, Captain!"
The woman standing at the front—ANBU Sub-Captain "Night"—glared at the room. Her posture was crisp, authoritative, and… honestly, a little distracting.
"These lessons were paid for with the lives of your predecessors," she warned. "If any of you die because you weren't listening, don't blame me."
Tobika nodded dutifully.Also wondered if her shoulders hurt from… carrying so much weight.
He discreetly tore a strip of paper, scribbled a comment on it, and slipped it toward the girl sitting beside him.
Her ANBU codename: Late-Red. A red-eyed kunoichi. And absolutely not amused.
"Red… did you see my note?" he whispered.
"I threw it away."
Tobika stared.So this was the legendary temper of Yuhi Kurenai.
Lovely. A future teammate who already wanted him dead.
Sub-Captain Night tapped her pointer again and unfurled a scroll.
"With peace talks between Sunagakure and Konoha nearly complete, Suna will once again be our ally. This morning, the Hokage ordered that a Konoha delegation will be sent to Suna for 'friendly exchange.'"
Friendly exchange.Tobika translated that mentally:Diplomatic spies with a smile pasted on.
Night continued:
"The delegation will remain stationed in Sunagakure for approximately three months. Their job is to observe every shift in Suna's internal situation and report back regularly. If a delegate suddenly dies… Konoha will prepare for war."
Tobika raised his hand.
"So our task is to protect these delegates?"
"No."
Night looked directly at him.
"One of you will be chosen as the official exchange representative. You will go to Sunagakure yourself."
Tobika blinked.
"So… we're the obvious spies."
Night nodded.
"Exactly. And the representative must be a jōnin with a reliable information-transmission contract beast. Black-Red—your ninja cat. Two contractors. One is the Cat Elder. You are the most suitable choice."
She handed him a sealed mission packet.
"Your role will be medical exchange. Outwardly."
Inwardly:Single-use tripwire for war.
Tobika exhaled through his nose.
"S-rank?"
"Yes."
Night folded her arms beneath her… overwhelming chest, voice sharp and clear.
"You must not attack anyone in Suna. If you harm a Suna shinobi, they will retaliate. Retaliation becomes injury. Injury becomes death. Death becomes war. And the world has barely begun to stabilize."
She stepped closer.
"They may insult you, belittle you, provoke you, even strike you."
Tobika tilted his head.
"So that's when I can hit them?"
"No."
"Even if they hit me?"
"No."
"What if they try to kill me?"
"If someone tries to kill you, we will… reevaluate the situation when it happens."
Tobika squinted.
"…Captain, you wouldn't happen to be a Sarutobi, would you?"
She blinked. "I am a Sarutobi."
"Of course you are. Please continue."
Tobika internally ticked a box.Sarutobi Hiruzen's daughter-in-law.ANBU Sub-Captains: four positions.Sarutobi clan held at least two.
Night paced slowly across the room.
"You must remain calm. Even if they mock you. Even if they hate you. Do not react."
Tobika raised a hand again.
"What if I get beaten to death?"
"Are you currently being beaten to death?"
"…No."
"Then ask again when you are."
Tobika opened his mouth.
Night sighed.
"Fine. Hit me."
Tobika froze.
"…What?"
"Come here. Hit me. Once. Then you'll understand."
He stepped forward cautiously, eyeing her seriously.
"You're really okay with this?"
"Stop stalling."
She planted her feet, shoulders square, chest lifted proudly.
"Whenever you're ready."
This was… a rare opportunity. A once-in-a-lifetime chance, honestly.
Tobika tested her abdominal firmness with a couple of pokes. She was braced.
He wound back his right fist.
The floor cracked under his heel.
Night's eyes widened.She tried to dodge, but the distance was too close.
BOOM.
She folded like a shrimp and shot backward, smashing straight through a wall.
Dust and plaster rained down as rookies coughed and stared at Tobika in horror.
"Captain?""Where did she go?""Why did he punch so hard…?""Is he trying to get us all killed?!"
"Quiet."
Night's calm voice floated in from outside.
She walked back in, dusting herself off.
"As you saw," she said coolly, "you must not retaliate, no matter what happens."
She waved a hand.
"Dismissed. I'm tired. Going to the rest room."
Tobika watched her leave with newfound respect.
ANBU captains really are built different.Her durability alone made Tsunade look like a porcelain vase.
As Night reached the rest room, she grabbed a box of pads, headed into the bathroom, shut the door, turned on the faucet—
And the room filled with muffled screams and several extremely heartfelt curses about her "timing."
Tobika winced in sympathy.