Konoha Hospital.
Kakashi leaned back on the bed, visibly restless.
After completing the mission, his injuries had landed him directly in the hospital.
Turned out they were worse than expected, even after treatment, he was told to rest for at least a day.
Normally, Kakashi wouldn't care. But now?
He'd made a deal with Hakusei Tōya, learn the taijutsu technique within seven days.
The style was completely different from anything he'd studied before.
And if this one-day delay caused him to fail, Kakashi genuinely didn't know what he'd do.
Just as he was seriously considering sneaking out to train, a flash of yellow entered the room.
Minato walked in with a bag of fruit in hand and set it on the table, smiling gently.
"How are you holding up?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Nothing serious. If the doctor hadn't insisted I stay, I'd be out the door already."
"I'm planning to assign you to the ANBU," Minato said as he walked over to the window, gazing out at the shimmering curtains gently fluttering in the autumn breeze.
A look of gratitude crossed Kakashi's face.
"Thank you."
He was thankful that Tōya had told him the truth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have realized just how much Minato cared about him.
Minato looked at him, no longer lost in grief, and smiled with relief, even though he wasn't sure what had changed.
"Seems like you and Tōya got along well during the mission," he said.
"Yeah," Kakashi nodded.
"Tōya-senpai is a great mentor."
"That puts my mind at ease," Minato said, clearly pleased.
He had been worried that Kakashi's jōnin status might cause friction with Tōya.
Now it looked like that concern was unnecessary.
Four days after the treaty retrieval mission, Tōya arrived at ANBU headquarters.
Today was the day the new ANBU would be assembled.
Since the division was still in its early stages, and per Hiruzen's suggestion, the new unit would temporarily share the old ANBU base until their own facility was built.
After collecting his gear, Tōya attended Minato's speech in the main hall, checked in with the division commander and sub-commanders, and finally made his way to his assigned team.
They were ANBU Squad Seven.
When he arrived, his three subordinates were already waiting.
He was the last to arrive.
All three were in full ANBU gear, masks on, identities obscured.
Tōya scanned them. None of them looked average, they all carried the air of specialists.
There was Kakashi with his trademark white hair and crossed arms, still playing the aloof genius.
Then a tall boy with a high ponytail stood quietly against the wall, deep in thought.
Lastly, a girl wearing a dog-faced mask was… petting her ninken.
"Take off your masks and introduce yourselves. Tell us what you're good at," Tōya said as he removed his own tiger-striped mask.
Kakashi went first.
"Hatake Kakashi. I specialize in Lightning Release and kenjutsu."
Next, the taller boy removed his mask.
"Nara Shiomizu (Shikamaru Nara). I specialize in shadow techniques."
Tōya's eyes lit up, Minato had really pulled through. He'd even gotten him a member of the Nara clan.
Then the last one removed her mask, and to Tōya's surprise, it was a girl. And a pretty cute one at that. Female ANBU were a rare sight.
"Inuzuka Midori. I love ninken and cooking, hate anything boring, and I'm good at tracking and taijutsu."
Midori introduced herself boldly, not even slightly embarrassed about having just been caught petting her dog in front of her superior.
Once everyone was done, Tōya said,
"I'm Hakusei Tōya. I specialize in taijutsu. You can call me either Tōya or Hakusei, but during missions, you'll address me as 'Quake', that's my codename."
"You can choose your own codenames too. Optional, but recommended."
Kakashi thought for a second.
"Then I'll go with 'Ka.'"
Tōya stared blankly.
Is that laziness or brilliance?
"Nara Shiomizu," the other boy said, "Call me 'Shika.'"
Midori looked at her dog, Graymaru, and a lightbulb went off.
"I'll be 'Inu.'"
"Ka, Shika, Inu. Alright. During missions, use codenames only."
Tōya nodded.
"And to better understand your capabilities, I'll be sparring with you next."
He wasn't the type to play weak just to surprise others later.
If you had strength and didn't show it, how could your team respect you?
The moment he said that, Kakashi's hand trembled slightly as he held his mask.
He was reminded of Tōya's terrifying aura and that one punch that leveled half a forest.
This wasn't about assessing ability.
This was Tōya establishing dominance.
The other two had no idea what they were in for.
Being from shinobi clans, they might underestimate him.
So Tōya was going to remind them who was boss.
And Kakashi?
He'd be collateral damage.
"…Sparring, huh," Nara Shiomizu murmured, deep in thought.
When he first heard he was being recruited to ANBU, he was already surprised.
But when he found out it was Minato himself who went to the clan leader to ask for him, he was stunned.
When he saw Kakashi, he assumed he was the squad leader.
After all, Kakashi was Minato's student.
But instead, the leader was a young ninja Shiomizu didn't even recognize.
Still, if Minato handpicked Tōya, he must have something special.
"This is supposed to be ANBU," Inuzuka Midori muttered.
"Why does this feel like that graduation bell test back at the academy?"
She scratched her ninken's head as it nudged her leg, clearly not taking any of this too seriously.
Tōya gave her a calm glance.
Feisty, huh.
He said dryly,
"I don't have a bell for you to chase. But the goal's the same, to assess your skills."
Kakashi glanced at Midori with sympathy.
Oh no. She has no idea what's coming.
He just hoped Tōya had good enough control to avoid killing anyone.
"Come on. We'll use the village's training grounds. Don't want to break anything in here," Tōya said.
Kakashi put his mask back on and followed Tōya, his mind still preoccupied with his training in the Shave technique.
Shiomizu walked right behind, already thinking through possible strategies.
Inuzuka Midori's good at close combat, she can engage first. I'll use Shadow Mimic when the opening appears. Then Kakashi finishes with Lightning Release…
"Let's goooo! Time to throw hands!"
Midori sang some tune as she skipped after them, clearly having the time of her life.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter