It turns out the second stage of ANBU initiation is a Taijutsu only "sparring" match. Against the best Taijutsu master in ANBU. Yeah. Apparently, you don't have to win to pass,you just have to show enough skill to be ANBU, but considering the initiates so far have been so thoroughly defeated, I have my doubts about my chances. They lead us to a basement level where a ring is set up. The Leafy Dragon is looking less like a tea house by the minute. After watching five brightly colored initiates get their ass kicked by ANBU Tortoise, it's my turn.

Teal turns her head in my direction in what I imagine to be a pitying glance. I step into the ring with a feeling of resignation. Tortoise is too strong for me to face head on, has the speed to reduce my precise dodges to hastily constructed movements, and the endurance to outlast if I resort to redirection. Unfortunately, the only way for me to show off Taijutsu wise is redirection. This is going to be a painful round.

Thankfully, my arm guards should help mitigate damage from redirecting blows that I've seen split the floor. I can only hope this isn't going to end with broken bones. "Begin," Boar barks.

Tortoise shoots forward and only my regular training with Shisui allows me to keep up with his speed. He punches toward my face and I dodge toward the side, bringing my arm up to protect my face. The hit glances off the surface of my arm guard, I wince. The force behind the blow sends Tortoise past me and leaves his back open.

The pressure point at the back of the neck! If I apply enough force to it, Tortoise will fall unconscious! My feet take me forward as my hand comes down on his neck. He pivots and grabs for my hand. I abort the movement and launch myself back into a backbend, bringing my feet up to kick him in the face.

Tortoise jumps backward out of the way of my kick. He then shoots forward, and I'm on the defensive again. I spring from the crouch I landed in and move backward as he punches and kicks. I'm painfully aware of the edge of the ring approaching. His arm fully extends and creates a shockwave through the air. I grin behind my mask. In a move blatantly plagiarized from my uncle last time I trained with him, I grab Tortoise's wrist and duck under his arm. I pin his arm to his back as I climb up onto his back.

I don't have the strength to force Tortoise to the ground like Uncle Shikaku, so this is more of a move to buy time. Tortoise grunts and throws himself backward. He's trying to pin me, I realize, and climb to his shoulders. I use them as a springboard to launch myself away from him.

We stand at opposite ends of the arena for a moment until Tortoise makes his move. I blink, and he's in front of me. I barely duck out of the way in time. He was holding back earlier, and likely still is. Tortoise is judging our skill level and matching it. A perfect test proctor for something like this.

I fall back onto the Nara style. Not the best move to remain anonymous, but I don't have much of a choice. He's too fast to implement the clanless, acrobatic style I was using earlier.

I'm quickly being overwhelmed, my forearms stinging. Finally, I don't move fast enough and take a direct hit to my right arm. A sharp crack rings through the room as pain spikes up through it. Broken, I think distantly. Tortoise kicks toward my chest, and I stumble back, clutching my arm.

Tortoise goes to punch me again, and I spin out of the way. His body blurs and suddenly he's behind me. A sharp pain explodes out of the back of my neck, and darkness blooms from behind my eyelids. My body collapses.

I wake to a warm sensation enveloping my right arm. I crack open my eyes to see a vaguely weasel shaped mask. "You had multiple small fractures in both arms, one clean break in your right arm, and frayed tendons in both your knees," a monotonous voice emanates from behind the mask. "I've healed it all, but take it easy on your joints. Should you continue to damage them, you'll have a future full of arthritis."

I groan as I sit up. "Fun," I mutter.

I return to the other initiates in time to watch the last spar. It's between Orange and Tortoise. Orange does better than the five I saw before my round and it's obvious he's a Taijutsu Specialist as well. Predictably, Tortoise wins and Orange is carted off to the medics.

We wait in silence as initiates stream into the room after getting healed. Boar begins talking when the last one joins us. "Hot Pink, Teal, Sea Green, Sky Blue, Lime Green, Magenta, Periwinkle, Neon Yellow, Electric Blue, and Orange, you pass. Everyone else, out." Around ten or eleven people walk out of the room. "Now Tortoise will be giving critiques," Boar steps aside.

"Yosh! We'll start with Hot Pink!" Tortoise says in a large, booming voice. "Good use of your strengths! You might want to be careful about the use of clan styles because anyone familiar with yours will know exactly what clan you're from!" He's very... energetic.

"Teal! I like your unique way to tackle the problem at hand, but next time you're in a Taijutsu match, try using more Taijutsu and less talking!" I shoot a look at Teal, who looks away innocently.

"On to Sea Green! Nice use of Chakra Concealing Techniques! On less experienced shinobi, that will be extremely unnerving!" Tortoise is basically shouting at this point.

Tortoise continues to go through the remaining initiates' spars. I completely understand why this guy was the proctor for the second round of testing. He has an understanding of different styles that puts other Taijutsu Specialists to shame.

"Alright," Boar takes over again, "the third test is going to be Capture the Flag. Hot Pink, Teal, Sea Green, Neon Yellow, and Orange are Team Passion Fruit and Sky Blue, Lime Green, Magenta, Periwinkle, and Electric Blue are Team Strawberry-Banana Smoothie. Rules are the first team to get the enemy team's flag to their own territory wins. The only way to get players out of the game is to knock them out or tie them up. The test will take place in the Forest of Death. Have fun." Everything was delivered in complete monotone, and there is no way Boar would actually tell us to "Have fun" if it wasn't scripted. I feel like the upper echelons of ANBU like to laugh at us with the masks and the team names.

We're released onto opposing sides of the training ground with a parting "you have 10 minutes to plan before the exercise starts. The territory line is the Naka River."

"Well," I look at the rest of Team Passion Fruit, "lets do this!" And with that we run into the Forest of Death.